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Gran Turismo HD 1.2, GTA 4 trailer to hit PS Network today
Sony has sent word of their new offerings for the US PlayStation Network today. Most importantly for racing fans, Gran Turismo HD Concept will be upgraded for free to version 1.2, which enables force feedback through Logitech steering wheel peripherals. (European gamers have been enjoying GTHD 1.2 since the console's launch in the region.)The Grand Theft Auto IV trailer is also available for download in high definition, as is the Armored Core 4 demo. Microsoft's Peter Moore, proud that Xbox Live got the GTAIV trailer up before Sony, has added yet another tattoo on his arm to add to his collection of AAA-titled inkings.All of the content will be available free of charge and should be online sometime today.[Update: It's the Armored Core 4 demo, not trailer, that is released today. All parties responsible for the error have been thoroughly sacked.]
Take-Two and Rockstar on the Road To Ruin
You're probably wondering how we got to the point where reporting on an annual meeting of stockholders makes for compelling news, especially if you're one of those weirdos who, you know, actually plays video games. If you haven't been following the long-running drama of how Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar just can't seem to do any good, Wired's got you covered. The story of which makes for a much more interesting read than the aforementioned meeting.In "The Road To Ruin," David Kushner takes you from Rockstar's meager beginnings to their modern day failures, including the actual Grand Theft Auto franchise falling on its face. With Rockstar getting back in the groove of shoving GTA down our throats, all while still dealing with their internal drama, now would be a good time to see what all the fuss has been about beyond "Hot Coffee" and he-who-must-not-be-named. So you can just sit there and keep playing and enjoying your video games.. or you can do something that matters. Like care about stockholders.
Internet gets run over: GTAIV trailer goes live
The internet is dying! Why, you ask? The hotly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV trailer has gone live. If the embedded video (above) doesn't seem to work, try downloading this HD torrent. You can also try GameTrailers, but internet gamers haven't been any kinder to that service. If you don't mind low quality, it seems like YouTube has been able to survive the assault so far. Watch, and marvel the next generation of GTA. Are you psyched?! [Via Joystiq]
The Grand Theft Auto IV trailer
Try this HD torrent. Remember to seed when you're done downloading! Xbox.com is hosting the trailer, in HD. GameVideos is embedded above. GameTrailers is back up. YouTube version has been pulled.
WTF? R*, WRU PS3 GTA4? O! n/m.
Are you sitting down? We've got some big news. We mean REALLY big news. This is huge! This is MASSIVE news! Are you ready?There's a page missing from Rockstar's support web site.Isn't that incredible? What? You don't understand why this matters? Well what if we told you the page that's missing was for the PS3 version of Grand Theft Auto IV! That's right! There's a page for the Xbox 360 version but nothing listed for the PS3. Everyone's talking about it. Well, some people are, anyway. Do you realize what this means?What do you mean, "It could mean anything"? It obviously means that Microsoft is going to buy Take Two and take the exclusive rights to the Grand Theft Auto series away from Sony, thereby ensuring the Xbox 360's dominance over this console cycle!You're still skeptical? Even with all this unassailable evidence? OK, what if we told you that Microsoft hinted through one of their blogs that tomorrow there would be another announcement on the order of the Xbox 360 Elite confirmation. Now do you believe us? Grand Theft Auto IV is going exclusively to Microsoft! Sony is doomed!What do you mean it all sounds circumstantial? You really think this is just rumor-mongering and a big to-do over what'll probably end up being nothing? Oh, please. How naive can you be. Don't you know a hot story when it hits you in the face?What's that? You say you just checked and now there there is a page for the PS3 version? Oh. Well it wasn't there before.Look, just forget we said anything.
GTA-made-'em-do-it 'Nut Cases' gang leader sentenced
The alleged leader of Oakland street gang the Nut Cases was sentenced to 75 years to life by Alameda County Superior Court on Friday. Gregory Colbert and five others, who entertained a puzzling fixation with Planters' Mr. Peanut and enjoyed hazy sessions of Grand Theft Auto III, have been linked to a series of murders and armed robberies that terrorized Oakland in late 2002, and lasted until the Nut Cases were rounded up in January 2003.San Francisco Chronicle's continued coverage of the case suggests that the Nut Cases imitated the violent acts they'd repeatedly carried out in the virtual world of GTAIII. It's unclear if this "explanation" was offered up during the trial by the defense. But, if GTA could actually induce violent sociopathic behavior, then we'd have a worldwide crisis on our hands. We're talkin', like, tens of millions of Nut Cases![Via GamePolitics]
Today's most relative game video: GTA clock
While some of us are counting the seconds until the Grand Theft Auto IV release, others are so GTA-hyped that they count the seconds until the game's trailer. Rockstar apparently took its online promotion to late-night TV, featuring 30 minutes of the countdown to the ad to the game. YouTube user "nospacesinmyname" lets us all bow down to the clock.Alas, the clip only shows a few minutes of the entire 30-minute "commercial." We've watched it four times with the hope that some GTA IV magic will reveal itself, but nothing has differed. Maybe on the fifth try.Watch the TV clip after the break.[Thanks, Godfree]
Take Two mulling sale of company
The financial news from video game mega-publisher Take Two Interactive has run the gamut from bad to horrible over the past month or so. First there was a report from analyst Michael Pachter that suggested selling the company's stock. Then there was a disappointing earnings restatement and a shareholder coup that sought to overthrow CEO Paul Eibler. Now comes word that Take Two is considering selling the company to pacify the group of angry shareholders.Gamasutra is reporting that the Grand Theft Auto publisher has postponed its annual meeting from March 23 to March 29 to come up with alternative plans to present to the shareholders, which own a combined 46 percent of the company. One of the main alternatives mentioned in the official notice is "a possible sale of the Company." There's no guarantee such a sale will actually take place, but the fact that they're even considering it shows just how bad things are getting at Take Two HQ. Wall street seems to support the idea -- shares of the company were up 5.47 percent to $22 in early-morning trading.[Via Xbox360Fanboy]
Take-Two up for sale?
