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Rumor: Complete list of GTA IV achievements leaked
We know that there are those of you who would rather remain in the dark about the pseudo-spoiler-laden list of supposed achievements for Grand Theft Auto IV that has been circulating message boards and gaming news sites as of late, so we'll considerately throw it behind the jump and avoid discussing any major bombshells which the list may or may not reveal.But that would make for a boring news post, so let's just say this -- we love the edginess in Rockstar's seminal crime series, but we think the "Gettin' Too Old For This S***" achievement, which rewards 50G for shooting a cop who's just two days from retirement, may stir up an amount of controversy that even Rockstar's razor-sharp legal team isn't ready to deal with.
EA amends Take-Two tender offer, extends deadline
Everybody's favorite forceful corporation courtship continues today, with EA announcing an amendment to its $26-per-share tender offer issued on March 13th to the stockholders of Grand Theft Auto publisher, Take-Two. A new condition appended to the offer requires either "that Take-Two's Board of Directors redeem the preferred stock purchase rights issued as a result of Take-Two's adoption on March 24, 2008 of the stockholder rights plan," or "that EA be satisfied that such rights have been invalidated or are otherwise inapplicable to its acquisition of Take-Two." The stockholder rights plan mentioned was instituted by Take-Two following its most recent snubbing of EA's offer.EA also noted that it had extended said offer to 11:59PM New York City time on April 18th, 2008. The previous deadline was set for April 11th, though as of 5PM EST on Thursday, 27 March, "approximately 5,000 shares of Take-Two had been tendered in and not withdrawn from the tender offer.""The actions of the Take-Two Board may increase the risk for their stockholders by delaying a potential transaction," said Owen Mahoney, EA's senior VP of corporate development, no doubt whilst tapping on his diamond-encrusted wristwatch. "We continue to believe that our $26.00 per share offer price is full and fair, and that a transaction between Take-Two and EA is the most compelling combination financially, strategically and operationally for all parties."
Family Album: Take-Two Interactive
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/How_many_studios_does_Take_Two_have'; It's no secret that Electronic Arts has had its eye on Take-Two Interactive lately, but a purchase of the company means a lot more than logos and IPs. What follows is an examination of the development resources under the Take-Two umbrella. Take a look, you may just be surprised how big that bumbershoot is. For instance, were you aware that that there are more than eight Rockstars? No? Well, what are you wasting your time here for?It's time to get educated.
Take-Two board rejects EA's 'inadequate' tender offer
After reviewing EA's recent and "unsolicited" tender offer to nab shares in the Grand Theft Auto publisher at $26 a piece, Take-Two's board of directors has deemed the maneuver "inadequate in multiple respects and contrary to the best interests of Take-Two's stockholders." The company heads imparted a similar sentiment two weeks ago when they asked stockholders to resist EA's offer while they reviewed it and formulated an official "hellz no." The board continues to advise stockholders to hang on to their shares, claiming that the offer "substantially undervalues" the company and its "valuable franchises." Said Strauss Zelnick, chairman of the Take-Two board: "Our Board, after careful review, has unanimously determined that Electronic Arts' offer continues to provide insufficient value and remains opportunistically timed to capture the value of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV launch at the expense of our stockholders." He also expressed that the company will "review all available options" and remain focused on maximizing shareholder value.To this end, the board has suggested investigating "alternatives" to the EA offer, "which may include a business combination of the Company with third parties or with EA, remaining independent, or other strategic or financial alternatives, that could deliver higher stockholder value than the EA Offer." Take-Two claims to have already prepared materials to facilitate "business combination transactions" with a number of other interested third parties, creating the impression that it would rather trade a hostile takeover for an auction.
Microsoft unloads 500 GTA IV Xbox 360 Elite consoles
While folks at the Xbox 360 repair lab know good and well how to strip a console back to its birthday suit, Microsoft is going the opposite direction with its limited run of Grand Theft Auto IV Elites. The console itself is purportedly blasted with automotive quality paint and each one is individually numbered. Apparently, the 500 units -- which look to come with a case full of peripherals -- are only being dished out to press outlets and the like, so it seems your only shot at actually acquiring one is by scouring the second hand market. Or you could just steal one and toss a Molotov cocktail behind as you're getting away -- that'd be fitting, we guess.[Via Xbox360Fanboy]
GTA IV drives slo-mo, learns days of the week
In a recent test drive of Grand Theft Auto IV, MTV's Multiplayer discovered a couple new features for this go-around in Liberty City. One very passive feature is GTA IV will have days of the week. So, instead of an endless cycle of night and day, there'll be an endless cycle of day and night split over seven infinitely repeating days. This will affect gameplay by only allowing Niko to access certain areas on specific days of the week. MTV says you don't have to worry about it turning into Animal Crossing though, the day/night cycle will be the same as other entries into the series -- meaning gamers won't need to mess with their system's internal clock.The other reveal is the use of a slo-mo while driving. GTA veterans can already imagine the advantages and cool factor this could have while avoiding traffic or trying to hit a stunt point perfectly. A very nice feature, but one we'll have to see for ourselves to get a better feel for when and where it can be used. GTA IV is still expected to hijack the sales charts beginning April 29.
