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Rockstar exploring lost GTA Online data, restoration options
A number of players are experiencing a sudden loss of characters, apartments, in-game money, rank and more when playing GTA Online. Rockstar is currently identifying the issue and looking to recover players' lost data, if possible. One culprit has to do with Rockstar Cloud Services: Rockstar does not suggest playing GTA Online when Cloud Services are inaccessible. When the Cloud is down, players have the opportunity to continue playing with a temporary character, albeit without the ability to save. In this scenario players cannot access their saved characters, and any progress made with the temporary character will not be retained. Rockstar says another problem has to do with the "Retry" button. When prompted to retry to enter a GTA Online match when the Cloud is down, some players have had all of their data wiped. Rockstar says reverting back to Grand Theft Auto 5's single-player campaign, then jumping back into GTA Online from there, should yield better results. Rockstar says it's "in the process of determining the options for addressing the issues" and will continue to post updates.
GTA 5 players report glitches, save file issues after GTA Online's launch
Rockstar Games rolled out its Grand Theft Auto Online update for Grand Theft Auto 5 earlier today, but you might want to back up your save file before diving in, as some users are reporting lost progress after installing a required patch. A Joystiq tipster writes in with word that their single-player campaign save file was erased following patch installation, ending a playthrough at around 70 percent completion. NeoGAF and Rockstar Support users confirm similar glitches, reporting missing weapons, unresponsive character switching, and an inability to progress in story mode. While many players have installed the update without issue, others report hard-lock freezes and character creation difficulties within the game's GTA Online component, and for some, the single-player mode is effectively unplayable. Rockstar has posted a list of known multiplayer issues, but has not yet commented on reported single-player glitches. "The GTAV Title Update to enable Grand Theft Auto Online access has been rolling out this morning on PSN and Xbox LIVE across territories worldwide," Rockstar explained in a comment here. "As mentioned last week, you should expect that there will be some technical teething issues in the early days of a new online experience especially one as massive as GTA Online – you can stay apprised at the Rockstar Support site here. Thank you all for your patience, understanding and support!"
Rockstar confirms GTA Online micro-transactions, outlines launch plans
Rockstar Games has confirmed yesterday's rumor that micro-transactions will be present in Grand Theft Auto Online. Impatient magnates can trade real-world cash for in-game riches in GTA Online when it launches on October 1, though Rockstar clarifies that "you don't have to spend real money to attain the cars, guns, clothes, flash and style of a high-roller in Los Santos, but can if you wish to get them a little quicker." A series of free content updates will unlock specific functionality in GTA Online following launch, Rockstar details in a new diatribe over on the Rockstar Newswire site. A new Rally race type will be introduced where a driver and co-pilot must work together to make it through "treacherous courses at high speeds." Rockstar's take on Capture the Flag is also coming, as well as a new Beach Bum add-on pack comprised of four beach vehicles, over 300 new items and a pair of new weapons. There are also plans to present a content creator for players to publish their own races and deathmatches, plus the promised Heists that are the anchor of Grand Theft Auto 5's co-op multiplayer experience. All of this content will be available through free updates, which Rockstar hopes to issue at a steady clip following the launch of multiplayer on October 1. But considering how many people have the game, we don't expect it to be the smoothest sailing for online multiplayer in GTA 5 - at first, anyway.
GTA Online riches available for cash
Players looking forward to Grand Theft Auto Online, available on October 1st, are probably already contemplating ways to get and spend their in-game funds for the myriad of customization goodies within the persistent world of Rockstar Game's GTA5's multiplayer mode. Well there's a new addition to the acquire list: microtransactions. Eurogamer.net shares a find that was first caught on Reddit, namely a publicly viewable XML file on the game's online store that shows in-game cash cards in denominations of $100K, $200K, $500K, and $1.5M $1.25M for purchase with real-life cash along with a description inviting players to solve their in-game money problems by buying these packs. The prices for these cash cards, however, are not stated. The same file shows items from the special and collector's editions, indicating that this exclusive content may also be made available to all for purchase later. [Thanks Potaco for the correction.]
