Take-Two hesitant to pin down GTA IV release date

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 7th 2007 at 4:25PM }

We wish we had large friendly letters in our font arsenal that said "Don't Panic," but we don't. Gamers (and many publishers) took relief in knowing Grand Theft Auto IV was delayed and not entering this already over-stuffed holiday game release schedule. Although now, Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick is saying that they aren't committing to a release date until they're "utterly convinced" the game is ready.

If Take-Two were Valve or Blizzard we wouldn't even take notice of this, but for the previously fiscally fallible Take-Two to go from a launch window of February to April '08 to this waffling statement makes us raise one eyebrow. Don't get us wrong, we want the game to be "done" before they send it out the door, but GTA IV should have been "done" months ago and this isn't really par for the course with Take-Two. Who knows, maybe things have really changed over there? All we can say is we've lost a launch window and that's enough to make us wonder what's really going on.

Tags: gta4, gtaIV, Take-Two, weird, zelnick

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

ComicShaman @ Nov 7th 2007 4:33PM

I think the delay is being caused by their legal team waterboarding the designers to make sure there are no more "Hot Coffee"-style Easter eggs in the game.

Or who knows, maybe they're adding some? Did the Hot Coffee thing help GTA sales or hurt them?

rv @ Nov 7th 2007 6:09PM

They don't need hot coffee. Besides, if they didn't put hot coffee-type content in there in the first place, it wouldn't magically appear in this game.

Its supposed to come out q2 08, I don't know when their period starts so I don't know what months those are.

NoHitHair @ Nov 7th 2007 4:35PM

"Don't Panic" - good advice. Just always remember to bring a towel with you wherever you go.

FoxHoundADAM @ Nov 7th 2007 4:44PM

It's FONTAINE!!! Quick get in the Bath-a-sphere!

Erick @ Nov 7th 2007 8:01PM

Would you kindly

Adam @ Nov 7th 2007 4:46PM

"many gamers took releif in knowing GTA IV was delayed"
No, they were not, in sea of games, GTA was the everest

grapejoos @ Nov 7th 2007 4:48PM

It is everest, but as someone who still has Bioshock in shrinkwrap (stupid job), I don't mind waiting until the dregs of next year.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Nov 7th 2007 5:40PM

Everest for PS3 owners, I think. 360 and Wii owners have plenty between now and then.

rv @ Nov 7th 2007 6:10PM

I was looking forward to it the most, even more than halo 3, cod4, and mass effect.

samfish @ Nov 7th 2007 4:45PM

GTA IV: September '08 at the earliest, November '08 at the latest. Count on it!

Jonah Falcon @ Nov 7th 2007 4:49PM

When's the last time I heard a company saying they'd release a game "when it's done"?

Oh, right. 3D Realms about Duke Nukem Forever.

Rubang B (BRUSH WITH FAME) @ Nov 7th 2007 5:17PM

That's the current release date of both StarCraft 2 and Spore. But I have this weird feeling that those games might beat Duke Nukem Forever...

Mak @ Nov 7th 2007 4:55PM

I reckon they are waiting for Microsoft to annouce the HD DVD required and HDD required logo programs, before they release the 360 version..

Makes a very expensive GTAIV game.. (unless you havea PS3)

rv @ Nov 7th 2007 6:12PM

I would be surprised (and pissed) if they needed to have the hd-dvd addon. They have said they won't do this, and I'm pretty sure they won't because so many people can't play games. It could just be a multiple disk set is space was such an issue.

clankman @ Nov 7th 2007 5:02PM

It'll probably be out Q3 or Q4 '08.

Teddy @ Nov 7th 2007 5:37PM

They'll probably release GTA IV in October 2008. The previous three GTA games were released in the month of October so let's continue the "tradition". It should be as good as it possibly can get by then.

Let's get my crystal ball out, so in October 2008:

- GTA IV released
- 80-120GB PS3 with PS2 BC at $399 or $349
- At least 7-12 games worth getting
- Blu-ray wins ???

lawlersauce @ Nov 7th 2007 6:49PM

Six Steps to Sony Success

1. Make new PS3 SKU
2. Add 5 cell processors
2. Hire crack addict for PS3 ads
3. Drop price to $349
4. ???
5. Profit!

I love SONY, but I will admit some stuff is crazy
7-12 games worth getting? Eh, more like 5-10 exclusive/better on PS3 games to get. Add like 5-10 fun multiplats on PS3.

mirage @ Nov 7th 2007 8:21PM

I would be very surprised if this game is actually released before the 2008 holiday season. I can't recall any other GTA game coming out in the spring and they really seem to like October since I believe it is near the end of their fiscal year. I am calling it now. GTA IV will be delayed until October 2008!

mirage @ Nov 7th 2007 8:27PM

I agree with you on GTA releasing in October 2008. Sony will not have a $399 PS3 with 80GB's and BC by then. Blu Ray may have won by then, but who cares about that stupid war. Also, 7-12 decent games by then for the PS3 is reasonable given that it will have been out for 2 years at that point.

mirage @ Nov 7th 2007 8:28PM

mirage @ Nov 7th 2007 8:29PM

Ok, I am not crazy. I know I hit reply on the second post, and this time I hit reply to my double post. Let's see what happens!

Geoffrey Sperl @ Nov 7th 2007 9:57PM

I prefer to wait "till its ready".

Look, I'm still making my way through Oblivion (PS3) right now, and with Shivering Isles coming up I know I won't have a lot of time for the next few months.

Then I'm looking at Ratchet & Clank, and hopefully picking up a Wii... yes, I (for one) can wait till Take-Two is ready. As long as we don't get another entry in the GTA Stories line while we're waiting (I never finished Vice City Stories because it was just too lame).

Platinum_Skeet @ Nov 7th 2007 10:03PM

I hope it gets released in the summer...

There's nothing to play in the summer...

Grendel Pr1me @ Nov 8th 2007 1:34AM

I wouldn't expect this to be more then something to do with the financial clusterf**k that was Manhunt 2. Even with the success of Bioshock, Take-Two was on a dangerous precipice, dying of thirst with the vultures circling just waiting for them to hit the dirt.

There's probably some legal rambling we'll see come to fruition in the new year regarding Microsoft or Sony buying certain parts of Take-Two. Maybe not Rockstar, but until those divisions are parlayed about, nothing big is moving off the production line.

I wouldn't say that the game will ship when it's done, but rather it will ship when Take-Two as we know it is done.