Some WWE Universe 2.0 News Revealed

Last year WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011 introduced a new feature that was sure to change the WWE game 'verse forever. WWE Universe was meant to give players a feeling of the actual WWE television programs with the unpredictability and live environment.

It had it's problems but most people enjoyed it. Now that WWE '12 is releasing in less than two months THQ is starting to let some news go down the drain.

Here are some of the new features to the game:

• A draft show where you can move wrestlers from one brand to another
• The ability to interrupt A.I. matches and take matters into your own hands
• You can create your own show in Universe
• Finally, you can choose who you want to face at WrestleMania if you win the Royal Rumble

Red Faction Series Put on Hold Indefinitely

Pour out a 40 for the Red Faction franchise, it is no more. While we don't know how poorly the recent Red Faction: Armageddon sold, we do know it wasn't well enough to even make into the top ten list after its release back in June. THQ is saying that the games poor sales are a large part of the company having a poor quarter, so they're ending the franchise.

"Red Faction: Armageddon did not meet our expectations," said Brian Farrell, THQ CEO, on an earnings call today. "While this title has a passionate niche following, the title did not resonate with the sufficiently broad console audience. In today's hit-driven core gaming business, even highly polished titles with a reasonable following like Red Faction face a bar that continues to move higher and higher."

Red Faction developer Volition is currently working on Saints Row: The Third, as well as Guillermo del Toro's planned horror trilogy Insane.

"Given that that title now in two successive versions has just found a niche, we do not intend to carry forward with that franchise in any meaningful way," says Farrell.

So it's unlikely we'll be getting a new Red Faction anytime soon.

It seems unlikely that we'll be getting another. 

Assassin's Creed Creative Director Patrice Desilets Begins at THQ

Patrice Désilets has had a pretty extended vacation. Former Ubisoft employee and creative director of the Assassin's Creed franchise, Désilets announced last October that he was leaving Ubisoft Montreal to go work over at THQ Montreal. Désilets would once again serve as a "creative director" over at THQ Montreal, tasked with building an internal development team as well as creating a new IP for the studio.

Désilets unfortunately couldn't begin his new job at the time of the announcement. Thanks to Ubisoft's non-compete clause he hasn't actually start his position at THQ for the last nine months.

Yesterday though THQ officially announced that Désilets non-compete clause is over, and he has started his new position.

"The creative freedom that THQ gives its artists and developers--and their willingness to make games that truly reflect an artistic vision--really drew me to THQ," said Désilets in the press release. "I plan to build an incredibly talented team at THQ, and am very anxious to get started on creating a new project."

While it sounds like his new game is a ways off, THQ Montreal will be a two-team studio. A two-team studio who recently took over development of the Homefront sequel from the soon to be shutdown Kaos Studios.So it's safe to assume that Désilets will be dividing his time between development of the next Homefront and his new project.

THQ Closes Kaos Studios

It's a hard world for developers out there. THQ announced today that Frontlines: Fuel of War and Homefront developers Kaos Studios has been closed-and UK based company THQ Digital Warrington-has been closed.

Homefront had reviews that ran the spectrum with most being middle of the road. The game did however sell well over a million copies and THQ shipped more than 2.6 million out to retailers. Lackluster word-of-mouth did little to help the games sales past its initial release, and development of the Homefront sequel has been given to THQ's Montreal Studio.

The only statement THQ gave on the matter was from the press release they sent out, branding the move "a strategic realignment." THQ also issued in this statement that they were hiring at their Austin, Vancouver, and Montreal studios, and anyone who was affected by the layoffs would be able to reaply elsewhere within THQ.

The last development efforts Kaos put into the Homefront series was the "Fire Sale" map pack, which will release tomorrow.

Saints Row: The Third Gets a Release Date and E3 Trailer

With E3 coming in just less than a week, it's usual that some developers and publishers will sometimes reveal some things here and there just before the expo begins. This time around, Volition Inc. and THQ have unveiled the official release date for Saints Row: The Third. That date is November 15, 2011. Along with the release date, a new trailer has been released for the public to see. Even though it's all CG, one could assume that the next installment is going to kick even more ass.