By John Walker on April 29th, 2008 at 8:11 pm.
As GTA IV enters its extensive beta-testing period on 360 and PS3, the question remains exactly when it will be released on PC.
Okay, sure, they’ve yet to announce it for PC, but tradition dictates that it should be with us within the next year. And if that tradition continues, it will be a superior version designed for considerably more handsome people. Well, we’ve been down to the rumour mill, despite hazardous safety conditions and a lack of protective eyewear, and heard that it might be in November.
According to legendary breakfast TV presenter* Chris Evans (via GameRush), a German site is reporting November 30th for a PC release.
How true is this? Well, I’ll decide for the world. It’s 100% true. Now that’s set in stone, Rockstar has an obligation to meet that date or lose significant investment, and as such Take-Two will immediately be bought by EA. It’s serious Rockstar, very serious.
*This might be a lie.
29/04/2008 at 20:26 TychoCelchuuu says:
Good to see an ultimatum. They have no choice but to comply now I guess.
29/04/2008 at 20:33 Pavel says:
Games.tiscali.cz reported about PC version of Mass Effect first, sometime in january (I think they were first in the world), and it came to be true with all the details being true as well. And on 17.2 they reported that PC version of GTA IV is sure to be made as well, according to their inside source (someone at retail), and is to be released this Fall, so 30. November is very likely.
And with this ultimatum, I really think I should start looking forward to playing it.
29/04/2008 at 20:34 martin says:
a pc release in november is very likely because of christmas
29/04/2008 at 20:40 Jim Rossignol says:
Good old Christmas.
29/04/2008 at 20:42 Noc says:
Good old journalistic integrity!
29/04/2008 at 20:49 J R Hartley says:
Good old Yellow Pages.
29/04/2008 at 21:06 Fumarole says:
GTA4 coming to Steam would make me one very happy Russian thug.
29/04/2008 at 21:09 Kadayi says:
Just from the logistics of making an actual profit on GTA IV I suspect a PC release ‘down the line’ is inevitable (Rockstar alone must of sunk 60 million into development easily). Pre Christmas would tie in nicely with the traditional 6-7 month delay as well. However, I doubt there will be any official news on it, until after Rockstar have delivered on their Autumn cited downloadable content pack(s) for 360 in case it impacts negatively upon XBL sales. MS stumped up a big chunk of change for that exclusive, albeit probably to encourage more 360 unit sales (I understand the 360 versions sold like hotcakes compared to the PS3), they’ll be wanting to see some marked return on it.
Certainly by all accounts a serious contender for GoTY, and a must have when it does hit PC. A Steam release would suit me down to the ground nicely, though I’d be tempted to buy a retail box just for the map.
29/04/2008 at 21:14 Chris R says:
I’m a PC gamer through and through (Mouse + keyboard FTW!), but I caved and got myself a 360 just so I could play GTA 4. The multiplayer is what sold me on finally getting a console, because I know that the online experience is going to be a blast the first 2 or so months (much like how TF2 was a blast the first 2 months when everyone was still fairly new to the game).
I’ll get GTA 4 when it comes out for the PC too, just because using a keyboard + mouse allows you to be so much more accurate than using a controller. We shall see though, I have yet to play GTA 4 (3 more hours to go at work), so maybe the new targeting system really is ace now.
29/04/2008 at 21:28 Rook says:
Hate to piss on anyone’s cornflakes* but Associate Producer Nick Hersh at Rockster has said:
“As for GTA IV coming out on the PC, that’s very doubtful as we currently have no plans to develop for the PC. We could only focus our efforts extensively on so many consoles at once, and PC might not see the light of day.”
http://whatifgaming.com/gta-iv-for-pc-very-doubtful
Although that would hardly be the first time people keep mum about a PC release down the road.
*This might be a lie.
29/04/2008 at 21:42 Smood says:
“As for GTA IV coming out on the PC, that’s very doubtful as we currently have no plans to develop for the PC. We could only focus our efforts extensively on so many consoles at once, and PC might not see the light of day.”
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
29/04/2008 at 21:46 Kieron Gillen says:
Rook: Trying to confirm that quote with R*.
KG
29/04/2008 at 21:47 Roman Levin says:
Yeah, absolutely no source on that one.
29/04/2008 at 21:51 fluffy bunny says:
Maybe they prefer to make games for people who actually buy them instead of downloading everything from piratebay or whatever?
