GTAIV
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New "Move up, ladies" GTAIV trailer debuts today
Can you feel it? The hype, excitement and anticipation surrounding the release of a new Grand Theft Auto IV trailer is thick in the air, because today at 3:00PM eastern (12:00 Noon pacific) GTAIV's latest arrives. The new "Move up, ladies" teaser trailer will be released all across the internets soon and is guaranteed to be viewable over on the official GTAIV website. We're expecting visual greatness, an new look at GTAIV and hopefully be introduced to a new music track that we can download for our iPod (or Zune) too. And if you just can't wait for it, maybe you can take your mind off of the whole waiting thing and download the box art unveiling video off of the XBLM. We hear that's good times too.
New GTAIV box art video, new trailer dated
No, it's not really a new trailer for GTAIV, but it is new and it is related to GTAIV. The video above showcases what we assume to be an an example of the normal, everyday process of creating box art for video games. This process apparently involves the use of several skilled artists, ladders, scaffolding, a brick wall, and a helluvalotta paint. If box art really takes this much work, it's no wonder so much of it sucks. You'd think they'd just use Photoshop. Oh, and while this isn't really a trailer for GTAIV, the video does mention a new trailer entitled "Move up, ladies," which should debut December 6. Wait a minute ... that's next week! And it's when the Fall Dashboard Update is due! Coincidence? ... Yeah, probably.[Via Joystiq]
Rockstar drops GTA IV box art video, dates new trailer
Never one to just toss out a .jpg and say, "Here's some box art, losers," Rockstar commissioned a fancy time-lapse video showing the creation of the cover art for the latest GTA installment. What does it tell us about Grand Theft Auto IV? Let's go through it: helicopters, motorcycles, handguns, sniper rifles, aerial trams, cornrows, and lollipops. Peep the video after the break and join us in wondering where that painting's hanging right now.They've also announced a new trailer titled, "Move up, ladies" which is scheduled to drop Dec. 6th – next Thursday – at 3:00pm EST. Let's just hope things go smoother than their previous two attempts, which managed to clog the tubes and send impatient fans scrambling to torrent sites. Hey, Rockstar, we know a certain corporate benefactor who would love to host your trailer. Call us, our people can talk to your people.
Take-Two's Zelnick on selling to EA, making new IPs, and GTA IV
When Strauss Zelnick and his band of merry cohorts (read: Take-Two investors) took over the beleaguered gaming publisher last March, lots of industry pundits thought the veteran biz guy would fix it up and sell it off (EA perhaps?). Speaking at the Reuters Business Summit, Zelnick said, "I'm much more interested in growing the business than in selling it, to be clear."Zelnick's been working on improving the efficiency of the company (like selling off that silly peripheral business), planning on growth (sell the company? Heck, they're probably going to be hiring!), working on building new IPs instead of licensing them (BioShock did swimmingly) and, oh yeah, GTA IV, about which he says, "I believe this release, Grand Theft Auto IV, is going to be vastly better than those expectations -- vastly better -- and that's hard to do when expectations are so high." Don't call it a comeback.
Take-Two says GTAIV will make its scheduled release
Following last week's somewhat clouded remarks about another Grand Theft Auto IV delay, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick clarified his statement about the game's release date."I wasn't intending to be newsworthy" Zelnick told Gamespot, "when asked about the release date, I confirmed the previous release date we'd given, which is our second fiscal quarter. That's to say sometime between the beginning of February and the end of April". So, his earlier statement was mistaken, so he took the initiative of clearing up the GTAIV release date rumors confirming that Take-Two is sticking to their original plans of having the game out by the end of April. Now you can sleep so much better GTAIV fanboys, a delay isn't in sight and Spring is just a few months away. Oh joy![Via Joystiq]
Take Two chairman clarifies statement on GTA IV release date
When Take-Two Interactive Chairman Strauss Zelnick spoke to a group of investors on Tuesday, his comments were vague enough to make us wonder if Grand Theft Auto IV would miss its target launch window of February to April, 2008.However, Zelnick recently spoke with GameSpot to take a more concrete stand on the matter. He said that the company is sticking with the February to April target, and that a firm release date within that three month period will be set when Take-Two knows the game will be ready. While this doesn't set our mind completely at ease, it's nice to see them give us any sweet morsels of certainty in their ocean of ambiguous announcements.
