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L.A. Noire delayed again - Analyst

Pacific Crest Securities' Evan Wilson cites retail sources as saying detective thriller has been pushed to Take-Two's next fiscal year, expresses "low confidence" in management team.

In June, Take-Two Interactive said L.A. Noire would launch in the quarter ending October 31. Since that time, the publisher has barely mentioned the Rockstar-published, Team Bondi-developed game, much less ramped up a prelaunch advertising blitz. In a note to investors this morning, Pacific Crest Securities' Evan Wilson gave a possible reason for that, saying retail sources have told him the game is being delayed into next year.

Gamers eager for L.A. Noire might grow appropriately jaded and cynical in the face of the game's continued delays.

Gamers eager for L.A. Noire might grow appropriately jaded and cynical in the face of the game's continued delays.

"We have confirmed the delay of L.A. Noire from fiscal Q4 (Oct.) well into [fiscal] 2011 [November 1, 2010 to October 31, 2011]," Wilson wrote. "As far as we can tell, Take-Two has not shown the game to retailers."

Representatives with Take-Two and Rockstar had not returned GameSpot's requests for comment as of press time.

By Wilson's count, L.A. Noire would be the 20th major delay for the publisher since its current management team took over in 2007. L.A. Noire would have accounted for three of those delays.

Wilson doesn't believe the delay will prevent the publisher from missing its full-year financial guidance. He said the company set the bar conservatively low with its numbers, and whatever negative impact it might have on the company's fourth-quarter results could be made up for by continued strength of Rockstar's last title, Red Dead Redemption.

"Clearly, management either has no control over the release of its games, cannot accurately predict the timing of their completion or is not concerned with the forecasts it issues to investors," Wilson wrote. "In any case, the delays have reinforced the low confidence we have in current management. We continue to have low confidence that management has any idea about when its games will actually be released and believe the confidence that it displays to investors is misplaced."

The debut effort from Australia-based Team Bondi, L.A. Noire takes place in 1940s Los Angeles, a popular setting for detective films and novels. The game will have players entangled in a violent web of vice, corruption, and crime in the titular metropolis's underworld, tasked with solving a series of murders in what Rockstar describes as an "open-ended challenge."

L.A. Noire was originally announced as a PlayStation 3 exclusive in 2005, with Rockstar picking up the publishing rights to the title the following year. Rockstar cofounder and creative director Sam Houser is executive-producing L.A. Noire, with Team Bondi founder Brendan McNamara (writer and director of The Getaway) serving as director of development.

212 Comments

  • dinkle41

    Posted Nov 8, 2010 7:44 pm GMT

    Notice how this delay comes only days after the release of Mafia II.

  • Dynamo11

    Posted Nov 3, 2010 7:27 am GMT

    Great game but I think Rockstar is more than happy just to stick to GTA. It's their biggest seller so I imagine only abut 20% of the studio are focused on other titles.

  • Linkari

    Posted Sep 23, 2010 7:54 pm GMT

    It's disappointing, but I really HATE how Assassin's Creed II nixed those two chapters just to release it on time and then charge $10 for them as DLC. I thought it was a complete rip off and I'd rather delay it until next year then get half a game for full price and be charged more to finish it later on.

  • Ravenlore_basic

    Posted Aug 31, 2010 8:02 am GMT

    this was an PS3 exclusive and it was BIG too big to fit on a single DVD... When Rockstar took over as publishder it was decided to go on both platforms.... so they either have to cut the PS3 down or find a way to have the Game work on both consoles as is. ( GOOGLE IT ) . I hope it does not get cut down. They should say TOO bad for people who bought the Arcade and have the first disk Download to the HDD and then just use the second disk when needed.

  • gibb1

    Posted Aug 31, 2010 5:06 am GMT

    rockstar make excellent games, they should think of expanding bully, it was a great game.

