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Splinter Cell, BioShock, GTA IV episodes exclusive for Xbox 360
Both BioShock and Splinter Cell Conviction (the suspected title for the post-Double Agent iteration) will be console-exclusive to the Xbox 360; BioShock will still be coming to the PC, while Splinter Cell can still be released for the PC and various portable console (DS, PSP). BioShock publisher Take-Two will also be providing "exclusive access to two downloadable, epic episodes of Grand Theft Auto IV via Xbox Live, each with hours of entirely new gameplay ." Ubisoft's Splinter Cell Conviction is the title found during their "accidental" leak earlier this month. The exclusivity of BioShock was predicted by GameSpot back in January after developer Irrational was bought by Take Two. The GTA IV episodes are a "complete exclusive," according to Scott Henson, Director of the Game Development Group at Microsoft, and will not showing up on the PlayStation 3 download service. The episodes will be available a few months after the release of Grand Theft Auto IV on October 17 and 19 in US and Europe, respectively. Microsoft hinted at exclusive GTA IV content as early as July. While BioShock may not affect the mass audience, the loss of Splinter Cell and some exclusive GTA IV content could hurt the PlayStation 3's image in North America and Europe. Then again, Sony does have Metal Gear Solid 4 to satiate its consumers, but what are the long-term ramifications of Microsoft's exclusive deals?
New GTA trailer titillates
Ah, gotta love suggestive headlines. You click them because you're intruiged. You're wondering if I've done some kind of word play, hinting at something risque. Of course, some of you may not even know what titillate means. Well, according to Merriam-Webster, it means "to excite pleasurably." And this trailer does exactly that. The game comes out on October 31st, exclusively for PSP.
Jack Thompson becomes boring
Thank whatever deity you may believe in for Jack Thompson who has filed a $600 million lawsuit on behalf of family members for three people killed by a 14-year-old, because it could be worse. More on that in a second.Jack's back and this time he's sued Sony of America, Take-Two and subsidiary, Rockstar Games of hatching a "civil conspiracy" in regards to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Thompson says that the companies should have known the game "would spawn such copycat violence." Yes, because the logic train clearly runs along the track that video game makers see a clear benefit in creating murder simulators for kids to train on. Oh wait, the game is rated M, what's a 14-year-old doing with GTA in the first place -- where are the parents? Whatever to Jack Thompson. Once again, thank whatever deity -- or lack of one -- you may believe in for Jack Thompson. Given that we know what the man is really after, absolutely none of this is going to matter in the end. $600 million? Should have just gone for $6 billion, it's all just a wonderful publicity stunt, with the murder victims and their families merely pawns. Imagine if there was actually a sane Jack Thompson -- then the industry would really have something to worry about. See also a smattering of previous Jack tales: G4, Jack Thompson yell at each other Penny Arcade donates $10,000 in Jack's name to charity Flowers for Jack Jack Thompson: Sony committing "Pearl Harbor 2" [Thanks Daniel]
You are what you tattoo
On the less horrific end of the video game crime tie-in spectrum, this one has a pwned n00b quality to it.The Canadian Mounties have apprehended the nefarious mastermind criminal Shylo Kujawski of Vancouver after a sixteen month... oh, who are we kidding? The kid got nabbed because he had a tattoo that said "grand theft auto" on his back. That's not a crime, although it should be, but guess what he does professionally? Using the tattoo to identify Kujawski as a convicted auto thief -- because apparently the kid doesn't wear shirts -- the Mounties set a trap to lure Kujawski into stealing a specific car. He obliged the officer's trap and tried to steal that car, promptly getting himself arrested. Ok, so he got pwned, but what about the n00b part? Kujawski thwarted his own attempt to steal the car by enabling the steering wheel lock on the vehicle.Tommy Vercetti he is not.[Thanks Nalgae]
A helicopter ride through Vice City [Update 1]
Looks like Rockstar took advantage of this slow news day to release a brief, but nonetheless tantalizing clip of Vice City Stories in motion. The music, as usual, is awesome... and the draw distance is jaw-dropping. Check out 1UP to see two new screens of the game. The game releases on October 31st.[Update 1: It appears that IGN has scored a brief new video as well. Check it out.]
An empire of new features for Vice City Stories
GTAPortable.com has been keeping an eye out for everything Vice City Stories-related, and they've uncovered a plethora of new information for this highly anticipated PSP exclusive. Golf is now a playable mini-game. It will be played using only one button. "Empire Building" mode allows you to act like The Godfather and invest in businesses throughout the city. Depending on how much you've invested, and how the business is doing, you can make a fair sum of money... so long as you provide the proper protection. You can hire bodyguards, and when the business isn't being hit, it acts like a Safe House for you to save at. Taking a page from Sim City, you'll be able to place the businesses throughout the city, and proper placement can lead to the mad profit (an example cited by GTAPortable.com is a drug extortion business nearby an airport). Spanning over thirty buildings, this mode seems to add a hefty amount of gameplay to an already massive game. Business types can include protection, extortion, and prostitution, with many more to come. Like in Liberty City Stories, there will be load times between the major islands, but surprisingly this time around, the loads will be even shorter, according to TotalVideoGames. Not only can you ride around in helicopters, you can ride around in jets, according to an IGN preview. Although there is no infrstructure multiplayer, there will be more multiplayer modes to compete in. And unfortunately for German and Australian players, the game will be censored, according to Gamepro.de. This really does seem like it's going to be one of the best games of 2006, not only on the PSP, but across all platforms. The depth of this game is incredible, and the fact that it's on a handheld is even more amazing. The game comes out on October 30th for $50.
