Skip to main content

Double Fine joins the THQ bidding to win back its own games

double-fine-adventure
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Double Fine, the studio behind such fine products as Psychonauts, Costume Quest, and Stacking, are still in the pool of video game developers and publishers bidding on the leftover properties held by THQ. The now defunct publisher is set to auction off the last remnants of its business in April, and while big ticket items like Darksiders and Red Faction will be auctioned off individually, what Double Fine is after is unfortunately included in a package of 34 other intellectual properties.

In particular, Double Fine is trying to win back the console distribution rights to Costume Quest and Stacking. It self-published those titles in 2010 and 2011, but THQ managed their release on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Recommended Videos

“Double Fine owns the IP rights to Costume Quest and Stacking,” Double Fine VP of business development Justin Bailey told Polygon, “THQ retained limited distribution rights that we bid on during the previous process to reclaim them prior to their expiration. We are optimistic about regaining these distribution rights, as this process has already demonstrated that when there are parties interested in specific assets, those assets are worth more when sold separately.”

Anthony John Agnello
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Anthony John Agnello is a writer living in New York. He works as the Community Manager of Joystiq.com and his writing has…
You Asked: What’s the most impressive thing you saw at CES?
You Asked CES Editors Cut

On today’s special edition of You Asked, we tracked down each of our editors and put them on the spot to find out what they thought was the most impressive thing they saw at CES 2025 in Early January. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Panasonic Z95B

There’s been some really cool TV tech at CES, but the thing I’m most excited about is the new Panasonic Z95B. Instead of the regular OLED display structure we’ve seen in recent years with MLA technology, this uses a four-layer panel structure. It features individual red, green, and blue layers (two of the latter) for the emissive light.

Read more
3 game studios are closing their doors, including the developer of Godfall
Godfall player in combat.

We're barely into 2025, and the gaming industry has already delivered bad news: Three studios are shutting their doors, resulting in dozens of layoffs. Two of the three studios are subsidiaries of Enad Global 7, and the company said, "This decision does not come lightly and follows several initiatives to turn the subsidiary profitable."

The first studio to close is Toadman Interactive, best known for Immortal: Unchained and Bloodsports TV. While not the direct developer, the studio offered support during the development of The Lord of the Rings Online and MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. According to Enad Global 7, the closing affects everyone not under contract, and existing employment contracts will be honored. Adding salt to the wound is the news that 38 developers from Piranha Games are also going to be laid off following the subpar performance of MechWarrior 5: Clans.

Read more
Hyper Light Breaker is starting early access on the right foot
A group of Breakers in Hyper Light Breaker.

Hyper Light Breaker finally enters early access later this week, and the future is already looking bright for it. Ahead of its January 14 release, I played Heart Machine's new co-op game with its developers and saw its game loop in action. The bones of a fantastic action-roguelike are here, setting the stage for a true Risk of Rain 2 rival. I could see it becoming the next roguelike I lose dozens of hours to as I'm already eager to do just one more run.

I see room for Hyper Light Breaker to grow too as Heart Machine continues to balance and polish it in early access by adding more gear and variety in its open world. I’m already comfortable recommending Hyper Light Breaker as it enters early access, and I can’t wait to see where it ends up a year from now as we approach its 1.0 release.

Read more