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Rockstar North boss Leslie Benzies resigns after 17 years
Rockstar North President Leslie Benzies has bid farewell to the studio after 17 years and a handful of highly influential games under his belt. As the head of Rockstar North, Benzies was the lead developer of the Grand Theft Auto series from Grand Theft Auto 3 on, and he produced Red Dead Redemption, Manhunt 2, LA Noire and Max Payne 3. Benzies was inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 2014, alongside Rockstar founders Dan Houser and Sam Houser.
Massive 'GTA V' mod adds way more than 4K textures
Grand Theft Auto V got a pretty major overhaul when it made the jump from last-gen hardware to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One last year, but that leap's got nothing on a new user mod that takes the stick-up simulator into ultra high-definition. "The Pinnacle of V" adds UHD textures for clouds, water, rain and blood, but its biggest changes go well beyond the superficial level. The designers boast that "literally every aspect of the game has been tweaked, adjusted and fine tuned" including bullet speeds, on-foot and in-car police patrols, population density for more realistic rush-hour traffic and now you can shoot through certain materials like wood and plastic too. Oh, and vehicle handling has apparently been completely redone as well -- something on full display in the video below.
'GTA V' will never feel the same with this crazy driving rig
Grand Theft Auto V is the perfect playground for car junkies that want to perform some virtual Furious 7-inspired stunts. Take this clip of a player landing his favorite ride inside a flying cargo plane. Nuts. But what if you could make the first-person driving experience a little more realistic? Force Dynamics, a small company from upstate New York, has done exactly that with one of its wild gaming rigs. At first glance, it looks like a typical racing arcade cabinet with a large display, a steering wheel and a bucket seat. But the entire contraption can rotate and tilt up and down, mimicking the movement of most in-game vehicles. In the case of Grand Theft Auto V, it's a gut-wrenching rollercoaster every time you launch a car off a ramp or, indeed, check out the fairground attraction in Los Santos. We'd love to have a go, although we'd probably need a paper bag within arm's reach.
Steam Halloween sale slashes prices on 'GTA V' and more
You know Steam loves to celebrate most holidays in a big way -- with notable discounts on ton of different games. And since Halloween is almost here, the service is now letting you save cash on spooky titles such as BioShock, Left 4 Dead 2, Alien: Isolation, Outlast, ARK: Survival Evolved, Dead Realm and SOMA, to mention a few. There's also Grand Theft Auto V, which is priced at about $40 right now, compared to the usual $60 -- while we wouldn't exactly call Rockstar's title "spooky," it's great to have it as part of the promotion. Speaking of, the Steam Halloween sale will be live until November 2nd at 1AM ET, so you have some time to look over the games list and determine whether you want to pull the trigger on any of them.
You should watch GTA drama 'The Gamechangers' on BBC Two tonight
Later this evening, the BBC will be airing a one-off TV special about the development of Grand Theft Auto and the criticism that surrounded its portrayal of violence. It's called The Gamechangers and stars Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar president Sam Houser and Bill Paxton (Apollo 13, Titanic and Nightcrawler) as Jack Thompson, a former attorney that campaigned against the series. The docudrama's first trailer showed promise and, if nothing else, we're keen to see exactly what caused Rockstar to take legal action against the BBC. You can catch it all tonight (September 15th) from 9pm over on BBC Two.
'GTA Online' Freemode update adds wild events next week
Grand Theft Auto Online's next update adds a series of new gameplay challenges called Freemode Events, and it's due out on September 15th across PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. Freemode Events are randomly triggered modes integrated into the Online world -- while in Freemode, an event can begin at any time and players can customize which events they want see. New Events include Hunt the Beast, where one player turns into a werewolf and the remaining team hunts him or her down, and King of the Castle, where players fight to control and defend a designated structure. Another mode, Penned In, appears to be a derby battle with all cars trapped in a fairly small area.
