http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hVLnDu3OLPfL9gVGgA4ybW_EuIsQD90GT84G0
Grand Theft Auto IV video game tops $500M in 1st-week sales
5-7-8
NEW YORK (AP) — Video-game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. said Wednesday that sales of its popular and eagerly anticipated title "Grand Theft Auto IV" reached more than $500 million in its first week of availability.
The company said it has sold more than 6 million units globally since the game was released April 29.
The New York-based company said it sold 3.6 million units on its opening day alone, worth a retail value of $310 million worldwide.
"Grand Theft Auto IV" follows the criminal exploits of protagonist Niko Bellic, an immigrant-turned-gangster who travels from Eastern Europe to Liberty City, the game's fictional locale based on New York City. As Bellic, players can hijack cars, earn cash for criminal activities, shoot innocent bystanders and visit strip clubs.
Critics say the extreme violence in "Grand Theft Auto" video games could be harmful to children, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving has complained that the latest version includes the ability to drive while intoxicated.
Showing posts with label Take-Two. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Take-Two. Show all posts
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
GTA IV May Have Cost $100 Million to Make
http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/gta-iv-may-have-cost-100-million-to-make/
GTA IV May Have Cost $100 Million to Make
Was Grand Theft Auto IV the most expensive game ever made? It sure seems that way, as Rockstar has guessed that it cost around $100 million. Good thing they will make that back and then some.
Posted by James Brightman on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
It's been well documented how costly it can be to make high-end video games for the current consoles, particularly the Xbox 360 and PS3. Game budgets of $20 million - $30 million or more are becoming more frequent as consumers demand bigger and bigger production values. Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV certainly has the production values, and the game may have literally been the most expensive ever made.
In a recent Sunday Times report, Leslie Benzies, Rockstar North's president and the producer of GTA IV, said he didn't know exactly how much the game ultimately cost, but he guessed that it was in the range of $100 million. Roughly 1,000 people were involved in putting the whole game together. "It's like making a theatre production, a few movies and an album all to fit into one package," he said.
In addition to roughly 1,000 pages of script, acting, voice work, animation, music, and so on, in order to recreate a virtual New York (called Liberty City in the game), Rockstar took over 100,000 photographs on location and even used time-lapse cameras set on rooftops in New York to capture the correct intensity of the rain. This kind of detail alone no doubt shot the budget way up.
Normally, investing this kind of cash into a video game project would be a very risky endeavor, but GTA is one of those surefire hits. Even if it cost over $100 million, Take-Two is expected to rake in $400 million in the first week alone. That's quite a profit.
GTA IV May Have Cost $100 Million to Make
Was Grand Theft Auto IV the most expensive game ever made? It sure seems that way, as Rockstar has guessed that it cost around $100 million. Good thing they will make that back and then some.
Posted by James Brightman on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
It's been well documented how costly it can be to make high-end video games for the current consoles, particularly the Xbox 360 and PS3. Game budgets of $20 million - $30 million or more are becoming more frequent as consumers demand bigger and bigger production values. Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV certainly has the production values, and the game may have literally been the most expensive ever made.
In a recent Sunday Times report, Leslie Benzies, Rockstar North's president and the producer of GTA IV, said he didn't know exactly how much the game ultimately cost, but he guessed that it was in the range of $100 million. Roughly 1,000 people were involved in putting the whole game together. "It's like making a theatre production, a few movies and an album all to fit into one package," he said.
In addition to roughly 1,000 pages of script, acting, voice work, animation, music, and so on, in order to recreate a virtual New York (called Liberty City in the game), Rockstar took over 100,000 photographs on location and even used time-lapse cameras set on rooftops in New York to capture the correct intensity of the rain. This kind of detail alone no doubt shot the budget way up.
Normally, investing this kind of cash into a video game project would be a very risky endeavor, but GTA is one of those surefire hits. Even if it cost over $100 million, Take-Two is expected to rake in $400 million in the first week alone. That's quite a profit.
