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Rejoice: Take-Two Calls Red Dead A “Permanent” Franchise

Ben-Dutka 13 Comments

Hell yeah, it better be "permanent."

Red Dead Redemption received widespread critical acclaim and went on to sell over 13 million copies. Ever since then, fans of the awesome Western open-world saga have been pining for a follow-up effort.

Thankfully, publisher Take-Two Interactive has labeled the Red Dead brand as a "permanent" franchise, akin to Grand Theft Auto V and Borderlands . Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said as much during a Cowen and Company analyst conference (as summarized at GameSpot ), and he also talked about his company's "selective approach" to releasing games. No "annualization" goin' on here:

"The risk of just [releasing more games] is that you end up just bulking up your release schedule and that isn't really what consumers want. Consumers want better, not more. So our selective approach, which we've taken since '07 I think has paid off. Now, we have gotten more by taking that approach; we've launched one new successful franchise every year and I would like to keep doing that particularly because I talk about permanent franchises, but not everything is going to be a permanent franchise. Some of our great franchises eventually will lose their luster and some will hopefully be permanent."

Then Zelnick said he could assure consumers that certain IPs are "permanent," and that includes Red Dead . We've heard Take-Two speak highly of this successful brand before, so it's probably inevitable that a new title is coming soon…maybe they'll even announce it at E3, who knows?

If you missed out on Red Dead Redemption back in 2010, you are deprived, my friend.

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Red Dead Redemption 2…Any Time You’re Ready, Rockstar

Ben-Dutka 22 Comments

Seriously. Any time you're ready. We're all just waiting…patiently…well, sort of patiently.

As much as I love Grand Theft Auto , I might've been most impressed by Red Dead Redemption . There are several reasons for this lasting impact.

First and foremost, I had severe reservations heading into that game. Rockstar and Take-Two had dumped over $100 million into the project, and it had taken more than a few years to complete. Whenever that happens, one wonders what roadblocks the development team hit, and just how unrealistic our expectations had become. Therefore, while a critic is always supposed to enter into every review with a "blank slate" mind, I have to say I was skeptical.

Secondly, I'm not a fan of the Old West theme. I don't care about Westerns (movies), I never wanted to be a cowboy as a kid, and even the southwest design motif just sucks (a lot of sickly browns, grays and greens…blech). Therefore, I had no existing interest in the game of RDR; in fact, one could argue that I had a pre-existing bias against that setting. However, before the game was over, I did want to be a cowboy. I finally understood a bit of the mystique concerning the Old West.

Therefore, now that GTAV is out, I think it's time to announce RDR2. C'mon, Rockstar, no more staying quiet about your next project. Let's see that epic blockbuster, and let's see if you can once again capture my imagination.

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PSXE Poll Update: GTAV Still A Top Priority For Gamers

Ben-Dutka 8 Comments

Red Dead Redemption was an impressive accomplishment and it managed to garner quite a few loyal followers.

However, while a fair portion of those polled wanted a new Red Dead more than Grand Theft Auto V , the majority are still going with GTAV as their most-wanted open-world adventure from Rockstar.

They have yet to fully unveil either title in question, but at least we've seen a debut trailer for GTAV (which got us crazy excited, and then Take-Two went all mute on the subject). As for a new Red Dead installment, there have been rumors swirling about a follow-up effort; the latest claiming that it's currently in development and is called "Red Dead Rebellion." But regardless of how it all stands, GTA is still GTA, and it remains the dominant franchise, despite Red Dead 's impressive coming-out party a few years back.

This week, Sony is seeking to build more revenue after announcing record losses, and some analysts believe this could involve a number of different moves. Could one of them be a lowering of the PS3 price tag? When it fell to $299, that sparked quite the sales surge and it lasted for a good long time, too. Then again, Sony is finally earning a profit on the machine so maybe they don't want to cut the price too soon… What do you think? Price drop this year? Or not until much later?

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PSXE Poll Update: Gamers Not Convinced Of RE6’s Potential

Ben-Dutka 22 Comments

If you did this poll after Resident Evil 4 blew people away, and asked if RE5 would be great, we get the feeling the results would've been different…

And while there are still plenty who believe the upcoming Resident Evil 6 should be downright fantastic, there are just as many (actually, a few more), who simply "aren't interested."

According to our recent poll, it was almost an even split between the wholly positive and the decidedly skeptical, and that may be new territory for the iconic franchise. Most hardcore fans seem annoyed at the new action-oriented direction; some are flat-out saying, "this ain't survival/horror." And maybe it isn't. Capcom themselves have called the new installment "dramatic horror" and obviously, there's a distinction. The question is, can RE6 still maintain that classic RE feel even with a tweaked gameplay mechanic…?

This week, we just gotta know: Do you want GTAV or a new Red Dead more? While Grand Theft Auto is probably still the second-biggest game franchise on earth behind Call of Duty , Red Dead Redemption had a big impact on a lot of people. And after the recent rumor that supposedly involved the confirmation of "Red Dead Rebellion," we could be in for a fresh Western unveiling.

Related Game(s): Resident Evil 6

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Wild Rockstar Rumor Includes Read Dead Rebellion, Bully 2, More

Ben-Dutka 16 Comments

We call it "wild," not necessarily due to its implausibility (which is significant), but to its crazy huge size and scope.

It seems a former Rockstar intern has leaked a whole mess of information concerning future projects for the developer, and this includes Grand Theft Auto V and sequels like Red Dead Rebellion , Wild Metal 2 , and Bully 2 . There's quite a hefty list of specifics, as you can see . The supposed former intern only goes by the name Brendan, and he claims to have interned at Rockstar for a year, and is currently a graphic designs major at Full Sail University.

Now, it's just a massive leak if true. He talks about the size of the GTAV map, and "confirms" that while Los Santos is the only city, it is actually broken up into three "provinces:" The Greater Naranja Area, Los Puerta, and Greater Los Santos. He also goes into great detail concerning the geography of each province, so either he really did see this stuff, or he's got a decent imagination. There's a lot more concerning the game, so read up. Then there's the mention of those upcoming sequels that are bound to turn heads, although we'd be surprised if all three really are in the works.

As the source states, though, there's a problem: They tried to find the "Brendan" at Full Sail University and if they got the right guy, his LinkedIn profile isn't supporting the timeline:

"I also found Brendan Bax's Linkedin page and found that this is more than likely not the Brendan who posted these details, because according to Mr Bax's resume, he has been working at ITT Technical Institute in Arnold, MO since March 2011. This obviously conflicts with the story that was given from the original Brendan."

So yeah, it could just be a very elaborate and creative hoax. We're also not convinced that Rockstar would give an intern such meaty information…but hey, who knows? We definitely want to hear more about a Red Dead follow-up; that has to happen.

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