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New Flight School jobs propel GTA 5 into the danger zone
The latest round of jobs added to the open-world crime sandbox that is Grand Theft Auto Online will feed your need for speed, assuming you're old enough to understand that as a Top Gun reference and not a nod to EA's racing games. Building on the recent, fan-favorite Flight School Update, Grand Theft Auto Online now features two new contact missions. The first, "Chop Chop," sees players hijacking helicopters from Merryweather Security before turning their airborne ordinance back on the the PMC's goons. In the second contact mission, "Effin' Lazers," players will fly the titular fighter jets on a mission to destroy similar jets owned by rival drug dealers. Obligatory Kenny Loggins anthem not included. The remaining missions are a mixed bag of races, parachute jumps and a capture maps. Highlights include "Flying Colors," where players race jets mere feet above the scrub brush of East Blaine County, and the "Under The Bridge" event where brave souls leap from a helicopter 4,000 feet in the air before using their parachute skills to float to relative safety beneath a bridge. For full details on all of the new missions joining Grand Theft Auto Online visit the Rockstar Games blog. [Image: Rockstar Games]
GTA5's radio station getting with the times on PC, PS4, Xbox One
A scenic route through Grand Theft Auto 5's Los Santos will open up on PS4, Xbox One and PC this fall, but we might not be stuck blasting the same old programs from our totally-legally-acquired rides. Cara Delevingne recently tweeted that she was "with @rockstargames to update my GTA[5] radio station Non Stop Pop FM" for this fall's ports, with Non Stop Pop being an adult contemporary station on GTA5's dial. Rockstar hasn't announced plans regarding radio content for the ports, so it's unclear whether we can hope for radio hosts other than Delevingne to swing by and freshen up their shows as well. We're still waiting on a specific date for our returning trip to the San Andreas area, but in the mean time you can compare trailers from the original release and the upcoming port. Or you could join us at shaking our heads over Lindsey Lohan's latest leading role in ... a lawsuit with Rockstar. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Rockstar: Lohan's GTA 5 lawsuit just Jonas-ing for publicity
Lindsay Lohan's Grand Theft Auto 5 lawsuit was "filed for publicity purposes" according to creator Rockstar and parent company Take-Two Interactive. Lohan sued Rockstar and Take-Two for damages back in July over the in-game character of Lacey Jonas, a troubled young actress who struggles with an eating disorder and dealing with the paparazzi. The case claimed Lohan's image, voice and styles from her clothing label were all used to depict Jonas, forming an "unequivocal" reference to the Mean Girls star. As the Associated Press reports, Rockstar is having none of it. Manhattan court papers made public this week show Take-Two and its subsidiary not only want the suit dismissed, but the company wants Lohan to pay its legal fees. As far as Take-Two is concerned, Jonas only resembles Lohan in being a young, blonde woman.
10 new Rockstar Verified Jobs in GTA5 (That's What She Said)
We're probably not using that joke correctly. "That's What She Said" is one of the new Rockstar Verified Jobs in Grand Theft Auto Online. It's a Race for Sports Cars dealio featuring a broken-down trainyard and a "final huge leap from the freeway back to the finishing line," as Rockstar describes it. That's What She Said joins nine other new jobs in today's update. Jobs include the racers Code 13-91, Rebel Rodeo, Brand's Snatch, Hit the Apex, Tittie Twister and That's What She Said, plus the capture maps Hold: Operation Interrupt and Raid: Claustrophobia, and deathmatches Urban Jungle and Rail Yard, Railed Out. Read run-downs of the new jobs on the Rockstar Newswire. [Image: Rockstar]
GTA Online's San Andreas Flight School update takes off today
Rockstar's latest update for GTA Online earns its wings today on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, giving Grand Theft Auto 5 players access to ten new flight-focused missions. The San Andreas Flight School Update introduces new planes that players can pilot in a collection of themed Race, Capture, Parachute Jump missions. The update also adds new aerial competitive modes, including the flag-capturing Acquire Targets mode and the Air Force Zero base defense mission. Rockstar will host an experience-boosting weekend event starting this Friday to commemorate GTA 5's latest update, and 14 new Jobs have launched to give players a chance to earn more in-game cash and reputation points. A full list of changes introduced in today's title update is available at Rockstar's support site. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Get double RP in GTA Online this weekend