GTA IV sex video gives Thompson fresh ammo
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080428-jack-thompson-targets-gta-iv-with-an-unlikely-ally-ign.html
GTA IV sex video gives Thompson, other critics fresh ammo
By Ben Kuchera
Published: April 28, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV is one day away from release, and already Jack Thompson has begun to step up his war on the title. The embattled Florida attorney has written a letter to the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, R. Alexander Acosta, demanding that legal action be taken against Take Two and retailers for selling the game. This time, Thompson appears to have an unlikely ally thanks to video gaming news site IGN.
Thompson sent a copy of the letter to Ars Technica, and his demands are far-reaching. "Indictments should be returned against Take Two corporately and its Chairman, Strauss Zelnick, along with other Take Two officers. Indictment should also be against Sony and Microsoft which are making this pornographic game available to minors, and openly so, on their PS3 and Xbox systems," Thompson wrote. "Further, indictments should be handed down against Wal-Mart, Best Buy, GameStop, and all other retailers distributing this game to minors at their retail stores, openly, to kids who are only seventeen."
He then compares the game to, of all things, polio. "Grand Theft Auto IV is the gravest assault upon children in this country since polio. We now have vaccines for that virus... The 'vaccine' that must be administered by the United States government to deal with this virtual virus of violence and sexual depravity is criminal prosecutions of those who have conspired to do this. If you doubt me, look at the aforementioned streaming audio/video. It will make you sick."
This is where the story takes a turn, because Jack Thompson provides a link to a video, put together by the gaming news site IGN, called "Ladies of Liberty City." Be careful clicking on that link; there is absolutely nothing there that is safe for work.
The video strips the game of all context and merely shows scenes of sexual content and violence, one after the other. In fact, it can be hard to watch for that reason, and it's a rather numbing experience. The game's lead character, Niko, drives up to prostitutes, honks the horn, then shoots them. You see a simulated sex act, only to have Niko run the hooker over afterwards with his car. The video shows graphic lap dances featuring one, and then two, girls. The language is even worse, including—and excuse the stars, "F*** the s*** out of it, you nasty f******."
"This is clearly an Adults Only game. It's not even close," Thompson wrote. The sexual content shown in the IGN video is only a very small part of the game, and it can be avoided by players. The shootings are all random and, as far as we know, play no part in the actual play of Grand Theft Auto IV. We'll be sure to update the story if there's a prostitute-hunting mission, but the video seems designed to show just how depraved the game can be, and it has given Jack Thompson his best ammunition yet to fight the game.
The video is over the top, and since the acts are shown one after the other, the game can be portrayed as a nonstop sexual experience. When critics slammed Fox News over the coverage of the sexual content in Mass Effect, it was clear that no one involved had actually played the game or even watched a video of the content. With "Ladies of Liberty City," IGN has provided Jack Thompson and the mainstream media the perfect weapon to attack the game: a smörgåsbord of sex and violence that can be shown to anyone who doubts the game needs to be stopped.
It's doubtful any meaningful action will be taken, as Jack Thompson has recently been sanctioned and has so far racked up little apart from personal fame, but it's clear that the controversy surrounding the game is far from over.
GTA IV sex video gives Thompson, other critics fresh ammo
By Ben Kuchera
Published: April 28, 2008
Grand Theft Auto IV is one day away from release, and already Jack Thompson has begun to step up his war on the title. The embattled Florida attorney has written a letter to the US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, R. Alexander Acosta, demanding that legal action be taken against Take Two and retailers for selling the game. This time, Thompson appears to have an unlikely ally thanks to video gaming news site IGN.
Thompson sent a copy of the letter to Ars Technica, and his demands are far-reaching. "Indictments should be returned against Take Two corporately and its Chairman, Strauss Zelnick, along with other Take Two officers. Indictment should also be against Sony and Microsoft which are making this pornographic game available to minors, and openly so, on their PS3 and Xbox systems," Thompson wrote. "Further, indictments should be handed down against Wal-Mart, Best Buy, GameStop, and all other retailers distributing this game to minors at their retail stores, openly, to kids who are only seventeen."
He then compares the game to, of all things, polio. "Grand Theft Auto IV is the gravest assault upon children in this country since polio. We now have vaccines for that virus... The 'vaccine' that must be administered by the United States government to deal with this virtual virus of violence and sexual depravity is criminal prosecutions of those who have conspired to do this. If you doubt me, look at the aforementioned streaming audio/video. It will make you sick."