Grand Theft Auto 5 'Mythbusters' blow the police away
Can I stab a shark in Grand Theft Auto 5? How do I survive a free-fall with no parachute? Can I hide from the cops in some bushes? What's the most hilarious way to take out a police chopper? Look no further for the answers to these and more in this "Mythbusters" episode.
Grand Theft Auto 5 sales surpass $1 billion
Take-Two Interactive announced today that based on internal estimates it believes Grand Theft Auto 5 sales have surpassed $1 billion during its first three days at retail. According to the company, the game is the fastest product to achieve that milestone. If the estimates by the Rockstar Games' parent company are correct, it will have beaten the already ridiculous achievement by Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 last year, which hit the billion milestone in 15 days. Take-Two announced on Wednesday that Grand Theft Auto 5 had sales of $800 million in its first 24 hours (compared to CoD: Black Ops 2's $500 million). Also, we're just using Call of Duty here for comparative purposes. Don't you worry. Call of Duty: Ghosts is still going to do plenty fine, with GameStop recently noting it as the "most pre-ordered" game of the year.
Conan O'Brien has vendetta with Grand Theft Auto 5 strip club
Team Coco? More like Team Loco. Late night talk show host Conan O'Brien can't put his differences aside with a Los Santos strip club and pays the price – repeatedly. Also, never ask him to drive for you on any intense operation. He's no cool as cucumber Ryan Gosling.
Grand Theft Auto 5 breaks UK day one sales record
GFK Chart-Track, the company responsible for the weekly UK sales charts, stated this afternoon that Grand Theft Auto 5 is "officially UK's biggest ever video game launch." The game sold 1.57 million copies on its first day, with estimated sales of £65 million ($103.8 million). The company noted the previous record was held by Call of Duty: Black Ops, which sold 1.4 million copies in one day. Publisher Take-Two stated earlier this afternoon that Grand Theft Auto 5 has sold $800 million in total on launch day.
Rockstar working out Social Club and iFruit companion app issues [Update]
With the launch of Grand Theft Auto 5 this week, both Rockstar Games Social Club and the GTA iFruit companion app have had numerous issues. According to an update on its support page, Rockstar is aware of problems like account linking being down, stats not syncing properly and content not loading correctly, and is working to resolve them. While Social Club has been around for years, Rockstar just launched the iFruit companion app this week to coincide with GTA 5's release. The free app allows players to take care of Chop, the pet dog owned by one of the game's characters, as well as customize vehicles and license plates for use in the game. Update: Rockstar updated its support page, noting it "made some changes that should help to resolve some of these issues, and will continue to work toward a full resolution for any remaining problems such as logging into iFruit."
Install GTA 5 'Play' disc to USB for Xbox 360 workaround
While Rockstar doesn't recommend installing the second "Play" disc for GTA 5 on your Xbox 360 hard drive, the fine folks at Digital Foundry have found a workaround. Installing the disc to the hard drive presents texture and frame rate issues, but installing that disc to a USB flash drive produces much more favorable results. Digital Foundry warns mileage may vary depending on the flash drive you use, and it's definitely suggested you go with a 16GB stick over an 8GB model if possible. As you can see in the video above, the USB install clears a lot of the texture pop-in that comes from streaming off the Xbox 360 disc alone. Grand Theft Auto 5 officially launched today on the PS3 and Xbox 360. In our review, we cited complaints with the story's focus on deplorable characters, but found the sandbox to be the best Rockstar has ever created.
Original Grand Theft Auto devs dish on rough road to launch
Despite the Grand Theft Auto series' lurid flag firmly planted atop Games Mountain, it would seem the series wasn't always destined for massive success. Many developers espouse the idea that the first game was pretty much a hot mess – it took about four years of iteration for the game to become something worthwhile. So say many of the developers who worked on the first game and happily offer their own skewed trips down Memory Lane in this special piece from The Guardian. In fact, the game was originally meant to be a cops and robbers affair, but nobody ever wanted to play the cops, so it became a game just about crime. Apparently parent company Take-Two wasn't too keen on Grand Theft Auto at first either. The developers would have to essentially argue its merit on a weekly basis and it didn't help that many of the people working on GTA never even shipped a game before. But the team eventually figured it out and a game took shape – one that would go on to become arguably the most influential video game series of all time.