Vice City Stories Video Sandwich special!
Vice City Stories looks like it'll have some truly epic battles. Sure, you have the army men with their automatic rifles, and the tank... but what really gets me excited is the helicopter. It looks absolutely sweet, and the thought of being able to drive that baby, and use its minigun on the go is kick-ass.But, if that seems a bit too Hollywood for you, maybe you'll want to slow things down Hillbilly style. It looks like you can rough up the trailer trash in the game as well. I'm less impressed by the clip below, but maybe you can re-create scenes from Dukes of Hazzard or something. You can download high-res versions of these videos at GameTrailers.com (include an iPod/PSP formatted version). Vice City Stories will hit the PSP exclusively this October.
Why you want Vice City Stories: the interview
Ever since the official trailer for Vice City Stories dropped on us, Rockstar has been very actively hyping this PSP-exclusive follow-up to the insanely successful Liberty City Stories. (Of course Rockstar doesn't have much of a choice: this game may be the only thing that saves the company from financial ruin.) IGN recently had a chance to talk to Gordon Hall from Rockstar, and Mr. Hall (obviously) has a lot of good things to tell us: Game features twice the number of polygons and a new radiosity lighting model. A new way to have the CPU and GPU communicate to each other was developed so that improvements could be made across the board. A new streaming process and lossless animation streaming allows the game to load more data at once. "With the Jet Ski you can dive under water and come bursting back up, you can really feel it bounce off the waves as the weather conditions change, you can turn on a dime and really send the water spraying." (Sounds like they packed in an entire water racing game in our GTA!) "The combat system has more depth to it than any other Grand Theft Auto game." Targeting and combat has been tweaked just a bit: you can now fight unarmed and do grappling moves and throws. "The soundtrack has over 100 tracks, and is probably the best, deepest collection of songs ever assembled for any one project -- TV, Film, or Game." (But the game includes Custom Soundtracks too if you don't like retro music.) Call me stunned. I know this is mostly PR hype, but considering how amazing the original Liberty City Stories was, I'm willing to believe that Rockstar is making this game a masterpiece. It sounds to be this could be the best GTA yet... handheld and console. And you didn't even have to wait until 12:01 AM for such amazing news. The game hits America the same time as Killzone. Ouch: my wallet's already crying.
How to make a GTA trailer
Rockstar just released its first official trailer for Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (via its newly-opened website), and it features all the elements of previous GTA trailers. Let's see if we can spot the formula: Pop music contemporary to the game's era ... (Foreigner -- "I want to know what love is") Over-the-top voice acting spouting over-the-top dialogue ... ("When will you grow a brain?") Montage of gun fights ... Multiple screens of the same video, reminiscent of Warhol or 80s music videos ... (see above) It's a tried-and-true formula for a Grand Theft Auto, itself a tried-and-true formula. Video is embedded after the break, so judge for yourself.[via PSP Fanboy]
Vice City Stories website wastes hours of my life
Not only did Rockstar release an awesomely sweet trailer for their upcoming Vice City Stories, they also updated the official website. The site includes aforementioned trailer, but in PSP format, tons of screenshots, wallpapers, and a sampling of the ever-popular (and always amazing) radio. Yes: I listened until the feed looped... twice. The trailer and the radio were enough to secure a pre-order from me. The game will release in October.[Thanks, ZENegade!]
Feel the love of Vice City's first trailer
I wanna know what love is....I wanna feel what love is...Are you ready for it? The new Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories trailer is finally upon us. And it is good. Watch and marvel at the graphics, the music and the fashion. 'Nuff said.[Via IGN]
Take-Two looks to the PSP for comfort
Take-Two, the company behind the mega-popular brand Rockstar Games, is facing some troubles. Although the company has greater revenues this year than last, Take-Two is facing some serious issues. Firstly, the company has "received additional grand jury subpoenas issued by the District Attorney of the County of New York requesting documents ... regarding stock options and other equity based compensation." Also, Wall Street analysts think that the stock for the company is overvalued: "the current analyst consensus EPS estimates for its third quarter, and revenue and EPS [earnings per share ]estimates for its fourth quarter are too high."With plummeting stock prices, Take-Two looks towards the PSP for solace. The company speaks of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories and "a Rockstar PSP title based on a premier brand out of the fourth quarter" as upcoming releases that should more than move a few units. The company hasn't revealed what the mystery PSP title is, but it appears that all bets are on Sony's handheld for the company now.See also:TTWO shares drop on earnings warning, stock option investigation[Via Gamespot]
TTWO shares drop on earnings warning, stock option investigation
Take Two just warned Wall Street analysts that their estimates for Take Two earnings in upcoming quarters are "too high," and disclosed new subpoenas from the NYC district attorney's office for documents related to stock options grants. Company shares dropped over 8% to $11.20 in after-hours trading. Some gamers might be tempted to shrug off all this bad news and what it's done to Take Two's shares, figuring that what happens on Wall Street doesn't matter so long as Take Two delivers the goods next October with Grand Theft Auto IV. But Take Two's financial woes do matter because the company uses its stock as compensation. When the company's shares drop, employees take a de facto pay cut, making it more difficult for the company to motivate and retain the brains that create hit titles. In the software and creative industries, it's said that 100% of company value walks out of the door every evening. If this keeps up, Take Two's going to have a harder time convincing employees to return the next morning. [Disclosure: I own way too many shares of Take Two. My wife reminds me of this almost daily.]
