Take-Two to revise and delay two PS2 games

Take-Two Interactive has announced that it has revised its fourth-quarter publishing schedule as a result of the terrorist attacks last week. In particular, Grand Theft Auto 3 and Smuggler's Run 2 for the Sony PlayStation 2, which were originally slated for release later this month, have now been pushed back to the second half of October. The delay is a result of the company's desire to alter specific content in both games. Grand Theft Auto 3 includes particular references to New York City, while several missions in Smuggler's Run 2 are based in Afghanistan. The time and resources required to make the appropriate alterations to those two titles has also had an effect on games such as Max Payne, which will now be released in the first quarter of the company's 2002 fiscal year on both the PS2 and the Xbox. Take-Two's first quarter of 2002 begins in November. The game was originally slated for release in the company's fourth fiscal quarter this year.

"In light of the tragedies that occurred last week, we believe it is appropriate to change certain content in our games," said Paul Eibeler, president of Take-Two Interactive. "As a result of these unfortunate events, we are revising our product release schedule.''

The company, which is based in downtown Manhattan, resumed business on Monday after being closed for four business days. Take-Two warned of lower fourth quarter earnings as a result of the game delays, but said that its financial situation remains strong thanks to upcoming games such as Duke Nukem Forever, Celebrity Deathmatch, State of Emergency, and Midnight Club 2, among others.