Tag Archives: gta

Direct2Drive.com is taking 30 percent off its entire Rockstar library now through Sunday.

They have all sorts of stuff over there. Bully, GTA, Manhunt, Max Payne — the list goes on.

Prices are ranging anywhere from $6.95 – $20.95.

Kotaku’s posted a proper trailer for GTA: Chinatown Wars, and it looks as good as you’d expect.

There’s a bit of gameplay in there, and a whole lot of art. Essential stuff for the DS-loving hardcore out there.

It’s out in March.

According to squillions of reports, the Trophy patch for the PS3 version of GTA IV will release next Monday.

We normally avoid “you can now get Trophies” stuff, but this is GTA, so we have to report it. We love you, GTA.

Japanese games magazine Famitsu has given Grand Theft Auto IV a score of 10,10,9,10 which means that three out four reviewers thought it damn near perfect. This rather surprisingly outscored Sony’s LittleBigPlanet, which recieved a more than formidable 10,10,9,9.

Full scores below. Thanks NeoGaf and Blerk.

• Cid & Chocobo　- 8,8,8,8
• Vitamin Y　- 6,6,6,7
• Precure 5　- 7,6,6,5
• Aralechan　- 4,5,4,4
• Valkyrie Profile　- 8,8,8,8
• Avalon Code　- 7,8,7,8
• Boku to Simu no Machi – 7,8,7,7
• Bokujou Monogatari　- 7,8,7,7
• Little Big Planet　- 10,10,9,9
• Fracture – 7,8,7,6
• GTAIV　- 10,10,9,10
• Thunderforce 6　- 7,7,6,6

Rockstar’s Sam Houser reckons Games for Windows Live is ideal for the PC version of GTA IV. Luckily, then, the game’s online modes will be exclusively matched to the service when it launches on November 18.

“We’re incredibly proud of the deep, customisable multiplayer experience that Grand Theft Auto IV offers players,” said Houser.

“As we work toward the release of the PC version, Games for Windows – Live affords us the opportunity to seamlessly translate the multiplayer console experience for PC gamers. The service is a natural fit for the platform and we strongly believe it will help in building a strong online community around GTA IV PC.”

So there we are.

Rockstar’s announced a “Grand Theft Auto IV Xbox LIVE Weekend,” to run from September 26-28.

You’ll be able to play online against the dev team, if you’re lucky, and get entered into a draw to win a 360 Elite, a 12-month Gold Live sub and 4,000 PS Points.

This is US and Canada-only, Euro bods, and you’ll only be able to get involved if you have a Gold Live membership.

There’s tons more. Get all the details after the link.

More »

Let the wink-winking and nudge-nudgery begin. Speaking during yesterday’s Take-Two conference call, CEO Ben Feder opened his big mouth – and then closed it, giving us some juicy info during the interim.

When asked about a possible Wii version of GTA, Feder replied, “We’ve spent an enormous amount of time and effort working with Nintendo. We’re very proud of the partnership. GTA: Chinatown Wars is an important step [in that partnership]…and we intend to continue to grow that relationship.”

Obviously not a confirmation, but the door’s still wide open for Rockstar’s murder sim/life-saver to appear on the Wii.

MyGTA, anyone?

Thanks, Shacknews.

By Nathan Grayson

Take-Two has confirmed tonight that GTA IV has now sold more than 10 million units.

The news comes alongside Q3 results for fiscal 2008, which show the firm’s revenues for the period up over 100 percent year on year. Guess why.

Get the full results here.

Take-Two’s just re-confirmed it will ship DLC for the 360 version of GTA IV in fiscal 2009, beginning November 1 this year.

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

The news comes after speculation today that the content is on track for a November release, and that it consists of two 10-hour episodes.

Previous chatter has claimed the DLC would not make calendar 2008.

Hugely anticipated crime MMO APB is the culmination of 20 years work on GTA, Crackdown and sandbox gaming in general, Realtime Worlds studio boss Colin Macdonald has told VG247.

“I don’t think so,” said Macdonald when asked if the game was a straight evolution from Crackdown.

“It’s been on the go for quite some time, long before people starting seeing Crackdown and we got a sense of Crackdown’s success. It’s the bastard child of everything we’ve been striving towards over the 15-20 years that Realtime Worlds, DMA and David Jone have been making games.

“It’s where we want to go in terms of sandbox gameplay and everything that started with Grand Theft Auto and was evolving through Crackdown.”

Macdonald added that APB brings plenty to the table that’s never been seen before.

“Some things we’ve taken a lot and there are also a ton of areas in APB that are completely new and unique to APB itself. So, there’s a mix of things that came from Crackdown, but as much as anything it’s just what the company was set up to do, what Dave’s always wanted to do from GTA and before Crackdown and APB.”

An APB beta is on the way, with both the public test and the game’s actual release happening sooner than many thought, Macdonald told us last week.

There is, however, no date on the title as yet.

According to this New York Times piece, a total of 2,676 people have claimed their $35 from Rockstar after being traumatized by the Hot Coffee scenes in San Andreas.

“Am I disappointed? Sure,” said Seth R. Lesser, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs. “We can’t guess as to why now, several years later, people care or don’t care. The merits of the case were clear.”

We’ll tell you why, Seth. No one with more than three brain cells gives a flying fuck. The law’s an ass. Got it yet?

