Take-Two Files For Vice City Stories Trademark

A filing with the United States Patent and Trademark office by Rockstar parent company and major publisher and developer Take-Two on March 21st has confirmed that the company has secured the rights to the game name Vice City Stories. Although not yet announced as a PSP title by Take-Two, this is in line with their recent announcement on March 7, 2006 during the reporting of their first quarter fiscal 2006 financial earnings, during which they said that in 2006 they would release two new PSP titles, including an all-new Grand Theft Auto game. If confirmed as a PSP title, Vice City Stories would follow Take-Two's release of the Rockstar Leeds-developed Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories last October, which has also been confirmed by Take-Two as being converted to the PlayStation 2 for release in April. According to recent Take-Two SEC filings, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories for the PSP has been the number one selling title for the PSP in the U.S. in each month since its October 2005 launch, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PlayStation 2, now available in PS2 Greatest Hits and Xbox Platinum Hits versions, has also sold well for the company. Currently, the Grand Theft Auto series accounts for nearly 34 percent of the company’s total revenue, showing the importance of the series, and thus the need to continue with current-gen and handheld versions, even as a next-gen GTA is being readied, most likely for a late 2007 debut.