Formerly called
|
Nordic Games GmbH (2011–2016) |
---|---|
Subsidiary | |
Industry | Video game industry |
Founded | 23 June 2011 |
Founder | Lars Wingefors |
Headquarters | Vienna, Austria |
Area served
|
Worldwide |
Key people
|
Lars Wingefors |
Products |
|
Number of employees
|
84 (2016) |
Parent | THQ Nordic AB |
Subsidiaries | |
Website | thqnordic |
THQ Nordic GmbH (formerly Nordic Games GmbH) is an Austrian video game publisher, based in Vienna, Austria. The company was founded in 2011 by Swedish entrepreneur Lars Eric Olof Wingefors. Its core portfolio comprises products and brands which were acquired from other large publishers, such as from JoWooD Entertainment and its former subsidiary DreamCatcher Interactive in 2011, from THQ in 2011, and from Digital Reality and NovaLogic in 2016.
As part of its acquisition of THQ, Nordic Games also took over video game developer THQ Digital Phoenix, in 2013, and renamed it back to its original name, Rainbow Studios, in 2015. In December 2013, they opened an original game studio, Grimlore Games, in Munich. In August 2016, Nordic Games changed its name to THQ Nordic, using the THQ trademark they had acquired previously, to regain its association with their franchises acquired from THQ.
In 1990, Swedish entrepreneur Lars Eric Olof Wingefors founded LW Comics AB, a company to sell and trade second-hand comic books. In 1993, the company's focus shifted towards video games, becoming a mail-order retailer for secondhand software and cartridges, and finally Nordic Games AB. Its headquarters are located in Karlstad, Sweden. Over the years, the company added new goods to its portfolio, and established several stores over Scandinavia. In 2000, British retailer Gameplay.com acquired Nordic Games for GB£5.96 million in shares. After the dot-com bubble, Wingefors re-acquired the Nordic retail division from financially troubled Gameplay for 1 kr. In 2004, the company started with a new outlet store concept. In 2008, Nordic Games entered game development by creating its own publishing branch, Nordic Games Publishing AB, in order to create products for its outlet stores.