Grand Theft Auto saves lives, gets DLC

The best GTA game that everyone forgot about has been making headlines this week on two accounts. First, the story of a young, preteen girl who helped her family to safety after their 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee flipped into a ditch. According to her mother, Karen Norris, Audrey Plique was able to recognize the danger of an overturned vehicle and react accordingly, thanks to Grand Theft Auto! "She just knew, from playing Grand Theft Auto,” Norris explains. “She saw on there that when a car rolls over, it can blow up. She knew that could happen to us." Help arrived soon after and all members of the family walked away with only cuts and bruises.

Second, we have word from Eurogamer that, according to “sources close to Rockstar North,” the downloadable content exclusive to the Xbox 360 is on track and might be arriving sooner than we think. According to these sources, the content will take the form of two ten-hour-long episodes. New achievements for the episodes have also been reported, as well as other rumors running the gamut from new cities to extra story content. According to Eurogamer, the release date for all of this new GTA goodness is to be sometime in late November of this year.

[via Game Politics, Eurogamer]

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Review: Grand Theft Auto IV (360)

Genre(s): Action, Adventure
Producer: Sam Houser
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar
Console(s): 360, PS3
Rated: M for Mature

Since the days of Grand Theft Auto III the series has done nothing but exceed expectation and drive the free-roaming genre forward. Since then other developers have tried to copy, expand upon, and pay homage to this incredible franchise – and Rockstar North has been right there with them. With each successive title the GTA series has continued to evolve into something more action packed, more expansive, and - with the release of Grand Theft Auto IV - more cinematic.

Just like its fictional New York City backdrop, presentation is everything here in Grand Theft Auto IV. From the beginning of every cutscene, to the middle of every firefight, to the end of every car chase, each action-packed moment in this title has been planned out to give the most bang for your buck. And while this new level of detail does make for good storytelling, it has also transformed this sandbox series into a narrative roller coaster.

Given this new direction it was difficult to ignore the man behind the curtain. Every daring moment or narrow escape you pull off loses some of that rush when you realize that it happened by design instead of by chance. For instance, early on you’ll find yourself mixed up in a street brawl with some loan sharks who are after your cousin. After dispatching the thugs, a car chase will ensue, during which a garbage truck will pull out in front of you, thus forcing a narrow escape down an alleyway.

Now, let’s say you failed that mission and you’re looking to mix things up a bit by messing with the game the second time around. You spot the getaway car parked outside of where the mission begins and decide to pin it up against a tree with your own car so that the fleeing loan shark won’t have a set of wheels to make his daring escape in. It seems like a good enough plan until you start the mission and everything pertaining to that mission is reset. The mission starts, he makes a dash for the car, and there it is waiting for him as if you never touched it.

This will become a recurring theme throughout the game – try to wreck an important car and it gets reset, try to take out a key character too early in the mission and he’s invincible. The game has these great cinematic moments planned out of you, and by golly you’re going to enjoy them, no matter what.

Perhaps I wouldn’t mind so much if the game would mix up the formula a bit. Starting a mission continues the repetitive cycle: go to point X, kill Y number of guys, and chase down target Z. If the mission is to take out target Z, then just let me kill that guy! Allow me to tackle that mission in the style of my choosing, be it a stealth kill, full-on assault, or a sniper attack, instead of just leading me down the same predetermined path every single time.

For a series that made its fame by being so go-anywhere-do-anything, this latest installment feels incredibly linear; you go where the game tells you to go, do what it tells you to do, and any deviance from such will usually result in mission failure until you do it right. Perhaps in their pursuit to make this title a more sophisticated experience, Rockstar North lost track of their signature sandbox design. Grand Theft Auto IV is a step in a new direction for the series and it will be interesting to see where they take it from here.

Graphics/Sound:		3.5		Average: (3.3 stars)
Gameplay:		3.0
Design/Story:		3.0
Lasting Appeal:		4.0
Overall:		3.0

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Grand Theft Auto IV heading to the PC

It should come as no surprise that Rockstar announced a PC release for Grand Theft Auto IV, which will be arriving on November 18 and 21 in North America and Europe, respectively. So far, all of the previous GTA iterations have received PC ports, and this one promises to maintain that same level of polish as the others. In their press release Rockstar hinted at some "newly expanded multiplayer" modes, exclusive for PC users.

As Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games, puts it: "We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV. The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can't wait for people to play it."

Also, be sure to check back here soon for our review of this summer hit!

