THQ to Post Strong Earnings on Holiday Sales

THQ Inc., the Calabasas Hills-based video-game maker, said it would post stronger-than-expected earnings for its fourth quarter because of strong holiday sales. But company officials also warned that it expects its sales to slow in the first half of this year, in part because THQ will push back the release of its hotly anticipated Sony PlayStation 2 game “Red Faction.” The company will delay the game to compensate for the troubles that have plagued Sony’s game console, which has faced both supply shortages and slow sales. Wall Street analysts are expecting the company to report earnings between 91 and 95 cents a share. THQ shares rose 88 cents to close at $26.88 on Nasdaq.