Take-Two, publisher of infamously violent games such as Grand Theft Auto 3 and Manhunt, has seen better days. Gamasutra reports that a group of Take-Two shareholders -- who own a combined 46% of the company -- wish to remove the current CEO, Paul Eibeler, and shake up the company's board of directors. Take-Two has postponed it's annual meeting from March 23rd to March 29th in order to review the shareholders' requests and come up with alternative solutions. Currently, the main "alternative" is an outright "sale of the Company."Take-Two recently posted a loss for 2006 and its future has been questioned for some time. Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities recently downgraded the company's stock and suggested that Take-Two could eventually be bought and sold in pieces, including its 2K Sports line. With the recent shareholder activity, that prediction could be coming true.Whether or not this could affect the development of GTAIV remains to be seen, though we're curious to see if Take-Two will now shy away from controversial titles, as its financial troubles began with the eruption of the Hot Coffee scandal.Take-Two stocks have already gone up as a result of the rumored sale.
Take-Two counters lawyer's 'nuisance' threat
Take-Two Interactive has filed a preemptive suit against attorney Jack Thompson. This past Saturday, Thompson hatched plans to meddle in the sales of future Take-Two and Rockstar titles Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Take-Two claims that if Thompson were to succeed in having the games declared public nuisances (under Florida law), the action would violate the publisher's First Amendment rights. Take-Two hopes its petition to the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida will crush Thompson's proposed suit before it grows wings. Plan B? Drop a DDT-bomb on his dome.Last fall, Florida courts rejected a similar suit filed by Thompson that sought to restrict sales of Take-Two's "Sim Columbine" Bully.Update: Read the lawsuit.
GDC 07: Why no GTA exclusivity?
This is an undeniable truth of the gaming industry: it's all about the games. Sony's multimedia approach to PS3 is certainly novel, but many have felt that Sony has neglected its gamers by abandoning high-profile potentially exclusive games, such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Assassin's Creed.Phil Harrison put it quite succinctly: "There wouldn't have been an economic sense in keeping GTA as an exclusive." When exclusive deals are made, someone has to pay for the potential difference in install base and sales. Considering how the PS3 install base won't be as large as the Xbox 360's for a while, the economic ramifications of such a deal would've cost Sony quite a pretty penny--and considering how they're losing money on every PS3 sold, it didn't seem too worthwhile.Sony seems to be taking an approach that's been long-familiar to Nintendo fans. Harrison notes that Sony will have a "greater investment in first party [games] than third." Sony maintains the largest collection of development teams, and certainly it has some truly significant franchises: Ratchet & Clank, God of War, just to name a few.
The Simpsons presents Death Kill City II
Maybe the writers of The Simpsons are PSP fanboys like us, angered by the impending release of the PS2 version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. The once-PSP exclusive is moving to the home console, and The Simpsons takes a shot at it through the parody game Death Kill City II: Death Kill Stories. As Siliconera reports, the goal of the game seems quite fun: "You have destroyed all human life on Earth. Level one complete."
Top 5 on PSP: Action
PSP sales have been quite good the last few months and I figured there's probably a lot of new PSP owners that may not be up to speed on what great games the system has to offer. With that in mind, every day this week we'll feature a new genre and list the top 5 games (according to metareviews), so no matter what you're into, you'll have some idea of what games you should own. We start off the week with one of the most popular genres around: Action. Top 5 Action games on PSP (tie) Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories/Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror Daxter Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories I'm lucky enough to own and have played all of the games in this particular list and trust me, they are all incredible gaming experiences and it's all the more impressive that they're on a portable. I do have to say that I think Ratchet & Clank is better than Daxter and GTA: VCS is better than GTA:LCS, but you really can't go wrong with any of these games. What did you think about these 5 games? What action games aren't on this list that you think every PSP owner should have? [Data Via Metacritic]
Pepsi taps into today's culture with ... pinball?
