Cet événement est d'autant plus important que l'accord a été reconsidéré et inclut désormais les droits d'exploitation Online. D'où la grande nouvelle du jour : l'annonce du premier MMO basé sur l'univers Warhammer 40 000 actuellement en développement chez Vigil Games !

 Communiqué officiel en anglais

THQ AND GAMES WORKSHOP GROUP PLC ANNOUNCE EXCLUSIVE
WARHAMMER® 40,000™ LICENSING AGREEMENT

Renewal Agreement Expanded to Include All Online Rights Including MMO

AGOURA HILLS, Calif., March 1, 2007 – THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) today announced that it has entered into an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with Games Workshop (LSE: GAW – News) for the Warhammer® 40,000™ franchise through 2013. The agreement serves to both extend and expand upon THQ’s previous agreement with Games Workshop for the Warhammer 40,000 license, which encompassed interactive rights to console and handheld systems, as well as Windows PC. Additional rights under the newly announced agreement include wireless devices and all online rights, including massively multiplayer (MMO) games. It also includes the same rights to Games Workshop’s Gorkamorka and Necromunda properties.

THQ also announced that its Austin, Texas based studio, Vigil Games, is in development on the first MMO based on the Warhammer 40,000 franchise.

THQ’s critically acclaimed Warhammer®: 40,000™: Dawn of War™ franchise now boasts more than 2 million units in sales worldwide with the release of hybrid expansion Warhammer® 40,000™: Dawn of War™ – Dark Crusade™ last fall. The franchise has received numerous accolades since its 2004 debut, including Game of the Year and Editor’s Choice Awards, in addition to selection as an Official World Cyber Games title in 2005 and 2006.

“Our success in creating Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War as a category leading Real-Time Strategy experience for PC gamers is just the beginning,” said Kelly Flock, executive vice president of worldwide publishing, THQ. “The Warhammer 40,000 universe provides a richness of worlds, characters and stories and level of depth that translates perfectly to interactive experiences across multiple genres and systems. We see a lot of opportunity to build new and different games based on Games Workshop’s fantastic property in the coming years, beginning with our newly announced MMO.”

“We are delighted to be able to announce the extension of our very successful partnership with THQ,” said Andy Jones, Head of Group Legal and Licensing for Games Workshop. “By creating such vibrant and ground-breaking games based on our long-established worlds, stories and characters, THQ can introduce the Warhammer 40,000 Intellectual Property to a whole new audience, while providing our existing Hobbyists with an exciting new way to interact with the dark and gothic universe which they already know and love.”

More information about Vigil Games can be found at www.vigilgames.com.