grand theft auto
Latest
GTA IV dumps renderware, picks up RAGE
Rumor has it that Grand Theft Auto IV (or GTA4 as the kids call it) will be using Rockstar's RAGE engine (that's Rockstar Advanced Game Engine). Many of you are already familiar with the RAGE engine if you own a copy of Table Tennis. The previous engine, Renderware, is seriously showing its age, and I doubt many will lament its loss. And it doesn't hurt that Table Tennis already looks mighty fine. Is there any chance we might see Tommy Vercetti both pinging and ponging?
Tepid Coffee: Take-Two gets foreboding slap on wrist by FTC
The Federal Trade Commision today handed down its final verdict regarding the "Hot Coffee" controversy. While not fined, the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection director Lydia Parnes stated that the hidden sex game, and publisher Take-Two's subsequent coverup, "undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers," adding that "parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system."The harsh words give the impression that this is the game industry's final warning on the subject of full disclosure to ratings systems -- the FTC ruling did note that all future violations by Take-Two will results in an $11,000 fine per violation (i.e. per game sold). As GameSpot extrapolated, with 7.27 million copies of San Andreas sold in the US, Take Two would have had to pay almost $80 billion dollars.The Hot Coffee incident involves a sex minigame found in the code of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which could only be found by hacking the title or downloading user-made modifications. Although difficult to find (and play), its inherent inclusion (and Take Two's initial denial) ignited anti-game activists and more than a few opportunistic lawmakers into action.[Thanks, SickNic]
2K Games kicks its habit, drops Snow [update 1]
While not surprising (we haven't heard anything about the game since E3 2005), Take Two subsidiary 2K Games officially announced today that it has cancelled Snow, a drug-dealing strategy. In the game, you start out as some small-time pot dealers to a narcotics empire capable of taking out the competition (usually involving violence). Snow used cel-shading to give it the feel of a graphic novel.The content of the game, from glorified drug peddling to gang wars, was ripe with controversy; Take Two has enough controversy (Hot Coffee, Oblivion, and Bully) to deal with right now. Bully, in fact, has not been mentioned by Rockstar since December of 2005, yet has become a staple example of the "horrible games industry" by certain anti-game activists.You can check out some screenshots and impressions of Snow over at GameSpot.[Thanks, Joe and JC][update 1: it was cancelled only once -- typo fixed]
Overheard in New York...
Overheard in New York (City) poster, Everclear, caught this snippet of a conversation on the 2 train near Borough Hall:SAT* prepping kid #1: What's 'hydrolysis'? SAT prepping kid #2: Dude, don't you play Grand Theft Auto? Hydrolysis is what makes the cars bump up and down. SAT prepping kid #3: Um ... Hydrolysis is the splitting of things in water. SAT prepping kid #2: Whatever. Same thing.*standardized test[Thanks Lex!]
Microsoft's coup: GTA on 360 and PS3
Peter Moore just dropped a bomb on us during their keynote (which we're liveblogging here): Rockstar's blockbuster series, Grand Theft Auto, is coming to the Xbox 360 on October 17th and 19th, 2007, in North America and Europe respectively. Peter Moore said it would be on 360 "from day one" implying the title will see a simulatenous release on the competition's PlayStation 3 console.This takes one of Sony's biggest assets this generation and makes it moot. Well played Microsoft ... those billions sure do come in handy sometimes.(Updated: GTA4 is dropping in 2007 -- not 2006 -- meaning it will ostensibly drop on both 360 and PS3 on the same date, or "day one" as Mr. Moore said.)
Becks loses two Bimmers to laptop-toting thieves
For every hundred or so stupid criminals that we feature on these pages, there are a few just as brilliant as their contemporaries are dim: look at the international group of hardware pirates who managed to build their own version of Japan's NEC Corp, or the laptop-toting thieves who succesfully stole not one, but two, of soccer football star David Beckham's BMW X5 SUVs by hacking the keyless-entry systems. In the last six months, the Real Madrid star and Mr. Posh Spice has seen two of his $60,000 vehicles lost to geeky criminals, with the most recent GTA occurring while Becks dined at a mall in Spain. Apparently thieves armed with a particular model's security schematics can jack into the car's PC and run software that dumps out the necessary codes for breaking the encryption, allowing them to unlock the doors, start the engine, and in some cases, even disable built-in tracking devices. Yeah, we're kind of impressed, but let's see these fancy criminals use their high-tech lockpicks to "hack" the cold, hard steel of our "Club LX."[Via Left Lane News]
Rockstar playing it low-key at E3
After reviewing the E3 2006 floor plans, it's clear that Rockstar will not be renting a showroom booth this year. Over at Planet Grand Theft Auto, Jordan speculates that Take-Two's prized developer might be stowed away in a small, perhaps private meeting room. According to the floor plans, Take-Two has reserved room 150C in the Concourse Hall.Rockstar's absence on the show floor likely means that the next GTA installment will not make the PS3 launch — or, if the franchise is going to defect, the Xbox 360's holiday lineup. Still, we can't help but wonder what might be previewed behind closed doors. Let's hope it's not just a high-stakes Table Tennis tournament.
