THQ jumps the gun, free-to-play games are the future

In the wake of ditching the UFC license (that Electronic Arts swiftly picked up), THQ revealed to Gamasutra that the free-to-play games market is a priority for the publisher of Homefront and Darksiders.

Although the PC is the platform of choice for these games, THQ mentions that the free-to-play titles they plan to develop are aimed at the next generation of home consoles. Another strategy that THQ is envisioning and that is much closer to fruition is the release of low-cost AAA titles, starting with South Park: The Stick of Truth, which is scheduled for March 2013. Hopefully ‘low-cost’ won’t be a tantamount to ‘low-quality’.

After Crytek’s revelation that their future is in free-to-play, THQ is another major publisher to admit a similar strategy. What changes do you think this will bring to the current business model?