gta-iv
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Target says GTAIV is available, if only it were true
Browsing the electronics section at our local Target we came across a few copies of Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 just chilling behind a glass barrier waiting to be purchased. Not all that newsworthy until we mention that we glanced up and noticed a GTAIV ad making a very bold claim. The same ad and bold claim that you see in the picture above. Our first response to this GTAIV ad was something along the lines of "HOLY MONKEY ON FIRE! GTAIV IS AVAILABLE NOW! TARGET IS THY SAVIOR! W00T-ACULAR! ZOMG!" Then, in the blink of an eye, our brain decided to actually function, the gears started turning and we came back to reality. GTAIV doesn't release until April 29th. Darn. And after asking a friendly Target employee if they, by a miraculous chance, had a copy of GTAIV (hey, we had to be sure) we were shot down. Silly Target putting up misleading signs a few weeks too early. They should be ashamed. And before you ask or point your pointy fingers, the answer is yes. It is a slow news day.
GTA IV Achievements, Edition II: Descriptions!
Well, rather than a single big release, it looks as though the GTA IV achievements are going to get leaked in parts. First there was the reference-filled list of achievement names, now the guys over at xbox360achievements.org have gotten their hands on the point values and requirements for the list. A poster on their forums provided the list and so these descriptions and point values should be taken with a grain of salt. But really, you can look over the list for yourself and see whether or not the descriptions make sense with the names and values. Whatever the case may be, the achievements are spread rather wide and cover everything from mini-games and story progress to more arcade-esque survival challenges. As the release date of April 29th approaches, the hype for this thing just continues to grow and grow, and from a glance at the achievements it looks like this could actually live up its hype.Full list with descriptions and point values after the break.[Thanks James!]
Rumor: GTA IV Achievements 1/2 found! (Sort of!)
The guys over at 360sync were rather excited last night, having found a poster on the Gamespot foums who had a list of GTA IV achievements, but not quite the list in the way that they (or you, or us) would have liked. Seems that the only info right now comes from screenshots of the game's achievement blade, which will tell us the names of the achievements, but not the requirements or the point totals. So as small as that is, we can at least have some real meat for speculation. The whole list is well worth perusing and is (of course) filled with connections and references to everything from Asassin's Creed and Bioshock, to Rockstar's own censorship troubles. You can find the full achievement list after the break, and the screens of the achievement blade in the gallery.Via 360sync%Gallery-19399%
Grand Theft Auto IV 'Everyone's a Rat' trailer
Moments ago Rockstar Games released the final trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV titled, "Good Lord, What Are You Doing?" (aka "Everyone's a Rat"). In typical Rockstar fashion the trailer teases audiences with free-roaming open-world gameplay where Liberty City itself is as much a character as the people who inhabit the mean streets. Set to hit stores on April 29 for the Xbox 360 and PS3, GTAIV is shaping up to be one of the finest games of this generation. Hopefully when the dust settles from the hype when it hits we'll be able to see if it actually is as good everyone expects it to be.[Thanks, Troy & Tyler]%Gallery-3451%
GTAIV's new Social Club allows online stat tracking
Seeing that online stat tracking is all the rage among blockbuster titles lately, Grand Theft Auto IV too will feature such an online component with Rockstar's announcement of the Social Club.Going live on April 15th (plenty of time before GTAIV's release), the Social Club will be a website for GTAIV gamers to analyze, keep track and compare their stats and accomplishments with other Liberty City residents. Xbox Live subscribers will be able to register their gamertags at the Social Club and be able to instantly compare their multiplayer stats with gamers from around the globe. Not only will multiplayer stats be tracked, but Rockstar will post leaderboards for five other accomplishments (listed and described after the break) including a Hall of Fame and 100% Club that's reserved for only gamers who 100% complete what GTAIV has to offer. The first ten to complete the game 100% will even be rewarded with a key to the city. Nice. Hopefully, we all get an official Social Club membership card so we can flaunt it at the local bar or bowling alley.
GTA IV Liberty City map sneaks online
GTAGaming posted several images of a map for Grand Theft Auto IV's streets and subway system. As for the authenticity of the Liberty City map, well ... that's a whole other issue. The six images are of varying clarity and one image even shows the PS3 controls for the game.A few things raised red flags for us with the images, like one image showing Liberty City "neighbourhoods" -- with a "u." Although this map could be for an international version of the game, it still seems odd that a map depicting an alternate version of New York City would spell neighborhood in an un-American fashion. Another issue is some awkwardly constructed sentences in the region details (like the first sentence in the Alderney description). We're sure people may find other things to make their spidey sense tingle, but check it out and make your own conclusions about authenticity.Update: Images pulled, kbai.
Grand Theft Auto IV first 'leaked' multiplayer screenshots
Dutch site Xboxworld.nl accidentally leaked the first images of the upcoming multiplayer portion of GTA IV. Although the site pulled the images, the internet has an incredibly good memory. The folks at GTAForums promptly grabbed, and re-uploaded these lucrative images. The rumored list of online features reads like a wishlist: 16 players, 15 modes. With its release only a few weeks away, it won't be long before the world truly understands how ambitious Rockstar's online offerings will be.[Thanks, Enfo!]
