[22psi]

http://www.gta4.net/news/index.php
http://ir.take2games.com/ReleaseDeta...leaseID=258238

Take-Two is reducing its fiscal 2007 guidance primarily to reflect the movement of the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV for the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2007 to fiscal 2008, due to additional development time required to complete the title. The title is now planned for release in the Company’s second quarter of fiscal 2008.

for gamers

for wallets

[Subtlesnake]

There goes the perfect storm.

[22psi]

Originally Posted by Subtlesnake

There goes the perfect storm.

True but it impacts not just 360 owners

[SugarCoat]

thats one hell of a delay.

especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms.

Slap on your tinfoil hats for a moment but i personally think wanted a huge check from Microsoft for an exclusivity window which would give them the excuse that the PS3 version would come later, which is what i'd bet is holding up the launch now. Microsoft didnt bite so now this is the result. I just dont buy any other explanation when we're this close to what was the estimated launch date, and after they released what was included in the collectors edition and all that PR. Not to mention the 1 gameplay video a month thing until release! Obviously they were planning to release something, then magically they tack on another 6+ months of dev time. Sorry i just dont see it.

[Todd33]

So when are we talking now, March-May 08?

Can't say I really care, there are too many holiday releases which doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather have good game coming out all year long.

[ErnstH]

I guess Microsoft's 2008 line-up just became a lot better.

[22psi]

Pretty sure this would mean a delay for the exclusive content for the 360 as well to summer and fall of 08, possibly 09

[Rangers]

Originally Posted by Todd33

So when are we talking now, March-May 08?

Can't say I really care, there are too many holiday releases which doesn't make sense to me. I'd rather have good game coming out all year long.

I said this on another forum but I dont expect it until Nov 08.

Why release such a monster game in spring, I think it may hurt sales, and besides I'm sure they can use the extra development time as usual.

[Rangers]

Originally Posted by SugarCoat

thats one hell of a delay.



Slap on your tinfoil hats for a moment but i personally think wanted a huge check from Microsoft for an exclusivity window which would give them the excuse that the PS3 version would come later, which is what i'd bet is holding up the launch now. Microsoft didnt bite so now this is the result. I just dont buy any other explanation when we're this close to what was the estimated launch date, and after they released what was included in the collectors edition and all that PR. Not to mention the 1 gameplay video a month thing until release! Obviously they were planning to release something.

Personally I think the game is just unfinished, though I'm sure the PS3 is behind the 360 version, I dont think either is ready.

[Arwin]

Surprising! Not strange though if you think of it. They could have made a lot of money even with a rough product, but they also realise that it could damage them beyond repair. And it's not their style. Like for the PSP, where they went far above and beyond what other devs were doing for the platform at the time, both in scope and budget.

However, you know what I find most exciting about the official press release?! This little comment right here:

The top engineers from Sony and Microsoft are working closely with the team in Edinburgh right now, helping us to fully leverage the power of both platforms.

Now THAT is exciting! :P

[SugarCoat]

Originally Posted by Rangers

Personally I think the game is just unfinished, though I'm sure the PS3 is behind the 360 version, I dont think either is ready.

they were prepping for a launch, i seriously doubt they didnt know where they were at until now. Adding on 6 months or more of time to development isnt exactly a small amount.

with the amount of problems Take 2 has been having for the last year i seriously think that if they thought they could weasel a hefty exclusivity contract they'd absolutly attempt it.

[bobthebub]

Originally Posted by Arwin

However, you know what I find most exciting about the official press release?! This little comment right here:

Now THAT is exciting! :P

Oh dear, Edinburgh festival is about to start - add 3 weeks to the projected finish date!

[scooby_dooby]

For fawk sakes.

I'm getting REALLY sick of next gen delays. Every game seems to get delayed, it's become a trend on 95% of titles and it's just annoying as hell.

[infinity4]

good for me as i am looking to buy a system when i become undergraduate

and if it is for boost in gameplay quality of the game, then it is very justifiable. but it seems it is due to technical reasons.

does this mean downloadable content is delayed?

[DJ12]

Hands up who didn't see this one coming.