GTA IV would have super-high requirements on the PC (just think of how much San Andreas demanded, and that was a PS2-game to begin with!), so anyone using that excuse for Crysis would no doubt pirate this as well.
Still, I’d buy it (again) if it was released for the PC.
29/04/2008 at 21:52 born2expire says:
Honestly, this game isn’t as good as everyone is thinking, the camera is worse then the other games, the car physics are almost undrivable and the new combat is just as bad a before (just different), they should have taken the targeting system from Saints Row ie. just a xhair like in a FPS.
Lets not even mention the technical problems this game is having on BOTH the PS3 and the 360 (it would freeze after 5 mins of play on my 360, no matter what i was doing).
29/04/2008 at 22:14 Larington says:
I understand the issues with freezing on PS3 relates to the 60GB version, dunno about 360.
That aside, I’m borderline ready to join the group of people who are tired of seeing that dreaded scythe wielding piracy ghoul thats in part a self fulfilling prophecy.
Not that I blame them for it, go where the money is and all that, I wouldn’t be surprised if the PC version was specifically released via Steam so as to take advantage of the online activation stuff.
29/04/2008 at 22:22 Smood says:
Rook I’ve been spreading this around the net and most people say its bullshit. Also on the front page theres an article about GTA4 on PC stating we don’t know if it will happen and not referring to this Nick person.
Usman is a [we'll not call people that thanks - RPS] if he made this all up.
Also I have news for you fluffy bunny, if a 360 and PS3 can run it… its quite manageable for even a midrange PC of today (A modest core 2 duo with an 8800GT and 2 gigs of ram). So pipe down.
29/04/2008 at 22:53 Noc says:
@Smood: COUGH OPTIMIZATION COUGH.
I mean, look at the Assassin’s Creed requirements.
29/04/2008 at 23:02 Rook says:
Assassin’s creed runs bloody well on an 8800GT/Core 2 and 2gigs of ram. (1920×1200, 30fps+)
Ubi were just honest about what you needed for a good experience and people jumped over them for it. It runs acceptably on a single core machine even.
29/04/2008 at 23:09 Chris Evans says:
I am sorry, but despite all my dreams, I am not -the- Chris Evans…I am THE Chris Evans! :D
Regardless, as I mentioned on the blog I have sent off an e-mail to R* but had nothing back yet.
29/04/2008 at 23:31 Kadayi says:
@Kieron
Save yourself the effort and don’t waste your time, it’s an unsourced bullshit quote, that’s been doing the rounds on various GTAIV for PC threads throughout the interweb causing a panic (I bet this Usman is laughing his ass off, and marveling at the gullibility of people). If you’ve code that will run effectively on a 360 it’s no great shakes to port it to PC, and it’s not like there isn’t the market there.
Next up people will be telling you that there will be no PC version because ‘Rockstar are punishing the GTA PC modders for releasing Hot Coffee!!!’ the other great “OMFG NO GTA IV for PC!!!” rumour currently doing the rounds. It’s always amusing when people anthropomorphize entire commercial organizations into illogical playground bullies.
Given the near universal critical acclaim GTA IV has garnered it could probably do 2-4 million units PC retail quite easily even with an 18 cert (and Piracy issues). That’s potentially £60 – £120 million of almost pure profit, given they’ve paid their costs from the 360 & PS3 versions (maybe more if it’s a Steam exclusive). It would be a very eccentric company that passed up on that kind of money out of laziness or childish spite. Sure I expect the Housers will be treating themselves to nicer cars, but at the end of the day 160 people at Rockstar still need to get paid a monthly wage.
29/04/2008 at 23:41 Kieron Gillen says:
Kadayi: Well, mail sent anyway. We know the PR, so it’s no hardship.
(I admit, I’ve a little more time for the Hot Coffee fallout thing. I don’t think the “Punish” thing holds true, but it’s kinda notable they haven’t done anything PC since HC. Deciding they lost enough money through that shit and got enough bad press isn’t necessarily illogical. There’s passably good corporate reasons for it, if they don’t.)
KG
29/04/2008 at 23:42 John Walker says:
Anyway, I’ve announced it as official, so it’s happening even if the quote were true.
29/04/2008 at 23:43 Kieron Gillen says:
We should develop it ourselves if they don’t.
KG
29/04/2008 at 23:54 Smood says:
Develop ourselves? wtf…? You realize thats basically not possible right? Well unless you have the engine and game source code of course.
