Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Midnight Club: Los Angeles pushed back to Oct. 21http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/midnight-club-los-angeles-pushed-back-to-oct-21/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/midnight-club-los-angeles-pushed-back-to-oct-21/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/midnight-club-los-angeles-pushed-back-to-oct-21/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It wasn't all good news in Take-Two's stellar third-quarter earnings report and conference call today, as the company announced that the release date for Midnight Club: Los Angeles has been pushed back to Oct. 21 in North America and Oct. 24 in Europe. The new date follows previously announced North American dates of Oct. 7 and Sept. 9 for the game's release. Take-Two said the extra time is being used to help polish up the game and to make sure its release doesn't get lost amidst a competitive holiday schedule. Here's hoping this one finally sticks.

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]]>midnight-clubmidnight-club-lamidnight-clubb-los-angelesrockstartake-twotake2Kyle Orland2008-09-04T18:00:00+00:00Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars hits DS this winterhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-hits-ds-this-winter/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-hits-ds-this-winter/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-hits-ds-this-winter/#commentsFiled under: ,


During its end-of-quarter financial phone call today, Take-Two confirmed that GTA: Chinatown Wars will be released on Nintendo DS this winter, which, according to its fiscal year, would mean no sooner than November and no later than January 31, 2009. This is the first official word on a release window for the game, which was unveiled at this year's E3.

No further details were provided - one member of the press asked if the game was still due before Christmas, to which Take-Two brass responded, "We didn't say that. We're not confirming that." - so for now we just have hints at Wi-Fi play and some juicy potential gameplay details from a leaked consumer survey to go on.

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]]>breakingnewsgrand-theft-autogrand-theft-auto-chinatown-warsgta-chinatown-warrockstartake-twoRandy Nelson2008-09-04T17:30:00+00:00Grand Theft Auto IV sells ten million copieshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/grand-theft-auto-iv-sells-ten-million-copies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/grand-theft-auto-iv-sells-ten-million-copies/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/grand-theft-auto-iv-sells-ten-million-copies/#commentsFiled under: ,

As part of its recent quarterly earnings announcement, Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto IV has sold ten million copies through Aug. 16. These sales helped lead the company to a staggering $433.8 million in revenue in the third quarter, over twice as much as the same quarter last fiscal year.

For comparison, the PS2 version of GTA: San Andreas sold 12 million copies worldwide. During a conference call, the company said it would continue to promote GTA IV through the holiday season, and that it expected lifetime sales for the game to "track well ahead of any previous GTA title."

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]]>earningsgrand-theft-autogrand-theft-auto-ivgta4GTAivsalestake-twoten-millionKyle Orland2008-09-04T16:58:00+00:00Take-Two fiscal Q3 sales led by (GASP!) Grand Theft Auto IVhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/take-two-q3-sales-led-by-gasp-grand-theft-auto-iv/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/take-two-q3-sales-led-by-gasp-grand-theft-auto-iv/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/09/04/take-two-q3-sales-led-by-gasp-grand-theft-auto-iv/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Take-Two Interactive's third-quarter fiscal results have proven that crime really does pay, with law-breaking blockbuster Grand Theft Auto IV leading sales, alongside Top Spin 3 and Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution. The three-month financial period, ended July 31, 2008, saw the publisher rake in net revenues of $433.8 million, nearly double the $206.4 million it earned during the same, GTA-less quarter of 2007.

If you're reading this paragraph, we can only assume that you're keen on seeing even more numbers. Like $51.8 million, Take-Two's net income for the quarter and a considerable improvement on last year's net loss of $58.5 million. In terms of notable expenses, Take-Two burned through $12.6 million in "stock-based compensation," $1.8 million for "business reorganization" and $5.4 million for "professional fees and legal expenses," primarily aimed at warding off the advances of EA. Finally, net revenues for Take-Two's first three quarters in total were just over $1.2 billion, versus $689.2 million for the same period a year ago.

In summary: Grand Theft Auto IV = money.

