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LA Noire one of the most expensive games ever, may be coming to 360 too
It's been a while since we heard from LA Noire, Team Bondi's mysterious noir game which was announced ... and well, that's about all. Originally announced for the PS3, it appears the game's incredible production costs may have transitioned it to a multiplatform title. Tom Crago, CEO of Team Bondi called their upcoming game as one of "the biggest budget videogame in development anywhere in the world. It would certainly ... in terms of console titles, be in the top ten... LA Noire is a massive massive project." According to IGN, Crago supposedly mentioned the project was hitting both PS3 and Xbox 360. Could PS3 have lost yet another exclusive? We'll have to wait and see once Team Bondi makes an official statement. [Thanks, frankym!]
Midnight Club: LA release skids, delayed yet again
Originally set for release the second week of September, it was revealed that Rockstar's Midnight Club: Los Angeles would be delayed into the second week of October. Now, thanks to a Take-Two Q3 fiscal report, we learn that Midnight Club: LA has been delayed a few more weeks. The newly new retail release is October 21st for North America and October 24th for Europe. Hopefully, Rockstar can deliver by the end of October. That said, we wouldn't be all that surprised to see it slip into November. [Via RockstarWatch, Thanks Firecatman]
GTAIV DLC still on track to release this November
Over the past few months, we've been hearing all kinds of conflicting reports regarding the Xbox 360 exclusive Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content and its release date. All of which has led us to question whether the DLC will release later this Fall, sometime next Spring or later in 2009.Thankfully, Eurogamer had a chance to chat with "sources close to Rockstar North" and learned that the DLC is still on track to release sometime this November. Just as Microsoft promised. Sadly, we are still in the dark regarding what will be included in the DLC or its pricing, but seeing that MS reportedly spent $50 million on it, we doubt it'll be cheap. We're starting our own rumor based on our own speculation which is based on absolutely no facts and predict that the GTAIV DLC will end up costing a whopping 1600 Microsoft points. Tell your friends, you heard it here first!
Quartermann: Rockstar's PS3-exclusive title
Hey there gossiping gaming grunts, the often correct rumormonger known as EGM's Quartermann is back again and this time with a juicy piece of wishful thinking for PS3 owners. Says Quartermann in the October issue of EGM, Rockstar Games and the team who've brought you Grand Theft Auto IV are working on an unannounced PS3-exclusive title. While that's all the info on that for now, we'd like to point out that this is the same sort of thing we've heard a year ago. We're experiencing a bit of de ja vu just now. While no one knows for sure what the new game is about, we'd like to chance a guess. Most likely, it will be a title that will include everything on Rockstar's design document checklist: excessive profanity, excellently warped humor, and the casual 'beating up hookers' mini-game. If not, they have to at least include the last part for fan service's sake.
No split screen or demo love for Midnight Club: LA
With the release of Rockstar's Midnight Club: Los Angeles rapidly approaching this October, don't expect to see any demo gracing the Xbox Live Marketplace. Or even split screen multiplayer. According to AddictGaming, a Rockstar rep informed them that neither split screen will be included or a game demo will be releasde for Midnight Club: LA. Something about a demo not being able to fully encapsulate what is the Midnight Club experience ... blah, blah, blah ... sure.[Thanks, Joseph Humphrey]
Video: In pursuit of Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Rockstar San Diego just released a new Midnight Club: Los Angeles trailer today, showcasing how street racing in LA is done. And if you ignore the in-game advertisements for Pizza Hut, Hollywood Video, DUB, The Coffee Bean and Zaxby's (just to name a few), we think Midnight Club fanboys will be satisfied. Enjoy the trailer love.
Hurry kids! GTAIV from Amazon for $45
Hop, skip or sprint over to Amazon.com's Gold Box deals page if you've been putting off a Grand Theft Auto IV purchase and feel the need to run over pedestrians, do drugs and have promiscuous "love making". Amazon.com's current Lightning Deal is non other than GTAIV where, for the next few hours or until supplies exhaust, they're selling the game for a rather satisfying $44.99 or another way to put it, 25% off retail. Pull out the plastic and get your buy on.[Thanks, ThePhase]
Midnight Club: Los Angeles hits a delay speed bump
Today, Rockstar Games announced that the release date for the latest addition in the Midnight Club franchise, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, has been pushed back from its initial September release. But don't fret, it isn't as bad as you think.The new release date for Midnight Club: LA is October 7th for those in North American and October 10th for gamers in Europe. Not that big of a delay, but a delay no matter. Really, what's another month of waiting? Be patient kids.
