THQ’s Survival Rests on UFC 2009 Undisputed

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aeIyrsYFC1oU&refer=home

THQ reported its fifth-straight quarterly loss today.

“THQ needs a hit title to break back into profitability,” said Colin Sebastian, a San Francisco-based analyst with Lazard Capital Markets LLC, who has a “hold” rating on the stock and doesn’t own it. The UFC game is “definitely being looked at by investors as an important milestone.”

“UFC 2009 Undisputed” with St-Pierre on the cover simulates the sport’s mix of jujitsu, karate, kickboxing and wrestling, with its choke holds and flying arm bars. Buxom ring girls and excited ringside announcers add color to lure men to stores.

UFC’s male fan base is a main reason Todd Mitchell, a technology analyst with Kaufman Bros. in New York, projects the game will sell more than 2 million copies in nine months.