390°

Did Take-Two CEO Take A Jab At Reviewers And Game Critics?

"In terms of the reviews and scores, it was sort of an odd anomaly," CEO Strauss Zelnick said. "The scores were lower than we would have liked."

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gamingcentral.in
Krussail3131d ago

Wow, someone's salty.. What a weak argument by Take-Two.

UltraNova3130d ago (Edited 3130d ago )

Some devs should really stop acting like some salty internet fanboys. Take criticism like a professional and make your product even better..

Krussail3130d ago

Exactly. There's nothing wrong with making mistakes. Take the criticism, and make a better product. Case in point, FNAF.

TheSaint3129d ago

This, make a good game and people will buy it, not exactly rocket science.

Pantz3130d ago

most of the time gaming blogs give low scores to get clicks

Krussail3130d ago

Not most of the times, and not the reputed ones anyways. But Mafia 3 did deserve the scores they got. I went in with an open mind, wanting to enjoy the story, even if the gameplay was not too good. But it was so bad, that I just could not..

Pantz3130d ago

It's a corrupt system and another example of gaming blog reviewers throwing a fit because they didn't get their free review copy weeks before everyone else.

Princess_Pilfer3130d ago

@Pantz

What are you, 10? They *told* you why they gave it a lower score and they've basically all said the same thing (amazing writing, boring repetitive gameplay) as have numerous, numerous user reviews. But sure, they're totally making it up.

Redx1653130d ago

If it wasn't for Rockstar Games, Take Two would be irrelevant...

C-H-E-F3130d ago

Visual Concepts is there other money make. So no, Take Two would still be relevant you just wouldn't have had Midnight club, GTA, Manhunt and Red Dead Redemption. Take Two has a tons of game studios under their belt. and game franchises. NBA2k, Max Payne, BioShock, Borderlands etc. etc. etc. However, GTA is the HUGE cash cow for sure.

Redx1653130d ago

Max Payne is a Rockstar title.

BioShock had 1 good game
NBA 2k is another milked sport games
Borderlands only had 1 good game

Without Rockstar this company would be hardly passing by. GTA V's money alone can help develop the next few games at no real cost to them.

Krussail3130d ago

Civilization, Bioshock, XCOM are also some good properties that they own.

SonyWarrior3130d ago (Edited 3130d ago )

lol....... take two is one of the best publisher there is period... its more like with out take two rockstar games would be irrelevant, you realise that GTA is T2 game rockstars are just the code monkeys that are told what to do yes they do a good job but most credit goes to their overlords at T2

JumpAction3130d ago (Edited 3130d ago )

I think you misunderstand T2s role in GTA. They are the distributors. Their responsibility in the development process of GTA V (and all Gtas since 3) was distributing the game to digital and physical store shelves. No game design, development, nor marketing. Just the distribution.

Source is Wikipedia :)

SonyWarrior3130d ago

you realize T2 owns GTA ip if they wanted to they could fire rockstar games and open up a new studio to make it ect...

JumpAction3130d ago (Edited 3130d ago )

Do they? I understand Rockstar is a subsidiary of Take-Two but the responsibility of the (extremely successful) franchise seems to be primarily on Rockstar. They are, after all the developers and publishers of the GTA titles. (Take-Two do not publish the GTA games).

Regardless of who owns the IP, Rockstar's involvement through game design, game development and marketing are why the series are great. Take-Two's role in this has been putting games on store shelves.

I still think you're greatly underestimating Take-Two's involvement as a parent company in GTA's success. Yes, Rockstar is their subsidiary but Rockstar (and DMA if we're talking about early titles) are completely responsible for the franchise's success.

I'm sorry, I still don't understand your perspective. :(

C-H-E-F3130d ago

Try again Max Payne was made by Remedy Entertainment. Rockstar was the publisher not the developer. Please inform yourself.

And you say "milked" GTA is a milked franchise as well. There's 15 GTAs because Rockstar says it's GTAV doesn't mean it's the 5th iteration of the franchise lOl.

