"Xbox, Meet GTA. GTA, this is Xox." (1 Viewer)

[John Kilroy]

In Take-Two Interactive's conference call with analysts early this week the company said that its exclusivity contract with Sony Computer Entertainment America has been amended and, additionally, executives strongly hinted that a version of Grand Theft Auto may come to Xbox.
During the Q&A section of the conference call, Take-Two's Jeffrey Lapin stated that an unannounced SKU would appear on Xbox in the fourth quarter of the company's fiscal year (which, for Rockstar, is November to January). Lapin didn't confirm it was Grand Theft Auto, but he implied, according to a source who listened in on the call, that it was a Grand Theft Auto title. If rumor proves true, then a previously published version of the game, i.e. Grand Theft Auto III or Grand Theft Auto Vice City, is in the works for Xbox.

According to the conference transcript, the relevant question asked in the call was: "Is GTA for Xbox coming, and when it is coming?" Lapin's answer was: "We said that there will be an Xbox SKU from Rockstar in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2004 [Nov. to Jan.], but we're not going to comment on what it is at this point."

The complete article:

http://xbox.ign.com/articles/421/421...html?fromint=1

 

[Scott "E"]

Already being discussed

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...threadid=68018

 

[Carl Johnson]

Thanks for the link, I've been considering adding a PS2 to my collection just so I can play GTA. If there's a possibility that it's coming to X Box I'll hold off

 

[Nick Graham]

Screw Rockstar for hopping in bed with Sony (this is coming from a man who only owns a PS2). Keeping a game off of superior hardware strictly because Sony is greasing your palms is pathetic, but to be expected. Considering I've read the PC version of Vice City will run just fine in a machine with a 500Mhz CPU, I say skip the PS2 versions on principle (though it's hard to do in a situation where the PC version isn't out yet...thankfully that is not the case right now). I am currently in the midst of the Vice City for PC, and loving it. No more long load times, and the cheat code that allows you to drive on water amuses me to no end for some reason.

Rest assured they will just be rehashing GTA 3 and GTA: Vice City, maybe with extra content, and I would assume the ability to make your own custom radio station (which you can do on the PC versions). Considering I just picked up GTA III for PC for $10.50 on eBay, and you can get Vice City for $39.99 at Wal-Mart, I say spend your $50 that way....and I'm not much of an avid PC gamer (though Half-Life 2 could change that).

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Any GTA game won't be on X-Box for a while (like a year and a half, at least). You might as well get a PS2 right now for GTA3/VC or just get the PC versions.

BTW, the guy mentioned up there (Lapin), his last name means "rabbit" in french. Interesting little sidenote.

 

[MikeAlletto]

Screw Rockstar for hopping in bed with Sony (this is coming from a man who only owns a PS2). Keeping a game off of superior hardware strictly because Sony is greasing your palms is pathetic, but to be expected.

cough cough halo cough cough

cough cough kettle black cough cough

 

[Joel Mack]

Bungie is owned by Microsoft.

Rockstar is not owned by Sony.

 

[StevenK]

Everybody plays the "exclusive" game...it's good business practice.

But I'd like to see Halo on the PS2...going at what? 2 frames per second?

(Puts flame retardent suit on)

 

[Damien]

this subject has been talked about for years and nothing new has sprung up. It was established that Sony had a contract with Rockstar to lock up the franchise until 2004, an ingenious move by sony if you ask me, as the franchise has sold more than xbox/gc combined.

 

[John-Miles]

But I'd like to see Halo on the PS2...going at what? 2 frames per second?

What about Splinter Cell, everyone doubted that could be done well on the PS2, but the reviews are pretty good. maybe its not as good, but i think your comment was more than a little harsh

 

[Scott Van Dyke]

*Looks around as the flames are spreading*

 

[GlenHaag]

Hmm... play two games with enhanced graphics 1 and 2 years respectively after I bought them the first time?

I wonder what the percentage of people who own Xboxes already own PS2's. You would figure that number would have to be pretty high.

Glen

 

[Allen_Appel]

I am so sick of Xboxers taking a "Sony/PS2/Rockstar sucks" stance because they don't have Grand Theft Auto (yet). I doubt anyone is posting to these boards on their Linuxed Xbox, so just buy the damn PC versions already. And what are they probably going to say when they finally do get it? "Yawn, that old port? Imma play me some more [whatever]--it's an Xbox exclusive, ya know." Fanboys never seem to mind that there are games that are exclusive to their own favorite systems.

