8. THQ

Year formed: 1989

Headquarters: Agoura Hills, Calif.

Studios: Big Huge Games (Timonium, Maryland); Blue Tongue Entertainment (Melbourne); Sandblast (Seattle, WA); Heavy Iron Studios (Los Angeles); Helixe (Burlington, Mass.); Incinerator (Carlsbad, Calif.); Juice Games (Warrington, U.K.), Kaos Studios (New York); Locomotive Games (Santa Carla, Calif.); Mass Media (Moorpark, CA); Paradigm (Dallas); Rainbow Studios (Phoenix); Relic Entertainment (Vancouver); THQ Studio Australia (Spring Hill, Australia); THQ Wireless (Calabasas Hills, Calif.); Vigil Games (Austin); Volition (Champaign, Ill.)

2007-08 was a difficult period for this Los Angeles-based publisher. THQ posted losses throughout the year, and flagging sales on key original franchises forced layoffs and reorganizations.

Cancellations and delays of titles like Destroy All Humans! Path of the Furon and de Blob, respectively, further hurt revenues.

Despite that, THQ's release schedule was dwarfed only by Activision's, and its inclusion of WWE and Pixar-licensed titles were the publisher's sales highlights for the year.

Original titles MX vs. ATV Untamed and Frontlines: Fuel of War were important successes during the year, and THQ seems to be depending on Saints Row and Red Faction sequels to steer the company back toward profitability.

THQ/Rainbow Studios' MX vs. ATV Untamed