GTA IV discussion thread

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

And looking quite good.


I'm guessing the character is an old member of the Russian Mafia. No confirmations, though.


What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMgGxhqWJaI

[BlairH]

Wow!

Looks good doesn't it! I'm not the biggest fan of GTA, I find the basic gameplay mechanics to be overly simplistic and -frankly- dumb. However, I've got a good feeling about this one, mainly because it's a "true" follow up to GTAIII rather than it being a variation on a theme.

Glad they've went with a Russian Mob guy as opposed to a female character as some have claimed.

[Xero Kaiser]

I was kinda hoping they'd make the main character black. I wanted to see GameFAQs drown in a pool of it's own stupidity like it did with SA.

Looks cool though, but I was gonna buy this anyway

[Serik]

The graphics are a definite step up. By the time SA rolled around, the series was looking a bit tired.

I wonder if they'll eventually release IV for the PC. As much as I like GTA, it's not worth buying an X360 or PS3 to play it.

[Captain Trips]

Crystal clear version of the trailer in 720p at http://www.gametrailers.com/.

So it looks like they are using NYC as the backdrop as opposed to a fictional city. Or is it a city that "closely resembles" NYC?

[the goddamn batman]

It's a dead on reproduction of NYC from what I saw. Statue of Liberty and all. Who knows what they'll cal it, but it's NYC.

This looks amazing!!! The textures are just ridiculous... in a good way. And I can only imagine the size of the city. The street size looks to be more accurate to real life than before.

I'm glad to see the franchise go a bit more realistic. I'm stoked. C'mon October!!!

I'm curious if this video is from the Xbox360 or PS3, or if there will be a difference in graphics like there was between the PS2 and the Xbox versions of SA. Either way, I'm sold.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Or is it a city that "closely resembles" NYC?

That issue's already being hotly debated and picked apart on Gamefaqs. Folks are posting frame-by-frame type evidence, and I'm not sure.

On the one hand, there are landmarks that pretty much say 'nowhere but New York'.


On the other hand, there's stuff like the 'Liberty Tree' building, Liberty Tree being the newspaper of Liberty City. Along with several other things that say Liberty City or some variation of it. Some of them might be 'Visit
Liberty City', like in Vice or SA, but who knows.



Like they're already mentioning, though, the initial trailers for SA also seemed to only focus on Los Santos. There's a good chance the game takes place in far more areas than just one city.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I was kinda hoping they'd make the main character black. I wanted to see GameFAQs drown in a pool of it's own stupidity like it did with SA.

It's not like it matters. They're already drowning in race and nationality talks. 'It would have been better if the character was so-and-so'. *Chaos ensues*

[Xero Kaiser]

Are they now? Well, then...looks like I'll have something to entertain myself with until GTA4 releases after all

EDIT: Wow you weren't kidding. Good to know that no matter how much the world changes, the GameFAQs boards will always live up (or down) to my expectations

[DrDoomX]

The Game looks very nice, and I am hoping to see what game play advantage it takes over previous steps. Look at all the extra stuff they packed into GTA:SA as opposed to GTAIII. Thats the stuff I cannot wait to see....

[the goddamn batman]

C'mon, it's Liberty City. I just remembered that they once said that Liberty City was intended to be NYC as well as a bit of Chicago (not east coast, I know, and so do they) and other east coast cities all meshed together.

You'll notice that everything said "Liberty something". Rockstar also mentioned at one point that GTA4 would be a 'proper sequel' to GTA3 and that VC and SA were a part of the GTA3 trilogy, and not 'proper sequels'.

It seems logical that for #4, being a 'proper sequel', they'd go back to the city that started it all.

As for other locations, I seem to rememeber reading something about it only being one big city. Besides, they've got to save something for the GTA4 equivalents of VC and SA.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Besides, they've got to save something for the GTA4 equivalents of VC and SA.

Yeah, but they shouldn't have to backslide in some areas just for that.


I mean, I'm not saying I want the game to expand even more and now take up the continent or something, But I liked having several cities and a countryside. Some of my favorite memories of SA are riding on an 'Angel' in the backroads regions.

[the goddamn batman]

Deleted for profanity - Perry

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Are they now? Well, then...looks like I'll have something to entertain myself with until GTA4 releases after all

EDIT: Wow you weren't kidding. Good to know that no matter how much the world changes, the GameFAQs boards will always live up (or down) to my expectations

Even better, check out the topics where people are predicting this will be the worst GTA ever, just going by what they've seen in a barely minute+ teaser trailer.

[the goddamn batman]

I've seen a lot of people pissed that it went back to Liberty City.

Also, people are idiots.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I've seen a lot of people pissed that it went back to Liberty City.

Also, people are idiots.

Well, the one thing I can agree with them on is the type of trailer it is. All the official info outlets have been saying Rockstar was promising an in-depth, lengthy clip that would explain different things about the game.

This...is not quite that.


Not that it isn't badass.

[Serik]

Even better, check out the topics where people are predicting this will be the worst GTA ever, just going by what they've seen in a barely minute+ teaser trailer.

That happens on every game forum whenever an expansion or sequel is announced. You should've seen the Guild Wars scene after PC Gamer announced the sequel, which is still over a year away. "GUILD WARS IS RUINED!!!!"

I was surprised that Rockstar was down for, what, an hour? You think they could've saw that one coming.

[StoneGold]

I'm thinking maybe this doesn't follow the GTAIII "canon?" It would explain the new locales in Liberty.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I'm thinking maybe this doesn't follow the GTAIII "canon?" It would explain the new locales in Liberty.

Likely. Interviews after SA stated that the 'next' game in the series (side-stories like LCS and VCS don't count) wouldn't have much, if anything, to do with the old settings, casts, or story-lines.


Though the circumstances surrounding Donald Love's mysterious disappearance after obtaining the 'Package' in GTAIII leaves me a bit of cautious hope he'll somehow appear. Longshot, I know, but there seemed to be something special about it. Besides, he's one of my favorite characters.

[StoneGold]

And for the record, if GTAIV sucks, it's more likely to be from complete corporate collapse at Take 2 than anything seen in the trailer.

[Headhunter]

I'm intrigued, especially with the series set in New York. At the rate I'm going, I'll end up spending more on Take Two games (baseball, basketball and hockey games all x2, BioShock and GTA IV) than my actual 360 console for 2007...!

[the goddamn batman]

And for the record, if GTAIV sucks, it's more likely to be from complete corporate collapse at Take 2 than anything seen in the trailer.

Why would it suck? Looks great to me.

[IamtheRock3]

looks good


And he sold people, one of the most crooked main charcter of the francise it seems, and that saying a lot

[whassup_bun]

You know how he said "Life is complicated. I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different." I take it as an obvious suggestion that the game is going down the Fable route, you were a bad guy but now you can start a new life here, things will be different, be good, or keep on being a bad guy, it's up to you. I like the idea and it's good that Rockstar is doing it this way as so many fans have asked for it, but I'm kind of worried that the story might not be as good as the previous games, because games that have lots of decisions for the player to make usually turns out to be a bit weak in the story, since one moment you can choose to be a murdering manic but the next moment you can be a good guy, the progression of the story might turn out to be a little incoherent. Some games like KOTOR and Fables managed to have a good balance but they lacked the cinmatic cutscenes and interesting dialogue between characters, which are what I love the most about the GTA series. But still I remain optimistic about the game and I can't wait!!!!!

Hope you guys don't mind be typing all this crap here, but most people here discuss things rationally, unlike gamefaqs.

[Xero Kaiser]

"Life is complicated. I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different."

I think that line was tossed in there because things obviously won't be different for the main character, even if he wants them to be

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Just thought I'd show this Gamefaqs thread, since it's one of the few things I really love about the place: Their ability to pick over a trailer frame-by-frame, and find things I never would have thought about noticing.

From the Statue of Liberty seeming to be holding a Sprunk can, to a 'Visit Vice City' sign, to all kinds of Easter Eggs and stuff that can be assumed. I actually learned quite a bit.

http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=933037&topic=34426546

[whassup_bun]

I think that line was tossed in there because things obviously won't be different for the main character, even if he wants them to be

No you destroyed my dream of being a good guy in GTA!!!!!!!!! Noooo!!!!