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]]>BreakingNewsFinancialGrand-Theft-AutoGrand-Theft-Auto-IVGTA-IVRockstarTake-TwoLudwig Kietzmann2008-09-04T16:37:00+00:00EA, Take-Two take buyout talks behind closed doorshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/ea-take-two-take-buyout-talks-behind-closed-doors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/ea-take-two-take-buyout-talks-behind-closed-doors/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/26/ea-take-two-take-buyout-talks-behind-closed-doors/#commentsFiled under:


The ongoing drama of who's eating who between mega publishers Electronic Arts and Take-Two has finally been taken behind the curtain, where it should have been all along. After coming to some measure of understanding, the companies have jointly signed a confidentiality agreement, agreeing not to blab about what may or may not happen as a result of ongoing talks until, you know, something actually happens.

According to Reuters, EA has agreed as part of a regulatory filing with the SEC to not "make any further announcements regarding the status of any discussions or negotiations with Take-Two" until the pair come to some sort of mutual accord. We couldn't be happier, knowing that while the drama will likely continue to unfold for quite some time, at least we won't have to read (or write!) about it.

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]]>buyouteaelectronic-artselectronicartssecsecuritiesandexchangecommissiontake-overtake-twotakeovertaketwoJason Dobson2008-08-26T08:30:00+00:00Mad World violence anemic compared to Manhunt 2http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/25/mad-world-violence-anemic-compared-to-manhunt-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/25/mad-world-violence-anemic-compared-to-manhunt-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/25/mad-world-violence-anemic-compared-to-manhunt-2/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Mad World, with its inky wellspring of monochrome gore, will likely give those opposed to virtual violence another round of ammunition, replacing Manhunt 2 as the industry whipping boy of choice. An unfair comparison, at least according to seasoned game journo Beth Dillon, who cites the controversy magnet's realistic take on violence as much more disturbing than Mad World's "contrasting and beautiful" approach.

There's no question that Mad World will stand out like a bludgeoned thumb among the Wii's more family-friendly library, but Dillon writes that where Platinum Games' upcoming action opus separates itself from Manhunt 2 is in its sense of style. The bigger issue, as she she sees it, is the effect motion-sensitive controls have on players playing violent games -- regardless if they're realistic or more over-the-top -- something we fully expect to have society's ills pinned on the game industry's already swollen posterior for years to come.

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]]>controversymad-worldmanhunt-2platinum-gamesrockstarsegatake-twoviolenceJason Dobson2008-08-25T09:00:00+00:00FTC gives green-light for EA's Take-Two buyouthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/ftc-gives-green-light-for-eas-take-two-buyout/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/ftc-gives-green-light-for-eas-take-two-buyout/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/20/ftc-gives-green-light-for-eas-take-two-buyout/#commentsFiled under:


The Federal Trade Commission has stated that it will not oppose EA's pursuit of Take-Two Interactive. Following an investigation, the government agency concluded that no antitrust issue will occur, but left the door open to "take further action as the public interest may require."

This means all systems are go for EA and Take-Two to come to some sort of amicable agreement over how to bring the companies together. If that doesn't work, EA will probably just go back to throwing money on the table until Take-Two is ready admit she can't deny the sugar.

Source - Closing Letter to one EA attorney
Source - Closing Letter to one Take-Two attorney

[Via GamePolitics]

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]]>breakingnewsbuyouteafederal-trade-commissionftctake-twoAlexander Sliwinski2008-08-20T14:45:00+00:002K Games, would you kindly release BioShock PS3 on October 21?http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/2k-games-would-you-kindly-release-bioshock-ps3-on-october-21/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/2k-games-would-you-kindly-release-bioshock-ps3-on-october-21/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/19/2k-games-would-you-kindly-release-bioshock-ps3-on-october-21/#commentsFiled under: ,


Well, that was easy. 2K Games has complied with our subliminal request that it release the PlayStation 3 version of sublime, submerged shooter BioShock in North America on October 21. There was some mental resistance to our suggestions of a worldwide release, however, so you international folks will just have to make do with October 24.

BioShock comes to the PlayStation 3 sporting the same aquatic utopia-turned-dystopia that made the game one of 2007's best, along with Trophies, a new "Survivor" difficulty level and challenge rooms, to be released as downloadable content "shortly after launch."