I knew it was going to be delayed when they announced to the day when they were going to release it

[Tap In]

good... release the game when it's done... of course there's no way they would have delayed one version and released another so they may be playing catch up. also it was mentioned elsewhere that they today also said that they would prefer that 2008 will have a higher number of installed consoles as well for launch.

Not to mention, by then, 360 should be in full on price drop mode ... maybe even $229/$299/$399?

[expletive]

Tough to say who this benefits.

On one hand, MS now has an extremely solid holiday lineup, littered with exclusive titles, most AAA but can't play the "Halo 3 and GTA4: only on 360" card this holiday season. However they can play it next year. Also, apparently the first excuslive episodes will still be ready by the time of release (or thereabouts) so the 360 version will be superior almost immediately, rather than 6 months later (all else being equal of course). Those who are going to buy a PS3 anyway, now have one less reason to buy one this year, and may now wait for further price relief or switch to 360.

Ont he other, Sony now has a perfect storm of their own next year with the release of MGS and GTA4 and can play their own version of "MGS and GTA: only on PS3" 2Q of next year. They may be able to have another relevant price drop before then so the disparity of between the cost for entry for GTA on both platforms might not be as large as it would have this year.

Personally i do think its a bit worse for PS3 since they just need to start stockpiling some reasons for the Sony faithful to jump on board. Going into this holiday without GTA, even multiplatform, hurts them because it keeps existing PS2 owners on the sidelines. Without this, there isnt a lot of familiar content to bring those existing owners over.

[sevanig]

That sucks, I dunno if it has anything to do with getting the game to run on the hdd'less 360 Core version, but it still sucks...

Also now it will go against MGS4 for sales, poor MGS4...
Last time when MGS3 went against GTA they didn't sell so well
sevanig is online now Report Post

[Fu3lFr3nzy]

I just woke up to this news, and I was like "wtf?!?! "

Yeah, quite a bummer, though luckily ALOT of great titles are coming out this year to fill the void till GTAIV arrives

Good thing Peter Moore aint a MS employee anymore eh? *points to his E3 comment*

[RobertR1]

No worries to me. More time for Mass Effect, CoD4 and maybe Assassin's Creed (if it's any good).

[Rangers]

Originally Posted by sevanig

That sucks, I dunno if it has anything to do with getting the game to run on the hdd'less 360 Core version, but it still sucks...

Also now it will go against MGS4 for sales, poor MGS4...
Last time when MGS3 went against GTA they didn't sell so well
sevanig is online now Report Post

Every time they've shown it it's been running on 360 not PS3. Which means 360 version was further along/running better.

[Xenus]

Yeah but do to the delay Microsoft might lose that advantage. Letting the PS3 version catch up and be launched at roughly the same time.

[rabidrabbit]

I think the delay is only good for both Sony and Microsoft.

Microsoft needs to get rid of the "red ring of death" issue and clean up xbox360's image. This will take more than the months leading into GTA4 release and Xmas sales. Had the GTA4 been released this fall, when the unreliability issues might be hurting sales considerably, releasing a game that's expected to be a system seller might not have had the desired impact.

Sony has the image of an expensive console to get rid of.

Bot have a very strong line-up of games for this fall and Christmas season.
They both already have almost too many great games and big names, especially new franchises they hope to become "the next GTA", to be released. GTA4 would only hurt their sales and vice versa.

I believe it was a marketing reason as much as technical reasons the game was delayed. Maybe even more so.

So, the delay was not good only for Sony and MS, but for the whole industry.

[xmu]

Originally Posted by DJ12

Hands up who didn't see this one coming.

I knew it was going to be delayed when they announced to the day when they were going to release it

All GTA3-derivatives were delayed by two weeks.. every single one of them I think. This time they just upped the ante

[-tkf-]

Very good news, i think the trailers exposed a game that had to many framerate issues.

And i guess Sony must be jumping up and down with joy, i know a few people that have GTA4 as their first Console purchase in this generation. The PS3 price would have turned many of them towards the XBOX 360. If Sony can manage to reduce the price on the PS3 before GTA4 it will really help them.

But as someone mentioned, Spring release really takes the hot air out of this as a system seller.