29/04/2008 at 23:55 Down Rodeo says:
Kidayi: I heard Hot Coffee was the reason that they didn’t release it on the PS2 to punish them for unlocking it from an Action Replay.
Yes, I’m kidding.
29/04/2008 at 23:56 Kieron Gillen says:
Smood: We would interpret in our own RPS style. Possibly as a text adventure.
KG
30/04/2008 at 00:06 Down Rodeo says:
A text adventure GTA would be interesting:
>prostitute
You pick up a prostitute.
>
Actually, I’m not sure that it’s wise to go further with that.
30/04/2008 at 00:07 Faust says:
A little chuckle: Got the game this morning, and the first time you… umm…. ‘do the dirty’ with a girl, you unlock the achievement ‘Warm Coffee’…. well it made me laugh.
30/04/2008 at 00:12 Kieron Gillen says:
Faust: I love Rockstar North sometimes. Like the WEDGE in Vice City.
KG
30/04/2008 at 01:01 Kadayi says:
I expect they are probably all on holiday after the final push, still some official word or at least a denouncement of the BS would be good.
With respect to the piracy issue, they could take advantage of Valves Steamworks toolset to ensure 0 day piracy and significantly reduce exposure. Take2/rockstar already sell the earlier GTA games through Steam, so there is a relationship there already.
30/04/2008 at 01:38 cqdemal says:
How many games with Euphoria have been announced for PC? Zero? Are there any possible technical complications to prevent them from arriving on PC?
As for that German retailer thing, I know deep inside that it’s a photoshop and a false announcement, but that’s good enough to make me happy. That’s how desperate I am to play this on PC.
Imagine the modding possibilities…
30/04/2008 at 01:54 Ed says:
The last two (possibly 3) GTAs have been released on PC almost exactly 6 months to the day after the console release. I’d hope they follow the same here. I’m seriously tempted to buy an Xbox 360 to play it.
Oh, and I have it on good authority that the PC port of San Andreas and Vice City were not started until after the console release (and a few weeks of holiday!). I also believe that the PC port historically has been done by a very small separate group (possibly even one person). This of course may change due to the new engine – I’m not sure we’ve seen any PC releases based on that yet.
30/04/2008 at 02:14 cqdemal says:
I’m also contemplating the purchase of an Xbox 360 for this game and its allegedly 360-exclusive, GTA: LCS-sized DLCs.
If only Prototype or Mercenaries 2 could come out as early as May or June, then the wait/speculation surrounding this wouldn’t be so… frustrating.
30/04/2008 at 02:15 Kieron Gillen says:
Ed: Always worth remembering that Vice City was done in 11 months.
KG
30/04/2008 at 03:45 hoohoo says:
if ea doesnt buy out t2, it will most likely drop oct 30 or before since that is the end of their fiscal year. t2 always try to get their fall games out before the end of their year.
30/04/2008 at 04:40 MeestaNob! says:
GTA4 coming to Steam would make me one very happy Russian thug.
What would be even better is Steamworks integration for achivements. Think of it (car stunts, M-M-M-M-M-multi kills, the whole magilla).
Could be amazing, but would they do it for us?
30/04/2008 at 05:21 cqdemal says:
MeestaNob!: Not entirely impossible, considering the availability of GTA titles on Steam.
30/04/2008 at 06:15 MaW says:
Microsoft might have tried to put something in the 360 agreement that says they have to use Games For Windows Live to do GTA4 on Windows.
I really hope they haven’t though. I really hope that’s just my evil imagination.
That said, I will be very wary of getting GTA4 for Windows after San Andreas and its utterly dreadful control scheme. Ever tried to fly a plane with the keyboard? Apparently throttle and pitch up are the same key, or something. It certainly behaved that way. Compared to the remarkable intuitiveness of the driving it was like walking into a cliff, and I never got any further through the game than the first mission with those silly RC planes.
Of course it didn’t help that by that point I wanted to kill the main character in a variety of slow and horrible ways. Niko seems rather more sympathetic than CJ.
30/04/2008 at 07:33 cqdemal says:
GFW Live is evil, but if Microsoft requires it for GTA4 PC, then it’s a necessary evil.
I have never completed a GFW Live title though. Ominous!
30/04/2008 at 09:02 Butler` says:
Seen the devs play down a PC release on multiple occasions, one of which is above.
Don’t hold ye breath, though I think it would be an extremely silly move not to release on PC.
