New Saints Row 2 Trailer Unveils Existence of Plot

Analyst: Saints Row 2 Trailer "Pompous"

Have you seen the recent Saints Row 2 trailer that makes direct comparisons to Grand Theft Auto IVto show why it's more fun? It's more tongue-in-cheek snarky than truly nasty, but apparently it prompted one analyst to counsel investors to take it with a grain of salt.

Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said that going toe-to-toe with GTA IV on content is "an unusually pompous position... considering GTA IV is estimated to be the highest grossing 1st week entertainment release of all time."

Hickey also nodded to GTA IV's Metacritic-leading score, and maintained his "conservative" estimate for Saints Row 2 sales, "in light of mediocre game previews and a delayed release in-part from quality concerns."

In general, it seems a bit of a risky strategy for any title to compare itself, even jokingly, to a sales record-smasher like GTA IV. When I spoke to THQ during their preview event, though, a rep told me the aim was to show what was different about Saints Row, not necessarily to make superiority claims.

Hickey: Saint's Row 2 'Pompous' To Attack GTA IV [Gamasutra]

Saints Row 2 Fires A Shot Across GTA IV's Bow With Sewage Hose

Don't look so surprised. THQ have announced that they're pushing the release of Saints Row 2 back a couple of months, "due to product quality and marketing considerations". In other words, due to "oh man, that GTA IV is pretty good". Originally due to ship in August, the game is now slated for release on October 14. You may be finished with GTA IV by then. You may even care by then.

THQ delays 'Saints Row 2' by nearly two months [Reuters]

THQ: "Fiscal Year 08 Was A Very Tough Year"

Despite reporting modest revenue growth for its 13th consecutive year, THQ reported a net loss of $35.3 million for the fiscal year ending March 2008. The company's sales totaled $1030.5 million, relatively little change from last year's $1,026.9 sales.

THQ president and CEO Brian Farrell said that most of its struggles were due to a crowded and competitive market for kids' games, as well as key franchises — Juiced, Stuntman and Conan that ultimately "were simply not competitive."

Gallery: Saints Row 2

To accompany my article from earlier this evening concerning Saints Row 2, I bring you this fine gallery of screenshots. The environments are very impressive looking and the the character models are quite nice as well. Sorry guys, unfortunately they didn't include a shot of the stripper and her attendant pole.

I kicked off last night's THQ Gamer's Day with a look at Saints Row 2 for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. As we reported earlier today, the release date has been set for August 26th and, from the looks of it, THQ and Volition have packed it full of new features.

The first thing I checked out was the character customization which was quite rich, aside from the absence of nipples on the male characters. You can take your gang banger from ripped hardbody to overweight and flabby in a matter of seconds. I was actually pretty impressed by the fat character models which were nicely detailed, rather than just looking like a big balloon. Volition also added the ability to create a female character if you so desire, though as they were wearing bras, I couldn't tell you if they had nipples or not.

Another new customization feature was a series of taunts and compliments that can be done by your avatar, prompting appropriate reactions from non-player characters. And yet even more customization can be had through decorating your gang's crib, featuring a ton of new items like pool tables and even a pole dancing stripper.

The big news out of yesterday's THQ Gamer's Day was the announcement of a street date for Saint's Row 2. The follow up to the uber popular first title will be hitting your PS3 or Xbox 360 on August 26th. As expected, it's been packed with a bunch of new features that will enrich your gang related gaming experience. Look for more details from my hands on with the game later today! You can also check out the Saints Row 2 website which just went live.

Saints Row 2

Saints Row 2 Trailer

Wow, a trailer without any video... that's annoying. Well I guess we know a bit more about the plot and that's why people play Saints Row right? Right? Man, if I were them I'd just cover my head until May.

Saints Row 2 Defiant In The Face GTAIV

We wouldn't be releasing this year if we didn't think we could be competitive...The only thing I know about GTA is what I've read. From what I've read it seems like they're going in a more realistic direction. For us it's more about almost a hyper-realistic quality, over-the-top, all about these memorable moments.

Developer Admits Saints Row 2 "Won't Be Bug Free"

It won't be bug free. I don't think any game is. But part of what we did was to start development early on. Our development schedule is all about getting the gameplay in and even though this (version of the game shown to press) is pre-alpha, we're all about iterating the gameplay now.

That shot of a helicopter laying waste to Greek ruins? Yeah, that's Saints Row 2, believe it or not. THQ fired over some new screens of their Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 game, the one that will inevitably be compared to Grand Theft Auto IV. Saints Row 2 looks to provide plenty of things to shoot at and punch, plus the occasional lighthouse. Or is that just a prison guard tower? Only time will tell...

1Up has a new batch of Saints Row 2 screenies, which show car hood surfing to airplane flying. The multi-platform title is due out this year and hopefully won't be nearly as buggy as the prequel.

For anyone looking to make a bit of dough from day trading or, say, long-term investment in THQ, you may want to take a look at The Street's picks for the biggest video games of 2008. Profiled are many of the new year's money-grubbingest titles, many of which were originally scheduled to arrive in 2007. Picks include Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4, Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet, Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto IV, THQ's Saints Row 2, Nintendo's Wii Fit and EA's Spore, nearly all sure things for big, big sales and arguable "killer app" labels.

Oddly, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is overlooked for the Wii, a game whose success is all but guaranteed on the sales leading platform. A handful of 2008 potential candidates, Resident Evil 5 and Blizzard's possible offerings in Wrath of the Lich King and StarCraft II, also deserve attention.

Video-Game Publishers See Another Blockbuster Year [The Street]

Volition Force Forms Blazing Lizard

Saints Row Hummer Limo Rollin' In Shibuya

Famitsu Scores