Rockstar going PS3 exclusive?

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 02:31 PM

this is only a small snippet and there is little to back it up, but if this is true it would be a major fillip for Sony and us... and the reasons? i'll leave that for you to decide:

Just received the February 08 issue of Play Magazine (Afro Samurai cover) and tucked away in the GTAIV preview was this line: "The game is both PS3 and 360, but Rockstar has suggested that all further game development is going to be PS3 exclusive."

I doubt Rockstar and Take Two are in a financial position to leave all that Xbox 360 money on the table but maybe they plan to make the PS3 the lead platform going forward.

http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/...d.php?t=170148

**Kiwi** · 02-24-2008, 02:34 PM

I doubt that they'd go exclusive, but I'd at least like to see them make PS3 the lead platform, or cut out this whole downloadable exclusive bullshit.

***Viper*** · 02-24-2008, 02:53 PM

Throw some water on that fire, will ya?

Cliff, that was from a forum by a post made almost 4 weeks ago. I think the issue of that magazine would have released already and more substantial context have been posted.

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by Viper

Throw some water on that fire, will ya?

Cliff, that was from a forum by a post made almost 4 weeks ago. I think the issue of that magazine would have released already and more substantial context have been posted.

oh, i didn't read the date...

i agree, you would have thought something would have been mentioned by now if it were true... but who knows. there are reasons why i think Rockstar could be considering exclusivity though. when Take Two where paid the 50 million for the exclusive content they must have also been given reassurances that MS where going push hard drive equipped machines. Enter the 'Elite'. but that hasn't done as well as was expected. i believe part of that deal was that they would have to give MS the money back if the downloadable content fails (something along those lines) now can you imagine how Rockstar must be feeling at the moment when they see MS promoting the 'Arcade' with no hard drive? that's counter productive to say the least and could end up costing Take Two a lot of money for nothing. then we have to consider Rockstars approach to developing... every game they made got bigger and bolder, but the new game is smaller and more compact and that to me is simply because of storage space... compression or not, that has to sting a developer who rides on their stellar reputation and who know our expectations for the series grow exponentially with each new release.

**XboxEvolved** · 02-24-2008, 04:10 PM

I don't see how the Arcade pack would "hurt" Take-Two when the Arcade pack is geared towards family and kids. Are you suggesting that Microsoft should sell something meant for those audiences so they can buy a rated M title and content that will cost at least $10 later? Also the Elite has done incredibly well, and since it's inception has been hard to fine. Where did you get all your info, the same magazine that said Rockstar may go PS3 exclusive?

**Kiwi** · 02-24-2008, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by XboxEvolved

Also the Elite has done incredibly well, and since it's inception has been hard to fine.

We have 27 at work.

Just saying.....

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 04:16 PM

Originally Posted by XboxEvolved

I don't see how the Arcade pack would "hurt" Take-Two when the Arcade pack is geared towards family and kids. Are you suggesting that Microsoft should sell something meant for those audiences so they can buy a rated M title and content that will cost at least $10 later? Also the Elite has done incredibly well, and since it's inception has been hard to fine. Where did you get all your info, the same magazine that said Rockstar may go PS3 exclusive?

there will be many people who buy the 'Arcade' and don't know about the downloadable content available for GTA. Rockstar will have to hope that they buy a HD in the future, but 'ifs' are not good business. it's an odd strategy for a company that constantly goes on about the emerging downloadable market.

**Sephiroth_VII** · 02-24-2008, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by XboxEvolved

I don't see how the Arcade pack would "hurt" Take-Two when the Arcade pack is geared towards family and kids. Are you suggesting that Microsoft should sell something meant for those audiences so they can buy a rated M title and content that will cost at least $10 later?

According to my personal experience, a bug part of those who buy GTA are underage, so yes.

**XboxEvolved** · 02-24-2008, 04:17 PM

Yet, they are hard to find still, analyst, and retailers are low in stock. Where do you live?

Also cliffybo I will agree with you that having an HD-less SKU with a company that pushed dlc more than any other hardware company other than Apple with iTunes is strange, but if you look at it from MS's business point, the Arcade is meant to compete more with the Wii than it is the PS3, and when looking at a business point and historically, when a console is able to drop down to $200 or less is when it starts to sell much faster, and MS had this in mind since day one.

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 04:23 PM

Originally Posted by XboxEvolved

Yet, they are hard to find still, analyst, and retailers are low in stock. Where do you live?

well perhaps i am mistaken about the 'Elite'...

but the argument still holds water. out of that 17 million install base, how many are 'Core' or 'Arcade'? and even the 'premium' has limited space (less than 20GB). the 'Elite' may well have sold more machines than i thought, but even if it had 50% of the market, that's not ideal for Rockstar and MSs philosophy...

**dendj55** · 02-25-2008, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by cliffbo

even the 'premium' has limited space (less than 20GB).

13.9 available out of the box (yes I made the mistake of dropping $350 on an inferior piece of hardware, but it was really only to play Halo 3, Bioshock and Mass Effect).

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 04:27 PM

Originally Posted by XboxEvolved

Yet, they are hard to find still, analyst, and retailers are low in stock. Where do you live?

Also cliffybo I will agree with you that having an HD-less SKU with a company that pushed dlc more than any other hardware company other than Apple with iTunes is strange, but if you look at it from MS's business point, the Arcade is meant to compete more with the Wii than it is the PS3, and when looking at a business point and historically, when a console is able to drop down to $200 or less is when it starts to sell much faster, and MS had this in mind since day one.

exactly why i think it's counter productive. the 'Arcade' will sell more on price and so reduce the amount of money Rockstar can make on DC... remember they have to give MS their money back if it doesn't go well. put yourself in Rockstars shoes.