But seriously I don't mind if we still have to play the bad guy, it would be good to be given the choice, but if I want to be Mr nice guy I would go and play True Crime.

[whassup_bun]

Just thought I'd show this Gamefaqs thread, since it's one of the few things I really love about the place: Their ability to pick over a trailer frame-by-frame, and find things I never would have thought about noticing.

From the Statue of Liberty seeming to be holding a Sprunk can, to a 'Visit Vice City' sign, to all kinds of Easter Eggs and stuff that can be assumed. I actually learned quite a bit.

http://boards.gamefaqs.com/gfaqs/genmessage.php?board=933037&topic=34426546

I just thought the Heart Stopper 6lbs burger is pretty funny, and the Getalife building. But I think people are reading too much into the whole thing.

[Nyssane]

Glad they've went with a Russian Mob guy as opposed to a female character as some have claimed.

They could've at least made the guy attractive. Lord knows if they had a female character, she wouldn't look scruffy or frumpy. Give us some eye candy, too! :(

*misses the GTA3 guy*

[kel25]

Rockstar has stated that Liberty City is their version of New York City. In other words this game takes place in a fictional NYC.

I have to admit I was hoping for Italian Mafia style character but I never once considered Eastern European Mafia style character. I’m really happy with that and best of all the main character is not a model. Let’s face it 99% of main characters in games could get a gig in modeling so it’s nice to see some more average or ugly looking main characters. Best of all this should reduce the amount of “gangsta talk” that I had to listen too in San Andreas.

I would like to see a future GTA game where the main character is female or the characters are members of the Yahkuza or Triad.

I think it is stupid to say this is either the greatest or worst GTA game ever because none of us really know anything about the game. Also I seriously doubt this game will allow you to play a hero. This series is well known for using criminals as the main character.

[BlairH]

I would like to see a future GTA game where the main character is female or the characters are members of the Yahkuza or Triad.


Never do I want to play as a female character in a GTA game. I need to feel empathy for my video game characters. I want them to feel as I do. I just can't feel that same degree of empathy with female leads, they're like a whole different species.

Playing as a female in a non-linear environment also raises interesting questions of a sexual nature. In KOTOR -for instance- when you played as a female, you could trigger romance subplots with the male characters. I honestly don't know how to play that out in a game. I mean, I have no idea how the female mind works. Sure you could just blow off their advances or whatever, but I'd often think to myself "would a REAL girl have done the same?" I find it tiresome to fit into the role of something that I'm clearly not. It's too much effort. It's like pretending to be a girl in MMORPGs in my opinion.

Plus, when I'm driving by shops and whatever in GTA, I don't want my character to be window shopping for shoes! Plus, when I get lost in the vast city, I want to be able to read a map and find my own way. A female NPC would ruin the immersion factor by automatically asking the nearest NPC for directions. Not my idea of fun!

[Xero Kaiser]

They could've at least made the guy attractive. Lord knows if they had a female character, she wouldn't look scruffy or frumpy. Give us some eye candy, too! :(

*misses the GTA3 guy*

Bah, I'm glad they went this route. I'm tired of being the strapping, 16 year old, pretty boy. I want to be someone who actually looks like he could mess someone up.

A female NPC would ruin the immersion factor by automatically asking the nearest NPC for directions. Not my idea of fun!

lol

[StoneGold]

Why would it suck? Looks great to me.

Again, nothing specific to do with the game, more Take 2 as a company. They are going through serious troubles right now. Hell, they just booted their CEO today. Here, read this, good stuff... http://www.wired.com/gaming/gamingreviews/news/2007/03/FF_160_rockstar?currentPage=1

As in I'm more worried that something like a sudden stock drop would cause quality control issues to seep in to the final product. Hell, there were rumors of the company splitting up to be sold off a couple days ago.

[Kevin M.]

Looks like Rockstar is going the "You havent seen anything yet" rout with this game. I mean the scale of this game is going to put previous GTA, and Saints Row to shame. This is going to be a crazy fall for games with this and Halo 3 comming out.

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

I'm thinking maybe this doesn't follow the GTAIII "canon?" It would explain the new locales in Liberty.

Well the Liberty City in GTAIII was different to the Liberty City in GTAI so why not?

[The Iron Fist]

The trailer was great, I can't wait for October. This and Spider-Man 3 the game are the ones I can't wait for.

[StoneGold]

Well the Liberty City in GTAIII was different to the Liberty City in GTAI so why not?

It'd probably mean less, except for Liberty City Stories recreating GTAIII, and the scene from San Andreas.

[IamtheRock3]

Bah, I'm glad they went this route. I'm tired of being the strapping, 16 year old, pretty boy. I want to be someone who actually looks like he could mess someone up.



lol

Meh some chicks dig the gruff type

not like he has a gut or nothing

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

It'd probably mean less, except for Liberty City Stories recreating GTAIII, and the scene from San Andreas.

I'm sure Diner where the mob guys hang out will be in there somewhere, even if it's only a background thing.

It was in the opening of Vice City as well.

[Nyssane]

I have to admit I was hoping for Italian Mafia style character but I never once considered Eastern European Mafia style character. I’m really happy with that and best of all the main character is not a model. Let’s face it 99% of main characters in games could get a gig in modeling so it’s nice to see some more average or ugly looking main characters. Best of all this should reduce the amount of “gangsta talk” that I had to listen too in San Andreas.

Yeah, but you have to think about it from the other point of view. No game would ever feature a female that couldn't be passed off as a model, so why should men get the opposite treatment and have a whole bunch of main characters that look "realistic"? The solution? Either put unattractive (from the media's standpoint) women in a game or make sexy men! There is the whole "male gamers vs. female gamers" thing, but how are they expecting to open new doors for female gamers if they're catering only to the male demographic? As a whole, the GTA games have made the female characters sleazy, so on a side note I hope to see a respectable female character in the new game.

Anyway, I'm done ranting.

[the goddamn batman]

None of this is intended as snarky. I hope it doesn't come off that way.

Yeah, but you have to think about it from the other point of view.

And you have to realise that the majority of people working in the game industry are men. Nerdy men.

No game would ever feature a female that couldn't be passed off as a model, so why should men get the opposite treatment and have a whole bunch of main characters that look "realistic"?

Because most men have an interest in pretty women, not pretty men.

The solution?

Start working in the game industry and change things yourself when you think up something as cool as GTA. Then everyone will copy you.

Either put unattractive (from the media's standpoint) women in a game or make sexy men!

GTA is full of unattractrive people. Both men and women.

There is the whole "male gamers vs. female gamers" thing, but how are they expecting to open new doors for female gamers if they're catering only to the male demographic? As a whole, the GTA games have made the female characters sleazy, so on a side note I hope to see a respectable female character in the new game.

Huh... I didn't realise that any of the male characters were respectable in any way shape or form.

Also, GTA is a giant satire on (mainly American) pop culture. So, yeah, the women are hot and sleazy, just like we like them on tv.;)

[Taltos]

Yes! the russian Mafia is easily my second favorite Mafia. cant wait to play this on the 360.

[BlairH]

Well the Liberty City in GTAIII was different to the Liberty City in GTAI so why not?

That's actually a really good point. I hadn't thought of that.

[Xero Kaiser]

Either put unattractive (from the media's standpoint) women in a game or make sexy men!

Don't they? Damn near every male video game character is a tall, good looking, muscle-on-muscle, badass or a pretty boy.

Or both

Best of all this should reduce the amount of “gangsta talk” that I had to listen too in San Andreas

Yeah, I hated how they were talking about stealing things or killing people in SA. I'm glad they'll be getting away from that.

...wait...

[CDB]

WOW!!:eek: Well, all I can say is I can no longer diss Rockstar about poor graphics again.

[StoneGold]

CJ started off as a skinny little dude, an you could turn him into a roid freak or a fatass. Who is to say you can't do the same here?

