Take-Two has released its financial report for its fiscal fourth quarter 2013 and its full fiscal year sales, which ended March 31, 2013. Revenue for the quarter reached $299.5 million, double the $148.1 million that was posted a year ago. The company posted a profit of $22.5 million, up from a loss of $66.8 million.

For the full fiscal year, revenue jumped to $1.21 billion, from $825.8 million. Despite the increase in sales, Take-Two posted a loss of $29.49 million, though this is an improvement over a loss of $108.8 million the prior year.

Take-Two chairman and CEO Strauss Zelnick, in the investors conference call, announced that BioShock Infinite has shipped 3.7 million units to date, while Borderlands 2 has shipped more than six million units. Also NBA 2K13 has shipped more than five million units.

Take-Two has stated that its digital sales have continued to grow at a rapid pace with revenue up 192 percent year-over-year. Digital sales also accounted for 27 percent of the total Non-GAAP revenue. Digital sales were driven by Borderlands 2, BioShock Infinite, NBA 2K13 and the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

“With BioShock Infinite, Borderlands 2, NBA 2K13 and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, our 2K label released four of the past year’s most critically acclaimed titles,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “Our commitment to delight consumers with the highest-quality interactive entertainment experiences enabled Take-Two to have an outstanding year, despite a challenging environment for many in our industry.”

“2013 is the 20th anniversary of Take-Two’s founding and, today, our Company is better positioned for success than at any other time in its history,” added Zelnick. “With Rockstar Games launching Grand Theft Auto V in September, fiscal 2014 is poised to be one of our best years ever. Looking ahead, we have an extensive pipeline of next-generation and emerging platform titles in development, including both new intellectual property and releases from our proven franchises.”

Take-Two has also released its forecast for the first quarter of its 2014 fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2013, as well as full 2014 fiscal year, which ends March 31, 2014. For the first quarter 2014, Take-Two expects revenue to be between $100 million and $125 million. For the full fiscal year, Take-Two expects revenue to be between $1.75 billion and $1.85 billion. This is roughly a 50 percent increase year-over-year.

Read more here: VG Charts

2K Marin’s oft-delayed and much-reworked XCOM origins title finally has a gameplay video to its name, courtesy of VG24/7. The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is due to release this August for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. You check out the gameplay trailer below:

Do you like the new direction being debuted here? Or would you have preferred the BioShock-inspired first person shooter that was initially planned?

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – The Bureau: XCOM Declassified Debut Gameplay Video Released – News

Read more here: gamrReview

Way back in the year 2010, I saw a preview event for the revival of the XCOM franchise. No, this wasn’t the reveal of the recentely released tactical role-playing strategy game by Firaxis. It was a first person shooter that had you and two AI teammates go to a house and shoot black goo and then take pictures of flying saucers. The audience was … less than excited.

Well this is nearly three years later and the now twice reworked XCOM shooter has re-emerged. It will be called The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, a third-person tactical shooter developed by 2K Marin. The release date is set for August 20th in North America and the 23rd for other regions, coming to PC, Xbox 360, and the PS3.

It will be set in 1962 (the height of the Cold War) and will tell the origins of the XCOM organization. In it you play as the Bureau, an organization that was created to “deal” with the Soviet Union threat, but shifted focus when extraterrestrials popped up. You will take on the role of special agent William Carter, who fights to both thwart the alien invasion and cover up their existence.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – XCOM Shooter Gets a Name and Release Date – News

Read more here: gamrReview

XCOM first-person shooter repurposed as full-priced third-person tactical game for Xbox 360, PS3, and PC.

After numerous delays and years of silence, 2K has finally announced its intentions for the mysterious XCOM first-person shooter that was originally announced in 2010. The game has evolved into a third-person tactical shooter called The Bureau: XCOM Declassified, a $60 Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC game due out on August 20.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified–in development at BioShock 2 studio 2K Marin–is set in 1962 America at the end of the Cold War. John F. Kennedy is president and the U.S. public at large is afraid of a nuclear war with Russia. At the same time, the US government is establishing a secret organization to combat this threat. As it turns out, it’s not the Russians who invade, it’s the aliens.

“And so the same organization has to switch gears to combat the aliens. So not only are you combating the aliens for the public physically, but you also have to keep it secret so you’re not creating mass hysteria and panic in the streets,” explained associate producer Andrew Dutra. “This is where the origin story comes in. The Bureau is one of these organizations and it’s the start of how the hero becomes the XCOM organization.”

