PlayStation 3 responsible for GTA IV delay, surmises Pachter
With Take-Two remaining tight-lipped about what's really behind the Grand Theft Auto IV delay – they're going with the vague "almost strictly technological challenges" defense – it's up to the pundits, analysts, bloggers, and anonymous tipsters to give us the skinny on what's really going down. First up to bat is video game analyst extraordinaire, Michael Pachter who told our pals at GameDaily BIZ, "We think it is likely that the Rockstar team had difficulty in building an exceptionally complicated game for the PS3, and failed to recognize how far away from completion the game truly was until recently." Of course, he means really recently, since Take-Two did just reaffirm their plans to ship the game in October as recently as E3 (yeah, the one last month).We know what you're thinking: Why not release the game for Xbox 360 in ought seven, and ship the PS3 release whenever it's ready (everyone else seems to be taking this course of action)? Pachter further surmises "that Take-Two had a contractual commitment to Sony that it would not favor competitor Microsoft by launching the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV prior to launching the PS3 version," calling it "the only plausible explanation." Guess he doesn't think much of our theory that the targeting was too accurate and intuitive and needed to be retooled.
[Update: Newsweek's N'Gai Croal takes a slightly different approach than Mr. Pachter, surmising, "We believe that Rockstar is having difficulty with both versions of the game, not just the PS3." In other words, no deals enforcing a consistent launch date across platforms, just difficulty in getting it ready on either. "It wouldn't surprise us if Rockstar and Take-Two had already all-but-delayed the PS3 version to triage the Xbox 360 version for this holiday, only to have their hands forced when, at yesterday's product review, it became clear to both sides that even the 360 version could not be completed this year to Rockstar's exacting standards."]











Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
DUG E. FRESH @ Aug 3rd 2007 12:59PM
LOL
So Fanboys what do you have to say NOW?
required @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:02PM
"the only plausible explanation???" how about the dog ate my homework!!!!!
Word Up, North Korea! @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:03PM
It's just some analyst's guess...these guys just make shit up to sound smart
marcandrer @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:05PM
this guy was saying GTA didnt want to compete against Halo3 a couple hours ago and now he blames the PS3..
I hereby declare myself Analyst and say "We think it's the 360 fault."
Steve Wells @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:41PM
Godammit, stop reporting on this Pacther guy - all he does is guess. He doesn't know a damned thing for sure about anything.
SuMtOnE @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:00PM
uMmm k?
Shagittarius @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:01PM
I think its a conspiracy of the man trying to keep the PS3 down!
whosmav @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:27PM
Don't need a conspiracy. Sony does a great job of that all on their own. ;)
http://www.gamernewz.net
Raikage @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:02PM
Oh ouch... That sucks for GTA fans on both sides. Sorry guys:(
I guess you can save some money this holiday season eh?
Antec @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:03PM
Didn't rockstar state a few weeks ago that they were having problems with the 360 version due to storage space? I call bullshit on Pachter.
Anonim @ Aug 3rd 2007 8:23PM
I call bulshit on you for not reading with understanding....
http://www.gamepro.com/news.cfm?article_id=111775
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:02PM
So whats Hard Gay going to say about the 360 now?
copa @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:32PM
Oh, let me guess, let me guess!
"Oohhhhhhhhhh-kkkkkayyyyy!
360 has lame DVD-9! It cripples the game, fffffooooooooooooo!"
d-pad @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:39PM
Probably something like this:
Saysaysay...PS3 may be delayed but we don't have a red ring!
Not enough space....ooohhhhkkkaaayyyy...
Hiroken @ Aug 3rd 2007 3:15PM
"Saysaysay...everyone should just do their best! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
~
Digi Smalls @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:03PM
heh, posting this is proof joystiq's business model is one word: FANBOYZ!!!!
.
Hard Gay @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:09PM
It does indeed.
Hypocrites they are.
ExMcloud @ Aug 3rd 2007 2:37PM
They never said they were having problems they said the disc creates Limitations
DSR7997 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:03PM
I think that the title is misleading. I own all of the systems and I prefer the 360 however; this title should read "Rockstar is responsible for the GTA IV Delay". The truth is that Rockstar failed to recognize the problems that their teams were having and address the issues sooner or give a more optimistic release date.
And don't even get me started on the whole "analyst said" thing.
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:05PM
Dirty South Rydaz?
you from Texas?
Hard Gay @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:06PM
I think instead of taking anything that Patcher says seriously....I will post what N'gai Croal said.
