Reason for GTAIV delay - Neither console to blame?

[PirateThom]

http://www.rumorreporter.com/?p=308

The Real Reason For The GTAIV Delay

I don’t want to summarize the following letter that an informed source told me about the GTAIV delay. So I will just post it in all its un-cut entirety:

The Author Has Wished To Remain Anonymous:

Here’s the real scoop as to why GTAIV was “delayed”. It was never going to be released this year to begin with. Take 2 is in big financial trouble, and has been for quite some time. Isn’t it obvious this was the case? Come on, man. If either version of the game were actually causing Rockstar that much difficulty, that version of the game would have been delayed so that at least one version could have been released during the holiday season. Citing “difficulties during development” and not elaborating during a shareholder’s conference is the most obvious and painfully transparent deception of all. Take 2 told their shareholders that they’d have GTAIV out in 2007 so that they’d get more money from said shareholders. No investor wants to hear that the big money-maker is coming out in 2008 – especially when it’s obvious that the company is in financial trouble in 2007. The plan was always to release the game in 2008, not 2007. In fact, I would not be surprised if the game actually ships next fall.

If there are any developmental problems, they would stem from the Xbox 360 version of the game. The PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV has been in development longer than the 360 version has been, despite Rockstar showing off the “360” version every chance they get to show off the game. GTA IV’s technological “problems” on 360 stem from a couple of things. Unlike last generation where the PS2 did not have a standard hard drive, Rockstar is utilizing hard drive-caching and disc streaming for GTAIV. Assuming that they can actually fit all the content onto a DVD, the disc-streaming isn’t a problem for 360 – it’s the lack of a hard drive being standard. Microsoft is quite adamant about a game like GTAIV being able to be played by every single 360 owner. It gives them a marketing bulletin point to note that next-gen GTA can be played on a system that retails for $279.

But again, it’s extremely unlikely that the “developmental challenges” are a legit excuse, anyway. It’s a case of over-ambition and not enough time to deliver that game that resulted in a premature release date. A premature release date to help take a bit of the pressure off of Take 2 to perform, financially.

[vrrroom]

reality:

The Real Reason For The GTAIV Delay

The game sucked ass on both platforms.

ooooh this must be right. An annonymous letter sent to a rumor website. This ties it all up.

[Shpeshal Ed]

Core is the reason. I stand by that.

[PirateThom]

Originally Posted by vrrroom

reality:

Well, obviously.

Originally Posted by Molish

ooooh this must be right. An annonymous letter sent to a rumor website. This ties it all up.

I never said it did, it's just another theory.

[downphoenix]

Take 2 could go under and this game will still come out.

GTA is too big of a name for anybody to ignore. 2K or EA or somebody like that would snap it up the DAY that Take 2 declares Bankruptcy. Or maybe even Sony or Microsoft might write out a big check to "secure the developer".

One thing that confuses me is how could Take 2 be having bad financial difficulties with a game like GTA? Is every other game in their lineup costing more than its making or something?

[Descendency]

While his logic may sound "sound," you'd have to be an idiot to believe it.

Regardless of all the other factors, if I were an investor, I'd start looking for something else if they didn't have a REALLY good reason for "delaying."

[E6600]

Does it really matter? You might as well play GTAIII it's the same lame game rehashed endlessly.

[PirateThom]

Originally Posted by E6600

Does it really matter? You might as well play GTAIII it's the same lame game rehashed endlessly.

Play Vice City, at least that way you can pretend it's a good Scarface game.

[E6600]

Originally Posted by PirateThom

Play Vice City, at least that way you can pretend it's a good Scarface game.

After playing GTAIII, I found Vice City and San Andreas to be lame rehashes, nothing makes it worth playing, all what could of been done has been done in III.