Gamers play as agent William Carter, an intelligence operative with a determined resolve. He’ll stop at nothing to get the job done “no matter what,” 2K explained.

Described as a third-person tactical squad-based combat game, The Bureau: XCOM Declassified borrows from the praised XCOM: Enemy Unknown. Specifically, the new game will adopt the pillars of the strategy series–Team, Tactics, Tools, Technology, and Terror–and introduce them to players in a new way.

Creative director Morgan Gray explained that being tactical is a key component of The Bureau. He said players will only succeed if they work together. “The team and tactics aspect is at the forefront of our gameplay experience,” he said.

Though the Bureau will be respectful of the tone and atmosphere of the classic strategy game series, the new game–designed for hardcore gamers–puts players on the ground and in the boots of a soldier. This makes for a compelling and novel experience, Gray argues.

“When we say tactical third-person squad-based combat game, that has a huge T on that tactical; it should be underlined and printed in bold. Because we’re basically trying to get a game that puts you away from the turn-based, God’s eye view of the action, and puts you in the boots of the squad leader in the battlefield where the bullets are flying,” he said. “You have real-time control of your squad.”

In terms of strategy and tactics, The Bureau will allow players to flank, perform leap frog procedures, cover and fire, and prioritize targets within their squad. In addition, gamers will be able to unleash powers to squadmates that are unlocked through experience points amassed over the course of the campaign.

“This is basically putting you in the heat of battle and asking you to use both your brains and bullets to win,” Gray said.

The stakes are especially high in The Bureau, Gray explained, because when a squadmate dies, there is no coming back. Permadeath for companions is in place for the game, and Gray believes this is a revolutionary feature for the title.

“When they’re dead, they’re dead for good. Now, this is obviously part of the XCOM DNA, but in the third-person space, this is like a revolution,” Gray said. “The concept of ‘What? My squadmates are dead and they’re gone forever?’ Yes. And now you still have a lot of game to go and the clock’s ticking. Our plotline is always moving forward. The consequences of that loss are immediate and there’s no way to hide from them. The war will not stop for you.”

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified will arrive in the wake of the well-received XCOM: Enemy Uknown, a turn-based strategy game for consoles and PC. Though The Bureau and Enemy Unknown are dissimilar in genre, Gray said he does not believe this will stretch the brand too far or dilute it in any way.

“I figure good games are good games,” Gray said. “I don’t think myself or 2K is too worried about diluting the brand as much as our goal is…we have a brand, let’s find an expression that can bring more people to the table and give more people a chance to experience it in different ways.”

Overall, the goal of The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is to “expand and open up the franchise” to gamers who may have been turned off by past entries in the series, while also preserving the pillars of the classic strategy franchise, Gray explained.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Read more here: Game Spot News

“The XCOM universe is expanding,” says 2K.

2K has confirmed the XCOM shooter it announced three years ago has “undergone an evolution” and will be re-revealed in the next few days.

BioShock 2 developer 2K Marin is handling the squad-based tactical shooter. “Announced back in 2010, the game has undergone an evolution since we last showed it to you at E3 2011,” wrote 2K on its blog.

2K points to last year’s critically celebrated revival of the classic turn-based XCOM. “Firaxis’ critically acclaimed turn-based strategy title, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, has reignited the classic franchise and we feel that the time is right to deliver a new experience within the world of XCOM,” says 2K.

Development at 2K Marin has been “explored” and “refined”, with 2K saying the “creative development of this game has been a collaborative process of discovery and iteration.”

“We can’t wait to share more details with you about the game in only a matter of days,” concluded 2K.

Rumours from last year suggested XCOM is now a third-person shooter rebranded as The Bureau. 2K has also asked customers, via a marketing survey, whether they’d rather pay full price or opt for a cheaper downloadable title.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Read more here: Game Spot News

Nicholas Francis, a co-founder at Unity, has announced he has opened up a new mobile gaming studio, called Framebunker. Unity creative director Charles Hinshaw is joining the team.The studio aims to bring games to tablets that are worth playing for 20 years.

“Tablets have become the platform of choice for many gamers, but the vast majority of tablet games are still utterly forgettable,” said Francis in a statement. “They may be fun, but they aren’t the kind of games that will be worth re-playing in 20 years. At Framebunker, our mission is to deliver the kind of unforgettable experiences that tablet gamers deserve.”

