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GTA: Chinatown Wars drug dealing minigame explained ... a little
We're well aware that there's a drug-dealing component to GTA: Chinatown Wars, but the details on it have been a little lacking -- this post won't help much. MTV Multiplayer learned that players may want to sell drugs in Chinatown Wars because cash from missions won't dramatically increase in payout, unlike other GTA titles. Selling drugs is apparently one way to increase cash flow.According to Rockstar, locations for deals are plentiful and won't detract from the action in the game. The drug economy is also affected by destruction of CCTV cameras. The more you break, the less valuable the drugs become (yes, less, it seems counter-intuitive). No word yet if Rockstar plans to have drug prices in the game reflect current standard market rates.
Licensed music, multiplayer modes in Chinatown Wars
Keeping track of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has proven hellish, if only because there is so much to the game. Fortunately, we picked up some chunks of new information from Stephen Totilo's excellent write-up, so we're going to try and glue these disparate pieces into a coherent post.Firstly, one of the more fundamental changes to the 3D GTA formula is found in the police system. As in the home console and PSP games, your "Wanted" level wavers depending on how much crime you wreak, but here, escaping the police is not an option. Instead, you'll have to wreck a certain number of police cars before your Wanted meter falls.When you're not steering the authorities into buildings, you'll be able to take in the same slow-motion stunt jumps and 24-hour day/night cycle that were in other GTA games, and Totilo confirmed the presence of licensed music, minus the vocals; for what it's worth, one Rockstar rep described the soundtrack as "familiar." Typically, there will also be in-jokes to appreciate, with several missions named after other games, such as "Pursuit Farce" and "Street of Rage."Most excitingly, Chinatown Wars will have multiplayer modes. Aside from the online leaderboards we already know about? We're not sure, but we look forward to finding out!%Gallery-35102%
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars preview-splosion
In case you haven't noticed, there's been a glut of previews today for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Fortunately, GTAGaming.com has collated all of them and provides selected highlights. The isometric view will be joined by a steady 30 frames per second, weather effects and day / night cycles. As for the soundtrack -- a franchise staple -- there are some instrumentals of licensed songs, but nothing to write home about. It also doesn't seem to shy away from the F-bomb, according to IGN.The wanted level is handled very differently. While you still need to outrun the cops, you're now also required to send a few cops shuffling off the mortal before you'll lose a star. And yes folks, piloting a helicopter makes a very welcome return.
Chinatown Wars 'complete,' Rockstar makes with the deets
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is well on course to make its March 17th release in North America, with Rockstar revealing to Edge that the game is complete. Edge saw this as a neat opportunity to write another preview of the game, spilling more delicious details into our gaping, GTA-loving maws.Most of the new information focuses on the PDA belonging to protagonist Huang Lee, essentially a direct substitute for the cellphone used by Niko in Grand Theft Auto IV. From here, you'll be able to view sat-nav minimaps of Liberty City, look at the main map, select weapons, and receive emails. You'll also be able to order weapons from Ammu-nation, which now delivers weapons straight to your safehouse.Speaking of which, your safehouse in Chinatown Wars is more fleshed-out than ever before, giving you somewhere to show off trophies (awarded, we assume, for completing missions). It also features a whiteboard with pictures of all your contacts -- tapping these lets you access missions. Excellently, these can be replayed, and your best performances uploaded to the game's online leaderboards.Finally, one of the few concerns we had about the game, the ease of combat, has been thoughtfully addressed. Muzzle flare and tracer lines are both used to make things a little clearer in the heat of battle, and the exact trajectory of grenades is depicted with a green arc on the top screen. All of which sounds great -- we just hope you're old enough to play it!%Gallery-35102%[Via videogaming247]
Chinatown Wars receives '18' rating in UK
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has been granted an "18" certificate in Britain by the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification, and no, we don't understand that, either).Huge surprise, right? Well, no. We already know about the drug-dealing subgame, and any GTA game receiving a restrictive age rating is hardly news. But then Chinatown Wars is also the first DS title in the UK to receive such a classification, a landmark that is worth recording. Incidentally, no DS title has yet obtained an "Adults Only" rating from the ESRB (indeed, only six have been rated "M" -- C.O.R.E., theresia, Ultimate Mortal Kombat, Dementium, Touch the Dead, and Resident Evil: Deadly Silence); could Chinatown Wars be the first?Also of interest: the BBFC's listing for the game reveals that the title contains 168 minutes of in-game cut-scenes. Wow!%Gallery-35102%[Via MCV]