30/04/2008 at 11:44 Andrew Farrell says:
MeestaNob: they already have a rake of achievements for the 360, so it would presumably not be that difficult at all.
30/04/2008 at 12:52 wcaypahwat says:
MaW: Niko is pretty much a bastard smartass with broken english from what I can see. He likes cracking bad jokes though. Top bloke.
30/04/2008 at 13:04 Kismet says:
Can’t wait to hear more Lazlow (Or Mark. Or John. Or Beverly, whatever his name is)!
(well, actually I can, as I’ll wait for the PC version. Unless Fumito Ueda decides it’s time for me to buy a new console, in that case I may not resist the temptation…)
30/04/2008 at 13:09 Optimaximal says:
The thing is, the PC wasn’t the only release with the code – both the PS2 & Xbox versions also had it.
The PC code was just the catalyst for someone to make Action Replay codes for the console – surely the larger distributions of console versions was the real cost behind the recall/fix as the PC version was patched quite quickly.
30/04/2008 at 13:13 Kieron Gillen says:
The PC allowed it to be found, is the point. Would it have been found as easily and as quickly (so, as harmfully) as it was without the PC? I suspect not.
I just don’t think the “No PC because of Hot Coffee” need be read as simple-minded.
KG
30/04/2008 at 14:20 Nikica says:
Heh, I did send an e-mail to R* too, but I didn’t get something back.
30/04/2008 at 14:26 aldo says:
I think the PC allowed the addition of a nudie skin too, which didn’t really help when the ‘scandal’ broke.
30/04/2008 at 15:32 James T says:
That skin was in the game (in ‘non-nude HC’, they had some lingerie modeled over the top, the ‘nude patch’ removed this). If some tabloid accused Rockstar of the creation of someone else’s nude patch, Rockstar could swiftly and quietly eat ‘em alive in court.
edit: Although, that said, I’m not familiar with the modern twists and turns of libel laws — could tabloids get away with it if they put a question mark at the end of every sentence? : P
“GTA NUDITY AGAIN?”
“DID ROCKSTAR GAMES PRODUCE THIS SICK GENITAL-EXPOSING FILTH… AGAIN? DID ROCKSTAR RELEASE ON THE 29th APRIL, THE NEW INSTALMENT OF THEIR CONTROVERSIAL ‘GRAND THEFT AUTO’ SERIES, INCLUDING WITHIN IT A VERSION OF THIS WOMAN WITH HER MINGE OUT?”
30/04/2008 at 16:05 Chris Evans says:
Small update on this here.
30/04/2008 at 16:47 cqdemal says:
Chris Evans: Spotted that update on the German site just a moment ago. They’re just making things up, right?
30/04/2008 at 18:00 Chris Evans says:
Who knows, CVG got a no comment from R* which in my mind is a ‘oh crap, its out…lets no comment until we are ready to announce’
30/04/2008 at 18:10 cqdemal says:
Now that looks pretty promising.
Kieron below: At least nobody’s denying anything. Phew.
30/04/2008 at 18:10 Kieron Gillen says:
Yeah. I got a no comment on the quote saying it wouldn’t be coming too.
But I’ve since noted the guy who was quoted isn’t actually in the game’s credits. Do the maths.
KG
30/04/2008 at 18:20 Shawn says:
I’ve got a feeling this will be a STEAM exclusive if and when this comes to PC given the other GTA games available. Take 2 would be throwing away money if they didn’t. Even after buying the 360 version, I would easily buy this again for my lappy. I want my GTA for the road.
30/04/2008 at 19:28 Smood says:
Response (Hannah)
30/04/2008 06.17 AM
Hello,
Unfortunately GTA IV is currently only being released on the PS3 and the Xbox 360. We have not information regarding a PC release.
Sorry for the inconvenience.
Kind Regards
2K Games Technical Support
Customer (. Smood)
29/04/2008 10.11 PM
A recent article below stated the Rockstar developer
Nick Hersh stated a GTA4 PC version is unlikely. Is
this true? Can anyone at Rockstar comment on this?
The source is here:
http://whatifgaming.com/gta-iv-for-pc-very-doubtful
30/04/2008 at 19:30 Larington says:
Sounds like a no comment to me tbh, plenty of other games to play anyway, and even if it later turns out that it won’t be getting a PC release? By then the console and game will be cheaper to buy, so its still a win-win merely by being patient – imho.
