Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Grand Theft Auto Xbox Bundle Confirmed

Posted by simoniker on from the and-about-time-too dept.

Thanks to several readers for pointing out the Take Two/Rockstar press release announcing a GTA3/GTA:Vice City 'double pack', due on November 4th for Xbox, and October 22nd for PlayStation 2, ending a myriad of rumors regarding when the massively popular title would appear on Microsoft's console. In related news, Take Two also announced positive financial results and the acquisition of struggling publisher TDK Mediactive for $22.7 million, largely for their "portfolio of mass-market titles based on popular licensed brands."

29 comments

  1. November? by dafoomie · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I knew it wouldn't stay off the Xbox forever. Funny how its coming out in November, which is the release date for a similar game, True Crime: Streets of LA, which actually looks great.

  2. wow by reptilezero · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    there's so many good games coming out in the fall and winter!

    1. Re:wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Harvest Moon for GCN

    2. Re:wow by reptilezero · · Score: 1

      yeah. this is a really good time to own multiple sytems. lots of games and genres to choose from.

  3. Milking GTA for all its worth by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hmmm, how much more money can they squeeze out of the PS2 version of GTA3, and GTA:VC? I hardly know anyone who has a PS2 that don't already own these games, or can't get them pre-owned for under $30.

    On the other hand, I think Rockstar will do better releasing GTA3 and GTA:VC seperate for XBox. Why lose so much revenue bundling the two together?

    The Xbox version is just a port of the PC versions. It's just an easier port, as they don't have to worry about the variety of different hardware in a PC.

    I wonder if the next GTA game will be multiplatform or exclusive. It will probably come down to the per$on with the bigge$t pur$e.

    1. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by Acidic_Diarrhea · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I believe the thinking may be that many current owners of the XBox already also own a PS2 and, as you stated, would probably already have both of the GTA games for it. So by bundling the games, you may be able to lure in an audience that does not own any video game console. If Rockstar released the games separately for the XBox, then their $50 versions are competing against $20 versions on the PS2 - this won't drive people to buy an XBox to play GTA. I think bundling makes a lot of sense - especially since they are older games and won't break any huge sales records on the XBox, given the installed user base and the assumption that a significant portion of that installed user base also owns a PS2.

      --
      I hate liberals. If you are a liberal, do not reply.
    2. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by incubusnb · · Score: 1

      "I wonder if the next GTA game will be multiplatform or exclusive. It will probably come down to the per$on with the bigge$t pur$e."
      the next GTA Game is exclusive to the PS2 due to the fact that there is still a running contract with sony.

      the reason they're able to get away with selling the bundle on X-Box is because they won't be called Grand Theft Auto on the X-Box. GTA Vice City will just be Vice City, and i'd imagine they'd rename GTA3 to Liberty City.

      its the only way to get past legal restraints about the Grand Theft Auto name

      --
      /. is overrun by bed-wetting elitist nerds
      let it be known, for anything other than servers, a *nix OS sucks
    3. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by randomdef · · Score: 1

      I dont think that renaming them is what gets them out, and if you think about it, its being marketed as a GTA bundle, not as a "Liberty city and Vice city bundle" right? Normally the exlusive part of a contract runs out after a while, normally a year or so and normally after the origonal market has pretty much dried up.

    4. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by incubusnb · · Score: 1

      i know an exclusive contract runs out, but this contract is until 2005 so unless rockstar found some huge loophole in the contract, the name Grand Theft Auto is still exclusive to the PS2 until 2005 maybe the loophole is calling it GTA instead of Grand Theft Auto, it might just be that simple

      --
      /. is overrun by bed-wetting elitist nerds
      let it be known, for anything other than servers, a *nix OS sucks
    5. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by Babbster · · Score: 1

      Good calls. I would add, though, that GTA:VC debuted at $40 and not $50. Rockstar knew even then that more units at a lower price can end up earning more money than [at least slightly] fewer units at the "standard" price.

    6. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by MojoMonkey · · Score: 1

      And you know this how? Where's your source? I doubt there are many people that have actually read (or have access to) the contract signed by the two companies.

      --

      ----- "Blame the guy who doesn't speak English." -- Homer J. Simpson
    7. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by The+Munger · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, since they use RenderWare, porting isn't such a big issue. It is more the "per$on with the bigge$t pur$e" as you put it. As for losing money from bundling, perhaps they figure that they'll shift more units with the bundle than they would otherwise. Let's face it, even at the cost of a full, new game, it's a pretty sweet bundle. I'd certainly get it if I had an XBox.

      --
      Refuse to make a statement in your sig!
    8. Re:Milking GTA for all its worth by MaverickUW · · Score: 1

      Actually, if you read many sources, GTA4 is supposed to be the last exclusive PS2 title in the current contract, and said current contract is set to expire ironically enough at the end of October (though GTA4 will still be exclusive for a year I'm sure). So what you know, is not fact, it's just what you know.

  4. eh? by goldcd · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Who's going to buy GTA3 on Xbox when they realise that if they wait a bit longer they could get Vice City (and be happy about seeing the double pack a few feet to the left on the PS2 shelf)?
    I assume the thinking is that this is a great chance to make a very large pile of cash in the runup to Christmas. They get to mop up the few remaining people who don't own the games for the PS2 (I suspect there are quite a few more PS2's in circulation than copies of PS2 GTA3 still). They can also offer something to the drooling Xbox owners who've been waiting so long and not let them feel they've been palmed off with an ancient game. After this all the decks will have been cleared and they'll be ready to launch their next title simultaneously across all platforms (which is very good thing as it avoids duplicating advertising expenditure and doesn't leave whiners who don't have the correct console).

