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GTA IV Delayed Into Next Year

Posted by Zonk on from the grand-delayed-auto dept.

1up has the news that Take Two is moving Grand Theft Auto IV's release out to Spring 2008. Sam Houser (the executive producer for Rockstar Games) says that the demands of creating games for the new consoles, along with the scope of the game, forced their hand to maintain the quality they wanted. "'With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is setting a new standard for next generation video games,' stated Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two. 'Certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms. We all recognize that perfecting the game is vital and I can assure everyone it will be worth the wait.'"

8 of 138 comments (clear)

  1. The delay sucks but there are plenty of other game by DrXym · · Score: 2, Interesting
    I've played just about every other GTA game and was looking forward to the next installment. Having said that, if they've got serious issues (and putting it back 6 months says they do), then I'd rather they fix those issues rather than release a piece of crap on the market.

    It sucks if you're a Take Two share holder though. Take Two & Rockstar would give Imagine a run for their money for fiscal mismanagement, broken promises and delays.

  2. No marketing emails about this one eh? by necro2607 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Hmm, no marketing emails from Take-Two about this one, eh?

    Yeah, this is a jab at Take-Two for repeatedly sending marketing emails out about a release date for a trailer for GTA IV. No, not a release date for the game, just a release date for a short trailer that shows very little if anything about the game.

    I thought it was a bit excessive for them to email multiple times about a trailer. I can see emailing once, but I got a number of emails about the same thing. Wow, big deal guys. I would have been more interested in the later emails if they were going to be showing something of substance in the trailers, but they just showed some typical cutscene-style stuff. Blah, sure I'm burning karma with this post but I found it a bit frustrating to get constantly teased about a game (no, not even the game, a TRAILER for the game) and shown almost nothing. Now the game is delayed but of course I didn't receive that in my email inbox, did I? ...

  3. Re:I wonder how this will affect Sony by Kohath · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Lair
    Heavenly Sword
    Ratchet and Clank Future
    Call of Duty 4 (cross platform)
    Warhawk
    Home (not exactly a game)
    SingStar (will sell in Europe)
    Assassin's Creed (cross platform)
    Haze
    Half Life 2 Orange Box (cross platform)
    Rock Band (cross platform)
    Guitar Hero 3 (cross platform)
    Unreal Tournament 3
    Uncharted: Drake's Fortune
    Devil May Cry 4 (cross platform ?)
    and some sports games

    that's a pretty good list of highlights. Some will probably end up being delayed.

  4. Re:I wonder how this will affect Sony by Dr+Kool,+PhD · · Score: 0, Interesting

    MICROSOFT was the company that paid big $$$ for exclusive content in GTA4. Now that exclusive content is DELAYED. So the question should be "How will this affect Microsoft".

    Sony has a HUGE library of AAA exclusives coming out in the next 1-6 months so they will be fine.

  5. Helps them, as it hurts Microsoft by SuperKendall · · Score: 2, Interesting

    As another poster noted, Microsoft had more to gain from the GTA release as it had exclusive 360 content. This gives SOny more time to convince people to buy a PS3 instead of a 360 for the games that are coming out.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  6. This delay is to let the 360 HDD req. sink in by SuperKendall · · Score: 3, Interesting

    A recent rumor has Microsoft dropping the Core system (with no HD) and allowing game makers to require the HDD version of the 360.

    It seems like this move might be giving Rockstar enough time to re-tool the game to take advantage of the HDD requirement by allowing for more content (which would also benefit the PS3), and at the same time letting the HDD requirement for games sink into the buying populace and see how well it works out.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  7. Time to write off Manhunt 2? by westlake · · Score: 3, Interesting
    I think this makes the case for writing off Manhunt 2, which can only be a distraction.

    The "M" rating is no longer a sure bet for GTA - and GTA is franchise gold. Rockstar has to get this one right.

    2008 is a presidential election year - an election will almost certainly turn on core issues like Iraq and health care.
    But it is all to easy to picture Rockstar in a another spectacular PR crack-up, the center of a messy, politically-charged debate over video game violence.

  8. The REAL reason they're delaying it... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    ...is that they're renegotiating Jenna Jameson's contract for her return as the voice of Candy Suxxx.

    (It costs extra for hot coffee time, after all.)