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Take Two's Zelnick: Manhunt 2 is 'fine piece of art'
Following the lead of developer Rockstar, Manhunt 2 publisher Take Two has come out in support of the game in light of restrictions on its sale in England, America, Ireland and likely bans in Australia and Germany. Take Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick said in a statement that the game's content "fits squarely within the horror genre" and "is in line with other mainstream entertainment choices for adult consumers."A fine enough defense, but Zelnick went even farther in support of the game, saying it "brings a unique, formerly unheard of cinematic quality to interactive entertainment, and is also a fine piece of art."We haven't played the latest Manhunt game so we can't really judge it on its artistic merits just yet. That being said, the whole idea of games as art is a pretty thorny subject as it is. Throw it in with the "do game cause violence?" debate currently raging around Manhunt 2 and you've got a perfect storm of controversy liable to melt message board servers the world over.Which is, of course, what Take Two probably wants right now. Remember that 2 Live Crew's "As Nasty as They Wanna Be" went on to sell over two million copies due in part to the controversy over its racy lyrics. If Manhunt 2 is eventually released for sale, in any form, you can bet all the controversy surrounding it will only make it more desirable to its potential audience.
Feast your eyes on The Darkness, huge gallery
So, have we mentioned that The Darkness looks totally freakin' HAWT? Oh, we have? Well, sorry, but it does. We just happened to get a boat load of The Darkness images, and we'd be total jerks if we bogarted them all to ourselves. As such, we've dumped them all into a massive gallery. Truly, it is a gallery so massive, that is in danger of collapsing into itself, thus forming a neutron star. You'd best take a look at it before its darkness consumes us all. Oh, and we just might have some very spiffy The Darkness related news soon, so keep your eyes peeled.%Gallery-4153%
BioShock preview reveals tasty gameplay info
GameSpot has posted a lengthy preview for BioShock, the upcoming first person shooter from Irrational Games and 2K. We've seen our share of BioShock previews, but this one really focuses on the actual gameplay experience. In particular, the preview highlights the borderline survival horror aspect of the game, noting the literally insane AI of your enemies. If you've been wanting to get a feel for the things you will actually be doing in BioShock, it's a pretty good read. Be warned though, there are some minor spoilers contained in the preview, though there is nothing drastic.If you've dismissed BioShock as "just another shooter," you should definitely check out the preview. August can't come soon enough.[Via Evil Avatar]%Gallery-3532%
Take Two chairman: Manhunt 2 is fine art
No matter where you go, you cannot escape all of the Manhunt 2 news lately. Now, Take Two's chairman Strauss Zelnick is speaking out on the latest news involving the game and the UK and Ireland, commenting that "It brings a unique, formerly unheard of cinematic quality to interactive entertainment, and is also a fine piece of art." He also says that the company understands the BBFC's decision, but doesn't agree with it, stating "While we respect the authority of the classification board and will abide by the rules, we emphatically disagree with this particular decision."While we'd like to comment on whether or not the game is actually "fine art," speculation at this point would just be silly. But we are of the opinion that games are art in general, so take from that what you will.
Manhunt 2 not likely for Australia, Germany
After Britain, the United States and Ireland, where do Australia and Germany stand on the issue of Manhunt 2? Australian officials are saying a release in their country is doubtful, meanwhile an official for the German USK ratings board has told Joystiq that game has not been submitted.Insiders in the Australian government reportedly told Smarthouse (via GamePolitics) that the game is likely not to be released down under. "We don't want to preempt the decision of the Office of Film and Literature Classification Review Board but it is looking very doubtful," they said. The Office of Film and Literature Classification was closed when Joystiq tried to reach them for comment, but Jason Hill of The Age reports that as of yesterday, the game had not been submitted for a rating.In an email correspondence with Joystiq, the USK's Christine Schulz told us as of this morning there was no application submitted for the game. Should Take Two and Rockstar forego submitting Manhunt 2 for any country, it would not be surprising.Both German and Australian ratings boards are notorious for banning games, by refusal of rating, with too much violent content. For the German USK, past titles to not get rated have included Dead Rising, Crackdown and Gears of War -- and the banning protocol is rather confusing. Australia's OFLC has Restricted 18+ ratings, but they are not applied to video games, so the highest rating for a game is Mature 15+ age. Hence, if a game were to be deemed too inappropriate for MA15, then it would be refused classification and the game must either be edited and resubmitted or just not sold. Games who were refused classification include Reservoir Dogs and Marck Ecko's Getting Up.
