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Only GTAIV on 360 is complete experience, says Rockstar
Speaking to Games Radar, Rockstar spokesperson Hosi Simon had some interesting comments regarding the Xbox 360 version of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV. When asked about the Xbox 360 exclusive episodes and whether or not the PS3 version would receive any similar perks, Simon replied, "not that I can think of." Simon elaborates that the games are identical, and that Rockstar does its best to make games that can be enjoyed on any console. "We're not like a pawn between these [hardware] companies," said Simon. That said, Simon admitted, "But I guess if you want the complete experience with the episodes, then yeah, you should buy the 360, I suppose."We must mention -- along with Joystiq -- that the term "exclusive" has become more and more loosely defined over the years. We have to wonder if the Playstation 3 will ever pick up the episodes as well. Whether or not this comes to pass, it will be interesting to see if the initial promise of exclusive downloadable content will make GTA fans pick one version over the other.[Via Joystiq]
American PSN releases for June 28th
After a pretty killer week for boxed game releases, the PSN is also doing its part to beef up the PlayStation argument. This week we have a game, a demo, a major trailer and some other accompanying fancies. No PS1 games, though. They've all been funneled into the Japanese PSN store. Not that we mind. We've got more than enough to keep us busy. Super Stardust HD is one of those games that popped up a couple of weeks ago yelling "I'm going to be amazing. Buy me." The full release list is as follows. Super Stardust HD ($7.99) Dynasty Warriors: Gundam demo (free) Grand Theft Auto IV trailer (free) I know who killed me film trailer (free) Superbad film trailer (free) License to Wed film trailer (free) The Invasion film trailer (free) Great stuff. Keep it coming, Sony! %Gallery-3208%
New GTA IV trailer wants to mug you and slap your children
As promised, Rockstar has just released a new trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV and it's bringing down the internet as we speak. This one features a ton of gameplay and new scenery, and honestly makes the game look a lot more interesting than the previous trailer and screenshots. As you can see, the trailer is embedded right above so check it out and let us know what you think. Does it tickle your sandbox crime fancy? Or does it leave you cold and uninterested like a body in a morgue?
Anti-drug ad implicates games' influence
Injury. Obesity. Becoming a murderer. These are just some of the risks we as gamers knowingly take on in deference to the hobby we love. But now there's a new risk. Apparently, playing video games can also turn us into drug addicts.A new TV ad from the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign features a mom talking to a virtual convict in a fictional crime simulator. The ne'er-do-well warns mom that her son and his friends think he's cool because all he does is "deal drugs ... smoke weed and cause trouble." Sounds like fun to us, but the virtual thug, in a moment of supreme self-awareness and social consciousness, tells mom that "in real life, drugs are nothing but trouble." How does the mom thank him for this information? By turning off the game, ignoring his pleas for a reprieve-granting reset.Like most anti-drug ads, the main message here is that parents should talk to their kids about drugs, which is something we can all get behind. But really, do the people behind this ad seriously think that kids are going to start experimenting with drugs just because they saw a video game character do it? We know kids can be easily suggestible, but give them some credit. They're not idiots. Check out the video after the break.[Via FileFront]
GTA IV news from a Turkish Xbox mag?