Please just do yourself a favor and research and then reply.

neoandrew3130d ago

LOL, nope, take two and rockstar games are the same entity, take two created rockstar, this is why they are publishing it and always will.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 3130d ago
strayanalog3130d ago

The review system is definitely flawed these days and should be changed. Instead of firing back, why don't the developers and gaming media devise a new rating method for reviews? Kind of like the industry did in the 90s with the ESRB rating system.

OB1Biker3130d ago (Edited 3130d ago )

Well said. When the media get criticized, in other words, critics get questioned, they just get angry and attack back.
Even the most ridiculous reviews like the washington post uncharted 4 which was acknowledged by metacritics will get the media attack the gaming community to defend it.

Krussail3130d ago

Maybe it's an issue with the numbered scoring system since every individual has his own preferences..

3130d ago
OB1Biker3130d ago (Edited 3130d ago )

Yes they did. You dont need to get all defensive about it.
Besides thats very old news recycled again here.
http://n4g.com/news/1980164...

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70°

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 devs praise games like Space Marine 2 for "lowering the barrier"

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun 2 developers discuss the huge success of Space Marine 2 and its effect on the series as a whole.

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videogamer.com
Jingsing23h ago

How about an official level editor for Boltgun?

220°

Phil Spencer Teases 2026 As A "Really Special Year" For Xbox

2026 will mark the 25th anniversary of Xbox, and Phil Spencer has teased it as a "really special year" for the games division.

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twistedvoxel.com
TheEroica1d 14h ago (Edited 1d 14h ago )

You got downvotes by pathetic gamers for feeling hopeful about good games coming out next year. Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy? It is pretty neat to see people's world view blow up in front of them as they realize Microsoft has put themselves in a driver's seat that Sony hasn't been able to touch all generation.... What's even more pathetic is the same people downvoting you are the same people wishlisting Microsoft games on their ps5s 😂

P_Bomb1d 11h ago

“Imagine how small your brain must be to downvote someone excited for future gaming joy?”

My dude your post history shits on EVERYTHING. You never have a good thing to say about anything lol! 🤣

PanicMechanic1d 3h ago (Edited 1d 3h ago )

“Getting ready for those GaaS reveals! Sony is a shadow of themselves this gen.”

You literally said this a couple of days ago. Start applying the clown make up, you hypocritical jester

derek1d 12h ago

Yep we'll see, they have alot releasing next year.

RaidenBlack1d 8h ago

NGL, next year might be one of the best years in gaming ... starting off with RE9 and GTA VI ...
and then all the good games that's been cooking
Pragmata, Sands of Time, Saros, Gears E-Day, 007 First Light, Blood of Dawnwalker,
Mortal Shell II, Onimusha, Marvel1943: Rise of Hydra
current-gen only Infinity Ward's CoD, Duskbloods
+ My guess: Wolverine, Exodus, Mudang, Crimson Desert, Clockwork etc ...
~ seems like it might get too stacked

1Victor1d 6h ago

@rokos:”Hopefully “
I downvoted you not for been hopeful but because I have seen the same “NEXT YEAR WILL BE SPECIAL “ comment for the last 10+ and hasn’t seen anything special from Microsoft.
I hope next year will be the one that everyone been waiting for since the last 3 years of the Xbox 360, it have to be after over $80 billions spent on acquisitions.

Lightning771d 6h ago

So the new excuse is they don't count because it's from the ABK now huh. I guess all those 3rd party games count even less because they don't own them. According to your always crappy logic.

InUrFoxHole21h ago

Lol. You haven't seen anything special? Do you even game?

