GTA IV delayed into 2008

[pastapadre]

This is pretty big news. It wasn't one of my most anticipated games coming up but I know it was for a lot of people.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/rockstar-games/grand-theft-auto-iv-delayed-to-2008-285475.php

Grab your Christmas wishlists and your giant red Sharpie, as Take-Two Interactive has revealed that Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 has been delayed until April 2008 at the earliest. The game was originally scheduled to ship in the middle of October, but "due to additional development time required to complete the title" the game has been pushed back.

http://kotaku.com/gaming/take_two-interactive/take+two-execs-explain-gta-iv-delay-285526.php

In a conference call with investors earlier today, Take-Two execs Strauss Zelnick and Ben Feder explained the company's decision to delay Grand Theft Auto IV for the PLAYSTATION 3 and Xbox 360. Zelnick chalked up the Q2 2008 push back to "almost strictly technological problems... not problems, but challenges." They said they were "highly confident" that the game will ship within its new release window.

[Always#1]

I really wanted to play this game this year.

[CR Knight]

if the game turns out great, then I don't mind waiting a little longer.:p

[Young Gun]

This give me more time with my sports games so I have no problem with the delay. It seemed like it wouldn't be ready in time anyway.

[DNEUM]

At first I was kinda bummed out, but after I thought about it, it almost works out better. There are already a ton of good games coming out from now til the end of the year, so this will let me give more time to those games and also will likely come at a perfect time next year when Madden will start to die down and I won't be playing the other games as much.

[BME]

For those with 360 ...

Fans looking to own the "complete" Grand Theft Auto IV experience will also have to own an Xbox 360. So says Rockstar Games spokesman Hosi Simon anyway, in a short interview posted over at Games Radar that has the entire Internet talking.
Upon being asked whether there were any discernible advantages for PS3 owners that could compare to the Xbox 360 downloadable content, Simon replied "not that I can think of."

"They're identical games. We're not hardware makers, and we're not like a pawn between these companies, we try not to be as much as we can. We make great games for people to enjoy on whichever system they want. But I guess if you want the complete experience with the episodes, then yeah, you should buy the 360, I suppose."

The battle for GTA IV is, of course, an extremely important battlefront in the larger struggle between Sony and Microsoft to establish next-gen gaming mindshare. Both sides' camps posses unique advantages and disadvantages, with the Xbox 360 having come under fire in the past for the difficulties associated in getting GTA IV to perform adequately on the Core pack.

That being said, soundbytes like the ones from Simon above are exactly the reason Microsoft was prepared to drop/invest $50 million to secure that downloadable content exclusivity.

Assuming both 'core' games perform comparably well on both platforms, the worm of GTA IV could quite easily turn on something as seemingly minor as this. If Phil Harrisson truly knows something we don't then he might want to think about making that info public sooner, rather than later.

Source: 1UP.com

[Charger]

Im glad they delayed it San Andreas upset me.

[Vertebrae]

This is wonderful news. Indirect, wonderful news. It'll make the game that much better.

[Toreno]

I really don't care because I don't have to save money up for it right now.

So I'll have money saved up for Halo 3, Left 4 Dead and Madden 08.

[liljwhizzle]

I seen this one coming. I'm with everyone else about not being bummed out, and it actually working out better.

[J.Hen]

Im not bummed out cause now I get to play AC and Halo more.

[giantgator09]

Ugh. This and halo are the only reasons im still considering getting a 360(football games dont seem economically worth purchasing anymore imho).

The price drop is a plus too.