  • MrPilgrim

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 4:25 pm GMT

    @maroon111
    you thought wrong sonny jim :-)

  • ChillarPenguin

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 3:34 pm GMT

    i really like games set in the 50s

  • tclvis

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 1:10 pm GMT

    They've invested too much in this game to can it now; delay makes sense, given the scope and the ambition of the project. As a gamer--and a Take-Two stockholder--I'd rather a good game come out later than projected and sell well, particularly a new IP, rather than rush a project and doom it to tank. Management does need to get more realistic with their deadlines, but stuff happens. I'm not worried. When did Rockstar ever put out a crappy game? Analysts like this guy advise stockholders what to buy. We aren't their audience, investors are. If management keeps giving bad forecasts, investors stay away, so the company loses development money. Management needs to pick it up a little, but if a game needs to be delayed to make it profitable, that's healthier for the company. Unless you're Obsidian.

  • jsh020

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 12:35 pm GMT

    i am seriously looking forword to this. a game this gen that puts detective work and other forms of combat and exploration over shooting. whats not to like. plus the seal of rockstar mean your guarenteed worth 60$ and more

  • machina1985

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 12:07 pm GMT

    With Red Dead Redemption only coming out recently I'm not surprised this has been delayed. They'll want to spread their AAA titles out evenly if possible. I reckon this will be out March April 2011 with GTA5 out in 2012.

  • isshiah

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 11:26 am GMT

    man, i was really looking forward too this. as long as its a good game when its released, i can wait.

  • berto64

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 11:25 am GMT

    damn it release it already

  • slicedbread117

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 11:24 am GMT

    hey developers! why dont you pick a date where your games will actually be done, so you dont have to delay them and get people ticked off and make em not wanna buy it anymore....just an idea. jeez delays are killing games

  • SuperMegaMaster

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 10:27 am GMT

    This is bad! another delay..

  • th3warr1or

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 9:10 am GMT

    Again...? DELAYED AGAIN?

  • sakshamH

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 8:59 am GMT

    its nothing like GTA or mafia

  • gbrading Site moderator

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 8:12 am GMT

    It's very sad that Take-Two seemingly have little confidence in the game. It's turning into a veritable film noir plot.

  • maroon111

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 7:27 am GMT

    @MrPilgrim
    Oh my god! really? a detective??? OH NO! i thought the character be a member in a mafia or something like that

  • Cian23

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 6:25 am GMT

    fedoras, bleak outlook, saxophones... my kind of game

  • black__bunny

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 5:32 am GMT

    Another delay hope that this isn't on the way to being canned

  • MrPilgrim

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 5:15 am GMT

    @maroon111
    yea its like mafia 2... except your a detective.
    you gotta solve crimes by finding evidence at crime scenes and interrogating suspects. its supposed to have really good character structures that display a wide amount of facial emotions. i dont know about the multiplayer.. but i think this game will have that multiple ending feel that heavy rain had

  • MrPilgrim

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 5:11 am GMT

    i mean really... who DIDN'T see this coming??

  • Black_Adder_

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 1:45 am GMT

    As Latvians like to say, it's "nothing special"

  • maroon111

    Posted Aug 30, 2010 12:16 am GMT

    Its sort of mafia II but with multiplayer awesome work Rockstargames.

  • raghraghragh

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 11:29 pm GMT

    I hate the waiting game too! Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!

  • JOKER677

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 11:25 pm GMT

    Didnt get much from the vid doesn't look like much fun, just another godfather game but different missions

  • GC4ever

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 10:57 pm GMT

    i hate the waiting game...

  • sakshamH

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 10:27 pm GMT

    GTA IV was awesome. HAvent played RDR as it didnt come out for pc's. IF LA noire does, then its first day buy imo

  • Animatronic64

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 10:07 pm GMT

    Well, between Mafia and The Godfather series, there aren't enough games like this. I really do hope that it doesn't get canned. The modern gangster setting is overdone, while games with this kind of setting are seldom. Speaking of which, I would also like a Grand Theft Auto game set in this time period. Going back to Vice City and San Andreas sounds like a great idea, if done like GTAIV, but I think that Rockstar should eventually do something completely new with the Grand Theft Auto series.