OtterX1d 18h ago

Always with the "next year..."! 😂

neutralgamer19921d 16h ago

I don't know they have delivered this year and even last year. And they have a lot more content in the pipeline right now than anyone else. We can't just keep hating on MS

Indiana Jones
South of midnight
Avowed
Flight simulator
Hell Blade 2
Minecraft update
Gears of war reloaded
Indian Jones:expansion
Gears E day
Clockwork revolution
Fable
Doom the dark ages
The outer worlds 2
Grounded 2
Call of duty

OtterX1d 16h ago

How many of those titles were just buyouts of companies that were going about making their games anyways? *Throws cash - "Oh look what we made!"

dveio1d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

This list, that's been posted again, and again, and again in every single topic like this, contains almost nothing, literally almost nothing from Microsoft's own creational thoughtprocess.

It's a bunch of former 3rd party IPs.

Now even slowly returning to Playstation in some cases like Indiana, Hellblade, probably Starfield soon too, after they were made exclusively to Xbox on purpose.

Due to Microsoft's lack for own IP material except Halo & Forza. Which, the lack of, was the sole reason for all of it to happen in the first place anyway. Please don't pretend it wasn't.

And just look at all the games that come from Obsidian alone.

You really think Obsidian wasn't already working on Avowed and South of Midnight even without Microsoft buying Zenimax?

Microsoft delivered nothing but cheques.

OtterX1d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

@dveio THIS. Lol, this dude thinks Call of Duty wouldn't exist without Microsoft! smh 😂

neutralgamer19921d 16h ago (Edited 1d 16h ago )

Common narrative I see often — that Microsoft shouldn’t get credit for the games its studios release because they “just bought them.” But this viewpoint ignores key context and sets a double standard that other platform holders aren’t held to

No one is saying these games wouldn't exist at all without Microsoft. But let’s not pretend that having a trillion-dollar company backing a studio doesn’t make a massive difference. Obsidian never had AAA funding before the Xbox acquisition. Pillars of Eternity was crowdfunded, and their resources were always stretched thin. Now they’re working on Avowed, with proper support behind it.

Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice was made by around 20 people, using borrowed equipment and doing mocap in a boardroom. It was a passion project held together by tape and willpower. Today, Hellblade II exists because they were given resources, time, and freedom — something many developers don’t get unless they’re owned by a company that believes in their vision.

ZeniMax (Bethesda’s parent company) was in real financial trouble before the Microsoft acquisition. Reports and insider accounts have pointed out how much they needed a cash infusion. And while some people want to write off Xbox’s ownership of Bethesda titles, they forget the alternative could have meant layoffs or even closures.

The same goes for Activision Blizzard. Would you really prefer the company to stay under Bobby Kotick, after all the documented workplace misconduct and toxic leadership issues? Say what you want about Microsoft, but their acquisition brought accountability and change to a company that desperately needed it.

At the same time, Xbox gets hated on for doing what every major company does. Sony bought Housemarque, Bluepoint, Insomniac — but no one says Spider-Man 2 “doesn’t count” because of that. Why does Xbox get treated differently for acquiring struggling or undervalued developers and giving them a chance to thrive?

And the idea that Xbox locks games away is outdated. They're pushing cross-platform releases, cloud gaming, Game Pass, and backward compatibility more than any other platform holder. They're not forcing all studios into live service. If anything, their upcoming lineup is less GAAS-heavy and more focused on narrative and creativity — Avowed, South of Midnight, Clockwork Revolution, Fable, Perfect Dark, Towerborne, and others show real variety.

Whether people like it or not, Xbox is now the biggest publisher in the industry and owns the most gaming IPs. But what matters more is how they treat their studios. Most of these teams were previously stuck making AA games with limited scope — now they’re getting the tools and support to aim higher.

So when people say “Microsoft didn’t make those games,” they’re missing the point. It’s not about who started the studio — it’s about who enabled them to do their best work. You don’t have to love Xbox to admit they’ve helped a lot of developers and are taking a player-first approach.

Instead of writing off everything they do, maybe try recognizing the good they’re doing for both devs and gamers. At the end of the day, we should want more studios to succeed — no matter who owns them

BeHunted1d 15h ago

I'm surprised Clockwork Revolution (BioShock meets Dishonored) isn't getting more media attention. The game looks interesting and reminds me of the old RPG games.

anast1d 14h ago

The only good game on that list is Flight sim. The rest are either average or will be average. It's not a good look for MS.