We got some potential tantalizing tidbits of Grand Theft Auto IV from a Turkish Xbox magazine. Since this is posted in the Team Xbox forum, we're going to classify this as rumors until further confirmation. That being said, some of the stuff has been alluded to before, so it's not out of the question. Simple stuff like slight vibrations for your strides when running, or a lack of a HUD, with visual cues ingame instead sound reasonable. Getting something more than a lousy t-shirt for completing the game 100% is almost a given. Liberty City will be larger than Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas combined has been heard before. Some RPG elements from San Andreas will be included, expanded upon as well as removed, for example the love interests, working out and eating have been cut, but skill development is still in. For more details, and potential features, click the "Read" link.[Thanks, Jeff]
Take Two got $50M for GTAIV episodic content
A telling exchange during last week's Take Two earnings conference call may have revealed a sizable price tag for the Xbox 360's exclusive rights to Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content. During the call, Pacific Crest Securities Analyst Evan Wilson inquired about a $25 million "deferred revenue chunk associated with the episodic content on Xbox 360." Take Two CFO Lainie Goldstein responded that the money was for "the first episodic content package that's supposed to go out ... in March of '08" and that another $25 million was being deferred for the second content pack, to be released later in fiscal '08.Many news outlets are reporting that this revenue came from Microsoft to secure exclusive rights to these content packs, but this is not explicitly confirmed in the conference call or any other sources we could find. Take Two spokesperson Meg Maise would not comment on the matter, telling Joystiq the financial arrangements for the downloadable content were confidential.Still, it seems highly likely that the money came from Microsoft. Deferred revenue is often used to account for money paid before a product is delivered, and Take Two deferring Microsoft's payment for downloadable content would be a prototypical example of the practice. It's hard to imagine where else Take Two would derive such sizable revenue before the product was released.So was this a good move for Microsoft? Downloadable content is definitely a selling points for the Xbox 360 version of the game, but $50 million is a lot of money to pay just to get some additional content. If you're prepared to throw your money around, why not go all the way and secure the entire franchise as a system exclusive?[Via NeoGAF]
New GTA IV trailer coming June 28
Sure, you could get excited about a new Grand Theft Auto IV trailer, "Looking For That Special Someone," being released later this month, but you won't see us smiling. It's nice to know and all, but we can't help but wonder ... where's the countdown? Do you remember the hours, days we all shared, as a nation, watching the seconds peel away? Where does Rockstar get the right to rob us all of that?Worse still, how do we know exactly how long it is until the thing drops? See, for all our charm and wit, we here at Joystiq are genuinely terrible at math. Ask us how many "q"s are in our name and we'll stare at you blankly for a few seconds before sheepishly replying "...blue?". Ah well, maybe it will keep us math-challenged folks from making the internet explode whenever the trailer actually is released. Enjoy it, Einsteins.[Thanks, Lavin L.]
Pachter: Halo 3 could cause GTA IV delay
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, in his latest assessment of Take Two, said that the publisher might delay Grand Theft Auto IV so as to move it farther away from Halo 3's September 25 launch. Currently, GTAIV is expected October 16, just three weeks after Master Chief moves in. "We believe that a two-week delay would provide a reasonable gap between the launch of Halo 3 and the launch of GTA IV, and would actually help sales of both games," he said. Indeed, the thought of having to shell out $120 to $220 (that's $90 for GTA special edition and $130 for the Halo's legendary set) in a short amount of time does make us want to hold off on one of the titles until our wallets are happier. But will two weeks make all the difference? Pachter suggests another reason for a delay that has more to do with business strategy. If Take Two delays GTA IV two weeks, that will put it in their 2008 fiscal year. Though that would most assuredly hurt the publisher's FY 2007 prospects, Pachter said that it's possible they will just "throw in the towel" for the year and give themselves a strong start for FY 2008. One devious suggestion that we hope doesn't happen: Pachter suggested Take Two keep the special edition on October 16 while moving the "normal SKU" back a few weeks. Good for business, but bad for the impatient gamer. Remember, this is just one analyst's opinion, and Take Two is still officially committed to the October 16 release dates.
Grand Theft Auto finally reaches Japan
It's not uncommon for Americans to wait for Japanese games and systems. Heck, we still don't have any localized version of Bleach: Heat the Soul. Nor do we have other system colors, or that GPS accessory .... need we go on?Well, looks like Japan can finally understand the pains of localization delays. Nearly two years since its original release, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is heading to Japan. The revolutionary handheld title will receive Japan's most restrictive rating of Z and will be on Japanese store shelves on 7/26.With such a long lead-time for the title, one has to question: how much longer will the Japanese have to wait for Vice City Stories?
Grand Theft Auto IV images galore!