Though I’m somewhat confused as to the signature saying “2K Games Technical Support” – Just saying, is all.
30/04/2008 at 21:06 Kadayi says:
Despite it’s popularity most 3rd party publishers haven’t really made Steam that attractive a purchasing option yet for first release software, and the different geographical pricing some of them have implemented is pretty questionable. Bioshock is even now still retailing on Steam at a much higher price than you can buy it for off the shelf in Tesco’s for example. Steams a more attractive option for back catalog and independent games I feel.
Personally I’d love to have GTA IV on Steam (I have the others for convenience), but at the same time the GTA packaging is generally pretty good and you do get the fold out map ;)
@ Larington
2k are the games publishers. I’d envisage Rockstar have shut up shop for a couple of weeks to kick back after the push. I wouldn’t expect anyones going to be breaking radio silence over a PC release quite yet (that’s a paying website/magazine exclusive), but given as Kieron says Nick Hersh doesn’t exist on the games credits it’s highly debatable as to whether he even exists.
30/04/2008 at 21:18 Essell says:
I don’t think they’ll bother. They’ll be busy enough keeping online stuff and possible console patches in check, and given how much of the market will have already bought it on console, and then how much of the remaining PC market will just end up pirating it, it probably just isn’t worth it.
Sad but (possibly) true. See the recent Crysis post…
01/05/2008 at 00:15 unclebulgaria says:
Does this make Chris Evans one of the bootyfull people?
01/05/2008 at 03:10 Eschatos says:
A couple online stores are reporting October 30th.
01/05/2008 at 05:01 A.Nonny.Moose says:
And who the bliddy hell is “Nick Hersh”? He ain’t a producer at R*, thats for sure.
And the game was devv’ed on PC, before it ever even ran on a 360. So do the maths there people.
01/05/2008 at 05:56 Smood says:
Fuck Usman stupid fuck. He posts this stupidness about some Nick Hersh and then when you ask him to back it up he doesn’t say anything. Fucking scum bag piece of fucking shit. Fuck his family.
01/05/2008 at 06:05 Alex says:
Could you put in a story, while you’re at it? That would be lovely.
01/05/2008 at 06:25 Nikica says:
Attention: I got my mail from Rockstar:
Hello Nikola,
A future release for GTA IV on the PC is definitely a possibility, however once this is confirmed we will let you know.
The guy who answered is Colin.
Oh and the mail I sent to was usa@rockstarsupport.com
and I got the mail from take2games_en5@mailuk.custhelp.com
01/05/2008 at 06:34 DigitalSignalX says:
With all the hype and publicity following the release.. I am going insane with console envy. Waiting till Nov will be difficult. The anticipation may actually pressure me to purchase a console. . . PC gamers need a GTA support group quickly!
01/05/2008 at 06:53 malkav11 says:
I have no idea what to believe. On the one hand, all the main GTA series entries have come to PC, and it’d certainly make them money if they did do a port. On the other, they haven’t done a PC release of any of their games since (as Kieron points out) Hot Coffee. Some of that’s not entirely surprising – the PSP GTAs weren’t originally intended to come to any other platform, for example. But then again, Manhunt came to PC, and Manhunt 2? Not so much.
Myself, I figure I’ll do my best to finish the GTAs I own (Vice City, San Andreas, LCS, VCS) and the similar games I own (Saints Row, for one), and then if I’m still craving open-world crime drama there’ll either be a PC release by then or I’ll spring for the 360 version that will hopefully have gotten a tad bit cheaper in the meantime.
01/05/2008 at 08:20 Kadayi says:
@Essell
Porting the game from 360 to PC is no hardship, given the platforms use shared protocols and plenty of other developers have done so and sold well. It’s not the kind of monumental task a lot of people make out, or one that’s going to consume the entire efforts of your company to achieve, and precluding you for doing other things.
Even with the spectre of piracy (which would definitely be a lesser issue if Rockstar utilize Valves Steamworks toolset to combat 0 day piracy) a PC release is still going to sell handsomely enough in terms of numbers to make it an attractive proposition (see my earlier posts on the subject).
As for Crysis, sure it did get pirated a lot, but they ultimately sold over a million units retail in the end and that’s nothing to be sniffed at, esp given how high the system specs were for the game, it was never going to sell as monumentally as the Sims, and aside from the awesome game engine it just wasn’t that good a game at the end of the day (I got bored halfway through the demo tbh). Also it’s not that they haven’t said they won’t develop for the PC anymore, more that they won’t do so exclusively. Again though there are tools freely available now that can help combat 0 day piracy (leaked before retail release), which is where the majority of sales are lost traditionally.
