GTA IV date up in the air

By Robert Purchese Published 7 November, 2007

Christmas not crucial, says T2.

Take Two has refused to narrow down a release period for Grand Theft Auto IV and will stay quiet until it is "utterly convinced" the game is ready, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

Most recently the publisher said it would be out between February and April next year, following news it had slipped from its expected October 2007 launch.

"It's a fair question given that we weren't able to stick to our firm date the last time. We're going to give a firm date when we are utterly convinced that we have it and that isn't right now," said Take Two chairman Strauss Zelnick during a BMO Capital Markets conference yesterday.

"We know it's highly anticipated. Right now our view is to put out a high quality title and we're not in the business of disappointing investors," he continued, obscuring copies of Manhunt 2.

Zelnick went on to reassure share-holders that missing Christmas was not a problem, and believed releasing to larger installed bases next year with its "must-have" title would alleviate concerns.

"I think there was a concern initially when we slipped that we missed the boat in terms of Christmas but I think that concern has been alleviated," said Zelnick.

"I think most people see it as okay - hardware penetration is going to grow over Christmas and because this is a must-have title it's probably okay that we're not selling it in the Christmas season."

Zelnick also said that the exclusive downloadable content for Gran Theft Auto IV would not play a very significant role in generating revenue for the company in 2008, but it was a business model the publisher is keen to pursue in the future.

"It actually isn't really significant in terms of its contribution in 2008," he offered.

"It's something we ought to be doing and my guess is that's where the industry is going. If you believe over time that packaged goods will be supplemented very much with online downloadable content, and you believe as I do that the future of playing interactive entertainment is networked multiplayer, then there's every reason to believe that downloadable content makes all kinds of sense.

"And eventually if you have a packaged good and you sell upgrades it's a pretty terrific business model for everyone. I think it could be really interesting, but to be clear, it's not in our plans and we're not relying on it for our success," he concluded.

Faced with a room full of hostile fiction, GamesIndustry.biz would apply years of rigorous factual training to defeat its opponents.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (39) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • kangarootoo #1 5 years ago

    "Christmas not crucial"

    Translation - "Christmas not achieveable".

    Insert your own aesop's fable link here.

  • ChrisOTR #2 5 years ago

    As long as it's good, all will be forgiven.

  • Saladin #3 5 years ago

    Christmas isn't crucial if you're sure that pretty much every gamer out there's going to buy your product, regardless of what time of year it is. GTA's too big not to earn millions in sales.

  • mkreku #4 5 years ago

    "...we're not in the business of disappointing investors," he continued, obscuring copies of Manhunt 2.

    Haha :D

  • Velios #5 5 years ago

    GAY

  • jellyhead #6 5 years ago

    "and you believe as I do that the future of playing interactive entertainment is networked multiplayer" - oh Crap. ;_;

    Do not want.

  • themerlin13 #7 5 years ago

    In other words the PS3 is a bitch to program for and 360 owners will have to wait even though that version is finshed!

  • Machetazo #8 5 years ago

    "Zelnick went on to reassure share-holders that missing Christmas was not a problem, and believed releasing to larger installed bases next year with its "must-have" title would alleviate concerns."

    Sorry, who said GTA IV was a must-have. If it is PROVE IT! After all, wasn't Halo 3 supposed to be one of those, too?
    Edited by Machetazo at 07/11/07 @ 12:17

  • Steroyd #9 5 years ago

    In other words the PS3 is a bitch to program for and 360 owners will have to wait even though that version is finshed!

    I read it as oh shit I can't fit this game on a DVD disc!!11!!1!

  • X201 #10 5 years ago

    Actually I believe what he said about quality.
    How many patches have there been for the GTA series as a whole? Very few.
    VC had only one and SA had the Hot Coffee one forced upon it.
    I'm sure that the devs take it as a matter of pride that they don't need to patch games as much as other companies do.

  • Darren #11 5 years ago

    I think it's great that Take 2 are keeping quiet about GTA IV's release date as I'd sooner have a great finished game than a less impressive buggy one. I'm sure everyone else feels the same way.

  • Velios #12 5 years ago

    I bet Rockstar are regretting their decision to commit to Sony now.

    They most likely could have had their game out THIS Christmas and be well on the way to making other new games for the future.

    Instead what we have is a situation where the credibility of Sony & Rockstar have suffered and public expectations for this game (when it finally arrives) will be SO great that it may well leave a few disappointed.

    I'm sure GTA4 will be a great game, but honestly this is just one monumental f**kup

  • cyacomini #13 5 years ago

    For me, GTA lost it's 'must have' title as soon as Crackdown appeared on shelves and made a complete show of GTA.

  • jellyhead #14 5 years ago

    Yeah, unless GTA has taken stock of games like Crackdown and Just Cause then i know of a few people who are GTA hardcore who won't be rushing to purchase this time round.

