Fresh from acquiring assets to dip themselves into the casual gaming market, "creative hub" publisher THQ will now set out to raise the curtains off their much broader lineup of games for fiscal year 2009. And aside from tending some exclusive titles for the Nintendo Wii, THQ has a couple of mainstream franchises piled up for a comeback. All these are to be demonstrated at the Game Press Event in San Francisco. Head to the full story for more info.

THQ just released details regarding its profits for the third quarter of fiscal year 2008.

Aside from money matters, however, the company's CEO also hinted at when they'll be releasing the next installments of their Saints Row and Red Faction franchises. Details await in the full article.

If you're eagerly awaiting the WALL-E film you may want to check out the upcoming video game version as well, regardless of which system you own. That's right, THQ plans to release the video game version on all major gaming platforms to promote the movie's release. How faithful will the games be to the WALL-E movie? Find out after the jump!

At the risk of dropping some rather cheesy puns (that's one), we're letting the guys in some tasty deals GameStop has in store for this week.

The retailer has announced that this week's special will consist of several discounts for the game release of the Pixar movie Ratatouille, for the Xbox 360, PSP, Wii, DS, GameCube, GBA, PlayStation 2, and Xbox gaming consoles. This week's fresh catch will entitle buyers to a US$ 10 price reduction of the game, with the promo proper expected to last until this Thursday, August 9, while supplies last.

Also included in this week's sales promo is a used (original) PlayStation 2 model, which sells for US$ 79.99. For the 360 and PSP owners, also look out for the custom paraphernalia you'll be getting when you purchase choice titles from the site. Full details are available in the read link.

Not only does this new Ratatouille trailer from Heavy Iron Studios and THQ bring home the bacon, it also brings home the cheese, the wine, the olives, the lasagna... it just brings a lot of food to the table!

In Ratatouille, players get to play as the master chef-slash-rat Remy as he goes through 20 exciting missions that will relive portions of the movie, as well as flesh out Remy's character even further. As an added bonus, the game also comes with an unlockable sneak peek of Disney/Pixar's next movie, "WALL-E", which tells the story of a robot who wants to travel the galaxy.

Now, what's in this trailer, you might be wondering? Besides Remy, the ratty chef running for his little life, we also have gameplay mechanics such as running, jumping, and rolling on round food objects. The trailer also notes some of the game's features, such as multiplayer options and minigames.

In any case, you can expect delicious action and multiplatform gaming delicacies below, because in Ratatouille, everything tastes good. Enjoy!

Publisher THQ is very happy to announce that the video game title Cars has been made a discount title across almost all platforms. This means that the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions have been added to the "Greatest Hits" basket while the Xbox360 version can now found in the "Platinum Hits" basket.

If you really want to know, even the GameCube (GC) version is now a part of "Player's Choice" retail program.

THQ decided to come up with a sequel called Cars Mater-National for the 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 platforms. Disney Interactive Studios Exec. VP and GM Graham Hopper commented:

We are excited by the tremendous success the Cars franchise has achieved across the world on multiple video game platforms. Our successful and long-standing relationship with THQ has delivered a strong portfolio of Disney/Pixar titles that have become family favorites for gamers of all ages.

The original Cars is now available across all platforms at a suggested retail price of US$ 19.99. On the other hand, the new title Cars Mater-National is expected to careen around retail stores this fall. It will also be available on PS2, Nintendo DS, and GBA platforms.

Disney announced at their Investor Conference in Orlando that Buena Vista Games will now be known as Disney Interactive Studios (DIS). Senior VP and General Manager Graham Hopper reasoned, "This change reflects our focus on creativity, the weight of Disney content in our portfolio, and the enormous value consumers see in the Disney Brand."

True, although many people do know that Buena Vista is more or less Disney-related in many ways than one, we believe that slapping on the "Disney" name should reflect inspiration on the new game studio's image. You could think of it as an upgrade, like what happened to Pixar Animation Studios.

Will they be limited to Disney games? Apparently not, for they also have plans to publish non-Disney branded video games for all platforms worldwide. Touchstone, Disney, and ABC are the brands to look for on Disney Interactive Studios' published games.

DIS is powered by four internal game development studios, which include Avalanche Software, Fall Line Studios, Propaganda Games, and Climax Racing to develop games for all ages. So keep an eye out!

'Tis the season when companies are required to report how they did last year, and then tell everyone about what they plan to do next year. Everyone's doing it, and because of this, 'tis also the season when we finally get to hear more about things that we can look forward to.

In THQ's case, the company's president, Brian Farrell, announced their plan to spread the wrestling love all around in the coming fiscal year:

In addition to our lineup of owned intellectual properties, we also intend to build on our licensed franchises next year. We plan to once again deliver a great lineup of WWE, Pixar, and Nickelodeon titles. For WWE, we plan to add a PS3, Wii, and DS SKU to the Xbox 360, PS2, and PSP platforms.

With that said and done, one big question that remains to be answered is whether the games that THQ is promising will be ones that will be unique to each platform, or if they would simply be variations of titles from previous installments in the WWE SmackDown Vs. Raw game franchise.

Disney-Pixar games are a dime a dozen. From Cars to The Incredibles, to a whole host of other games, lots of young gamers (aged 1 to 52) are enjoying the chance to get into their favorite movies and play as its different characters. For next year's summer game, you can expect a massive invasion of culinary rats across all major platforms to date.

We're talking massive here. THQ is going to publish the game on the Wii, NDS, GBA, GameCube, PS2, PSP, PS3, Xbox 360, plus a Mac and PC version.

Ratatouille will have you playing as Remy (not to be confused with fellow QJ blogger Remi) as he goes through key scenes from the movie. You'd have to guide him across a wide array of mini-games, cooking challenges, and head-to-head multiplayer. Players would be allowed to create their own culinary masterpieces, all while trying to evade the perils and threats lurking about the kitchens of Paris.

Are you the next greatest rat-chef in all of history? The game is coming out next year, so you better start preparing those dishes (and evasive skills)!

THQ UK have released eight new screenshots for the PSP version of their upcoming movie-game crossover title Cars. The game is being developed by Rainbow and will be available for pretty much every single console out there: the DS, GBA, GC, PC, PS2, PSP, Xbox, Wii and X360. The game will hit European shores on June 14th and will be a popular title for Disney Pixar fans. Lets be honest, who isn't a fan of Disney Pixar? Cars for the PSP features:

• Story-based racing adventure game that will relive all of the key moments of the movie
• More than 10 playable characters from the film
• Open world environment with over 50 races
• Authentic voice talent from the hit movie Cars

The game itself is probably aimed at younger gamers although this will probably turn out to be a title with a family twist, suitable for all. The Mario Kart-like interface is really good, and will probably make this title sell just because you can't get Mario Kart for the PSP. Unless that is you use PSPVBA. Here's the eye candy.