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Rockstar extends GTA Online's Christmas gift window due to XBL, PSN outage
If you had trouble opening your Christmas Day inventory gifts in Grand Theft Auto Online, you weren't alone. Between apparent DDoS attacks and the likely holiday rush of player traffic, Xbox Live and PlayStation Network have suffered connectivity issues over the past few days. Rockstar Games is no Grinch however – in recognition of the downtime seen with online services, the developer is extending its Christmas day gift-giving streak "for the time being." Rockstar's initial press release specified that a seasonal tree for GTA Online apartments is among its Christmas Day bundle, but it also encouraged players to check their inventory for "a few extra gifts." The festivities will continue on for New Year's, offering firework launchers to help welcome 2015, and the celebratory chaos will be available through January 5. At the time of this writing, the outlook for presents is good – a status page for Xbox Live is currently showing green lights for online play. Update: The PlayStation Network has gone offline since this story was published. Recent activity from the Ask PlayStation Twitter account notes that an estimated revival time cannot be given, but adds that engineers are currently working on resolving the issue. We recommend keeping an eye on Ask PlayStation and also checking the related status page before making plans to play on PSN. [Image: Rockstar Games]
GTA 5 'Festive Surprise' brings Christmas fear to Los Santas
As the snow drifted quietly this wintry morn, Rockstar Games offered a new "Festive Surprise" update for Grand Theft Auto 5. Players will now be able to use proximity mines and a homing missile launcher in the game, which will feature occasional snowy days. The update also adds holiday pajamas, Christmas sweaters, hats, scarves, masks and other festive gear for free, available through Monday, January 5. GTA 5's Festive Surprise update also features special gifts on Christmas Day (December 25) and a firework launcher and firework rocket ammo to celebrate New Year's. Lastly, players can pick up four new vehicles, such as the Hot Rod Christmas Ratloader and the Slam Van. The open world game's update also tweaked a few of the game's mechanics, adding an on/off switch for the first-person mode's auto-level setting as well as deadzone and acceleration slider controls. Better yet, players are now able to own a third property in GTA Online, allowing them to own up to 30 cars and 9 bicycles. While the Festive Surprise update is available to all players, a recent developer Q&A addressed concerns over next-gen-exclusive updates, such as first-person mode. Rockstar stressed that "there may be some updates that are only technically possible on the new hardware," though it does "hope to continue delivering as many updates as we can for all four consoles for as long as possible." GTA Online's heist missions will be available for all players in early 2015. [Image: Take-Two]
GTA Online heists breaking and entering 2015 with new trailer
Grand Theft Auto 5 will get its cooperative online heist missions in early 2015, Rockstar Games revealed today. The developer originally expected to add heists to GTA Online this past spring, apologizing for the delay later in June. As of November, Rockstar said online heists would surface in the game's online world following GTA 5's next-gen launch. As the latest trailer for the game shows, the online heist missions appear to feature a number of vehicles, such as planes and helicopters; you can head past the break to sneak a peek. We deemed the updated edition of Grand Theft Auto 5 the "definitive version" of the chaotic open-world game in our review. [Image: Take-Two]
Grand Theft Auto 5 becomes the UK's all-time bestseller
The new king of Britain is Grand Theft Auto 5, after it claimed the crown for the most units sold in the nation in the ever of ever. On the back of hitting PS4 and Xbox One, Rockstar's latest crime circus usurped the former rule of Call of Duty: Black Ops, according to data-bods Chart Track. While Chart Track didn't report specific sales figures, MCV claims GTA 5 was at "almost 4 million" units sold in the UK ahead of its arrival on the newest systems. As per other re-releases, GTA 5 offers enhanced graphics on PS4 and Xbox One. In its case, however, there's also the undoubted showpiece of the new first-person camera. "Rather than lowering the camera and shoving it in the chests of its three protagonists, GTA 5's first-person mode adds detailed animations that give the perspective a feeling more akin to simulation than a shooter," said Joystiq's Xav de Matos in our updated review. GTA 5 isn't the only rock star in this week's UK charts, so head below the break to see how well Far Cry 4 and Dragon Age: Inquisition did, and just how badly Sonic Boom flopped. You'll also find the UK top ten and, as ever, the minimally-beloved customary music video.