Size matters: Chinatown Wars bigger than GTA on PSP
If you dream of INCREASED SIZE and LONGER SATISFACTION, there's only one place to turn for your portable Grand Theft Auto thrills: and it's not the PSP. Rockstar Leeds president Gordon Hall has told Nintendo Power that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be "far bigger" than any of the GTA games on the Sony handheld, despite that platform's extra grunt. Which is ideal, really, because Grand Theft Auto titles are all about playing in giant, sprawling cityscapes. Hall also believes the narcotics trafficking game could "stand alone on its own," and promises "more odd jobs, deeper missions, and more moments of over-the-top action" than anything seen in other handheld entries in the franchise. Contrary to any fears that the DS would see a reduced GTA, Rockstar appears to be stretching hardware boundaries ... again. %Gallery-35102%
Gamestop GTA pre-order provides in-game rewards
For those of you that decide to go the way of Gamestop for your copy of GTA: Chinatown Wars, know that a pre-order will net you some perks starting out in the game. For one, you're gifted with $10,000 in cash. That'll come in handy, too, because you'll also be starting the game with every weapon unlocked. No better way to spend that 10K than towards an AK, right?Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars releases to North America on March 17th, 2009.%Gallery-35102%
This just in: GTA: Chinatown Wars to sell lots
The release of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on March 17 is probably going to be A Big Deal™. As the coming together of the world's current favorite console and one of the most mega franchises out there, it's an event that threatens the very fabric of the space-time continuum should see a silly number of DS carts snapped up.But how many? Take-Two will reveal its own expectations in its fiscal 2008 earnings report tomorrow, but for now analyst Mike Hickey of Janco Partners is calling five million copies sold between March 17 and October. That's a zany figure, but this is GTA and the DS we're talking about here: loopy numbers are nothing new.%Gallery-35102%
Chinatown Wars releases on March 17th
If you've been liking what you've been seeing from Rockstar's upcoming installment in the Grand Theft Auto franchise, GTA: Chinatown Wars, then know that you're only a few months away from the game's release. Rockstar has informed us that the game will be available in North America on March 17th and hitting Europe on March 20th.So, who's pumped to deal drugs and take part in other shady deeds in Chinatown Wars?%Gallery-35102%
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars coming March 17
We know it's hard to think about any other holiday with the holidays just around the corner, but there's a big new reason to look forward to St. Patrick's Day. Next year you'll spend March 17 ditching the green beer and big crowds at your local pseudo-Irish pub and snuggling in with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. Our friends in Europe will able to pick the game up three days later on March 20. ... Hey, why are you crying? Oh! Well, we were just kidding about the green beer, pumpkin, of course you'll have time for both! Punish your thumbs, then punish your liver, that's what we always say.
GTA: Chinatown Wars has large map, obligatory microphone gimmick
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will feature around three-quarters of the Liberty City map seen in Grand Theft Auto IV. That's according to a preview in Spanish magazine MarcaPlayer, which stated that Broker, Bohan, Dukes, and Algonquin (all of which are highlighted in yellow above) will be playable, with only Alderney missing. GTA IV's map might not be the biggest in the series, but this is further evidence that Rockstar is squeezing every last drop of juice from the DS.Also bound and gagged in the trunk of MarcaPlayer's preview were a few new details. While the action plays out on the top screen, the touchscreen lets you control your PDA (which contains the map and mission goals), GPS (on which you can mark destinations to find the shortest legal route), and radio.As you explore the city (with the help of a camera that can be swiveled 360 degrees), new landmarks and venues you discover are marked down on your map, and you'll see lots of nice little touches, such as trains that pass over the city. You'll also be able to whistle into the microphone to hail a cab; they just couldn't resist, could they? And now we wait!%Gallery-35102%
Chinatown Wars in Feb-April; GTA IV DLC end of Jan, tentatively
Speaking at the BMO Capital Market conference today, Take-Two fitness guru Strauss Zelnick posed some new release dates for the next entries in Rockstar's sprawling crime epic, Grand Theft Auto. All signs point to peace in the streets as we approach Chinatown War's previously marked release in late January. Strauss has pushed the downtown conflict into Take-Two's second fiscal quarter, which runs from February through April.Possibly joining the isometric pocket pusher in Q2 will be the overdue GTA IV DLC for Xbox 360. Strauss still has his heart set on January, though, as the total package is "close to completed."