Alleged GTA IV multiplayer screens show dudes, guns, vehicles ... explosions
Xboxworld.nl pinned up some alleged screens of Grand Theft Auto 4 multiplayer today, before the powers that be ripped 'em right down. Thing is, the ol' kibosh just ain't what it used to be, and sure enough, the images have resurfaced all over the place. Couple these glimpses with rumor of 15 multiplayer modes and 16-player support, and, um, wow ... who even needs those DLC episodes?
GTA IV In-Game Radio Stations
As the final marketing push for the imminent release of GTA IV spins up to speed, Rockstar is giving out more and more media of the game. The latest is an update to the online snippets of the in-game radio stations. There are now a total of 4 clips online, IF99, a funk station, Vladivostok, an eastern European station, K109, a disco station, and course WKTT. WKTT, which is the station embedded to the right, is an obvious parody of right-wing talk radio, and is definitely worth a listen for those with good senses of humor. The embedded player will cycle through all four stations as each one ends, so you can listen to them all if you like. The GTA IV site itself has spaces for at least eighteen different stations so we're definitely going to be seeing the trademark variety of music present in the past GTA games.
Limited Edition GTA IV 360's given to press outlets
Remember back when Halo 3 launched and Microsoft sent reviewers and news outlets a massive duffel bag full of Halo 3 swag? Well those marketing folks at Microsoft are up to their old tricks again, stepping up the swag by an order of magnitude this time. The guys over at complex blog posted some pictures of the package they received which includes a one-of-five-hundred custom painted Elite 360 and a case of peripherals, including a Vision Cam, a controller with ChatPad and a multi-media remote control. It's too bad that we didn't get one, otherwise there would be another giant fanswag giveaway. Oh well, marvel at the pretty pictures and think about just how desperate Microsoft is to make GTA IV a huge hit that they're willing to give away so much free stuff to the press. And, by the way, if you're reading this and you're from Microsoft 's marketing department, hook us up next time could you?
GTAIV vid asks, "Good Lord, What Are You Doing?"
Headed our way next Thursday, March 27th is yet another Grand Theft Auto IV teaser trailer titled "Good Lord, What Are You Doing?" and, really, do we have to hype it up? According to the official GTAIV website, the new trailer (also being referred to as "Everyone's Rat") will make its debut in a little over a week and maybe, just maybe we'll be treated to some super secretive informative bits. Will the new trailer show off the recently revealed multiplayer? Will we be introduced to any new GTAIV features? Or will we get yet another character profile that we've seen so many times before? Yeah ... it'll probably be a character vid, but that's still cool with us. New GTAIV media always equals good times.[Thanks, Bill]
GTA IV drives slo-mo, learns days of the week
In a recent test drive of Grand Theft Auto IV, MTV's Multiplayer discovered a couple new features for this go-around in Liberty City. One very passive feature is GTA IV will have days of the week. So, instead of an endless cycle of night and day, there'll be an endless cycle of day and night split over seven infinitely repeating days. This will affect gameplay by only allowing Niko to access certain areas on specific days of the week. MTV says you don't have to worry about it turning into Animal Crossing though, the day/night cycle will be the same as other entries into the series -- meaning gamers won't need to mess with their system's internal clock.The other reveal is the use of a slo-mo while driving. GTA veterans can already imagine the advantages and cool factor this could have while avoiding traffic or trying to hit a stunt point perfectly. A very nice feature, but one we'll have to see for ourselves to get a better feel for when and where it can be used. GTA IV is still expected to hijack the sales charts beginning April 29.
Microsoft expects Feb. 360 sales to trail PS3
Delivering the giant corporation version of you may want to sit down for this, Xbox group product manager, Aaron Greenberg, has predicted less-than-stellar sales results for the American Xbox 360 during February. Beating the NPD Group to the forthcoming bad news punch, Greenberg told Reuters that continued supply problems would likely place the system behind Sony's monolith for the second month in a row."We definitely expect we will trail in February as a result of our supply constraints," said Greenberg. Things are expected to improve in April, however, with "a very healthy inventory situation" setting the table for Grand Theft Auto IV's trumpeted arrival.
EDGE magazine's 16-page GTAIV feature scanned
In the latest issue of EDGE Magazine Sam Houser sat down and discussed all things Grand Theft Auto, from 2D to Part IV. While the article is light on new details for the upcoming April 29 release of GTAIV, Rockstar president Sam Houser discusses everything from being the industry scapegoat to the occasional trials and tribulations of working with Ray Liotta. The eager community at GTAForums couldn't wait for everyone to get their hands on an issue of EDGE and have released scans of all 16-pages online.The article proves very informative and spans the entire history of Grand Theft Auto. One obvious topic was the Hot Coffee scandal, but interestingly enough Houser describes that his real fear with the infamous situation wasn't a legal issue at all. "One of my fears when the Hot Coffee thing happened," Houser explains, "it was going to take this really beautiful piece of work and it was going to be known for something else."
