Red Dead Redemption 2 Coming Fiscal 2019, Take-Two Confident

[NewsBot]

In the wake of Rockstar announcing that Red Dead Redemption 2 has been delayed, Take-Two Interactive just held its final quarterly earnings call for the 2017 financial year.

Naturally, investors, along with the market in general, were interested in learning additional details regarding Red Dead Redemption 2’s delay. After all, the game was poised to be one of this year’s biggest hits and thankfully a few new, but minor, details were revealed.

First up is the projected release of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Rockstar’s announcement placed the new release date in Spring 2018, however thanks to the call we can now cross out March. It was confirmed that the game will be coming in Take-Two’s next financial year (which run from 1 April to 31 March to each year) meaning no sooner than 1 April 2018.

Interestingly enough, 2010’s Red Dead Redemption was pegged for an April release date, only to be delayed into May. We’re hoping the game won’t be hit by any more delays, but Rockstar has a history of pushing major titles back several times, not just once.

Strauss Zelnick, CEO of Take-Two Interactive, also provided some behind-the-scenes insight into the delay itself, and what effects it is expected to have.

Zelnick assured investors that no major issues have been encountered during development and that the delay is just to allow for Rockstar to create the best game they can. So, in essence, it’s just a longer version of the official statement released alongside the announcement of the delay.

I think the purpose of the delay for Red Dead Redemption 2 is to make sure that we deliver the most extraordinary experience that we’re capable of providing.

We haven’t run into particular issues, we’re building a new game from the ground up for the first time for new-generation consoles, and the pressure that we put on ourselves to deliver excellence to the consumers is extraordinary. And we want to make sure that the appropriate time is taken to deliver the best game that we can, and I think that’s what consumers expect of Rockstar Games, and that’s what Rockstar Games typically delivers.

So we support emphatically the label’s decision, and we’re utterly confident that it’ll prove in time to be wise, first and foremost creatively and artistically, and economically as well.

Rockstar Games has a nigh spotless reputation to protect, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is – or, more correctly, was – one of the most anticipated games of the year, and now of 2018.

While nowhere near as popular as the GTA franchise, Red Dead Redemption amassed a massive fanbase within the gaming community, even if the first game in the franchise, Red Dead Revolver, passed under most people’s radar. Fans of the franchise have been waiting for a sequel for over 7 years, and we’ll slip over into the 8th when it finally arrives.

Since being revealed in October 2016, we’ve barely learned anything new about the game, and the announcement of the delay was actually the first official statement since (thankfully they included these screenshots).

Zelnick is right about the pressure on the developers.

The gaming media has been riding the Red Dead Redemption 2 wave since October and the expectations are incredibly high, being partially set by the huge success of Grand Theft Auto 5, which recently passed the 80 million copies sold mark.

At this stage Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t expected to reach similar numbers, but it will obviously be a massive hit nonetheless.

While we’re as bummed by the delay as anyone else, at the end of the day, this just means that we’ll get a better game. Waiting longer for a great experience is preferable to getting a disappointment sooner.

It’s going to be a long year though.

The post Red Dead Redemption 2 Coming Fiscal 2019, Take-Two Confident appeared first on RDR2.

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[brokebackbrian]

Yup. That is the way I see it. Delays suck but it just means we get a better game. They are taking the time to really finish it and not just rush production and miss a lot of crap that would possibly make the game bad. I know it takes a long time just to test for glitches once games are finished. My guess is that Jan - March will be just that.