Gallery: BioShock (PS3)

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]]>2K2K-Australia2K-Boston2K-Games2K-MarinBioShockBreakingNewsDigital-ExtremesDLCFPSTake-TwoLudwig Kietzmann2008-08-19T13:00:00+00:00Take-Two confirms meeting with EA, letting offer expire tonighthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/take-two-confirms-meeting-with-ea-letting-offer-expire-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/take-two-confirms-meeting-with-ea-letting-offer-expire-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/take-two-confirms-meeting-with-ea-letting-offer-expire-tonight/#commentsFiled under:


Just a little while ago, Take-Two announced that EA has agreed to sign a confidentiality agreement and review the object of its hostile financial affection's business plans for the next three years, turning this hostile takeover into something more ... amicable. Take-Two has also confirmed that it intends to let the clock run out on EA's $25.74 per share takeover offer, which expires today at midnight.

At face value, what this means is that EA still wants to buy Take-Two, and that the current offer still isn't reasonable to the Take-Two board. Meanwhile, the FTC will have finished its anti-trust probe on the issue this Thursday. Perhaps once EA gets a look under Take-Two's hood the two companies can come to a mutually agreed upon price to end this saga -- or some other publisher could come out of left field and scoop Take-Two up.

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]]>breakingnewseariccitiellostrauss-zelnicktake-twotakeoverzelnickAlexander Sliwinski2008-08-18T13:15:00+00:00EA's Take-Two offer to expire tonighthttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/eas-take-two-offer-to-expire-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/eas-take-two-offer-to-expire-tonight/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/18/eas-take-two-offer-to-expire-tonight/#commentsFiled under:


Listen, we don't care how this ends anymore. We don't care if EA buys Take-Two and forces them to manufacture toilet paper before shooting them into space. We worried about the potential harm to the industry like a hundred years ago, but now, we just want it to be over, so we never, ever have to write about it ever again. We got into this business to talk about potato chips that sort of look like Dr. Robotnik's head, stuff like that. This financial news makes our brains hurt.

Keeping that in mind, here's how we understand the latest missive from EA, with some help from the Silicon Alley Insider. The company says that it's actually going to let its most recent offer to purchase company shares at $25.74 a piece expire tonight at midnight, largely because it couldn't integrate Take-Two before the holiday season. But, Take-Two is offering to come and give EA a presentation that shows just how valuable it really is, if only EA can keep its trap shut about it.

So, that's the skinny. It sounds like it's sort of over and it's sort of not. Now, if someone could please fetch a napkin to catch the blood and brain goo seeping from our ear canal, we'd be forever in their debt.

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]]>breakingnewseatake-twotakeoverJustin McElroy2008-08-18T09:45:00+00:00Take Two promotes former Rockstar vet to COOhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/take-two-promotes-former-rockstar-vet-to-coo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/take-two-promotes-former-rockstar-vet-to-coo/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/14/take-two-promotes-former-rockstar-vet-to-coo/#commentsFiled under:


Right about now Take-Two exec Gary Dale is likely placing an order to change the plaque on his office door. The publisher sent word this afternoon that the executive VP has been promoted to the position of chief operating officer, a role with which he should be intimately familiar, having previously served as Rockstar's COO during 2007.

Currently the scope of Dale's new responsibilities remain vague, Take-Two noting only that he will continue to oversee the company's sales, international footprint, and business development, while keeping a watchful eye on the firm's various publishing labels. Take-Two CEO Ben Feder also emphasized Dale's role in the publisher's continuing growth, something we imagine will put the exec on the front lines, defending Take-Two from EA's insatiable hunger.

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]]>gary-dalepromotionrockstartake-twoJason Dobson2008-08-14T22:00:00+00:00Grand Theft Auto IV hitting PC on Nov. 18http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/grand-theft-auto-iv-hitting-pc-on-nov-18/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/grand-theft-auto-iv-hitting-pc-on-nov-18/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/08/06/grand-theft-auto-iv-hitting-pc-on-nov-18/#commentsFiled under: ,


So, who's very excited (or surprised) by confirmation that Rockstar's go-anywhere, shoot-anyone crime caper is coming to the PC? Well, the folks at Rockstar, obviously. "We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV," said Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser. "The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can't wait for people to play it."