N'Gai has actual reason and logic in his response...Patcher? Yeah, right, when has he been right on anything?
http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/archive/2007/08/02/speculation-on-the-factors-behind-gta-iv-delay.aspx
Surreal @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:07PM
Take-Two almost acknoledged this was indeed the reason of the delay to Gamespot yesterday:
"Certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms," said Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick in a statement.
cc123 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:11PM
In your opinion which part of the statement you quoted acknowledges that the PS3 was the cause for the delay?
Alex S. @ Aug 3rd 2007 2:36PM
The part where exactly no in-engine footage has been shown on a Playstation 3.
cc123 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:19PM
Alex, and the in engine previews that have recently been posted about the game all said it was running like crap on the 360, so whats your point?
And if your going to butt in at least talk about what was brought up...
john @ Aug 3rd 2007 2:22PM
Why would they show off the crappier version?
cwolf267 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:08PM
This coming from Michael Pachter, who talks out of his ass 99% of the time?
The guy who was 100% sure the Xbox 360 price drop was going to be announced at E3?
He's completely out of touch with videogames, his predictions consist of writing 4 predictions on an origami fortune teller, and asking his mother to pick a number between 1 and 10.
Hard Gay @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:13PM
I think he uses a Monkey. He puts different explanations in front of the monkey in the form of blocks. Whatever the monkey picks...is the reason.
The same thing Dubya does when he makes his decisions.
He's a decider.
DSR7997 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:07PM
It freaks me out that you know that.
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:08PM
Well I'm from Texas too.
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:09PM
Well I live in Texas, born in Mexico.
DSR7997 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:11PM
I was born and raised and still live in Houston.
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:11PM
Hey... I live in Texas and born in Mexico =)
Im from Nuevo Laredo, and live in Laredo, Tx?
Where are you from?
3cubed minus 3squared plus1 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:13PM
I'm from Zacatecas. :D
jorojoserojas @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:54PM
Got another Houstonian here, eh? Awesome.
And you can probably tell from my name, I'm American-Mexican tambien. =)
My folks are from Monterrey (and yes, they're legal). Yes, yes, I know all the stereotypes.
DSR7997 @ Aug 3rd 2007 3:08PM
You are the one stereotyping. Growing up in Houston I had and still have alot of friends of hispanic descent. I would also say that 99% of them and their parents were/are legal.
I also get stereotyped. "Damn white guy thinks that all hispanics are illegal" :)
Hard Gay @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:08PM
Joystiq,
You get on me for posting fanboy rants yet you post this crap...from the most unreliable analyst in the videogame world.
Hypocrites...you are.
whosmav @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:09PM
Crybaby
http://www.gamernewz.net
Fernando Rocker @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:15PM
So, where is the power of the Cell?
Face it! Xbox 360 is a better value than the PS3. Its supossed to be a gaming machine, not a protein folding, movie player player machine that happens to play some games, and besides that, it forces comapnies to delay games.
Everything that the PS3 can do, the 360 also can.
Sorry, but its the true.
Christopher Grant @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:22PM
Hi Hard Gay. Remember that warning?
Hard Gay @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:42PM
Chris,
Am I not allowed an opinion? I was not the 1st one to say that this thread invites a fanboy war. Seriously, what is it that I say that is different? I just do not understand.
Please email me so that you can clarify, at this point I have absolutely NO IDEA what I can of cannot say in a videogame blog.
d-pad @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:43PM
Lol.
Be good Godisamyth. You wouldn't daddy taking away your computer privileges would you?
Seriously, ban the douche already.
whosmav @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:08PM
PS3's needs to grow anyways. Theres no way Rockstar could make their money with the current numbers.
http://www.gamernewz.net
Matt B @ Aug 3rd 2007 4:09PM
So you really don't think 10% of PS3 owners would buy one of the most anticipated titles? Anything past 10% of the current install base is profit.
(going by the rumor that devs need to sell 400,000 copies to brake even)
Captain Jody Anthony XVIII @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:08PM
this guy is constantly full o' shit.
cc123 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:29PM
A Mexican took the place of your Mario.
Thought you should now.
deaftly @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:31PM
nice avatar! haha
Shagittarius @ Aug 3rd 2007 5:05PM
Jody you keep getting darker and darker...something strange is afoot at jody's avatars filepath.
cc123 @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:09PM
Pachter also thinks Wii HD with a blu-ray drive is coming soon.
That the PS3 was going to beat the Wii in sales.
And that the 360 is the only one with 3rd party support.
So yeah believe what he says if it works for you.
PSN: ummfada @ Aug 3rd 2007 1:09PM
Oh snap!