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I think it's hilarious how news stories are popping up describing New York's 'horror' at being the location of the new GTA (despite the fact that no one is even sure it's supposed to be NY, or merely an analogue).



New York, the playground for a game that has to do with drugs, violence, theft, sex, and bad language?!

Why, I've never seen a game set in NYC that's had that going on.



Absolutely never.



Well, maybe a few times.


Okay, a good number.



...


Who is NY kidding? That town's already a popular target for just about every kind of game short of a Mario platformer. It's not like True Crime:New York City was so frellin' clean. It had every aspect that they're finding so 'heinous' about GTA, and had New York City in the name! Heck, you could even do new stuff like planting evidence on people, then arresting them to help your career along. Or selling contraband to Pawn Shops. So you could do even more outrageous stuff.


Only difference is the True Crime series isn't as big a target.




Hypocrites.

[Donald M.]

I think it's hilarious how news stories are popping up describing New York's 'horror' at being the location of the new GTA (despite the fact that no one is even sure it's supposed to be NY, or merely an analogue).



New York, the playground for a game that has to do with drugs, violence, theft, sex, and bad language?!

Why, I've never seen a game set in NYC that's had that going on.



Absolutely never.



Well, maybe a few times.


Okay, a good number.



...


Who is NY kidding? That town's already a popular target for just about every kind of game short of a Mario platformer. It's not like True Crime:New York City was so frellin' clean. It had every aspect that they're finding so 'heinous' about GTA, and had New York City in the name! Heck, you could even do new stuff like planting evidence on people, then arresting them to help your career along. Or selling contraband to Pawn Shops. So you could do even more outrageous stuff.


Only difference is the True Crime series isn't as big a target.




Hypocrites.

Not to mention the countless films that have and will continue to depict New York as dangerous and crime-ridden. That's okay though because a lot of those films are at least partially filmed in the city. Apparently, with same nice payoffs to the city Rockstar could shut these foolish chest-beating NYC politicians up, but why bother? It's free publicity.

[StoneGold]

Because it's Grand Theft Auto. Duh. As long as they don't try to legislate it (although the article that talks about selling porno to kids seems potentially libelous, I'm trying to think, do kids even exist in GTA?) they can complain about it as much as they want. First amendment and all.

[Karl H]

Yes! the russian Mafia is easily my second favorite Mafia. cant wait to play this on the 360.

you keep a list? Scary...

[BlairH]

Yeah, I hated how they were talking about stealing things or killing people in SA. I'm glad they'll be getting away from that.

...wait...

I think he was talking about all the "Yo! Yo! YO!" stuff.

[Xero Kaiser]

slang =/= gangsta

I know what he's saying, I just find it amusing that some people associate gangs with "black" instead of.....y'know...crime

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

slang =/= gangsta

I know what he's saying, I just find it amusing that some people associate gangs with "black" instead of.....y'know...crimeyeah don't forget how people like to separate gangsters from the gangstas as they think the latter is a greater evil.but thats a different can of worms all together.

[BlairH]

yeah don't forget how people like to separate gangsters from the gangstas as they think the latter is a greater evil.but thats a different can of worms all together.

As a non-American, I don't have a clue about this stuff...

[the goddamn batman]

I think it's hilarious how news stories are popping up describing New York's 'horror' at being the location of the new GTA (despite the fact that no one is even sure it's supposed to be NY, or merely an analogue).

Are you serious? The obvious landmarks SCREAM New York from the top of insert tall New York landmark here.

Also, it's CLEARLY Liberty City. You can tell because everything says Liberty City on it. Liberty City IS the GTA New York. Always has been, always will be.

Every GTA game has been based on a real location.

[Deskad]

Ookay... so he's Russian?

And here is where I have to make a point... if we're to go by looks, he isn't really Russian, he's caucasian. Oh, and before somebody makes the obligatory "we know he's white" comment, not that kind of caucasian.

The guy looks like he is from the caucassus ethnic region of the Russian federation, meaning anything from Dagestani, to Chechen, to Abkhas, to Ossetian, or maybe a Georgian from Russia.

Which means, to my limitless joy, that GTA has managed to appeal to the very demographic that I belong to. A big thank you to them!

HACHIKI RULE!!!

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

A shot by shot analysis, down to the finest detail. Also, make sure to click on the screens. You'll be amazed at what you missed.

http://planetgrandtheftauto.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=90

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Since I don't particularly want to take up more space with another thread, I thought I'd share some interesting little GTA related clips in this thread.


The first three are bits and pieces of each beta GTA game. Things that didn't make it in, investigating how others were altered, etc. The most surprising for me was finding out GTA3 was going to have kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q22MLmToC8g (GTA3 Beta)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q23e8PKHi5Y (Vice City Beta)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1gSlDFdoOc (San Andreas Beta)



And finally, a mod that transforms the world of Liberty City into New New York City. In other words...the world of Futurama. Complete with Fry, Leela, Bender or Zoidberg as playable characters, futuristic weapons,
vehicles, and buildings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWF-F8KpyGQ&mode=related&search=

[params7]

I'm so totally sure we will see Claude Speed in this game....

[FunkyGreenJerusalem]

A shot by shot analysis, down to the finest detail. Also, make sure to click on the screens. You'll be amazed at what you missed.

http://planetgrandtheftauto.gamespy.com/View.php?view=Articles.Detail&id=90

And yet they missed that the trailer is a homage to the film Koyanisqqatsi, the first film in the Qatsi trilogy.
The music and the shots of the city are straight from the film.

[Alex]

As a non-American, I don't have a clue about this stuff...

Gangster is Goodfellas, Godfather.
Gangsta is....um....john singleton movies?

Tish is incorrect in a way, quite a few gangster movies are classics, great pieces of film. Quite a few "Gangsta" movies are low budget, forgetable things, or early to mid ninties rap videos. Most people don't really think about who's more evil, since i don't imagine a lot of us have come into contact with the mafia.
Though as a white kid growning up in the burbs, i obviously loved Meance II Society.

[IamtheRock3]

also it intersting cause this guy might be the most evil main charcter let

I mean Slave Trading. interesting

wonder is there a Slave trading mini games, seriously. Wouldnt be shocked

[IamtheRock3]

Gangster is Goodfellas, Godfather.
Gangsta is....um....john singleton movies?

Tish is incorrect in a way, quite a few gangster movies are classics, great pieces of film. Quite a few "Gangsta" movies are low budget, forgetable things, or early to mid ninties rap videos. Most people don't really think about who's more evil, since i don't imagine a lot of us have come into contact with the mafia.
Though as a white kid growning up in the burbs, i obviously loved Meance II Society.

Well Gangsta mostly African American stuff and other minority groups. Less Powerfull, smaller, less country spaning, little more urban

Actully just a group of guys, that does crime and hang together. Heck anyone who pick up a gun can call themself a gangsta or someone else will for right or wrong. Not to say the guy from goodfellas that powerfull

But most people thinkg of GangSTERS as Godfather and powerfull despite the sopranose showing the less glamorous version of mafia life

Gangsta films have let to have a Godfather. Godfather gave our views (faulty and real.) of the mafia, Heck it gave the mafia thier view of the mafia. A lot of people use to think they live huge mansions after godfather. Most are like the guy from Donnie Brosco realisticly. The term Gangsta only been around a for a bit, with rapper looking up to the powerfull guys in mafia movies. Which is odd sense a lot of those charcters were racist. So just added an A to gangster

I guess the blood and the crips would be consider Gangsta's


Some good gangsta movie

Belly
Juice
Dont be a meance
Live or Die trying

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

also it intersting cause this guy might be the most evil main charcter let

I mean Slave Trading. interesting

wonder is there a Slave trading mini games, seriously. Wouldnt be shocked

How does slave-trading make him the most evil? It's not like it's downright nastier than some of the stuff we've seen others do.


Heck, story-line wise, I'd rate Toni Cipriani as the nastiest. The guy nuked several city blocks worth of buildings and people out of existence in LCS.


That large chunk of land that's nothing but construction sites on Staunton Island in GTAIII? That's Toni's fault.

