Locomotive Games Inc.

A defunct American video game developer and subsidiary of THQ, active in the mid-2000s and known for handheld adaptations.

Racing

Driving

Founded

1997

Acquired

1999

Santa Clara, United States

Parent

THQ

Known for

Action / Racing

Games

2006–2007

Years

Platforms

$10.00

Ø CIB

+38.1%

24M change

About

Locomotive Games Inc. was a development studio under THQ that specialized in handheld titles. The studio developed the PlayStation Portable versions of major Pixar franchise adaptations, including Cars (2006) and Ratatouille (2007). They were also responsible for the PSP release of MX vs. ATV Unleashed: On the Edge, often referred to as X on the UMD format.

Originally founded as Pacific Coast Power & Light in 1997, the studio underwent a rebranding to Locomotive Games in 2005. This transition coincided with the development of X [UMD] (2005), which adapted complex physics-based off-road racing to a portable format.

The studio's work on Pixar properties defined its output. For Cars (2006), the team designed a unique hub-world adventure featuring racing and minigames distinct from the home console versions. The title's sustained popularity led to multiple regional budget re-releases, including Cars Essentials] (2006) and [Cars Platinum] (2006) in PAL regions, followed by [Cars [Greatest Hits] (2007) in North America.

Following this success, the developer produced Ratatouille (2007), a third-person platformer that emphasized stealth, cooking minigames, and navigation through oversized environments. Both Pixar adaptations showcased the studio's ability to translate cinematic intellectual properties into technically competent handheld experiences. Parent company THQ closed the studio in November 2008 as part of a broader financial restructuring, ending the developer's decade-long history of software production.