When AI goes mad: A Grand Theft Auto 5 traffic jam
Honestly? It's still not as bad as the traffic in LA. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Holy crap, your wallet is screwed today
November 18 is the new October 7. Last month's $300 day tamed before it began, as the launch of Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor moved up a few days while Dragon Age: Inquisition was delayed to the industry's new busy day, today. It's okay, friends, we're here to guide you through today's retail chaos. Dragon Age: Inquisition reached Xbox One, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360 and PC today, and was received well in our five-star review of the game. Joystiq Streams took Dragon Age for a spin earlier this week, so those that want a taste of the game's first hour should watch the archived video. Meanwhile, Ubisoft dished Far Cry 4 out to current-gen, last-gen and PC players, a game deemed the "undisputed king" of open-world shooters that offers a "staggering number of adventures."
Rockstar troubleshoots GTA Online character transfer issues
Rockstar Games is investigating Grand Theft Auto 5 PS4 and Xbox One save progress transfer issues following its launch today, the developer acknowledged on its GTA Online support site. The next-gen version of the game was announced during Sony's E3 2014 press conference in June, along with the news that players could transfer their character's progress from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions to PS4 and Xbox One. Specifically, the problems are cropping up for players that haven't played GTA 5 in some time. "We are looking into an issue preventing character transfer and GTA Online login on accounts that haven't played GTA Online since 2013," Rockstar wrote on the support site. The developer noted in an update that "this issue has now been addressed for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 users, and will be addressed for Xbox One and Xbox 360 users by tomorrow." Xbox One players should be able to log in to GTA Online, but won't be able to transfer their character progress just yet. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Online heists coming to GTA Online following next-gen launch
Seven months after they were first announced and following a re-release of the game for new console hardware, Grand Theft Auto Online may finally add online multiplayer heist missions. In a new blog post detailing Grand Theft Auto 5's impressive statistics, Rockstar mentions that online heists will reach all four console versions of the game shortly after next week's launch of Grand Theft Auto 5 on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. "We know you're all excited for more Updates to come and we've got some really exciting stuff in the works to continue adding to, expanding and evolving the world of Grand Theft Auto Online - including the highly anticipated launch of Online Heists which will be available for all four consoles as the first GTA Online Update to happen after the game launches on PS4 and Xbox One." Of course, this isn't the first time Rockstar has promised that online heists would be coming soon. To its credit, the development team readily apologizes for missing these self-imposed, soft deadlines, but we're still not going to get excited over this new mission type until it's been patched into the open-world crime sandbox. [Image: Rockstar Games]
GTA 5 to require launch day patch on PS4, Xbox One
Before you wreak havoc on the graphically-enhanced streets of Los Santos in the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One re-release of Grand Theft Auto 5, you'll need to download "some last tweaks and optimization fixes," according to Rockstar Games. The publisher broke the news in a recent blog post, which states the launch-day update will become available on Monday, November 17 in preparation for the game's November 18 debut. Rockstar Games urges everyone to download and install the update before playing to "experience the game properly," but also notes that as long as your PlayStation 4 or Xbox One is connected to the Internet, the update will be applied automatically. As for what exactly the update contains, that's a mystery. Beyond that line about tweaks and optimization fixes, the publisher offers no details on the patch's contents, nor any word on how large it might be. On the upside, this update, like all Grand Theft Auto 5 updates, will be available at no charge. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Crime gets an upgrade in GTA 5 next-gen launch trailer
With Grand Theft Auto 5 due to reach the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 18, Rockstar Games has issued one final launch trailer to highlight the new coat of graphical polish that has been lovingly massaged into every wrinkle of a game we awarded 4.5 of 5 stars. [Image: Rockstar Games]
17 songs pulled from GTA: San Andreas in latest Steam update
