• 16Apr 08

  GTA IV Opening Puts EA-Take 2 Buyout in Perspective

  According to a recent GameSpot news story, Grand Theft Auto IV could have the biggest opening week in video game history, raking in approximately $400 million dollars.
  
  And if you think about it, GTA IV should have the biggest opening yet, since it'll debut on both the PS3 and Xbox 360. Most big, must-have games are system exclusives (Halo, Metal Gear Solid, Final Fantasy, God of War, Gran Turismo, Zelda, Mario). Even the Grand Theft Auto series historically launched exclusively on PlayStation systems, whether it was the PS2 or PSP.
  
  But that's over now, and Grand Theft Auto IV is not only launching on two platforms, but it's also one of the only games that is so notorious and mainstream that practically everyone will buy it. After this, you might even think Take 2 would be able to turn around and buy EA.
  
  But wait, isn't there another franchise with ultra-powerful name recognition that's notorious for launching on every single video game system, and even some watches? One that's been hitting every single year since the early nineties? Oh that's right, Madden. In the time it has taken Rockstar to produce six Grand Theft Auto games, EA has released over 55 Madden titles. No wonder they're looking at the GTA publisher the way John Madden looks at a loose-meat sandwhich.
  • Posted Apr 16, 2008 12:07 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 11 Comments
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• 15Apr 08

  Gran Turismo 5 Prologue: A GameStop Tale

  I just deleted a 700 word blog post after getting back from GameStop. Originally, I planned to rant about my certainty that Gran Turismo 5 Prologue would sell like hotcakes, while Okami for the Wii sold like cow patties. This, I thought, would be ironic, since Okami is a huge, awesome game, and Prologue seems to me like an incomplete cash grab. I had broken the piece up into several parts, wherein I compared the hype, competition and content of the respective titles.
  
  The final section was going to be called "Sales Pitches," and in it I was going to describe the efforts of GameStop employees to convince me to buy each one. I guessed they would try very hard to sell me a copy of Prologue, and probably wouldn't even mention Okami. Well, things didn't quite go according to plan. The following is an account of today's trip to GameStop.
  
  I walked in the door and asked the two sales clerks what was new.

  "Hmmm, not much," one of them said, "couple price drops."

  I thought maybe he had misunderstood me, so I asked "No big new games?"

  He said "No."

  Surprised, I asked "Well, what about Gran Turismo 5 Prologue?"

  "Oh, well that comes out tomorrow."

  "Is it going to be pretty good? Do you think it'll be worth buying a PS3?"

  He looked at me like I'd just eaten a live mouse and said "Are you crazy? It's practically a demo."

  I LOL'd.

  • Posted Apr 15, 2008 3:23 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 7 Comments
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• 14Apr 08

  From Monday to Funday - GTA IV vs Iron Man Edition

  A big shot at EA named Riccitiello recently made a statement to the press. His insight?
  
  Hollywood is "worried".
  
  Says Riccitiello, "The buzz in Hollywood, which I heard from some Hollywood folks...is people are worried whether Iron Man the movie is going to get killed by Grand Theft Auto the game. I don't think I've ever heard of that before... There is more interest today from Hollywood to make movies out of our games than there is interest in our industry to make games out of their movies. There's a big reset happening now."
  
  Or, in gamer diction: "I heard GTA IV was going to have sex with Iron Man, then run it over and take its money. Game over, b**ches."
  
  In my opinion, Riccitiello has it backwards. If Iron Man fails at the box office, GTA IV won't be the problem, it'll be the solution. Or rather, scapegoat. Because as we all know, if anyone is going to drunkenly screw and kill Iron Man, that person is Robert Downey Jr.

  Speaking of backwards:

  Kaplan and Aspyr are making an SAT prep game. Look, kids don't need study devices that resemble video games; they get wrongfully accused of screwing around enough. What kids really need is a Nintendo DS model that looks just like a text book. Now that's serious gaming.
  
  Also, what about prep games for older DS owners? Sure, the SATs are stressful, but compared to the crazy, soul staining stuff adults face, a standardized test is child's play. Here are some helpful preparatory games I'd like to see:
  
  The Meaningless Existence Game - You have one boring life, and then it's over.

  And for the female crowd:
  
  So Your Husband Is Cheating - A first-person shooter.

  Are there any helpful prep games you think would make responsible additions to this list? Make sure and leave 'em in the comments.

  • Posted Apr 14, 2008 4:12 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
  • 6 Comments
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