Take-Two hesitant to pin down GTA IV release date
We wish we had large friendly letters in our font arsenal that said "Don't Panic," but we don't. Gamers (and many publishers) took relief in knowing Grand Theft Auto IV was delayed and not entering this already over-stuffed holiday game release schedule. Although now, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick is saying that they aren't committing to a release date until they're "utterly convinced" the game is ready.If Take-Two were Valve or Blizzard we wouldn't even take notice of this, but for the previously fiscally fallible Take-Two to go from a launch window of February to April '08 to this waffling statement makes us raise one eyebrow. Don't get us wrong, we want the game to be "done" before they send it out the door, but GTA IV should have been "done" months ago and this isn't really par for the course with Take-Two. Who knows, maybe things have really changed over there? All we can say is we've lost a launch window and that's enough to make us wonder what's really going on.
Take Two gets fuzzy on GTAIV release date
We were all hit pretty hard by the delay of Grand Theft Auto IV earlier this year. Since the delay was announced back in August, hardly a word has been written about the game (aside from a tongue-in-cheek video from Kane & Lynch). Originally delayed until 2nd Quarter 2008 (between February and April), Take Two now has a different tone on the matter. GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that Take Two chairman Strauss Zelnick has said the company will not announce a release date until the company is "utterly convinced" that Grand Theft Auto IV will be ready. It's not uncommon for games as big as GTAIV to receive the "it's done when it's done" treatment, but that didn't make it easier for industry folk to see the game miss the 2007 holiday season. On this subject, Zelnick says that missing the holiday season is no longer a concern. From his point of view, the holiday console sales will increase the number of consumers that will buy the "must have" title that is GTAIV.So, GTAIV just got a little more nebulous. How does that make you feel? And remember, this is for posterity, so be honest.
Kane and Lynch can't wait for Grand Theft Auto IV
How badly do we as a nation want the next iteration of the Grand Theft Auto series? Glad you asked. Our desire has become so rampant that it has actually broken the fourth wall and is plaguing fictional characters. Take Lynch, of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men fame for example. The guy's so eager for GTA IV that he can't stop jawing about it even moments before he ... well, does something very bad, we're assuming.The videos a lot of fun, but you may want to watch it quick. Who knows how long it will be before Rockstar freaks out and demands that it be pulled?[Thanks, Arsh]
Grand Theft Auto IV mock boxes for retail
Although it's great of website XboxFamily.com to think they got six copies of Grand Theft Auto IV's final box cover art -- and it's very nice of them to share the three different images (pictured) -- it just ain't so. Apparently someone at Take-Two shipping thought the site was a retail outlet, because what they actually received were mock boxes intended for retailers to put out.A representative at Rockstar wrote back to Joystiq saying, "Those are NOT final box art ... [they] are actually mock boxes provided to retail outlets." Don't expect the final box art to be revealed until closer to release. Rockstar just wants consumers remembering that GTA IV is expected next year as they are browsing the game section this holiday season.
Rumor: GTA IV packing multiplayer for up to 16
Here's an interesting factoid for you: today was supposed to mark the release of the hugely anticipated (and obviously delayed) Grand Theft Auto IV for both Xbox 360 and PS3. Instead, we got a new Tony Hawk game ...Now for a rather pedestrian rumor: GamingExcellence managed to snag some time with a Rockstar rep at a recent Sony press event in Toronto where they supposedly revealed that GTA IV will pack a multiplayer mode "aiming for at least 16 simultaneous players, with more than just the usual deathmatch mode." Though we knew that GTA IV would come with multiplayer functionality – something that the PSP versions have but the console versions do not – we're anxious to hear more details on precisely what that functionality is.Funny, such a trifle of a rumor on what – perhaps in some other dimension where software hit its projected street date – would have been one of the biggest video game events of the year (all time?) ... oh, hey, did you realize Wild Petz: Dolphinz came out this week?%Gallery-3442%[Via Shacknews]
Today's most self-referencing video: GTA IV trailer in San Andreas
Are you still looking for that special someone? Gametrailers user Brotha has recreated the second Grand Theft Auto IV trailer in GTA III: San Andreas. While we're impressed by the endeavor, the video has actually made us more eager to get our hands on the upcoming violent sandbox sequel by showcasing the visual improvements in the series. We've embedded the original video after the break, if you want to try and synchronize them. (We recommending muting one video, unless you think you're fast enough with the mouse to hit play near-simultaneously.)