01/05/2008 at 08:59 James T says:
Warning: Tiresome Hot Coffee post!
The reason HC cost them money — rather than, if anything, making them money, like it otherwise would — was because of their own folly — the content of HC wasn’t user-created, it was Rockstar-created, and their not disclosing it to censors/ratings boards is what got them (rather unfairly, to my mind, considering that no amount of conventional gameplay could uncover it, but that’s moot now) in the shit, with the bannings and the rereleases and the resubmissions and so on and so on. The lesson for Rockstar from Hot Coffee is not, “don’t release games for the PC because modders might make naighty things with it” (because that isn’t how it happened), it’s “interrogate your code more thoroughly before you put it out” — modders didn’t create Hot Coffee, they uncovered it, and if they had created it from whole cloth (or if they create a fullblown “GTA IV TENTACLE RAPE TOTAL CONVERSION!!!”), any resultant hubbub would have just slightly more media traction than an Elvis sighting, and all the legal traction of a man suing the ocean.
Of course, they may be so ignorant of their own rights that they took the former moral, but their lawyers would have to be spectacularly lazy to let them fiscally punch themselves in the face for no reason like that (I have absolutely no idea how much an adequate — or, more likely, inadequate — PC port costs to make, but surely it wouldn’t come close to outstripping the revenue that comes of opening the biggest name in stuff-other-than-Warcraft gaming to a platform which can still muster up a million or two sales when the gamers are really stoked? And they are really stoked…)
. Do you see Valve and their lawyers quaking under a tin hat and a bible because of the Alyx Vance nude skin? Unless Rockstar are stupid enough to have coded another simulated sex minigame into GTA4, abandoned it, left it in the code, and neglected to mention it to the BBFC, OFLC, ESRB and whoever else (which would show a pretty spectacular sense of self-destructive black humour… behold, Rockstar North the Kamikaze Game Studio!), Rockstar have zilch to fear from modders.
02/05/2008 at 00:40 Kadayi says:
Apparently GTA IV cost about $100 million to make (which is even more than I imagined tbh):-
http://www.shacknews.com/laryn.x?story=52464
Which given the need to recoup as much profit as possible makes a PC release this year pretty much inevitable.
02/05/2008 at 02:24 cqdemal says:
Kadayi: The 360 and PS3 releases, however, should shorten the wait for profit to, say, a month at most.
02/05/2008 at 04:13 Lh'owon says:
Kadayi: “Which given the need to recoup as much profit as possible makes a PC release this year pretty much inevitable.”
I’m not sure “recoup profit” makes sense? But I get what you’re saying. They need to break even then maximize profits with that sort of development cost. I agree that it seems highly unlikely they would forgo PC, although that is what I want after all :)
02/05/2008 at 06:08 Alex says:
Yes, but this is GTA. Look at all the gaming-oriented bits of the internet dropping their panties, quivering. Look at all the copies flying off the shelves.
It’s no comparison.
02/05/2008 at 07:30 AbyssUK says:
I caved and bought a 360 200 quid is cheaper than a decent graphics card people.. no contest am afraid.
02/05/2008 at 08:03 drunkymonkey says:
Abyssuk:
With my birthday money this year, I bought a new 64 dual processor, a 8600 GTS graphics card, a new motherboard, a new power supply, and another gig of RAM. It came to 305 quid. I’m will to bet the graphics card was less than 200 quid.
Oh, and I paid for service too.
02/05/2008 at 08:39 Kadayi says:
@cqdemal
$200 million worth of unit sales since the initial launch, doesn’t translate to $200 million for Rockstar themselves. retailers will have swallowed up at least half of that, the publishers Take 2 probably another third. Given Microsofts $50 million dollar investment (for exclusive DLC they still have to work upon), they might be in for a slice of pie as well on the 360 release, and finally let’s not forget the tax man will want his share. It is going to take a good few weeks more and a lot more console sales before Rockstar actually break even on their investment, let alone make money upon. $100 million is an unprecedented amount of money to spend on development (that’s 2.5 times the development costs of Half life 2 as a comparison). GTA:SA sold 21.5 million unit sales over 4 years across all platforms, which was a 4 million sales improvement on what GTA:VC sold. GTAIV will certainly top those 2, but it’s not going to happen overnight, nor is the current generation console market that expansive. Halo 3 which was considered a ‘must have’ has sold 8.1 million units on 360 worldwide, and that had a far more sales friendly rating than GTA IV has.