Edge gets up close and personal with GTA: Chinatown Wars
Edge has posted an extensive (and extremely positive) hands-on preview of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, describing Rockstar's DS debut in luscious detail.The overriding message seems to be: Chinatown Wars on the DS really works, in the sense that it feels like any other Grand Theft Auto title. Despite the hardware limitations, Liberty City comes across as a living, breathing city, with civilians who exit and enter houses, get into cars, engage in conversation with one another, purchase snacks from fast-food carts, and put up umbrellas when it rains. Assisting this illusion is a full day and night cycle, along with a dynamic weather system and realtime shadowing.As you'd expect, any vehicle can be hijacked (and driving an ambulance to people in need is one way of making some extra cash), and your surroundings can be trashed, too -- Edge mentions how "fences, street lamps, and newsstands can all be smashed aside." Meanwhile, driving does feature a "little bit of auto-alignment." According to Rockstar's Dan Houser, this is to "make the driving a little forgiving, without it feeling like you're wearing armbands or something." When out of your car, a stun gun and flamethrower are just two of the weapons you'll be able to use. Toasty.Houser also discusses how missions have been made shorter, to accomodate shorter bursts of play, and describes one "outlandish" errand where hero Huang Lee robs a bank and escapes through Chinatown by blending into a parade, disguised as a dragon. Hit up the full preview at the link below, and don't forget to stop by our gallery!%Gallery-35102%
GTA Chinatown Wars drug-dealing minigame elicits 'fury' from UK drug support group
Well, that certainly didn't take long. Along with Wednesday's revelation that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars would include a drug-dealing minigame came a potent tingling of our "controversy-sense" -- said tingle was justified Thursday by an article in the British tabloid The Sun, titled Fury Over Drug Deal Vid Game. In the article, Darren Gold, speaking on behalf of UK support group Drugsline, called out the title for its "glamorization" of drug-dealing and "substance misuse".In related, breaking news, Rockstar may thoroughly enjoy the game-selling hype that arises from this kind of controversy. More at eleven!
DS Daily: Has Chinatown Wars surprised you?
A bunch of new Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars details appeared yesterday, specifically the kind that would make the Daily Mail's hair stand on end. According to various magazine spreads, you'll be able to sell drugs (with their real names), tattoo fellow gang members, and hotwire cars. Rockstar itself has said Nintendo ruled out a GTA game for a younger audience.As opponents of censorship in most cases, we were delighted that Rockstar has been granted such artistic freedom in Chinatown Wars, but also rather surprised. Anyone else with us, or did you expect such controversial content all along from Rockstar, even on the DS?
GTA Chinatown Wars maintains gritty, urban edge with drug-dealing minigame
Coke, heroin, weed, acid and the blue pill confirmed. There was a time when a sensational cocktail like this would have raised red flags at media headquarters everywhere, but this is Grand Theft Auto, like, "Grand Theft Auto 8!" We've been down this road before and we know where it leads ... to a penthouse, deep pockets, and a dried up sandbox. So what if it's on DS? Chinatown Wars isn't a kid's game, but like all GTAs, it's the game kids want to play. And if they do get their hands on it, they'll be -- surprise! -- forced to deal drugs. "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," Rockstar boss Dan Houser explained to Edge. Motivational tool, eh? Good one.[Update: Added image, direct from the folks at T3 magazine.]