Career criminals will soon have an opportunity to make a name for themselves in Grand Theft Auto 5's online multiplayer mode, as Rockstar announced that all GTA Online players will receive double RP throughout this weekend. This week also marks your last chance to pick up GTA Online's Independence Day content, so if you want to outfit your character with a fireworks launcher, an American flag t-shirt, or a glorious flowing mullet, you'd best make plans to join in this weekend's bloodbath. Rockstar's Double RP event kicks off tomorrow, and extends through August 3. [Image: Rockstar]
Relive classic Grand Theft Auto moments in GTA Online
In its latest newswire update, Rockstar Games highlights a handful of GTA Online jobs that revisit pivotal moments from past Grand Theft Auto entries courtesy of creative fans and the game's powerful Creator tool. From the classic Grand Theft Auto 3 to the underloved GTA: Chinatown Wars, Rockstar's selection covers a wide swath of open-world sandbox mayhem. "Four Iron," for instance, is a modern, deathmatch take on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City mission of the same name, in which Tommy Vercetti chased a land developer through a golf course before murdering the poor sap. "Valet Parking," on the other hand, is a lap race homage to those recurring side missions in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in which CJ would pose as a valet, and either politely park cars to earn extra cash or drive off with a fancy new ride. The Rockstar newswire has a full list of throwback missions, for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but keep in mind that the limitations of the GTA Online Creator prevent any of these jobs from being singleplayer affairs. The only way to truly relive Rockstar's classics is by replaying the original games. [Image: Take Two]
GTA Online nabs 10 new verified jobs, including Hipster selections
Rockstar has updated Grand Theft Auto 5's GTA Online multiplayer component with ten new verified jobs created by Rockstar Games Social Club members, including five winning entries in its "I'm Not A Hipster" job design competition. Contest-winning jobs include the Grove Street Deathmatch "The 80's Turf War," along with a collection of Point-to-Point and Lap Races featuring vehicles from the recent "I'm Not A Hipster" content update. Other featured jobs include the Grand Prix-styled Race "The Los Santos Triangle," explosive Team Deathmatch map "Pit Stop," and the vertically-oriented free-for-all Deathmatch "Retaliate." Competition winners receive an exclusive HIPSTER vanity plate and $1 million in GTA Online in-game currency. Verified user-submitted job designs feature changes and improvements implemented by Rockstar staff, and are playable on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Grand Theft Auto 5. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Lindsay Lohan sues Rockstar over GTA 5 character likeness
Following months of idle threats, actress Lindsay Lohan has officially filed a lawsuit against Rockstar Games, alleging that the Grand Theft Auto 5 creators borrowed her likeness for the character of Lacey Jonas. According to the suit, Lohan's virtual doppelganger mirrors the actress' struggles with the paparazzi, while also depicting her voice, image and personal style. Further, the suit points out that Rockstar included an in-game spoof of the famous Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood, a hotel where Lohan herself lived for several months. Lacey Jonas is an "unequivocal" reference to Lohan, the suit claims, before asking for unspecified damages. Not mentioned in the suit are Lohan's recent financial woes, rumored drug abuse or her longstanding reputation as an unreliable actress, all of which has caused her stock to plummet among Hollywood studios over the past decade. Nor does the suit mention that Grand Theft Auto 5 ranks among the most successful game releases of all time, having earned over $800 million dollars on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 alone (and with more money to come from imminent PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One versions). Then, of course, there's the legally-protected concept of "satire" to discuss - but we're sure a judge will cover all of these bases once this lawsuit finds its way into a courtroom. [Image: Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department]
USA! USA! (GTA Online picks up Independence Day Special)
We'd like to tell you about Grand Theft Auto Online's Independence Day Special update. We'd love to inform you that it will grant access to all kinds of patriotic gear, like an antique musket, an American flag T-shirt, a glorious mullet hairstyle and a fireworks launcher. We'd really like to explain that it also includes a handful of tweaks and the new On Call Matchmaking feature, which lets players accept a job invite and keep playing free mode until the match is full. We'd like to tell you all of those things, but we took one look at the above image and burst into a fit of patriotic tears. [Image: Rockstar]
Grand Theft Auto 5 trailer remade in real life, in Madrid
If Madrid is in the market for a new tourism campaign, the fine folks at Zapruder Pictures have it covered. Zapruder remade the first-ever Grand Theft Auto 5 trailer, shot-for-shot, in real life in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.
