2012: The Year of Gaming Woes
Every industry has down cycles, but for several companies in the videogame space, 2012 can't end soon enough.
While the year is likely to finish stronger than it started, with the launch of Nintendo's Wii U console and the return of popular franchises like "Halo 4" and "Call of Duty Black Ops 2," pretty much everything that could go wrong in the first half of the year has.
Here's a look at some of the more notable woes the industry has faced this year.
THQ Delisting Threat
THQ's Delisting Threat:
Not too long ago, THQ was the industry's third largest publisher. A lack of real breakout hits and some poor strategy decisions, though, have sunk the company's stock, which has stayed below $1 since Dec. 8, 2011.
After Nasdaq threatened to delist the company in January, THQ laid off 240 employees, cut its CEO's salary by 50 percent and jettisoned its children's licensed games division (which, at one time, was responsible for much of its fortunes).