According to player reports, a recent patch for the Steam version of open-world crime sandbox Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas adds support for Xbox 360 controllers, but also strips out numerous songs from the in-game radio stations. Presumably this is the result of licenses expiring, as the same 17 songs are missing from recent mobile versions of the game. Beyond the removal of the songs, reports are pouring in from players who claim that the update breaks save compatibility with old versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, strips out resolution options and causes issues with mouse input. As Rockstar Nexus points out, however, these problems may not be the result of the update, and could instead be the result of hardware issues or the many, many patches San Andreas has received since its 2005 debut conflicting with one another. There's just no way to tell, given the huge amount of conflicting information coming from fans. Unfortunately, our attempts to contact Rockstar for more information were met with silence. If you're experiencing issues with the Steam incarnation of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, let us know in the comments. There's currently no blanket fix for these problems, but at least we can suffer together. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Grand Theft Auto 5 commits to first-person on PS4, XB1, PC
When Grand Theft Auto 5 launches on PS4 and Xbox One on November 18, it will bring a new perspective to crime. Rockstar Games has revealed GTA 5 will indeed feature an oft-rumored first-person mode in both single-player and online sessions. The new mode represents more than just a camera shift, however, Rockstar said in a press release. First-person GTA 5 features a new cover system, targeting system and a more "traditional FPS control scheme." Players will also be able to easily toggle between the FPS mode and GTA's standard third-person camera.
Rock out with Grand Theft Auto 5's OST on vinyl, CD this holiday
Grand Theft Auto 5 is kicking it old-school with limited edition soundtrack bundles in CD and vinyl formats, available online and at retail starting December 9. The soundtrack collections are limited to a production run of fewer than 5,000 units worldwide. There's no word on price just yet. The CD collection includes three discs, a USB drive branded with the GTA5 lettering and in the form of a gold brick, artwork, and a poster. The vinyl set comprises six colorful records, a full-color booklet and an exclusive lithograph poster. The collections include 59 tracks, "with original music from A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator, Twin Shadow, Wavves, Flying Lotus, Yeasayer and more. In addition, these limited editions will feature the original score composed by Tangerine Dream, Woody Jackson, The Alchemist + Oh No, mixed by DJ Shadow," Rockstar says. Rockstar recently reminded hopeful Xbox One, PS4 and PC GTA5 players that there is no beta on those systems – if you see an invite for one, run far, far away. GTA5 is due out for next-gen systems on November 18 and for PC in 2015.
Report: Xbox 360's GTA: San Andreas HD is an Android port
In lieu of rebuilding Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from scratch for its recent Xbox 360 re-release, Rockstar Games simply ported the existing Android version of San Andreas to Microsoft's console, according to the tech sleuths at Digital Foundry. In a test comparing numerous versions of San Andreas, Digital Foundry noticed numerous similarities between the Xbox 360 and Android releases. "Viewed side by side, Xbox 360 and [Android-powered] Shield Tablet games appear to be a close match - the higher-resolution 2D artwork and the new front end are much the same, though the new console release appears to possess enhanced draw distance over the Android version (even when it's set to 100 per cent on the mobile version)," the report states. "Unfortunately, aside from the inclusion of Achievements, there's very little love given to this new edition. Just like the Android release, there's absolutely no anti-aliasing available, whereas even the original PC version supports this, while the vast majority of Xbox Originals on the 360 emulator supported 2x or 4x MSAA depending on the title." Further, Digital Foundry notes that the game's mobile roots have left its framerate capped at 30 frames per second, a decision that results in frequent hitching and stuttering. "What could have been an opportunity to produce the ultimate, definitive version of GTA: San Andreas comes across as something of a missed opportunity," the group concludes. [Image: Rockstar Games]
PSA: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas HD now available for Xbox 360
Rockstar's recently-revealed port of open-world crime simulator Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is now eligible for release from the company's virtual, metaphorical prison system and is seeking rehabilitation on Xbox 360 systems. If you're looking to relive Carl "CJ" Johnson's adventures in sunny San Andreas, you'll need 2.05 GB of free hard drive space and $3.74 (or £2.99 if you're in the UK) to pay bail. Get it? Bail? 'Cause it's a game about crime! Have fun, you rapscallions. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Upgraded Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas coming to Xbox 360