Watch the trailer for the BBC's GTA drama 'The Gamechangers'
Today we got our first glimpse of the BBC's upcoming Grand Theft Auto docudrama, which examines the game's development and public scrutiny in 2002. The Gamechangers, starring Daniel Radcliffe as Rockstar president Sam Houser, covers the franchise's growth in the PlayStation 2 era and the criticism that followed regarding its portrayal of violence. Bill Paxton is playing Jack Thompson, a former attorney that famously campaigned against the series, and based on this new trailer it's clear their thorny relationship is the centerpiece of the show. In May, Rockstar said it would be filing a lawsuit against the BBC over trademark infringement -- the developer said it's had "no involvement" with the project and seemingly disapproves of it altogether. The broadcaster appears unfazed by the legal action though, as it's scheduled to air on September 15th, at 9pm on BBC Two in the UK. If you live elsewhere, however, there's no word just yet on an international release.
ICYMI: A super selfie, 'GTA' wildlife doc and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-437566{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-437566, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-437566{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-437566").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: Australia's tourism board is winning the selfie game by offering a selfie that merges tourist's own selfies with the same scene, expanded, taken with a second camera. Land Rover is demoing a trailer concept system that allows drivers to see what's behind a trailer with a video feed. And Grand Theft Auto V fans cobbled together an amusing wildlife documentary from the game that is worth a watch.
The Big Picture: 'Mass Effect' Reapers invade Los Santos
It's a mod, mod world when a universe-destroying Reaper from the Mass Effect series invades Grand Theft Auto V's Los Angeles stand-in, Los Santos. What you see up above is the result of Flickr user berdu applying the pretty self-explanatory "Mass Effect 3 Reaper as Blimp" modification to the PC version of Rockstar's stick-up simulator. It looks awesome and there's video of it in action after the break. As creator JJxORACLE writes on the (currently in beta testing) tweak's download page, sometimes the vanguard of our destruction will disappear from the skies completely and there doesn't seem to be any collision detection here. Oh, and its legs can touch the ground while it moves every now and again, because, you know, it's replacing Los Santos' legless blimp.
'GTA V' video editor is coming to the PS4 and Xbox One next month
A number of recent games have photo editor modes for making stylish screenshots out of your adventure, but Grand Theft Auto V's full video recording and editing feature is unique (not to mention exceptionally fun). More GTA V fans will soon get a chance to give it a spin: Rockstar Games just announced that the Rockstar Editor will make its way to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in September. Originally, this feature was supposed to be a PC exclusive, but Rockstar announced its change of plans back in May.
Fan-made 'GTA V' interactive map app puts Rockstar's to shame
Grand Theft Auto V really seems like the gift that keeps on giving. The latest present? An unofficial map app (Android, iOS and web) that's been updated with collectibles locations from the current-gen releases like Peyote plants that let you play as sharks, eagles and more -- yes, flying around as a bird of prey is bizarre as it sounds. The differences between this and the official app are pretty major, too. As VG24/7 reports, you can add personal notes to the map, track your collectibles progress and even switch between atlas and satellite views of the terrain. Future plans include making streets searchable by name. Interested? Hit the source links below to grab it for your device of choice.
'Minecraft' meets 'Grand Theft Auto V' in space
Imagine: Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors and SpaceX, reclines behind a desk built out of spare rocket ship parts. A gleaming saber rests to his right. Sean Murray, founder of the independent development studio Hello Games, sits across from him, chatting about Hello's new title, No Man's Sky. There's a break in the conversation and an awkward silence threatens to stretch between the two, but then: "What do you think is the percentage chance that we're living in a simulation?" Musk asks. Murray hardly has time to answer -- he's running late for an appointment with Steven Spielberg and his communications director is getting antsy. At this rate, they won't have time to meet up with Kanye.
A few 'GTA V' mods are installing malware on PCs
While you've been busy enjoying guns that fire cars, piloting flying saucers or swimming 'round a flooded Los Santos thanks to mods for the PC version of GTA V something darker's lurked beneath the surface. GTAForums user aboutseven noticed that a C# compiler was running in the background on his or her computer and traced it back to a file dubbed "Fade.exe." Upon further inspection she or he spotted that it was using internet access. Turns out it was a keylogger. Process of elimination deduced that "Noclip," which allows you to examine the insides of objects freely, and "Angry Planes," which spawns incredibly, well, angry, planes that attack you with kamikaze-like fury, were the culprits behind the malware infection.
