Set your vocal chords to groan – Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto IV release date has been put back to 2008. That means the game will also be missing the crucial Xmas market.

The reason? Looks like developing games for these new fangled next-gen systems isn’t really a walk in the park, and both Rockstar and publisher, Take 2, are very keen to make sure the series’ next-gen outing is everything we’re hoping it would be.

Here’s what the executive types had to say: Strauss Zelnick, Chairman of Take-Two, stated, "With Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is setting a new standard for next generation video games. 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. We all recognize that perfecting the game is vital and I can assure everyone it will be worth the wait. We owe it to the game's millions of fans, to our dedicated development team, and to our shareholders to make sure that Grand Theft Auto IV is a groundbreaking gaming experience that takes maximum advantage of next generation technology."

Meanwhile Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games, added, "The new consoles are allowing us to create the Grand Theft Auto game we always dreamed about. Every aspect of the game and its design has been completely transformed. The game is huge and is pushing the hardware platforms to their absolute limits. The top engineers from Sony and Microsoft are working closely with the team in Edinburgh right now, helping us to fully leverage the power of both platforms. As always, our goal is to surpass even the wildest expectations of the game's fans, and to create the ultimate high definition video game experience."

A real pity, especially given that early previews not only looked very promising, but seemed to suggest that the game was nearing completion. I wonder just what the major stumbling block was? Rockstar was definitely bandying about some rather ambitious goals, such as zero load time, zero pop up and ever dramatically improved AI. Any theories?

Source
Take2

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