Chinatown Wars gets temporary cease-fire

Grand Theft Auto series' DS debut pushed to February-April launch window; GTAIV DLC tentatively planned to be out by end of January.

Grand Theft Auto's much-anticipated debut on the Nintendo DS will have to be much anticipated a little while longer.

Speaking at the BMO Capital Market 2008 Interactive Entertainment Conference today, Take-Two executive chairman Strauss Zelnick updated investors on a number of the company's release plans, most notably Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Previously announced for release by the end of January, the game has been pushed back by publisher Take-Two Interactive into its fiscal second quarter, which runs from February through April.

That wasn't the only release calendar update for the popular criminal action series. The ever-shifting date of the first downloadable content pack for Grand Theft Auto IV on the Xbox 360 appears to have moved again. Zelnick said the publisher was aiming to have the add-on available at the end of the fiscal first quarter (which runs November through January), although he noted it might move into the second quarter alongside Chinatown Wars. Regardless, the downloadable content is "close to completed."

Running down some of the publisher's other products, Zelnick mentioned that the PC edition of GTAIV would be released early next month, which lends credence to recent retailer listings tagging the game with a December 2 launch. Finally, Zelnick noted that BioShock 2, Mafia II, and Borderlands were all slated for release in 2009, though he didn't specify if that was Take-Two's fiscal year 2009 (ending October 31, 2009) or calendar year 2009 for those projects.

58 Comments

  • keatman

    Posted Nov 19, 2008 9:12 pm PT

    No surprise more delays. If these game makers have so much problems why dont they just keep to themselves their games and wait until they are really convince that the games are perfect for releasing then only annouce to us. All they are giving us here are more anxieties. Just like SC2, we have been waiting for like almost 2 years since they annouced it, I don't understand why they just want their fans to suffer with anxieties of waiting.

  • qizhi

    Posted Nov 19, 2008 2:44 pm PT

    man this suck and gamers should not care about economys and stuff unless you are a person who decide to care

  • AOldDog

    Posted Nov 17, 2008 4:41 am PT

    Hope it'll be better port than "Bully:SE"

  • tawagivercetti

    Posted Nov 15, 2008 10:42 pm PT

    Rockstar does not fail to deliver, Patience young button mashers.

  • langrisser2005

    Posted Nov 15, 2008 10:33 pm PT

    more delays........ no shock there! >_>

  • TheRoshow

    Posted Nov 14, 2008 4:55 pm PT

    I like GTA, but GTA4 lacked everything but graphics. If Saints Row 2 had GTA4 graphics they would have a 9.5. GTA4 got a 10 because if it's longsheraty and popalor fan base.

  • tekken220

    Posted Nov 14, 2008 9:07 am PT

    Most GTA players in the Philippines are young little children whose parents are too dumb to know the ESRB of every GTA game is MATURE...

    And who would want a Wii version of GTA anyway?It will just be a waste of money for Rockstar.

  • DragFire24

    Posted Nov 14, 2008 8:54 am PT

    For me the GTA series is the best one of all games. All worth waiting for for sure. Many say overrated, I say its the best... You can do anything and with lots of detail... what more do gamers need? (and yes, i mean gamers not ........ better not saying it here). DLC is like an expansion for GTAIV, so don't mention if it is worth or not before knowing nothing about it or because you hate GTA... Last point: Take-Two / Rockstar = QUALITY. They never disappointed me.

  • pete_merlin

    Posted Nov 14, 2008 6:13 am PT

    gta on the wii? dont be silly

  • choasgod

    Posted Nov 14, 2008 4:37 am PT

    I wonder if M$ thinks the exclsuive DLC is worth it now? 9 months after the game was released the DLC is finally dated for late-January to early Q2(prob. February). We STILL don't know what the DLC is ... or its price... seriously if the DLC is near completion -- they should be allowed to announce what it is meant to be!

  • tidyspidey

    Posted Nov 14, 2008 3:00 am PT

    I'm sure it will be worth waiting for...

    They really need to get to a Wii GTA game...

  • KyoValdez

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 10:36 pm PT

    Will you fight my monkeys?

  • Media_Mind

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 9:15 pm PT

    longer = better

  • V-Nine

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 8:24 pm PT

    ...(reads article), (shruggs shoulders)...

  • Merl57

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 7:06 pm PT

    i don't care about gta it was the most overrated game of all time no where close to a 10 and i haven't played it more than the first month

  • GeigerdolylWodd

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 5:39 pm PT

    I didnt realize they were making Borderlands. I hope they took note of what was done with Left 4 Dead.

    I mean I like the idea of having bots takeover the control of your character when you're playing online with other since you can't pause the game and take a much needed restroom break. Its better than the alternative of getting Pancreatic cancer from needlessly withholding it.

    viva la bot pause! viva!

  • Lucidmike78

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 4:18 pm PT

    The DLC better be some serious stuff.

  • gnrlstuart

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 4:11 pm PT

    rockstar delay EVERYTHING!

  • gsandra7223

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 3:48 pm PT

    This should be good.

  • wwonka666

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 3:47 pm PT

    Another broken promise from a company prone to delays.

