THQ sells budget division ValuSoft

Budget software company Cosmi has acquired THQ’s value-centric publishing and distribution division ValuSoft.

The move ties in with THQ’s widely-publicised new strategy of dropping all but its strongest and most important IP and operations, though the sale of assets is unlikely to quieten observers keen to predict the demise of the company.

THQ acquired ValuSoft a decade ago and enjoyed moderate success selling second-tier, low ticket items to mass-market US retailers such as Walmart and Target.

Cosmi is a veteran of the sector, having specialisedin budget software for 30 years. It claims that the deal makes it the second largest PC publisher in North America and the biggest value software publisher.

"With the transition of the ‘Value’ PC business to Cosmi, our internal resources are now focused on our core video game portfolio where we can drive the highest quality performance and execution for our games," THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell stated.