    1. Re:eh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      After this all the decks will have been cleared and they'll be ready to launch their next title simultaneously across all platforms

      You mean Manhunt? Sorry. PS2 only, mid November.

  5. What will become of the TDK games? by M3wThr33 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A few of those TDK games were for the Cube and GBA. Take-Two Interactive has something against Nintendo. They released three titles for the N64, a fishing game, Space Station Silicon Valley and Monster Truck Madness 64. That's hardly what I would call confident products. Seeing Smuggler's Run and some other titles ported gives hope, but it still has a tarnish on it.

    1. Re:What will become of the TDK games? by cbirdsong64 · · Score: 1

      Hey, Space Station Silicon Valley owned.

      Anyway, I don't suppose they'd add Xbox Live support to these ports, awesome that would be.

    2. Re:What will become of the TDK games? by M3wThr33 · · Score: 1

      I didn't say it was bad, but the other titles are really piss poor.

      As for XBL, I doubt it, since SOE lacked it. If you want it, you could always buy the PC version and use Multi-Theft Auto.

      Although that does bring up an interesting question. Assuming the XBox version is a fairly straight port of the PC version, could they hack the game to add network support?

  6. Two discs in a box, are you not impressed? by imperator_mundi · · Score: 1

    Ok the GTA games are among the most succesfull games in history so I suppose that a two for one in a new package could be in someway considered a news... well good for them who have not yet bought some GTAs

  7. Fixes, and when was the contract to expire? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wonder if they took the time to make any fixes and improvments to both GTAs. Even though I own GTA3 for the playstation 2 and doubt they did this, I might consider getting this pack if they have.

    Also wasn't the exclusive part of the Sony and Rockstar deal suppose to expire by now anyways? Some of the message boards I read make it sound like Rockstar was going to violate or some how seek out of this contract.

  8. deal with sony by hiroshi912681 · · Score: 1

    What happened to the exclusive deal with sony to not put GTA games on other platforms? I thought the only loophole was to change the name of the game to "Vice City" alone or something... now I see it's going to be a double pack... they can't use the name "Grand Theft Auto" as far as I know. What's the deal?!

    1. Re:deal with sony by Babbster · · Score: 1
      It wasn't a "loophole," it was a "rumor." I don't know anyone who has actually read the contract between Sony and Take Two for the GTA exclusivity, but I would expect that there are outs, probably in the form of being able to release the games for other consoles once a certain sales threshold has been reached. Besides, Sony can (and this should be obvious) simply give Take Two permission to end the exclusivity on particular games if they feel that they've gotten their money's worth.

      I wouldn't be surprised if GTA4 was given a release date soon after the release of this double pack, along with the information that it is another Sony exclusive.

    2. Re:deal with sony by op51n · · Score: 1

      Yes, i wouldn't be surprised if it is a time based exclusivity, or a one off deal. They're probably not shifting a whole load on PS2 now, and people aren't going to choose X-Box over PC surely! GTA4 probably will be getting announced now as well, there was a note on the bottom of Rockstar's emails saying - special news next week. Now, it's not about Manhunt which was announced a while back, so what else could it be!?

    3. Re:deal with sony by bigman2003 · · Score: 1

      I would choose an X-Box over a PC...and stop calling me Shirley.

      I bought GTA 3 for my PC, and I didn't like it. The controls for driving were horrible, and it crashed a lot. Plus, the graphics weren't all that great for the PC. I will be buying a copy of the combo pack for my X-Box though.

      Yes, I would much rather use the console controllers, not have to worry about crashes, and bring the pimp-slappin into my living room, where it belongs.

      I did get a really nice poster from the PC version though.

      --
      No reason to lie.
    4. Re:deal with sony by op51n · · Score: 1

      Long time passed, but still... I particularly found with Vice City that the graphics were greatly imprved on the PC, what with them actually doing it properly this time and doing a full overhaul, removing the visual bugs, and adding DX9 support. I've played it with a PS2 joypad all through on PC (both games) and mouse/keyboard for on foot. It means changing controller in game, but I find it gives me the best of both worlds, since I just cannot aim the aimable weapons with a pad. Also, I have never had any problem with crashes on PC. But then GTA3 was so clunky before I got the GeforceFX the other day that I only just managed to play it to the end on the Geforce2 (well above minimum spec). They really did screw up the port for that, but they redeemed themselves with VC. Basically, there is such a wealth of ports coming up for GTA that it's a real take your pick on how you play it. Just pick your favourite and go with it really, which again, props to Rockstar for doing so!

  9. Regarding the Sony-Rockstar Games deal... by MMaestro · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    I have no evidence to show (feel free to contribute) but I believe the deal between the two ended after GTA:VC, which makes logically sense since they've been porting their games like crazy after the GTA:VC release.

    So far they've ported GTA3, GTA:VC, Midnight Club 2 and State of Emergency to the PC, GTA3 and GTA:VC, Midnight Club 2 to the XBox and Smuggler's Run:Warzones to the Gamecube. I don't know about you guys, but that sounds like a lot of games to be ported considering their coming from a developer who uses to make one system exclusive games.