red dead redemption
Latest
XBLM discounts PopCap games this week, Borderlands and Red Dead next
If Mad Riders and the two Sega Vintage Collections coming to XBLA this week don't fill absolutely all of your time, you can occupy every spare second with discounted PopCap games. From today through June 4, PopCap games on XBLA are half off, including Plants vs. Zombies, Peggle, Zumba, Bejeweled 3, and more.Next week, Borderlands DLC will be half off, as will the Red Dead Redemption Undead Nightmare Collection and, why not, Sega Bass Fishing. We know there must be someone who has time to play games next week, but we don't want to hear about it.
'THQ won't be around in six months,' says Take-Two CEO Zelnick
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick spoke plainly today at the MIT Business in Gaming conference about the differences between his company's strategy on core game development and that of the floundering THQ."THQ's strategy was licensed properties, first and foremost. License stuff from other people, whether it's UFC or WWE or a motion picture property, and make a game around that," Zelnick said, noting Take-Two hasn't had the best year either, but a good five-year run. "And our approach, since we took over the company, is 100 percent owned intellectual property."Zelnick stated licensed properties -- something he has avoided in his career -- leaves publishers at the mercy of license holders. Even if a publisher does a great job on a property, it will have to renegotiate the license in a few years and the margins will decrease because it's being charged more money for a brand it built up in the space. Zelnick noted THQ did partially change its strategy a few years back regarding owned intellectual strategy, but it's hard to do that overnight."The most important difference is quality. Take-Two has the highest quality ratings among third-party publishers, according to Metacritic and most people in the industry. Quality really, really, really matters. THQ has had some good games, but their quality levels aren't even remotely ... the quality hasn't measured up.""Strategy didn't work and the execution was bad. To put it another way: the food was no good and the portions were small." Zelnick closed his comparison of the two companies by saying, "THQ won't be around in six months."Update: THQ responds.
Take-Two Q3 financials down year-over-year, still within predictions
Take-Two Interactive has released its financial figures for the third quarter of fiscal 2012, which ended on December 31, 2011. While "in line" with the publisher's predictions, results are down when compared year-over-year to the same period in fiscal 2011.During Q3 2012, Take-Two's net revenue of $236.3 million was $97.7 million less than its net revenue of $334.3 million in Q3 2011. Operational income for the period was $14.2 million, down $22.6 million from the same quarter last fiscal year. Take-Two attributes this disparity to the fact that fiscal 2011 benefitted from the launch of Red Dead Redemption and its Undead Nightmare DLC more so than fiscal 2012 was able to.When looking at the entirety of Take-Two's fiscal 2012 performance so far, the downward year-over-year trend continues with an overall net revenue of $677.7 million (compared to 2011's $954.6 million), and an operating loss of $76.2 million (compared to 2011's operating income of $76.2 million).The company has also adjusted its outlook on Q4 in response to moving Max Payne 3's release date into the first quarter of fiscal 2013. It now expects net revenue for the period ending on March 31, 2012 to land between $112 million and $162 million, with its prediction for all of 2012 adjusted accordingly to a range of $790 million to $840 million.
Rockstar lives up to its name in Q3
Rockstar Games should be partying like, well, itself, according to the stats released in Take-Two's Q3 fiscal report. Rockstar has sold through more than 13 million units of Red Dead Redemption worldwide and more than 5 million units of L.A. Noire since launch. The mobile version of Grand Theft Auto 3 beat all the odds and reviews to become Take-Two's best-selling mobile title to date.
XBLM discounts Red Dead DLC in ninth day of savings
With discounts being offered daily on Xbox Live across Microsoft's "12 Days of Deals" winter promotion, we've seen big price drops in everything from Fallout 3 and New Vegas to Halo: Reach. Today, Microsoft throws John Marston into the mix, offering price breaks on the entire Red Dead Redemption DLC catalog as well as the original game itself in downloadable form. While all the DLC is seeing prices cut in half, the game itself varies in price depending on where you buy it. Here in the US, it'll run you $29.99 (25 percent off). Of course, if you don't already own the game and you buy it plus all this DLC, you'll be spending $5 more than the cost of the "Game of the Year" edition, which includes all the DLC plus a "brand-new hardcore single-player mode." Weigh your options wisely, partners!