Stefan Eriksson charged with multiple counts
Guess whose favorite scandal-ridden carousing ex-gangster party animal Los Angelean Swede just got charged with felony counts of embezzlement, grand theft auto, driving under the influence, and illegal possession of a firearm by felon? You got it, Stefan Eriksson. who supposedly faces 14 years in prison, if found guilty. What, you didn't think someone this shady was going to go about his business forever more without further question after that fateful evening last February, did you? Oh, and FYI, the handsome, mysterious Dietrich -- the man accused by Eriksson of driving the $1m Enzo into the pole at 160mph -- continues to evade capture, despite prosecuters' claims he does not exist. We have just received word, however, that he was spotted late last week attempting to cross the Canadian border in a Groucho Marx disguise and Ferrari PowerWheels.[Thanks, Alex B]Update: Apparentl Eriksson pleaded not guilty and was held on $5.5m bail. Yo, dudes at Xero Mobile, you wanna help a brother out? Thanks, Freddy.
PS2 Liberty City Stories delayed
Rockstar Games has confirmed that the PS2 port of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories has been pushed back to the end of May, and the actual release date could be even later than that. No details have been given for the delay, but with Table Tennis due out on May 26, Rockstar is probably just busy putting a final coat of polish on the ping pong balls. How many owners of the PSP Liberty City Stories are planning to buy the new console version, even if it has a Greatest Hits price, and no additional content?
MS trying to score a GTA exclusive?
The latest issue of Game Informer stands by the mag's last bombshell rumor and adds a new one. Xboxic has a summary:GI is standing by their April issue in which they revealed Forerunner, a new title in the Halo series. Now this month in their Loose Talk section, they reveal Project Orion. According to GI, Bungie and Ensemble Studios are teaming up to make a Halo FPS MMO. They claim this project is in “planning stages” just like Forerunner, so things could “change.”Microsoft is currently trying their hardest to secure the next version of GTA as an Xbox 360 exclusive. They claim MS is going full out in this. Even if MS does not secure it as a full exclusive, they will try to get it as a timed exclusive (similar to Sony last gen).That should get the PS3 fanboys' coffee percolating.
Gizmondo chief finally arrested for being too shady
We shamelessly ripped this headline verbatim from the subject of reader Dave M's tip, because, well, it's just so perfect, isn't it? Specifically, former Tiger Telematics Europe executive and drunk driving enthusiast Stefan Eriksson was arrested at his Bel-Air residence on Saturday, booked on suspicion of grand theft, and is currently enjoying decidedly less-luxurious surroundings, as the Sheriff's Department is wisely holding the slippery Swede without bail. It's not immediately clear whether the theft charge is related to Eriksson's destruction of that million dollar Ferrari Enzo in February (pictured in cake, above), but since we'd already heard that a Scottish bank may be the rightful owners of the mangled supercar, we wouldn't be surprised if the former videogame exec is guilty of playing a little real life GTA along with his favorite DUI. Meanwhile, Eriksson's imaginary friend and supposed co-conspirator, "Dietrich," remains at large.[Thanks, Dave M]
ZOMG GTA Chicago! Skepticism overwhelms us
Sure, it's not April 1st yet, but that hasn't stopped some guileful folks from getting a jump start on their annual trickery. Take, for example, the suspiciously timed appearance of a website ostensibly promoting Rockstar's latest and greatest: no, not Table Tennis, but Grand Theft Auto: Chicago of course!Why does this GTA: Chicago thing smell fishier than a two week old tuna sandwich left in your high school locker? Let us count the ways: The previous GTA games have eschewed real cities, opting instead for fictional cities closely inspired by actual ones. Liberty City ~ New York City; Vice City ~ Miami; San Andreas ~ Los Angeles. Chicago doesn't sound right. Suspicion triggered. It doesn't look right either. That font is seriously dubious. Rising. Why announce a game on (or a day before) April 1st? Why announce a huge title like GTA just several weeks before E3 and a week after GDC? Why take the focus off the other title you're busy promoting, Table Tennis? Suspicion reaching the boiling point. The site was registered through GoDaddy.com, who in turn report the registrar as an anonymous service called Domains by Proxy, Inc.. Suspicion nearing dangerous levels. All of Rockstar's other GTA domains have been registered through Network Solutions to Rockstar directly. Check LibertyCityStories.com, ViceCity.com, and GTASanAndreas.com. Suspicion core overload. Evacuate Zebes. Oh April Fool's Day pranksters, you'll have to do better than that. [Thanks, Buttonbasher]