Modder offers first-person tour of Grand Theft Auto 5
Having grown tired of committing felonies in the third-person, Grand Theft Auto 5 modder XBLToothPik crafted a script that adds a first-person perspective to Rockstar's latest crime-ridden sandbox. The results, which you can see above and in a second video below the break, are simultaneously disorienting and alluring. Clearly the game was never meant to be viewed from the eyes of its three protagonists, but with a few minor alterations this new perspective could become a viable option for players seeking a new outlook on life in Los Santos. Keep in mind, the footage presented here was created using the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto 5. The imminent PC release will undoubtedly spawn first-person modifications shortly after launch, and hopefully the more accessible platform will allow resourceful modders the freedom to clean up some of the clipping errors and odd perspective issues seen here. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Rockstar apologizes for Online Heists delay in GTA Online
The Online Heists feature was supposed to hit Grand Theft Auto Online in the spring, but it's nearly summer and no dice. Fans have been clamoring for the co-op mission madness of Online Heists, and Rockstar addressed those cries in a comment on the "I'm Not a Hipster" update post: "We know many fans have been eagerly awaiting the release of the Online Heists that we had planned to release for you this spring, and they are taking more time to create than originally anticipated. We are very sorry for the delay, and are working hard to bring them to you as soon as we can. Please know that we are focused as always on making the best possible content for you to play and we are thankful to all of you for your patience, understanding and support. Stay tuned for more information on that as well as lots of other ongoing content updates, enhancements and additions to the world of GTA Online that are on the way." There's no word yet on when exactly the feature will be implemented, but it sounds like the team at Rockstar is making it one of their heist priorities. [Image: Rockstar]
GTA Online claims 'I'm Not A Hipster,' update says otherwise
The latest addition to Grand Theft Auto Online will fill the virtual world with overly tight jeans, thick-rimmed glasses designed to express collective individuality and artfully distressed print tees torn from the dreams of Dov Charney. Dubbed the "I'm Not A Hipster" update, this most recent DLC features new clothing, masks, tattoos and, of course, hairstyles that can only be described as "cool" under the most ironic of conditions. Additionally, Rockstar Games promises seven new vehicles will join the online crime-ridden wasteland. From classics like the Glendale to environmentally friendly minicars like the Panto, there's something for every carjacker. And, if you've got a large family (or crew of hardened criminals) to lug around, the update also adds a massive three-axel, six-seat Dubsta for those who reach Rank 100. Two antique weapons and twelve new jobs round out the "I'm Not A Hipster" update, for those who couldn't find gainful employment attaching birds to things or raising urban co-op poultry. Rockstar has yet to reveal a precise release date for this latest addition, but as with all Grand Theft Auto Online add-ons, "I'm Not A Hipster" will be available at no charge. Update: The "I'm Not A Hipster" update is out now on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Have fun! [Image: Rockstar Games]
Video compares Grand Theft Auto 5's PS3 and PS4 trailers
Sony introduced Grand Theft Auto 5 for PS4 with a brief trailer during its E3 2014 press conference last week, and now Digital Foundry created a video to compare it with similar footage from the game's PS3 version. Some of the side-by-side trailer's more stark contrasts include crashing waves, more animals moseying about and some instances of enhanced lighting and details on items like factories and vehicles in the PS4 version. GTA 5 may have been part of Sony's press event, but it will also launch on Xbox One and PC this fall after first arriving on PS3 and Xbox 360 in September 2013. Take-Two shipped 33 million copies of the game on the previous-generation systems as of mid-May. Aside from updated visuals, it will receive a video editing feature designed for "advanced movie-making" on PC. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Grand Theft Auto 5 coming to PS4 this fall [Update: Xbox One, PC too]
Grand Theft Auto 5 will come to PS4, Sony announced during its E3 2014 press conference. Those with a copy of GTA 5 for PS3 or Xbox 360 will be able to transfer their progress to PlayStation 4 when it arrives this fall. The game first launched in September 2013 for PS3 and Xbox 360. Update: A new trailer reveals it's also on the way to Xbox One and - yup - PC too. Update 2: Rockstar noted that the PC version of GTA 5 "will also feature a video editor designed for advanced movie-making," in an additional press release, found after the break.
