Take-Two anticipates more LA Noire

Rockstar's L.A. Noire could be the starting point for a lucrative franchise, judging by comments from Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick.

Speaking at investor call earlier today, Zelnick stated that the game's reception at retail had been "exceedingly strong", adding that Take-Two was anticipating the brand has a long future ahead of it.

"We have every reason to believe that L.A. Noire is another strong franchise for this company," he said. "We do see this as a powerful new franchise."

There's been no official statement of intent regarding a sequel to the acclaimed crime epic, though developer Team Bondi speculated last week that any follow-up would take significantly less time to develop than the seven years the original gobbled up.

Take-Two also announced Rockstar founders Sam and Dan Houser have renewed their employment contracts with the publisher, along with key creative Leslie Benzies.

The deal is said to be on "substantially similar economic terms" to their previous agreement.

"I want to take a moment to recognise this team that has been with Take Two for well over ten years now," said Zelnick. "They've not only continued to deliver outstanding results but they've showed incredible loyalty. We look forward to working with the Rockstar team for many years to come."

Elsewhere during the presentation, Take-Two detailed a strong set of financials for the last 12 months. Net revenue was up 49 per cent year-on-year to $1.14 billion, though the last quarter saw a decline to $182.3 compared to $233.2 million in the same period in 2010.

"Fiscal 2011 was a very strong year for Take-Two," commented Zelnick. "We generated revenue growth and margin expansion that consistently exceeded expectations, and also took action to position the company for even greater success over the long-term."