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Rockstar, Media Molecule lead 2009 Develop Awards nods
Rockstar Leeds and Rockstar North, together with LittleBigPlanet dev Media Molecule have netted an impressive eleven nominations for the 2009 Develop Industry Excellence Awards, the UK's annual prize patrol for all things excellent in the industry. The Rockstar houses pocketed six of their own for work on GTA: Chinatown Wars and GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned, including nods for visual arts, technical innovation and audio. Rockstar Leeds is also up for the award for best handheld game studio, while both are in the running for being recognized as the best in-house team. Media Molecule is up for five awards as well, including best indie studio and best new IP. The Guildford studio is also up for the technical innovation award, where it's not only up against the Rockstar folks, but the teams behind Killzone 2, PlayStation Home, Football Manager Live and Fable II. We wish all nominees the best of luck and remind them not to forget to thanks their moms should they take the stage and accept an award during the July 15 ceremony.
GTA MMO would be a profitable venture, analyst suggests
In a recent set of statements to Gamasutra, Mike Hickey, an analyst with Janco Partners, brought up the profitability of an MMO set within the Grand Theft Auto franchise.While Hickey notes that success would only be possible if Take-Two partnered up with another company who had a well designed infrastructure and MMO experience, the whole paragraph is certainly a nod in the direction of online crime games at large -- a genre relatively untapped in the MMO landscape.Certainly a Grand Theft Auto MMO would be the new gorilla of the online space, one can't easily forget about the stylized and anticipated offering from Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds, All Points Bulletin. A GTA MMO would certainly be nice, but APB will certainly be setting the bar for all upcoming crime MMOs, regardless of a GTA entry into the scene.
Analyst casts doubt on BioShock 2, GTAIV DLC release dates
According to Gamasutra, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey isn't buying the release dates Take Two is selling. Hickey has "concerns" about the announced release date for BioShock 2 -- October 30 in Europe and November 3 in North America -- "given the unannounced platforms and expected last-day-of-quarter release." We're not psychics or anything, but we get the feeling that the platforms just might be announced at E3.Concerning the upcoming GTAIV expansion The Ballad of Gay Tony, Hickey is even less optimistic, saying it might not release until late 2010 or possibly even 2011, though he states that a fiscal 2010 release "seems probable." Quite a statement considering how heavily the DLC and GTA: Episodes from Liberty City factor into Take Two's plans for the rest of 2009.Furthermore, Hickey resurrects the ghost of the EA buyout of Take Two, stating that the company is a "viable acquisition candidate" thanks to the fact that it has "some of the strongest video game development talent and IP in the world." Gamasutra adds that acquisition by another company is more feasible this year, as Take Two stock is trading for significantly less that it was at its highest point last year.
Canada gets exclusive Xbox 360 Elite 'Anniversary Bundle,' GTA IV pack-in
Microsoft Canada has told Joystiq that a new console bundle is headed exclusively to the Great White North. The Grand Theft Auto IV: Limited Anniversary Edition bundle packs the best-selling "American Dream" simulator, GTA IV, with an Xbox 360 Elite console. As for other extras, the bundle comes up short.Included in bundle are the standard Elite offerings (black console, controller and wired headset) along with 400, one month of Xbox Live and two promotional stickers: One for Grand Theft Auto IV itself and one for the Liberty City Swingers baseball team. That's it. The downloadable, Xbox 360 exclusive GTA IV: The Lost and Damned is not included.The bundle is set to hit stores on May 4 and is priced at $399 -- the standard price for Canadian Xbox 360 Elite bundles. So, yay: a new bundle celebrating the one-year anniversary of GTAIV. Sorry if we don't bust out the confetti but this isn't even half as exciting as the Game of the Year edition bundle revealed earlier this month.Update: FutureShop is now taking pre-orders on the GTAIV Elite bundle.%Gallery-51478%
Take-Two stock jumps up 10% following earnings report
Take-Two recently dished out deets concerning how much of the coveted moneyz the company made and how much of that was attributed to car theft. Following that, the company's stock started to get a spring in its step, rising 10% yesterday. With the company reporting a $50 million loss, seeing such a sharp climb is surprising, to say the least. Take-Two's next game, GTA: Chinatown Wars, is due for release on March 17.
GTA IV: 13m shipped as of Jan. 31, DLC Ep. 2 in 2009
Take-Two's Q1 investor's call is going down right now, and one of the first items of news to blast its way out is the knee-wobbling figure of 13 million units; which is roughly the number of copies of GTA IV that has shipped worldwide on all platforms as of January 31, 2009 (technically, it's "over" 13 million shipped). To put that in perspective: that's more than one third of the population of Canada.Also of note, Take-Two continues to list GTA IV's second Xbox 360 DLC episode for release in "fiscal 2009" (that's before November 1, 2009 -- for all you regular calendar users). "DLC will be an important part of our business going forward," CEO Ben Feder declared during the call.