People can expect to start playing Grand Theft Auto IV, along with its "newly expanded multiplayer" modes, on November 18th if they live in North America, and November 21st if they live in Europe.

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]]>BreakingNewsGrand-Theft-AutoGrand-Theft-Auto-IVGTA-IVGTA-IV-PCRockstarTake-TwoLudwig Kietzmann2008-08-06T11:21:00+00:00Take-Two excited about Wii, mum on GTA for the systemhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/take-two-excited-about-wii-mum-on-gta-for-the-system/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/take-two-excited-about-wii-mum-on-gta-for-the-system/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/29/take-two-excited-about-wii-mum-on-gta-for-the-system/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We already know that Nintendo DS is taking up residence in Liberty City thanks to GTA: Chinatown Wars, but what about GTA on Wii? Reggie wants it, gamers want it, but will Take-Two ever deliver? Speaking to GameDaily about any such plans, Take-Two CEO Ben Feder had this to say: "We know the Wii pretty well. We're building up assets to develop for the Wii and we're excited about its growth," but added, "I can't comment on GTA specifically on the Wii."

Something about another of Feder's comments seemed vaguely familiar when compared to those of Nintendo's Fils-Amie, who's said he'd welcome a GTA game on Wii as long as it's developed specifically for the platform. "Our goal is to be the most creative and innovative company in the industry," Feder said, further explaining, "You don't get there by just porting and dumping games on the shelves. You get there by looking at the platform and creating games specifically for that platform." Sure sounds like what Reggie's asking for to us.

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]]>grand-theft-autogtatake-twoRandy Nelson2008-07-29T16:45:00+00:00Analysts: EA revenues up in Q2, $100 million in losses expectedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/analysts-ea-revenues-up-in-q2-100-million-in-losses-exp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/analysts-ea-revenues-up-in-q2-100-million-in-losses-exp/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/28/analysts-ea-revenues-up-in-q2-100-million-in-losses-exp/#commentsFiled under:


EA will announce its second-quarter results on Tuesday and, according to an average estimate by analysts, is expected to report a loss of $111 million. Forbes reports EA had a $132 million loss the same quarter last year. Not that EA is hurting for customers, revenues are estimated to be up about $200 million this quarter despite the overall loss.

This second-quarter loss isn't surprising as EA -- along with almost every other publisher -- "backloads" its games to cause a hellish purchasing climate during the holiday season. Analysts are uppity with EA because this is the first quarter the company hasn't provided them with guidance, causing analysts to have a huge spread on the quarterly financial expectations. EA is also waiting for the results of an FTC investigation into its buyout of Take-Two. There's probably going to be a lot more cloak and dagger as the dethroned publishing king tries to crawl its way back to #1.

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]]>eaelectronic-artsfinancialfinancialsfiscaltake-twoAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-28T12:00:00+00:00Zelnick: GTA isn't Take-Two's only moneymakerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/zelnick-gta-isnt-take-twos-only-moneymaker/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/zelnick-gta-isnt-take-twos-only-moneymaker/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/22/zelnick-gta-isnt-take-twos-only-moneymaker/#commentsFiled under:


Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick believes the company can be profitable in a non-Grand Theft Auto year. Speaking with Venture Beat, Zelnick explains that while GTA may have been the main source of profitability before, Take-Two is a different company in the wake of titles like BioShock and Carnival Games. Reportedly, the company now has "30 million-plus selling titles, 15 of which are full owned."

Depending on the nature of the content in the first GTA IV DLC (expected later this year), the company might very well see some nice cash flow from the second episode next year. We also have no idea when to expect GTA: Chinatown Wars. From what we can see, GTA is going to be on the T2 fiscal calendar in one form or another for quite some time.

[Via GI.biz]

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]]>2k2k-gamesprofitabilitystrauss-zelnicktake-twozelnickAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-22T14:00:00+00:00EA extends Take-Two takeover offer to Aug. 18http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/ea-extends-take-two-takeover-to-aug-18/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/ea-extends-take-two-takeover-to-aug-18/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/21/ea-extends-take-two-takeover-to-aug-18/#commentsFiled under:


With another deadline in EA's takeover bid come and gone, the industry's #2 publisher isn't quitting and has reaffirmed it still wants to gobble up Take-Two by extending its $25.74 per share offer deadline to Aug 18. EA currently has only 15% of Take-Two's stock, which translates to 11,741,339 shares. Obviously, EA needs over half the shares to complete the takeover.

Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick released a statement that the company's board is "100% committed to maximizing stockholder value," calling EA's bid "inadequate" and recommending stockholders not take the EA offer. He says that Take-Two is currently "engaged in meaningful discussions with multiple parties" and that some of those groups have been conducting due diligence (a fancy legal term for checking under a company's hood and making sure everything looks kosher). Meanwhile, the FTC is probing the deal over possible antitrust issues and should be finished by Aug. 21.

Source - EA extends deadline to Aug. 18
Source - Take-Two responds to fifth extension

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]]>BreakingNewseastrauss-zelnicktake-twotakeoverzelnickAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-21T11:10:00+00:00Joystiq live at E3 2008 Take-Two press conferencehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/joystiq-live-at-e3-2008-take-two-press-conference/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/joystiq-live-at-e3-2008-take-two-press-conference/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/joystiq-live-at-e3-2008-take-two-press-conference/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


10:44 am PT: Just chilling as the press-type folk move on in. Linkin Park is playing,

10:46 am: Strauss takes the stage10:50 am: Strauss takes the stage and isn't saying much. He's happy with the way the year went.

10:51 am: Ben Fedder tells us that BioShock is the most anticipated game of E3. Wait, what year is this? Ohhh, for PS3. Really, most anticpated?

10:52 am: Video time. Showing off a bunch of games we know like Don King Prizefighter, MLB 2K8, The Bigs, Top Spin 3.

10:53 am: Fedder says they're going to show off NHL 2k9 and NBA 2K9. Now Jeff Thomas, a VP of 2K Sports is going to take the stage.

10:55 am: Thomas says that NHL 2K9 is "all about fun." He says you can drive the Zamboni. The game will allow players to use the Wiimote as a hockey stick.

10:57 am: NHL 2K9 looks fine. It's the type of "family fun" the company wants to deliver. Here comes NBA 2K9.

10:59 am: Oh, we just learned that "if you know anything about sports games, you know 2K!" That's a nice note. Let me write that down. Did you know that?



11:00 am: NBA 2k9 for Xbox 360 is being shown. It's actually really good looking. There's a lot of stuff going on. Cheerleaders flipping, crowd reaction, announcers. It's sponsored by Gatorade. Crowd got real quiet when they scored, the reactions are neat.


11:03 am: Fedder comes back out and says Carnival Games has sold 1.5 million copies. 2K Play, the family focused brand gets its time. Carnival Games is being pimped hard core. Now we're being shown a Carnival Games commercial -- make it stop! Carnival Games Mini-Golf will be out this fall for the Wii.


11:06 am: Carnival Games Mini-Golf looks like the same quality as Carnival Games but in a mini-golf setting. So the 1.5 million people who bought the first game may enjoy it.

11:07 am: ZOMG! Dora the Explorer is coming to the Wii for the first time! AHHHHHHHH! Dora Saves the Snow Princess for Wii and DS.



11:08 am: Fedder is talking 2K Games now. Says Civilization Revolution is doing well and is talking BioShock. Now it's just a video of those games. Some Mafia 2 images. Champions Online.

11:11 am: Champions Online is getting a seperate trailer right now to show 2K's commitment to quality games and their move into the MMO market. The game is still expected next spring for Xbox 360 and PC. The images look lik a new version of the City of Heroes/Villian games.

11:13 am: Melissa Myer Miller, a producer, is going to talk BioShock PS3. She's saying that they wanted the PS3 version to be good and now she's talking about the PS3 DLC we wrote about yesterday. She's talking about the "challenge rooms" but not saying anything new.

11:16 am: Fedder returns to introduce Gearbox and Borderlands. Now comes Randy from Gearbox.

11:17 am: Randy is "really excited" to be here. They're showing off the same scenario we saw yesterday in an appointment session. Let's see if they do the same presentation script???

11:19 am: Not the same script. The characters are being attacked by "scags," which are like nasty dogs. The characters are searching throw scag leftovers for loot. Yeah, now they're showing off that the game has a half-million weapons with various alterations to them. Borderlands looks good for being pre-alpha. The game is an FPS RPG.

