Struggling publisher THQ has today announced a strategic agreement with development studio Innovative Leisure.
The announcement described Innovative Leisure is a team of industry veterans including: "Seamus Blackley ("father of the Xbox"), Van Burnham(Supercade), Ed Logg (Asteroids, Centipede, Gauntlet), Rich Adam (Missile Command, Gravitar, PGA Tour Golf), Tim Skelly (Rip Off, Star Castle, Reactor), Owen Rubin (Major Havoc, Space Duel), and Ed Rotberg (Battlezone, S.T.U.N. Runner, Steel Talons)".
"We are always looking to work with the best creative talent in the video games industry and we feel this relationship with Innovative Leisure reinforces our goal," said Danny Bilson, executive vice president, Core Games, THQ. "We are committed to delivering creative games through digital distribution and Innovative Leisure has the expertise to deliver remarkable and cutting edge games for a new generation."
"It's a great honor (and a lot of fun) to get the opportunity to work with so many of the designers responsible for the gameplay mechanics that form the basis of our whole medium," said Seamus Blackley, President of Innovative Leisure. "We're excited about getting to make and release a bunch of awesome games."
The deal will give THQ license to publish Innovative Leisure games from 2012 onwards. This announcement will no doubt come as a welcome break after all of the recent talk about bankruptcy. THQ will be hoping that this deal with Innovative Leisure will be the first step on the road to recovery.