Be a drug dealer in GTA: Chinatown Wars [update]
Update: Screens! Past the break! Why are we yelling?!We all love games. And if you're like us, you enjoy escaping the real world through gaming every now and then. Well, now you can escape into the life of a dastardly drug dealer.Rockstar's Dan Houser has dropped a few deets on the upcoming DS game, GTA: Chinatown Wars. Following up what was in the latest issue of Nintendo Power, we now know the game will not only be following its mature roots (which means "Mature" rating), but Nintendo actually wanted Rockstar to make a mature game. They didn't push for a family-friendly, tone down title on the handheld. So what's all this drug dealing business about?In this drug dealing minigame, players will be able to peddle six different types of narcotics and gain profit depending on how smart they are at selling. The "smart" selling (remember, kids: drugs are bad) comes in the form of recognizing market conditions, based on geographical location, and selling one of the six different types accordingly, with the aim being gaining the most profit possible. Confused? Well, basically, the game will tell you what drug is the most scarce and will fetch the highest price in any given terriroty, then all you have to do is sell accordingly.Edge promises more details in their latest issue, so sadly this is all we have to go on for now.
Take a closer look at GTA: Chinatown Wars
Courtesy of RockstarWatch, the November issue of Nintendo Power has been scanned and uploaded online. In case you missed it last week, it's the issue with all of the details and first screens for GTA: Chinatown Wars. With all four of the pages scanned, it's a wealth of information on the upcoming game that you likely won't want to miss out on. So head on over here to check out the scans.[Thanks, Josh!]
GTA: Chinatown Wars details finally revealed? [update]
Update: First screens! Check past the break to see them.Some details on the upcoming portable GTA game, GTA: Chinatown Wars, have dropped in the latest issue of Nintendo Power. For one, it's apparently following the sandbox formula of previous games, and will have that M label slapped on the front of the boxart. Due to hardware limitations, these details say the game will have an isometric camera angle and be a cel-shaded affair, complete with no load times. There will be dynamic weather effects and it's reported that draw distance and frame rate are sound. Liberty City will be scaled down quite a bit, though (and changed some), but there will be pedestrians and cars about, doing their thing. Oh, and there will be radio stations, although songs are going to be focused more on instrumental numbers.As for controls, there will be an auto-targeting system that the player can utilize with the R trigger. They can also use the d-pad to aim and bust caps that way. There's also going to be "subtle" auto-steering for when you're in a car and players can use the touch-screen to navigate the in-game PDA, which will allow you to "email, contacts, the map, a music player, GPS, and stat-tracking (which allows you to upload stats direct from the game to Rockstar's Social Club website)."And that's basically all that's being reported right now. Sounds like a lot for such a small cartridge, and until we see some screens, we're going to remain skeptical. What about the rest of you?
Nintendo Power: GTA Chinatown Wars is cel-shaded, isometric, M-rated crime drama
... With "tasteful" minigames. Indeed, Nintendo Power has published the first comprehensive preview of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, according to details provided by NeoGAF poster botticus. The relayed information (in handy bullet-point format), describes Chinatown Wars as a "true GTA game," which is to say, a Mature-themed sandbox game concerned with all things criminal (just like the survey said). The DS technology limits gameplay to an isometric camera angle with cel-shaded visuals, though the load times, draw distance and frame rate are reportedly sound; and weather effects, along with a day and night cycle are in tact. The preview claims there are plenty of on-screen pedestrians and cars -- speaking of: there are multiple radio stations, mostly juiced with instrumental tunes. All in all, "800,000 lines of hand-optimized source code" are packed into the tiny cart.What else? Chinatown Wars is said to return players to a sizeable portion of Liberty City (wild guess: Chinatown?), though the map has been altered from the console version. Missions will also be shortened and can be easily restarted upon failure. The D-pad is used for aiming, while the R-button activates auto-targeting; and there's "subtle" auto-steering built into the driving controls. The touch pad will be used for the aforementioned minigames, in addition to navigating the PDA-like UI, which includes email, contacts, the map, a music player, GPS, and stat-tracking (stats can be Wi-Fied to the Social Club). Now, how about some, uh ... scans? (Or better: screens! C'mon Rockstar, with this game scheduled to release in mere months, throw us a friggin' bone or two!)Update: Gamekyo's got some scans right here. [Thanks Fernando!][Via GoNintendo; thanks, Frank]
