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Rumor: Developers claim to be uncredited for LA Noire work
For the past seven years, Team Bondi and Rockstar Games have been toiling away on LA Noire -- an effort that, at least from a critical standpoint so far, has been totally worth it. But some developers who supposedly had a hand in solving the case of how to launch a game have gone uncredited and taken to the internet for justice by ... launching a website and Facebook page. T.K. Rose, an alias of one such member (why hide your name?) of the group looking for recognition, told Destructoid that unless individuals were involved during "the final month or two of production" were left out of the game's credits, affecting about 100 individuals who apparently worked on the game. "A significant portion of these people did not leave Team Bondi by choice," Rose detailed, "they were made redundant as the art production wound down, and as Quality Assurance was shifted off-shore to Rockstar's studios." Rockstar has yet to comment on the claims of these individuals. We've reached out for comment and will update accordingly.
A whirlwind tour of LA Noire's Rockstar Pass DLC
Okay, so you're not convinced whether LA Noire's "Rockstar Pass," which gives you access to all the DLC for a flat $10 ($12 after June 14), is a good deal. Well, what if you were to see a couple of seconds of each DLC case? Would that help you reach a conclusion?
Dirt 3 debuts in second on UK charts, LA Noire still tops
L.A. Noire, which premiered as the UK's fastest-selling new IP, maintained its top position on Chart-Track's UK All Formats chart this past week. Dirt 3, the only new competitor to race into the top ten, had to settle for second. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean lost some wind in its sails and fell to third, with Brink rounding out the top five. Zumba Fitness maintained fourth, with sales up 19 percent last week. It's like Zumba Fitness was infused with that Just Dance "staying power" magic -- and as it happens, Just Dance 2, despite not being in the top ten, has been hanging around close by (at No. 11). Price promotions helped give sales boosts to some of the top ten remainders. Check those out after the break.
LA Noire DLC and Rockstar Pass pre-order scheme revealed
Detective, thank goodness you're here! We've got a hot case that just came in and we're stumped. Here's what we've got so far: Rockstar has revealed a steady slate of LA Noire DLC, coming until late July, that includes four new cases for Cole Phelps to bring his seething congeniality to. (Yep, the previously Best Buy-exclusive Nicholson Electroplating arson case is on the list.) You could buy all the content piecemeal for $20, or you could pre-purchase all of it for $10 with the newly announced Rockstar Pass. After June 14, the price of the pass will increase to $12. In even better news, two of the cases -- The Naked City and A Slip of the Tongue -- are available today, assuming you have the 360 version. Sadly, trying to access the PS Store on the PS3 version still causes the game to crash, but hopefully the store will be working soon. If this seemingly smart gambit works as planned, it would give players a reason to keep their copies off of the used game shelves until just before August -- after all, they've already paid for the DLC, right? -- so we'll be interested to see if it plays out that way. ... So, the boys in the lab have been going over it and they can't make heads or t-- whaddya mean it's all laid out there in its entirety, rendering your services pointless? What about a list of all the DLC with prices? ... Oh, right after the break? You don't say.
LA Noire is 'a powerful new franchise' for Take-Two
During this afternoon's Take-Two investor call, CEO Strauss Zelnick said that though he wasn't interested in comparing every new intellectual property to the "extraordinary success of Red Dead Redemption," Rockstar's latest has all the makings of a key franchise. "We have every reason to believe L.A. Noire is another strong franchise for this company," Zelnick said. "No matter how you slice it, it's a very successful release and to be able to say that again is extraordinary." Of course, Rockstar's many successes colored much of the call, from the announcement that Red Dead Redemption has now sold over 8.5 million units to the news that Rockstar's core creatives have renewed their employment contracts. "And if it needs to be said, this management team is just immensely grateful to Rockstar for delivering another superb title," Zelnick reiterated to investors. "One can never take that for granted. The hit ratio for this group is nothing short of extraordinary." When asked about downloadable content plans for L.A. Noire, Zelnick predictably side-stepped the question -- "We'll leave it to Rockstar to announce" any plans, he said -- but he again said that L.A. Noire is a "powerful new franchise" for Take-Two. Earlier in the call, Zelnick defined Take-Two's strategy, saying, "the core of which is to produce and distribute a select number of triple-A titles and support them with add-on content distributed both on disc and digitally." He continued, "Add-on content generally produces incremental revenue and profits and keeps gamers engaged with our titles for longer periods of time, thereby extending the life of the product, increasing the value of the brand, and ultimately converting it into a franchise." Following this math, L.A. Noire is going to need some more add-on content before it can really claim that "franchise" moniker ... So how about getting on the horn with the good people at Roger Rabbit Licensing, Inc.? No price is too high!
