Take-two Interactive
Latest
Max Payne 3 DLC plans laid out, grab all with Rockstar pass
Max Payne 3's multiplayer and co-op offerings won't thin as quickly as Max's hair. Rockstar today announced plans for seven separate DLC packs spanning June through next fall, following the game's launch in May. June's "Local Justice Map Pack" kicks off the content expansions, adding three new multi maps, including one that works with the game's "Gang Wars" mode (Police Precinct), as well as the others (Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, and Payne Killer).This summer will see four additional map packs dropping, and the fall will bring two more. Should all of this be conflicting with your good budget sense, Rockstar's season pass is returning from LA Noire, this time offering a 35 percent discount over buying each pack individually. The pass costs $30.
Watch Max Payne slowly dive into groups of henchmen whilst shooting
We wouldn't call it the smartest move out there, but Max Payne seems hellbent on jumping head first into groups of thugs who're firing guns directly at him. The latest trailer from Rockstar Games for Max Payne 3 portrays our balding hero as even more psychotic than we'd guessed!
An Irrational fear of monsters
"A good monster is a monster you can imagine in repose."That was the advice acclaimed horror writer and director Guillermo del Toro gave Ken Levine, the creator of the BioShock franchise, during a conversation on the Irrational Games podcast. Levine takes those words to heart in his own creative direction, and before building any terrifying monsters, he makes sure Irrational develops a rich, empathetic backstory that places each of the deformed, viciously homicidal creatures in routine settings, where they perform the most base of actions: contributing to society, petting a dog, relaxing, mourning.Four Irrational members – Levine, art director Nate Wells, lead artist Shawn Robertson, and sound man Pat Balthrop – gave the PAX audience a glimpse into the secret lives and creation of five major BioShock Infinite villains: the Motorized Patriot, Handyman, Siren, Boys of Silence and Songbird.
Rockstar North employee CV gives Grand Theft Auto V an October launch window [update: CV pulled]
Like several major games in the franchise, Grand Theft Auto V is being developed by Rockstar's Edinburgh, Scotland-based Rockstar North studio. Character animator Alex O'Dwyer is an employee at Rockstar North, according to both his LinkedIn page and his CV, and he seems to think that Grand Theft Auto V will launch this October.As seen in the image above, O'Dwyer's CV puts GTA V's launch window firmly in the holiday season – not exactly a bizarre concept considering Rockstar's history of launching GTA titles during the holidays (with the exception of Grand Theft Auto IV, that is). It would also put sufficient time between Rockstar's May launch of Max Payne 3, but would totally buck the trend of Rockstar releasing more than one title in any given year. It's worth noting that Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, may not be keen on launching GTA V in the same month as BioShock Infinite.Regardless, we've reached out to Rockstar and O'Dwyer for comment, but, well ... it's Easter. Hopefully we'll hear something soon. For now, we're putting this squarely in the "rumor" column.Update: Mr. O'Dwyer's CV was pulled down. We still haven't heard from Rockstar, nor have we heard from Mr. O'Dwyer regarding the date.
Take-Two's Zelnick regrets THQ quote
Friday 6 April175 lbs (That's 170 of muscle and five pounds of delicious Legal Seafood New England Clam Chowder.) Food consumed today: Chowdah! Chowdah! Chowdah!Early morning. Boston. I watched the sun rise this morning, contemplating regret and its place in business ... and the universe.Oh, Diary,I made a faux pas yesterday, which I understand is also known as a gaffe to those whose offices reside below the 20th floor of any office building. I was asked about the difference between that wandering camp of nomads at THQ and the Empire of Take-Two (and its kingdoms of Rockstar and 2K Games), and gave what I think was a very measured response. I may have overstepped when I said, "THQ won't be around in six months."Oh boy, did I stir up the hornet's next. THQ understandably wasn't too happy and reflexively responded that my "perception of THQ is outdated and inaccurate." Blurgh, Diary, I have to see THQ CEO Brian 'Feral' at the corporate mixers, so I had to play nice and offer up a cheese plate of mea culpa."While discussing our strategy I spoke out of turn about someone else's. It was inappropriate and I regret it," I told Game Informer.But, Diary. Come on ... between you and me. We both know the truth.XOXO,Nostradamuss
'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.
Spec Ops: The Line narrative trailer ripped from the headlines
In fairness, the trailer above for Spec Ops: The Line was likely cut and produced over the course of a few months. As such, its "ripped from current headlines" nature isn't really 2K Games or Yager's fault, but it does make for an awkward juxtaposition against recent news.
