Grand Theft Auto V will sell more at launch than Grand Theft Auto IV managed in its first year on shelves, according to one analyst. Sterne Agee's Arvind Bhatia today released a note to investors, saying he expects the game to debut in the first three months of 2013, posting sales of 14 million copies.
Bhatia said the GTAV launch should bring in about $700 million in revenue for Take-Two, which said it expected just over $1 billion for Rockstar products this fiscal year. With Max Payne 3 the only announced Rockstar title to launch this year, Bhatia believes it "is all but a given" that the publisher is planning to launch GTAV before the March 31, 2013, end of its fiscal year.
For perspective on just how big the game is for the publisher, Take-Two's previous fiscal year saw total revenues of $825.8 million. The publisher has projected this year's sales to hit $1.75 billion to $1.85 billion. That uptick has led to widespread agreement from analysts that GTAV will launch in Take-Two's current fiscal year.
GTAIV debuted in April of 2008 and shipped 13 million before the end of March 2009. The game enjoyed sales over a prolonged stretch of time, as two years later, Take-Two said shipments had reached nearly 20 million.
Copied from Gamespot.com
Monday, 28 May 2012
Thursday, 24 May 2012
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrach revealed.
The soundtrack for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has been revealed. In an interview with Sound and Vision, developer Robomodo confirmed the game's 14 songs, including "Superman" by Goldfinger, a track the studio said was "mandated" by fans.
The Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrack (listed in full below) is almost an even mix of songs from the original Tony Hawk titles and songs new to the franchise. Project manager Ken Overbey discussed the licensing and decision process, saying it was no easy task for a number of reasons.
"It was a little difficult. We definitely wanted to bring back some of the songs from the original soundtrack, but wanted new songs as well," he said. "The most difficulty we had was our budget, which was very small, and the scope and time frame; it was a lot of work to get it all lined up and get the songs in. You have to put out a risk analysis report and you have to point out to the publisher what the biggest risks are in the development. Anyone who knows the game knows the music is just as important as the gameplay."
In development at Robomodo (Tony Hawk Ride, Tony Hawk Shred), Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is due out in June and will be the first Tony Hawk title distributed exclusively through digital channels. It will contain levels from the first two Tony Hawk titles, retouched and running on a new game engine.
Confirmed characters for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD thus far include familiar favorites like Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Andrew Reynolds, and Eric Koston, as well as newcomers like Chris Cole, Nyjah Huston, and Hawk's son, Riley Hawk. A firm price for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has not been announced, but it is expected to sell for "around $15".
The full Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrack is below.
Songs taken from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2:
"Bring the Noise" - Anthrax featuring Chuck D (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"Superman" - Goldfinger (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1)
"When Worlds Collide" - Powerman 5000 (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"Heavy Metal Winner" - Consumed (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"May 16" - Lagwagon (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"No Cigar" - Millencolin (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"You" - Bad Religion (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
Songs new to the Tony Hawk franchise:
"The Bomb" - Pigeon John
"We the People" - Lateef the Truthspeaker
"Marathon Mansion!"- Pegasuses-XL
"Teenage Blood - Apex Manor
"Please Ask for Help" - Telekinesis
"Flyentology (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix)" - El-P featuring Trent Reznor
"USA" - Middle Class Rut (new to the franchise)
Copied From: Gamespot.com
The Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrack (listed in full below) is almost an even mix of songs from the original Tony Hawk titles and songs new to the franchise. Project manager Ken Overbey discussed the licensing and decision process, saying it was no easy task for a number of reasons.
"It was a little difficult. We definitely wanted to bring back some of the songs from the original soundtrack, but wanted new songs as well," he said. "The most difficulty we had was our budget, which was very small, and the scope and time frame; it was a lot of work to get it all lined up and get the songs in. You have to put out a risk analysis report and you have to point out to the publisher what the biggest risks are in the development. Anyone who knows the game knows the music is just as important as the gameplay."
Confirmed characters for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD thus far include familiar favorites like Hawk, Rodney Mullen, Andrew Reynolds, and Eric Koston, as well as newcomers like Chris Cole, Nyjah Huston, and Hawk's son, Riley Hawk. A firm price for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has not been announced, but it is expected to sell for "around $15".