Microsoft expects Feb. 360 sales to trail PS3
Delivering the giant corporation version of you may want to sit down for this, Xbox group product manager, Aaron Greenberg, has predicted less-than-stellar sales results for the American Xbox 360 during February. Beating the NPD Group to the forthcoming bad news punch, Greenberg told Reuters that continued supply problems would likely place the system behind Sony's monolith for the second month in a row."We definitely expect we will trail in February as a result of our supply constraints," said Greenberg. Things are expected to improve in April, however, with "a very healthy inventory situation" setting the table for Grand Theft Auto IV's trumpeted arrival.
Take-Two posts $38M loss in first fiscal quarter
Aside from one 'shocking revelation and news of a Borderlands release shift, Take-Two's first fiscal quarter financial results did contain, you know, financial results. Ending January 31, 2008, the quarter saw a net loss of $38 million, a $16.5 million increase compared to the previous year's $21.5 million loss for the same quarter. Net revenue for the three-month period was $240.4 million, a decrease from $277.3 million gained during the opening quarter of fiscal 2007. Key contributors to Take-Two's revenue were BioShock, the Wii's (and soon to be DS') Carnival Games, NBA 2K8 and the good ol' Grand Theft Auto franchise. Unsurprisingly, the publisher predicts improved results once the felonious franchise reaches number four.
Rumor: Classic GTA, Street Fighter Alpha coming to PSN
What's that? You can't wait until PSN Thursday to find out what's coming to the PS3's download network. You want some kind of insider info to find out what might be coming in the next few weeks or months. Well that's just greedy, and we're not afraid to tell you so.But we're not above enabling your greed either, so we'll pass along the latest rumors of what's coming, courtesy of England's Official PlayStation Magazine. According to the latest issue, original PlayStation classics Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 will soon be available for download, along with Street Fighter Alpha. No word on when they're coming or how credible the magazine's information is, but beggars can't be choosers. So, uh, stop begging.[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Rockstar denies involvement with Grand Theft Auto movie
Responding to Variety's outing of a Grand Theft Auto movie which failed to get off the ground, series developer Rockstar has told MTV News that it wasn't involved "in any way, shape or form." The company's VP of creativity, Dan Houser, said that Rockstar "never" considered moving ahead with such a project, as it was "no more interesting" than numerous other movie pitches it had received in the past. Variety's "The Cut Scene" blog reported that a "deal was virtually in place" between publisher Take-Two and a major film studio before talks suddenly fell apart for nebulous reasons. As for the prospect of future films based on the hit franchise, Houser insisted, "It is not something we are currently interested in." We can't say we're disappointed -- films based on games inspired by films make us feel like we're spinning in a very unoriginal washing machine.
Variety: Grand Theft Auto movie almost happened
Starting its new video game blog off with a bang, Variety reports that last spring a Grand Theft Auto movie was almost ready to roll into full production. The story goes that after years of trying, some studio actually navigated the bureaucracy of Take-Two/Rockstar and was ready to start production -- "quite possibly" with Eminem as the star. The reason this even came to be after so many years of stonewalling by GTA's rights holders is that current Take-Two chair, Strauss Zelnick, comes from traditional media at BMG music and 20th Century Fox.Variety goes on to say that the movie was so close to being finalized that its own reporters were prepping stories, with sources at Take-Two saying it was a done deal. At the last moment though, the whole thing fell allegedly apart after the publisher couldn't finalize terms with the studio. Whether it was an issue about money or giving away the movie rights (Rockstar is very protective of its brand) is still an unanswered question. Oh well, we've gotten used to movies based on modern mega-franchise games falling apart.
Take-Two details 'Hot Coffee' settlement; no receipt necessary
Were you one of the "offended and upset" victims of Rockstar's infamous "Hot Coffee" scandal? Can you prove to some lawyers that you were traumatized by the insidious insertion of polygonal sexual activity into your violent killing sprees? If so, you'll be interested in Take-Two's recently erected website detailing the benefits of its Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas class action settlement.The settlement offers different levels of possible compensation depending on the proof violated consumers have to offer: An original, pre-scandal copy of the game "may" net you a neutered replacement disc; a detailed store receipt "may" result in a $35 cash payment; a credit card statement or check is worth $17.50; and a disc without receipt gets you $10. If you have no receipt and no game, you stand to earn a whopping $5 for promising under penalty of perjury, cross your heart and hope to die, that you at one point purchased and played the offending game. If you're not planning on using the bill to dry your post-traumatic tears, perhaps you could put it towards Grand Theft Auto IV on April 29th.