[via GameDaily]

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Grand Theft Auto 4: The Post-Release Debrief

There is no denying that famed video game series Grand Theft Auto has had an enormous impact on today's culture. In fact, the latest installment in the highly controversial series has broken two world records including: "Highest Revenue Generated by an Entertainment Product in 24 Hours" and "Highest Grossing Video Game in 24 Hours." This entertainment juggernaut has continued to raise the bar with its open world environments, essentially creating its own genre, having what is often dubbed "sandbox" game-play. With each subsequent sequel, the GTA franchise has become more and more organic, providing the player with the ability to do just about anything imaginable. While such freedom is no doubt a technological marvel, many ethical questions and concerns arise as a result. With Grand Theft Auto 4 selling 3.6 million copies on the first day, concerns of negative influence have reached an all time high.

In a world riddled with tragedy and suffering, it is only natural to be weary of Grand Theft Auto 4's mature content. Gamers are given the ability to steal cars (hence the game's title), pick up hookers, drive a car intoxicated, kill civilians, and the list goes on. As a result, parents and politicians alike attack the game in fear of it poisoning our youth. First and foremost let me preface by saying that this is not a game for children. The game has been rated “Mature,” which requires someone at least seventeen years of age to purchase the game. If underage children are still finding ways to play this game, the issue lies within the home, not the game industry.

Much like the movie industry, many of today’s video games are not only a means to provide entertainment, but also provide compelling narratives that reveal a picture of today’s society. For example, the movie The Departed received “film of the year” and is highly respected because of its ability to accurately portray the Boston Mafia through a carefully crafted plot. Upon careful comparison one can see how Grand Theft Auto 4 portrays a similar scene of New York City, dubbed “Liberty City.” Of course the interactivity of a video game is the distinguishing characteristic between the two forms of media, and the ability of one to separate themselves from the actions on the screen is an indication of maturity.

One issue of particular concern has been the ability to drink and drive. Rockstar (the game’s developer) could have simply left this feature out and prevented gamers from acting irresponsibly. At the same time, one must consider the mechanic behind drunk driving in GTA4. When the character enters and attempts to drive the car, the ability steer is completely gone and the car begins to swerve all over the road. At this point, the game is unplayable and driving a car is no longer fun, not to mention the police will arrest you. If anything, one would want to take one of the numerous cabs that line the city’s streets as a means of getting around. Drunk driving is simply a means of immersion for the player and if anything it condemns such behavior.

Video games are a growing source of media in today’s culture but have yet to earn the respect of other established forms of entertainment. Ignorance in this medium can be dangerous on two levels, especially with a game like Grand Theft Auto 4 As a parent, one needs to be aware of the content their children are playing, realizing that video games are not only for children. Secondly, a certain level of knowledge is required in order to properly judge the legitimacy of anything. So I urge each and every one of you to stay informed with the latest news surrounding video games because they’re not disappearing any time soon.

[news data via 1UP]

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Iron Man stands its ground

Iron Man was released in theaters last week and made a lot of money to say the least. In fact, it was $104.2 million dollars to be precise. I have no doubt that many of you have already seen it, which makes me feel a bit ashamed to say that I wasn't as vigilant about the movie as I should have been. But anyway, a while back several analysts (including Edward Woo from Wedbush Morgan and Mike Hickey from Janco Partners) predicted that, basically, having Grand Theft Auto IV's release only days before Iron Man's would affect the ticket sales substantially.

If you clearly look at the extremely high numbers for Iron Man, you'll notice this is clearly not the case! [via Variety]

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Pirates of the Liberty City

Oh snap. Grand Theft Auto IV was shown no sympathy today, on the day of its leak. Yes, leak. All today, the file started popping up all over Bittorrent websites and trackers. How? I don't know for certain -- but I've heard rumors being spread of simple explanations, such as just stealing a copy and passing it over to the scene rippers.

Interested? Well, unless you're living in UK/Europe, you won't be able to play. The group responsible [iCON] clearly states that this release is not region free; and on top of that, mock any American Xbox 360 owners who so avidly crave a slice of the sanbox heaven. Frankly, though? I wish it were a bit more insulting... "bushlovers" is kind of silly.

The group also made is very clear that staying off Xbox Live until its original release date would probably be a good idea. Obviously, though, if one is clever enough to go through the trouble of hacking an Xbox -- this shouldn't be too much of a shocker. The final note was kind of peculiar, but expected: "and guys, seriously, go and buy this one! R* deserves it..." Not surprising, really. I've always figured scenesters do this kind of stuff to find a small source of sympathy if anything bad were to happen. But hey, that's just me.

