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Rockstar: L.A. Noire development going 'splendidly,' details 'very soon'
Long in development, never seen in any sort of playable form and without any confirmed platforms, Rockstar's L.A. Noire seems more like so much smoke from a private eye's ashtray with each passing month. But there was a glimmer of life in the project earlier this month when Take-Two president Ben Feder mentioned it during an investors' call, and now Rockstar has addressed the status of the game and when we might actually learn more about it. In a Q&A post on its website, Rockstar answered a fan-submitted question -- "Is there anything you can say about L.A. Noire, like when it's coming out?" -- saying, "While we have yet to announce a definitive release date, L.A. Noire is coming along quite splendidly." While Feder had "nothing to announce" back on September 1, Rockstar now promises, "We're going to have details to share with you all very soon." Hopefully they'll be more than "it's a game" and "it will come out ... someday." [Via GameSpot]
L.A. Noire still coming, 'innovative' says Take-Two boss
Team Bondi's long-in-development, film noire inspired L.A. Noire is still in development, despite a now years-long absence from the public eye. Last we heard, the developer was still staffing up for the Rockstar-published game; today, Take-Two CEO Ben Feder provided a little more hope that it'll eventually come out. During Take-Two's financials call earlier, Feder said that, although there was "nothing to announce," the company is "continuing to develop [the game]." As reported by G4, the CEO also said that the title is viewed internally as "pretty exciting and innovative," but that any new info will come "when we have more to share." How about sharing what makes it so exciting and innovative with us, for starters?
Ten L.A. Noire storyboards leaked online
It's been a good long time since we've heard anything about Team Bondi and Rockstar's detective sim L.A. Noire -- we'd relish in even the smallest amount of evidence that the project still exists. Said evidence recently came in the form of 10 storyboards from an animation outfit known as Tui Studios -- you can check them out via the company's website, under the subheader appropriately named "Storyboards." The images therein don't exactly give a conclusive inkling of the enigmatic title's plot -- but the stylish depiction of a bleak 1950s Los Angeles is enough to pique our interest. We've contacted Rockstar to see what the latest word on L.A. Noire is. Our ever-optimistic fingers are crossed for good news! [Image] [Via VG247]
Team Bondi still staffing up for L.A. Noire
When last we heard anything on the Team Bondi (The Getaway folks) and Rockstar (the, um, GTA folks) aptly-titled film noire adventure, L.A. Noire, the game was rumored to be at least a year away (and, possibly, no longer exclusive to PS3). That was last September. Now its developer is staffing up for what might be a push to the finish. Team Bondi's hiring page lists openings in multiple disciplines, including 3D modelers, game designers and a senior programming post. We're excited to see any sign of life coming from the project; we'll be even more excited if Rockstar makes a fall 2009 release announcement at E3. [Thanks, Joe P.!]
Rumor: Rockstar's L.A. Noire headed to the 360
Last week, the CEO of Tantalus and el presidente of the Game Developers' Association of Australia, Tom Crago made a few rumor waves in regards to Rockstar's long awaited, mysterious and PS3 exclusive L.A. Noire, saying that it'll also be making its way to the Xbox 360.While chatting with Crago at GC Asia 2008, IGN reports that Crago mentioned that L.A. Noire was currently in development on both the PS3 and 360. Something that'd be very surprising seeing that Rockstar has said all along that L.A. Noire will be a PS3 exclusive and was partially being funded by Sony. But maybe the game's costs caught up with them?And unless Rockstar directly addresses the game's rumored 360 release, we probably won't know the answer for quite the long time, because Crago suggested that L.A. Noire still has another year to cook in the development oven. Bum to that.
