When the going gets tough, the tough gets on a canceling frenzy - and it appears that THQ may be in for a rough time this year, as they not only cancelled the PlayStation 3 version of Frontlines: Fuel of War, but a handful of other titles as well. More details in the full article.

Analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan, popular for making infamous (and oft accurate, like the PS3 price cut) predictions, may be making another one by predicting that game developer studio THQ will have a significantly lower performance than was first predicted.

THQ, who owns Company of Heroes and Supreme Commander and the upcoming games Saints Row 2 (PS3, 360) and MX vs. ATV Unleashed (Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, DS), was once given a forecast of US$ 244 million for this quarter and US$ 1.15 billion for the fiscal year. Pachter lowered these estimates to US$ 225 million for the quarter and US$ 1.09 for the year.

The lowered estimates are due to the underperformance of THQ's games Stuntman: Ignition (PS2, PS3, 360) and Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, PC, DS), and also their video game adaptation for Pixar's Ratatouille. Their earlier Pixar video game Cars performed very well in the market but Ratatouille failed to to live up to the success.

THQ once claimed that fees for making video games of owned intellectual properties (like Ratatouille) would be compensated with sales of the game. However, Mike Hickey of Janco has questioned this claim. He believes their line-up is overshadowed by the success of more popular games like Halo 3, Call of Duty 4 and Bioshock.

Furthermore, Hickey believes that THQ's casual games market will also be overshadowed by other more popular releases. He backs this up by saying that no THQ titles show up in the 50 top selling Wii games in Amazon. He concludes by saying it'll take "several more years of next-gen (that is, PS3 and Xbox 360 games) installed base maturity" before the line-up of casual games can get "meaningful traction."

 

It's that time of the week once again where we update you on the latest deals and steals invading the PlayStation Network Store, and this one's for those of us in North America. Fire up those next-gen Sony PlayStation 3 machines, as the guys over at the PlayStation Store has unleashed not just one, but two demos for you to download and get acquainted with - for the easily-affordable price of absolutely nothing.

Yep, these latest downloadable demos - namely Folklore and Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights(PS3, PS2, PSP, Xbox 360, PC, DS) - are going for free. In the Folklore demo, you'll be able to play as either Ellen or Keats in the Fairy Realm, where you'll also get an eyeful of the game's comic-like cutscenes (not to mention the high-end visuals). The same goes with the Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights demo, except with a lot more racing and a lot less fairies. And more models. Do note, though, that the Folklore and Juiced 2 demos are 1.26 GB and 968 MB in size respectively, so make sure you have space.

And there's also the deal of Calling All Cars going for only US$ 4.99 until the 25th of October, so if you haven't downloaded it already, the time to do so is now.

The other free stuff you'll be able to get a hold of for this week's PSN US Store update are as follows:

Game videos:

• Uncharted: Drake's Fortune Tech Dive Video
  
• Burnout Paradise Steel Wheels Trailer
  
• Turok Dino Luring Trailer
  
• Devil May Cry 4 TGS Short Trailer
  

PS3 Wallpapers:

• Eye of Judgement Wallpapers (2)
  

 

If you're a hardcore street racing fan and you prefer the chaos over the finesse of the craft, you might want to check out the upcoming release from Juice Games called Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights. It's all the raucous fun of blazing through city asphalt with an insanely deep customization mechanism.

This week we've got six new screens of Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights. Like its predecessor, this game features some pretty solid visuals that highlight the style of your customizable works of automotive art. Everything from the body, the rims, the tires, and right down to the interior is looking realistic and that's what racing fans love to see.

With a variety of drivers and a plethora of vehicles as a starting point, you'll immediately get a feel of how immersive the gameplay will be. There are some 10,000 parts to be juggled around come September 18 when this speedster launches, so make sure you check it out. Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights is set for the Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Sony PSP, PC, and Nintendo DS.

   
 

Buy: [Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (PS3)]

Buy: [Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (Xbox 360)]

Buy: [Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (DS)]

Buy: [Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (PSP)]

Drifting has become very important in racing video game titles. There's no denying that players like it very much because of the following: it's fun, it's a skill, and it's for showmanship. The same things were in Juice Games and THQ's minds when they've implemented the trick on Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights.

"We strived to make sure that the player, no matter how skilled they are, came away from the event with a positive experience. Our goal was to make the player 'feel' like they were a great driver, that they'd really enjoyed the game and that they wanted more," wrote one Juice Games developer over at IGN Blogs.