[whassup_bun]

Gangsta films have let to have a Godfather.

Is City of God considered a "Gangsta" film? It's Brazilian gangstas but still......gangsta. And it's one damn good movie.

[IamtheRock3]

How does slave-trading make him the most evil? It's not like it's downright nastier than some of the stuff we've seen others do.


Heck, story-line wise, I'd rate Toni Cipriani as the nastiest. The guy nuked several city blocks worth of buildings and people out of existence in LCS.


That large chunk of land that's nothing but construction sites on Staunton Island in GTAIII? That's Toni's fault.

Yea but that can be played for Humor more. Also thier faceless. It Like When Bugs bunny blew up a Country. We dont get mad at Bug Genocide. So it has a differnt context.

people got a thing against Slaves. Slave pretty bad, If it anything like Russain Slave trading, Lot of underage girls mostly for sex slaves. Rape, slavery is always hard to make humor

[Xero Kaiser]

Yea but that can be played for Humor more. Also thier faceless. It Like When Bugs bunny blew up a Country. We dont get mad at Bug Genocide. So it has a differnt context.

people got a thing against Slaves. Slave pretty bad, If it anything like Russain Slave trading, Lot of underage girls mostly for sex slaves. Rape, slavery is always hard to make humor

When people die in GTA we don't see them floating up to heaven playing a harp. When you're killing people in GTA it's not a joke. You said it yourself, the context is different.

And if you think sexual assault can't be played for laughs, then you haven't watched enough anime

[IamtheRock3]

When people die in GTA we don't see them floating up to heaven playing a harp. When you're killing people in GTA it's not a joke. You said it yourself, the context is different.

And if you think sexual assault can't be played for laughs, then you haven't watched enough anime

Yes but Sex crimes is harder to laugh at, right or wrong


Reason why Child molestors get the snot beaten at them in prison, even by murders

Reason why in GTA, they allow to to bang a hooker, then shoot her in the head after wards

But probally wont allow you to rape anyone. Is rape worst the murder, maybe so, maybe not

but one will be allowed in a game and one wont

[Xero Kaiser]

But probally wont allow you to rape anyone. Is rape worst the murder, maybe so, maybe not

but one will be allowed in a game and one wont

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8792/1130743992battleraper21wj1.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8792/1130743992battleraper21wj1.jpg

*Points upwards*

And don't think that's the only instance.


They may not show up often in the West, but that doesn't mean they're not around.

[IamtheRock3]

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8792/1130743992battleraper21wj1.jpg

Yes that Japan games(differnt gaming world, and more Hentai games)

And that in the PORN catergory

big differnce

I SERIOULY DOUGHT a game Called Battle raper would fly here in the states on the xbox360 amd ps3. name now a days


maybe I and wrong. Maybe Sony would make a battle raper Game


But I am going to say no

not saying Game about murder any better, that arguble

But bottom line sex crimes viewed as worst

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

you all missed my point in a way...

[Xero Kaiser]

I think all the smart people realized that "gangstas" and "gangsters" are the exact same thing. This conversation is now about tentacle rape

[IamtheRock3]

and it closing to that argument

Will start having Game like Rape battle 2

The same time we will starting having Vending machines that Sales used panties

[StoneGold]

and it closing to that argument

Will start having Game like Rape battle 2

The same time we will starting having Vending machines that Sales used panties

We had panty vending machines in 1982? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custer's_Revenge)

[Panman]

Since I don't particularly want to take up more space with another thread, I thought I'd share some interesting little GTA related clips in this thread.


The first three are bits and pieces of each beta GTA game. Things that didn't make it in, investigating how others were altered, etc. The most surprising for me was finding out GTA3 was going to have kids.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q22MLmToC8g (GTA3 Beta)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q23e8PKHi5Y (Vice City Beta)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1gSlDFdoOc (San Andreas Beta)



And finally, a mod that transforms the world of Liberty City into New New York City. In other words...the world of Futurama. Complete with Fry, Leela, Bender or Zoidberg as playable characters, futuristic weapons,
vehicles, and buildings.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWF-F8KpyGQ&mode=related&search=
San Andreas Beta looks a lot better than the final result.

The impression I got from the GTAIV trailer was that the main character moved from New York to Liberty City to start a new life for himself. In most of the GTA games the main character is originally from a different city to where the game is taking place.

Also does anyone know if R* has any intention of releasing Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories on PC?

[Matt Murdock]

I can't wait for this game

[IamtheRock3]

We had panty vending machines in 1982? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custer's_Revenge)


And note it Said ADULT Video title. For Adult, so it was consider porn.

While game where your KILLING people didnt


Bottom line, sex crimes seen as harsher.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Moving right along, the May Issue of Game Informer is reaching folks' hands, and GTA4.net compiled a short summary of their 10-page preview on the game.

Here we go:


# The protagonist's name is Niko Bellic - an Eastern European immigrant who has come to Liberty City to live the "American Dream."

# The GTA 4 equivalent of the Statue of Liberty is called the Statue of Happiness, and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is known as BOABO (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass).


# In Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar have recreated 4 of the 5 boroughs in New York, as well as part of New Jersey. Broker is the GTA IV equivalent of Brooklyn, Manhattan is now called Algonquin, Queens is now Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan, and New Jersey is Alderney. The map is smaller than San Andreas, but considerably more detailed. No countryside or desert, we are led to believe.

# Pedestrians are far more realistic in GTAIV than in previous GTA games - they sit on benches, smoke cigarettes, read books and generally act like any real pedestrian would in the middle of a street.

# The screenshots in the preview are not representative of the final quality of the graphics, Rockstar insist. The game will only look better as the release draws closer..

# Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed to be living a wonderful life there with two beautiful women, fifteen sports cars, and lots of money etc, but he was infact telling a lie in order to hide his own failures. Roman is the only person you know in Liberty City at the beginning of the game, and he becomes one of your major connections at the start. Niko is a tough character whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him - he needs Niko's support. They are constantly bickering.

# The demo (which was played on Xbox 360) begins with Bellic standing inside of the taxi depot, which Roman operates in the borough of Broker in a converted industrial garage. Roman works at a cluttered desk in a shabby environment, and at this point the graphical improvements are extremely evident. Bellic walks to a brownstone house in Broker, where he pushes open the door and pulls out his pistol - the house however, is not occupied.

# As Bellic walks, you can feel the weight behind each step he makes. Variations in the terrain cause realistic changes in the walking animation. The physics have also improved and character movements are more realistic.

# Multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto 4 is set to be announced, though Rockstar are remaining tight-lipped about what it involves...

# You can use a cellphone to call your contacts.

# Apparently there are no planes because there is only one city in the game.

# You have a lot of choice over what you want to do. You still have to take orders from people during missions, but you can also choose how you want to spend your time, e.g "I want to hang out with him, or her... I want to go see this guy 'cause he always has something to do..."

# The story unfolds in a number of different ways. R* is giving people more freedom, more choice and more sense of control over their destiny - the structure of the storyline is quite different to previous games.


-----------------

Incidentally, PSM is also getting ready to release a huge article as well, so there'll probably be even more info soon. I'll note it as soon as it turns up.


And when my copy of GI actually arrives, I'll post whatever they skipped over.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Okay, found some new screenshots for everyone.

http://www.gtagaming.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86874&page=5

Scroll down this thread, and you really can't miss them.

The closeup with him holding the machine gun is...well...dang. Definitely the best character models I've seen in a sandbox game so far.

Below that one is a shot of him walking down a populated street that looks awesome.

After you check out the car pics below that one, make sure you click to the next page of the thread. Scroll downward a bit and you'll find another city-scape shot filled with crowds of shoppers and whatnot.


The wait is going to be harsh.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Edit: Whoops. Double post.

[params7]

A part of New Jersey? Isn't that like a new city all by itself? I guess all of it will be connected by railways and roads.

I was really expecting Vice City to be the next city to be announced. Maybe they are saving it for future GTA's after 4....

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Some more little morsels for everyone.

#After an initial load sequence, the game will never load again. Not even during exterior-interior transitions (and vice versa).


