On Thursday gamers everywhere weeped as news broke that the latest installment of Grand Theft Auto will have to be delayed until next year. The chance to play one of the most anticipated game of the year will have to wait due to what are essentially unexpected technical issues with getting the game ready for it’s simultaneous release on the X-Box 360 and Playstation 3. Take-Two Interactive said the game is now expected to come out sometime after February 1st.
In some ways this isn’t a bad thing, as while sales for the game no doubt would’ve been strong just based off it’s name alone, it was still coming out in the middle of a busy 2007 holiday release schedule that included Microsoft juggernaut Halo 3. The hype will be even greater after February, and gamers will have an easier time opening their wallets for a purchase.
The real issue comes from all the other hits Take-Two Interactive is taking on other fronts. Stocks are down. In March investors ousted five of six investors up for reelection including their Chief Executive. Zuffa LLC, the folks who own the UFC, filed a lawsuit against the company back in May because they continued to promote the game UFC: Sudden Impact for the Playstation 2 after the 180-day sell-off-period. Legal battles do cost money, especially when you’re also having to deal with district attorney subpoenas from the Hot Coffee debocal. Manhunt 2 has shown that the insanity over violent video games isn’t limited only to the United States, as various European countries have refused to grant certification to allow the title to be released. An additional Adult Only rating in the US has caused the game to be delayed. Did I mention the United States Securities and Exchange Commission is now investigating the company?
Needless to say, clients and shareholders are not happy. Of course, once GTAIV does come out you can expect more backlash simply because it’s GTAIV and violent video games will cause the end of the world and quite possibly the universe far more quickly and decisively than any bloody war or nuclear weapon.
One companies woes are another’s joy however. Microsoft, Activision, THQ Interactive and Electronic Arts have all seen their shares go up in light of this news. With a big piece of competition for gamer’s dollars gone, the season just got a little merrier for companies a little further down the radar.
Take-Two’s shares? Down 20% in the past two weeks. Almost $3.00 in after-hours trading Thursday.
Some of the most interesting news coming out of this is that the game was probably delayed thanks to the difficulty in building a game of Grand Theft Auto IV’s magnitude for the Playstation 3. This in turn would cause the delay of the X-Box version due to contractual commitments to Sony that the X-Box 360 version will not be released before the PS3.
Personally, with so many games coming out and my own extended backlog of titles to play I have no problem with a delay. Besides, the extended wait period will give the developers more time to squash any extra bugs like the one that caused me to run around as fat CJ throughout most of GTA San Andreas because I couldn’t work out in the gyms.