This is where the story takes a turn, because Jack Thompson provides a link to a video, put together by the gaming news site IGN, called "Ladies of Liberty City." Be careful clicking on that link; there is absolutely nothing there that is safe for work.
The video strips the game of all context and merely shows scenes of sexual content and violence, one after the other. In fact, it can be hard to watch for that reason, and it's a rather numbing experience. The game's lead character, Niko, drives up to prostitutes, honks the horn, then shoots them. You see a simulated sex act, only to have Niko run the hooker over afterwards with his car. The video shows graphic lap dances featuring one, and then two, girls. The language is even worse, including—and excuse the stars, "F*** the s*** out of it, you nasty f******."
"This is clearly an Adults Only game. It's not even close," Thompson wrote. The sexual content shown in the IGN video is only a very small part of the game, and it can be avoided by players. The shootings are all random and, as far as we know, play no part in the actual play of Grand Theft Auto IV. We'll be sure to update the story if there's a prostitute-hunting mission, but the video seems designed to show just how depraved the game can be, and it has given Jack Thompson his best ammunition yet to fight the game.
The video is over the top, and since the acts are shown one after the other, the game can be portrayed as a nonstop sexual experience. When critics slammed Fox News over the coverage of the sexual content in Mass Effect, it was clear that no one involved had actually played the game or even watched a video of the content. With "Ladies of Liberty City," IGN has provided Jack Thompson and the mainstream media the perfect weapon to attack the game: a smörgåsbord of sex and violence that can be shown to anyone who doubts the game needs to be stopped.
It's doubtful any meaningful action will be taken, as Jack Thompson has recently been sanctioned and has so far racked up little apart from personal fame, but it's clear that the controversy surrounding the game is far from over.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Electronic Arts Offers $2 Billion for Take-Two
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/technology/25game-web.html
February 25, 2008
Electronic Arts Offers $2 Billion for Take-Two
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and SETH SCHIESEL
Electronic Arts, the video gaming giant, made an unsolicited $2 billion bid on Sunday for rival Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, a deal that would further a wave of consolidation in the rapidly growing industry.
Electronic Arts, which publishes hit games like the Madden N.F.L. and Need for Speed series, offered to pay $26 a share for Take-Two, a 50 percent premium over its share price of $17.36 on Friday. The offer was made publicly after a series of private offers to Take-Two were rejected by its board.
Electronic Arts approached Take Two with a $26-a-share offer on Feb. 19, up from $25 share it initially offered on Feb. 15.
The timing of the bid appears to be an attempt to acquire Take-Two before it releases what is widely expected to be the top-selling game of 2008, the fourth installment of the crime thriller Grand Theft Auto. The Grand Theft Auto franchise, Take-Two’s crown jewel, has sold more than 60 million copies since Grand Theft Auto III took the game industry by storm in 2001.
Through its Rockstar subsidiary, Take-Two is scheduled to release the game on April 29 for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 consoles. If it lives up to consumers’ expectations, the game is expected to sell 10 million copies or more by the end of the year, which would almost certainly make Take-Two more expensive.
Electronic Art’s dominance has been strongly challenged by Activision. Not only has Activision had a recent string of hits, notably Guitar Hero, it also recently agreed to buy Vivendi’s game division to form a company called Activision Blizzard.
At the same time, E.A. has endured a growing chorus of criticism from some investors who say the company has lost its creative and innovative edge.
There is little doubt that E.A. remains the juggernaut of the video game industry. But it has come to rely heavily on sequels.
A merger with Take-Two would be a union of two vastly different companies. E.A. has a reputation for steady growth and fiscal discipline, while Take-Two is known as a mercurial one-hit wonder.
Electronic Arts said it was making its offer public to “bring its proposal to the attention of all Take-Two shareholders.” In a telephone interview on Sunday, Electronic Arts’ chief executive, John Riccitiello, said, “It is an enormous premium,” suggesting that rather than consider the offer hostile, “We think of ourselves as a ‘white knight.’ ”
Take-Two was far less generous. In a statement, Strauss Zelnick, the company’s chairman, said, “Electronic Arts’ proposal provides insufficient value to our shareholders and comes at absolutely the wrong time given the crucial initiatives under way at the company,” referring to the new Grand Theft Auto and other products.
