Posted 09/18/09 at 10:12:59 PM by Nathan Grayson

We’ve known for a while now that 2010 will be the year of our return to Rapture, but beyond that, things have been a bit hazy. No more, though. Today, Take-Two finally spotted the light at the end of the tunnel.
 
February 9, 2010. That’s the day you’ll be getting your Bathysphere in gear and descending into the madness of Rapture once again, according to a press release we received from Take-Two. Sure, you’ll only find a scrap of paper that says “IOU BioShock 2” under the Christmas tree this year, but at least now we know the wait won't be too painful.

If that’s still too much for you, though, fret not! There’s plenty of other <size descriptor> <family member> related entertainment available to hold you over until Big Daddy, Big Sister, and Little Sister make their February debut. For instance, you could run over to your local Blockbuster and pick up Big Momma’s House 2. We’ve heard great things about that porcine piece of celluloid. Or, we suppose, you could just play BioShock again, but what fun would that be?

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Posted 09/01/09 at 09:26:10 PM by Nathan Grayson

Man, who could forget the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas “Hot Coffee” kerfuffle that had Rockstar in hot water back in 2005? Not us, and certainly not Rockstar, considering that the fiasco’s still nipping at the publisher’s pocketbook here in the Future Neo-Year of 2009.

Fortunately, Rockstar announced today, the Grand Theft Auto-creator’s legal star count may finally be back down to zero. Busted, yes, but not wasted, thankfully. Concluding a lawsuit brought on by investors back in 2006, the publisher reached a $20,115,000 settlement with its disgruntled financial followers.  

“We are pleased to have reached this settlement, which represents another important step forward for the Company," said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two.

The original suit targeted alleged hidden stock option granting, as well as the Hot Coffee hoopla. And while it may not have completely hit the mark, veering off into a cool $20 million isn’t too bad, we think.

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Posted 07/14/09 at 04:41:12 AM by Nathan Grayson

Take-Two kicked off the week by announcing that BioShock 2 and Max Payne 3 – both originally scheduled to hit in 2009 – have taken a tumble into the first half of 2010.

“The decision to shift a release date is never an easy one, especially with a product as highly anticipated as BioShock 2. We felt that it was essential to invest the additional time to ensure that this title will deliver what its fans expect and deserve,” said Take-Two CEO Ben Feder.
 
“As a result, we will now be launching sequels to several of our strongest franchises - including BioShock 2, Mafia II, Max Payne 3 and Red Dead Redemption - during the next fiscal year.”    

As a result of that result, Take-Two’s 2009 is looking pretty sparse. We’re all for heart-pounding finishes, but Take-Two’s all-or-nothing 2010 plan is just wild. This is like when action heroes fall from great distances, only to fire off their grappling hooks at the last feasible second; sure, you know the hero’s not going to make any sort of craterous impact, but damn, Take-Two, 2010 had better be the best year ever. After all, Spider Man can’t swing by and catch everyone.

And if 2010 doesn't go your way, we imagine a number of your investors will be plumeting from buildings hoping not for someone to catch them, but for death's sweet, concrete flavored embrace. 

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Posted 05/19/09 at 03:24:32 AM by Nathan Grayson

And so it continues.
 
After shuttering its doors last week, Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms is apparently back on its feet. Well, sorta.
 
"While 3DR is a much smaller studio now, we will continue to operate as a company and continue to license and co-create games based upon the Duke Nukem franchise," the developer said in a press release.

The way 3D Realms tells it, though, Duke Nukem Forever – finished or not – won’t be able to release until Take-Two and 3D Realms kiss and make up. Previous agreements between the two companies have put Duke in his current predicament, but according to 3D Realms, it’s not like Take-Two hasn’t broken an agreement before.
 
"Take-Two never paid 3DR advances or any signing bonus or any other funds related to DNF, up until July 2008, at which time they paid $2.5m in connection with another agreement for an unannounced game," added the company. "This is the sum total Take-Two has paid 3DR in connection with DNF."

That lack of funding effectively killed the game’s development cycle last week. Take-Two allegedly attempted to right the sinking ship by offering to acquire the Duke Nukem franchise and 3D Realms, but due to such stipulations as “no upfront money, no guarantee minimum payment, and no guarantee to complete the DNF game,” 3D Realms refused.