Jack Thompson rears head in response to GTA IV release date
It's been a while since we've heard anything from the infamous anti-gaming crusader, Miami attorney Jack Thompson -- then again, being faced with the possibility of being disbarred in your home state is enough to really tie a guy up. However, with last week's announcement of a late-April release date for Grand Theft Auto IV came Thompson's mandatory adverse response to the series, and negativity towards Take Two, the game's distributor.Contained within an email from Thompson were promises to keep this "murder simulator for violence against women, cops, and innocent bystanders" out of the hands of children by contacting "state and federal officials" to warn of the game's immediate danger. Though no immediate threats were made towards Take Two or Rockstar Games, we're sure the fireworks will really start going off by the time GTA IV drops April 29 -- which just happens to be around the same time the outcome of Thompson's Florida Bar trial will be decided.
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 settles Hot Coffee lawsuits; $35 for the "offended and upset"
Freshly brewed news, straight out of Take-Two's corporate maw: the mega-publisher, parent company of Rockstar Games, has announced the settlement of all consumer class action lawsuits pending in the United States" related to the infamous GTA: San Andreas "Hot Coffee" mod. Take-Two has committed at least $1.025 million on the settlement, and their costs are capped at no more than $2.75 million. In short, if you swear that you bought a copy of GTA: SA before July 20, '05, further swear that you were "offended and upset" by the existence of the Hot Coffee mod, further further swear that you wouldn't have bought the game if you did know about it, and further further further swear that you would have returned that vile piece of entertainment software if you "thought this possible," you may be entitled to exchange your icky disc for a brand new, shiny disc devoid of any such hot beverage action.Not interested in a new disc? You want to know, "how ta get paid"? Well, if you submit detailed proofs of purchase, you may be entitled to a $35 cash payment which you can put towards that $90 GTA IV collector's edition (whenever that comes out).
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.)
Mass Murder 101: How to be a hero
It's a fact that the majority of what we do in World of Warcraft is kill things. Nearly all the supplementary activities we engage in, from shopping to crafting, are all basically to help us improve the effectiveness of our violent capabilities. Many players have noted that if WoW were at all real, then nearly every one of our characters would be considered a genocidal maniac for all the people and creatures we have killed, and yet we view ourselves as heroes.The idea is, of course, that most of the lives we take are really evil anyway, so we're actually doing the real good guys a favor. We kill tons of demons, ghosts, zombies, dragonkin, giants, and rabid beasts -- even most of the humanoids we kill are bandits or wicked cultists of one sort or another. This way we do lots of killing, but still feel as though we are heroes.There are some situations in the game, however, that turn things around for us, in which our character is not the hero. While there are some higher-level instances such as the Black Morass, or the new Caverns of Time: Stratholme, in which one could argue either way whether what we're doing is good or evil, most of situations in which you are clearly the bad guy, as far as I am aware, have to do with the undead, and to a lesser extent the blood elves as well. Of course, you can argue that in general, undead are just misunderstood, and the blood elves are just tragically misled, but as in the case of quests in Hillsbrad that ask you to go slaughter human farmers, or help develop a new plague, there's really no denying that your character is doing something "morally wrong."
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
GTAIV delayed until 2008's second quarter
Take 2 Interactive just announced that Grand Theft Auto IV will be delayed until 2008's second fiscal quarter, to compensate for some development processes that have taken longer than anticipated. The release confirms that this is taking place for both consoles, so it should be expected than when a new firm date is announced, that the 360's will mirror the PS3's. There has been no word of what this means for the episodic content under development for the 360 version of the game, as it was initially scheduled for a second quarter release in 2008. While we are saddened that we won't be experiencing Rockstar North's grand opus this holiday, our wallets definitely feel the pressure being lifted, if only slightly. We'll have to wait and see how this affects Microsoft's projected game sales this holiday, as 2004 may still remain top dog with the absence of GTAIV in October.[Via Joystiq]
Rockstar to develop brand new franchise exclusively for PlayStation 3
When Sony passed on the exclusive rights to Grand Theft Auto 4, many saw it as a sign of insanity from the leadership camp. The latest episode of Spike TV's Game Head, however, reveals that perhaps they had a plan all along. SCEA president Jack Tretton pulled that curtain back for host Geoff Keighley, casually mentioning that Rockstar has made an exclusive agreement to bring "their next big franchise" to the PlayStation 3 and no, he's not talking about L.A. Noire.Shortly before the show hit the tubes, SCEA's director of 3rd party relations, Michael Shorrock, confirmed this statement on the official US PlayStation blog adding, "Rockstar really wanted to make a game that you can truly only do on PS3, harnessing the power of CELL and Blu-ray disc and this deal lets them do just that.. This is really a win-win situation for both companies."So what is it exactly? Sony has made an agreement with Rockstar to say no more concerning the deal nor the title involved. From a developer that has tackled everything from gang violence to ping pong, your guess is as good as ours.
