Take-two Interactive
Latest
Grand Theft Auto 5 now available through Xbox games on demand
Crime opera blockbuster Grand Theft Auto 5 is available now digitally through the Xbox Live Marketplace for $59.99, same as the hard copy. Reasons to purchase the game digitally instead of going to the store: all the reasons, the world is scary. So very, very scary. There's sharknadoes out there! Just saw a documentary on it recently. You could always order from Amazon and save three cents. Or, you know, while debating this, the download could be starting. As a general reminder, GTA 5 is already available digitally through the PlayStation Store.
Layoffs hit The Bureau: XCOM Declassified developer 2K Marin
The Bureau: XCOM Declassified developer 2K Marin has been hit with layoffs. The game launched in August, with downloadable content having arrived just a few weeks ago. A 2K representative told Game Informer, "We can confirm staff reductions at 2K Marin. While these were difficult decisions, we regularly evaluate our development efforts and have decided to reallocate creative resources. Our goal to create world-class video game titles remains unchanged." We've reached out to 2K for more information.
Artist wants GTA5 recalled for unlicensed use of his music
A law office representing music artist Daz Dillinger has issued Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games a cease and desist letter, in an attempt to block the sale of Grand Theft Auto 5. The complaint is over the use of two tracks released with fellow artist Kurupt under the group banner "Tha Dogg Pound." The letter reportedly claims Rockstar attempted to purchase rights for the "offensively low offer of $4,271.00" for his songs 'C-Walk' and 'Nothin' But the Cavi Hit.' Dillinger and his lawyers at the firm Kushner Carlson have given Take-Two 14 days to comply with their demands to recall and destroy any unsold copies of the game, or strike a new business deal for the use of the artist's music. Speaking with TMZ, Dillinger said the suit was about "respecting an artist's work." The artist noted that Rockstar neglected to do so and he "can't let them get away with it." Only days after launching on September 17, Grand Theft Auto 5 sales had surpassed $1 billion worldwide, according to Take-Two's estimates. Joystiq has contacted both Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive for a comment on the filing, but no response was issued at the time of publishing. [Image via Muzikosvirtuve]
GTA5 officially breaks PSN records, Guinness records less officially
The Sony Blog has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto 5 is the most-downloaded game in the history of the PlayStation Network, while Guinness World Records has awarded not one, not two, but seven titles to Rockstar's sandbox full of murder and mayhem. Whether it's virtual law or real-life records, Grand Theft Auto 5 breaks more bad than ... yeah, you see where that joke was going. According to a Guinness statement, GTA5 now holds the record for: Best-selling action-adventure videogame in 24 hours Best-selling videogame in 24 hours Fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion Fastest videogame to gross $1 billion Highest grossing videogame in 24 hours Highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours Most viewed trailer for an action-adventure videogame There are, however, conflicting accounts of the statement's validity. According to GameSpot, a Guinness representative claimed that the records team "worked directly with Rockstar on obtaining the figures." However, GameSpot also reports that a Take-Two Interactive representative said the numbers didn't come from them. "We can't verify its accuracy and we haven't commented on GTA V's performance beyond the two releases that we issued," the representative told GameSpot.
Twitch gets $20 million in funding, Take-Two among investors
Twitch has earned $20 million from investors, the company announced. Among the Series C, or third round of investors is Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two, though it is uncertain how much the publisher invested in the video game live-streaming company. The investment round is appropriately timed ahead of the PS4 and Xbox One launches, as Twitch will offer its streaming services on both consoles. Twitch added that its viewership has grown to 45 million unique visitors per month, and expects that number to increase thanks to these next-gen, broadcast-capable systems. Twitch noted that the investment round was led by Thrive Capital, with Take-Two and WestSummit Capital "participating" in the funding. Current investors Alsop Louie Partners and Bessemer Venture Partners also invested more money into the company.
Grand Theft Auto 5 sales surpass $1 billion
Take-Two Interactive announced today that based on internal estimates it believes Grand Theft Auto 5 sales have surpassed $1 billion during its first three days at retail. According to the company, the game is the fastest product to achieve that milestone. If the estimates by the Rockstar Games' parent company are correct, it will have beaten the already ridiculous achievement by Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 last year, which hit the billion milestone in 15 days. Take-Two announced on Wednesday that Grand Theft Auto 5 had sales of $800 million in its first 24 hours (compared to CoD: Black Ops 2's $500 million). Also, we're just using Call of Duty here for comparative purposes. Don't you worry. Call of Duty: Ghosts is still going to do plenty fine, with GameStop recently noting it as the "most pre-ordered" game of the year.
Grand Theft Auto 5 breaks UK day one sales record
GFK Chart-Track, the company responsible for the weekly UK sales charts, stated this afternoon that Grand Theft Auto 5 is "officially UK's biggest ever video game launch." The game sold 1.57 million copies on its first day, with estimated sales of £65 million ($103.8 million). The company noted the previous record was held by Call of Duty: Black Ops, which sold 1.4 million copies in one day. Publisher Take-Two stated earlier this afternoon that Grand Theft Auto 5 has sold $800 million in total on launch day.
