After nearly two decades, the highly anticipated Titan Quest 2 recently launched in early access on PC, swiftly selling 300,000 copies in its first three days, as reported by THQ Nordic. This success prompted Richard Browne, former THQ Vice President of Studio Operations, to share the surprising reasons why the sequel`s original release was halted years ago.
Writing on LinkedIn (with reference to Game World Observer), Browne revealed that THQ had initially approved the sequel`s development in 2006. However, the Iron Lore Entertainment development team faced a significant hurdle: THQ`s marketing department, which ultimately rejected their proof-of-concept demo.
Browne recounted, “[Titan Quest] was one of those games that just sold incredibly well; but our marketing department didn`t recognize that.” He added, “We had a fantastic 360-degree demo with a lower, controlled camera – they shot it down, using `Emsense` to argue that the demo (the result of three months of work) didn`t resonate sufficiently.”
The Emsense system used sensors to measure players` heart rate, breath rate, and other physiological indicators to assess their emotional response to a product. The perceived lack of a favorable response from Titan Quest 2 via Emsense became a primary justification for shelving the project.
Furthermore, Browne noted that the marketing team was hesitant to work with the game`s lead designer, Brian Sullivan, whom they considered “not PR-friendly.”
“Brian was great,” Browne stated, describing Sullivan as “simply a guy in khaki shorts, black socks, and loafers, and that complicated their job.”
Ultimately, Titan Quest 2`s development was revived under Grimlore Games for THQ Nordic. While currently an early access PC exclusive, the game is also slated for future release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.