The full Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD soundtrack is below.
Songs taken from Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2:
"Bring the Noise" - Anthrax featuring Chuck D (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"Superman" - Goldfinger (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1)
"When Worlds Collide" - Powerman 5000 (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"Heavy Metal Winner" - Consumed (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"May 16" - Lagwagon (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"No Cigar" - Millencolin (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
"You" - Bad Religion (Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2)
Songs new to the Tony Hawk franchise:
"The Bomb" - Pigeon John
"We the People" - Lateef the Truthspeaker
"Marathon Mansion!"- Pegasuses-XL
"Teenage Blood - Apex Manor
"Please Ask for Help" - Telekinesis
"Flyentology (Cassettes Won't Listen Remix)" - El-P featuring Trent Reznor
"USA" - Middle Class Rut (new to the franchise)
Copied From: Gamespot.com
Wednesday, 23 May 2012
Xbox 360 should be banned in USA,says judge
The ongoing legal dispute between Motorola Mobility and Microsoft could see some versions of the Xbox 360 banned in the United States. International Trade Commission judge David Shaw has recommended that the trade group ban the import of 4GB and 250GB Xbox 360 S consoles, reports Courthouse News. These consoles are manufactured in China.
Sales of consoles already in the United States should be banned by a cease-and-desist order, Shaw says. On top of this, the judge recommends Microsoft pay Motorola 7 percent of the value of any unsold consoles in the U.S.
Microsoft argues that Shaw's order to ban the import of Xbox 360 consoles would hurt consumers, as it would leave interested buyers with only two options: the PlayStation 3 or the Nintendo Wii. Shaw rejected this assertion, noting the public interest in enforcing intellectual property rights trumps any "economical impact" on console buyers.
Should ITC commissioners agree with Shaw's recommendation, President Barack Obama and advisors will have 60 days to review the decision, the site reports. After this time, whatever is decided can be appealed.
Last month, Shaw ruled that the Xbox 360 violated a string of patents Motorola holds for video decoding, Wi-Fi connection, and console-to-accessory connections. And earlier this month, a German court decision banned the sale of Xbox 360 consoles in that country, though it had no immediate effect, because Microsoft was granted a preliminary injunction.
The ITC is expected to conclude its investigation by August 23.
Sales of consoles already in the United States should be banned by a cease-and-desist order, Shaw says. On top of this, the judge recommends Microsoft pay Motorola 7 percent of the value of any unsold consoles in the U.S.
Microsoft argues that Shaw's order to ban the import of Xbox 360 consoles would hurt consumers, as it would leave interested buyers with only two options: the PlayStation 3 or the Nintendo Wii. Shaw rejected this assertion, noting the public interest in enforcing intellectual property rights trumps any "economical impact" on console buyers.
Should ITC commissioners agree with Shaw's recommendation, President Barack Obama and advisors will have 60 days to review the decision, the site reports. After this time, whatever is decided can be appealed.
Last month, Shaw ruled that the Xbox 360 violated a string of patents Motorola holds for video decoding, Wi-Fi connection, and console-to-accessory connections. And earlier this month, a German court decision banned the sale of Xbox 360 consoles in that country, though it had no immediate effect, because Microsoft was granted a preliminary injunction.
The ITC is expected to conclude its investigation by August 23.
Monday, 21 May 2012
Max Payne beats Diablo to UK No.1
Max Payne 3 outdid its predecessor by a factor of 10:1 in its first week on sale, pipping Diablo III to the UK All-Formats number one. It was the second-biggest launch of the year so far--just behind Mass Effect 3, and Take 2's first number one since LA Noire hit the top spot in 2011.
The official sales charts only include physical sales, however, as digital downloads are not tracked as part of the main chart. In stores and from traditional online retailers, 11 percent of Diablo III's sales were of the limited collector's edition, compared to two percent for Max Payne 3.
FIFA Street kept up its strong performance, slotting in at three, refusing to budge from the top five despite a 17 percent drop in sales. Last week's number one, Sniper Elite V2, saw a 68 percent drop in sales as it found itself in fourth place.
