While publisher Take-Two is still evaluating specific launch dates for anticipated sequels BioShock 2, Max Payne 3, Mafia II and Red Dead Redemption, the company today said that all four are now expected to release between February and June 30, 2010.

While speaking during an investors conference call, Take-Two CEO Ben Feder explicitly noted that the four are still due within the first half of calendar 2010, but should not be expected within the first quarter of the company's fiscal year, which ends January 31.

Dealing with the mob seems easy enough. You get together, eat spaghetti, have a few drinks, chat a little and then off you toddle. Unless you slip up, of course, in which case you'll wind up with bat-wielding wiseguys on your doorstep looking none too pleased.

Due out "early in 2010" on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, 2K Czech's Mafia II also scored new screenshots today. Consider it all a token of Mr. Gamescom's appreciation.

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A fine time, the 1950s. Before the advent of Twitter, rainbow clubs and rap singers, for $5 you could ride a steam train, have a malt, buy a fast car and catch a monster movie at the drive-in, and still have change to get stuck up at knifepoint on your way home.

If you can't wait until "early in 2010" to play 2K Czech's Mafia II for yourself on PC, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, have a gander at fifteen minutes of gameplay footage from E3.

Mafia 2 producer Denby Grace introduces a whopping fifteen minutes of play from the mobster shooter's early game, as was demonstrated during the E3 expo in June.

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We interviewed Grace during E3, covering Mafia 2 topics including the new 1940s-50s setting, side-missions, its gangland narrative, and the possibility of modding tools.

Mafia 2 is slated for release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in the first half of 2010.

Update: BioShock 2 will be released within the first half of "calendar 2010," Take-Two CEO Ben Feder clarified during a conference call. Three other major releases are planned within that timeframe: Mafia 2, Max Payne 3, and Red Dead Redemption.

As before, the company is still evaluating specific launch windows for those games.

"[BioShock 2's delay is] not related to any specific platform or any specific element of it," the company later said of the forthcoming PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game. "Generally there are some development issues that we need to deal with."

Original: Take-Two today announced that BioShock 2 has been delayed to a new release date in its 2010 fiscal year.

While the game's original release date of November 3 technically fits into the beginning of the year--which begins on November 1, 2009--the company implied a... Read more

Taunts, threats and blackmail will get a wiseguy far but sometimes he's all out of luck and has to get his hands dirty. Though guns thankfully lessen the inconvenience.

Developed by 2K Czech, Mafia 2 is out early in 2010 on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

To get your mind off Mafia II's recent delay, a new trailer for 2K Czech's old-timey open-world mobster game has been released, this one examining the title's story.

Previously expected before October's end, Mafia II is now slated to hit PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 at some point between November 1, 2009 and April 30, 2010.

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2K Czech's open-world gangster title Mafia II (PC, PS3, 360) and Rockstar San Diego's open-world cowboy game Red Dead Redemption (PS3, 360) have both been delayed "to allow additional development time for the titles and to maximize their full potential."

Publisher Take-Two announced the delay today, noting that both are now due within the "first half of fiscal 2010," a period that runs from November 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010.

Both games were previously slated to arrive by October 31, 2009--the end of Take-Two's current fiscal year. In a conference call, the company added that it is currently evaluating the best possible launch windows for the games, adding via press release that "full potential" refers to "the quality of the player experience and market performance."

One of the many fine details that make up the world of Mafia II can be seen in the bottom left image of this latest batch from developer 2K Czech. As mentioned in our interview, the backdrop of the game is populated with digital city-dwellers casually living out their lives in the mishmash of a 1940s town. They shine shoes, sell newspapers--and occasionally get run over by a mobster on the run.

Mafia 2 arrives on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

There's something very refreshing about 2K Czech's approach to "open world" gameplay with Mafia.

For a game that tells the story of a larger-than-life mobster, and does so over the span of a decade, there's a handcrafted feel about this new sequel. The developers are less interested in using the open world as a playground for gamers, and more as a backdrop for the narrative they've crafted--an approach in line with the first, somewhat under-appreciated title in the series.

Recently I sat in on a roundtable interview with Denby Grace, producer on the project at 2K Games. As Grace held court in an Italian restaurant on the edge of San Francisco's Little Italy, we fired questions at him ranging in topic from the game's ambitious narrative, to the series' infamous traffic laws.

What is the sequel doing differently from the original? More importantly: what happens when you shoot someone in the face? Read on to find out.... Read more

Grand Theft Auto may be the king of outdoor exploration, but Mafia 2 is looking to corner the market on beautiful interiors. The gorgeous soft lighting. The historic 40s carpeting. The detailed glasswork. Alright, yes: you can shoot it all out, piece by piece.