Now off the subject of GTA IV leakage, and onto something directly related... videos of it! It's not at all uncommon to see gameplay videos -- that's particularly true with leaked games, and GTA IV is no exception. As soon as possible, people were off and filming themselves (well, the television) playing, and put their footage on YouTube as soon as possible. Take-Two, however, was also on the ball, deleting all the gameplay footage they could find. Not all of it, mind you, but whatever they could. There's a couple of videos rummaging throughout the web, and yes, I've seen some myself (including a Stickam broadcast of it). I'm not going to list any of them here, that's just not my job to do, and I'd feel nasty doing it if it were.

Just know the game looks scrumptious, and we're certainly in for a treat this coming Tuesday.

Note: Image used taken from Joystiq.

[via Joystiq]

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GTA IV ... leaked?!

Several things on the Internet are fake, and usually just simple musings to entertain, or tickle or tease the community of people who are involved. In this case, the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto IV has been supposedly leaked and exposed by one YouTuber codenamed 'TonyWarner21,' by posting a video of GTA IV's intro. The post was made on April 11th, 2008 which was suspiciously the same day he joined. The user doesn't appear to have any previous videos, any information about himself. It's clear his business on YouTube was only to show the introduction of Grand Theft Auto IV to the world -- but mystery continues to ensue, and many questions are still unanswered:

1. How did he obtain this copy?
2. Is the copy real?
3. Is he real?

I'm not one to start controversy or conspiracy theories...actually, yes I am, so these are my thoughts on what this may be:

1. If it were real, there's only three possible ways, one of which is absolutely ridiculous. a) Rockstar is playing a prank on GTA fans and this all planned. Someone from Rockstar is pranking Rockstar and GTA fans. Or, finally, some punk just stole this copy.
2. It looks genuine, and unless someone made a exceedingly intricate burned CD that will run a fake intro on the 360 -- this could very much be real.
3. Obviously, he appears to be flesh and bones, though it's clear that he is trying to keep his identity a secret, which hopefully supports my above theories; note that there is 1 profile found on the Xbox 360 console, but he is logged off of it. Interesting, huh?

One other thing I would like to note: I'm sticking to my theories here, so answer my question: If you had a copy of GTA IV before every other normal non-game industry person, a video camera and the Internet...what would you do? Exactly: gameplay footage. Rockstar has been very, very secretive of gameplay footage, but if this video were genuinely some random dude who scarfed a copy of it, why would he just show us the introduction? Food for thought.

[via YouTube]

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Someone's already finished GTA IV

It's safe to say that Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the most anticipated games of the Next Gen consoles, and of 2008, so the honor bestowed upon Rob Taylor, an editor for Xbox World 360, for being the first games writer to complete GTA IV must be an absolutely enthralling sensation -- even more so since he is a fan of the GTA franchise.

He was part of a group of writers chosen to play through the entire game, and savagely blazed through the story mode in 24 hour's time, leaving his colleagues in the dust. He claims that at a normal pace, players will finish the story mode in approximately 40 hours, plus the 25 hours to finish the rest (and obviously the countless hour spent horsing around in Rockstar's signature sandbox-of-joy), though some speculate it may achieve up to 100 hours of story gameplay.

As far as what hype suggests, it's possible that Grand Theft Auto IV might even go above and beyond that. In an interview with GamesRadar, when asked if he had to pick his favorite game of the series, he responded:

"GTA IV. By a country mile. It craps on all the others – even the mighty Vice City – from a height equivalent to the Statue of Happiness. Believe me, GTA IV is even better than the hype suggests!"

I'm not sure if this is just him over-exaggerating, or if we may be witnessing something as monumental as Grand Theft Auto III happening before our very eyes.

[via GamesRadar]

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Grand Theft Auto IV preview bonanza

After months of delays and announcement-silence from Rockstar Games, the developer held a special preview of Grand Theft Auto IV this past Tuesday. MTV News' Stephen Totilo provided a rundown of the preview, and the overall opinion seemed very positive. We've compiled some of the highlights here in bullet form, conveniently appropriate for the GTA franchise. (Do you see what we did there?)

• Play as Niko, a recent immigrant who (in a new turn for the franchise) ends up in a life of crime and theft.
• You can hail a taxi and use it to get to your desinations legally and (with a bit of extra cash) quicker.
• Cars will have GPS systems that show the route that the player must follow.
• Your "stars" only appear when a policeman sees you perform a crime, and simply hiding will not make the stars go away.
• A circle will show up on your map, and while you are inside of it, the police will be after you. As you perform more crimes within the circle, it will grow in radius.
• A much-improved, more Gears of War-style combat and targeting system.
• Unscripted events such as unrelated car chases and uniquely generated dialogue scenes will add variety to every time you play.
• The ability to get drunk has been added, while getting fat and wearing ridiculous clothing have been removed.

[via MTV News]

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