Rumor: L.A. Noire no longer PS3 exclusive, still a year away
The long-in-development L.A. Noire, a collaboration between Rockstar and ex-Getaway alumni at Australia's Team Bondi, may no longer be exclusive to PlayStation 3. The title – which has been shrouded in mystery befitting of its film noire trappings – was originally rumored to be bankrolled by Sony itself for release solely on its platform. Speaking at GC Asia '08, Game Developers' Association of Australia president Tom Crago said that, from what he surmises, development on the game has "another year or so to go." He also revealed that it "could be the biggest budget video game in development anywhere in the world," calling it a "massive, massive project." Crago also indicated that the game is in development for both PS3 and 360, which, if true, would rule it out as the PS3-exclusive Rockstar project Sony has been touting once and for all. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
LA Noire one of the most expensive games ever, may be coming to 360 too
It's been a while since we heard from LA Noire, Team Bondi's mysterious noir game which was announced ... and well, that's about all. Originally announced for the PS3, it appears the game's incredible production costs may have transitioned it to a multiplatform title. Tom Crago, CEO of Team Bondi called their upcoming game as one of "the biggest budget videogame in development anywhere in the world. It would certainly ... in terms of console titles, be in the top ten... LA Noire is a massive massive project." According to IGN, Crago supposedly mentioned the project was hitting both PS3 and Xbox 360. Could PS3 have lost yet another exclusive? We'll have to wait and see once Team Bondi makes an official statement. [Thanks, frankym!]
Rumor: Sony no longer funding L.A. Noire
The Rockstar-published L.A. Noire has been off our radars for a while, and possibly for good reason. Though the title was originally being developed by Team Bondi exclusively for PS3 -- and with full funding from Sony Computer Entertainment America -- rumor diva Surfer Girl believes that Sony may be no longer funding the film noir-esque title. According to Surfer Girl, the potential decision to cease all funding may have come from Team Bondi's inability to meet deadlines. If the funding has in fact been stopped, there would be nothing stopping a release of the title on Xbox 360 as well -- if the title ever actually gets released. SCEA was the only source of funding for the game's development, meaning rough times could be ahead for the team if this rumor is true. Surfer Girl also supplies a few more (possible) details about the title. The soundtrack is comprised largely of jazz music, and is comparable to GTA in terms of quantity. The developer hopes to fill the 1940s Los Angeles with a variety of NPCs, each entirely unique and featuring unique personalities and knowledge. The game's core mechanic comes from detective work, of which reactions are reportedly mixed. It all sounds very interesting, to be sure. We wonder if it'll ever see the light of day.
BioShock "franchise" ships 1.5m units; L.A. Noire bumped from fiscal '08
After what we imagine was a prolonged series of comically exaggerated high fives and hearty back pattings, the folks at Take-Two managed to sit down long enough to write up a report detailing their third quarter fiscal 2007 financial results. In fact, they were so excited after noting that critic's darling BioShock shipped an impressive 1.5 million copies – pulling the Xbox 360's attach rate even higher – they even called it their "new BioShock franchise." A franchise, eh? Gamasutra notes that during a conference call with investors to discuss the results, they specified that BioShock could become a franchise on a "roughly two year interval," handily making up for the missing income their annual football franchise used to bring in. Of course, that's not all bad; the company's Grand Theft Auto games have followed a similar model and managed to remain well respected titles despite what could only be called some stagnation. The execs also noted that the Rockstar and Team Bondi co-produced L.A. Noire, which was nowhere to be seen on the report's initial guidance for fiscal 2008, would not be released in fiscal 2008, which extends until 11/08. The game was previously listed as a PlayStation 3 exclusive for the fiscal '08 period. Read – Take-Two Third Quarter Fiscal 2007 Financial Results Read – BioShock Receives All-Time Highest Xbox 360 Ranking on Metacritic
L.A. Noire still listed as exclusive to PS3
Yeah, the trailer isn't new, but a lot of people have no idea what this game is. The latest financial reports from Take-Two have rolled around and we found it interesting to note that on the list of upcoming titles and platforms, L.A. Noire is still listed only as a PS3 title. We don't find this necessarily shocking. In fact, Take-Two's previous financial reports said the same. However, it is nice to see not only further confirmation of exclusivity, but another piece of evidence pointing towards developer support for the PlayStation 3 -- optimization of games on each platform is going to be much more important this generation for all consoles. If you have no idea what to expect with L.A. Noire, go watch the movie Chinatown. It's an excellent film and then imagine that as a game, with plenty of action riddled in between the narrations.