Mr. Riccitiello said, however, he believed that Take-Two’s stock price already reflected an expectation among investors that Grand Theft Auto IV would be a success, and that Take-Two would become less valuable to E.A. after the game’s introduction than it was now.
Mr. Riccitiello said his offer’s timing reflected a desire to integrate Take-Two’s operations with E.A.’s before the all-important holiday shopping season. He said he had formed a relationship in recent years with Sam Houser, one of Rockstar’s founders, but added that he had avoided contacting Mr. Houser while pursuing his negotiations with Mr. Zelnick.
Mr. Zelnick said that Take-Two had offered to initiate discussions with Electronic Arts on April 30, the the day after Grand Theft Auto IV was scheduled for release. “We believe this offer demonstrated our commitment to pursuing all avenues to maximize stockholder value, while we believe that E.A.’s refusal to entertain this path is evidence of their desire to acquire Take-Two at a significant discount,” he said.Mr. Riccitiello refused to speculate about what steps he would take next, but it is possible that Electronic Arts could pursue a proxy contest to oust the board.
Over the next several weeks, Mr. Riccitiello’s main challenge will be to persuade investors to accept the deal and convince employees that Electronic Arts will respect the creative autonomy of Take-Two’s various development teams. Over the last decade, E.A. has acquired many high-profile game studios, including Westwood (the Command & Conquer series), Bullfrog Productions (Populous) and Origin Systems (Ultima), which essentially dissolved after Electronic Arts tried to direct and homogenize their creative output.
Any deal for Take-Two would be largely empty if Take-Two teams like Rockstar and Ken Levine’s group at 2K Boston, which recently released the acclaimed game BioShock, were to depart rather than work for E.A.
Mr. Riccitiello seems aware of the danger and is taking steps to convince the game industry of E.A.’s newfound respect for creative talent. At a well-received speech at an industry conference in Las Vegas earlier this month Mr. Riccitiello promised that in future deals, Electronic Arts would avoid killing the creative golden goose as it has in the past.
Matt Richtel contributed reporting.
February 25, 2008
Electronic Arts Offers $2 Billion for Take-Two
By ANDREW ROSS SORKIN and SETH SCHIESEL
Electronic Arts, the video gaming giant, made an unsolicited $2 billion bid on Sunday for rival Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, a deal that would further a wave of consolidation in the rapidly growing industry.
Electronic Arts, which publishes hit games like the Madden N.F.L. and Need for Speed series, offered to pay $26 a share for Take-Two, a 50 percent premium over its share price of $17.36 on Friday. The offer was made publicly after a series of private offers to Take-Two were rejected by its board.
Electronic Arts approached Take Two with a $26-a-share offer on Feb. 19, up from $25 share it initially offered on Feb. 15.
The timing of the bid appears to be an attempt to acquire Take-Two before it releases what is widely expected to be the top-selling game of 2008, the fourth installment of the crime thriller Grand Theft Auto. The Grand Theft Auto franchise, Take-Two’s crown jewel, has sold more than 60 million copies since Grand Theft Auto III took the game industry by storm in 2001.
Through its Rockstar subsidiary, Take-Two is scheduled to release the game on April 29 for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 consoles. If it lives up to consumers’ expectations, the game is expected to sell 10 million copies or more by the end of the year, which would almost certainly make Take-Two more expensive.
Electronic Art’s dominance has been strongly challenged by Activision. Not only has Activision had a recent string of hits, notably Guitar Hero, it also recently agreed to buy Vivendi’s game division to form a company called Activision Blizzard.
At the same time, E.A. has endured a growing chorus of criticism from some investors who say the company has lost its creative and innovative edge.
There is little doubt that E.A. remains the juggernaut of the video game industry. But it has come to rely heavily on sequels.
A merger with Take-Two would be a union of two vastly different companies. E.A. has a reputation for steady growth and fiscal discipline, while Take-Two is known as a mercurial one-hit wonder.