Asperger's expert recommends L.A. Noire as teaching tool
Though our expertly crafted guide to L.A. Noire may be invaluable, there's one group who may still be struggling: Those living with Asperger's syndrome. Though the autism-spectrum disorder leaves cognitive and linguistic functions relatively preserved, it leaves some with what's sometimes referred to as mind-blindness, or the inability to divine what's happening in the mind of another human. In the words of researcher and coiner of the phrase Simon Baron-Cohen, those with mind-blindness find they have an inability to "put themselves into someone else's shoes, to imagine their thoughts and feelings." In L.A. Noire, facial animations are so realistically captured that players can actually tell if their interview subjects are lying. In fact, players have to do precisely that to unearth the clues essential to putting a case together. As we progressed through the game, we worried that could leave those with mind-blindness unable to play along, especially if the technology is more widely adopted. But where we saw a hurdle, Professor Tony Attwood sees opportunity.
Take-Two signs with XLGames to make existing property into an MMO
How would a Grand Theft Auto MMO grab you? Would you play a Red Dead Redemption or LA Noire massively multiplayer title? While the possibility of said games still falls into the rumor category at this point, we can confirm that Take-Two Interactive has entered into a partnership with XL Games to make one of the former's existing properties into an MMO. XL has been in the news recently due to its upcoming ArcheAge sandpark, and the company founded by noted Lineage developer Jake Song will work on the new title with Take-Two subsidiary 2K Games. Kotaku first reported the rumor to the English-speaking world earlier this morning, while the source is Korean website 4gamer. A press release has also been issued by 2K; CEO Christoph Hartmann hints at the company's desire to broaden its horizons. "Our partnership with XL Games underscores our ongoing commitment to expanding 2K's presence in online gaming and the Asian market," Hartmann explains. XL's Song says that work on the new title is ongoing. "We have already been working together for a year on the game, and I can tell you this is one of the most exciting projects that I've ever undertaken," he said.
LA Noire becomes UK's fastest-selling new IP
Your friends list can probably corroborate: L.A. Noire is a hit. Chart-Track revealed today that Team Bondi's crime drama is the "fastest-selling new video game IP ever in the UK," and the 13th fastest-selling title during launch week for Xbox 360 (11th fastest on PS3). It'll be interesting to see if L.A. Noire does as well as Red Dead Redemption, which sucked the oxygen out of retail during its first few weeks. Meanwhile, Lego Pirates of the Caribbean maintained second place, while Brink slipped from its top position last week to third. Zumba Fitness won't go home when the lights go out, slipping only six percent in sales and capturing a spot in fourth. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings premiered in fifth as the only other debut to break into the top 40 last week. The sequel outsold The Witcher's UK launch nearly three to one, according to Chart-Track -- remember that those figures don't include digital sales. Investigate the rest of the UK top ten after the break.
First LA Noire patch goes live today, won't take your guilt away
Rockstar Games' official blog recently announced that the first patch for LA Noire went live earlier today for Xbox 360 and PS3. Title Update 1.00 improves stat tracking for the game's Rockstar Social Club functionality, adds an age verification feature for DLC purchases and includes a few fixes for "minor gameplay bugs and graphical issues," as well as "several minor plot/objective/conversation issues." We're still trying to figure out exactly what those issues entail, but one thing's for sure: This update won't patch away the guilt we feel for clearly throwing the wrong guy in jail during that one totally botched case. That kind of guilt is forever, you guys.
Be a better L.A. Noire interrogator
We know how it is for a rookie cop on the streets of L.A. Noire. You and alter ego Cole Phelps are doing your best to dig deep to get the real dirt, the straight poop, and all you're getting to aid in your investigation is a bunch of Lying Leos and Dishonest Deborahs. To help you navigate these mendacious waters, we've put together a little guide to interrogations that we hope you'll find helpful -- and that we know you'll find right after the break. %Gallery-112378%
PS3 users report LA Noire overheating issues, Rockstar and Sony respond [update: Freezing issues also reported for PS3, 360]
This morning, Rockstar posted a notice about PS3 systems possibly overheating due to some friction between L.A. Noire and the new firmware 3.61. The post has since been removed, though a new announcement has been posted on Rockstar's website providing some clarification. The company notes that it has "received a very small number of customer support questions about PS3's overheating or shutting down while playing L.A. Noire." It adds that "Rockstar Games and Sony can confirm that neither L.A. Noire or firmware update 3.61 are causing the PS3 hardware to overheat," though no solution is offered. The company advises that those with such problems contact either Rockstar or Sony technical support. Update: It appears that Rockstar has also received complaints of crashing or freezing issues on both PS3 and Xbox 360. Rockstar has outlined steps to help correct the problem. Find them after the break.
LA Noire's 'Nicholson Electroplating' DLC case opens June 21
"Nicholson Electroplating," L.A. Noire's first DLC add-on will be released via Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on Tuesday, June 21. Vouchers for the apparent arson case -- outed earlier this week -- were handed out, sparingly, at Best Buy launch events for the game. Rockstar has posted a redemption page for the vouchers, which notes the release date of the DLC. We've contacted Rockstar to find out how much the case will cost those of us who got to Best Buy just a little too late.
Are you playing L.A. Noire in black and white?
