Take-Two reconfirms GTA date

By Tom Bramwell Published 12 June, 2007

Promises new trailer this month.

Take-Two has reconfirmed Grand Theft Auto IV's release date, while GTA-publishing subsidiary Rockstar has promised that a new trailer - called "Looking for that special someone" - will hit the Internet on 28th June.

The company was speaking in the aftermath of its second-quarter financial report, which you can read about on our sister-site, GamesIndustry.biz. Executives, responding to questions about GTA IV, said that it was still on track for 16th October in the US (19th October in Europe), and that the promised special edition would arrive on time as well.

CEO Ben Feder also said that "the release of Grand Theft Auto IV is going to have a material beneficial impact on the sales of PS3," according to comments recorded by GameSpot.

Take-Two's re-assertion of GTA IV's date will be seen by some as a reply to analyst Michael Pachter, of Wedbush Morgan, who recently speculated on the possibility of a delay. "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 said earlier this month.

Any delay would also further distance the game from Microsoft's Halo 3, which - while not in direct competition - is certain to be high on most Xbox 360 owners' agenda when it launches, less than a month before Take-Two's GTA date, on 26th September.

Elsewhere, Rockstar representatives told members of the US press yesterday that a new trailer will arrive on 28th June - something reflected by a new splash screen on the game's booming official website.

You can watch the original trailer ("Things will be different") on Eurogamer TV, and check out screenshots of the game in our Grand Theft Auto IV gallery for both PS3 and Xbox 360.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • mkreku #1 5 years ago

    Oohh.. looking forward to the new trailer! Last one was awesome.

  • Ryze #2 5 years ago

    Hmmm - just fix the save system and the targeting system, Rockstar...

  • captainrentboy #3 5 years ago

    And surely the hand to hand combat system too?
    Mehhh, I seem to be the only one in my workplace who doesn't really care for GTA games, I'm not overly excited about this new one either, it's just same old same old but looking a lot prettier :/
    Then again I suppose that can be said of most sequels.
    I think the whole gangster/sandbox thang is a bit overdone now, with Crackdown being one of the only original stand outs for me.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #4 5 years ago

    I reckon GTA IV will be good, but I do agree to some extent with the captain. I'd have much rather they'd expanded from their Liberty City origins, gone elsewhere with the story. It'll definitely be the best GTA, and I'll probably get it eventually, but I do think there are more exciting things on offer this year (Halo, Half-Life, Mass Effect, etc)

  • Peew971 #5 5 years ago

    "the release of Grand Theft Auto IV is going to have a material beneficial impact on the sales of PS3"

    Nothing obvious there... If you just want to play GTA IV, you could as well buy the cheapest console offering it, specially with no time exclusive.

  • MGG #6 5 years ago

    Umm Half Life is exciting? A 3 year old sequel to a 9 year old game? A great game, dont get me wrong, but it was last exciting when it came out on PC, surely!

  • rudedudejude #7 5 years ago

    PC Release?

    We all know it looks and plays better on pc.

  • The-Bodybuilder #8 5 years ago

    For such a high-profiled game coming out in a few months away, we know so little of it.

  • spongebob #9 5 years ago

    See, analysts know jack.

  • SBfistfun #10 5 years ago

    "For such a high-profiled game coming out in a few months away, we know so little of it."

    W00t get ready for the bug filled rolling re-sub mess this will be when it gets kicked out the door

    Patches ahoay.

  • smoison #11 5 years ago

    I would really love the PC release date too.

    Without an HDTV, There's little point in PS3 or Xbox360 for me.

  • skuzzbag #12 5 years ago

    Hoorah - Four posts is all it took for someone who didn't like GTA to feel that people who did like GTA would appreciate reading his input.

    You were wrong however!
    Edited by skuzzbag at 12/06/07 @ 12:20

  • mysteryfaceuk #13 5 years ago

    I don't think there's any reason why a PC version should look better this time. It had the advantage before because there were no HD consoles but a PS3 running at 1080p on a 40-inch screen would look significantly better than most people could achieve on a PC. I also do think GTA4 will increase PS3 sales more than it will 360 sales. GTA is synoymous with the PlayStation more than it is with any other platform and I expect a lot of people are holding off from buying a new console until it is released. Plus, there is potential for the PS3 version to be superior as Rockstar can make use of the hard drive as standard.

  • The-Bodybuilder #14 5 years ago

    >"Patches ahoay."

    This is what I'm afraid of (although admittedly, I'm not even a huge GTA fan).

    @ mysteryface.

    Do not underestimate the masses. If they walk into thier local GAME shop, and see large copies of GTA4 on both consoles, even they aren't stupid enough to say, "oh. I can get this game for £40 plux a £280 console. But, even with my poor cashflow, I'm gonna buy a a £425 console and the game for £40, just for me to play this one game."
    Besides, the HDD won't make a difference. It just means those with the HDD will have the advantage of caching (like the ps3), and those without will do without (but will have a console for a cheaper price).

  • IAmBatman #15 5 years ago

    > For such a high-profiled game coming out in a few months
    > away, we know so little of it.

    That's how Rockstar plays their publicity.

  • hjarg #16 5 years ago

    Plus, there is one more thing that describes Rockstar games thus far: there has been no need for patches. Well, for as long as i remember, at least. One thing for sure: we didn't have GTA3.20021.1222 versions around.

  • Peew971 #17 5 years ago

    @mysteryface: See Bodybuilder's post.
    Totally agree

  • mysteryfaceuk #18 5 years ago

    Although I agree that the price difference is an important point to consider, the PlayStation brand has more mainstream appeal than the Xbox ever will. The vast bulk of people who currently have a last-gen console have yet to commit to one of the new consoles and I think it's logical for people who have a PS2 to upgrade to a PS3 so, yes, I stand by my comment that GTA4 will have a larger impact on PS3 sales than it will for the 360.

  • SomaticSense #19 5 years ago

    @MGG

    "Umm Half Life is exciting? A 3 year old sequel to a 9 year old game? A great game, dont get me wrong, but it was last exciting when it came out on PC, surely! "

    For those of us whose PC isn't good enough to run HL2 at all, let alone in full glory, thus leaving us with just the Xbox version. It most certainly is a big deal.
    Granted, I'm looking forward to GTAIV and Mass Effect more, but the bargaintastic HL2 package is defintely an easy third on my personal wanted list for all the top quality 360 releases due for the rest of the year.

    Gameplay-wise and for the whole epic experience, HL2 was immense on the Xbox. Only shame is that it ran like absolute crap. The experience of HL2 in high-res and updated graphics, with another estimated 12 odd hours of the campaign (including the as yet unreleased on the PC, Episode 2), AND Portal and Team Fortress? Defintely a huge release this year for me, and many other people.

  • Monkey-Wizard-Ken #20 5 years ago

    "The release of Grand Theft Auto IV is going to have a material beneficial impact on the sales of PS3,"
    you think?, mmmm shall I buy a PS3 or a 360?
    I doubt the 'mainstream' will spend £400 on a console; The 360 is still too expensive for an impulse purchase.
    Edited by Monkey-Wizard-Ken at 13/06/07 @ 01:21