Electronic Arts said it was making its offer public to “bring its proposal to the attention of all Take-Two shareholders.” In a telephone interview on Sunday, Electronic Arts’ chief executive, John Riccitiello, said, “It is an enormous premium,” suggesting that rather than consider the offer hostile, “We think of ourselves as a ‘white knight.’ ”
Take-Two was far less generous. In a statement, Strauss Zelnick, the company’s chairman, said, “Electronic Arts’ proposal provides insufficient value to our shareholders and comes at absolutely the wrong time given the crucial initiatives under way at the company,” referring to the new Grand Theft Auto and other products.
Mr. Riccitiello said, however, he believed that Take-Two’s stock price already reflected an expectation among investors that Grand Theft Auto IV would be a success, and that Take-Two would become less valuable to E.A. after the game’s introduction than it was now.
Mr. Riccitiello said his offer’s timing reflected a desire to integrate Take-Two’s operations with E.A.’s before the all-important holiday shopping season. He said he had formed a relationship in recent years with Sam Houser, one of Rockstar’s founders, but added that he had avoided contacting Mr. Houser while pursuing his negotiations with Mr. Zelnick.
Mr. Zelnick said that Take-Two had offered to initiate discussions with Electronic Arts on April 30, the the day after Grand Theft Auto IV was scheduled for release. “We believe this offer demonstrated our commitment to pursuing all avenues to maximize stockholder value, while we believe that E.A.’s refusal to entertain this path is evidence of their desire to acquire Take-Two at a significant discount,” he said.Mr. Riccitiello refused to speculate about what steps he would take next, but it is possible that Electronic Arts could pursue a proxy contest to oust the board.
Over the next several weeks, Mr. Riccitiello’s main challenge will be to persuade investors to accept the deal and convince employees that Electronic Arts will respect the creative autonomy of Take-Two’s various development teams. Over the last decade, E.A. has acquired many high-profile game studios, including Westwood (the Command & Conquer series), Bullfrog Productions (Populous) and Origin Systems (Ultima), which essentially dissolved after Electronic Arts tried to direct and homogenize their creative output.
Any deal for Take-Two would be largely empty if Take-Two teams like Rockstar and Ken Levine’s group at 2K Boston, which recently released the acclaimed game BioShock, were to depart rather than work for E.A.
Mr. Riccitiello seems aware of the danger and is taking steps to convince the game industry of E.A.’s newfound respect for creative talent. At a well-received speech at an industry conference in Las Vegas earlier this month Mr. Riccitiello promised that in future deals, Electronic Arts would avoid killing the creative golden goose as it has in the past.
Matt Richtel contributed reporting.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Take-Two delays 'Grand Theft Auto IV'
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20096543/
Take-Two delays 'Grand Theft Auto IV'
Game, scheduled for release in October, is now pushed to mid-2008
Reuters
Aug 2, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. on Thursday delayed its most important upcoming video game, “Grand Theft Auto IV,” and warned that it would post a full-year loss, before one-time items, sending shares down 12.5 percent.
“We are very disappointed to reduce guidance after having previously reaffirmed it,” Ben Feder, the chief executive who is part of a new management team at the troubled company, said in a statement, referring to the company’s previous assessment, in June.
The game, which had been scheduled for release in October, is now planned for release in the second quarter of Take-Two’s fiscal 2008. That means it will not be on store shelves in time for the holidays, dealing a blow to Microsoft and Sony Corp, who had been banking on the must-have title to help lift sales of their respective gaming consoles, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.
Chairman Strauss Zelnick, who helped lead a shareholder coup that ousted former management earlier this year, said ”certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms.”
The company said that for the fiscal year ending October 31, it expects revenue of $950 million to $1 billion. It also forecast a loss of $1.25 per share to $1.35 per share, excluding one-time items.
Including costs for stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal matters, Take-Two forecast a 2007 loss of $2.10 per share to $2.20 per share.
In June, Take-Two said it expected revenue of $1.2 billion to $1.25 billion for the year, with break-even results before one-time items.
Take-Two delays 'Grand Theft Auto IV'
Game, scheduled for release in October, is now pushed to mid-2008
Reuters
Aug 2, 2007
LOS ANGELES - Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. on Thursday delayed its most important upcoming video game, “Grand Theft Auto IV,” and warned that it would post a full-year loss, before one-time items, sending shares down 12.5 percent.
