Analyst predicts GTA IV delay

By GamesIndustry International Published 4 June, 2007

What with Halo 3 and that.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter has suggested that Take-Two may choose to delay the release of Grand Theft Auto IV in a bid to boost its financial results for 2008, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

GTA IV is currently due to launch on 16th October, just weeks before the end of the fiscal year. But, Pachter said, "We believe that it is possible that the company will choose to 'throw in the towel' on financial year 07 by shifting the release date for Grand Theft Auto IV by a few weeks, increasing the losses incurred this year and improving the company's prospects for financial year 08."

He added that a two-week delay would provide a "reasonable gap" between the launch of GTA IV and Halo 3, which "would actually help sales of both games". Plus, Pachter said, releasing the USD 90 Collector's Edition first and the standalone version some weeks later would allow Take-Two to maximise revenues.

Pachter's comments come as Take-Two prepares to release its Q2 financial results, due on 11th June. He said the company's new management team is likely to introduce cost-cutting moves as soon as practicable, "resulting in studio closures and charge-offs for games in development".

"Shareholders apparently believe that new management has the 'magic bullet' required to reverse the company's recent history of consistent quarterly losses," Pachter continued.

"Although we are impressed with new management and believe that they will ultimately succeed in turning Take-Two's fortunes around, we think that the turnaround will take more than a year to complete."

What else are analysts saying? Find out at GamesIndustry.biz.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • StormRider #1 5 years ago

    Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo !!!!!!!!!

  • Steroyd #2 5 years ago

    Why when they're in different genre's?

    Infact why just not launch it on the Xbox 360 anywhere near Halo then? And have it as a PS3 timed exclusive where there is no Halo competition if you want to use that logic much.

  • Moz #3 5 years ago

    In case anyone from take two reads this:

    If GTA IV gets delays just so Take two have better profits in 08 I will NOT buy the game.

  • Darren #4 5 years ago

    Didn't Peter Moore have a tattoo with the GTA IV logo and release date on his arm? LOL

  • Haloboy #5 5 years ago

    Didn't Peter Moore once smoke pot?

    Coincidence?

  • Quine #6 5 years ago

    /cynic

    Release low quantities in this fiscal year, watch panic on the streets and heightened media interest, then release adequate supplies to a grateful public when the new fiscal starts.

    cynic/
    Edited by Quine at 04/06/07 @ 10:13

  • Darren #7 5 years ago

    Seriously though, I expect GTA IV will sell far more than Halo 3 anyway and over a longer period of time by virtue of the fact that it's a multiformat game so it seems unfair to make PS3 and PC owners wait longer just because of an Xbox 360 release.

    Personally I'd rather Halo 3 was delayed a month or so as I wasn't at all impressed by the recent beta and although I want to see how the campaign for the trilogy ends, I think I can wait to play it; it's not high on my list of must-have games to be honest. I still think the traditional November release date would have suited the game more though (plus allowed for an extra couple of months polish - how refreshing would it be to play an Xbox 360 game that *doesn't* require patching?) and made it a candidate for Christmas number one.

  • The-Bodybuilder #8 5 years ago

    >"releasing the USD 90 Collector's Edition first and the standalone version some weeks later would allow Take-Two to maximise revenues."

    Great. :/

  • The-Bodybuilder #9 5 years ago

    @Steroyd.

    Genre doesn't matter as much as money. The average gamer may only spend thier money on one game. It can be either halo 3 or GTA IV (which means submaximal sales for both games).

    Spread them out, and the average gamer can get both.

  • Steroyd #10 5 years ago

    But what are the chances that someone who would buy Halo are the exact same that will buy GTA?

    Besides it goes back to why delay GTA across all platforms if this only concerns the Xbox 360.

  • spongebob #11 5 years ago

    Exactly when were analysts right about anything?

  • Whizzo #12 5 years ago

    Exactly when were analysts right about anything?
    I wouldn't trust an analyst to tell me the colour of the sky.

  • Moz #13 5 years ago

    @spongebob: That is a very good point.

    @neiltc13: Delays because the game isn't finished is one thing, but just because they wont to forget about the 07 accounting period is another. Also it was known when they gave that release date that Halo 3 was likely to be about then. And again why should it effect PC and PS3 owners.

    Taking this route would just make them yet another big corp trying to screw it's customers. Lets hope they don't.

    Maybe the analyst is a plant, Take two could have paid him to say this so that they can gage the responce.

  • LOLLERS #14 5 years ago

    "Spread them out, and the average gamer can get both. "

    This doesn't make much sense to me, if it was released at the same time as Halo3 then yeah maybe some kid will only buy one buy the other 4 months later. Does that make any overall difference to the total sales?

    4 marks, show your working.




    Seems more likely they'd release the expensive collectors edition and do that

  • captainrentboy #15 5 years ago

    This does seem silly, they are two very different types of game appealling to,I'd imagine, two main consumers bases.I mean even I am only interested in purchasing Halo 3, GTA has never really been my type of thing and I have absolutely no interest in the new one.
    Like Darren said, I don't think Rockstar/Take 2 should be worrying, GTA will sell faaaar more than Halo anyway no matter when it's released, especially as it's on three formats.
    But unlike Darren, ''Don't delay Haaaaaalo, I'm one of those sad bastards who've booked a week off of work to play it!!!''

  • rudedudejude #16 5 years ago

    I think you're being a little hard on these guys, another big corp it might be, but respect to take two for continuing with the GTA series and actually innovating in a games market fully of crappy clones. Also good on them for going multiplatform. After all the shit they've had from the media they could have censored it or dropped it altogether, or just resort to making 'stories' games for the next 5 years.

