Between layoffs, the threat of a NASDAQ delisting, and a lawsuit, it's safe to say THQ has had its share of difficulties over the last several months. More is riding on the publisher's current portfolio than usual, and now it's trying to polish its tent-pole titles to perfection.

Executive VP Danny Bilson told Ripten that the South Park RPG would cut it "very close" for a 2012 release. "Because that game is being written by Matt [Stone] and Trey [Parker], some of the production process ebbs and flows with their schedule," he said. "They are in the middle of a season right now, and as soon as they are done, they get back to the game, and their season takes them out for a couple of months at a time. Again, it's like I said about Darksiders. We can’t afford to ship it until it's perfect."

The mention of Darksiders is a reference to an earlier portion of the interview, in which Bilson seemed oddly non-committal to the release date for Darksiders 2. When asked if the game could be delayed, he responded: "We haven't announced anything... but the team is working really, really hard. We're not going to ship it before it's done." He says THQ will "give that team everything they need to make it as good as it can be."

Sounding uncertain about Darksiders is particularly odd since the game's release date is June 26, just over two months away. The South Park release is further away, and could also be impacted by recent layoffs at Obsidian. Bilson does note that entire sections of South Park are complete, and they'll announce a date once more of the pieces have come together.