# Both versions of the game (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) will likely be identical, but the Xbox 360 version will have exclusive downloadable episodic [sizeable] content. Rockstar have now spent over 3 years developing the game, and Dan Houser compares the leap from GTA III to GTA IV, to the leap from GTA to GTA III.


# Rockstar North is approaching the recruitment of voice actors in a different way. This means that we will probably hear less familiar voices in GTA 4, as R* are looking for voices which suit the attitude of the characters, and are not just looking for big names. A similar approach is being done with the soundtrack - Rockstar are looking for great music which works with the 2007 Liberty City.

# Rockstar consulted crime experts and ex-policemen when making the game, and they learned that being a criminal is a lot harder these days than it was during the 80s and 90s (for example) and they have tried to reflect this in the game. This means you can expect to see a lot of people getting arrested - the police are a heavy presence in Liberty City.

[the goddamn batman]

Well, I can live without PLANES... as long as we get some helicopters.

Though, it seems rather silly to remove planes because it's only one city. EVERY GTA game has had planes, despite being only one city. Did they mean flights at the airport ot planes in general?

Still, the screens look great.

[whassup_bun]

Well, I can live without PLANES... as long as we get some helicopters.

Though, it seems rather silly to remove planes because it's only one city. EVERY GTA game has had planes, despite being only one city. Did they mean flights at the airport ot planes in general?

Still, the screens look great.
I'm guessing probably since the city is based on NYC, R* doesn't want to get sued again for allowing players to crash planes into buildings in New York? cos people blame GTA for everything anyway.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Funny you should mention helicopters...cause they're in!

Here's a summary of an interview with Reiner (of Game Informer infamy), detailing what he saw while playing the first demo of the game.


http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/782/782954p1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Right, this months issue of PSM UK came out with a butt-load more info. Enjoy, folks.


* The main character, Niko Bellic, is in his mid-thirties "on the run from a dark past". He's not customizable as it was possible in GTA: San Andreas, but you'll be able to style him with different outfits. The reason for this is that after they got Niko's physics and look "dead right", it was difficult implementing features that will allow the customization of his body.
* The borough, Staten Island, was not added to the game because the team decided that it would not be a fun location to play in.
* Missions are more realistic, longer, varied, and will have multiple possible outcomes.
* R* is still deciding whether bridges will be used to cordon off certain areas. Dan states that it's not a block for block recreation.
* This time round they're trying to make Liberty City feel more fluid, and there not being any "dead spots" or "irrelevant space" as you drive through it.
* There's no more loading screens when crossing islands or entering interiors; certain interiors are see-thru and you can move through them seamlessly.
* The mob will be featured in GTA IV, just not as lead characters.
* "Virtually none" of the characters from the previous games are returning, and a lot of them are dead anyway according to Dan.
* More side-activities are promised, and pedestrians and traffic flow is different depending on the time of day.
* Pedestrians are a lot more intelligent, realistic and diverse, using mobile phones, cash machines, eating snacks, reading news papers and interacting with each other through laughter, threatening remarks etc.
* Your mobile phone can be used to set up deals or arranging ambushes - you can call the shots. More on this promised later.
* Driving and shooting is more organic, fluid, and precise.
* Despite earlier rumors, the game isn't trying to be photorealistic, but things such as artificial intelligence and the behaviors of pedestrians reacting to things such as a weapon being pulled out in front of them has been worked on a lot.
* As stated before, there isn't any planes, but players will be able to pilot helicopters. The reason being that there is not enough room for flying, and crossing the map will be too fast this way. One airport is confirmed to be in the game.
* The goal of GTA IV is to make the city look more populated than anything else people have seen before in a game like this.
* Houser states that no-one has attempted to recreate a location of this size, and with so much detail, ever before.
* The use of Sony's SIXAXIS controller for the PlayStation 3 has not yet been decided on.
* As expected, there's no more pop-ups of buildings and trees as we've seen in the past.
* Work on the game started right after the release of GTA: San Andreas in November 2004.

[Xero Kaiser]

EVERY GTA game has had planes

No they haven't. I'm pretty sure GTA1, 2 and London didn't have planes. 3 had one plane but that was more of an easter egg than anything (it controlled like crap, and there was no actual reason to fly). Flight didn't become a real addition until VC

[Captain Trips]

Interesting little article about the limitations of the Xbox 360 factoring into the development progress of GTAIV: http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/785/785342p1.html

Now, before anyone thinks I am slamming the 360 by posting this, I'm not. I just read this and thought it was interesting. The article cleary quotes the developers saying that both systems (360 and PS3) have provided challenges to the development process.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Couple little tidbits:

* During the demo, when Niko passed an ATM machine a message appeared on the screen indicating a button to press in order to access his funds. Nothing more official is discussed about this, though it would appear that you'll likely be able to deposit and withdraw money from the various ATM machines across the game.
* As part of GTA IV's new physics, you'll be able to hear/feel the base of vehicles passing by with their radio turned on.
* Rockstar says that the usual GTA driving controls have been tremendously tweaked and enhanced.
* When selecting a contact on your mobile phone, a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here" etc.
* Playing the single player game through co-operative mode is not possible, however there will be a co-op mode in addition to all the other unknown multiplayer modes.
* According to Dan Houser, VP of Creative for Rockstar Games, they haven't yet figured out if GTA IV is going to spark off another set of GTA games connected to it, and they're currently just focusing on this single game. He does say he "would have a certain confidence" setting GTA outside the United States, such as England in the future.
* When asked about a San Andreas Stories for the PSP, he replies saying that they don't have any plans for that at the moment, suggesting that they likely haven't started at all on another GTA PSP title.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

* There will be several different animation sets for breaking into a car, so far we know one of them includes Niko breaking the glass of the window with his elbow, then starting the car using the injection cables. We know there probably isn't a lot of different other ways Niko can do this, but we suspect it will involve dynamic animations, and for instance Niko sometimes becoming suspicious in the middle of hotwiring a car, looking around to see if anyone suspects what he's doing, then continuing. Rockstar previously said they want the animations to look less "canned", so this would fit well with that goal.
* According to the article, Rockstar are using less non-realistic elements than previous GTA games, such as arrows and markers assisting and indicating things to the player. We already know the in-game mobile phone will play a big part in replacing some of these things, so perhaps we might see other helpful gadgets such a GPS system, though that is just speculation.
* One of the ideas going into development is to give every street in the game a name, which could be displayed on-screen when you enter it by foot or car. This feature is yet to be decided on, along with the previously revealed information piece about Rockstar still deciding whether the entire city will be accessible from the start, or if different areas will be inaccessible by way of cordoning off bridges and such.
* When R*'s Dan Houser was asked about the differences between the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions, he replied saying that it is their goal to have none, and that there are no platform preferences, both are difficult to develop on. For now, we take this as to have nothing to do with the extra downloadable content.
* Speaking of which, he further says that they're not sure what exactly will be offered through additional content downloads. He says that maybe some things will be free, and others offered at a price.




Edit: Newest screenshot. Lookin' nice!

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3285.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Update time!


http://www.gta4.net/screenshots/index.php


Right, so here's a collection of every GTA4 screenshot released. Including about 6-7 that I can practically guarantee are new to you, as well as digitial (and thus far crisper) versions of pics we'd only previously seen in magazine scans.


Not bad, eh?

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

'Lo, again, everyone.




"Another preview to have offered gamers a good introduction into GTA IV was the Official Xbox Magazine in the United States. As you'd expect, no new information, except for one thing that accidentally slipped through to the magazine while getting a demo of the game.

When they approached the parked car in Broker from behind, the Admiral that so many publications got to see getting broken into, an information prompt came up on the top left side of the screen, indicating to press the left bumper or "LB" button of the Xbox 360 controller in order to open the trunk. This button is the equivalent of the PlayStation controller's "L1" button.

How far this will stretch into game play can only be speculated, but it can and probably will open new opportunities when playing GTA IV, both during missions and non-missions. Perhaps even throw dead (or not so dead) bodies in? Rockstar Games didn't want to discuss anything about this feature.