TheEroica1d 14h ago

My god.... Look how many comments are upset about microsoft's successes... 😂 This may be my new favorite thread. Not one gamer saying thanks for all the goodness coming their way, just bitter anger and downvoting the very games they themselves will purchase throughout 2026.... Sony really worked you guys over this generation.... Condolences.

DivineHand1251d 13h ago

@neutralgamer1992 You said what needed to be said.

I have heard for years from older gamers that fanboys are the biggest issue with any fanbase. They will defend or gloss over negative news as long as the correct logo is on the box and they bash the competing platform no matter how much good they are trying to bring.

Right now their advocacy for PlayStation is elevating that platform so high that Sony no longer believes they need to do anything to satisfy their loyal fanbase like they did in the PS4 days.

I just hope most of them will eventually start advocating for themselves and encourage others to do the same. No one should blindly support one platform because these companies do not care about anything other than profit.

neutralgamer19921d 13h ago

Hunted

And first proper game done by the studio with proper AAA budget and saying it will be released when ready

Anast

I believe we went through this before that you are objectively wrong. Meta critic, user reviews, game sales. In Playstation top 10 best selling games were 5 from Microsoft studios

Otter

No this dude is saying so many other studios wouldn't be thriving without MS money and people would be getting abused physically and mentally with Bobby kotick and his side kicks

Also maybe look up how the original founder of Bethesda and zenimax was kicked out of his own company by his best friend lawyer. So that was always a shady place and had been struggling financially before MS paid a premium of almost 7 billion

Eroica

I use to be a die hard Playstation fan and now I only have a Pc. I see how these fans are so toxic. They just can't handle any positive news regarding Xbox. When the best selling games on playstation are Xbox titles. Look at Forza horizon being best seller and that's years old game by MS. I guess ms don't deserve credit for that success too since they are the only company in gaming making acquisitions

Forget the fact Sony paid 3.6 billion for bungie and MS 6.9 for zenimax. Which investment has turned out better

Destiny and marathon with a lot of controversy

While zenimax output is nothing short of amazing compared to what bungie has released

crazyCoconuts1d 13h ago

Yeah it's tricky. "Xbox" has morphed to mean different things to different people.
Console, now Windows, GamePass, and the cross platform games. There's a mix of attitudes towards all those things individually, and maybe an overarching attitude towards MS. But can't argue that the game companies MS recently bought continue to flourish, and GamePass PC has been a great value over the last year.

InUrFoxHole21h ago

@OtterX
You're the dude mad at your exes new guy. She's with someone else... get over it.

+ Show (8) more repliesLast reply 21h ago
Lightning771d 14h ago (Edited 1d 14h ago )

They've had good output so far. So waiting for those games shouldn't be a problem.

Who cares if they're buy outs of companies or whatever excuse you want to make. They're games that are being distributed to other console. Play the games and enjoy it instead of fanboying or complaining.

ocelot071d 15h ago

They going to be a he best and biggest publisher on Xbox, Playstation and PC next year. They not really said anything about Switch 2 though spite claiming to be big supporters.

quenomamen1d 15h ago

If you call making one last Xbox before going full Sega, as Great. Then yea.

TheEroica1d 14h ago

Doesn't feel like you're paying attention to what's happening.

RhinoGamer881d 15h ago

It will be, his net work will hit 50 million and he plans to buy a new mansion in Cape Cod. Thanks everyone! #failup

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80°

The Witcher 3 Immerse Gamepack — Product Introduction with Marcin Przybyłowicz

Join Marcin Przybyłowicz, Expert Composer at CD PROJEKT RED and the mind behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt OST, as he sets up Immerse Gamepack on PC and dives into Geralt's adventures like never before — with spatial audio powered by Embody.

3d ago