It's historic! GTAIV receives its first patch
Today is a monumental day in Grand Theft Auto IV history, a historic date that'll be scrapbooked by gamers the world over (even though scrapbooking is so 2002). Today's monumental occasion is none other than the release date of GTAIV's first patch, huzzah! The patch has already been released as a title update and will be insta-downloaded the next time you plop in GTAIV while connected to Live. Curious to know what's all getting patched? Hit the break to real the full list of GTAIV patch updates and fixes. Now pass the scrapbooking glue.[Via Joystiq]
Analysts: GTAIV was not a console seller
No matter how much retailers, Microsoft or general sales figures have correlated Grand Theft Auto IV's stellar sales success with new hardware sales, the ever knowledgeable video game industry analysts just aren't buying it.In a preview of May's NPD sales, the analytical crew over at Lazard Capital Markets and Wedbush Morgan securities are reporting that GTAIV's tremendous software sales in May did not result in a "meaningful increase" for either the Xbox 360 or PS3 as was previously expected. "We do not believe the recent release of GTA IV has generated meaningful incremental demand for the Xbox 360 or PS3 platforms" commented Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets, suggesting that an actual hardware price cut would generate a more noticeable increase in demand.Sounds to us like GTAIV wasn't the big console seller that Microsoft wanted to be, which is too bad. Though, we have a hunch Rockstar is more than happy with the truckloads of cash GTAIV has dumped on their lap.
All Points Bulletin: Can drop-in PvP succeed in the MMO space?
All Points Bulletin is one of those games that fans of Grand Theft Auto have been wanting for years. Merely saying 'want' cannot convey the unbridled desire that a number of people have expressed for an urban crime game where you're not completely isolated from other players. There is a certain person on the Massively team -- blown away by GTA: San Andreas years ago -- who would go to sleep with whispered prayers in the dark, that his deviant rampages could be shared online with his equally deviant friends around the world, day or night. The allure of this type of game is strong, but equally strong is the likelihood of an overdose on pure chaos. One imagines a map full of amped up Criminals in desperate need of Ritalin, taking to the streets with RPG's and flattening traffic jams in backward-firing tanks, countered by a legion of overzealous Enforcers dispensing 'justice' with reckless abandon. Therein lies the problem: Part of what makes GTA so successful is that as Tommy Vercetti, or C.J. (or any of the other questionable protagonists a player becomes in the legacy title), there's no one else out there who's as badass as you. But what happens when mobs of Criminals or Enforcers of your caliber are turned loose in the city? What if they're even worse than you are? Welcome to the blender.
Rockstar Social Club adds multiplayer stat tracking
Being knee-deep in big news yesterday blinded us to the fact that Rockstar Games has finally updated their Social Club page to include multiplayer stats.Now, criminal masterminds in Grand Theft Auto IV can hit the website and check out detailed leaderboards and statistis for the each of the 14 basic multiplayer modes.While some bugs are still being ironed out, the Social Club update is an important step to growning the GTAIV community as it awaits news on the highly anticipated downloadable content, exclusively coming to Xbox Live Marketplace this fall.Now, go back to car jacking. It's been like 7-seconds since I heard a siren.[Thanks, StLouisRibs7734]
Grand Theft Auto IV featured on Will It Blend
Update: Apparently, this particular blending mystery was solved a while ago -- however, Tom Dickson promised us a free Blendtec blender if we brought it up again. We apologize for our unquenchable thirst for outrageously overpowered kitchen appliances.Considering that Blendtec's doomsday device has already proved its ability to obliterate bricks, fake diamonds, small buildings and many large breeds of dogs, it should come as no surprise that (spoiler alert) it can chew through a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV with ease. What is surprising is host Tom Dickson's incredibly short fuse -- apparently, when something provides him with the smallest amount of displeasure, it finds itself on the business end of the appliance's screaming blades. For the sake of Tom's children (who likely have perfect grades and manners out of fear of a liquefying punishment), we remind the charismatic host that with great blending power comes great blending responsibility.