  • Artemus #15 5 years ago

    October... 2008

  • jonsaan #16 5 years ago

    Next Christmas. Believe.

  • El_MUERkO #17 5 years ago

    "Faced with a room full of hostile fiction, GamesIndustry.biz would apply years of rigorous factual training to defeat its opponents"

    ninjas?

  • sd99 #18 5 years ago

    Steroyd: "I read it as oh shit I can't fit this game on a DVD disc!!11!!1!"

    PC gamers don't seem to have a problem with DVDs. Neither did Orange Box, and that contained FIVE games...

    Bleeding fanboys :)

  • the_dudefather #19 5 years ago

    bet it will come out the 6th of September 2008

    6/9 geddit? lololololol

  • brooza #20 5 years ago

    I had a horrible feeling that this was EG only just reporting that GTAIV isn't coming out for christmas this year

  • Stu #21 5 years ago

    "Gran Theft Auto"

    Now that sounds like a game!

  • skillian #22 5 years ago

    You are crazy if you think GTA has lost it's must-have status.

  • Darren #23 5 years ago

    @cyacomini - "For me, GTA lost it's 'must have' title as soon as Crackdown appeared on shelves and made a complete show of GTA."

    Crackdown was good but I don't think it came close to matching the quality of gameplay in GTA: Vice City for example. One of the reasons is that it lacked focus with no storyline and a distinct lack of variety in the missions. You could see pretty much everything the game had to offer within a few hours of playing it and all that was left was the thrill of levelling up so you can leap higer, throw grenades further, etc. and taking out the other "bosses", all of which lacked personality. In fact, the game as a whole lacked personality in my opinion, it was a copy-cat clone stripped down to bare-bones gameplay with only the levelling up being its stand-out feature.

  • peteb #24 5 years ago

    Christmas next year, guaranteed.

  • inomine #25 5 years ago

    It's really nice that they don't want to disappoint investors. Consumers, who cares about disappointing them, right?

  • sharpfish #26 5 years ago

    Don't care anymore - i'll wait for a possible future PC version. Having played crysis I can't see myself getting excited about the 360 version of 'sandbox' environments, but on the PC it should be sweet with 'teh eye candiez pumped up'.
    ;)

    Don't get me wrong, loved VICE CITY (PC) but my PC and Higher res widescreen monitor is now taking over again from my breif fling with the 360 (which I do still like but the RROD stuff has really taken the shine off it for me, mine's still not working properly).

    Edited by sharpfish at 07/11/07 @ 14:11

  • Weezer #27 5 years ago

    If Gears of War, BioShock, Project Gotham, Stranglehold, Mass Effect et al fit on a single DVD, then I don't see it as much of an issue.

    Just turn the compression up a bit. Easy!

    /ducks

  • RamblinSydRumpo #28 5 years ago

    I thought Mass Effect was 4 dvds?

  • moggsy #29 5 years ago

    @Darren

    In fact, the game as a whole lacked personality in my opinion, it was a copy-cat clone stripped down to bare-bones gameplay with only the levelling up being its stand-out feature.

    WTF?!

  • Quine #30 5 years ago

    I get the horrible feeling that this game will be an absolute dog. A sloppy next-gen port coasting off previous successes and milking the franchise.

    God I hope I'm wrong...

  • moggsy #31 5 years ago

    @Quine

    You're cheerful.

  • rafaleon #32 5 years ago

    RamblinSydRumpo-->You're idiot :D

  • SomaticSense #33 5 years ago

    Apparently not even the 360 version was anywhere near ready for release, judging by what many people saw. Even the trailers were jerky and looked unoptimised. So people can get off their high horses and stop complaining about it being out if it weren't for the PS3, because probably wouldn't have anyway.

    No doubt the PS3 version was/is having problems though, as all of the PR stuff for GTA4 was from the 360 version.

  • Darren #34 5 years ago

    @Moggsy - Can't you read or something? I explained exactly what I meant... IMO Crackdown is GTA stripped of an interesting storyline and characters and lacking in mission variety. The city lacks any sense of "reality", the pedestrians are mindless drones - the whole thing feels completely artificial and lacking in atmosphere. Unlike GTA, you'll have seen everything this game has to offer within a couple of hours. Good but not great is my take on it.

  • kendoguk #35 5 years ago

    a sloppy next gen port of wat exactly? and since when was mass effect 4 discs to that guy who said?

  • brainbird #36 5 years ago

    He said "hardware penetration".

  • cyacomini #37 5 years ago

    @Darren

    I disagree completely with your Crackdown comments.

  • kissthestick #38 5 years ago

    Q4 2008 it is!

  • RamblinSydRumpo #39 5 years ago

    rafaleon - get a life you muppet, I put that comment in to wind up the 360 fanboys ;)