By Kris Graft
Microsoft reportedly paid a $50 million advance to secure Xbox 360-exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV, but months after the game's April release, its status is still foggy.
Take-Two chair Strauss Zelnick said during BMO Capital Markets' Interactive Entertainment Conference in New York on Thursday, "We have it planned for the end of the first [fiscal] quarter. It's close to being completed. That said, it may move into the second quarter depending on its completion date."
Rockstar Games' Dan Houser recently said that he's "not sure" if the DLC would arrive this year.
Zelnick added that the downloadable content is a "big undertaking. ... We're setting incredibly high standards for it."
Take-Two has high hopes for online distribution, which would create a direct relationship with consumers.
"Looking ahead, the biggest opportunity that we see for the industry as well as for us is downloadable content," Zelnick said. "We're excited about the creative opportunity, we're very excited about the profit potential."
Take-Two will be releasing downloadable content for BioShock PS3 next week. The company intends to actively explore digital distribution further, as well as focus on multiplayer networked gameplay.
In addition to the potential GTA IV DLC delay, Zelnick said GTA Chinatown Wars for DS was moved out of the first quarter "in order to provide a better launch and marketing window." It will ship in the first fiscal half."
The PC version of GTA IV is still on track for release early next month.
