Take-Two: Pachter Wrong, Mafia 2 Will Make a Profit

[Tom Goldman]

Take-Two: Pachter Wrong, Mafia 2 Will Make a Profit

Despite earlier analyst reports, Take-Two's CEO says Mafia II will be a profitable game.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter posited Mafia II [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/103125-Mafia-II-Unlikely-to-Turn-a-Profit] was very unlikely to turn a profit due to a long development cycle and less than optimal overall review scores. Take-Two CEO Ben Feder refutes the assumption, saying that Mafia II is doing just fine for itself.

Take-Two has been known for delaying games coming out of its subsidiaries (such as Rockstar Games and 2K Games), a trait which investors have been critical of. Mafia II took six years to get onto shelves, and by Pachter's estimates he gave to Gamasutra on developer 2K Czech's budgetary requirements to keep it going, he thinks the game ran at least $35 million with $6-10 million required to keep the studio open per year.

CEO Ben Feder doesn't agree with Pachter, and though he gave no concrete sales figures for Mafia II, he did say Take-Two is proud of the game. He called 2K Czech a "talented studio," and said: "Based upon the initial launch, we expect [Mafia II] to be another profitable title for Take-Two."

Whether Feder expects Mafia II to make a profit in 2010, or in later years as a slow burn, is unknown. He defended Take-Two's delaying practices by saying : "amazing reviews [http://www.amazon.com/Red-Dead-Redemption-Playstation-3/dp/B001SGZL2W/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1283623297&sr=8-2] though. We're not even two weeks out from the release of Mafia II, so maybe later down the line we'll see how the game's actually selling.

Source: Gamasutra [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/30241/TakeTwo_Trumps_Estimates_Rides_Red_Dead_Redemption_To_Q3_Profit.php]

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[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Well I don't know what an optimum number of sales is but vgchartz puts Mafia 2 at around 0.39 million so far.

Still I generally tend to ignore everything Patcher says as it's generally stupid or widely known already.

 

[Therumancer]

I don't think there is an issue of it making a profit, I think the issue like most things with the industry is whether it will make enough of a profit for them to consider it worthwhile based on projections and so on. The industry sadly ceases to care if they simply make more money than they spend, it's all about optimization.

As a result I tend to be wary whenever I hear people in the business talking about money and profitability. The industry has become corperate enough to be detached from reality.

 

[Jumplion]

I am debating whether to get Mafia 2 or not, contributing to the sales, for console or PC (I'm partial to console, it feels more like a "console-y" game to me), since the overall scores do seem to be varying from "meh" to "pretty good". Any recommendations?

 

[Jumplion]

I am debating whether to get Mafia 2 or not, contributing to the sales, for console or PC (I'm partial to console, it feels more like a "console-y" game to me), since the overall scores do seem to be varying from "meh" to "pretty good". Any recommendations?

The negative reviews seem to be by the same sort of people who said Metro 2033 was horrible because it was linear. I haven't gotten the game myself yet, but I intend to do so very soon.

If what I gather is correct, the game is for you if you are okay with it being fully focused on the story and not so much on the free roaming.

Oh yes, totally, I'm honestly getting worn out by all the sandbox shooters around here and want a good solid story to get into.

 

[Pandalisk]

Is the combat really as brutal as proclaimed? and is there higher difficulties one can chose?

if so im sold, the demo was nice and i loved the music but the combat was too easy for me.

 

[ImprovizoR]

Fuck 2k, I want the content that I payed for. I don't know if you guys know, but here's what is known to be taken out of the finale game: 8 Sicilian missions before Chapter 2 cut out, melee weapons cut out, gun permits cut out, at least 5 missions after Chapter 2 cut out and pre-rendered cutscenes put in instead, 4 alternative endings cut out, side missions like assassination missions, freeride mode and god knows what else. Even the freakin' writer of Mafia 2 is supporting the petition to give players the original content. I feel so sorry for 2k Czech. They are another victim of greedy publishers. I beg you not to buy any future Mafia 2 DLC. You will only encourage this theft.

 

[MurderousToaster]

Why do people keep listening to Pachter? And why does he keep getting news pages on the Escapist? He's either wrong or just says what everybody already knows.

 

[Mariakitten]

well thats interesting, I dont really pay much attention to to these kind of things.

 

[thethain]

Fuck 2k, I want the content that I payed for. I don't know if you guys know, but here's what is known to be taken out of the finale game: 8 Sicilian missions before Chapter 2 cut out, melee weapons cut out, gun permits cut out, at least 5 missions after Chapter 2 cut out and pre-rendered cutscenes put in instead, 4 alternative endings cut out and god knows what else. Even the freakin' writer of Mafia 2 is supporting the petition to give players the original content. I feel so sorry for 2k Czech. They are another victim of greedy publishers. I beg you not to buy any future Mafia 2 DLC. You will only encourage this theft.

Usually when a game takes 6 years to make, it is time to start pushing a product rather than continue adding onto it until it is "perfect"

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Good. No one gives a fuck what this dumbass says anymore.

 

[Lord_Panzer]

I am debating whether to get Mafia 2 or not, contributing to the sales, for console or PC (I'm partial to console, it feels more like a "console-y" game to me), since the overall scores do seem to be varying from "meh" to "pretty good". Any recommendations?

It's a linear game set in a sandbox purely for atmospheric purposes. You always have something to do, but that doesn't mean you have to do it right away. If you want to go get a hot dog, or rob a clothing shop, or ramp off a sweet jump you can, but you always have something to do.

I loved the hell out of it. Best story I've found in a game since Bioshock. (I got it for PC, by the way)

 

[Jumplion]

I am debating whether to get Mafia 2 or not, contributing to the sales, for console or PC (I'm partial to console, it feels more like a "console-y" game to me), since the overall scores do seem to be varying from "meh" to "pretty good". Any recommendations?

It's a linear game set in a sandbox purely for atmospheric purposes. You always have something to do, but that doesn't mean you have to do it right away. If you want to go get a hot dog, or rob a clothing shop, or ramp off a sweet jump you can, but you always have something to do.

I loved the hell out of it. Best story I've found in a game since Bioshock. (I got it for PC, by the way)

So console or PC? From what I've played, it feels more console-y in that precision aiming isn't neccessary, and I've never found driving great on PCs.

 

[Lepre-Khan]

Hehe. This is a funny article.

 

[Sixties Spidey]

Good. No one gives a fuck what this dumbass says anymore.

When did anyone who doesn't write for The Escapist's news room ever care about what he says?

Actually that's a good point. Here's a cookie for a proven fact.

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