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Grand Theft Auto coming to XBOX

post #1 of 35
9/3/03 at 10:16am
Thread Starter 
Just read this in the Hollywood Reporter:

Quote:
Video game publisher Take 2 Interactive plans to port its best-selling "Grand Theft Auto" franchise to XBOX next month. The DVD will include "Grand Theft Auto III" and Grand Thet Auto: Vice City," which have sold more than 17 million units worldwide as a Sony PlayStation 2 exclusive. Although both titles were released on PC, this marks the first time that they'll be available on a rival game system.
Source: <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/threast/pdfs/thre0903.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/threast/pdfs/thre0903.pdf</a>

I just bought the PC version on GTA: VC this weekend and look forward to playing it.

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post #2 of 35
9/3/03 at 10:35am
Quote:
möovyphreak:
Just read this in the Hollywood Reporter:

Quote:
Video game publisher Take Two Interactive plans to port its best-selling "Grand Theft Auto" franchise to XBOX next month. The DVD will include "Grand Theft Auto III" and Grand Thet Auto: Vice City," which have sold more than 17 million units worldwide as a Sony PlayStation 2 exclusive. Although both titles were released on PC, this marks the first time that they'll be available on a rival game system.
Source: <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/threast/pdfs/thre0903.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/threast/pdfs/thre0903.pdf</a>

I just bought the PC version on GTA: VC this weekend and look forward to playing it.
If this aint a wind up this is freaking excellant news.
This is the one game my PS2 mates have over me.
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post #3 of 35
9/3/03 at 11:37am
Am I the only one that thinks this sounds really odd? According to the blurb it's sold over 17 million units worldwide as a Playstation exclusive. I thought the exclusive contract ran through 2004 or 2005. Did they actually pay Sony off so that they could port the games over?

I've been one of those holdouts without an XBox for a while now, but this is enough to make me start thinking. I rarely play the PS2 any more, and the GTA games were enough on their own to keep the system going. I hate the idea of owning 2 systems at once though.
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post #4 of 35
9/3/03 at 11:48am
Rockstar is a division of Take 2 Interactive, not Sony. They used to be called DMA Design (yes, the people who made Lemmings) until they beefed up their image in the wake of GTA3.

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post #5 of 35
9/3/03 at 11:50am
I thought this was already announced.

Oh, and last month's XBOX magazine all but made it official in its teaser for the next issue. GTA is indeed coming to XBOX.

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post #6 of 35
9/3/03 at 11:57am
Quote:
Carl Cunningham®:
I thought this was already announced.

Oh, and last month's XBOX magazine all but made it official in its teaser for the next issue. GTA is indeed coming to XBOX.
I'm not necessarily doubting that it is coming to XBOX, I'm curious how it's coming to XBOX. Wouldn't Rockstar have to buy out of their deal with Sony? It's not much of an exclusive title if it's on the other systems, so Sony loses out there. If Rockstar did pay Sony off so that they could hit another platform that doesn't seem like the best business decision as I'd guess a large percentage of the PS2 GTA sales are people who own both systems and won't be double dipping. I'm just confused.
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post #7 of 35
9/3/03 at 12:01pm
Quote:
The DVD will include "Grand Theft Auto III" and Grand Thet Auto: Vice City," which have sold more than 17 million units worldwide as a Sony PlayStation 2 exclusive.
</strong>

Am I reading this wrong, or does this mean they'll be released on one DVD?
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post #8 of 35
9/3/03 at 12:12pm
That's weird that it's GTAIII and Vice City. I thought Rockstar would circumnavigate their Sony-exclusive contract by creating modernized Xbox ports of GTA I and II, since those two titles weren't Sony exclusives. This is definitely strange.

Then again, MGS2: Substance didn't make that big of a splash when it was released on Xbox. Maybe publishers are overestimating the number of gamers who only have or use one system?
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post #9 of 35
9/3/03 at 12:28pm
I think it's cool they're hitting the Box, but I see no need to double-dip since I have the PS2 versions already.

