THQ has unveiled its financial scorecard for this fiscal year's opening quarter and though it looked pretty at first, things quickly went south as we checked out how much it lost. Apparently, bigger revenues don't necessarily translate into bigger profits as you'll find out in the full article up ahead.

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!

 

It's time for this week's Blu-ray releases once again and of course, we've got new titles to add to the growing list of Blu-ray movies and other titles. This week's list is largely dominated by wholesome titles and Blu-ray packs, plus more Best of Blu-ray. As always, there's something for everyone so we'll also get to enjoy a smattering of other titles.

So what titles are going to the stores this week? Well, we've got light and quirky mixed with action, blood, plus a biopic and a Korean film. Most of the time, action flicks and wholesome family titles (sometimes synonymous with Disney) are polar opposites but they are shoulder to shoulder in this week's titles for your Blu-ray home entertainment systems. Anyway, on to the titles.

  

If you love Disney and Pixar movies and short films (like this writer does), then you'll love what's lined up this week. They are offering cars, a cooking rat, short films, movies, and then some. Yep, Lightning McQueen, Remy, Chicken Little, and the denizens of Pixar's short films (Jack-Jack of The Incredibles included) are about to invade homes.

Funny short films, revenge, and the complete list of releases after the jump!

Back in the industry news, "creative hub" publisher THQ announced a first quarter sales dip of approximately US$ 34 million, while reporting a significantly lowered quarter net loss of US$ 9.3 million. Despite the drop from US$ 138.8 million to US$ 104.5 million in sales of Ratatouille, Cars, and WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2007, the publisher is confident about its US$ 240 million sales target for Q2 2007.

 

Achievements for the company during Q1 included a penetration of the online market in China, after THQ signed an agreement with Shanda, a local game operations firm, to deliver the long-standing PC game Company of Heroes to the blossoming PC market in the region. While details were scarce, it was hinted that the title would definitely cater to the online segment.

Brian Farrell, CEO of THQ, assured attendees at the recently concluded press conference that the current quarter performance appears to be as they expected. He remained confident that their lineup of family-friendly and casual games for the Nintendo Wii and DS will keep the company "well positioned" for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts, de Blob, Stuntman: Ignition, and WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007, on the other hand, have been selected as for Game Critics' Best of E3 2007 Awards, while a whispered sequel for Red Faction back in February was confirmed at the conference call. Details on the sequel have not been revealed as of press time.

Future prospects of the company appear to be cautiously optimistic, after Farrell noted a faster pace of PlayStation 3 hardware sales that seem to outweigh the platform's software sales. The company also plans to dive into in-game advertising more so this 2008, claiming to be in talks with Nickelodeon and Pixar to discuss in-game ad revenue shares.

More next-gen joy that's Ratchet and Clank-flavored coming your way with this two-hit video update of the duo's latest next-gen adventure on the PlayStation 3. High-end graphics, a clean and wholesome visual style not unlike Pixar's, and stellar voice acting - we give you the skinny on what could be one of the PS3's biggest hits from Insomniac Games yet.

The first video's the opening cinematic of the game, where we see Ratchet and Clank suffering a slight mishap while on their way to the Planetary Defense Center. The second video, titled Bot Smashing Gameplay, is just that - a minute or so of bot-smashing courtesy of an expertly-wielded wrench. If a mere lombax can do this much carnage with a wrench, what more can he do with the other weapons not yet revealed? We can only wonder.

Updates about Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction as we get them, and enjoy the videos!

The other video after the jump!

Ratchet and Clank's gone a long way indeed, and this latest trailer for Insomniac Games' Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction proves it. We get you the skinny on what's to expect with the next-gen title about the mismatched duo and their exploits in Metropolis.

Looking more like a trailer from a Pixar movie than a trailer about a videogame, it should probably be safe to say that Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is going to be a very interesting ride indeed. High-end graphics, smooth animation, a clean visual style - and let's not forget the stellar voice acting that's always been a signature of the series. Definitely a title to watch out for.

Updates as we get them, and enjoy the video!

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!

We usually find wondrous things in our email inbox here in QJ. Today, we got word on what's new in the PlayStation Store in Sony's PlayStation Network. Having said that, we'll cover the free stuff first before we give you the new stuff you can buy.

Okay, the free swag includes three tutorial videos for MLB 07 The Show, a Trailer for the new culinary adventure from Pixar - Ratatouille,  a trailer for the August 3rd movie - Hot Rod, and additional content in the form of Decals and Events for Ridge Racer 7.

As for the things you have to pay for, Championship Sprint is the new racing game up in the PlayStation Store. Championship Sprint should sell for around US$ 4.99 and is rated E (hey it's a small racing game, what do you expect?). Background music for Ridge Racer 7 is also available and the tunes are selling at 99 cents each.

As for that new Resistance: Fall of Man stuff, we'll have to wait for the June 7 update.