Max Payne 3 gets SMGing brutal
Yes, yes, we know that trying to work a "smegging" headline pun from '90s BBC science fiction sitcom Red Dwarf was a stretch, but we believe in our audience... and the minuscule cross-section of the demographic that may appreciate such wordplay. Anyway, here's Max shooting SMGs.
Bioshock film adaptation loses director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
It's been a couple years since we've caught wind of any movement on the Bioshock movie adaptation announced back in 2008. Last we heard, pre-production on the film had been halted while discussions were held regarding the project's necessary budget and potential rating upon release.Those talks are still ongoing, but once-attached director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has apparently run out of patience. "To be honest, by now, I'm completely out of that, and developing other stuff," Fresnadillo said in a statement to The Playlist. "Right now it's on hold. The studio and the video game company, they have to reach some kind of agreement about the budget and the rating."Here, Hollywood, allow us to resolve four years' worth of negotiations in four seconds: Make Bioshock's budget "all of the money" and let it have an R rating. Problem solved.
BioShock Infinite's 'Boys of Silence' are awfully loud (also: terrifying)
A motorized George Washington with a machine gun is worrisome, sure. And that dude with his giant porcelain hands? More menacing than Washington, no doubt. We think you'll agree, however, that BioShock Infinite's latest "heavy hitter," the "Boys of Silence" are by far the creepiest of the game's big boss dudes.
Max Payne takes his shootdodge to the streets of New York
It's no secret that Max Payne leaves his New Yorker past behind in Max Payne 3 as he heads for Brazil, but perhaps you didn't realize that chunks of the game will explore Max's history in the Big Apple. That history, unsurprisingly, involves leaping through the air while firing two handguns.
BioShock Infinite's sad men with giant hands, exposed!
BioShock Infinite's version of Big Daddies sometimes resemble George Washington, and other times they're terrifying giants with exposed hearts and enormous porcelain hands. Take a look at the latter group in the latest trailer, just above.
Learning how to 'shootdodge' with Max Payne 3
Did you know that "bullet time" is a term copyrighted and owned by Warner Bros.? It was news to me when I went looking up the term this morning, searching for a way to contextualize the evolution of Max Payne that I experienced when playing Rockstar's Max Payne 3 recently. According to Wikipedia -- which totally has its own listing for the term, of course -- the "word" was copyrighted alongside the first Matrix film. That film came out in 1999, two years before Remedy would reappropriate the concept for its first Max Payne game.No similarly bizarre history can be applied to the term "shootdodge," the portmanteau a Rockstar rep used to describe "Max's classic dive move." In Max Payne 3, the maneuver plays as crucial a role as ever. The majority of the time during my demo I spent with Max leaping in slow motion, or shooting in slow motion, or shooting and leaping in slow motion, all the while desperately trying to shoot dudes in their domes. Yes, fans, bullet time is still here, ready for use in tandem with the newly minted "shootdodge."Max Payne 3 didn't hold my hand during that hour, though I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want it to given the whole "addicted to painkillers/alcoholism" thing. Like Max's life during the setting of Max Payne 3, my playthrough was all sink or swim. But despite some initial skepticism over the difficulty, I walked away excited about the design choices Rockstar has made, such as taking the safety off of shooting and forcing precision from players conditioned to aim-assisted console offerings. (Which describes me, by the way.)%Gallery-149060%
Max Payne 3's first PC screens leap out of cover
Wondering how that gussied up PC version of Max will fare when it arrives two weeks later than its console counterparts? Rockstar's offering an early peek at Max Payne 3's PC version on its newswire, and we'd be remiss if we didn't make the shots available for you fine folks. Just look at that muscle definition!
'GTA TV' and 'Rockstar TV' trademarked by Take Two
As OXM UK has discovered, Take-Two has filed trademark applications for "Rockstar TV" and GTA TV" within the past week at the United States Patent and Trademark Office, though neither has been approved just yet (nor will either be until an examining attorney is assigned "approximately three months after filing date").Each trademark filing features identical product descriptions, denoting the filings as for (breath), "computer game programs and software; animated motion picture films featuring entertainment, namely, action, adventure, dramatic, comedic, children's and documentary themes; pre-recorded video discs and other pre-recorded digital and electronic media in the field of live action programs, motion pictures, or animation featuring entertainment, namely, action, adventure, dramatic, comedic, children's and documentary themes."Additionally, each filing was assigned "pseudo marks" by the USPTO, referring to the "TV" part of each as "television" -- pseudo marks are not seen as definitive, but as identification marks for easing USPTO database searches. In other words, it's possible "TV" stands for something else, but we're betting against that. We've reached out to Rockstar and Take-Two for comment, but have yet to hear back as of publishing.