GTA 5 iFruit companion free on iOS
Rockstar launched a free iOS app that complements Grand Theft Auto 5 today, called Grand Theft Auto: iFruit. The app offers two activities that affect the main game's campaign. The first is Los Santos Customs, which has players creating custom cars and license plates for use in GTA 5. Chop the Dog is the other activity offered by iFruit, in which players care for the pet of one of GTA 5's main characters, Franklin. The dog, Chop, will better assist players in GTA 5 if he's well-tended in the iFruit app by finding hidden items when being taken for walks by Franklin. In our review of the game, we considered Franklin the standout character of the playable protagonists, so we'll happily spend more time with Chop through the app.
Metareview: Grand Theft Auto 5
Grand Theft Auto 5. We reviewed it. So did other outlets. Opinions differ slightly. Edge (100/100): "Everything works. It has mechanics good enough to anchor games of their own, and a story that is not only what GTA has always wanted to tell but also fits the way people have always played it. It's a remarkable achievement, a peerless marriage of world design, storytelling and mechanics that pushes these aging consoles to the limit and makes it all look easy." Game Informer (98/100): "Open world games are often weighed down by "errand boy syndrome," tasking players with menial jobs that seem beneath the ability of the protagonists or outside the cause of the narrative. ... The majority of the tasks feel more important because you can often see the direct benefit. For example, running weapons across Los Santos may increase the amount of money the airfield you purchased generates. This also applies to the heists serving as the game's centerpiece." Destructoid (90/100): "Though aspects of the game remain old fashioned and more could have been done to switch things up, the end result of still a game of spectacular scope and density of content. And while the narrative is as morally reprehensible as ever, the underlying intelligence backing up the wanton immaturity manages to keep GTA V treading the line of acceptable." Escapist (70/100): "Driving is forgiving, and your inevitable crashes have a low chance of tossing you through the windshield or flipping over your car permanently. Not only can you nab the fastest or best-handling car on the road for a more pleasurable ride, but you also level up each character's driving skill as you play. Franklin starts out as the most expert driver, and he has a special ability that slows down time for a short period to allow you to navigate around corners and between cars. Using the ability to win races and escape cops is very fun, and the RPG-lite mechanics of leveling provide some structure to the experience."
Preload Grand Theft Auto 5 on Monday in US, Sunday in Europe [update]
Update: Rockstar has sent out a tweet clarifying preload times for Grand Theft Auto 5 on PS3. In the US, PSN users who pre-ordered the game can download the game files on Monday at 3am EST; in Europe, it's Sunday at 3pm BST. Original story: Those who pre-ordered Grand Theft Auto 5 through PSN will not be able to preload the game ahead of its September 17 launch. A Rockstar representative confirmed the news with Joystiq, stating that there would be no preloading in the US and that "it's not our call." Those who pre-ordered the game in Europe will have to wait until Monday, September 16 to preload Grand Theft Auto 5, a post on the forums reads. Europe was originally supposed to be able to preload the game from today on. A whole slew of details about Grand Theft Auto 5's plot and soundtrack were leaked through a European PlayStation Store pre-order file last month. Sony took responsibility for the leak and removed the file, which could be the reason for the last-minute preload delay in Europe. We've followed up with Sony for further clarification on the matter and will update this post accordingly.
Rockstar launches GTA 5 social network parody Lifeinvader
Forget Facebook, daddio, because Lifeinvader is where the cool kids are at. Yes, Lifeinvader is a social network parody launched by Rockstar ahead of Grand Theft Auto 5's arrival next week, and it likely features some of the characters and brands from the game itself. The site loads up various profiles when accessed, including ones for returning soda Sprunk, hairdresser Herr Kutz Barber, and Redwood Cigarettes, the latter running a promo for 10 percent off your first visit to a hospital when you "stalk" them on Lifeinvader. GTA 4 had plenty of parody websites, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Lifeinvader in GTA 5 when it launches on Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 17. We'll avoid detailing its content any further for those who want to go in knowing as little as possible, but we must mention some of the Lifeinvader taglines, because they're great: "Portray the life you want online," "Make friends with strangers," and "Making the private public," are a few of the best. Right, now to post this on Facebook ...
