The “Under New Management” sign above the door at Take-Two Interactive may well prove propitious for shareholders, but if Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter is to be believed, the new regime’s corporate clean-up efforts could impact impatient gamers in a big way this Fall.
Pachter has said that the publisher will announce at its Q2 earnings call June 11 that, among other significant changes at the company, it will delay the release of Grand Theft Auto IV by a couple of weeks.
The strategy behind the possible delay would be to maximize the game’s sales’ impact on Take-Two’s 2008 Fiscal Year. The report does leave open the possibility that Take-Two could still release the more expensive $89.99 Collector’s Edition of GTA IV on October 17th, while only delaying the standard edition.
In addition to the GTA IV delay, the analyst also says that Take-Two will announce several studio closures and game cancellations in an effort to turn the publisher’s fortunes around.
We’ll have to wait until June 11 to find out if any of this comes to pass. If any of it proves true, you can rest assured that TheFeed will keep you posted.
Gamasutra: Pachter: Studio Closures, Cancellations, GTA Delay Loom At Take-Two