GTA IV's 'The Lost and Damned' found by many, many people
Move over Bionic Commando: Rearmed and Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, because there's a new top earner on Xbox Live, and it's GTA IV's "The Lost and Damned". Rockstar's Xbox 360-exclusive DLC pack featuring Johnny and his crazy motorbiking buddies has set a record on the service, as its first-day sales revenue has eclipsed all other titles that have debuted on Xbox Live (note: at $20, The Lost and Damned is also more expensive than the previous record holders). Sadly, exact sales figures aren't given, so we don't know how much Microsoft and Rockstar have made off the DLC yet. When we know, we'll be sure to let you know.GTA IV's "The Lost and Damned" DLC pack is available now on Xbox Live Marketplace for 1600.%Gallery-37692%
Joyswag: GTA IV 'The Lost & Damned' DLC
[Update: Entries for this Joyswag are now over! Thanks for entering!] So, you want to join The Brotherhood? This week Joystiq is gifting one lucky reader with a code to download the Xbox 360-exclusive DLC for Grand Theft Auto IV, otherwise known as The Lost and Damned. If you're eager to revisit Liberty City, but the return trip ticket is out of your price range, this is the Joyswag for you (thanks to Jade and Jake from the Xbox Canada Community Blog!). Here's how you can win: Leave us a comment telling us the first thing you'll do when you step back into Liberty City You must be 18 years or older and a resident of the US or Canada (excluding Quebec) You may enter once per calendar day This entry period ends at 3:00PM ET on Friday, February 20. We'll randomly select one (1) winner at that time to receive Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost & Damned (ARV: $20). Please check your e-mail! For a list of complete rules, click here Best of luck to all and make sure to check out Joystiq's review of The Lost and Damned -- thanks for reading!
Joystiq Review: GTA IV's 'The Lost & Damned' (DLC)
Rockstar's ambitious Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable expansion, The Lost and Damned, tells a new tale in Liberty City, focusing on the vice president of The Lost Motorcycle Club, John Klebitz. Fans of the GTA series need no introduction to the content within this episode and will likely relish the opportunity to fulfill more of the series' staple quests. For those of you who couldn't care less about the franchise, however, know that Rockstar has set a wonderful precedent for the quality and size of a DLC offering with The Lost and Damned. It's practically a game within a game.Now, here's the part where you make your choice: "Continue" on to read our full review or jump to our video review below and give your reading eyes a rest. [And don't forget to enter for your chance to win The Lost and Damned right here!]
Hot flask: GTA IV's Lost, Damned and Unexpectedly Naked
Contextually appropriate character idiosyncrasy, or questionably shaped carrot dangled in front of the gaming press? Either way, Rockstar's latest addition to the Grand Theft Auto franchise -- one of controversy's more intimate acquaintances -- roasts yet another wiener on the fiery debate over mature content in games. Though we're certain most players were expecting a fair amount of dicks in The Lost and Damned's cast, the presence of a penis may come as a surprise. The folks at 1UP (NSFW) have captured the scene between protagonist Johnny Klebitz and massage-loving exhibitionist Mr. Stubbs in all its full frontal glory. If you're going to watch it, be prepared to have an important thought rushing to your head: Is Rockstar cheekily pushing our beloved medium forward, or simply erecting another financially beneficial controversy trap? We're inclined to think that IT'S A TRAP.Source [NSFW]
Dress up in leather with Lost & Damned Avatar apparel
Microsoft has added a touch of leather to the Avatar closet, delivering biker themed clothing to celebrate the release of Grand Theft Auto IV's The Lost & Damned downloadable content.As has been the norm, all clothing is free and denoted by a yellow star in the Avatar customization application. Sadly, there is no miniature Avatar motorcycle to go with the new biker duds. Guys: Rocker Jacket, Pixie Boots, Grunge Pants, Metal Combats, Top Hat, Skull Ring, Leather Biker Gloves, Left Feather Earring, Right Feather Earring Gals: Punk Tee, Black 60's Boots, Leopard Print Leggings, Biker Jacket, Biker Gloves, Skull Wrist Band, Left Feather Earring, Right Feather Earring
GTA IV: The Lost and Damned DLC -- unboxing video
Yes, we said "GTA IV: The Lost and Damned unboxing video." So what? DLC comes in a box all the time. What part of digital distribution do you have a problem with? Clearly the digital part, since everyone knows you need a box for that. You know -- somewhere to keep the digits.In this case, the digits are on a piece of paper. You punch the digits on it into Xbox Live and the content downloads. Ergo, digital distribution of downloadable content. Let the video after the break illustrate what we're talking about. And kudos, Rockstar -- you've managed to make DLC a packaged product. Go hug a tree.
Good to See You Again: New 'The Lost & Damned' trailer
Dust off those copies of Grand Theft Auto IV and get ready to join the Brotherhood. A brand new trailer for the upcoming Xbox 360-exclusive DLC, The Lost & Damned, has jumped online and features a few familiar faces. Notable cameos include drug runner Elizabeta Torres and GTA IV's main protagonist, Niko Bellic.Based on the appearance of Torres and her dialog, The Lost & Damned will bring players back to the mission Blow Your Cover, from GTA IV. In the mission, Niko follows Playboy X and Johnny Klebitz (the protagonist in Lost & The Damned) to a heroin deal that eventually goes horribly wrong. Other moments from The Lost & Damned are said to weave into the original GTA IV story, where Johnny Klebitz was a supporting character during a pair of key missions.GTA IV: The Lost & Damned will release on February 17, for 1600 ($19.99 US). The full trailer can be found after the break.