Rockstar has rolled out a handful of new Grand Theft Auto IV images and we've incorporated them into a new gallery, along with previously released content as well. The shots all show off a very impressive level of detail, from foliage in the trees to reflective surfaces on automobiles. We also get some close looks at GTAIV's protagonist, Niko Bellic (seen above behind the wheel of a likely stolen ride). Check out our extensive new gallery below and tell us what you think.%Gallery-3451%
No new GTA games in the works for PSP
San Andreas Stories? We never knew thee ... and we may never. GTA4.net has information supposedly from the Australian OPM. In their Grand Theft Auto IV preview, they reveal that work on San Andreas Stories is not happening. In fact, there's no plans to develop a PSP GTA title at all. "When asked about a San Andreas Stories for the PSP, he replies saying that they don't have any plans for that at the moment, suggesting that they likely haven't started at all on another GTA PSP title."We're a little saddened by this revelation, if only because we'd love to see San Andreas squeezed onto the portable. It seems that crime-loving gamers will have to look towards Driver 76 to get their fix.[Via DCEmu]
New GTAIV details emerge
The UK Official Xbox Magazine had a chance to sit down with Rockstar North to talk shop about Grand Theft Auto IV, which is evidently 66% complete. Details on the benefit on basing Liberty City off of modern day New York City, the size of Liberty City in comparison to other cities in the GTAIII series, as well as some landmarks are given. In terms of gameplay, the camera's functionality, the targeting system, and improvements on the hand to hand combat are all touched on. Not only that, but boats will be making a "fun" return to the series. Click the "Read" link to get the full scoop, with scans to come shortly, and note that October can't come soon enough.[Via Achievement Junkie. Thanks, Jonah Falcon]
Xbox 360 creates "limitations" for GTA IV
Apparently the lack of a built-in Blu-ray or HD-DVD drive in the Xbox 360 means that the year and a half old console is already starting to feel growing pains. In an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine, Rockstar creative VP Dan Houser was asked, "On PS3 you've got a guarantee that every machine is going to have a hard-drive and, with Blu-ray, you've got plenty of storage, whereas on Xbox 360 there's no guarantee of a hard-drive and you're working with the DVD format. Does that create limitations?" His answer? "Yep."On the flipside, Rockstar is using the Xbox 360 to demo the game to the press ... so they might say it's not the prettiest girl at the ball, but they sure love dancing with her. There's no doubt that as games get more graphically intense and the sheer scope of them continues to increase in size, storage is going become a more pressing issue. However, don't forget that right now the larger storage leads to longer load times, with the PS3 taking longer than the 360, due to the Blu-ray drive.We didn't expect it to start happening quite so soon, but we're sure it's minimal as far as this title is concerned. We'll be watching the widening gap with interest.
Rockstar: 360 hindering GTAIV development
Speaking to the Official Playstation Magazine, Rockstar's creative vice president, Dan Houser, noted that the Xbox 360's lack of a guaranteed hard drive poses a challenge for the development of Grand Theft Auto IV. When asked directly about the issue, Houser agreed that the hard drive issue presented limitations. It should be noted, however, that Houser elaborated that both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 have their share of challenges. As Houser put it, "both have their own particular pleasures and pains." What exactly these pleasures and pains are is anyone's guess.For what it's worth, the version of Grand Theft Auto IV being shown to the press is running on an Xbox 360. Do with that what you will. [Via Digg]
GTA: San Andreas Stories - the fan trailers
Rockstar's made Liberty City Stories. They've made Vice City Stories. So, San Andreas Stories is inevitable, right? Well, that's what one GTA fan's thinking. He's created a series of fake trailers for a potential San Andreas Stories, and we have to admit, these teasers have us salivating.