The last of the first round of magazine previews are coming to an end, and the next issues to come out next month will probably provide new information on the game.... we hope."

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Right, a couple things:


-The second official GTA4 trailer will be released June 28th.


-Also, due to Microsoft ponying up 50 million dollars (25 million per installment), both downloadable expansions planned for 08 are going to be exclusive to the 360.

[TransformersFan]

Right, a couple things:


-The second official GTA4 trailer will be released June 28th.


-Also, due to Microsoft ponying up 50 million dollars (25 million per installment), both downloadable expansions planned for 08 are going to be exclusive to the 360.


You work MS. You go girl! Poor Sony. :(

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Two more pics for you folks.

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3440_gta_iv_car_cops.jpg

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3441_gta_iv_screenshot.jpg

There's been much bally-hooing over Niko's hands (and the faces of the cop and pedestrian) in the first pic, but most think that's an early beta shot. Why? 1) We've seen previous shots of Niko's hands, and they're detailed, not pads 2) The random pedestrians from both the first trailer and the other screenshots look far better than the two here.

As for the second pic...robbing banks might be a possibility.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

IT'S HERE!!!

'Kay folks, the second trailer is up and running!

'Looking for that Someone Special'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW9w0Qp5q74


Tell me that isn't awesome.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Here are some of the better screencaps. With the proper resolution, things look even more incredible.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Nexxxxxxt!

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Last group. Enjoy.

[Weapon Ick]

I love the music in the new trailer. I love the graffiti on the walls. For some reason I can't download a high definition version of it but from what I saw in the small box it looks amazing. I wanna see more in game stuff and less cut scenes.

[TheLazy]

Sweet mother of Joseph, I just wet myself.

One thing I'd like to see with the new GTA is a better star system. I think it's retarded that you can kill a few people then spend 10 minutes in a back alley and all is forgiven. I'd imagine that it's be tough to pull out a system where your crimes eventually come back to haunt you, but it's make the game dynamics for more interesting. I like the idea of a cash machine, I can imagine a mission where you have to get money to a Boss before a certain time, but get mugged on the way there.

You know how he said "Life is complicated. I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different." I take it as an obvious suggestion that the game is going down the Fable route, you were a bad guy but now you can start a new life here, things will be different, be good, or keep on being a bad guy, it's up to you. I like the idea and it's good that Rockstar is doing it this way as so many fans have asked for it, but I'm kind of worried that the story might not be as good as the previous games, because games that have lots of decisions for the player to make usually turns out to be a bit weak in the story, since one moment you can choose to be a murdering manic but the next moment you can be a good guy, the progression of the story might turn out to be a little incoherent. Some games like KOTOR and Fables managed to have a good balance but they lacked the cinmatic cutscenes and interesting dialogue between characters, which are what I love the most about the GTA series. But still I remain optimistic about the game and I can't wait!!!!!

Hope you guys don't mind be typing all this crap here, but most people here discuss things rationally, unlike gamefaqs.

Two words: Day of Sex

Say what?:D

:)

[Jabuka]

if you pause the new traile at 0:38 kinda looks like the guy from GTA3 beating up that guy in sanandreas who had a british accent worked with another guy and in one of the first missions with him his pall is throwing knifes at him.

[the goddamn batman]

Wow... that was incredible. I can't wait to explore the city.

I'm sure the missions will be awesome, and what not, but I just want to run around the city and take in the detail. It looks amazing.

[DrewTheXenocide]

The good thing about GTA IV being on a new system is that it'd be hard for Rockstar to be overambitous about things, like they were for San Andreas. The only thing that stopped San Andreas from being better than VC, for me at least, was all the choppity chop chop that went on.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Big update, with a lot of new gameplay information from a demo. Gives information on how the police operate, how phones and the internet are utilized, etc.

Definitely not your last-gen GTA.


The August issue of GamesTM (a multi-format games magazine based in the UK) contains a world exclusive first look at the new gameplay in Grand Theft Auto IV. Here's a brief run-down on some of the new stuff mentioned:

* The demo begins in Grand Theft Auto IV's equivalent of Times Square: Star Junction. There aren't many pedestrians present at this time, but this is most likely due to the early nature of the code.

GamesTM
* The mobile phone can be used to gain weapons. In the demo that GamesTM saw, Niko calls his associate Little Jacob, who is a caribbean arms dealer. No more Ammu-Nation it seems. After a brief chat with Jacob, he tells Niko to meet him in an alleyway in Rotterdam Hill, where he purchases the weapons from him.

* Niko can use taxis to get around (presumably he can use the phone to call a taxi). The police are much more vigilant in GTA IV, and sometimes it is less hassle using a taxi than jacking someone's car. The trip-skip option is available for convenience.

* In the demo, Niko recieves a call concerning "shady lawyer" Goldberg, of Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster (GLS). Niko can use the internet in GTA4. He heads over to an internet café called the "Tw@ Café," and hops onto a PC before surfing. He uploads his CV to the GLS website so he can get an interview - before killing Goldberg. He receives a phonecall confirming the time of his interview. The web is available from any computer in the game, and provides a hub for all sorts of interactivity within Liberty City.

* Missions in GTA IV can be interrupted. The interview isn't until tomorrow, which means you can carry out other business until then. This suggests you can do several missions at the same time, and missions can take place over several days, perhaps.

* Next in the demo, Niko pays a visit to somebody called McReary, at Castle Gardens, a coast-side hangout overlooking the Statue of Hapiness. McReary has had a memory stick stolen from him which contains sensitive data, and he wants Niko to retrieve it for him. He takes another cab to the meeting point, where the target is standing amongst a crowd of people. The problem is he doesn't know which one it is, so he gives him a call to see which one picks up their phone. Niko shoots the target three times in the back of the head, before taking the memory stick and making a run for it. He gains a three-star wanted level as a result.

* Committing crimes isn't as easy in GTA IV. You gain a wanted level for every crime you commit, aslong as there are witnesses present. Once you have gained a wanted level, a visible (circular) search area appears on the radar, and if you escape this area without being spotted, your wanted level will flash and disappear. If you are spotted, however, the search area's position changes, and centers on where you were last spotted. So unlike previous GTA games, the police don't always know where you are. They can't catch you unless they find you first. It was confirmed previously that in GTA IV every street will be named, and this is what cops use to communicate when they are tracking you down. There are no Pay N' Spray's to save you this time, unfortunately.

* Before heading off to the interview, Niko goes to a menswear store called Perseus. After spending $2,000 on a new suit and shoes, his phone alarm sounds and he begins his journey to the GLS offices for his interview. He speaks to the receptionist from outside the building via intercom, before making his way into the building. He enters Goldeberg's office and puts a bullet in his head, which causes his secretary to trigger the alarm. Niko must beat security guards and police in order to get out of the building. Bullets rain down on him, and there's a police chopper waiting outside. It seems as though the more bullets he takes, the more damage he takes, and hence he becomes less able to fight. The damage is actually visible this time.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Here, this is a link to scans of the article itself. It mentions stuff that wasn't posted, as well as having screenshots that no one else has released yet. So even if you've read the summary, it's probably worth glancing through.

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=285871

[Complaint Man]

Big update, with a lot of new gameplay information from a demo. Gives information on how the police operate, how phones and the internet are utilized, etc.

Definitely not your last-gen GTA.


The August issue of GamesTM (a multi-format games magazine based in the UK) contains a world exclusive first look at the new gameplay in Grand Theft Auto IV. Here's a brief run-down on some of the new stuff mentioned:

* The demo begins in Grand Theft Auto IV's equivalent of Times Square: Star Junction. There aren't many pedestrians present at this time, but this is most likely due to the early nature of the code.

GamesTM
* The mobile phone can be used to gain weapons. In the demo that GamesTM saw, Niko calls his associate Little Jacob, who is a caribbean arms dealer. No more Ammu-Nation it seems. After a brief chat with Jacob, he tells Niko to meet him in an alleyway in Rotterdam Hill, where he purchases the weapons from him.