Any word on whether or not the graphics are gonna be beefed up?
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post #10 of 35
9/3/03 at 1:54pm
Quote:
Dan Whitehead:
Rockstar is a division of Take 2 Interactive, not Sony. They used to be called DMA Design (yes, the people who made Lemmings) until they beefed up their image in the wake of GTA3.
And Body Harvest! God damn, that game kicked ass. Don't suppose we'll ever see a proper sequel, though.

Quote:
Any word on whether or not the graphics are gonna be beefed up?
They'll look as good as the PC versions, which is not that great for GTA3 and fucking awesome for Vice City.

Live support would make me buy the box, but they'd never add it.
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post #11 of 35
9/3/03 at 3:16pm
I openly admit to being a technology fuckwit but wouldn't it be difficult to stuff both those games on one disc?
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post #12 of 35
9/3/03 at 3:22pm
Quote:
otisthecat:
I openly admit to being a technology fuckwit but wouldn't it be difficult to stuff both those games on one disc?
Probably impossible on a CD. It wouldn't be difficult at all on a DVD, which this is. DVDs store a ridiculous amount of data.
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post #13 of 35
9/3/03 at 3:27pm
Or maybe, via some miracle of modern production and engineering, they could put two DVDs in one package...
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post #14 of 35
9/3/03 at 3:55pm
Quote:
Dan Whitehead:
Or maybe, via some miracle of modern production and engineering, they could put two DVDs in one package...
Bitch.
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post #15 of 35
9/3/03 at 4:15pm
if they included those patches available now to incorporate multiplay, that would be cool. Me, I think all roads lead to the pc incarnation rather than wait for the x-box edition. or something. Cool news to hear though.
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post #16 of 35
9/3/03 at 4:20pm
It's cool for Xbox gamers if it's true, but somehow I have trouble believing it, seeing as it's completely out of the blue and that Rockstar does indeed have an exclusive contract with Sony till the end of 2004 (and they're pretty strict with this kinda thing).

PS: just so you know, Substance wasn't even released for Xbox in Japan.
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post #17 of 35
9/3/03 at 4:37pm
Quote:
For months now the rumors have been flying and it looks like IGN has found the final piece of the puzzle. Rockstar, in a conference call awhile back confirmed it would have a quarter 4 release for the Xbox. This led many to speculate that it would indeed be GTA III and/or GTA: Vice City, but the problem was that this would violate the exclusive contract with Sony that is good through the end of 2004.

Then whispers of a loophole in the contract began to swirl around the web and magazines. It appears these whispers are correct. According to IGN, Rockstar will be bringing GTA: Vice City to Xbox under the title of just: Vice City. Because the Grand Theft Auto series is exclusive to the PS2, this technically doesn't break the contract with Sony. IGN is saying that the Vice City game for Xbox will be the same version as the recently released PC version, which could mean customizable soundtracks and downloadable content.

As more information surfaces, we will keep you posted.</strong>

<a href="http://xbox.ign.com/articles/428/428823p1.html" target="_blank">Source: IGN.</a>
I refuse to believe that this story is the truth. Unless the wording of the contract was incredibly specific about the name of the game, that's a slippery slope for Rockstar to try to walk. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Sony's lawyers might be a smidge better than Rockstar's lawyers.

Of course, with that being said if they had a multiplayer mode with Live support I'd dump my PS2 and go XBOX. I'm such a sad whore.

Edited to make it clear which were my thoughts and what was the article.

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post #18 of 35
9/7/03 at 7:45am
Quote:
A-Pathetic:
Quote:
For months now the rumors have been flying and it looks like IGN has found the final piece of the puzzle. Rockstar, in a conference call awhile back confirmed it would have a quarter 4 release for the Xbox. This led many to speculate that it would indeed be GTA III and/or GTA: Vice City, but the problem was that this would violate the exclusive contract with Sony that is good through the end of 2004.