11:25 am: Wow, these guys are getting a lot of time for this demo. Now showing off an acid gun, throwing grenades. Randy says the game is different every time they play this demo. That appears to be true from what we're seeing. Guy just got shot with a shotgun and exploded, the audience seemed a bit shocked.

11:29 am: Rockstar time. Fedder reitterates announcement of GTA: Chinatown Wars. Video clip plays showing Bully, LA Noire, Midnight Club LA.

11:31 am: Playing a extended clip of Midnight Club: LA

11:32 am: Strauss is back! Hey, Strauss. He's thanking people who helped set up this press conference. Oh no, this is looking like the end. He says the company doesn't want to talk about vaporware, he wants games they can show. Yup ... that's it. *yawn*

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]]>e3-2008e3-liveblogjoystiqfeaturesliveblogstrauss-zelnicktake-twozelnickAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-16T13:50:00+00:00BioShock PS3 features 'exclusive' DLC scenarioshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/bioshock-ps3-features-exclusive-dlc-scenarios/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/bioshock-ps3-features-exclusive-dlc-scenarios/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/15/bioshock-ps3-features-exclusive-dlc-scenarios/#commentsFiled under: ,


BioShock for PS3 will feature "exclusive" DLC puzzle scenarios which take place outside of the game's narrative -- the DLC will be accessible through a separate section on the main menu. There is currently no release date or pricing at this time.

The BioShock DLC takes place in arena-type levels designed to look like Rapture. The scenario we saw involved a little sister stuck atop a Ferris wheel -- she needs to be rescued! The first thing that has to be done: Hit the control box with the shotgun's electric buck, causing the wheel to move a little. To move it a little more requires finding a booby-trapped room featuring an electric crossbow inside a safe. Shoot the control box with the crossbow and cut the line to give it a charge, and the wheel moves a little more. Every electric item found will move the wheel a little more until the Little Sister is saved. No other scenarios were discussed.

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]]>2k-gamesbioshockbreakingnewse3-2008take-twoAlexander Sliwinski2008-07-15T18:15:00+00:00The E3 2008 press conference schedulehttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/the-e3-2008-press-conference-schedule/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/the-e3-2008-press-conference-schedule/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/the-e3-2008-press-conference-schedule/#commentsFiled under:

Given most of the big announcements at next week's E3 Media & Business Summit will happen during the publishers' respective press conference, we thought we'd help you with a schedule of those events, including links to our coverage of each company's respective E3 2007 appearances (we'll never forget this one). Here's the schedule:

Monday, July 14
Tuesday, July 15 Wednesday, July 16
Joystiq's live blogging ninjas will be working overtime next week to bring you up-to-the-minute coverage, so stay tuned.

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]]>activisioncapcome3e3-2008electronic-artsesakonamimicrosoftmike-gallaghernintendorick-perrysonytake-twoubisoftRoss Miller2008-07-10T19:30:00+00:00Levine contract could include royalties from BioShock sequelshttp://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/levine-contract-could-include-royalties-from-bioshock-sequels/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/levine-contract-could-include-royalties-from-bioshock-sequels/http://www.joystiq.com/2008/07/10/levine-contract-could-include-royalties-from-bioshock-sequels/#comments Ken Levine may be entering the upper echelon of game designers. According to a source from The New York Post, the BioShock creator is renegotiating his contract with Take-Two to allow more creative control over his projects and - this is the key - royalties (here called "points") "based on how much business the next installment of 'BioShock' and any other games that he develops produce."

Given we don't know exactly to what extent Levine will be working on BioShock sequels, if at all, it's pretty interesting to hear that Levine could be given royalties for a creating a concept, even without working on a project directly. As noted by Variety, we'd only imagine a few notable game icons with this much weight (e.g. Sid Meier, Will Wright).

This is all rumor at the moment, as neither Take Two's people or Levine's people are talking, but we're watching the re-negotiating (as are apparently the tabloids) closely.

[Via The Cut Scene]

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]]>bioshockbioshock-2ken-levinetake-twoRoss Miller2008-07-10T16:55:00+00:00