*By Bridgette Webb*
"Red Dead Redemption 2" hit store shelves on Friday with big ambitions.
The hotly anticipated game seven-years in the making was met with wide acclaim, boosting stock in the game-maker, Take-Two Interactive ($TTWO), and earning comparisons to the mega-hit "Grand Theft Auto V."
"Everyone loves 'Grand Theft Auto,' and they just believe that anything Rockstar \[Games\] can make is going to be a sure-fire hit," Peter Brown, Managing Editor for GameSpot said in an interview on Cheddar.
"The reception so far is very positive, so people are feeling very high about this game and of course about Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive as a result," he said.
The game retails at $59.99 for the standard edition, and comes just weeks after rival Activision Blizzard ($ATVI) released its hit game "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4."
That offering generated more than $500 million in sales worldwide in its first three days of release.
Analysts believe that "Red Dead 2" will bring in sales anywhere between $400 and $600 million in its opening weekend. And as we head into the holiday season, many are betting the game will be a big gift to revenue growth.
But Brown cautioned that it may be too early to predict the same explosive success as its rival.
"'Grand Theft Auto V' is meant to be a bit snarky, a very action-packed game. 'Red Dead Redemption,' on the other hand, is a bit more slow-paced and reflective," he noted. "How people will respond to that is definitely going to be interesting to watch."
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/red-dead-redemption-2-can-it-measure-up-to-grand-theft-auto-v).
An Illinois attorney general's office investigation released Tuesday found that 451 Catholic clergy sexually abused nearly 2,000 children in the state over a nearly 70-year period, which was more than four times the 103 individuals the church named when the state began its review in 2018.
Paramount Global is set to absorb Showtime into Paramount+, creating a single streaming option to compete with the likes of Netflix and Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max. The company also plans to raise the monthly price from $9.99 to $11.99 per month after the integration.
HBO released a sneak peek of next week's series finale for 'Succession' after four seasons.
Dua Lipa is teasing her new single from the upcoming 'Barbie' movie.
Warner Bros. released the official trailer for the upcoming musical film, 'The Color Purple,' based on the novel and 1985 original film.
Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. noticed a young boy who had a sign that read he had beaten cancer. Guerrero decided to surprise the young fan.
From the newest 'American Idol' to the end of a 'Bill & Ted's' hot spot, here are your top entertainment headlines.
Cheddar's own Shannon LaNier is taking a staycation, and all week he'll be trying out different summer activities in New York and the surrounding area that will hopefully serve as an inspiration no matter where you live. On Monday, Shannon traveled to Huntington, New York to get a taste of the boating life. He spoke with Maggie Maskery, head of public relations for Discover Boating, about some of the best boat share options.
A guitar destroyed by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain sold for nearly $600,000 dollars on Saturday at an auction in a Hard Rock Café in New York City.
Scores of Boston University students turned their backs on the head of one of Hollywood's biggest studios, and some shouted “pay your writers,” as he gave the school's commencement address Sunday in a stadium where protesters supporting the Hollywood writers' strike picketed outside.