GTA IV: The Lost and Damned includes free week of multiplayer
News first, then a question: Microsoft just announced that when Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned arrives next week, it will bring with it a free week of GTA IV multiplayer from Feb. 17 to 22. The week will be marked by a "Game With Rockstar" event and more, which you can read about right here.So, now the question: Does this news apply to any of you? Are there still people kicking around who are downloading DLC but aren't subscribed to Gold? If so, make yourselves heard in the comments so we know if we should keep bringing you tidbits like the one above.
Game Developers Choice Awards finalists announced
The finalists for this year's Game Developers Choice Awards have been announced, with Media Molecule's LittleBigPlanet adoring judges with nine nominations, including one for Game of the Year. Other titles up for the prestigious award include Fallout 3, Left 4 Dead, Grand Theft Auto IV and, of course, Fable 2. The Joystiq darling is also a shoe-in for snub of the year with Lionhead's opus going overlooked entirely in the Best Writing category. Seriously, what's the deal?Braid, Far Cry 2, Spore, World of Goo, Metal Gear Solid 4 and Gears of War 2 are all up for multiple awards, with winners set to take the stage during next month's gala event as part of the 2009 Game Developers Conference. The show will be hosted by Grim Fandango and Brütal Legend's Tim Schafer, promising a tongue-in-cheek good time even if our personal faves leave empty handed.
3 months of Xbox Live free with Lost & Damned purchase
If you can stand to wait a few days before partaking in the cycling adventures of The Lost & Damned (stupid shipping delays), then Amazon.com might have an offer for you. They're enticing all GTAIV enthusiasts with a free three-month Xbox Live card with purchase of Lost & Damned.Your other option would be to snag the DLC from the Xbox Live Marketplace on February 17th, the instant it becomes available. For some, having to wait a minute longer to download the expansion in all its 10+ hour, Busta Rhymes music-debuting and Niko-less glory would be unthinkable.[Thanks, Sgt Barone]
Lost & Damned to add new hip-hop music, TV content and commercials
Per our conversation with Rockstar Games and information gathered from a recent Associated Press report, we've learned that Grand Theft Auto IV's The Lost & Damned downloadable content will feature new music, television programming (including a new season of Republican Space Rangers!) and radio commercials.Flexmaster Flex, along with a few other artists, will be featured in Lost & Damned. We're also told that Trevor Tamerri Smith, Jr. (aka Busta Rhymes) will exclusively debut his latest track, "Conglomerate" in the DLC. We're sure the Busta news would be more interesting if we still lived in 1996, but just go with it. All-new songs (and presumably new commercials) will be added to five of the in-game radio stations and, as with all GTA IV-featured music, players can "tag" each song for purchase through iTunes. Woo-ha!
Top 5 selling games in 2008 across global markets
NPD, GfK Chart-Track and Enterbrain have combined video game software sales lists for the respective regions they cover to declare Mario Kart Wii as the top selling game of 2008. Games sales across the "world's three largest games markets" saw an 11% increase, totaling 409.9 million units last year.Top five selling games for US, UK and Japan combined: Mario Kart Wii - 8.94 million Wii Fit - 8.31 million Grand Theft Auto IV - 7.29 million Super Smash Bros. Brawl - 6.32 million Call of Duty: World at War - 5.89 million The rankings are almost identical to Edge's "guesstimate" sales list released last week, which included all of Europe, but not Japan. Overall, the US and UK markets saw increases of 15% and 26%, respectively. The Japanese market saw a 13% decline in software sales, which Enterbrain explains has little to do with the current generation of consoles, but is due to the 46% software sales drop on the PS2. Check out the chart after the break for a regional dissection of the software ranks.
Steam Savings: 30% off all Rockstar Games [update]
This weekend Steam is offering 30% off the entire Rockstar Games library, including the recently released Grand Theft Auto IV. Looking to erase the memory of being subjected to the recent Max Payne big screen adaptation? Max Payne and its sequel are among the titles reduced in the sale. Bulk buyers will also be happy to know the Rockstar Collection is now priced at $69.99, which includes everything in the catalog except GTAIV (which has been reduced to $34.99) including Grand Theft Auto IV. If you're looking to add a little chaos to your PC game library, this could be worth your time.Update: Grand Theft Auto IV is included in the complete Rockstar Collection, however Bully: Scholarship Edition is not (on sale for $20.99). The Rockstar Collection is on sale for $69.99.
Say hello to The Lost and Damned's Johnny
Rockstar has released a new trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV's upcoming Lost and Damned DLC, featuring who we're assuming is the lead character, Johnny Klebitz. Sporting black leather, a bald head and a grizzled face, we're guessing he gets mistaken for Left 4 Dead's Francis all the time. It might explain why he's so angry. The trailer shows off all the GTA funnery we've come to expect, including a police chase on an airplane runway. Check it out after the break.
