THQ Nordic AB has distanced itself from comments made by its subsidiary THQ Nordic GmbH, and has backed Deep Silver’s decision to launch Metro Exodus as a timed exclusive on the Epic Games Store.
At first glance that’s a confusing sentence, so take a deep breath and hold on to your hat, because we’re about to venture down the THQ rabbit hole. Ready? Here goes.
THQ Nordic GmbH is the owner of Deep Silver and its parent company Koch Media, the latter of which still holds the rights to the Metro franchise, and yesterday suggested it wasn’t enamored with the company’s decision to pull Metro Exodus from Steam in favor of the Epic Store.
“We do not want to categorically exclude the possibility of timed exclusives for any of our games in the future,” wrote THQ Nordic GmbH on Twitter, “but speaking in the here and now, we definitely want to have the players choose the platform of their liking and make our portfolio available to as many outlets as possible.”
Now, THQ Nordic GmbH’s own parent company, THQ Nordic AB, has distanced itself from those comments, and said it fully supports Koch Media’s decision as well as the autonomy of its various subsidiaries.
“I believe it’s in the group’s, and ultimately the consumers’, best interest that business decisions are made close to the market and this is the group’s consistent business model,” said THQ Nordic AB chief exec Lars Wingefors.
“I firmly believe that Deep Silver and Koch Media have carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages, opportunities and risks in their decision to go solely with Epic Games Store. The decision has my full support.”
Wingefors has also realized the shortcomings of having two different business entities sharing the THQ Nordic name, and now plans to change the name of THQ Nordic AB to better reflect its status as the group’s parent company.
THQ Nordic GmbH, the operating entity based in Vienna (and the one that tweeted yesterday) will keep its current moniker.