PSN Tuesday: Jurassic Park, Red Dead Redemption, Uncharted 3 accessories
Sony opens a new area of its store for "PS3 Full Games" today, with Red Dead Redemption, but Sony's been selling full retail games on PSN for a while. It just didn't have a name. Joining that pseudo-groundbreaking release today is Telltale's Jurassic Park adventure, BurgerTime World Tour, and Hollywood Squares. If you'd rather augment a game you already have, there's some Uncharted 3 multiplayer accessory DLC. Find all the details, plus more downloads, at PlayStation Blog.
Grandpa Aaron loves Bioshock, can't wait to see you for Thanksgiving
It's getting to be that time of year where mushy, sentimental and "awww"-inducing chatter overwhelms all channels of media and fills your heart with a warm sense of home, whether you like it or not. For example: Reddit user Jungleradio gave his 80 year-old grandfather copies of Bioshock, Red Dead Redemption, Braid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for his birthday, with quaint, heartwarming results. Jump past the break for Grandpa Aaron's take on each game, and don't forget to tell your Aunt Suzy to bring Nana's twice-baked potato recipe to the next family reunion.
Rockstar: Red Dead Redemption on PC isn't happening, not 'viable'
We've got bad news for you and your custom-built, Western-themed PC gaming rig (complete with tumbleweed HDD and whiskey-distilling cooling fan). Rockstar has confirmed that Red Dead Redemption is not coming to the PC. In a Q&A on the company's blog, Rockstar explains, "All we can say is that whenever it is viable (technically, developmentally and business-wise) for us to release a game for PC (or any other particular platform) – we will and we usually do; unfortunately, that is just not the case 100% of the time for all platforms." The post adds, "To PC gamers, we hope that between the Grand Theft Auto titles, and the forthcoming L.A. Noire and Max Payne 3, you'll have plenty of great Rockstar action to enjoy." Just, you know, no cowboy action. Which is like, the best kind of action.
GTA IV surpasses 22M shipped, franchise at 114M total
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed at a recent conference that Grand Theft Auto 4 has shipped over 22 million units. Gamasutra listened in on ThinkEquity's Growth conference, where the executive noted that the latest installment surpassed the 21.5 million shipped by GTA: San Andreas, with the franchise reaching 114 million shipped since 1997. Zelnick also discussed how downloadable content can limit rapid used sales for new titles, a tactic the developer experimented with for GTA IV but got exceedingly good at with Red Dead Redemption. He said that once core development is done, doing the development for DLC in a high-quality way is a lot easier and quicker. "At the time we put out Red Dead Redemption in May, we didn't even have a fantasy that we'd be putting out a zombie title [the Undead Nightmare DLC] for Halloween. But we [did], as it happens." Red Dead Redemption has shipped 12.5 million units in a little over a year.
Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year packs a wallop, at a discount, this October
Bucking the trend of awarding "Game of the Year" editions only to games that never received that honorific anywhere, from anyone ('sup Two Worlds 2?) Rockstar has just announced Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition, a $50 compendium of all of the RDR content released to date, available on Xbox 360 and PS3 this October. In case you've lost track of the gargantuan game's extensive extras, Rockstar has helpfully catalogued them in the announcement. Ready? Deep breath: The popular Undead Nightmare DLC pack; the Legends and Killers Pack; the Liars and Cheats Pack; the Outlaws To The End Co-Op Mission Pack; the previously PS3-only Solomon's Folly gang hideout; and the recently released Myths and Mavericks Bonus Pack. In the off-chance that such a gaming feast hasn't sated your appetite, the Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition also includes a "brand-new hardcore single-player mode." North American gamers can pick up the pack on October 11, while international riff-raff will have to wait until October 14. We didn't tame this wild frontier for nothing, guys. %Gallery-133453%
Red Dead Redemption's free 'Myths and Mavericks' DLC rides Sept. 13
Saddle up your horses, load up your guns, and grease that completely ridiculous mustache: Red Dead Redemption's next, totally free DLC pack is coming in a little under two weeks. The previously announced "Myths and Mavericks" expansion will hit the PSN and XBLM on September 13, adding a whole slew of new multiplayer maps, modes and characters. Check out a full list of the newcomers after the jump. We're not sure how much of the original Red Dead community has stuck around to indulge in these new offerings, but if there's anything that can bring errant sheep back into the fold, it's the glorious, waxy soupcatcher of Landon Ricketts, pictured above. Oh, to be a fly on that mustache.