Metareview: Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5. We reviewed it. So did other outlets. Opinions differ slightly. Edge (100/100): "Everything works. It has mechanics good enough to anchor games of their own, and a story that is not only what GTA has always wanted to tell but also fits the way people have always played it. It's a remarkable achievement, a peerless marriage of world design, storytelling and mechanics that pushes these aging consoles to the limit and makes it all look easy." Game Informer (98/100): "Open world games are often weighed down by "errand boy syndrome," tasking players with menial jobs that seem beneath the ability of the protagonists or outside the cause of the narrative. ... The majority of the tasks feel more important because you can often see the direct benefit. For example, running weapons across Los Santos may increase the amount of money the airfield you purchased generates. This also applies to the heists serving as the game's centerpiece." Destructoid (90/100): "Though aspects of the game remain old fashioned and more could have been done to switch things up, the end result of still a game of spectacular scope and density of content. And while the narrative is as morally reprehensible as ever, the underlying intelligence backing up the wanton immaturity manages to keep GTA V treading the line of acceptable." Escapist (70/100): "Driving is forgiving, and your inevitable crashes have a low chance of tossing you through the windshield or flipping over your car permanently. Not only can you nab the fastest or best-handling car on the road for a more pleasurable ride, but you also level up each character's driving skill as you play. Franklin starts out as the most expert driver, and he has a special ability that slows down time for a short period to allow you to navigate around corners and between cars. Using the ability to win races and escape cops is very fun, and the RPG-lite mechanics of leveling provide some structure to the experience."
Grand Theft Auto 5 review: How to take it in America
It was after waterboarding a man with a canister of gasoline that I realized Grand Theft Auto 5 operates on its own set of rules. While other games have shied away from societal hot-buttons like torture in the past few years, developer Rockstar North runs toward these problems with a loaded weapon, an angry mob of cops in tow as businesses are being robbed and cars explode around them. As a series, Grand Theft Auto has proudly poked the Western world about its obsessions and the things it finds offensive, offering its own slanted view of that world – a view that refuses to be dishonest. Politicians promise to nuke adversarial countries, a crowdfunding website equates its business model to panhandling, social media moguls brag about selling their users' private information, and the list goes on. Despite Grand Theft Auto's glamorization of virtual violence, which has never irked me, Rockstar's franchise has been able to maintain its likability with expansive, believable worlds and a band of interesting and redeemable characters. Grand Theft Auto 5 has difficulty with its cast, however, as the latest in the notorious series features some of the most unbearable people I've ever had the misfortune of interacting with. Thankfully, interacting with Grand Theft Auto's world is better than it's ever been.
BioShock Infinite lands, landed, will land on Mac today
BioShock Infinite hit the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in March. Now, as if spurred on by the same Manifest Destiny it rails against, BioShock Infinite has come to conquer the Mac. Though BioShock Infinite was initially developed by Irrational Games, publisher 2K Games has tapped prominent Mac porting house Aspyr Media to handle the OS X incarnation. Apple devotees hoping to enjoy the adventure can now find BioShock Infinite on both Steam and in the OS X App Store with a price tag of $40. Alternately, Steam codes for BioShock Infinite are available at most Apple game retailers or through Aspyr's GameAgent website, the company says.
Grand Theft Auto 5 achievements: stock markets, spaceships, sharks, oh my
Grand Theft Auto 5's achievements have been listed on Xbox 360 Achievements, so if you're a completionist who's ready to start planning your takeover of Los Santos, take a gander. Keep in mind 17 of the 38 non-secret achievements listed are tied to GTA Online – if you're looking to earn 100 percent completion, you're going to need to get social. For those going lone wolf, the single-player list is free of story spoilers. Some noteworthy achievements include From Beyond the Stars, which will have players collect and return spaceship parts, and Out of Your Depth, which only contains the description "You're gonna need a bigger boat ...." But lest you think GTA5 is all high-flying adventure and drug-running, there's also the Trading Pure Alpha achievement, which will require that you make a profit on your investments by playing the in-game stock market. Well, at least we're not being hounded to go bowling.
BioShock Infinite sales pass 4 million
Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick has revealed that BioShock Infinite has sold more than 4 million units since its release last March. This comes hot on the heels of the first-person shooter's new DLC and the announcement of an impending return to more nostalgic, sub-aquatic pastures. "BioShock Infinite is North America's best-selling multiplatform release so far this year, according to NPD," Zelnick said during an investor conference call following the release of Take-Two's financial results for the first quarter of its fiscal 2014. "The title has crossed the 4 million units selling mark, and we expect it to become the top-selling release in the BioShock franchise."
Grand Theft Auto 5 drives up with gameplay trailer
Time to throw the bag of popcorn in the microwave and get ready to check out the Grand Theft Auto 5 gameplay trailer. Will there be cars? Likely. Will there be guns? For sure. Can you expect one of the most slickly produced pieces of marketing media of the year when you watch it? Um, fashyeahhhhhh.
