Gamertell

Take Two Interactive Software, the ever-controversial company, has added added to its list of many woes.  On Thursday, August 2, 2007, it announced it is delaying the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, originally slated for October 2007, until Spring 2008.  The company cited the need for more development time.  The game is slated for release on the PS3 and XBox 360.

At the same time, Take-Two reduced its earning forecasts for a year in which the company had already prepared for a third quarter loss, hoping to break even with GTAIV‘s practically guaranteed success.

Amid reorganization costs, litigation, the failure to launch Manhunt 2, and now the delay of GTA, Take-Two forecasts a net loss of about $2.10 per share.  As one might expect, Take-Two’s stock dropped about 15 percent at the news.

Take-Two also announced an appeal of the UK Board of Film Classification’s decision to refuse classification to Manhunt 2.  This means it will be demonstrating the game as originally made and offering arguments to the game’s artistic merits.  The company has not yet appealed the AO rating the ESRB slapped on the game but I certainly expect they will.

Read [Yahoo! Finance] Also Read [Gamasutra] Via [GamePolitics]