Ving Rhames to be lead voice for Vice City Stories
According to IMDb, Ving Rhames will be voicing the lead character of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. The actor is noted for roles in Kojak, Mission: Impossible, Con Air and Pulp Fiction, to name a few. With his a commanding authority in his voice, Ving Rhames seems to be appropraitely cast. The 47 year old actor is no stranger to video games, having done voice roles for Driver and Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will release exclusively for the PSP in October.[Via QJ]
Extreme airtime in GTA:LCS
Weekends aren't usually filled with breaking news, so it's usually the time we look back and reflect on the cooler aspects of the PSP community. I'm not too interested in the musings of an illiterate fanboy, but I am totally awe-inspired by the crazy things that people have been doing in GTA:LCS. The cheat devices for GTA have come a long way since the first time PSP Fanboy reported on it. People are now defying all logic, performing gravity-defying tricks, riding on walls, spawning helicopters and even creating trick ramps for those that want Liberty City to be one giant level of Tony Hawk. Here's some of my favorites from the GTA cheats and trick community.
Vice City Stories to be PSP exclusive
The latest episode of the 1UP Yours Podcast held an interesting revelation about the highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Some fans felt burned by Rockstar's decision to bring the beloved Liberty City Stories over to the PS2 in a direct port. Well, according to the podcast, an editor that had a chance to play the game found out that Vice City will not makes it way to the PS2. Why? Because the game's going to be completely optimized for the handheld, making it more difficult to do a straight port Considering how Liberty City sold 2.2 million copies worldwide, it doesn't seem like a bad decision at all. [Via IGN Boards]
Games Convention to feature Vice City & Sonic
According to GameFront, it appears that the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be presented to members of the press in next week's Games Convention in Germany. Also on-hand at the show, according to GamesIndustry.biz is Sonic Rivals, the first ever original PSP platformer starring Sega's famous mascot. With the convention pending, it appears that new screens of both games are making their way around the internet. CVG has posted new screens of Sonic Rivals, featuring the aptly named Silver, who boasts psychic powers. GAME also has new direct-feed screenshots of Vice City Stories in action, showcasing the "new" rocket launcher.[Thanks, Adriaan!]
More magazine scans of GTA:VCS surface
Ever since Vice City Stories was first revealed, the magazine scans have been trickling in on a pretty regular basis. This week's victim of fanboy scanners is Games magazine. There are five new screenshots and a few new tidbits: A new rocket launcher. (Was there anything wrong with the old rocket launcher?) NPC behavior is affected by time. So, you'll see clubbers at night, and bums at the break of dawn. Missions won't be point A to point B drives (although they were pretty good for on-the-go play). Expect water to play a much larger role in the game. Read the full story to find out more.[Thanks, Adriaan!]
Play GTA this fall... in toy form
Grand Theft Auto in your hands... sounds too good to be true, right? If for some reason, you want to ignore the impending release of Vice City Stories for the PSP, you can pick up these Kubrick toys. The set of five includes Tommy, Lance, Ricardo, Candi and Ken so that you can re-enact your favorite GTA scenes in the palm of your hand. Imagine how cool you'll appear to your co-workers as they see you screaming "It's time for the Lance Vance Dance!" while playing with these figures. They're available for only $35, a real bargain considering how some of my own most-wanted figures cost much, much more.[Via QJ]
More Vice City screenshots and details
What's this "Grand Theft Auto" game that I keep on hearing about? What does it mean that GTAPortable.com has even more pictures and scans from the UK Official PlayStation Magazine? You start the game off pretty damn broke: you start the game in an all-new trailer park. The city has actually gotten bigger. Higher resolution textures, so that you can really appreciate the billboards in the game. Biker gangs return. Best thing ever: better looking palm trees! Many have proclaimed that Vice City was by far the best of the modern 3D GTA games, so a return with Vice City Stories is more than welcomed. Let's hope for more details soon. amazon.com is offering pre-orders for $48 shipped.[Via QJ]