Grand Theft Auto 5 starts its engines with 'The Official Trailer'
It's surreal to think that, in all the madness of the next-gen consoles coming out in a few months time, a new GTA game is under three weeks away. Here's the so-dubbed "The Official Trailer" for Grand Theft Auto 5, due on PS3 and Xbox 360 on September 17.
Grand Theft Auto 5 soundtrack packs '20 movies worth of score'
Rolling Stone has published an extensive look at the soundtrack for Grand Theft Auto 5, with streaming samples of a few Los Santos stations available right now. Ivan Pavlovich, soundtrack supervisor, says it's the biggest soundtrack Rockstar has ever done, around "20 movies worth of score." "We approached the radio stations as the musical soundscape [you experience] as you fly into L.A. One of the things we've never done in a GTA game before is a pop station; exploring that made so much sense in the context of L.A." Some stations have big-name talent attached too: DJ Pooh hosts a rap station; Wavves' Stephen Pope and Nate Williams host a rock station; Pam Grier hosts a soul station. Grand Theft Auto 5's soundtrack is also unique in that it's the first game in the series to have its own score created by Rockstar. Many composers have created music specifically for Grand Theft Auto 5, including electronic band Tangerine Dream, LA-based producer The Alchemist and rapper Oh No. Woody Jackson, who worked on Red Dead Redemption and LA Noire, is the final piece of this composer ensemble.
Sony takes responsibility for GTA5 leaks, Rockstar responds
The leak of gameplay and story details concerning Grand Theft Auto 5 stemmed from a file in the European PlayStation Store's digital pre-order download of the game, Sony and Rockstar announcements revealed yesterday. PlayStation Social Media Manager Sid Shuman stated that the pre-order file has since been removed and apologized to "Rockstar and GTA fans across the world who were exposed to the spoiler content." Rockstar's statement on a Rockstar Newswire post explained it was "deeply disappointed by leaks and spoilers being spread in advance of the game's launch. GTA5 represents years of hard work by many people across the world, and we all couldn't be more excited to finally share it with you properly this September 17." Rockstar also took the opportunity to remind Social Club community members that anyone discussing spoilers or misinformation would "have commenting privileges revoked until well after the game's release." It's nice to see Rockstar committing to providing a spoiler-free place to anticipate GTA5, but we all know how the internet handles popular media. If you're hoping to keep the game's surprises intact, consider avoiding social media until the game's September 17 release.
The Soapbox: That's not an MMO
You may not be aware of this, but Massively is a website focused primarily on massively multiplayer online games. It's kind of what we do. However, the world of MMOs in 2013 is far different from the world of MMOs in 2007, when the site was founded. The niche has changed and the games industry has evolved. There was a time when "online" told you everything you needed to know about a game because there was really only one type of online game. You knew in picking up an online game that you and some friends would be leveling, looting gear, and slaying dragons. It took a while for developers to notice that online play was actually a thing that could work in more than one particular format. Nowadays, online games range from traditional MMORPGs like Guild Wars 2 and RIFT to MOBAs like SMITE and League of Legends. There's no clear definition for what an MMO is or isn't because so many games are massive, multiplayer, and online. Maybe it's time to embrace MMO as a broader term than previously thought.
Grand Theft Auto 5 achievements: stock markets, spaceships, sharks, oh my
Grand Theft Auto 5's achievements have been listed on Xbox 360 Achievements, so if you're a completionist who's ready to start planning your takeover of Los Santos, take a gander. Keep in mind 17 of the 38 non-secret achievements listed are tied to GTA Online – if you're looking to earn 100 percent completion, you're going to need to get social. For those going lone wolf, the single-player list is free of story spoilers. Some noteworthy achievements include From Beyond the Stars, which will have players collect and return spaceship parts, and Out of Your Depth, which only contains the description "You're gonna need a bigger boat ...." But lest you think GTA5 is all high-flying adventure and drug-running, there's also the Trading Pure Alpha achievement, which will require that you make a profit on your investments by playing the in-game stock market. Well, at least we're not being hounded to go bowling.