Then whispers of a loophole in the contract began to swirl around the web and magazines. It appears these whispers are correct. According to IGN, Rockstar will be bringing GTA: Vice City to Xbox under the title of just: Vice City. Because the Grand Theft Auto series is exclusive to the PS2, this technically doesn't break the contract with Sony. IGN is saying that the Vice City game for Xbox will be the same version as the recently released PC version, which could mean customizable soundtracks and downloadable content.

As more information surfaces, we will keep you posted.</strong>

<a href="http://xbox.ign.com/articles/428/428823p1.html" target="_blank">Source: IGN.</a>
I refuse to believe that this story is the truth. Unless the wording of the contract was incredibly specific about the name of the game, that's a slippery slope for Rockstar to try to walk. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Sony's lawyers might be a smidge better than Rockstar's lawyers.
Yeah, considering that the box art looks like <a href="http://xboxmedia.ign.com/xbox/image/gtadp_boxart_xbox.jpg" target="_blank">this,</a> I'd say that article is bullshit.
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post #19 of 35
9/7/03 at 2:06pm
I thought the deal was that there couldn't be "GTA"-Branded games on the XBOX. So in order for GTA: Vice City to come to the XBOX, it would have to be called Vice City.

Of course, it has been a year since GTA VC has come out for the PS2 which is plenty of time for some amount of exclusivity for Sony's console.

And I believe GTA4 will come out in Fall 2004 Exclusive to the PS2 first.
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post #20 of 35
9/7/03 at 2:19pm
Here's a screenshot from GTA3 for the Xbox. (I always liked this guy better than Tommy Vercetti.)
<a href="http://www.gamespydaily.com/screenshots/5392/2.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.gamespydaily.com/screenshots/5392/2.jpg</a>
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post #21 of 35
9/7/03 at 2:22pm
I heard a rumor that Rockstar was going to sit on GTA4 until the PS3 comes out, as they don't want to run the franchise into the ground too early. They want to keep it fresh and creative and make sure that the next step in the GTA universe is a big one.

I think the plan was to make spin-off games like Vice City until then. I really, really wish Sin City was true and not a rumor.
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post #22 of 35
9/7/03 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Agent 86:
I thought the deal was that there couldn't be "GTA"-Branded games on the XBOX. So in order for GTA: Vice City to come to the XBOX, it would have to be called Vice City.

Of course, it has been a year since GTA VC has come out for the PS2 which is plenty of time for some amount of exclusivity for Sony's console.

And I believe GTA4 will come out in Fall 2004 Exclusive to the PS2 first.
I'd say that Rockstar stumped up the cash to buy out of their exclusivity deal with Sony. I'm sure they'd easily make multiple times the amount they paid in sales from Xbox owners without a PS2, especialy considering it's a 2 for 1 deal.

The above IGN article about Rockstar using a legal loophole makes zero sense. Sure, they could call GTA: Vice City simply 'Vice City', but what about GTA3? 'Liberty City'?

That's moot anyway, as the new box art has Grand Theft Auto plastered prominently on the front.
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post #23 of 35
9/7/03 at 2:39pm
Maybe Rockstar made a new deal with Sony so Sony gets more exclusive games from Rockstar if Rockstar can take GTA elsewhere. Manhunt looks like a wickedly awesome game, and maybe Rockstar threatened to take it elsewhere. But, it looks like this is all real, no rumor bullshit, and I doubt Rockstar was using any loopholes in their contract to pull it off. Sony is letting them do this, and I bet they're getting something in return.
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post #24 of 35
9/7/03 at 4:39pm
I saw the box art for the new package for the Xbox version and it looks too plain. Doesn't really attract anyone, but hey.....it's GTA on Xbox, beggers can't be choosers. I just want to know the price point on this bad boy.
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post #25 of 35
9/7/03 at 8:29pm
ps2 - $39.99
xbox - $49.99

and technically, the exclusivity clause, if it's still in effect, is, as it says, against "grand theft auto". "GTA" would not be in breach.
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post #26 of 35
9/7/03 at 10:15pm
I said it once already...