Following a recent leak that exposed Xbox 360 Achievements for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Rockstar Games has confirmed that an updated version of the open-world crime sandbox is headed to Microsoft's moribund console. Beyond confirming that the Achievements discovered by fans are legit, Rockstar has offered a modicum of information on what will be included in the San Andreas redux. Obviously, the game will feature Achievement support, and the Rockstar support page notes that the game will feature 720p resolution and "enhanced draw distance." Lacking from Rockstar's description was any mention of how much the digital re-release will cost, but we won't have to wait long for the answer to that mystery. Rockstar plans to launch Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the Xbox 360 on October 26. [Image: Rockstar Games]
GTA 5 adding first-person vehicle view on PC, next-gen
A since-pulled support article on Rockstar's website points to some new features for Grand Theft Auto 5 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC. According to the article, seen above, the revised versions of GTA 5 will feature a first-person mode for vehicles "that shows the interior of the vehicle, including working speedometers, tachometers, dash lights, and more." The game will also include a first-person mode "while on foot." Rockstar plans to offer an "overhauled character selection screen" as well as new Easter eggs and random events for the game's story mode. The developer noted that new animals will appear in the city of Los Santos, and appears to be determining whether animals will also appear in the game's online modes. Lastly, it added that players transferring characters from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of the game will receive "new weapons and a free garage in GTA Online." GTA 5 will reach PS4 and Xbox One on November 18 and launch on PC in 2015. [Image: Rockstar Games]
Grand Theft Auto 5 hits PS4, Xbox One Nov. 18; PC in 2015
Rockstar Games announced this morning that the next-gen console versions of Grand Theft Auto 5 will arrive in two months, with the PC version driving in early next year. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions will arrive on November 18, while the PC edition follows on January 27, 2015. Developer Rockstar highlights improvements to the versions of the sinful sandbox available on Xbox 360 and PS3 include new weapons, vehicles and activities, more wildlife, denser traffic (sitting in that is always fun!), new foliage system (wow, so lush, very green) and enhanced damage and weather effects.
New Flight School jobs propel GTA 5 into the danger zone
The latest round of jobs added to the open-world crime sandbox that is Grand Theft Auto Online will feed your need for speed, assuming you're old enough to understand that as a Top Gun reference and not a nod to EA's racing games. Building on the recent, fan-favorite Flight School Update, Grand Theft Auto Online now features two new contact missions. The first, "Chop Chop," sees players hijacking helicopters from Merryweather Security before turning their airborne ordinance back on the the PMC's goons. In the second contact mission, "Effin' Lazers," players will fly the titular fighter jets on a mission to destroy similar jets owned by rival drug dealers. Obligatory Kenny Loggins anthem not included. The remaining missions are a mixed bag of races, parachute jumps and a capture maps. Highlights include "Flying Colors," where players race jets mere feet above the scrub brush of East Blaine County, and the "Under The Bridge" event where brave souls leap from a helicopter 4,000 feet in the air before using their parachute skills to float to relative safety beneath a bridge. For full details on all of the new missions joining Grand Theft Auto Online visit the Rockstar Games blog. [Image: Rockstar Games]
GTA5's radio station getting with the times on PC, PS4, Xbox One
A scenic route through Grand Theft Auto 5's Los Santos will open up on PS4, Xbox One and PC this fall, but we might not be stuck blasting the same old programs from our totally-legally-acquired rides. Cara Delevingne recently tweeted that she was "with @rockstargames to update my GTA[5] radio station Non Stop Pop FM" for this fall's ports, with Non Stop Pop being an adult contemporary station on GTA5's dial. Rockstar hasn't announced plans regarding radio content for the ports, so it's unclear whether we can hope for radio hosts other than Delevingne to swing by and freshen up their shows as well. We're still waiting on a specific date for our returning trip to the San Andreas area, but in the mean time you can compare trailers from the original release and the upcoming port. Or you could join us at shaking our heads over Lindsey Lohan's latest leading role in ... a lawsuit with Rockstar. [Image: Rockstar Games]
