Rubin - THQ needs its own Skyrim, Red Dead Redemption

Jason Rubin, newly appointed president of THQ, has said despite Saints Row: The Third selling over 4 million units worldwide and the generally positive review scores, he thinks THQ and Volition can do better.

Speaking with Polygon, Rubin believes SR:T should have sold as well as Skyrim or Red Dead Redemption.

"Why couldn't that be a Red Dead Redemption or a Skyrim?" he said. "I look at that title and I say, ‘Who cares what it is and why it got to be what it is? From that team we can make something that isn't embarrassing."

Rubin clarified he wasn't embarrassed of the team or the game per se, just that he thinks the team is capable of more.

Elaborating a bit more, Rubin didn't say there wasn't room at the company any more for games featuring "a purple dildo," but such juvenile humor needs to fit into the game created.

"It works for South Park, but I'm not sure it does elsewhere," he said. "I don't think (Volition) chose to do what they did because they had all of the options available to them. It was the environment at the time. I know I can change that."

As far as THQ's other IPs in the works were concerned, Rubin said there are an "appropriate number of teams and people," at the company to work on Guillermo del Toro's inSane, and while he finds Darksiders 2 "very interesting," he thinks he can get the team to "make other very interesting games."

The firm will also talk about Patrice Desilets' game "when we're ready."

For now, Rubin's plan is to reinvigorate THQ by concentrating on "a small slate of titles and making sure we have the money to back them so the developers don't have to rush," he said.

"I really don't care how we got here. This is where we are and I think the company is in a strong position."