The said developer further explained that players can try five different drift modes in Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights:

• Solo Drift: A target score is set and you are given a set number of laps in which to rack-up the necessary points. If you reach the target before the end of the last lap the event is won.
• Drift King: This time the race is against a group of drivers and the clock. When the countdown reaches zero the driver with the highest score wins!
• Twin Drift: It's a two leg race with each driver taking the lead position. The ultimate winner is the driver with the most points over the two legs. The twist lies with driver who has to follow the leader.
• Drift Endurance: You've got as many laps as you need to get a high score. Simple until you learn that once you begin a drift then you have to sustain it. You'll need to keep your speed up and make sure you chain around all of the corners.
• Drift Obliterator: Races take place over a set number of laps and a target drift score is set for each lap. The rest of the race is simplicity itself, make sure you've reached the target score every time you pass the start line.

Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights will be available on platforms PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, and PlayStation 2. The video clip below further explains the above mentioned drift modes.

See the video clip after the jump!

Here's a new video clip for Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights from Juice Games and THQ featuring the Driver DNA. The good thing about this option is that records a player's driving style and creates a strand of DNA for it. This then can be downloaded by other players from PS3's PlayStation Network and Xbox 360's Xbox Live.

There are different kinds of Driver DNA available in the game such as "Cool", "Wild", "Uncompromising", and "Calculating" among others. Needless to say, each one varies from each other and dictates how a driver handles his vehicle. When playing an online match, you can also examine your opponent's DNA to use it to your advantage.

Aside from the already mentioned versions, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights will also be available on platforms Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, PC, and PlayStation 2. It was recently reported that both the PS3 and PSP versions will be delayed.

PS-Gamer reports that PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable owners will have to wait a bit longer until they get their hands on Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights (DS, PS3, PSP, Xbox 360).

According to THQ's latest release schedule, Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights' release date for the aforementioned platforms has been moved to October. The multiplatform racing game's September release date for the Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 is apparently still a go, though.

Stuntman: Ignition's PS3 release also seems to be in jeopardy. The game's PS3 version has been left off of the release schedule entirely, with the PS2 and Xbox 360 versions are still slated for an August 31 release. More on this as details surface so keep checking back here for updates.

Residents over in Europe may want to check their PlayStation 3s later, as we pick up word of new PlayStation Network updates for the day. SCEE has just announced that a new demo for Ubisoft's Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2 (which is also on the Xbox 360, PC, and PSP) will be available for download this afternoon.

Also to look out for are new trailers for Factor 5's Lair, and Juice Games' Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights.

GRAW2 for the PS3 is expected to launch this month, while Lair and Juiced 2 are expected to land in Europe come Q3 2007 (according to IGN). The downloads should be viewable when you log in your PS3 - just make sure to have the disk space necessary to enjoy the new goodies.

Just how much do you love those shiny cars with great decals? If you can't get enough of them, Juice Games and THQ's Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights will surely fire up your engines.

Today we've got a new video for the racing title showcasing its cars, customization features, the race modes, girls, and generally the culture of Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights. We see the real life Hot Import Nights event with the steroid shot cars drifting around the track. The title looks fine, but how will it shape up to the big boys of the racing genre? We'll see that in the finish line.

Anyway, this multiplatform video game (PC, PSP, PlayStation3, Xbox 360, and DS) will smash onto the shelves in September this year. In the meantime, check out the video.

After a couple of interviews, it's time for Juice Games licensing manager Nick Clarkson to take the hot seat and talk about Juiced 2: Hot Import Nights.

During Gamespot's interview, Clarkson talked about the problems the original game had - particularly, the unforgiving economy that often left players penniless after spending bucks for car repair. To address this problem, they're doing a lot of tweaks and changes to the system. For example, there's no charge for entering races anymore and you won't lose money for car repairs.

Clarkson confirmed that they're aiming for a more arcade-style game, something that can appeal to casual gamers and pull them in by offering rewards. More importantly, the game will feature several real life drivers that isn't very often for racing games. A bunch of teams will stand before your way, but beating them will be rewarding. You could win their cars, their decals, and even be part of them. Celebrities will also be present not only on release, but through downloads in the future.

Another main feature of the game is the driver DNA, which lets the computer record your driving style. Quite like the AI systems in recent fighting games, you can gather your data in single player then create an avatar with your skills. Online, you can find DNAs of other players and pit yourself against them - fight the guy on top of the ladder for the ultimate challenge.

The game will span throughout 7 geographical locations, plus plenty of cars and parts for your customization needs. For more info, check out the full interview below.