The Rockstar Editor is coming to 'GTA V' on consoles after all
Apparently "exclusive" doesn't mean what it used to anymore. Rockstar Games recently revealed that its eponymous video editing toolset is coming to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Grand Theft Auto V in a recent question and answer session pulled from its mailbag. Given the extra horsepower it requires, the Rockstar Editor won't surface on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, but the team hopes to release it for new-gen systems this summer or "as soon as it is ready." So, maybe don't hold your breath for too long, but you never know.
Control the 'GTA V' cellphone with an iPhone, Arduino and a hack
Grand Theft Auto V has a few mobile apps of its own, but one enterprising modder has taken the idea to its natural conclusion: an application that lets you control the in-game cellphone with an iPhone. With the application you can scroll through text messages on-screen, peep your current list of objectives and, among other things, even control the in-game phone's camera. The YouTube video's description (spotted by former Joystiq'r Dave Hinkle) does't offer much by way of details other than it's running on an Arduino Leonardo with an Ethernet shield connected to a PC, sadly.
Showing off 'Grand Theft Auto V' for PC comes with a high price
If someone accidentally puts some personal information online, you'd hope that others wouldn't prey on the mistake. Unfortunately, mercy is a rare commodity on the internet, as a few honest (albeit preventable) mistakes have cost some game streamers their copies of Grand Theft Auto V. As Kotaku reports, when the new PC edition of the game launches, the first thing it offers up is a splash screen with your registration key displayed at the bottom. That's a problem for those who unwittingly started the stream a few moments too soon, since the information was quickly screenshotted and the game was promptly stolen. Today's lesson, then, has two parts: People are terrible, and don't stream GTA V until you're sure your desktop is clear.
'Grand Theft Auto' drama from BBC may star Daniel Radcliffe
Yer a video game magnate, Harry. BBC Films is working on Grand Theft Auto, a drama about the real-life founder of Rockstar Games, Sam Houser, and his battles over the perception of video game violence with bombastic, disbarred attorney Jack Thompson in the early 2000s. Thompson's role hasn't yet been cast, but Daniel Radcliffe, the actor best known for playing Harry Potter in all eight of those films, is in negotiations to play Houser, THR reports. Owen Harris, a British director responsible for a few episodes of Misfits and the season two premiere of Black Mirror, is on board for Grand Theft Auto. The script was penned by TV writer James Wood, with producer Jim Spencer and executive producer Mark Hedgecoe. It's scheduled to begin shooting on April 20 (no word on if it will be in 60FPS).
'Grand Theft Auto V' at 60 frames per second looks incredible
I know, I know: The PC version of Grand Theft Auto V seems like it's been delayed at least a dozen times, but maybe the snazzy new 1080p, 60FPS trailer below will help heal those old wounds. Predictably, it looks gorgeous and should give the PC master race something to antagonize console gamers with for just a bit longer -- last fall's current-gen re-releases couldn't hit that silky frame rate or quite that level of detail. The sun reflecting off those slow-mo shell casings is pretty great, right? Come April 14th you'll be able to see that sort of thing first-hand, and then regale us with your tales of glory when we stream it on Twitch the following week.
The PC version of 'Grand Theft Auto V' is delayed... again
Bad news, highway high-jackers: Grand Theft Auto V on PC has been delayed for a second time. It's now due out on April 14, pushed back from a previous release date of March 24. The PC version's original release date was January 27, nearly a month ago. Rockstar, the developer of the Grand Theft Auto series, says it's sorry for the (extra) delay: "Our apologies to PC gamers worldwide who have been counting down the days until the launch of the game, but a bit more time is needed to ensure that the game is as polished as possible, and to make certain that both Heists and the GTA Online experience are ready to roll out on day one for PC."
Grand Theft Auto III series lands on Amazon's tablets and Fire TV
The Grand Theft Auto games have been on seemingly every platform known to humankind, but those with Amazon devices have had to make do without Rockstar's vehicular mayhem. That changes today: you can now snag Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City and San Andreas on both the Kindle Fire tablet line as well as Fire TV. You'll be very familiar with the experience if you've used any of the earlier mobile versions, although that's no big complaint given the quality of the ports. With that said, the real allure may be the pricing. Each game normally costs $5 a pop, but purchasing San Andreas currently gets you enough Amazon Coins to buy the other two releases -- this could be a good way to get started in the crime-filled world of GTA without making a big investment.