* Niko can use taxis to get around (presumably he can use the phone to call a taxi). The police are much more vigilant in GTA IV, and sometimes it is less hassle using a taxi than jacking someone's car. The trip-skip option is available for convenience.

* In the demo, Niko recieves a call concerning "shady lawyer" Goldberg, of Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster (GLS). Niko can use the internet in GTA4. He heads over to an internet café called the "Tw@ Café," and hops onto a PC before surfing. He uploads his CV to the GLS website so he can get an interview - before killing Goldberg. He receives a phonecall confirming the time of his interview. The web is available from any computer in the game, and provides a hub for all sorts of interactivity within Liberty City.

* Missions in GTA IV can be interrupted. The interview isn't until tomorrow, which means you can carry out other business until then. This suggests you can do several missions at the same time, and missions can take place over several days, perhaps.

* Next in the demo, Niko pays a visit to somebody called McReary, at Castle Gardens, a coast-side hangout overlooking the Statue of Hapiness. McReary has had a memory stick stolen from him which contains sensitive data, and he wants Niko to retrieve it for him. He takes another cab to the meeting point, where the target is standing amongst a crowd of people. The problem is he doesn't know which one it is, so he gives him a call to see which one picks up their phone. Niko shoots the target three times in the back of the head, before taking the memory stick and making a run for it. He gains a three-star wanted level as a result.

* Committing crimes isn't as easy in GTA IV. You gain a wanted level for every crime you commit, aslong as there are witnesses present. Once you have gained a wanted level, a visible (circular) search area appears on the radar, and if you escape this area without being spotted, your wanted level will flash and disappear. If you are spotted, however, the search area's position changes, and centers on where you were last spotted. So unlike previous GTA games, the police don't always know where you are. They can't catch you unless they find you first. It was confirmed previously that in GTA IV every street will be named, and this is what cops use to communicate when they are tracking you down. There are no Pay N' Spray's to save you this time, unfortunately.

* Before heading off to the interview, Niko goes to a menswear store called Perseus. After spending $2,000 on a new suit and shoes, his phone alarm sounds and he begins his journey to the GLS offices for his interview. He speaks to the receptionist from outside the building via intercom, before making his way into the building. He enters Goldeberg's office and puts a bullet in his head, which causes his secretary to trigger the alarm. Niko must beat security guards and police in order to get out of the building. Bullets rain down on him, and there's a police chopper waiting outside. It seems as though the more bullets he takes, the more damage he takes, and hence he becomes less able to fight. The damage is actually visible this time.



Thank you for this!

[TheLazy]

Thank you for this!

was that for gemna or rockstar;)

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

No problem, guys. I do this because it helps keep me in the spirit of things.


Anyway, some new info that highlights certain things about that last batch.

* McReary, the character we learned about in GamesTM, is a corrupt cop. He has "dirt on Niko's past." The mission they previewed is called "Call and Collect."
*Little Jacob (a caribbean arms dealer) is a good friend of Niko's cousin. When you buy weapons from him (which are kept in his trunk) you can scroll through them like you did in Ammu-Nation in the previous GTA games.
*Rotterdam Hill (the place where Niko agrees to meet Jacob) is in Alderney - the GTA IV equivalent of New Jersey.
*Niko kills Goldberg (the shady lawyer) because he owes a favour to somebody.
*Rockstar showed the sequence where he kills Goldberg twice. The first time he fell out of the window, the second time he merely crumpled on the floor.
*When purchasing clothes, you have to choose the items from the shelf individually.
*Determining which figures you need to kill requires perception - there are no arrowheads to direct you like in the previous games.
*Once you gain a wanted-level, the map flashes with circles of blue and red, with each circle representing the line of sight of the police chase. The circles differ in size depending on your wanted-level.
*The default camera view when driving rests around the left-hand side of the car above the road.
*Multiplayer is accessed via your mobile phone.
*The combat rests somewhere between Resident Evil 4 and Gears of War in terms of style, allowing you to roll, find protection and blind-fire from behind cover.
*Shooting different parts of the body has different impacts (e.g shoot a security guard in the foot at the top of the stairs, and he'll come tumbling down.)
*In GTA IV you have to develop relationships with other characters. Your relationship with Little Jacob, for example, is maintained through phone calls and loyalty. Developing good relationships with different characters can provide different rewards.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Relatively minor update, just a few things fleshing out previous info.

* We find out that McReary's first name is Francis, and that he knows about a felony Niko committed. It also mentions that McReary has a moustache, which suggests he is the character seen in this official artwork.
* The weapons on offer by Little Jacob included a 9mm, a shotgun, an SMG, and a micro SMG.
* Before Niko submitted his cv/résumé to the Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster website, OXM got a quick glimpse of his work history and qualifications. It notes that Niko was on the "Balkan Peace Force," and that he is procificent in swimming, shooting and boxing (it also says later in the preview that you are able to swim to the Statue of Happiness, or get a boat there.)
* Niko steals a black Comet before heading to the Humboldt River Viewpoint, to kill the man who stole McReary's memory stick.
* GTA IV will include a pool mini-game, and many other mini-games. "You'll play at least some of these while hanging out with NPCs like Little Jacob."
* Neither the 9/11 terrorist attacks nor Ground Zero will be referenced in any way in the game.
* The receptionist from Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster, who calls Niko to inform him about his interview, is called Karen.



Also, if you'd like a summary of everything check this out.

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=262354

The official 'Fact Sheet' thread contains every last scrap, clip, pic, or whatever released about the game, and organized in categories/charts/etc.

Check it out, and you might see a detail or two you missed.:)

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Some new info on the way soon, but for now, simply enjoy these new pics. Check out the pic of Niko shooting the glass....some stylish clothes he's wearing, eh?

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3557_gtaiv_screenshot.jpg

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3560_gtaiv_screenshot.jpg

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3561_gtaiv_screenshot.jpg

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3562_gtaiv_screenshot.jpg

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3559_gtaiv_screenshot.jpg

http://files.gtanet.com/images/3558_gtaiv_screenshot.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Tidbits for everyone!

*The demo which was shown is from the Xbox 360 version of the game. The PlayStation 3 version is still "a week or two behind," according to Rockstar. The build shown is 5 weeks old, and the framerate has improved considerably since the last demo.
* At Star Junction (the GTA IV equivalent of Times Square) there is a theatre show on called T.S Pirate at the Thespian Theatre, and a camera store called Liberty Cameras. On the way to Rotterdam (where Little Jacob is situated) they passed a cocktail bar called "Bahama Mamas."
* Little Jacob is a Jamaican gun dealer from Dukes (the GTA IV equivalent of Queens.) The weapons on offer were $100 a piece.
* The name of each street is displayed at the bottom right of the screen as you enter it. During the demo, Niko passed through the following areas: Presidents City, Chinatown, Lancet, Hatton Gardens, Middle Park East, Lancaster, Ruby Street, Cod Row, Denver Avenue, Exeter Avenue, Northwood, East Holland, Silicon Street, Quartz Street, The Triangle, Easton, Diamond Street and Calcium Street.
* After hailing a taxi, you need to press Y to get in one, although the controls haven't been finalised. You have the option of sitting back and enjoying the ride, using the "trip-skip" option, or paying double the fare to make the driver go twice as fast. Inside the taxi, you can see and talk through to the driver in the front. The camera view changes every 5 seconds.
* The TW@ Café is located in Algonquin, north of Middle Park (Central Park.) Niko submits a fake résumé/cv to the Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster website, at McReary's request. For the interview he must to goto 44 Emerty Street, The Exchange, Algonquin
* There is a yellow light cone representing an objective, which triggers a cutscene when you walk into it.
* Francis McReary wears a black suit and tie, has a moustache and slicked blonde hair with a strong side parting. The person who blackmails McReary is at Union Drive East. McReary texts Niko the phone number of the blackmailer, so that he can phone it and identify who is the target. The name of the cell network is "Whiz." A black comet is used for this mission.
* The default camera angle is slightly over to the drivers' side. Different angles are available however. You can move the camera aswell, but if you're not touching it, it will remain at the more central position leaning towards the drivers' side.
* Currently, the total number of wanted stars is 6 - the same as it was in previous Grand Theft Auto games.
* There is a GPS system in the car, and the recommended route shows up in yellow on the radar at the bottom left of the screen.
* You can auto-target as well as manual aim. Niko can take cover behind just about anything, and so can the cops.
* It also revealed that Goldberg's (the shady lawyer) first name is Tom.

