Humble Bundle Loses What Makes Itself Special With THQ Bundle

The launch of the latest Humble Indie Bundle yesterday was an unusual one. Rather than being met with the usual reaction -- people spreading the word, maybe some praise being bestowed for a strong selection of games -- this particular one instead prompted complaints that the Humble Bundle has lost its way. That's because it consists of games published by THQ, a company which, despite its ongoing financial troubles, is far larger than those we normally see featured in these bundles. While I don't find the situation quite as egregious as others do, I do think this is a step in the wrong direction.
The first Humble Indie Bundle was launched in early 2010, and it's still easy to see why it was so appealing: Buyers could get five great indie games for Windows, Mac, or Linux without any DRM, and at any price they deemed appropriate, be it hundreds of dollars, a few pennies, or, in the case of that particular bundle, nothing at all. To sweeten the deal, purchasers could freely decide how their money was divided up between the developers of these games, the organizers of the bundle, and a pair of charitable organizations, the latter of which made it so five games could be had in return for nothing more than a donation to charity.
Subsequent bundles continued these practices, offering multiplatform, DRM-free indie games at any price. Some have offered soundtracks to go along with the games, and others have offered additional incentives for those who exceed the average purchase price. Outside of concerns that these bundles, along with things like Steam sales, are devaluing games, it's difficult to find any source of complaints about Humble Indie Bundles.
More recently, the Humble Bundle has begun to experiment with different ideas. This year has seen four different bundles centered around Android games, one dedicated to music from the likes of MC Frontalot and Jonathan Coulton, one for eBooks, and one for Double Fine's Amnesia Fortnight game jam. The Humble THQ Bundle, as it's called, is also undoubtedly viewed as an experiment, but it's one that strays too far from the basic tenets that define the Humble Indie Bundle.
One of the major problems with the THQ bundle is the fact that it doesn't benefit developers. Whereas the money allocated to developers in previous bundles actually went to the people responsible for making the games, that is not the case here. THQ is a publisher, not a developer. While its money allowed the games included in the bundle -- Darksiders, Metro 2033, Red Faction: Armageddon, Company of Heroes (along with expansions Tales of Valor and Opposing Fronts), and, for those who pay more than the average, Saints Row: The Third -- to be made, the developers themselves won't see a dime of the money generated by this bundle. It could be argued that money that ends up in THQ's pockets will go on to fund future games (well, maybe not any Red Faction games) developed by Volition, Vigil Games, 4A Games, or Relic, but it doesn't change that the people responsible for creating these games won't get any money. Buyers could always direct their money to charity, though the default split heavily favors THQ.
Also conflicting with what we've seen from most bundles in the past are operating system requirements and DRM. A number of times games have introduced Mac and/or Linux support as part of their inclusion in the Humble Bundle, and it's become something of a reliable way for getting games for Mac or Linux gamers. All of THQ's games here are Windows-only. This was also true of the Amnesia Fortnight bundle, but that was a much different set of circumstances.
In addition to codes to redeem on Steam, Humble games for computer can always be downloaded right from the Humble website, DRM-free. That's not the case with the THQ games, and the decision is perplexing -- maybe THQ doesn't want to release DRM-free versions of its games, but it's been noted more than once that those willing to pirate it can easily do so. Giving legitimate Humble customers a DRM-free option would not impact that. Double Fine distributing those prototypes exclusively through Steam is understandable, but restricting the THQ games to Steam-only is much less acceptable. As a heavy Steam user, I'm happy to get Steam codes, myself, but there are people who don't want to be bothered with any form of DRM, no matter how widely accepted it may be.
As an aside to all of this, it's hard not to consider THQ's financial position when thinking about why it did this. It's in a dire situation and could potentially run out of cash, so maybe it's looking to looking to bring some money in by capitalizing on older titles not producing much revenue otherwise. The amount it's likely to make from this (it has surpassed $2 million in only 16 hours, and is fast approaching $2.5 million with 13 days to go) won't be what makes the difference in THQ's future, though a few million dollars certainly can't hurt. Assuming THQ digs itself out of its current hole, it may also see a sales boost for sequels to some of the included games, like Company of Heroes 2, Metro: Last Light, and Saints Row 4.
There's nothing wrong with experimentation. GOG.com tested the waters with selling newer games and ultimately dropped its classic game-only focus, but it maintained its other pillars: DRM-free games, bonus goodies, worldwide releases with fair pricing, compatibility with modern operating systems, and solid customer service. The Humble THQ Bundle seems to abandon the very spirit that the Humble Indie Bundle was founded on -- including, most importantly, the whole 'indie' aspect. Although this doesn't signal an end to the sort of indie game bundles we've come to expect, the THQ bundle could have a detrimental effect on Humble's reputation, perhaps by sending new customers to alternatives like Indie Royale or IndieBundle.org. A lot of people may not care, and it is an admittedly good bundle, especially for the cost. But whatever the case, beyond the immediate financial gain, this bundle doesn't do Humble any good.