Pachter: GTA IV could sell 9 million units by Halloween
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter believes Grand Theft Auto IV could become the best-selling game of 2008, with $450 million in revenue and over 9 million units sold by the end of Take-Two's fiscal year (Oct. 31). He believes that GTA IV will ship 6 million units in its first week and sell 75% of that in a brief amount of time -- that means the game should not be difficult to find at any big box retailer. GTA IV is expected to mask the "underperformance" of other Take-Two games and make up "100% of Take-Two's earnings for the year."It's not all sunshine and lollipops, though, as Pachter questions the profitability of GTA IV's Xbox 360 exclusive downloadable content. The conclusion of some fancy math is that 50% of Xbox 360 GTA IV owners will have to purchase the DLC for Take-Two to generate cash from the deal, which Pachter believes is "not highly likely." Taking GTA IV out of the equation, Pachter continues to make his case for the EA buyout of Take-Two by saying the company continues to lose market share and revenues. GTA IV unleashes panic on Liberty City beginning April 29.
Take 2 News: GTA DLC into 2009 & more
We reported previously that hidden in the depths of a Take 2 shareholder's announcement lurked official news of a sequel to Bioshock, but in fact that announcement held a few other interesting gems as well. First, the news that there will continue to be DLC for GTA IV through the year 2009 (the confirmed Microsoft exclusive ones are set to hit in 2008.) Second and on the Bioshock front, was of course the sequel news, but also that Ken Levine is at work on some form of original IP. The other news regards games confirmed to be releasing this year and next year, which are Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution, Top Spin 3, and Don King Presents: Prizefighter all for 2008, then Mafia II, Borderlands, and Bioshock 2 for 2009.
Take-Two posts $38M loss in first fiscal quarter
Aside from one 'shocking revelation and news of a Borderlands release shift, Take-Two's first fiscal quarter financial results did contain, you know, financial results. Ending January 31, 2008, the quarter saw a net loss of $38 million, a $16.5 million increase compared to the previous year's $21.5 million loss for the same quarter. Net revenue for the three-month period was $240.4 million, a decrease from $277.3 million gained during the opening quarter of fiscal 2007. Key contributors to Take-Two's revenue were BioShock, the Wii's (and soon to be DS') Carnival Games, NBA 2K8 and the good ol' Grand Theft Auto franchise. Unsurprisingly, the publisher predicts improved results once the felonious franchise reaches number four.
GTA IV Ad Artwork & Factoids List
With the game's release getting closer and closer, GTA IV's marketing strategy is begining to gain momentum. There's already been some viral marketing for the game, but now New York is playing host to GTA IV murals featuring characters from the game. The murals are designed to feel as though they extend into the wall and are very high quality. Photos of all the images, including the earlier ads, are in the gallery below.As for news other than pretty pictures, a four-page list of features, moments, bullet points and more was posted on thegamereviews and includes all sorts of interesting little bits of information. Spilit into various themes, the list concerns technical issues, locations, characters, groups, pyhsics and more, the impressions read as a great list of things to expect for those of us who just can't wait the six weeks 'till release. %Gallery-18115% [Read, thegamereviews] [Read, GTA Place]
Euro retailer Game expects greater profits thanks to 'buoyant' market
Things continue to look rosy for UK-based mega-retailer Game Group, as the company today announced that it raised its profit expectations for the year from £73 ($145 million) to £74 million ($147 million). Says the financial gurus at Bloomberg, the chain has much thanks to lay at the feet of Nintendo and its platforms' appeal to "women and older customers" for the elevated expectations. The group's like-for-like sales for the fifty weeks leading to January 12 were up around 43 percent while the company expects further growth of around 5 to 10 percent in the current year, driven by a "buoyant" video game market. Preliminary financial results are expected to drop on April 29, though given thin competition and what Game calls "a strong pipeline of innovative software," including such titles as Nintendo's Wii Fit and Mario Kart, as well as Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV, we expect those calling the shots for the retailer to remain swimming in the deep end of the money pool for a good while longer.
Rumor: MS offers free content with GTA IV preorders, launch purchase
Hot rumors are flying out of D.I.C.E. tonight after the Wired interview with corporate VP of Microsoft Game Studios, Shane Kim, went live on Thursday evening. Early in the interview Kim discussed the upcoming launch of Grand Theft Auto IV telling interviewer Chris Kohler, "making sure that we own the launch of Grand Theft Auto IV from a platform perspective is really important." At first glance that comment, and the subsequent explanation of the exclusive content on the Xbox 360, seemed like a typical bullet point listing that is better reserved for the back of a retail box. However, according to the folks at Xbox Family Microsoft is taking steps to secure a successful Xbox 360 launch of the latest GTA title. Word around the campfire is Microsoft will offer free downloadable content to those who pre-order the Xbox 360 version of GTAIV and purchase their copies on launch day. The content in question isn't specified, but if this rumor turns out to be valid it would be interesting to see what would be given away. While the rumor isn't substantiated, the PR spin behind it makes sense. Offer an extended experience to gamers the day of release and it makes the PlayStation 3 version seem incomplete. But seriously, if this whole thing turns out to be about Gamer Pictures ... somebody's gonna get-a hurt real bad.