**Kiwi** · 02-24-2008, 04:28 PM

Originally Posted by XboxEvolved

Yet, they are hard to find still, analyst, and retailers are low in stock. Where do you live?

Check the location

**XboxEvolved** · 02-24-2008, 04:31 PM

I don't know where that is sorry Matt. Also cliffybo, Microsoft and retailers have stated before that the Pro has sold the most by far out of all of their skus. MS actually pushed the Core very little, and has just recently began to push the Arcade at all. According to Microsoft, the retail channels that sell 360 the most will be replenished with far more Pro and Elite consoles. In my area at least, you cannot find either.

**Kiwi** · 02-24-2008, 04:32 PM

Fine, I'll do the work for you :P

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury

Lots of Xbox's, lots of PS3's, no Wiis or DSs.

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 04:32 PM

those who are buying the 'Arcade' will have to fork out money for a HD + the downloads. basically more people will experience the same game on the 360 as on the PS3

i'm here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimsby

**OG_Monkey** · 02-24-2008, 04:50 PM

those who bought the arcade are those who KNEW they would not be able to download anything so it doesn't concern them. The arcade 360 is like XE said, aimed towards families and kids. And if they wanna upgrade, they can always upgrade and buy a 20GB HDD for the price of what a premium cost or a 120GB one for a little extra. I highly doubt the ones who bought the arcade are the ones who'd buy something like GTA and etc.

Its not like they are forced to pay more for a HDD, no, your just paying for a premium 360 basically. I've yet to meet one person on live that had a arcade/core 360, so no, they really won't be playing the same game. These are the same people that pay for online gaming, cheap ass perherpirals, and games and even 360s over again, buying a HDD or even DLC is nothing.

But question, what is with you and this subject LOL cliff?

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 05:01 PM

Originally Posted by OG_Monkey

those who bought the arcade are those who KNEW they would not be able to download anything so it doesn't concern them. The arcade 360 is like XE said, aimed towards families and kids. And if they wanna upgrade, they can always upgrade and buy a 20GB HDD for the price of what a premium cost or a 120GB one for a little extra. I highly doubt the ones who bought the arcade are the ones who'd buy something like GTA and etc.

i think you are mistaken here... younger people usually have less disposable income and will opt for the cheaper machine and those same young people will play GTA... in fact as Seph as pointed out, in my experience with GTA it's younger people that play it more. a coming of age thing i think, like the little kid who picks up a dog end and puts it in his mouth and pretends to smoke. lol. not only have you got to consider the 'Arcade' and the 'Core' but you also have to figure in the fact that not everyone has the internet. if the percentages are too low, Rockstar could really regret that deal they made.

Its not like they are forced to pay more for a HDD, no, your just paying for a premium 360 basically. I've yet to meet one person on live that had a arcade/core 360, so no, they really won't be playing the same game. These are the same people that pay for online gaming, cheap ass perherpirals, and games and even 360s over again, buying a HDD or even DLC is nothing.

But question, what is with you and this subject LOL cliff?

i don't know, it just interests me lol...

**OG_Monkey** · 02-24-2008, 05:13 PM

What do you mean regret? R* made 50 mil whether the dlc sells or not, its MS who would regret but they won't cuz 50 mil is nothing and people will still download the DLC and maybe even get it on the 360 if they also have a ps3...

And for that younger people thing, less disposable income correct? And they'd opt for the less costly one, like you said right? Does that mean they'd go for a 360 versus a ps3 or even a wii? Which is exactly what microsoft wants, jeep people away from the ps3. So either way both MS and R* are benefitting from this.

And the Internet thing, I doubt MS will let a 50 mil deal go to waste. They'll likely do what they did to halo 2 and will do for halo 3, release the content on a disc for those Internet-less.

Oh and those "younger people" are the GTA players right? So scratch out wii, leaving the 360 as the console to get cuz its cheaper, making MS very happy.

**cliffbo** · 02-24-2008, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by OG_Monkey

What do you mean regret? R* made 50 mil whether the dlc sells or not, its MS who would regret but they won't cuz 50 mil is nothing and people will still download the DLC and maybe even get it on the 360 if they also have a ps3...

there was a clause in the contract that means R* would have to give the money back if things didn't work out well for the DC... that suggests that even MS wasn't entirely confident in that strategy. i don't think many people will get it for both machines, but i do agree that the extra content will help boosts sales of the 360 version, and even boost sales of the HDs. but it's still a fractured market and look what that did for HD-DVD V Blu-ray. bottom line is: if every 360 sold had a HD, Rockstar would make more money.

And for that younger people thing, less disposable income correct? And they'd opt for the less costly one, like you said right? Does that mean they'd go for a 360 versus a ps3 or even a wii? Which is exactly what microsoft wants, jeep people away from the ps3. So either way both MS and R* are benefitting from this.

GTA DC exclusivity will not have such a huge effect for adapters. 1) some won't even know about it. 2) some won't have internet connections and the disk option is not going to be implemented straight away. 3) the persuasive nature of DC will be more than offset by big hitters for the PS3 this year like MGS, Killzone, LBP, HOME and RFOM2...

And the Internet thing, I doubt MS will let a 50 mil deal go to waste. They'll likely do what they did to halo 2 and will do for halo 3, release the content on a disc for those Internet-less.

Oh and those "younger people" are the GTA players right? So scratch out wii, leaving the 360 as the console to get cuz its cheaper, making MS very happy.

i agree, it will be hyped beyond belief... but how is that young guy who just bought an 'Arcade' going to feel?