@Lh’owon
What I meant to say was ‘recoup their investment’ (it was a pretty late post), but you get the gist of it.
02/05/2008 at 12:25 cqdemal says:
Kadayi: Didn’t analysts point to a first-week sales figure of $350m-400m? Are there any official numbers around yet?
I know no publisher gets 100% of all sales revenue, but since expectations were THAT high…
02/05/2008 at 20:33 Kadayi says:
http://www.vgchartz.com/news/news.php?id=1102
apparently about $170 million, which ties in with what Halo 3 did, but this was cross platform. I can’t vouch for the validity of these figures though. Certainly it will bank strongly, but I doubt we’ll see a true picture for a couple of weeks. The demand is so strong because of the hype, I expect the sales will have dropped of significantly by then. The main thing is, that given how much it cost, it’s almost a certainty that we will see a PC release. The smart talk seems to be the 30th October as that ties in with Take 2s financial quarter, and is likely to be after the autumn promised release of the 360 DLC pack, so won’t upset Microsoft.
03/05/2008 at 05:15 cqdemal says:
If it really does come out on October 30, I probably won’t ever know what Dead Space looks like.
13/05/2008 at 22:38 baber says:
gta 4 release november 2008 on pc
system requirement
2.8 gh
1gb ram
geforce 8600
12/06/2008 at 11:26 Scotty C says:
http://rockstarscammer.blogspot.com/
did a little pranking ;^)
excerpt—
Response (Anthony) 10/06/2008 09.07 AM
Hello,
Rockstar and 2K Games are both parts of Take Two Interactive, you have corrected the right company.
The PC version of GTA IV has not even been announced for release and is still in development so is not about to be released on a website we have no knowledge of.
29/06/2008 at 14:56 AJ says:
Why the hell are we speculating things and hoping for a PC release. There are a lot of good games for PC Gamers from last year as well as this year. COD4, BIOSHOCK, CRYSIS, ASSASSINS CREED to name a few. Even if ROCK* do not release the game on PC this year, PC gamers have alot of good games coming their way. MAFIA 2 would be releasing for PC along with consoles on Oct, 31 2008 which is going to be an even better game than GTA 4. If you are a PC gamer and you have played the above mentioned games (COD 4,etc) you should not be worried about the system requirements of any game on this planet. I feel sorry for all of you who were sucked into buying PS3 or XBOX 360 just for a game. For those of you who are looking forward to Buy PS3 for playing MGS4 (another successful game of the year), I would suggest you practice a little self-restraint as rumour is going around that by end of year 2008 Sony are planning to reduce the price by 200$.
29/06/2008 at 15:35 Al3xand3r says:
Why the hell is it wrong to want this series to keep making PC appearances? It’s where it originated anyway, some people want it but don’t want to buy a console for it (and like you say, buying a system just for one or few such games would be silly).
Are MORE good games to chose from bad for anybody? Besides, not all those games you mentioned as examples appeal to everyone. maybe very few do depending on their tastes, so GTAIV would possibly be a welcome addition to their collection.
I’d like to see MGS4 get a port also by the way. MGS1 & 2 did. Sure they were a bit bleh as ports go but they were finely playable with a decent gamepad just as the console version so I wouldn’t mind getting MGS3 and 4 in a couple of years.
Don’t get so defensive, all PC gamers know we have a lot of good games, big budget, low budget, independent, modern, old school, quirky, weird, non games, whatever, else we wouldn’t be PC gamers at all.
29/06/2008 at 15:40 alan says:
Why the hell are we speculating things and hoping for a PC release.
Umm, because it’s one of the best games of the year, perhaps?
29/06/2008 at 16:05 AJ says:
Here is some BIG NEWS. Along with Mafia 2 there is another successfull title making its way to all PC Gamers. And this one is gonna Rock cause it’s ………………….SAINTS ROW 2(Release date 14th Oct,2008)…………Your chance to play a Gangsta all over again…………….Mafia 2 and Saints Row 2 will surely make people forget about GTA 4 for a longtime. So even ifff Rockstar decides to release their GTA 4 on PC this November they would have to face stifff competition.
06/10/2008 at 07:47 toxic says:
Nov. 18th GTA4 PC!!!!