Pachter poses Manhunt 2 costing Take-Two millions
Industry fortune teller, Wedbush-Morgan's Michael Pachter, says Manhunt 2's freedom of expression will cost publisher Take-Two millions -- good thing Take-Two may have gotten that GTA IV advance money! Pachter believes the game would have generated $25 million in revenues this quarter, along with another $15 million in reorders. He sees three options for Take-Two at this point: Ship the game the way it is. Edit the game, bringing it in line with UK morals and the ESRB's M rating criteria. Cancel the game. Pachter believes canceling isn't a reasonable outcome. The other two options leave Take-Two with either lower sales because of the AO rating and the banning, or increased development costs due to the edit. Pachter guesses that either option costs the company half their potential revenue. He also goes on to say that this incident hurts the longevity of the franchise, which is funny for those who feel Manhunt 2 came out of left field anyway. Take-Two can probably cut their marketing budget by half, look at all this yummy free advertising. We already know FOX News has a story locked and loaded for public consumption closer to the Manhunt 2's July release.
Manhunt 2 gets AO rating from ESRB
After being rejected by the BBFC in the UK, Rockstar's Manhunt 2 is seemingly getting banned in America as well. According to Game Politics, the "murder simulator" is getting an AO (Adults Only) rating, which effectively bans it from all major video game retailers.Take Two games will certainly fight this decision as fiercely as possible in the coming days. Remember, the game's release is supposed to be only a few weeks away ...[Via Joystiq]
Manhunt 2 rated AO by ESRB
Manhunt 2 isn't in as dire a situation in the US as it is in the UK, but it's close. The ESRB has labeled Rockstar's controversial game with an AO "Adults Only" rating. If the game ships with this rating, most retailers will refuse to carry it, cutting sales massively. The only other console game to have an AO rating in stores? Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which was re-rated following the Hot Coffee scandal, and quickly re-released in an edited form.Rockstar has the option to appeal the rating, or they can edit the game and resubmit it. We doubt they'll release the game at AO, because they like selling their products.[Via Joystiq]
Retail murder: ESRB rates Manhunt 2 'Adults Only'
GamePolitics is reporting that Take-Two, publisher of Rockstar's controversial Manhunt 2 (which was rejected by the UK's BBFC today) has confirmed that the game has received the retail kiss-of-death from the ESRB: an Adults Only rating. What does this mean for Take-Two? An AO rating ensures the title will not be carried in many mainstream family-friendly retail establishments (think Wal-Mart), reducing possible sales and making the path to profitability even more burdensome.Take-Two can appeal the decision and dispute the AO rating, but something tells us this game has become a line in the sand that ratings boards, eager to prove their efficacy, won't cross. The ESRB's website hasn't been updated with the new rating just yet. More on this story is (surely) forthcoming.Update: MTV News spoke with a representative for Rockstar who, when asked if the AO rating would result in a delay, replied, "That's the last thing we want, but it's too early to say."
Video: BioShock developer diary
GameTrailers has posted a developer diary video from Irrational Games, makers of BioShock. Of course, if you're going to talk about BioShock, you might as well talk about the Big Daddy. It seems that he (it?) has wormed his way into every bit of BioShock promotional material out there, and this video is no different. Specifically, the video deals with the relationship between the Big Daddy character and the Little Sister. The two are always together and will work together when confronting threats. It's really an interesting look at how the pair interacts with each other. It's almost heartwarming to see the Big Daddy affectionately pat the Little Sister on the head, though the feeling is somewhat sullied knowing that he most likely drilled someone into a wall only moments before. Watch the video and tell us what you think.
Take Two silent on $50 million GTAIV content
We asked the question once: did Microsoft pay $50 million for GTAIV content? Readers will recall that Take Two's recent conference call made reference to two separate $25 million payments for "episodic content." Prior to this, gamesindustry.biz confirmed that the episodic content for GTAIV would be exclusive to Xbox 360. Naturally, this stumped PS3 owners who were promised their own exclusive content as well. The obvious conclusion, then, is that MS coughed up some money to keep the content exclusive.Whatever the reality is, Take Two isn't talking. Gamesindustry.biz contacted the company for comment on the $50 million quote and were greeted with no official responses whatsoever. Did MS buy exclusivity? The world may never know (but probably yes).[Via Joystiq]
Manhunt 2 under fire, watchdog demands AO rating for Wii version
When it rains, it pours for Take Two Interactive and Rockstar. Most likely inspired by the UK's rejection of the game, the Center for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) released a press release this morning, calling for the ESRB to give the Wii version of Manhunt 2 an Adults-Only rating.Game Politics reports that the press release was sent at the same time as a letter to ESRB president Patricia Vance. Both the letter and the press release call out the Wii version of the ultra-violent sequel for allowing players to act out forms of brutality using the Wii remote. The AO rating guarantees failure for any video game, as many mainstream retail stores refuse to carry titles bearing the Adults-Only symbol.It's also worth noting that the PS2 and PSP versions of Manhunt 2 were not brought up by the CCFC, so it can be assumed that the standard control methods of these versions do not warrant a similar rating, by the CCFC's logic.
