THQ Nordic is hitting the "buy now" button on another gaming property, as
GamesIndustry.biz reports they are acquiring Koch Media, the German
publishing group (no relation to the Koch brothers). They say the transaction is
worth $149.6 million and reports that it will entail all of Koch's assets, so
THQ Nordic will now also own the
Saints Row,
Dead Island, and
Metro franchises. Here's more:
The deal includes the entire of the
Koch business, including Deep Silver - which publishes titles such as Saints
Row, Dead Island and Metro. It means that Saints Row and Metro now both fall
back under the THQ banner, alongside other THQ Nordic brands such as De Blob,
Darksiders, MX vs ATV, Red Faction and Destroy All Humans.
THQ Nordic was previously known as Nordic Games before changing its name in 2016
following the acquisition of a number of THQ properties.
The surprise acquisition means that THQ Nordic will now also operate Koch's
partner publishing business and its film business. Koch also operates three game
development studios, namely Volition - best known for Saints Row, Dambuster
Studios - best known for Homefront, and Fishlabs - best known for the Galaxy on
Fire series.