PSN Tuesday: Red Dead Redemption discounts, Far Cry 2
PSN delivers a fistful of discounts this week on Red Dead Redemption DLC, with Undead Nightmare a reanimated steal at $5. If you're looking for more modern sandbox experiences, GTA IV's The Ballad Of Gay Tony and The Lost And Damned are $10 and $5, respectively. In the demo department, don't miss out on passing the ball around with Madden NFL 12 and trying out Driver: San Francisco's single-player demo. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Take-Two profits down in first quarter of Red Dead-free fiscal year
Take-Two's net revenue for its first quarter of fiscal 2012 (which ended June 30) represents a downturn year-over-year -- $334.4 million versus fiscal 2010's $375.4 million (Take-Two shifted its fiscal calendar since then, in case you're wondering why we're comparing Q1 2012 with Q3 2010), with a net loss of $8.7 million instead of profits of $26.3 million. Last year around this time, of course, everyone on Earth was buying Red Dead Redemption, pushing Take-Two's profits into the stratosphere. With the game sold to all of Earth's residents to date, that leaves only babies born in the interim as the audience for new copies of the game; that market of babies has done well enough for the company to count RDR and its Undead Nightmare expansion as one of the leading products in this quarter, with 2 million retail copies of Undead Nightmare shipped life-to-date and 9 million Red Dead Redemptions. Other leaders include Duke Nukem Forever, LA Noire, NBA 2K11 and Carnival Games: Monkey See, Monkey Do.
Red Dead Redemption 'Myths and Mavericks' DLC dated for September
It's time to dust off your dusters and revolve your revolvers, as Rockstar has announced yet another DLC pack for the multiplayer component of Red Dead Redemption. The "Myths and Mavericks" pack, scheduled for this September at the low, low price of no dollars, will add a few "fan-favorite" character skins to players' rosters, as well as a few new battlegrounds to Deathmatch, Gang, Grab the Bag and "other popular online modes." One of the beloved characters therein will be Landon Ricketts, the grizzled justice-doler who serves as an occasional mentor to protagonist John Marston. He's a decent addition, but based on the title of the DLC pack, if we don't get a playable Bret Maverick in the mix, we're going to be sorely disappointed.
GTA 4, Red Dead Redemption DLC discounts in XBLM's weekly deals
This week and next, Microsoft is offering savings on DLC for the Xbox 360 versions of Grand Theft Auto IV and Red Dead Redemption -- discounts that, if you were straining to tie them into GTA somehow, you might call "a steal." From today through July 18, you'll be able to get the RDR Undead Nightmare Collection (containing three separate DLC packs) for 1,000 Microsoft Points, down from 1,600. That deal is part of a "Zombies!" promotion also featuring Dead Rising 2: Case West (now 400 Microsoft Points) and Stubbs the Zombie (800 MSP). From July 19 through July 25, it's all GTA, with GTAIV add-ons Ballad of Gay Tony for 800 MSP, The Lost and Damned for 400, and GTA San Andreas for 800 points. See a few more items, including new Avatar items and Dance Central DLC, on Major Nelson's site.
