THQ locks up UFC license
Publisher steps into The Octagon, signs on to make games based on mixed martial arts brand for the next five years.
By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Posted Jan 16, 2007 1:27 pm PT

THQ has long been a purveyor of sweaty, half-naked men grappling with one another, having published numerous wrestling games based on the WWE in the past decade, as well as several WCW titles before that. Today the company announced that it would add to that heritage with an exclusive worldwide licensing deal to publish games based on the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand through 2011.

Under the agreement, THQ is able to create games for all current and next-gen platforms, handhelds, and PCs. The publisher also gets "certain wireless rights" under the deal.

The UFC has been running Pay-Per-View events since 1993, but in recent years has found growing prominence on cable, with the reality TV series "The Ultimate Fighter" entering its fifth season on Spike TV. The UFC is also one of Microsoft's content partners for downloadable shows over Xbox Live Video Marketplace.
Several game companies have taken a swing at the license before, starting with Crave's Ultimate Fighting Championship on the Dreamcast, which was developed by Anchor. While it was critically well received, subsequent UFC games did not fare as well, and the license has been dormant since 2004's UFC: Sudden Impact.

I think THQ has made a smart decision in taking the UFC under their wing. I feel this is also a good oppotunity for the UFC to further advertise itself. THQ has had great responses to other wrestling games and this more or less falls into that category. I myself find the UFC to be quite entertaining and feel that this licensing deal with THQ will lead it into a whole other marketplace. These days video games are becoming more and more realistic. Technology has allowed these new systems to break barriers and games have become increasingly detailed and graphic. In know from my own experience this really fascinates younger boys. I have a younger brother who loves these games and owns every imagineable system. The purpose of this he says is that each system allows him to view the same game differently. New systems are not only selling themselves, but thefact that THQ is always redeveloping these games to go along with these systems will definetly bring the UFC into the consumers eye.

by Michelle Petreski