  • Coolyfett

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 9:41 pm GMT

    So is this the answer to Mafia 2??? Sounds like the whole Private Eye style of the Roger Rabbit movie.

  • nickythenewt21

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 8:07 pm GMT

    As long as the game is fantastic when it comes out, they can take all the time that they need.

  • DarkDamo

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 6:32 pm GMT

    I really hope this game doesn't end up killing Team Bondi...Australia can't have ANOTHER studio close down

  • microsoft167

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 3:52 pm GMT

    Lately Rockstar has been making extremely good games like Red Dead and GTA4 so I have really high hopes for this one.

  • middlefish

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 1:19 pm GMT

    Im calling it now, this is dead. When was the last time we saw anything about his anyway? I'm abandoning all hope right here.

  • Microsteve

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 1:07 pm GMT

    Just give us GTA5 already!!!

  • ammooor

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 10:59 am GMT

    like mafia nice game rockstar games is the best

  • ALTAIR360

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 10:52 am GMT

    this is most annoying thing about rockstar and their online achievements/trophy lol
    their games are awesome/

  • orashi

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 10:00 am GMT

    like GTa in rbg and punch

  • mad_krips

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 9:17 am GMT

    @TheTrueMagusX1
    Couldnt agree with you more, nothing spells out developer laziness more than a rushed product. Like a lot of the xbox 360 games ported badly to the PS3 last minute (Bayonetta come to mind?)

  • Dynamo11

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 8:45 am GMT

    @Heshertonfist Yep announced E3 2005... five years later we're still waiting

  • kejigoto

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 7:50 am GMT

    I love how this Wilson guy is complaining about the management over at Rockstar and how they constantly delay games, yet when the games come out they are extremely impressive and sell very well.

    The method works, why complain? We all know that Rockstar is well known for delaying games quite abit before they release and the wait has always been worth it. Their work speaks for itself and I doubt that Rockstar would have pushed a game back that much and let it be terrible. They pushed it back for a reason and next year we'll see yet another amazing game come from Rockstar.

    I really hate analysts in this industry....

  • MacenKrace

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 7:42 am GMT

    I really like this old-school look they gave to GTA. I bet the story's gonna be awesome.

  • TheTrueMagusX1

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 7:41 am GMT

    @Philly1UPer Agreed. I find that delays for a game, for the most part are a good thing. When a delay hits a game it comes out as a better game. Though there are exceptions though of course, but for the most part a delay for me can be good news. Yes it is true, we may want the game come out quicker, we may want it now, but in the end, I rather get a quality product then something that is well, rushed. And as to the guy who said the developers are lazy, when they delay a game, that is far from true, when the rush it, thats when they are lazy imo.

  • smoman5000

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 5:41 am GMT

    I knew it wasnt coming out in october 2010...if there arent advertisements then it isnt close to releasing.

    I give both companies credit though, they're really using some awesome technology and actors for the game, i dont mind if its delayed.

  • 100starz

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 5:01 am GMT

    Wow, some troll thumbs down'd every post. I'ma thumbsup all of you

  • Heshertonfist

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 3:36 am GMT

    @Dynamo11

    I didn't realize that it's been five years.

  • poordude1089

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 2:50 am GMT

    I fail to see how this can be a blow to investor confidence, this is par for the course as far as Rockstar is concerned. How many times have their games been delayed, usually multiple times, then come out and sell a heptalamegagazillion copies? look at Red Dead Redemption, or GTA4, or even San Andreas. Then again there's no love lost for anyone who makes more than I do.

  • Ezio66 posted Aug 29, 2010 2:21 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Ezio66

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 2:21 am GMT (hide)

    what the heck r u ppl sayin. this game sucks. look at the genre of the game. this is adventure game. this is not an action game like gta4.

  • EdenProxy

    Posted Aug 29, 2010 12:32 am GMT

    "When its done"

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