So let's get this straight. Coca-cola, looking for inspiration for a high-profile ad, apes Grand Theft Auto, a best-selling series that has inspired countless knock-offs and holds incredible relevance in today's pop culture landscape. Pepsi, on the other hand, creates a TV ad based on pinball, a once-popular arcade staple that has declined over the decades to the point where only one company in the world is still making tables. At this rate, we can expect RC Cola to come out with an ad based on bagatelle any day now.
A blueprint for game marketing (or: what happened to Psychonauts?)
Game designer Pierre-Alexandre Garneau ("just call me Pag") has written a piece for Gamasutra that is essentially a Magic 8-ball for determining the success, by means of marketing, of a quality title. The piece, entitled "10 Minute Game Sales Potential Test," presents six questions for determining whether a publisher will be able to successfully market a title.It's a fascinating read. The words of wisdom one can reap from the piece, if you believe Garneau's analysis, is that original, complex ideas have a steep curve when it comes to profitability. Spore without Will Wright would likely not garner so much attention and anticipation, and we're inclined to agree. As much as one might despise EA for rather annually "rehashing" Madden titles, the company still manages to sell millions of copies of each iteration -- as a business, they are acting as we'd expect. Also presented in the piece are examples where the test explains the financial success and failure of quality titles (Grand Theft Auto 3 and Psychonauts, respectively). It would be interesting to see how the analysis stacks up to other games both deserving and undeserving of their sales.See Also: Ad Critic
PS2 Vice City Stories to have exclusive new content
In the DVD industry, this kind of practice is called "double dipping" and it absolutely sucks. It makes people that have purchased the original feel neglected and the real fans are punished because in order to access the new content, you have to repurchase a new copy. While the practice is considered fine when there's some amount of transparency, Rockstar has been handling it all wrong. Don't call a game a PSP-exclusive if it'll head to another system immediately. Don't consider the games equal, when they're not. Shouldn't gamers have a choice to get the best version of GTA possible?According to GTAPortable.com, the Italian Take-Two website refers to Vice City Stories on PS2 as having better graphics and exclusive, unpublished content. Hopefully, it won't make PSP gamers feel like the $50 they spent on the original went wasted.
VCS: Okay, so it's actually coming to PS2
We told you so. But now it's official. March 6th for North America. March 9th for the UK.Press release after the cut.[Via Joystiq]
Crackdown creator's ego intact after Halo 3 boost
Buy the Halo 3 beta and receive a free copy of Crackdown! That was the joke that hurtled across the chattering landscape of the internet, as soon as it was revealed that Microsoft's supercop-in-a-sandbox game would ride the coattails of a ruthlessly marching Halo 3. But that's okay, according to Crackdown creator, David Jones. "It's really scary to think you could make a really great game that nobody has ever heard about," he notes in an insightful interview with Stephen Totilo of MTV News. The main problem, Jones states, is that Crackdown simply doesn't look good in screenshots. Perhaps a "snapshot" makes for a better word, as he feels that the game's qualities are conveyed far better when it's in motion -- the seamless world, the explosive physics and the player character's constant evolution. Since it takes a while for Crackdown's protagonist to build up his attributes and start leaping over buildings, the game can't be readily grasped in the first five minutes or indeed, in a snapshot. As Totilo aptly puts it, it's a "gradual sell." The Real Time Worlds developer goes on to explain how his desire to reward players resulted in a lifting of Microsoft's achievement limit from 50 to 80 per game, and that "90 percent of the fight is just getting people to try something." Though the Halo 3 beta business may have inadvertently made some gamers doubt the game's quality, the demo currently available on Xbox Live should do much to help allay any GTA fan fears.
It's time for Super Bowl commercials!
In roughly an hour the world's most watched television broadcast will begin. Super Bowl XLI will kick off in Florida tonight with the Colts pitted against the Bears (that's American football for those of you who don't know). But why do we bring up a sports event on an Xbox 360 fansite? Well, there is a very good reason for that ... commercials! Tonight, during the game, watch for any video game related commercials. Rumor has it that Coke will be airing their GTA inspired commercial during the football game. And although not video game related, the guys over at Digg just might be in GoDaddy's commercial. Just keep your eyes peeled and feel free to discuss your favorite commercials ... let the pizza eating begin!
No Vice City Stories for PS2? Sure ...
You may remember that a few days ago, the ESRB let slip that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories was heading to the PS2. Looks like PlayStation.com also had a listing for the potential port. However, it looks like the ESRB listing has disappeared, as well as the PlayStation.com listing. Was the original posting just a mistake? Rockstar neither confirms nor denies a PS2 version, simply telling IGN: "as a company, Rockstar does not comment on rumors or speculation."While it may be true that Rockstar isn't working on a PS2 version of Vice City Stories, this listing had to have come from some place. For now, we'll say it's not in the works, but we'll be unsurprised if it ever materializes.[Thanks, Joe! Via Joystiq]