The turn-based tactics game Static Sky is the studios first title and it will be released for tablets. The title is due out in early 2014. The title is suppose to be a mix of Bladerunner, Diablo, and XCOM.

“The decision to set Static Sky in a cyberpunk world has allowed us to explore some interesting design ideas that really move the game beyond simple ‘tap to kill’ mechanics,” said Hinshaw. “The player can, for example, hack to manipulate the underlying logic of the game, effectively rewiring the world, which is something gamers have not experience before in a tactical shooter.”

Read more here: VG Charts

Designer Jake Solomon says he would not be able to sleep at night if portable version of RTS allowed gamers to pay extra for powerups.

Purchasable stat-boosting items are common in many mobile games today, but the upcoming iOS version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown will not offer any such microtransactions.

“Oh God, please… no. I’m not sure I would be able to sleep at night,” Firaxis Games designer Jake Solomon told IGN. “My food would taste like ashes in my mouth.”

XCOM: Enemy Unknown for iOS is a port of the full console and PC version optimized for mobile devices. The game features touch controls, allowing players to rotate the camera using two fingers or tap on a location to queue up a movement order.

Pricing for XCOM: Enemy Unknown on iOS–due this summer–has not been divulged, though Solomon explained to GameSpot this week that the will be “priced appropriately” for a premium game.

He would not comment on the possibility of an Android version, saying that Firaxis is focusing only on the iOS version at this time. XCOM: Enemy Unknown for iOS was announced during a Firaxis Games panel at PAX East in March.

Information from GameSpot editor Maxwell McGee was used in this report.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Read more here: Game Spot News

2K Games announced at its PAX East panel yesterday that Firaxis’ XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be heading to iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch this summer.

Unlike many AAA PC and console games that get the mobile port treatment, however, the iOS version of XCOM: Enemy Unknown will be a full port of the game that released last year, with new features that utilizes the touch screen such as pinch-zooming and tapping for power-ups.

2K and Firaxis have yet to announce pricing or file size details, though they noted file size limitations were the biggest obstacle in bringing XCOM to mobile platforms.

If that weren’t enough, Firaxis also revealed a brief teaser that seems to indicate more XCOM is on the way. A video that played during the PAX panel featured XCOM‘s Council warning of a “new threat,” before static drowned at the rest of the signal.

This is an excerpt from the full story which was originally featured on gamrReview, read the full version here – XCOM: Enemy Unknown Coming to iOS, More XCOM on the Way – News

Read more here: gamrReview

Firaxis reveals strategy game “coming soon” to iPad and iPod Touch; landing on Mac April 25.

BOSTON–Today during PAX East presentation, Firaxis Games announced that XCOM: Enemy Unknown is “coming soon” to iOS devices. The game will be playable on both iPad and iPod Touch.

The game is up and running for iOS at present, but Firaxis said it will need an additional few months before the game is ready for release. No price for XCOM: Enemy Unknown for iOS was mentioned.

Firaxis also today announced that XCOM: Enemy Unknown will launch for Mac April 25.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

Read more here: Game Spot News

Take-Two has released its quarterly report for its third fiscal quarter of 2013, which ended on December 31, 2012. Revenue nearly doubled to $15.8 million, up from $236.3 million during the same quarter a year ago. Profits were up nearly 400 percent to $70.9 million.

“Take-Two’s positive business momentum continued in the third quarter, enabling us to deliver growth and profits that exceeded our outlook,” said Strauss Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “Our results benefited from the record-breaking launch of NBA 2K13, along with continued strong demand for Borderlands 2, the successful launch of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and robust holiday sales of our catalog and growing portfolio of digitally delivered offerings.”

“With consumer anticipation building for the launches of BioShock Infinite and Grand Theft Auto V, we are well positioned for a solid finish to fiscal year 2013 and substantial revenue and earnings growth in fiscal year 2014,” Zelnick continued.

NBA 2K13 was one of the main reasons for the strong quarter. The game set a franchise record in its first week and has since almost sold 4.5 million units. Borderlands 2, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Grand Theft Auto IV, and Red Dead Redemption are still selling well. Catalog game sales accounted for 22 percent of the revenue. Digital sales increased 244 percent year-over-year.

Take-Two has also released its outlook for its full 2013 fiscal year which ends March 31, 2013. Revenue for the fill year is expected to hit $1.15 billion to $1.20 billion. Releases for the rest of the fiscal year include Major League Baseball 2K13 and BioShock Infinite.

Source: VG Charts