INTERVIEW: Ian Curran

THQ’s Ian Curran is confident that the firm can match its UK full-year performance last year – and pledged to catch Electronic Arts in the publisher tables.

On November 1st, the firm posted a $7 million net loss for its second quarter, down from the previous year’s net income of $11.6 million.

But executive VP Curran has said that the firm’s strong ‘back end’ releases – such as WWE Smackdown! Vs. Raw – will remedy this deficit in its full-year financial results.

We’ve had a relatively light first half this year,” he told MCV. In the UK we are slightly behind where we were last year but that’s because our Pixar release, Ratatouille, came later in the year. Last year we had Cars in the summer. We feel confident that with our strong back-end releases we’ll be able to make up lost ground there.”

And when asked if THQ could ever overthrow EA at the summit of the publisher market share charts, Curran replied: No-one stays at the top forever and that applies to EA. If somebody is going to move in and topple them then we are best placed to do that. Can it happen? Will it happen? When will it happen? You’ll just have to watch this space.”

Curran also revealed that THQ is always looking out ” for new studio acquisitions – and that it will continue to heavily support PS2 next year.

We are the most aggressive publisher when it comes to pursuing back-catalogue market share,” he added. We will exploit every opportunity.”

To see the full interview with MCV, click here.