Rockstar's L.A. Noire listed for PS3 only in T2 report
Those interested in gunning down finely-dressed gentlemen in dark, 1940's Los Angeles alleyways need to plan their future investments wisely. Between the cost of building a time machine and that of acquiring a PlayStation 3, we'd advise you to go with the latter -- it's considerably cheaper and won't run the risk of demolishing our current timeline. A recent Take-Two investor report confirms what many have suspected since Rockstar's L.A. Noire was first revealed, listing the game as a PS3 exclusive -- at least as far as the 2008 fiscal year is concerned. Much of the game and its additional "e" is still aptly covered by darkness and smoke, though it's expected to share many similarities with Grand Theft Auto and developer Team Bondi's The Getaway series. It certainly looks to be the only noir experience we'll encounter in a while, at least until we manage to adapt our ridiculous gumshoe trilogy into a video game. [Via PS3 Fanboy]
Take-Two's lineup shows L.A. Noire remaining PS3 exclusive
In the recent months, we've seen exclusives deteriorate rapidly. However, from Take-Two Interactive's recent earnings report and scheduled lineup for 2007 through 2008, one such title still remains listed as "PS3." Rockstar's L.A. Noire, a GTA-inspired gangster style drama set in 1940's America, hasn't been mentioned at all (until now) since its initial announcement back in October last year. With poor outlook on Take Two's recent filings and news of impending layoffs, we wonder if L.A. Noire will be able to maintain its PS3 exclusivity for much longer. Because the video is so darned pleasing to watch, we've once again embedded it for your viewing pleasure. We'll be pleased to get screenshots up once they start rolling in. Over on Team Bondi's website, there have been a slew of job openings during the last month, which might indicate a final push for the title's impending release. Hmmm ... perhaps if one of our readers could infiltrate Team Bondi headquarters, they could convince the devs to toss some screenshots our way. We promise we would share. Just an idea. [Via PS3 Forums]
Trailer for Rockstar's LA Noire is Ellroy-esque
LA Noire, Rockstar's latest, takes you out of the role of a late 20th century street thug breaking laws in locations as exotic as Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas, and dumps you into the role of a detective, solving "a series of gruesome murders" in a gritty black-and-white, 1940s Los Angeles. LA Noire looks like the videogame love child of James Ellroy's Hollywood noirs, like LA Confidential, and the classic chiaroscuro of films like Double Indemnity. Toss in an open-ended city (Team Bondi, the developer, did work on The Getaway), some cinematic storytelling, and you've got something that certainly sounds like it follows the GTA formula. Let's call it Grand Theft Auto: Noir City. There's no gameplay on display here, so we're not sure if this is what we can expect the finished product to look like (it seems doable), or if this is just a "target render." Noire is a next-gen title without any platform loyalties announced just yet, though some major sites seem to think it's been confirmed for the PS3. But with Grand Theft Auto dropping its long-standing exclusivity, like many other next-gen titles, the lack of a console name on the official site may be sign of an impending exclusivity mystery, ala Assassin's Creed.
Will Wii see L.A. Noire?
Rockstar and Team Bondi (the guys behind The Getaway) have announced L.A. Noire, a stylized, 1940's-era interactive story littered with glamorous dames, puzzles to solve, and a hardboiled gumshoe behind it all. Now, normally we wouldn't take too much notice of Rockstar news, but there's something here that sparks our interest. Hmm ... what could it be ... interactive story, puzzles, stylized imagery ... why, it sounds like it could be perfect as a Nintendo game!Add in the Reggienator's comment about meeting with Take-Two and you've got fuel for a whole day's worth of inter-tube speculation. After all, they've announced no console for L.A. Noire. This could be our moment in the sun -- or in the shadows, as it were, snapping photos and tonguing the butt of a cigarette.
L.A. Noire: Rockstar's latest is a black & white mystery
Rockstar has unveiled L.A. Noire, a period piece developed by Team Bondi, a new Australian studio founded by Brendan McNamara (The Getaway). Set in 1940's L.A. (before the freeways), L.A. Noire explores a series of gruesome murders through the eyes of, we assume, a detective.We've eyed a 37-second teaser, which sweeps through an eventless urban street scene, while a horn whines a sleepy jazz tune. We suspect, like The Getaway, Noire will be less open-ended than GTA and will rely on cinematic elements to keep gamers interested. While billed as a "next-generation" title, Rockstar has not specified platforms.
