THQ disappoints with $38.4 million Q1 loss

It's not quite the end of the world, but disappointing sales for Red Faction: Armageddon have put a dent in the company's bottom line. THQ released its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, and it cited the Volition-developed shooter as one of a handful of factors that contributed to a net loss of $38.4 million for the company.

In addition to Armageddon, the blame for THQ's woes was spread between sluggish sales from its children's titles and the late release of UFC: Personal Trainer. The results were even worse than the same period the year before, when THQ reported a net loss of $30.1 million. However, sales for the three months were up, as THQ reported revenues of $195.2 million, compared to the previous first quarter's haul of $149.4 million.

While THQ is coming off a disappointing first quarter and a $136 million shortfall in its previous fiscal year, company president and CEO Brian Farrell expects the publisher to turn things around.

"Despite a light first half, we are looking forward to a strong and profitable second half, including what we expect to be the biggest third quarter, both in revenue and earnings per share, in our company's history," Ferrell said in a statement.

THQ has Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine lined up for the current quarter, with Saints Row: The Third, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 uDraw tablets, WWE 12, and UFC Undisputed 3 set for launch by the March 31 end of its fiscal year.