Speaking to investors at the William Blair & Company meeting in Chicago yesterday, THQ CEO Brian Farrell said that Saints Row 2 is more tongue in cheek than Grand Theft Auto and that it has more “silly, over the top gameplay.”

“We have a very differentiated product in this open-world genre,” said Farrell.

“We’re always concerned about GTA as a competitor. It’s a great product, the leader in the genre. But we were actually very pleased when we saw GTA IV. It’s a great game, but they went in this great creative direction [that makes the game] more character- and story-driven,” he added.

Saints Row 2 will feature lots of character customisation, “a lot” of downloadable content, a “larger, richer environment,” a unique combat system and a “seamless” two-player co-op mode.

Thanks MCV.

By Mike Bowden

Talking at a session with investors at the William Blair & Company’s 28th Annual Growth Stock Conference, EA CEO John Riccitiello said that EA’s Redwood Shores studio is at work on a sequel to The Godfather game.

“It’s a game that I think we’ll be talking a lot about this fall,” said Riccitiello.

“You can play this game both at the street level, much like a GTA-style game, but you can also play it top-down, almost like you’re in an RTS, controlling the strategy of the boroughs so you can see what’s going on.”

Riccitiello also added that EA’s Hunter Smith, who worked on two EA James Bond games will be executive producer on The Godfather II.

Thanks, Next-Gen.

By Mike Bowden

Speaking at the Game Education Summit in Dallas last week, Junction Point CEO Warren Spector said he’s “so tired of making games about guys in black leather carrying guns,” and admitted he believes long games are tomorrow’s dinosaurs.

“Game costs are going to be $35-40 million, even $100 million, and the expectations are huge. You have to differentiate yourselves. One-hundred hour games are on the way out,” he said.

“How many of you have finished GTA? Two percent, probably. If we’re spending $100 million on a game, we want you to see the last level.”

Loads more Spector at Gamasutra.

By Mike Bowden

The first online review of GTA IV’s gone live, and IGN’s given the game a perfect score. As ever, the piece is 16 years long, but you can see the verdict here. The last bit:

I could go on and on about why Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the best games we’ve ever seen and why even folks who are easily offended should play it, but that would be pointless. The only thing you need to know is that you have to play this game. Period.

Everyone else is going live with their reviews on Sunday. If anyone gives it a nine they’ll probably be lynched, so good luck with that.

US retailer GameStop’s released a giant list of all its stores that are opening on Monday night for the midnight release of Grand Theft Auto IV. Even if you’re not American, you probably need to look at this just for the sheer massiveness of it.

Here’s the list of Best Buy’s doing the midnight opening thing, in case you missed it.

Please, stop. We cannae take any more. Speaking to 1up, Rockstar boss Sam Houser has admitted that the two versions of GTA IV do have visual differences.

“There’s a slight difference in the way they look,” he said. “I think that’s to do with really low-level technical stuff that I’m not the guy to explain. The 360 games have a certain look to them; PS3 games have a certain look to them. I like the way [the PS3] renders.” He concluded, “There’s a certain kind of softness without being blurry – some warmth to it – and then there’s a certain more clinical element to how the 360 looks.”

It’s out next week. Then we can start talking about the DLC and linking to walkthroughs.

Thanks, Evil Avatar.

Rockstar will not be impressed. According to GTAGaming, the American OXM has given GTA IV a paltry 9.5/10, saying the game has too many “filler” missions to be granted a perfect 10. This is the first non-10 review score, as far as we’re aware.

Oh dear. Could it be that GTA IV isn’t perfect in every respect? We refuse to believe it. The game’s out next Tuesday, very obviously.

Microsoft Europe is preparing a giant marketing push for GTA IV, the company confirmed this morning, with a spend on a par to Halo 3′s advertising budget last year.

“We can’t wait for the game on Xbox 360, and with recent reports stating consumers should go for the 360 version over the PS3 and talk of the GTA launch being ‘the biggest entertainment launch of all time’, we’re complimenting it with a launch campaign along the same lines as Halo 3 last year,” Steve McGill, head of gaming and entertainment, Xbox UK said in a statement.

“Microsoft sees GTA IV as a fantastic title to showcase how great Xbox 360 is, what with it’s amazing graphics and gaming experience, coupled with playing with your friends on Xbox Live, Achievements and of course the exclusive extra episodic content for GTA IV that will be downloadable this autumn and will only be available on Xbox 360.”

Media overload starts this Friday this week so batten down the hatches, close the curtains and lock the front door – the MS hype train is coming to an orifice near you.

By Mike Bowden

According to PlayThree.net, the CVG GTA special is out and claims that the Xbox 360-only DLC for GTA IV could contain an area as significant as Vice City or San Andreas.

From the magazine:

“Of course, to call games as vastly ambitious as Vice City or San Andreas mere ‘expansion packs’ seems childish, but nevertheless, the downloadable content (DLC) coming for the Xbox 360 version of IV has repositioned those games in just this way. DLC so far has meant the odd new car, jumper of bit of horse armour, but GTA IV is set to completely redefine the idea with expansions that are to GTA IV what Vice City or San Andreas were GTA III. Yes, Rockstar is clearly hinting at new downloadable cities; and the chances of them being London, Vice City or SA again are slim to none. So that’s new as in brand new. GTA IV’s Liberty City is the beginning. Think about that and be excited.”

Blimey. Not long to go now!`