Video: Blendtec takes on Grand Theft Auto IV
Today we answer one of life's most important questions that, for the last few weeks at least, has been eating away at our subconscious like an irritating little brother who constantly whines about not getting the last freezy pop. The question is simple, yet at the same time perplex ... will Grand Theft Auto IV blend? Yes, we're well aware that anyone who made it out of pre-school alive knows the answer, but for the sake of entertainment, we'll let the Blendtec 'experts' show you. Poor GTAIV ...[Thanks, Chris]
The Gaming Iconoclast: Jumping Ship
In the spring, a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.-- Alfred, Lord TennysonNo matter where you go, there you are.-- Buckaroo BanzaiRecently, in The Daily Grind, Brenda brought up the subject of taking up a new game in addition to, or instead of, one you currently play, and there were some very insightful responses in the comments. We here at TGI have been mulling over the same issue lately as well. There's apparently something in the air or water these days that leads to such ruminations. Not necessarily outright dalliances, per se, but as a gedankenexperiment into the merits of leaving our current realm or realms and striking out for greener fields. There seems to be a generalized atmosphere swirling around this notion of changing games lately, but why? For some players, it's idle speculation; for others, serious contemplation. For developers, it's either cause for concern or Miller Time. Is it merely widespread anticipation of Warhammer Online and Age of Conan? Is it boredom with the current crop of MMO titles?Or is everybody out there just playing Grand Theft Auto IV?
GTAIV Social Club's 100% Club contest extended
If your Grand Theft Auto IV playing habits have been ritualistic in nature lately, all in an effort to complete the game to earn a key to the city as part of the 100% Club contest, then we say keep up your hard work. There's still time to succeed.Rockstar's 100% Club contest, where anyone who beats GTAIV 100% earns membership into the 100% Club AND is sent a real key to Liberty City, has been extended! That's right, the contest was initially scheduled to have already ended, but Rockstar wants to make sure "everyone has a chance to get in on the action" and extended the contest until Monday, May 19th. So, get your GTAIV gaming on, complete the game 100% and earn your key to Liberty City![Thanks, Bryan T]
Rumor: Rockstar to buy APB, release as GTA Online
In rumor news that initially seems a bit far fetched but eventually turns into a rumor that sort of makes sense, Realtime Worlds' recently purchased All Points Bulletin MMO may be up for sale with the targeted purchaser being none other than Rockstar. Yup ...Rumor has it that Realtime may have secured the APB license not only to distribute it as they wish, but possibly to re-package it and sell it to Rockstar as GTA Online. Thus far, Realtime has downplayed the whole idea of an APB re-sell, but did confirm that one reason for their recent APB acquisition was "to look for another partner; someone else who may well be interested and have the infrastructure [to support it]." Interesting stuff. Seeing that GTAIV is all the hawtness right now and from what we've seen of APB, a re-worked GTA Online MMO may not be all that bad of an idea. But only time will tell.
MS releases even more GTAIV facts and figures
Yesterday, we brought you some of Grand Theft Auto IV's stellar sales figures, which we have to admit were ... uhh, stellar. Now today, courtesy of team Microsoft, we bring even more GTAIV facts and figures specific to the Xbox 360, including estimated 360 sales and how many achievements have been unlocked to date.Speaking of achievements, Microsoft revealed that in the first week, 2.3 million gamers unlocked upwards of 12 million GTAIV achievement, worth somewhere around 100 million Gamerscore. Yowzaz! We also learn that retailers report that 60% of all GTAIV software sales were the Xbox 360 version which MS estimates increased 360 hardware sales by 54% week over week. Double yowzaz! Still not enough stats and figures for you? Head towards the break to view Microsoft's bragging list of GTAIV sales and Xbox Live stats.
GTAIV breaks records, $500 million first week sales
Holy record breaking Grand Theft Auto IV sales Rockstar! We knew GTAIV would be a sales behemoth, but never did we think it would rack up hundreds of million dollars in sales its first week on U.S. shelves. But that's exactly what it did.Rockstar and Take-Two just announced that U.S. GTAIV sales reached $500 million in sales the first week, which means 6 million copies were purchased from retailers nationwide. GTAIV also shattered Halo 3's $170 million twenty-four hour sales record, ringing up some $310 million in sales on April 29th alone. We guarantee it's all smiles over at the offices of Take-Two and Rockstar, though truckloads of cash tend to do that to a person.[Thanks, PrivateBurke]
GTAIV cheat codes surface [Update]
Update: Comments for this story confirm that using some of these cheats will not allow you to unlock certain achievements.Having a tough time getting your revenge on in Liberty City? Thankfully Game Trailers user GhettoChild discovered the cheat codes in Grand Theft Auto IV for everything from restoring health to spawning an Annihilator helicopter. Using the in-game cell phone you dial the phone numbers to activate the code. While we haven't been able to confirm it, we assume using any cheats will no longer allow you to unlock any achievements and based on Rockstar's past with using codes, you may be unable to watch the final cinematic in the game.Don't say we didn't warn you. Codes after the jump.[Thanks, Chris]