  • Pete5506

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 3:15 pm PT

    I'm in no hurry to get the DLC

  • Shadowflame291

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 3:03 pm PT

    I agree with wagepeace

  • wagepeace

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 2:40 pm PT

    GTA on the DS is a rediculous idea. Seriously, Nintendo...what a way to cash in on the series without giving the audience what they would normally get with a GTA console game. *yawn*

    On a side note, I'm curious about the DLC for X360... anyone know what this will be?

  • Marcster1994

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 2:18 pm PT

    *Dsi

  • Marcster1994

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 2:17 pm PT

    I was surprised that GTA is on DS. That's very weird for a console game. Well, the DS1 is coming out which I hope will make beter graphics and gameplay

  • zeeshan810

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 2:16 pm PT

    That's not good for the DS GTA Fans!!!

    Played all GTA Series from the beginning** Will Play this One!

  • Yoshicookie1

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:58 pm PT

    pssh. Like I care. Who's idea was it to put GTA on the DS anyway? It's going to lose that key feeling of being able to explore and do whatever you want, not only because the DS can't handle such a large world, also because the camera is overhead, and the graphics are mediocre. Also Nintendo is more of a family company right now, it doesn't even make sense. I am glad that the Wii has games like No More Heroes and Mad World though... Well I'm not getting this game, that's for sure

  • ctg867

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:57 pm PT

    Can Rockstar release anything related to GTA on time? They delay GTA IV half a year because they neglected the multiplayer (which still needed work after the delay), and the technical stability.

    The DLC goes from Spring to Fall after the game itself got delayed, then to Q4 08/Q1 09 when Rockstar thought they couldn't meet the date. Now it's pretty much guaranteed we wont get it until early next year, with them mentioning the possibility of it being a Spring release instead.

    GTA IV on PC just went from November to December, but now there's Chinatown Wars, which went from Fall, to December, to January, and now to Spring of next year. Honestly if they can't keep these dates, they should stop giving them. The fans are tired of this, and we'd all appreciate a simple "when it's done" similar to Blizzard and id Soft.

    It's not even like they delayed GTA IV for ligit reasons either. They just wasted so much time on stupid crap like the activities, the clothing, and the whole cell phone friends thing.

  • Toro_Nev

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:56 pm PT

    I hope it turns out alright.

  • gamerfreak1991

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:42 pm PT

    GTA on the DS will probably flop anyway. GTA is a console game, it wasn't even that good on the PSP. The console editions of Liberty City and Vice City Stories were way better.

  • Viral-venom13

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:31 pm PT

    They can go ahead and delay as much as they like as way too many solid hitting games are out right now and many are still to come!!

  • kkkkknaruto

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:28 pm PT

    whoevers aniticipating this game should trade in their ds and get a 360 or ps3 steal one for goodness sake cuz gta 4 is the way to go, or even get a ps2 for all the other gta's. this is jus lame, if nintendo had the only system out then we would all give up gaming

  • setonj18

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:13 pm PT

    it's not like chinatown wars is gonna be any good, it's on the f****** DS

  • Autolycus

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 1:02 pm PT

    for those of you that didnt play Mafia one, its all mission based, its not an open world(like GTA and SR2), FYI.

  • Ket87

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 12:27 pm PT

    Didn't Rockstar say before GTAIV was released we would be seeing DLC by late August? What ever happened to that ehh? There is no promises anymore these days from developers these days, episodic content shouldn't be released 9 months after release of the game, this isn't going to be Half-Life 2 quality content and the waiting period shouldn't be as long.

  • Vinsanity09

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 12:14 pm PT

    the biggest thing on this article is Mafia II being out in 2009, I don't really care anymore for the GTA IV DLC

  • ChiefFreeman

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 12:11 pm PT

    Do you think the downloadable content will include a rumored Zombie mode or a new section of the city and missions?

  • RockmanSRD

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 12:08 pm PT

    I'm so happy that I got the 360 version for all this great exclusive.... stuff that doesn't exist.

    I really should have just gotten the PS3 version like my friends did. XD

  • josef8

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 12:01 pm PT

    meh

  • AngelCage-2

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:57 am PT

    Sure, sure, when the DLC finally looks the sun's ligth, MafiaII will be making offers than NO ONE in the world will be abble to refuse. I just hope that MafiaII exeds the high standar of Mafia. That game was AWESOME... on PC

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:37 am PT

    lol grats on your 360 content ... by the time it comes out GTA5: Vice City will be out and rockin XD

  • teh_werry_man

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:31 am PT

    oh wow, mafai II

  • necronaux

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:25 am PT

    And, no reasons for the delays? Why?!?!

  • Ridonkeykong

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:18 am PT

    I wish they'd give us some information about the DLC.

  • scar4ever

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:14 am PT

    Looks like crap.

  • otanikun

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:10 am PT

    Meh, I'll just wait for when actual new hits, I hope it's good

  • jsmoke03

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 11:05 am PT

    i'm just waiting for mafia 2...

  • payne6705

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 10:32 am PT

    you know this doesn't surprise me at all

  • kb8618

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 10:31 am PT

    no surprise since basically every gta has been delayed since GTA III, i hope the dlc will make its way to the PC version cuz then i wouldn't have to buy a $200+ console, just a $100 graphic card that i need to get anyways, if it doesn't then ill prob buy a 360 once the current models are all gone and the 65nm CPU/CPU chip equipped ones are out, which should e

  • TristanH12

    Posted Nov 13, 2008 10:13 am PT

    ZOMG, i was so looking forward to this Chinatown wars in January!

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