Red Dead Redemption DLC announcement coming soon, quadruple XP now
If you're ready to quick-draw some funds from your bank account, and your trigger finger is itching to click "buy", you'll be pleased to know that some new Red Dead Redemption DLC is on the way. We don't exactly know when, but Rockstar mentioned on Twitter that the release date and details for this unnamed pack will be revealed "in the coming weeks." Maybe this time it'll be about old-west Draculas, or invisible cowboys. In the meantime, if you're looking for something to do in the currently released RDR content, Rockstar is hosting a quadruple XP event through Monday. Your cowpoke will get four times as grizzled! Update: The new DLC is likely the free "Fan Appreciation DLC" announced during E3, with new "fan-favorite" multiplayer characters, and new content for various multiplayer modes.
Former Rockstar designer founds Mainly About Games
Former Rockstar designer Anthony Gowland is breaking out on his own. His past work includes GTA: Chinatown Wars and Red Dead Redemption and, today, he announced the formation of Mainly About Games, a self-professed micro-studio based in Edinburgh that will focus on mobile and web-based games. The new studio's first project will be Tealy & Orangey, a puzzle-platformer for the web. "My passion is in creating small titles that have solid gameplay hooks and big budget polish," he says. In addition to development, Gowland also says his studio will offer consultation services. Mainly About Games has a barebones site up, which you can access here.
Take-Two takes 49% more in revenue in fiscal 2011
Take-Two let out a hearty (but metaphorical) "Yee-haw" today, reporting a 49 percent rise in net revenue year-over-year for the fiscal year that ended March 31. Thanks to hits like Red Dead Redemption (8.5 million units shipped, the company announced today!) and its Undead Nightmare expansion, and the five-million-selling NBA 2K11, Take-Two brought in $1.14 billion in net revenue. Its net income rose to $48.5 million for the fiscal year, a welcome change from the previous year's $123 million loss. With that kind of money, Take-Two should be able to survive the losses from when Duke Nukem Forever doesn't actually come out. (Kidding, mostly.) The top earners for the fourth quarter included, in Take-Two's estimation, "NBA 2K11, Top Spin 4, Major League Baseball 2K11, Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete and Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare (standalone disc)." In addition, digitally distributed content accounted for 15 percent of net revenue in the quarter, driven by Red Dead Redemption, Borderlands, Grand Theft Auto and Civilization DLC.
Take-Two signs with XLGames to make existing property into an MMO
How would a Grand Theft Auto MMO grab you? Would you play a Red Dead Redemption or LA Noire massively multiplayer title? While the possibility of said games still falls into the rumor category at this point, we can confirm that Take-Two Interactive has entered into a partnership with XL Games to make one of the former's existing properties into an MMO. XL has been in the news recently due to its upcoming ArcheAge sandpark, and the company founded by noted Lineage developer Jake Song will work on the new title with Take-Two subsidiary 2K Games. Kotaku first reported the rumor to the English-speaking world earlier this morning, while the source is Korean website 4gamer. A press release has also been issued by 2K; CEO Christoph Hartmann hints at the company's desire to broaden its horizons. "Our partnership with XL Games underscores our ongoing commitment to expanding 2K's presence in online gaming and the Asian market," Hartmann explains. XL's Song says that work on the new title is ongoing. "We have already been working together for a year on the game, and I can tell you this is one of the most exciting projects that I've ever undertaken," he said.
Red Dead Redemption pre-order bonuses to be offered as DLC, LA Noire bonuses coming 'sooner'
Chances are you didn't reserve and purchase Red Dead Redemption at several different retail locations when it launched last year, because that is something a crazy person would do. If you're missing out on the bonus in-game items offered as pre-order incentives, Rockstar's offering you a chance to complete your collection next week. The Assassin Outfit (which doubles Dead Eye regeneration), Golden Guns Weapon Pack (which increases Fame earned) and War Horse (which is a war horse) are coming to XBLA and PSN next week for 80 Microsoft Points ($.99) a piece. Rockstar apologized on its blog for the time it took to bring these items to market, citing "unanticipated technical delays" as the cause of the hold-up. It seems they've got the kinks worked out -- the same blog post promises LA Noire's pre-order bonuses "should become available as DLC much, much sooner."
