THQ reports $30.1 million Q1 loss, lower than expected UFC 2010 sales

THQ's Q1 financial results are in, and while the UFC Undisputed publisher's far from eating canvas, we have to imagine it'll have quite the shiner when it wakes up tomorrow morning.

During an investor call, THQ reported a Q1 net loss of $30.1 million, which it attributed mostly to the lack of a "title comparable to Red Faction: Guerrilla" and UFC Undisputed 2010's sales - which, while hardly bargain bin fodder at 2.7 million, fell slightly short of Undisputed 2009's 2.9 million. THQ, meanwhile, was hoping the appeal of more big men twisting each other into even more labyrinthine pretzels would be enough to, you know, increase sales.

"We built our plans for growth in UFC this year," THQ CEO Brian Farrell said.

As a result, THQ's net sales settled at a modest (for giant videogame businesses) sum of $149.4 million, compared with $243.5 million for the same period last year.

Annual UFC releases on the way out?

So, UFC Undisputed 2010 slipped and landed with a bit of a thud. Win some, lose some. Now then, how does THQ plan on winning some more?

"We're considering a longer development cycle—15, 18, 21 months, rather than annually," Farrell said.

Which, of course, leads to the obvious question: when's the next UFC game dropping?

"The question is timing," Farrell said. "That depends on the scope of the game, the window and how we want to release the game."

He did, however, add that the game will be out within THQ's next fiscal year, which ends March 2012.

Plenty more through here.