Take-Two not explaining GTA $50 million exclusive
Take-Two refuses to comment any further on Chief Financial Officer Laine Goldstein's "oopsie" that Microsoft may have paid $50 million for GTA IV's episodic content. Goldstein said during a conference call last week that they had been paid $25 million for the episodic content to be released next March and another $25 million for their next fiscal year. GI.biz, along with almost every other news outlet, contacted Take-Two for clarification and got nothing but the wall of voicemail and receptionists who just can't find someone to comment at the moment.Some questions remained previously about if the GTA IV episodic content was "exclusive" (the same way Haze is a timed exclusive) or if the Xbox 360 episodes were actually exclusive exclusives (that word really gets so muddy in this industry). Take-Two confirmed late last week that the episodes are actually only for Xbox 360. And at a price of $50 million dollars, if that's how much the episodes actually were, you better believe that the word exclusive means exactly that in this case. There is also the belief that the $50 million is an advance to Take-Two on what Microsoft believes their portion will be off of Xbox Marketplace sales. Although, $50 million dollars for two episodes is still a large sum of money ... an oddly large sum.
ELSPA: Manhunt ban is good. Us: WTF?
ELSPA Director General Paul Jackson has issued a statement praising the BBFC's recent decision to deny classification for Rockstar's Manhunt 2, effectively banning the game from sale in Great Britain. Jackson said the decision "demonstrates that we have a games ratings system in the UK that is effective" and emphasized that the arrangement "works and works well."Frankly, we're a bit shocked that an organization whose stated mission is to "protect, promote and provide for the interests of all its members" would support state-sponsored censorship of one of its member's products. The point of ratings, at least as we see it, is to inform the public about the content of a game before they buy it, so they're not surprised by any objectionable materials contained within. The whole idea is that informed consumers can make the best choices for themselves and their families. The BBFC's decision goes against this ideal by effectively telling British adults they're not mature enough to decide whether or not they can handle this game. How is that an "effective" system?Jackson's statement does not address BBFC Director David Cooke's unsupported assertion that the game's availability would "involve a range of unjustifiable harm risks, to both adults and minors ... [that] would be unacceptable to the public." Does ELSPA really agree that the mere availability of a game to adults can damage a society so badly that its distribution must be stopped? If so, is that a message ELSPA's member organizations are willing to get behind as well?In his statement, Jackson stresses that games "appeal to all kinds of people across the country, young and old, male and female." What about the people Manhunt 2 appeals to? Apparently, they're just out of luck, as far as ELSPA's concerned.[Via GameStooge]
Take Two got $50M for GTAIV episodic content
A telling exchange during last week's Take Two earnings conference call may have revealed a sizable price tag for the Xbox 360's exclusive rights to Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content. During the call, Pacific Crest Securities Analyst Evan Wilson inquired about a $25 million "deferred revenue chunk associated with the episodic content on Xbox 360." Take Two CFO Lainie Goldstein responded that the money was for "the first episodic content package that's supposed to go out ... in March of '08" and that another $25 million was being deferred for the second content pack, to be released later in fiscal '08.Many news outlets are reporting that this revenue came from Microsoft to secure exclusive rights to these content packs, but this is not explicitly confirmed in the conference call or any other sources we could find. Take Two spokesperson Meg Maise would not comment on the matter, telling Joystiq the financial arrangements for the downloadable content were confidential.Still, it seems highly likely that the money came from Microsoft. Deferred revenue is often used to account for money paid before a product is delivered, and Take Two deferring Microsoft's payment for downloadable content would be a prototypical example of the practice. It's hard to imagine where else Take Two would derive such sizable revenue before the product was released.So was this a good move for Microsoft? Downloadable content is definitely a selling points for the Xbox 360 version of the game, but $50 million is a lot of money to pay just to get some additional content. If you're prepared to throw your money around, why not go all the way and secure the entire franchise as a system exclusive?[Via NeoGAF]
Take-Two chair talks Wii and DS focus
When Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick isn't having secret meetings with Jack Thompson, he's actually trying to turn the embattled company around. Although Zelnick's predecessor, Paul Eibler, pledged support for the Wii last year, Zelnick is really driving the point home. During their Q2 earnings call, which has been fully transcribed, Zelnick says, "To be perfectly frank, I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to realize what's going on with Wii and DS. I will tell you that very quickly we turned to both 2K and to Rockstar and said guys, we need a DS strategy and a Wii strategy and we are working on it. As we get into the next quarter and into budget season for 2008, everybody in this company is completely focused on it."Zelnick says that development cycles are long and sports games aren't good to develop "for a specific platform," but that they are looking to put more on the Wii and DS. Given the phrasing of the statement, it sounds like Zelnick is talking about games specifically designed for the Wii, which would be nice considering that Manhunt 2 may work out really well, or feel really flat, because it was designed for multiple platforms. Designing a game for numerous platforms may be good for profits, but if Manhunt was only designed for the Wii, it might have ended up a totally different game because of the focus on motion control.[Via GoNintendo]
Did Microsoft pay $50 million for GTA IV content?
The other day it was announced that the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV would feature exclusive episodic content not found in other versions and today we've learned why. Per Take-Two's latest fiscal conference call the company discussed an extra $50 million on the balance sheets listed as deferred payments split into two $25 million dollar chunks. The transcript confirms that the $50 million relates to the 360's episodic content and when asked to explain the release of such content it was explained as such:"The first 25 is for the first episodic content package that's supposed to go out and that is in March of '08. That's why it moved into current because it's in the next 12 months. The second 25 will be for the second episodic, the episode, and that will be later in fiscal '08."So, Take-Two received an extra $50 million for GTA IV's episodic content on the 360 which will be available in two installments, one next March and one sometime in 2008. The question is where did the cash come from and we can only speculate Microsoft's deep pockets had something to do with it. And if it was Microsoft, we'd be almost certain that the once talked about PS3 content is now canceled.[Via the gta place]
GTA IV episodic content exclusive to the 360
What's that smell? It's the unmistakable aroma of exclusive content coming to the 360 ... lovely. Yesterday, gameindustry.biz confirmed with a Take-Two representative that Grand Theft Auto IV will feature episodic content that will be exclusive to the Xbox 360 platform. Yup, you'll only be able to get such episodic content on your lovely white box and no other console. Life is great isn't it? No other details were confirmed about such content other than its exclusivity.GTA IV is huge game and if the 360 version is going to get content that no other version on other consoles has, it's a big deal. Now we just hope that such episodic content doesn't cost us anything or, if it does, it doesn't break the bank. Our fingers are crossed.[Thanks, to everyone who sent this in]
Jack Thompson and Take-Two have secret meeting
GamePolitics is reporting that Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick and Jack Thompson recently had a rendezvous in New York. There are very few details on what actually occurred at the meeting. All that GP knows is Zelnick asked for the meeting and Thompson acknowledged that it occurred. If you're just joining us, let's just say that Take-Two and Thompson have history.Was Zelnick trying to bury the hatchet? Did he try to pay Jack off? Or were they conspiring to create their next brilliant marketing scheme to sell millions of extra copies of Manhunt 2 and GTA IV? Only their waiter and maybe the bartender at The Palm, Sardi's, and later in the evening, Splash, know for sure. GP thinks Zelnick was getting a feel for "'Take Two's most abiding critic' ... who has vowed to bring the company down." All we can hope is that one of the guys was wearing a wire, because that's one conversation we'd really like to hear with no real lawyers present.
Video: BioShock plasmids aplenty
It's true. We loves BioShock. Loves it. With the impending release only months away, we were pleased to see a mountain of video coverage on GameTrailers. We had meant to post it earlier, but we were distracted by lolcats. The series of videos covers the many plasmids available in BioShock. Some are fairly simple, like the Winter Blast plasmid, which freezes your enemies. Others are a little more complicated, like the Security Bullseye plasmid, which automatically makes your enemy the target of nearby security bots. All in all, the plasmids look to add a considerable degree of strategy and fun to BioShock. Check out the videos after the break.