Quote:
Sony is letting them do this, and I bet they're getting something in return.
Sony and Rockstar have a good relationship. If Rockstar went and pulled the whole loophole thing, Sony would be pissed. Sony would try to fight it. But, this seems to have been pretty quiet... so either they settled this very quietly, or like I said, some kind of deal was made.

And the boxart doesn't need to me fancy. All they have to to is put GTA on the box... nothing else... and people will buy it. Everyone and their mother knows what GTA is. You don't need a cool cover to sell it.
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post #27 of 35
9/7/03 at 11:27pm
Quote:
Cheese Biscuits:
I said it once already...

Quote:
Sony is letting them do this, and I bet they're getting something in return.
Sony and Rockstar have a good relationship. If Rockstar went and pulled the whole loophole thing, Sony would be pissed. Sony would try to fight it. But, this seems to have been pretty quiet... so either they settled this very quietly, or like I said, some kind of deal was made.

And the boxart doesn't need to me fancy. All they have to to is put GTA on the box... nothing else... and people will buy it. Everyone and their mother knows what GTA is. You don't need a cool cover to sell it.
Sony's not saying anything because Rockstar has Sony by the balls. If Sony would to file a breach of contract suit against Rockstar then Rockstar would just not have GTA 4 on a Sony console. Sony knows that the GTA series is the life blood of that system.
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post #28 of 35
9/8/03 at 1:56am
Quote:
Ninhead:
and technically, the exclusivity clause, if it's still in effect, is, as it says, against "grand theft auto". "GTA" would not be in breach.
Except, if this were how Rockstar managed to release it on Xbox, the box art clearly has a huge Grand Theft Auto dominating it.
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post #29 of 35
9/8/03 at 10:40am
It's true.

<a href="http://www.play.com/play247.asp?pa=stcs5&page=title&r=XBOX&title=13619 7" target="_blank">European release date and box art</a>

Damn, I need some extra cash.
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post #30 of 35
9/8/03 at 1:45pm
there was a contract amendment between sony, take two and rock star around the time of GDC 2003. all parties agreed to this; no conspiracy, no exploits.

the sony ps2 will still get an exclusive GTA title during calendar year 2004 to satisfy the terms of the original contract.
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post #31 of 35
9/8/03 at 3:36pm
Quote:
Ninhead:
and technically, the exclusivity clause, if it's still in effect, is, as it says, against "grand theft auto". "GTA" would not be in breach.
That's just silly. If this was the case any company could just slap a new name on an existing product to get past any exclusivity.

"No really, it isn't Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, it's just Star Wars: Republic Knights. See, it's a different name so we can sell it for the PS2 and Gamecube."

I doubt it.
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post #32 of 35
9/9/03 at 5:27am
Quote:
Ryo Professional Halo Player:

Sony's not saying anything because Rockstar has Sony by the balls. If Sony would to file a breach of contract suit against Rockstar then Rockstar would just not have GTA 4 on a Sony console. Sony knows that the GTA series is the life blood of that system.
excuse me? please read the following
<a href="http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=2204" target="_blank">http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=2204</a>
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post #33 of 35
9/9/03 at 9:03am
Quote:
Ryo Professional Halo Player:
Sony knows that the GTA series is the life blood of that system.
This is one of the most ridiculous statements I've read in a long time.
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post #34 of 35
9/9/03 at 9:07am
Shit, I missed that little nugget. Good catch Ego. Guess our little friend Ryo is apparently unaware of the dozen or so other million sellers that came out for PS2.

And Rockstar has announced that GTA4 will be exclusive for PS2, btw.
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post #35 of 35
9/29/03 at 6:14pm
Thread Starter 
Well, it's coming November 4th!

Electronics Boutique has it for preorder:
<a href="http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/238631.asp" target="_blank">http://www.ebgames.com/ebx/product/238631.asp</a>
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