Now the two companies are gearing up for a long, painful court session, which at this point, just seems like Fate giving us a big middle finger for ever hoping Duke might see the light of day. Is some news better than 12 years of no news? In this case, we're not so sure.

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Posted 05/17/09 at 01:28:27 AM by Nathan Grayson

Duke Nukem Forever this, Duke Nukem Forever that. We might as well be beating a dead horse at this point, but at least we’re not suing one. That’s Take-Two territory right there.

Apparently, the publisher wasn’t too happy to hear that Duke Nukem Forever developer 3D Realms decided to close up shop last week. Why? Well, according to Take-Two, 3D Realms breached its agreement to finish DNF when the big bad economic wolf finally blew it down. The agreement was probably made in 2007, though at that time, specific details weren’t made public.
 
"[3D Realms] continually delayed the completion date for the Duke Nukem Forever," said Take-Two in its complaint. "[3D Realms] repeatedly assured Take-Two and the video-gaming community that it was diligently working toward competing development of the PC Version of the Duke Nukem Forever."

But the rabbit hole runs deeper. A quick dig through pertinent legal documents reveals that Take-Two is also attempting to pry Duke Nukem Forever’s source code from 3D Realms’ cold, mostly dead hands, and will probably go through with it if the publisher has its way in court. As of now, even though 3D Realms went under, it still holds onto its unfinished game.
 
Meanwhile, 3D Realms co-owner Scott Miller claims that Take-Two never actually paid the developer the $12 million needed to secure publishing rights for DNF – which, if true, renders much of Take-Two’s argument moot.
 
"No. We didn't get a penny of that money," Miller said. "This, along with so much else, is 100% spin, being eaten up by those who have no clue whatsoever."

Well, so much for the Duke Nukem Forever saga ending not with a bang, but a whimper. Expect more fireworks from Take-Two and 3D Realms in the coming weeks.

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Posted 08/13/08 at 08:32:01 PM by Nathan Grayson

I haven't played a game in days.

When I was a youngster, in between seven hour sessions of the latest 60 hour role-playing behemoth, I always told myself that I wouldn't be like those other adults when I grew up -- those adults who whiled away their days in front of a cramped desk, wishing they still had room in their busy schedules to work through their ever-expanding pile of shame. But here I sit, leg sandwiched between a desk and my chest, foot resting on my chair. Yeah, the prognosis isn't looking so hot.

These days, I'm happy to fit in some game time every couple of days, so it's only natural that my tastes have changed. While many vocal gamers whipped up sternly-worded message board posts after beating Portal in a single afternoon, I only grinned. I'd taken the tour, seen the sights, and gotten the ubiquitous tune stuck in my head -- in and out, no filler. If the credits roll within a mere couple of hours, so be it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time; I see no reason to be dissatisfied. In the end, short games fit snuggly into the hustle and bustle of my life, while encouraging their creators to craft tightly-paced experiences. Win-win.

But what's your take? Do you prefer long journeys whose plot threads tangle you up and never let go? Do you gripe when a game doesn't include any sort of multiplayer? Or do you currently have Braid penciled in for this weekend, with all times subject to change?   

Well, for those of you who fall into the former camp, today's your lucky day. This particular Roundup is all about lengthier titles -- from a day-long boss battle to BioWare (Need I say more?), and maybe a quick smoke in between. Jump past the break for the whole shebang.

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Posted 07/11/08 at 08:16:03 PM by Nathan Grayson

It's the last Roundup before E3, and I must say that gaming news didn't really slow down as much as I'd expected this week. This, of course, calls E3's relevance into question, and whether or not the show will blow our minds or simply flaunt how awesome Starcraft II will be for the umpteen-jillionth time. I'm hoping developers are keeping a few secrets pressed tightly to their chests in anticipation of next week, but those same hopes aren't too high.

As for today's batch of news, we have a bevy of Acti-Blizzard details -- including which developers are taking a few blows as a result of their new daddy -- some sad news for Warhammer Online fans, and some even sadder news for-- oh wait, it's Hellgate.

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