FIFA 12 rounded out the top five following an eight percent drop in sales, while Prototype 2 dropped to six after a 15 percent decline in sales. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 bucked the trend to post a 21 percent rise in sales and re-enter the top 10 at seven, sneaking ahead of Battlefield 3, which saw sales slip two percent.
The top 10 was rounded off by Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics.
The official sales charts only include physical sales, however, as digital downloads are not tracked as part of the main chart. In stores and from traditional online retailers, 11 percent of Diablo III's sales were of the limited collector's edition, compared to two percent for Max Payne 3.
FIFA Street kept up its strong performance, slotting in at three, refusing to budge from the top five despite a 17 percent drop in sales. Last week's number one, Sniper Elite V2, saw a 68 percent drop in sales as it found itself in fourth place.
FIFA 12 rounded out the top five following an eight percent drop in sales, while Prototype 2 dropped to six after a 15 percent decline in sales. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 bucked the trend to post a 21 percent rise in sales and re-enter the top 10 at seven, sneaking ahead of Battlefield 3, which saw sales slip two percent.
The top 10 was rounded off by Assassin's Creed: Revelations and Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympics.
Friday, 18 May 2012
Epic games pushing for "quantum leap"in next gen hardware power
Epic Games is calling on Microsoft and Sony to offer bleeding-edge visuals with the next wave of consoles, and it believes the Unreal Engine 4 can spur such an advancement in fidelity. In an interview published today at Wired, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski said the company's proprietary Unreal Engine 4 needs to be at the forefront of next-generation technology.
"There is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of our engine team and our studio to drag this industry into the next generation," Bleszinski said. "It is up to Epic, and [CEO] Tim Sweeney in particular, to motivate Sony and Microsoft not to phone in what these next consoles are going to be. It needs to be a quantum leap. They need to damn near render Avatar in real time, because I want it and gamers want it--even if they don't know they want it."
Why should Microsoft and Sony listen to Epic? Sweeney says his company has a more intimate relationship with manufacturers than others do.
"We're much more in sync with the console makers than any other developer is," he said. "That means we can give detailed recommendations with a complete understanding of what is going to be commercially possible."
A preview of the Unreal Engine 4 was offered to select licensees, partners, and prospective clients during the 2012 Game Developers Conference in March, with those parties required to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
As for advancements of the Unreal Engine 4 over its predecessors, Sweeney said the new framework includes tools that allow for shortened production cycles and lower development costs. In terms of technical specifics, the new engine includes a new dynamic lighting system, which operates based on calculations of objects' inherent properties, as opposed to being dictated by preprogrammed effects. This technology will supposedly allow for more realistic lighting, where "colors mix, translucent materials glow, and objects viewed through water refract."
For more on the Unreal Engine 4, and to see images rendered by the technology, check out the full Wired interview.
"There is a huge responsibility on the shoulders of our engine team and our studio to drag this industry into the next generation," Bleszinski said. "It is up to Epic, and [CEO] Tim Sweeney in particular, to motivate Sony and Microsoft not to phone in what these next consoles are going to be. It needs to be a quantum leap. They need to damn near render Avatar in real time, because I want it and gamers want it--even if they don't know they want it."
Why should Microsoft and Sony listen to Epic? Sweeney says his company has a more intimate relationship with manufacturers than others do.
"We're much more in sync with the console makers than any other developer is," he said. "That means we can give detailed recommendations with a complete understanding of what is going to be commercially possible."
A preview of the Unreal Engine 4 was offered to select licensees, partners, and prospective clients during the 2012 Game Developers Conference in March, with those parties required to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
As for advancements of the Unreal Engine 4 over its predecessors, Sweeney said the new framework includes tools that allow for shortened production cycles and lower development costs. In terms of technical specifics, the new engine includes a new dynamic lighting system, which operates based on calculations of objects' inherent properties, as opposed to being dictated by preprogrammed effects. This technology will supposedly allow for more realistic lighting, where "colors mix, translucent materials glow, and objects viewed through water refract."
For more on the Unreal Engine 4, and to see images rendered by the technology, check out the full Wired interview.
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