Flying is still in GTAIV (just not in planes)
Among the details revealed about GTAIV a couple weeks back was this little tidbit: "No planes." Many readers were understandably miffed, as flying is one of the more entertaining things to do in Grand Theft Auto. Fear not, fanboys, for we have discovered that flight has not been removed from the series. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner recently spilled the beans whilst speaking to GTANet. According to Reiner, the city is really too small for a plane to make sense, but other craft -- like helicopters -- will definitely make it into the game. That, obviously, is the big news, but Reiner revealed a few other details as well. The camera has been adjusted while driving, making the game feel more like Midnight Club according to Reiner. Also, Reiner was very impressed by the game's visuals (no pop up or loading screens), and notes that retail will look even better than what he saw. He also hints that characters from previous games may make an appearance.Hit the "read" link for the full interview.[Via IGN. Thanks, Rodney]
Staten Island slighted by GTAIV
Many will recall yesterday's big Grand Theft Auto IV news including plenty of new details about the game. One of those details is causing a bit of a stir in Staten Island. It was revealed yesterday that only four of New York's five boroughs would be represented in GTAIV, with Staten Island being left out. It seems that Staten Island (or at least one of its newspapers) is miffed at its exclusion from the game. As John Annese writes in the Staten Island Advance "When did Staten Island get run off the road as a borough of New York City?" A gamer at a local gaming center stated, "If you're gonna base a game on the five boroughs and you leave out one of the boroughs, it's kind of unsettling" (he added that he would still probably buy the game though).Of course, not everyone is displeased with the news. Linda Baran, the president of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce noted, "That's something I appreciate being left out of." A mother at the gaming center shared similar sentiments, noting that GTA is "not a great game" and that her son wasn't allowed to play it.Naturally, as game journalists, we're disappointed that so many people remain unaware that games have grown up over the years. Still, the response is expected at this point. Considering the flack companies have been getting lately for basing their games on real world locations, it's interesting to see things turned the other way around.[Via Game Stooge]
GTAIV multiplayer announcement to come in the future?
The May issue of Game Informer had a nice hands-on with Grand Theft Auto IV on the 360, so naturally as soon as readers got their hands on the magazine, the information spread like wildfire. Apparently scans of the magazine were at some point here, but we couldn't get to them. Here's the information that's been leaked thus far: Main character: Niko Bellic, either a Croatian or Serbian (our vote is on Serbian). A multiplayer announcement will be made at some point in the future. You can use a mobile phone to call contacts (think of what this could mean in multiplayer) No planes! The game takes place in one city. You will have more choice than in previous games, although you'll still be taking orders from someone. Multiple branches in the story lead to a more open experience and different outcomes The story structure is supposedly "quite different" from the other titles. That's it for now. We'll keep searching for more leaks and information.
GTA IV briefing in Game Informer, multiplayer and more
Game Informer gets the scoop on GTAIV in the May issue (not on "newsstands" yet), getting a peek at the Xbox 360 work-in-progress running on a debug unit. So, what's new besides what we saw in the trailer? Lots. Setting: re-created Liberty City (better mirrors real-world NYC; smaller "geographical mass" than San Andreas, but more densely populated) MetLife building = "Getalife" Statue of Liberty = "Statue of Happiness" DUMBO = "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass Area includes an adaptation of four of NYC's boroughs (no love for Staten Island), and a section of Jersey: Manhattan = "Algonquin" (The Lenape did speak an Algonquin language from which our word "Manhattan" is derived) Brooklyn = "Broker" Queens = "Dukes" (a duke ranks just below a prince) Bronx = "Bohan" New Jersey = "Alderney" (also named for one of the British Channel Islands -- or a breed of cattle) Main character: Niko Bellic; "Eastern European" ('cause who really keeps track of the countries over there?) Lured to Liberty by cousin Roman's suspicious emails (Roman claims to be living the America Dream: 2 women, 4 hot tubs, and 15 sports cars); Roman actually operates a rundown taxi depot in Broker and has gotten himself into a "load of trouble" NEWS FLASH: "Many of Niko's activities revolve around being a criminal"
GTA IV scans hit the internet (and run)
Our buddies at Xboxygen nabbed over a dozen scans of Grand Theft Auto IV (GTAIV to the kids) from the latest Game Informer. The screens give a nice idea of the level of detail in the game, as touched upon by the recently released trailer. The shot above in particular is a great example of how alive the game seems to be. In this shot, you can see reflections on the car, realistic shadows, and of course, lots of pedestrians. It's unfortunate that this shot shows off two identical NPCs (the women in white shirts and jeans), but the level of detail is still very impressive. There are also some nice shots of GTAIV's locations, cars, and characters (including some character art). Hit the "read" link to check 'em out. Be sure to head back here and tell us what you think.