The Bureau declassifies DLC plans
Publisher 2K Games announced today that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will have pre-order and post-launch downloadable content, which is about as shocking of a revelation as knowing Marmite will divide humanity into the two groups of the next great war. "We're excited that our stories will provide a new perspective on the war effort, much like how our critically acclaimed Minvera's Den DLC for BioShock 2 allowed us to present a unique perspective of Rapture," said Morgan Gray, development director at 2K Marin. The game's pre-order bonus is the "Codebreakers" side mission. In it, Special Agent Carter and his squad must reestablish contact a top-secret government communications facility, eliminate any threats and decrypt the employee's combined lunch order. There are no details about the post-launch DLC, but the first pack "will be available exclusively to Xbox 360 players." The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will fight the future on August 20 and 23 in North America and internationally, respectively.
Grand Theft Auto 5 unbuckles E3 screens
Grand Theft Auto 5 is not at E3, but that isn't going to stop this September's guaranteed blockbuster from putting out some screenshots to remind you of its existence during this week. %Gallery-191239%
MMOs don't work in the US says Take-Two Interactive
At the Cowen and Company Technology, Media and Telecom Conference this week, Take-Two Interactive's chairman Strauss Zelnick told crowds that MMOs just don't work in North America. "How many MMOs have been successful in the US?" Strauss mused. "Two: World of Warcraft and EverQuest." This is why Take-Two is focusing on Asian markets for its own massively multiplayer games and why, Zelnick suggested (without mentioning anyone by name), Blizzard had to reboot development of their own Project Titan. However, while WoW's numbers have had a much-ballyhooed decline, its current 8.3 million subscribers is nothing to sneeze at. But does America's poor track record with MMOs mean Titan is doomed before it's even managed to get a release date? Zelnick and Take-Two seem fairly certain MMOs don't have a future, but we intend to wait and see.
Take-Two CEO: MMOs don't work in the US
The good news: Take-Two Interactive chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick says that the company that brought you BioShock, Borderlands, Red Dead Redemption, and the GTA series is "actively investing in online and MMOs." The bad news: He adds, "We're just not doing it in the U.S." Speaking at the Cowen and Company Technology, Media and Telecom Conference on Thursday, Zelnick reinforces what he believes many studios are learning the hard way, "MMOs don't work here. A couple of our competitors have found out that through very, very expensive lessons. One of our competitors just recently announced they're restarting an MMO project." Take-Two is, instead, aiming at the Asian MMO market through partnerships with industry leaders such as Tencent and Nexon. This is where the company hopes to be successful in the genre, as Zelnick cites "10 to 20" MMOs are successful in that market. [Thanks to Avaloner81 for the tip!]
Grand Theft Auto 5 collector's editions detailed, priced
Grand Theft Auto 5 will try to beat a couple extra bucks out of you with its "special edition" and "collector's edition," which were announced for pre-order this morning by Rockstar Games. The $79.99 special edition includes the game, artbook, blueprint map, in-game special ability boost for the playable characters, stunt plane trials, bonus outfits and additional weapons. The $149.99 collector's edition includes everything already listed in the special edition, with the addition of security deposit bag and logo key, cap, classic characters for GTA online and "unique vehicles and garage property." All pre-orders of the game will receive the Atomic Blimp in-game vehicle. Yes, a blimp. Grand Theft Auto 5 will deliver its goodyear goodies on September 17.
Grand Theft Auto 5 adds 12 new screens for detail extraction
Ride, drive, fly, scuba, run, pace and observe the latest batch of Grand Theft Auto 5 screens.
Take-Two appoints COO Karl Slatoff as president
Tuesday 7 May ? ? ? lbs. I never weigh myself on a day of celebration. Food consumed today: King Crab Legs in a bucket, like a boss! Late afternoon. New York. Manhattan. Red Lobster in Times Square. Dearest Diary, It's been ever so long, but I must put emotion to paper. I'm writing this from a men's room stall at Red Lobster because I couldn't hold it in any longer. Don't be vulgar, Di! I mean my emotion! The 8-K filing went public today, and it says Karl Slatoff is now president at Take-Two and I just had to tell you. Karl's been my chief operating officer since 2010 (when I became CE-O-O-Oh yeah!) and it was about time for him to take on another "newly created role" like last time. And since Karl is a kingly name, and heavy is my head that wears the crown, I figured we should go for king crab at Red Lobster. "But they don't serve king crab at Red Lobster, only snow crab," you say. True, but Karl and I – to honor the heritage of our first names – dressed up as Bavarian tourists in full lederhosen and we had a bucket of king crab legs served that I had flown in from Alaska this morning. The cook was quite amenable to the idea after I gave him an early copy of Grand Theft Auto 5. Anyway, next week we announce Take-Two's full-year financial results and between Borderlands 2, XCOM, our sports games and GTA at the end of this year, I'm thinking Karl and I can play German tourist more often. Promise to write to you more, Streusel
