Tag Archives: Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars

The BBFC has awarded Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars an 18 rating – a first for Nintendo DS.

The game apparently “contains very strong language and drug references,” warns the governing body.

Also, the BBFC page reveals the Chinatown Wars contains 168 minutes of cut-scenes, so there’s plenty to see and do it seems.

GTA: Chinatown Wars is coming to DS in the US on March 17 and Europe three days later.

By Mike Bowden

We’re pretty sure at least three of these are new, but don’t kill us if we’re wrong. Suffice to say, NintendoEverything has some images of Rockstar’s GTA Nintendo DS venture and if we’re being honest, it’s looking better the more we see it.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be released for DS in March 17 and 20 in North America and Europe, respectively.

By Mike Bowden

Rockstar’s confirmed that GTA: Chinatown Wars will release for DS in March 17 and 20 in North America and Europe, respectively.

“Rockstar Leeds have once again created a game that far exceeds our standard for deep and innovative entertainment,” said company boss, Sam Houser.

“We are incredibly excited to share this enormous and uncompromising Grand Theft Auto experience with DS fans.”

A little bird tells us the game’s now been entered for submission, so there’s not much chance of this slipping.

Press release here.

We say “rumoured,” but this looks pretty solid. This NintendoEverything piece contains translation from a Spanish mag about GTA Chinatown Wars, including a claim that the DS game will feature the same map as GTA IV bar the Alderney section.

Apparently:

• Camera can swivel 360 degrees
• Trains will pass overhead in the city, cars will circle, pedestrians will be walking, etc.
• GPS seen on the touch screen while you move through the city
• PDA allows you to gain access to the map with more details as well as the goals of missions
• You can mark points that you want and the GPS will always tell you the shortest legal route to the destination with yellow or blue arrows
• New discoveries (such as gas stations) are added to the map
• Top screen brings you all the action, while the lower screen will let you control elements like the PDA, GPS, the radio, access to the people on the map, or using Motolov cocktails and grenades.
• Drugs have a big importance in the game
• Drug system can be compared to Drugwars
• You have to control the stock of drugs, buy them in one neighborhood and sell them in another – Good way to make money in the game
• You are given a map so that you know what people demand and at what prices
• Like other GTA games, in Chinatown Wars, you can catch a taxi – whistle into the microphone so the taxi will stop

The game’s just been slipped a little further into next year. Thanks, Kotaku.

According to this Gamespot report, Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick said at the BMO Capital Market 2008 Interactive Entertainment Conference today that GTA: Chinatown Wars had been pushed back into the firm’s second fiscal quarter, running February to April next year.

No reason was given for moving the DS game back.

That’s not the best bit, though. From the piece:

Zelnick said the publisher was aiming to have [GTA IV's 360 DLC] available at the end of the fiscal first quarter (which runs November through January), although he noted it might move into the second quarter alongside Chinatown Wars. Regardless, the downloadable content is “close to completed.”

Microsoft’s probably popping the champagne right this very second.

More through the link.

The Sun’s run the headline “Fury over drug deal vid game” in response to the fact that GTA: Chinatown Wars has a drug dealing mini-game. Obviously.

“Anything using drug-dealing as entertainment is sending out the wrong message,” Darren Gold of charity Drugsline told the paper.

“Glamorisation doesn’t help our work trying to educate kids of the dangers of substance misuse.”

There’s more through there, should you feel the need.

Speaking in the latest edition of Edge, Rockstar boss Dan Houser’s said that Nintendo was keen for GTA Chinatown Wars to maintain its adult feel.

“Nintendo wanted us to make GTA, and we wanted to make GTA on their platform,” he said.

“They didn’t want us to make a GTA for kids, and we weren’t interested in making a game we wouldn’t normally make. GTA is about stealing cars and shooting people – how could it not be an 18 rating? You couldn’t do GTA without that 18 – it wouldn’t feel like it’s supposed to feel.”

Game’s out next year. More on D-Pad.

According to this CVG story, UK mag Edge has confirmed that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars contains a drug dealing game which allows you to sell heroine, cocaine, pot, tablets, acid and downers.

“We wanted to have a drug-dealing minigame in lots of the GTA games,” said Dan Houser. “We played with it a little in Vice City Stories, because it worked really well juxtaposed with the main story.

“It works well with what GTA is, with driving around the map, and it gives you another thing to think about – another layer or piece of the puzzle to keep you motivated.”

Place your bets on the first furious editorial from the Daily Mail. More through the link.

Gamekyo has them. Not much to see as it looks very messy at the moment, but that’s most likely to do with the fact that they’re scans from the Nintendo Power article we brought to your attention yesterday.

Have a look.

By Mike Bowden

A poster on NeoGAF has got hold of the latest Nintendo Power magazine which reveals, amongst many other things, that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars DS will feature cell-shaded graphics and be an M-rated game.

That’s not all however. In fact, there’s so much info, we’re going to create a nice, long, bullet-pointed list for you to enjoy with your morning coffee.

Down below.

By Mike Bowden

More »

Take-Two just confirmed that GTA: Chinatown Wars will ship in fiscal 2009, the 12 months beginning November 1 this year.

The news came as part of a financial statement detailing the firm’s third quarter for fiscal 2008.

According to this Gamesblog.UGO piece, a reader has just taken part in a survey related to Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the DS GTA game announced in the Nintendo press conference at E3.

This is rumour central, but the game is said to contain “70+ missions, 20+ hours of straight gameplay—with significant replayability on top of those 20+ hours.”

Take a look through the link.

Grand Theft Auto Chinatown Wars for DS has just been announced in LA.

Nothing was said about the game.

The announcement came in Nintendo’s E3 press conference, which is ongoing.

Update: It’s been formally announced. Press release after the break.

“This is a game that will deliver a rich, fast-paced and intense ‘Grand Theft Auto’ experience that will be truly unique to Nintendo’s handheld platform,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Rockstar Leeds, along with the team at Rockstar North, has built upon a decade of progressive design on Grand Theft Auto, and has created something fundamentally fresh and immersive.”

More »