THQ Shares Dip As Red Faction: Armageddon Is Pushed To May 2011

THQ shares fell six percent in after-hours trading following today's announcement that the company's anticipated Red Faction: Armageddon would be pushed back to May 2011 from a planned release of March 2011. The delay pushes the game's release into the company's 2012 fiscal year, and reduced the company's expected net sales for the 2011 fiscal year from $825 million to $800 million. THQ also announced a new title in the MX vs. ATV series of extreme/off-road racing titles. MX vs. ATV Alive is currently scheduled for Spring of 2011. Other upcoming release dates newly disclosed or confirmed in today's announcement included a Summer 2011 release for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, Fall 2011 releases for Saints Row and WWE titles, and a Winter 2012 release for another UFC-themed title. The follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed Red Faction: Guerrilla, Volition's Red Faction: Armageddon will let players take control of Darius Mason, grandson of Guerrilla heroes Alec Mason and Samanya, as he uses new reconstruction technology to fight evil unleashed deep in the core of Mars. The Red Faction property continues to be a major part of THQ's portfoilo, with plans for a made-for-TV movie, Red Faction: Origins, set to premiere on cable's SyFy channel alongside Armageddon's release.