'Grand Theft Auto V' is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
If you've long suspected that Grand Theft Auto V would reach next-gen consoles and the PC, you were on the mark -- Sony and Rockstar have confirmed that the open-world crime saga is coming to the PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One this fall. Moreover, any progress you've made in Grand Theft Auto Online on the PS3 or Xbox 360 carries over to its next-gen equivalents. How nice is that? In a blog post, Rockstar says the upgraded versions will have "across-the-board graphical and technical improvements to deliver a stunning new level of detail. Increased draw distances, finer texture details, denser traffic, and enhanced resolutions." That's not all though, since the gameplay will have all the new features added since the originals released, and extra tweaks to things like weather, damage, wildlife and more. Check out a brief clip of the new version after the break (look at all that traffic!).
Grand Theft Auto 5 High Life patch adds apartments, removes alcohol-ception glitch
"Fixed a small issue where players could still activate the Apartment drinking activities after drinking themselves unconscious." So go the patch notes for Grand Theft Auto 5 update 1.13, dubbed "High Life." And don't worry, there's more. The High Life update, in addition to making sure players can no longer experience an alcohol-induced version of Christopher Nolan's Inception, adds five new high-end properties to own, 32 new suits for male characters, the Bullpup Rifle, new vehicles, the ability to own more than one property, and a Mental State that shows how often a potential matchmaking partner murders fellow players. Because hey, you might be a drugged-up sociopath out for nothing but the next big score, but that doesn't mean you should have to put up with mean people online. Check out the full list of High Life changes on Rockstar's website. [Image: Take-Two]
Take-Two makes it rain $1 billion more in fiscal 2014
Take-Two reported net revenue of $2.35 billion for fiscal 2014 (the year ending March 31, 2014), a 94 percent growth from its reported revenue of $1.21 billion in 2013. It also reported a net income of $361.7 million, which compares rather favorably to the net loss of $31.2 million it suffered last year. As of the end of fiscal 2014, Take-Two had "cash and cash equivalents of $935.4 million," plenty to make it rain a few times. As for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2014, Take-Two's net revenue was $195.2 million, a 34.8 percent decrease compared to the same quarter last year ($299.5 million). It also reported a net loss of $30.8 million for the quarter, which compares to the net gain of $21.2 million reported in Q4 2013. The publisher's digitally-delivered revenue increased 65 percent year-over-year to $435.1 million on a non-GAAP basis (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). In its earnings call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick noted that Grand Theft Auto Online was the "single largest contributor" to the company's digital revenue growth. Take-Two also reported that it has shipped 33 million copies of GTA 5 to date. Looking ahead to the next fiscal year (ending March 31, 2015), Take-Two projects its non-GAAP net revenue to fall between $1.35 billion and $1.45 billion, and anticipates its net revenue between $120 million and $135 million for the next quarter, also on a non-GAAP basis.
Grand Theft Auto 5 ships 33 million units
That's a lot of violent, reckless criminals: Rockstar and Take-Two have shipped more than 33 million copies of Grand Theft Auto 5, Take-Two announced in its fiscal year 2014 report. "Grand Theft Auto 5 was the best-selling console video game of 2013 in North America, Latin America and Europe combined," the report says. "To date, Grand Theft Auto 5 has sold-in more than 33 million units." Sales of Grand Theft Auto 5 passed $1 billion in its first three days at retail. In March, Take-Two reported it shipped 32.5 million copies of Grand Theft Auto 5. [Image: Take-Two]