Rockstar explains the research behind the posh clubs and helipads of Max Payne 3
There's a good reason for the prominence of helicopters in the latest Max Payne 3 trailer, and it's not just because "super rich people have choppers." Alright, well, that's part of the reason, but helicopters are apparently extra prevalent in Sao Paolo, Brazil -- the setting for at least part of Max Payne 3 -- and the devs at Rockstar discovered this while touring the city by air. As it turns out, since traffic is a huge problem in the Brazilian megacity, rich folks have taken to helicopters as a main means of travel. Oh, also, there are motorcycle gangs that take advantage of the traffic, making it extra dangerous. Sounds like a good excuse to become a helicopter pilot! Max will apparently be wrestling with the wealth disparity he discovers in Brazil -- a reality he feels uncomfortable with regardless of what continent he's on.And when those devs were looking for an authentic nightclub experience, they hobnobbed their way into exclusive nightclubs like the "rooftop lounge scene at the chic Hotel Unique," and pushed their way into parties along Avenue Morumbi. Per the trailer, we're gonna guess that the Rockstar devs didn't extend that same search for realism to allowing themselves to be kidnapped by one of Sao Paolo's many street gangs, but in the interest of their safety we're keen to let that one slide.Today's info dump is the second in an ongoing research series that the developer is publishing in the lead up to this May's launch of MP3. Rockstar offered Joystiq an early look at several comparison shots ahead of a worldwide premier later today on the company's own newswire website, which we've dropped into a perusable gallery just below.%Gallery-148054%
Spec Ops: The Line drawn into retail on June 26
Spec Ops: The Line has been pushed back and previewed across several years, but now we finally know it'll cross the finish line come June 26. Take-Two revealed as much this morning in a PR missive which also detailed the "Premium Edition" of the third-person shooter. It will feature a variety of multiplayer bonus content to folks who pre-order the game from "participating retailers" (none are listed, but we're thinking places like GameStop and Amazon are fair bets).Perhaps "Premium Edition" doesn't sound militaristic enough for you? Thankfully, Take-Two totally thought of that, which is why part the premium edition gives access to the "FUBAR pack," containing various multiplayer customization options ("unique and visually distinct items). Additionally, premium content includes an AK-47 unlock and an Officer Class promotion (which confers "several team-based advantages") at rank one, as well as double XP for the first week of online play.2K Games producer Denby Grace openly calls out the unbalance in this pre-order scheme, saying "People who pre-order the game are going to have an immediate advantage in the multiplayer mode." G ... great?
Max Payne 3's latest trailer introduces Max's expensive motives
Max Payne's tumultuous journey through Sao Paolo, Brazil isn't looking any easier in the latest trailer for Max Payne 3. And as it turns out, he'll be busting through favelas in search of a particularly expensive trophy ... wife. See for yourself just above.
Civilization 5: Gods & Kings expansion announced, available 'late spring 2012'
Religion and espionage return to the Civilization series when the fifth installment receives the "Gods & Kings" expansion before the summer solstice.The expansion includes 27 new units, 13 new buildings and nine new Wonders. There's also nine new civilizations, including Carthage, the Netherlands and the Celts. Along with two new types of city-states: mercantile and religious.Scenarios include the medieval period, the fall of the Rome and the (very cool sounding) Empires of the Smoky Skies, "a Victorian science-fiction scenario."Oooh!Most importantly, however, is the return of religion and the salvation or subjugation of the populace through its means. As players enter the Renaissance, spies can be unlocked to change the course of history through surveillance, theft and the always good fun of a coup. Sounds like a missed opportunity for an Assassin's Creed crossover if you ask us.%Gallery-147791%
Max Payne 3 shots pit Max against gravity, despicable pickup trucks
Max Payne's seen a lot in his day: Bull Bullets, garish Hawaiian shirts, delays. And now he's got a few more items to cross of his list, such as "angry man in pickup truck" and "face off against gravity -- and win," as you'll see in the latest volley of screens, just below.