BioShock jolts Take-Two stock up 10%
Big Daddy should probably be renamed Sugar Daddy, as Reuters reports Take-Two's stock rose 10% at the close of trading on Tuesday. Wall Street seems happy with the buzz for the game and if Amazon.com's bestseller list is any indication, sales seem strong. The Xbox 360 version of BioShock is currently #2 as of this writing on their bestseller list behind the Wii, the PC version of the game is #5 behind Halo 3 pre-orders and the sexy crimson DS.Reviews for the game itself have been overwhelmingly positive, with random tech issues (especially on the PC version) and the whole widescreen problem bringing most of the hate. Following the delay of GTA IV, it probably comes as a relief to Take-Two that they'll at least have one strong mega-hit going into this holiday season.
Joystiq's Kevin Kelly talks delays on G4
Have all the game delays got you down? Put a relaxing cap on your Tuesday workday by watching Joystiq's own Kevin Kelly explain why Uncle Niko won't be able to visit this Halloween, why Blacksite might be here for Thanksgiving and why nothing short of a Christmas miracle will get Spore out the door before the end of linear time, generally speaking.If you're still not cheered, you can thrill as Kelly storms into the G4 studios and beats the intellectual bejeezus out of Rebecca Swanner, Senior Videogames Editor for Penthouse Magazine! ... And by "beats the intellectual bejeezus out of" we mean "politely disagrees with." Sorry for any confusion. Check the small-ish video out after the jump.
Joystiq Podcast 011 - Delayed edition
Not only have we been delayed in getting the newest Joystiq Podcast to you, there's also another big delay in the news: Blacksite: Area 51. No. No, it's Grand Theft Auto IV, of course. We'll be discussing that, and, as on every episode, zombie racism. Get the podcast: [iTunes] Subscribe to the Joystiq Podcast directly in iTunes (MP3) [RSS] Add the Joystiq Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [Digg] Like the show? Digg it. [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Hosts: Christopher Grant, Ludwig Kietzmann and Justin McElroy Music: "Get Ready for Love" by Nick Cave See all of this week's links after the jump.
PlayStation 3 responsible for GTA IV delay, surmises Pachter
With Take-Two remaining tight-lipped about what's really behind the Grand Theft Auto IV delay – they're going with the vague "almost strictly technological challenges" defense – it's up to the pundits, analysts, bloggers, and anonymous tipsters to give us the skinny on what's really going down. First up to bat is video game analyst extraordinaire, Michael Pachter who told our pals at GameDaily BIZ, "We think it is likely that the Rockstar team had difficulty in building an exceptionally complicated game for the PS3, and failed to recognize how far away from completion the game truly was until recently." Of course, he means really recently, since Take-Two did just reaffirm their plans to ship the game in October as recently as E3 (yeah, the one last month).We know what you're thinking: Why not release the game for Xbox 360 in ought seven, and ship the PS3 release whenever it's ready (everyone else seems to be taking this course of action)? Pachter further surmises "that Take-Two had a contractual commitment to Sony that it would not favor competitor Microsoft by launching the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV prior to launching the PS3 version," calling it "the only plausible explanation." Guess he doesn't think much of our theory that the targeting was too accurate and intuitive and needed to be retooled.[Update: Newsweek's N'Gai Croal takes a slightly different approach than Mr. Pachter, surmising, "We believe that Rockstar is having difficulty with both versions of the game, not just the PS3." In other words, no deals enforcing a consistent launch date across platforms, just difficulty in getting it ready on either. "It wouldn't surprise us if Rockstar and Take-Two had already all-but-delayed the PS3 version to triage the Xbox 360 version for this holiday, only to have their hands forced when, at yesterday's product review, it became clear to both sides that even the 360 version could not be completed this year to Rockstar's exacting standards."]
Did PS3 dev troubles cause GTA IV delay?