You might miss it if you don't know to look for it, but right there in the options for L.A. Noire you can activate a "black and white mode." The resulting look is reminiscent of the classic films the game attempts to emulate. "We always knew we would create a proper noir mode with the black & white setting for L.A. Noire considering how much inspiration for the game came from classic noir films like The Naked City and The Asphalt Jungle," art director Rob Nelson told us. "Playing in black & white adds a somewhat nostalgic, cinematic feel to the game, and we'd definitely recommend that players experiment with this setting and see what they prefer best." That got us wondering: Which mode are you using? For our part, we liked the monochrome look, but kept feeling like we were missing something by not playing in color. Fill us in on your preference after the break.
Read 'Naked Angel' from L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories
Known for his "Hap and Leonard" tales, Joe R. Lansdale is one of the crime novelists lending their skills with prose to the upcoming L.A. Noire: The Collected Stories eBook from Rockstar. Today you can read his contribution, "Naked Angel," in its entirety for the low, low price of free. Complex has posted Lansdale's short story, which is one of several that will comprise the full collection, due out June 6 as a digital-only release at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the iTunes Store. That timing's just right for investigating more of the L.A. Noire universe after solving finishing the game.
LA Noire film reels and landmarks guide
We get it: You're too busy taking down thugs and murderers in LA Noire to bother snooping around for film reels and pointing out landmarks in the City of Angels. But what about later? What will you do when there isn't a single lowlife left to bust? Then you'll probably want to go sightseeing. Thankfully, GamesRadar has prepared a quick, yet comprehensive guide -- detailing all 30 landmark and 50 film reel locations -- that you can either check out now or bookmark for later -- bookmark as in mark down in a real paper notepad. It's supposed to be the '40s, remember? Play along, you blockhead!
LA Noire boosts Take-Two stock
Now here's a pretty open-and-shut case. What do you think could have caused Take-Two's share price to rise almost 18 percent yesterday? The company had the release of a little game called LA Noire to thank for that. On Monday, Take-Two shares were hovering around $15 a pop, but shot up yesterday as LA Noire launched and closed at $17.10 -- the highest valuation since the proposed takeover by EA. As of the market's close today, shares were still trading in that range, hitting as high as $17.28 this afternoon.
See how a 1920s daredevil inspired the L.A. Noire we know today
The methods -- that is to say, witchcraft -- used to create the eerily accurate faces of L.A. Noire's suspicious characters were previously exposed, but how did Team Bondi create the face of the game's titular city? The story is more thrilling than you might imagine: Much of the gameworld was designed using photographs taken by 1920s daredevil Robert Spence, who snapped photos of Los Angeles using a 46-pound camera while hanging out of the cockpit of his biplane. You can check out some of the images on PopSci, though really, we think the camera might have been facing the wrong way. Yes, the vintage shots of L.A. are neat, but not nearly as neat as a dude hanging out of his biplane while holding a 46-pound camera!
Metareview: L.A. Noire
L.A. Noire is the game we found "too interesting to ignore." As for other folks? Giant Bomb (5/5): "The world already has enough open-world action games, but a game which marries that open world to such a methodical style of gameplay, with a budget this big, is a rare thing indeed." 1UP (A): "Despite the shortcomings of the combat, it still doesn't detract from the overall experience of L.A. Noire. By the end of the game, I felt like a seasoned gumshoe with years of experience under my belt. The evidence-gathering gameplay, and conversation-based puzzles requiring actual logic took me completely by surprise -- not just because of how "real" it seemed, but by how entertained I was just doing it all." Gamespot (90/100): "L.A. Noire is a unique game with a terrific sense of period atmosphere, absorbing investigation mechanics, and a haunting tale with plenty of moments that would be right at home in a classic film noir. Those smoky nights spent listening to jazz at the Blue Room, and the price you paid for them, will stay with you long after you've retired your badge and gun. " Eurogamer (80/100): "But where Ace Attorney carries you through on winning characterization and a swift interface, L.A. Noire's realistic, low-key style gives this process a very different pace and flavor. To begin with, it's disconcertingly slow, but you soon relax into and start to enjoy its steady, methodical tempo."%Gallery-120245%
Grab LA Noire at Kmart this week, get $20 credit and a free game
Most of you early adopters have likely already secured your copy of LA Noire, but if you've been holding back, Kmart's deal might just bring you down off the fence. From today through Saturday, May 21, any purchase of LA Noire will secure you a $20 credit good towards a future gaming purchase, good through July 2, the Kmart blog has announced. If you head in-store, you also earn a free game (no accessories or points cards), valued at $19.99 or under. A nice little list is available over on CAG, showing off a wide variety of games to choose from including Alpha Protocol, 3D Dot Game Heroes, Mirror's Edge, No More Heroes and a lot more. There is a catch: you need to be a Shop Your Way Reward member and head in-store in order to get the deal. But, honestly, it's not much of one since signing up is free and you don't need to be a detective to know people always want more for less. [Thanks, Eric]
L.A. Noire review: Go with your gut
Video games have tested your thumbs and brain so many times that you almost don't notice that it's happening. Trials of deduction and dexterity are the vernacular of game design, the foundation of almost every release. While L.A. Noire still features those classic building blocks, it's also testing something entirely new: Your instinct. Though Team Bondi's execution of the idea is not quite perfect, the results of the experiment are just too interesting to ignore. %Gallery-120245%