“We are very disappointed to reduce guidance after having previously reaffirmed it,” Ben Feder, the chief executive who is part of a new management team at the troubled company, said in a statement, referring to the company’s previous assessment, in June.
The game, which had been scheduled for release in October, is now planned for release in the second quarter of Take-Two’s fiscal 2008. That means it will not be on store shelves in time for the holidays, dealing a blow to Microsoft and Sony Corp, who had been banking on the must-have title to help lift sales of their respective gaming consoles, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.
Chairman Strauss Zelnick, who helped lead a shareholder coup that ousted former management earlier this year, said ”certain elements of development proved to be more time-intensive than expected, especially given the commitment for a simultaneous release on two very different platforms.”
The company said that for the fiscal year ending October 31, it expects revenue of $950 million to $1 billion. It also forecast a loss of $1.25 per share to $1.35 per share, excluding one-time items.
Including costs for stock-based compensation, restructuring, and legal matters, Take-Two forecast a 2007 loss of $2.10 per share to $2.20 per share.
In June, Take-Two said it expected revenue of $1.2 billion to $1.25 billion for the year, with break-even results before one-time items.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Take-Two delays plans to distribute 'Manhunt 2'
http://news.com.com/Take-Two+delays+plans+to+distribute+Manhunt+2/2100-1043_3-6192647.html
Take-Two delays plans to distribute 'Manhunt 2'
By Reuters
Fri Jun 22, 2007
Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software said on Thursday it has suspended plans to sell Manhunt 2 after the title was slapped with restrictive ratings for its extreme violence.
The game, developed by the same Take-Two studio behind the controversial Grand Theft Auto and Bully titles, had originally been scheduled for a July 10 release.
Take-Two said it "temporarily suspended" distribution plans for the game while it reviewed its options following the banning of the game in Britain and a U.S. ratings body decision to give it an "Adults Only" rating.
The rating would prevent its release on game machines made by Sony and Nintendo.
"We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment," Take-Two said in a statement.
Manhunt 2 casts the player in the role of a psychotic man who escapes a mental institution and kills enemies with a variety of weapons and objects as he tries to find out what happened to his family.
Take-Two's statement followed comments from Chairman Strauss Zelnick on Wednesday saying he fully backed the game and considered it a work of art.
The company's options include canceling the game entirely, releasing it unchanged only for personal computers--a move that would drastically limit sales--or altering its content to achieve a less-restrictive rating.
Manhunt 2 was originally expected to bring in about $40 million in sales for Take-Two, which had just over $1 billion in total revenue last year, according to Wedbush Morgan research.
Take-Two shares fell 4 cents to $20.61 on Nasdaq on Thursday.
Take-Two delays plans to distribute 'Manhunt 2'
By Reuters
Fri Jun 22, 2007
Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive Software said on Thursday it has suspended plans to sell Manhunt 2 after the title was slapped with restrictive ratings for its extreme violence.
The game, developed by the same Take-Two studio behind the controversial Grand Theft Auto and Bully titles, had originally been scheduled for a July 10 release.
Take-Two said it "temporarily suspended" distribution plans for the game while it reviewed its options following the banning of the game in Britain and a U.S. ratings body decision to give it an "Adults Only" rating.
The rating would prevent its release on game machines made by Sony and Nintendo.
"We continue to stand behind this extraordinary game. We believe in freedom of creative expression, as well as responsible marketing, both of which are essential to our business of making great entertainment," Take-Two said in a statement.
Manhunt 2 casts the player in the role of a psychotic man who escapes a mental institution and kills enemies with a variety of weapons and objects as he tries to find out what happened to his family.
Take-Two's statement followed comments from Chairman Strauss Zelnick on Wednesday saying he fully backed the game and considered it a work of art.
The company's options include canceling the game entirely, releasing it unchanged only for personal computers--a move that would drastically limit sales--or altering its content to achieve a less-restrictive rating.
Manhunt 2 was originally expected to bring in about $40 million in sales for Take-Two, which had just over $1 billion in total revenue last year, according to Wedbush Morgan research.
Take-Two shares fell 4 cents to $20.61 on Nasdaq on Thursday.
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