Tagged: take 2
Next GTA 4 Episode Out by October
The first Grand Theft Auto 4 episode was delayed for quite a while, but it appears that the second episode will be on time, as Take-Two revealed that the DLC is part of its lineup before the end of its fiscal year – October 31, 2009.
It will be the second episode exclusive to the Xbox 360 version of the game. Microsoft paid quite a bit of money to buy exclusivity rights for the DLC. The first has already sold records on Xbox Live, and the second can only add to that.
Take 2 CEO: Both GTA 4 DLC and Chinatown Wars Delayed
Not surprising anyone, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick revealed during a company presentation that both Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and the exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto 4 are being delayed.
Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, Zelnick noted that the GTA 4 DLC is “close to being complete. That said, it may move into the second quarter.” The company’s Q2 starts on February 1, 2009, which would place the DLC far beyond its Fall 2008 target.
Meanwhile, the DS game is also being shifted to the company’s second quarter to “fill out a better launch and marketing window,” according to Zelnick. The quarter runs till May 31, 2009.
2K Play Launched
Take-Two Interactive, following its earnings call, has announced the formation of 2K Play, a new publishing label dedicated to casual gaming. As part of the initiative, the publisher also announced an expansive new handheld and console game licensing agreement with Nickelodeon, one that involves major properties like Nick Jr., Dora the Explorer and more.
“We welcome our new partnership with 2K Play,” said Shaul Olmert, Vice President/Digital Media products for Nickelodeon and MTVN Kids and Family Group. “This is the first time Go, Diego, Go! is coming to handheld and console systems and will mark Dora the Explorer’s debut on the popular Nintendo DS™ system. We are excited to welcome 2K Play into our growing family of innovative digital products.”
2K Play joins fellow publishing labels 2K Games and 2K Sports as new divisions under the 2K branch. The new label will absorb Take-Two‘s Global Star Software label, including the Carnival Games brand, the Cat Daddy Games studio and PC games based on the popular Deal or No Deal franchise.
More announcements regarding the 2K Play lineup are forthcoming.
BioShock Sequels Coming, LA Noire Delayed
Controversial games publisher Take-Two revealed that its Q3 2007 fiscal results has seen a 14% year-over-year drop in revenue, following first and second quarter losses with a $58.5 million net loss, though its far less than that of last year.
However, the company had good news for itself: BioShock is popular. The obvious fact was made more obvious as they revealed that the Xbox 360 demo was the faster to hit 1 million downloads on Xbox Live Marketplace and that the company has shipped 1.5 million units of the game worldwide. Though they wouldn’t provide exact sales numbers, the company believes that BioShock is “one of the fastest selling games in video game history.”
Take-Two plans to capitalize on the success of the game by hoping to make it into an ongoing franchise. Company chairman Strauss Zelnick stated that a “two-year schedule would be optimal” for the game, comparing it to that of GTA. “I’d expect we’d apply roughly the same strategy to BioShock because [it] is shaping up to be a very important franchise.”
In other news, the call revealed that PS3 action game L.A. Noire and PSP music game Beaterator have both been delayed. They are now expected to ship sometime in Take-Two fiscal year 2009, which begins in November 2008.
BioShock Shocks Thompson
Everybody’s favorite madman is at it again, this time attacking another of Take Two’s offering: BioShock. The game – which has been released to retail today – has attracted attention from Jack Thompson because of its TV ads which were shown off during a teen-heavy television program.
Take-Two… is aggressively marketing its newest Mature-rated video game to kids less than 17 years of age… On this Friday’s night’s 8 pm Eastern time airing of WWE’s wrestling program “Smackdown,” there were repeated ads for Take-Two/Rockstar Game’s Mature-rated, incredibly violent BioShock…
A check of the demographics of the audience of that program reveals that teens under 17 years of age watch that program in huge numbers…
Remarkably, the video game industry is running ads for games like BioShock on teen-intensive television programs while at the same time its industry-captured “watchdog,” the ESRB, is running a self-congratulatory ad campaign to assure parents that the video game ratings system is working and that the industry can be trusted not to target their kids with these Mature-rated games. It is all a lie, as the BioShock ads prove.
This rampant fraudulent trade practice is precisely what “Big Tobacco” did with its “Joe Camel” and other teen-targeting ads, while at the same time lying to Congress that it was not marketing its adult product to kids.
Yes, BioShock has effectively shocked Jack Thompson, if anybody cares.
BDGamers 