Leland Yee @ GDC: a missed opportunity
We attended the GDC panel entitled "Murder, Sex and Censorship: Debating the Morals of Creative Freedom." The panel was notable for the presence of Leland Yee (pictured above), Democratic candidate for California State Senate, and notable anti-game crusader who passed a law that makes it a crime to sell to minors any game in which a player kills, maims, dismembers or sexually assaults an image of a human being. Yee's fellow panelists included Brenda Brathwaite, Jason Della Rocca, and James Paul Gee. For the most part, though, the audience had assembled to hear Yee defend his position on games. I'll cut through the niceties and get to the meat of it: this panel was a missed opportunity. Jason Della Rocca, who should have been able to ask Yee some good questions, behaved petulantly and unprofessionally (at one point, he loudly sighed into his microphone while Yee was making a particularly nutty point). I expected more of the Executive Director of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). Get him some media and debate training, stat!
GTA TV could be headed to Spike TV
According to Variety.com, Spike TV is undergoing a "macho makeover," which will include the addition of new dramas and action-adventure series geared towards male audiences. Among the proposed concepts, is a live-action take on Grand Theft Auto that could premiere as early as Summer 2007. It's unclear if the show would be a licensed adaptation of the game or simply inspired by the content featured in Rockstar's franchise.[via Gamecloud]
GTA worth $900 million; look to PSP for future of franchise
Research analysts Jason Kraft and Chris Kwak have determined an answer to the question, "What's Grand Theft Auto worth?" Parent-company Take-Two has been rocked by some troubles of late. With rumors that the company is for sale, and that Elevation Partners is browsing around, the question has been on a lot of minds lately--ours included. First, they anticipate only two next-gen GTA games hitting the consoles in the next five years, versus the three current-gen titles. In the same period, they say "there is potential for up to six PSP titles (five, post Liberty City Stories) over the next five years," continuing, "Take-Two could develop unique PSP games between major next-gen console releases or ports of existing titles. Shorter development cycles on PSP enable Take-Two to release PSP titles more frequently. The regularity with which Take-Two releases GTA titles on PSP will be critical to the franchise’s revenue growth in the next-gen cycle and underlies our revenue growth forecast."They also suspect console releases will either be released on multiple platforms, to capitalize on the larger install-base, or console exclusivity would place Take-Two "in a position to demand cash in return... in either scenario, Take-Two wins." They conclude that the Grand Theft Auto franchise is currently worth about $900 million, or $10-$13 per share. Removing the $1.52 per share of cash reserves, the remainder of Take-Two is worth $1.71-$4.71 per share. Those numbers show GTA as being worth 62%-81% of the company's total value! Will potential buyers be wary of placing all their eggs in the GTA basket?Send an email to kraftandkwak [at symbol] sig.com for a copy of the report.
More Grand Theft Auto speeding onto the PSP
Grand Theft Auto's publisher, Take-Two Interactive, gave PSP fans some joyous news this week as they reported on their lackluster financial results for Q4 and 2005.Among several ho-hum announcements (including, ironically, that a port of Liberty City Stories is in the works for the PS2), was the big news that PSP fanboys worldwide can expect another original Grand Theft Auto title in 2006. Additional details were sparse, but we'll take what we get when it comes to more portable GTA goodness.More info is expected at E3 later this year.
LEGO Grand Theft Auto?!
Tipster, Timá, dug this one up. It looks like it's been around for a while, but hopefully most of you have never seen it. It's good for a chuckle or two, and it's definitely office-friendly. And who knows... if they made LEGO Star Wars, why not take it one step further? [Thanks, Timá]