I have all three consoles, plus Dreamcast, and I buy games for all four all the time. I'm not a PC gamer (my laptop can't handle the new games and I dislike keyboard gameplay), but I don't bitch about Battlefield 1942 being a PC exclusive. I play the games I can, and like it.

 

[MikeAlletto]

He said 'superior hardware'. Last I checked, the PS2 is inferior to the XBOX.

I never said PS2. In fact I didn't say any system at all. The superior hardware could be a PC (which yeah is getting Halo finally). Just to fuel the flames further you could say that the phrase "superior hardware" is left up to interpretation. Numbers on paper are one thing, but if nothing really takes full advantage of all that horsepower does it still remain "superior hardware"? hehehehe

 

[Jason Quillen]

IBTL, anyone?

JQ

 

[Dave F]

I don't bitch about Battlefield 1942 being a PC exclusive. I play the games I can, and like it.

Well said, Allen!

-Dave

 

[chris rick]

Well I'll jump in a bit off topic here. I own all three major consoles and have owned them for over a year now, and I must say that the Xbox is an absolute beast compared to the PS2. On an HDTV with component cables, there is just no comparison when running the PS2 and the XBOX side by side. The Xbox was designed for BIG things (let us look at Steel Batallion, Halo, etc--that the PS2 simply could never do) The PS2 is not a bad system, it's no slouch, in fact it is a nice piece of hardware with some amazing software out for it. IMO however the Xbox has caught up to and passed the PS2 with its recent batch of titles in the past six months. Many of the PS2 titles are great because of above average gameplay, and not (most of the time) for their graphical prowess. Take the GTA series for example. The GTA series is a very good, groundbreaking series because of the gameplay, but when run on an hdtv set (take gta vice city for example) this game just falls apart compared to many of the BIG XBOX titles with the same billing as the GTA series.-- great gameplay or not. Halo--even though not playable in HD, is phenomenal looking, and the gameplay surpasses anything pretty much ever put out. Steel Batallion- a game that people bitch a lot about because of the price tag, is actually a marvelous thing, and the subtle lighting and textures in this game are actually amazing. These are just two of the many high profile games that make the PS2 pale in comparison in terms of their BIG liscenses graphically--and can give GTA or any other PS2 high profile game a run for their money in terms of gameplay. I'm not bashing the PS2 here, as I own it and heavily enjoy such games as the GTA series, Devil May Cry, Sly Cooper, Tony Hawk 4, etc, but I'm trying to put things in perspective. To those of us that own all three systems, I think you'd be hard pressed to find many who would make an argument against the Xbox blowing the other systems out ot the water in terms of offering a BIG gaming experience. To top that all off, XBOX games are now becoming as good as they get with gameplay too.

 

[Peter Manojlovich]

From what I understand, rockstar and sony's agreement on the GTA series has been amended. However, the details of this ammendment are not available.

IMO, the tail, Rockstar is about to wag the dog, aka sony. The GTA series is big enough to swing the balance in a closely fought system war. Rockstar knows their window of opportunity for making money off the GTA series on other consoles is shrinking as we speak. Apparently, True Crime impressed a few people at E3. If sony gives Rockstar grief about bringing the GTA games to other consoles, Sony might find themselves GTA-less in the next round of system wars.

I think you're going to see more and more third-party developers flexing their corporate muscles, and doing what they see fit. Sony must have paid Rockstar a bundle to keep GTA off other consoles, but it looks like it wasn't enough to satisfy Rockstar.

 

[Allen_Appel]

Making the argument that the Xbox has more power and can display better graphics seems nonsensical to me. Duh, why would Microsoft deliver a competing console two years later and make it with worse specs? Are Xbox games better than the PS2's? Some of them are, some of them aren't. But I don't think the graphics are what put the better games over the top. And good-looking shit is still shitty.

Haven't GTA and VC each sold more copies than there are Xboxes? That sounds like reason enough for Rockstar to keep the franchise on the PS2.

 

[Scott L]

Duh, why would Microsoft deliver a competing console two years later and make it with worse specs?

Actually just one year.

I just hope when GTA comes to Xbox we'll see more than 30fps. Yea when it comes down to it it's about the fun, but I'd rather be enjoying that fun in real 5.1 with 480p+ compatability. As much as I love gaming on my PC, after the third installment I think this series belongs on consoles.