Take-Two Interactive and 2K Games takes over WWE games franchise

The future of World Wrestling Entertainment games was up in the air a few weeks ago when gaming company THQ filed for bankruptcy last December, with its assets and licenses going up for sale the following month. The video game company, and Japanese firm Yuke's Co. which THQ tapped to help produce the WWE games, was responsible for creating WWE’s Smackdown, Smackdown Vs Raw, and eventually WWE ’12 games. During that period when the WWE games were in limbo, many wondered who would end up with the WWE license, a franchise that included several notable wrestlers and superstars such as John Cena, The Rock, CM Punk, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, and Triple H under its roster. The good news from Bloomberg is that Take-Two Interactive has acquired the rights to the franchise, and will develop games under their subsidiary 2K Games. The company also owns Rockstar Games, who publish the world renowned Grand Theft Auto and Midnight Club games. According to the Bloomber report, the deal would substantially reduce claims against THQ which, without the sale, “would certainly exceed $30 million and might exceed $60 million.” Japanese developer Yukes Co. as well as former THQ employees will be retained by the new deal, entering into new agreements with Take-Two Interactive to develop new WWE games and content. However there is no word yet as to when a new WWE game will actually come out and what new direction will be taken. Still, with the franchise now under the supervision of a company that released the highly successful NBA 2K franchise, there’s hope yet that the new WWE games may just get better. — DVM, GMA News