    I can't hold a couple of weeks release date against them to imrpove their sharevalue, get more investment and more cash to spend into new releases and future games. They are after all a business, and I'd say one of the least likely in the marketplace that I'd want to see go under.

  • The-Bodybuilder #17 5 years ago

    >"Besides it goes back to why delay GTA across all platforms if this only concerns the Xbox 360."

    Because the 360 has a huge margin of sales over the ps3 and is where the bulk of thier sales will come from?

  • Wayne #18 5 years ago

    "If GTA IV gets delays just so Take two have better profits in 08 I will NOT buy the game."

    Dork!

  • The-Bodybuilder #19 5 years ago

    >"This doesn't make much sense to me, if it was released at the same time as Halo3 then yeah maybe some kid will only buy one buy the other 4 months later. Does that make any overall difference to the total sales?"

    1. Yes it does. Fact is, most of the sales of games are during the early months. Just because you would do it, doesn't mean the majority would. the majority will not wait "4 months" after release to buy the two biggest titles of 2007.

    2. I really hate the discription of "some kid". Gaming is not the hobby of most people. Many people here have full-time jobs, other more interesting hobbies that come before gaming, kids, bills, and generally some sort of life to live.
    Heck I'm 21, and gaming sure isn't my first hobby anymore.

    Just because something doesn't make sense to YOU, doesn't mean it doesn't to others.

  • Arcadiian #20 5 years ago

    @Darren

    It'd be funny if he did, but no, i think it was just the GTA logo.

    As for the delay, i'm sure i'll cope playing Halo 3 for a couple of weeks while i wait.

  • LOLLERS #21 5 years ago

    the majority will not wait "4 months" after release to buy the two biggest titles of 2007.


    I bet they will if they can't afford it at release and would prefer Halo. If it's good. If it's not then yeah, you've got to rely on the launch marketing...
    Edited by LOLLERS at 04/06/07 @ 11:43

  • SomaticSense #22 5 years ago

    This doesn't make sense to me at all. Ok, it does make sense in a way, but I can't see any substantial benefit in doing so to make it worth all the aggro they'll get from pissed off fans by delaying it two weeks because of another game.

    Two weeks between Halo 3 and GTA4 is plenty enough. Besides, if Rockstar felt the need to delay it purely because of Halo 3 due to financial reasons and to boost sales, then why do we always get the same autumn/winter release rush every year? I doubt developers such as Rockstar will change the sales tactics they've been using for what must be the last 20 years or so, just because of one game.

    Rockstar know their game will sell ridiculous amounts regardless of Halo 3 or not. 2 extra weeks is not going to change anything, as if people want the game, they'll bloody well buy it. All a 2 week delay is going to incite, is not drastically more sales, but a lot of pissed off people, which will actually be a worse business decision.

    Analysts prove they know fuck all about anything, yet again.
    Edited by SomaticSense at 04/06/07 @ 12:32

  • spongebob #23 5 years ago

    Analysts may be good at predicting some other businesses, but so far they've known jack about videogames industry. They're making guesses that any active reader of EG could do. I could go on a record and state that Valve will delay HL2: Episode Two because of Halo 3. Same with any major Fall game release.

    And everyone knows how wrong these analysts have been so far about the next-gen console sales..

    Oh, by the way, GTA and Halo are so different in every sense that neither company should be worried about sales. Surely all hardcore gamers will buy both, while hardcore fans of the series will pick only either. It's not like we're talking about Halo 3 and Crysis or GTA and Saint's Row 2.
    Edited by spongebob at 04/06/07 @ 12:47

  • Steroyd #24 5 years ago

    Because the 360 has a huge margin of sales over the ps3 and is where the bulk of thier sales will come from?

    And?

    Rockstar could just easily concentrate GTAIV more as a PS3 game until the Halo hype "dies" (if ever) on the Xbox 360 because it's a big enough game to be a system seller.

  • kmittal82 #25 5 years ago

    And why exactly is GTA competing with Halo sales ??

  • Drakron #26 5 years ago

    I think they are missing the oblivious too.

    In the US the best time of the year for releasing games is around Thanksgivings, its the start of the Holidays shopping season.

    Delaying 4 months would mean losing a lot of sales, it would idiotic for both Take 2 and MS to skip that season with a AAA title.

  • Moz #27 5 years ago

    I know this is a late post, but something just crossed my mind:

    Why the focus on Halo 3?

    Surely a better point would be that the September release schedule is currently rammed on on the 360 and PS3

    Plus GTAIV is surely a big enough game that if people want it they will buy it, maybe not at launch but during the six month period after launch.

    Not to mention that an October release is entering Christmas territory. So most kids will be getting 2 or 3 games as present and then get another 1 or 2 after christmas with whatever gift vouchers they are given.

    Which mean that any delay is surely because either a) the game just isn't ready or b) they want to make next years financials look better.

    And if it is delayed for that second reason then thats just a smack in the face of the fans who will buy it on launch putting it to the no1 spot in the charts. Which lets face it will happen it's released on the 19th Oct. That 3 weeks after Halo 3 which will have dropped in weekly sales by then.

  • ExplodingClown #28 5 years ago

    Aww, crap. GTA is the only thing that keeps the goddamned chavs indoors when they're skipping school (unless they're breaking into someone's house to nick their PS3 to play it on). Still, maybe in the meantime we'll get a totalitarian government that'll send them all off to Iraq.