THQ Nordic: US will be strongest market for Darksiders III

Darksiders III is likely to sell better in the US than in Europe, publisher THQ Nordic has told MCV. Developed by Gunfire Games, the third entry in the action RPG Darksiders series is due for release sometime next year on PS4, Xbox One and PC.

"The strongest market for Darksiders III will be the US," PR and marketing director Philipp Brock told MCV at Gamescom. "I don’t think that it’s going to be by a wide margin, though. If you take the rest of the world, such as Europe and Russia, it should be very equal between those two markets."

THQ Nordic, who is based in Vienna, says it was the acquisition of the THQ licence back in 2013 when it was just known as Nordic Games that helped raise the company’s profile outside of its home territory.

"We’ve gained a pretty strong foothold with the major acquisitions of the THQ franchises," says Brock. "Since then, it’s quite equal between Europe and the US. Of course, you have some games that just don’t pick up traction in the US and do well in Europe and vice-versa, but [the latter] is rarer.

"We secured a truck load of great games [during the acquisition], and that was our level-up. This was like, ‘Okay, all of a sudden, we’re in the limelight’ and everyone was like, ‘Who the fuck is Nordic Games?’ Last year, we decided to pay respect to that and as we also acquired the THQ Licence itself, we did the whole rebranding things, so it just made sense for us. I think in Europe as well as in the States, it was a welcome move."

That said, Brock said we shouldn’t expect to see huge billboards for Darksiders III as it approaches release:

"You always have to put in that sort of [marketing] work, but I think we’re pretty much doing stuff differently than TQH did, so I don’t think you’re going to see TV spots, or billboard ads for Darksiders III. We’re going to focus on other aspects. The core piece is the game itself. It has to feel good, be smooth and well-rounded. It has to have a story that’s not bland. It’s a lot of factors, but in the end, if you really focus on it, we always put the game first."

Brock also expects a similar sales scenario for THQ Nordic’s newly-announced IP, Biomutant, which received its worldwide debut at Gamescom: "For Biomutant, I think it will be similar to Darksiders," Brock continued. "I think it has a very global appeal."

As MCV has previously reported, THQ Nordic has high hopes for Biomutant, calling it one of the titles that could take the publisher to the next level: "In the mid-term, I think we definitely have titles that have the potential to kick us up a notch," said Brock. "Biomutant is definitely one of those, and Darksiders III. Those could be the hallmarks to the next level."