Mafia 2 is hitting the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

Still reeling from the brilliance of that last Mafia II trailer? You might want to check out the following screenshots, which capture a few moments in large resolution for handy desktop purposes.

Mafia II, 2K Czech's first sequel to the open-world gangster title, hits PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

Back in December, 2K Czech released a fancy trailer for Mafia 2. Now, the studio has issued two new screenshots, and an extended trailer that adds some new footage. The open-world gangster action game hits PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 this fall.

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The extended trailer was accompanied by a letter from lead animator Tomas Hrebicek, in which he explains that the trailer was rendered using actual game assets in the real-time cutscene editor, and does not contain any postproduction... Read more

A new trailer for 2K Czech's Mafia II has been released, providing an glimpse of the open world game and its old-time gangster exploits. The title utilizes a proprietary engine, and publisher 2K vows that the video was rendered entirely in-game.

In addition, 2K revealed that the Mafia 2 is on track to hit PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 next fall, firming up the previously vague timeframe that only specified a release by October 31.

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Remember the good old days? Back when you just needed to walk down the street with some pals to have some old fashioned fun? 2K Czech sure does.

To prove it, the studio just sent over a new batch of screenshots from its open-world mobster life simulator Mafia II, which is set in that simpler, more innocent era.

Mafia II is set to hit PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 simultaneously at some point during publisher Take-Two Interactive's next fiscal year, which runs from November 1, 2008 through October 31, 2009.

2K Games today released a new batch of screenshots of 2K Czech's open-world mobster simulator sequel Mafia 2. The company also announced that the game will be released simultaneously on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.

Mafia 2 is set to hit stores during Take-Two's 2009 fiscal year, which runs from November 1, 2008 through October 31, 2009.

According to Tiscali Games, a number of new gameplay and story details for 2K Czech's open-world mobster simulator sequel Mafia 2 (PC, PS3, X360) have reportedly been revealed by an undisclosed print magazine.

A sequel to the studio's 2002 hit Mafia (PC, PS2, Xbox), Mafia 2 is said to contain no direct connection to the first title's story, and takes place in Empire City, loosely based on San Francisco circa 1950. The city is reportedly twice as big as the original game's Lost Heaven and includes a variety of unique locales and interior spaces.

Mafia 2 will also include a physical destruction model for cars featuring broken glass, exploding gas tanks and detailed body damage. Vehicles will have to be refueled at gas stations, and overtime will develop a thick coat of dirt and dust from your antics on the road, removable at a number of Empire City's car washes.

Players will be able to strengthen their characters by eating at local restaurants a la Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PC, PS2, Xbox), and change clothes at boutiques to evade pursuers. Mafia 2's combat will also feature ... Read more

Take-Two Interactive today clarified a number of release dates for its upcoming titles.

The publisher revealed that Gearbox Software's Borderlands (PC, PS3, X360) and 2K Czech's Mafia II (PC, PS3, X360) are positioned for release sometime in Take-Two's 2009 fiscal year, which runs from November 1, 2008 through October 31, 2009.

The new date marks a delay for the co-op friendly Borderlands, which was originally slated to arrive within Take Two's 2008 fiscal year. Prior to today, no release date had been announced for Mafia II.

Additionally, Rockstar San Diego's Midnight Club: Los Angeles (PS3, X360) was confirmed for release in the company's FY2008 fourth quarter, pinning the title's release window between August 1 and October 31, 2008.

The game was originally aimed for a spring 2008 release, but was delayed to prevent competition with Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360).

Another five screenshots of 2K Czech's open-world mobster simulator sequel Mafia 2 have appeared, showcasing the game's use of weapons and shiny cars. Known as Illusion Softworks prior to its acquisition by 2K Games, the studio is planning to release Mafia 2 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, though no release estimate has been announced.

Take-Two Interactive Software, parent company of 2K Games and Rockstar Games, today announced that it has acquired Czech Republic based developer Illusion Softworks. The studio will join the 2K Games publishing label as 2K Czech.

Illusion Softworks is behind such games as Hidden & Dangerous, Mafia, and Vietcong, some of which were distributed by Take-Two's various publishing labels. The company is currently working on Mafia 2 for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

"We have an excellent working relationship with 2K Games and the utmost respect for them," said 2K Czech Petr Vochozka. "We are pleased to become a 2K studio and are confident that this new partnership will strengthen our current and future projects."