Yesterday's big news was that Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV was pushed back from its October release into sometime next year. But what if we told you the reason for such delay wasn't because of technical issues on the 360, but problems on the PS3 version of the game? Well, that's what analyst Michael Pachter is thinking saying that "the Rockstar team had difficulty in building an exceptionally complicated game for the PS3" and that the "delay of the PS3 version necessitated a delay of the Xbox 360 version" due to contractual obligations with Sony. So, if Mr. Pachter's theory has any weight, Rockstar may have had to delay GTA IV on the 360, because of issues with the PS3 version and them not being able to release the game before the PS3 version got out the door. Very intriguing indeed.
Rockstar failed to realize difficulties of making PS3 GTA
Gamers were upset (to say the least) about Grand Theft Auto IV's delay into the next year. Take-Two didn't offer any real explanation for the delay, stating the reason is "almost strictly because of technological challenges."Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst Michael Pachter explains that the reason for GTA's untimely appearance is due to Rockstar's lack of experience with the PS3: "We think it is likely that the Rockstar team had difficulty in building an exceptionally complicated game for the PS3, and failed to recognize how far away from completion the game truly was until recently." It's true that Rockstar has more experience with the Xbox 360 hardware, thanks to their Table Tennis game. All footage of the game we've seen so far was running on Xbox tech, which hints at possible negligence when developing the PS3 version. Even if the Xbox 360 version was further along in development, it appears that Take-Two simply might not have had any choice but to delay both versions of the game: "We think it is also likely that Take-Two had a contractual commitment to Sony that it would not favor competitor Microsoft by launching the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV prior to launching the PS3 version, and believe that any delay of the PS3 version necessitated a delay of the Xbox 360 version."This is Rockstar's first attempt at making a multi-platform "next gen" game. A game as large as GTA IV is undoubtedly a beast to program, and Rockstar may have failed to recognize the added work of developing for two platforms simultaneously. As N'Gai Croal from Newsweek points out, "It wouldn't surprise us if Rockstar and Take-Two had already all-but-delayed the PS3 version to triage the Xbox 360 version for this holiday, only to have their hands forced when, at yesterday's product review, it became clear to both sides that even the 360 version could not be completed this year to Rockstar's exacting standards."Regardless of what the "real" reason for the delay is, we're glad to see that Rockstar has more time to work on both the 360 and PS3 versions of the game. We certainly want the game to be as polished as it can be.Read - Michael Pachter, Wedbush Morgan SecuritiesRead - N'Gai Croal, Newsweek
GTA IV's first episode still slated for fiscal '08
Following today's news that Grand Theft Auto IV will be delayed due to "technological challenges" until Feb. and April of next year, we wanted to know what happens to the Xbox exclusive episodes. Considering the money Microsoft put down for that exclusive GTA content, we're sure they'd probably like to know when that'll be available too. A Take Two spokesperson told Joystiq, "While we can't comment on the confidential contractual agreement, we still plan to deliver the first episodic content for Xbox 360 in fiscal 2008."Now, here's where it gets technical. We know that originally the first episode was supposed to come out in March of '08, because the CFO of Take Two said so. The second episode would be released later in fiscal '08. Take Two's fiscal year ends in November, meaning that it looks like we'll get one episode in fiscal '08 and the next one beginning fiscal '09. If the time table stays the same, the first episode will come out five months after the game is released. But they can always wake up the episode when November ends.
Take 2: Grand Theft Auto IV delay cause 'almost strictly technological challenges'
Take 2 said that the decision to delay almost-sure-to-be-a-mega-hit Grand Theft Auto IV into the second fiscal quarter of 2008 was recent, having just been made today with Rockstar after reviewing a build of the game yesterday. Saying in a conference call today that they didn't think it was "helpful or beneficial" to go in to specifics, Take 2 declined to say the exact issues behind the delays, though they did say that it was "almost strictly technological challenges." They emphasized that they're highly confident that the delay will be enough time to bring the game up to snuff and that consumers and investors would "agree that the end result was worth the wait." Chairman Strauss Zelnick pointed out that the install base for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 should be significantly larger by Q2 of FY 2008, though they insist that didn't have a bearing on their decision. One company spokesperson admitted that other publishers may be happy to see GTA IV moved out of the holiday season, saying, "I think for the industry it's not necessarily the worst thing in the world ... just to be perfectly candid."Also, it was mentioned that Manhunt 2 isn't listed for release next year, but Take 2 says that's more cautionary due to the game's ratings issues rather than an insinuation that the game won't make 2008.