[Crimson]

I'm getting my 360 soon... and this game is a big part of why I'm getting it.

It looks amazing.

[Karl H]

I'm getting my 360 soon... and this game is a big part of why I'm getting it.

It looks amazing.

yeah. I pre-ordered this a LONG time ago. The more I hear, the more excited I get.

[scottv]

This game might be the one that pushes me to buy a next gen console

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Well...you'll have a bit of time to decide...


The game's been delayed, to sometime around second quarter 2008.


*Mind shatters*



NOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooo!

[Karl H]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6928872.stm

further details here...

[Brock]

Unfortunate, but Fall/Winter 2007 was already very crowded with other big releases, and a more polished game can't be a bad thing.

[Big Red Spider]

New box art released.

http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s234/mrgone317/gtaivcover.jpg

[1WEBHEAD]

^^^Nice use of colors. Very nice. :)

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Hm...does look interesting.

[Captain Trips]

New trailer is up:
http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/trailer_splash.html

A Q&A about the game at http://ps3.ign.com/articles/839/839993p1.html

[StoneGold]

Huh. Suddenly, I don't know. Mostly because that was a pretty digital acting heavy trailer, and there was something off about them, even for video games.

[jesse_custer]

That trailer blows.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

After I tracked it down on Youtube (the official site never plays well for me, for some reason), I'd have to say I like it.

The chase scene with the helicopters makes me think getting away from the cops isn't going to be so easy anymore, and as for the acting...

Loud, boisterous Russian mafia stereotypes. Leave little in reserve when they do anything, whether it's greeting someone, threatening you, or pulling off a heist.



Edit: Watched it again, and I'd suggest everyone pay close attention to the point where someone falls onto the truck hood. Watch the windows break, the truck flatten a little bit, and debris fly everywhere. Definitely the best graphics I've seen in a sandbox game.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

*Settles back into the info train*

http://www.gtagaming.com/gtaiv/trailercaps3

Screencaps of the entire trailer, take a minute to check out the detailing at work in those shots.


And here's a number of all-new screens released as well. (note that these need to be copy/pasted)


http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/043.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/044.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/045.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/046.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/047.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/048.jpg

[Tish-the-Scorpion]

i wanna know is it still open ended like the previous 2 GTA's or is it a more linear action beat'em up game.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

i wanna know is it still open ended like the previous 2 GTA's or is it a more linear action beat'em up game.

Why would it have changed? All the info we've had pretty much says 'GTA, but with an even better open world, and more ways to take advantage of it'. There's been nothing to hint at it becoming a structured/restricted action game.

The stronger shooting and fighting abilities are just upgrades, due to the fact that those features kinda sucked last generation.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Scene-by-scene analysis of the trailer, pointing out some things you may have missed.

http://www.gamesradar.com/us/xbox360/game/features/article.jsp?articleId=20071206144634241093&releaseId=2006051014323586065&sectionId=1003&pageId=2007120614507887060

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Interesting Yahoo article about GTA's development based on NYC, with 6 pages showing comparison screenshots between the actual locations, and their in-game counterparts.

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/grand-theft-auto-iv/inside-liberty-city-developer-diary/1174295

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

What's that? More screenies?

Very well.



http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/038.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/039.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/040.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/041.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/042.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/032.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Madness?!

This.is.GTA!

(These you will have to copy/paste)

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/063.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/064.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/065.jpg


Boy, dead-zone for the longest time, now they're really going full out with the new material.

[Metropolitan]

Thanks for the Yahoo link, Genma! It was nice to read about how much went into digitally recreating my home town. I was especially surprised to see that the Triborough Bridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Harlemlift.JPG) is in the game, since it's only a few blocks away from my apartment.

The more I see of this game, the more I want it!:D

[the goddamn batman]

NONE of your screen shhot links work... even if I copy/paste them.:(

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

NONE of your screen shhot links work... even if I copy/paste them.:(

Then there's something wrong with your connection, not the links.

They're still working fine for me. A couple that used to be just clickers now require copy/pasting, but otherwise a-okay.

[Big Red Spider]

Gta IV passed the rating process in Australia with an age 15 rating.

To read the full article click here (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=177613).

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Gta IV passed the rating process in Australia with an age 15 rating.

To read the full article click here (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=177613).

Didn't Rockstar modify the Australian version of GTAIII to have no blood, and not allow you to kill the cops?

It could just be their version (and the German one).

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

New IGN article about some of the characters we've seen so far in the trailers.

http://uk.ps3.ign.com/articles/841/841646p1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

A little fan-trailer splicing the official three together.

"Might is Right"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwhAEywGeJU

[Big Red Spider]

Didn't Rockstar modify the Australian version of GTAIII to have no blood, and not allow you to kill the cops?

It could just be their version (and the German one).

That's the rumor I heard. That they had a watered down version for areas that are more strict toward mature games.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

According to latest reports, April 8th seems to be the most likely release date.

So get ready for a bit more of a wait.

[the goddamn batman]

Then there's something wrong with your connection, not the links.

They're still working fine for me. A couple that used to be just clickers now require copy/pasting, but otherwise a-okay.

My connection? My conenction works fine, if I copy/paste I still get a "the page you have requested is unavailable" message. I don't get what my connection would have to do with that.:confused:

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

My connection? My conenction works fine, if I copy/paste I still get a "the page you have requested is unavailable" message. I don't get what my connection would have to do with that.:confused:

When you made your first post, each and every one of those links were viable for me, even when I went downstairs and used a different computer. And then later when I checked it at the library.

Granted, now, 11 days later, some of them don't work (actually, the pics in the 'madness' post that used to require copy/pasting now work if you just click them), but back then they all checked out during my testing after you commented.

So it had to be something on your end.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Three new screenshots, and another piece of artwork.

(note: You'll need to copy/paste these)

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/073.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/074.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/075.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/artwork/faustin.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

It's that time again! What time? New GTA info time! And boy, is there a lot. As in 'may take you a few minutes, cause you go into overload, and shut down'.


Random observations from some of the teams playing the near-completion build...


* Traveling by boat, it took five minutes to get half way around Algonquin island.
* The demo featured the Statue of Happiness, Poop Deck Restaurant and a bar called Perestroika, an indication of the heavy Eastern European presence in the city.
* Streets which made an appearance included Long Road, Oneida Avenue, South Parkway and Lorimar Street. The city also features a representation of New York's Koreatown.
* Francis International Airport appeared in GTA III and reprises its role, this time being based on JFK in New York.
* Time advances in the game slower than in previous titles. 2 minutes of real time now represents one hour of game time. (Previously it was 1 minute = 1 hour).
* A subway system, (usable by Niko) is known to cover at least Algonquin and Broker.
* The Statue of Happiness appears on its own island beneath the Broker Bridge
* Earlier reports of snow in the game are false - it does not include any season changes at all.



* NaturalMotion's Euphoria Engine was previously confirmed as powering physics in GTA IV. The technology is said to give "lean and weight" to Niko's footsteps.
* The game is now automatically saved on mission completion although safehouses are still available.
* Some missions are scripted multiple times, meaning that dialogue between characters can vary if you reattempt a mission.

* An indicator made up of eight purple segments now appears when locked on to a target to represent their health.
* Locking on now targets the torso of a character with a headshot being possible by manipulating the crosshair while locked on.
* Niko can get drunk and his movement, driving and actions will be impaired. Driving while under the influence of alcohol will be realistically difficult.
* After grabbing on to a truck and climbing to the roof, a mini game is started where you have to maintain your balance atop the vehicle.
* A cover system has been implemented that allows you to either pull out from behind the object or stay covered and fire blindly.
* Some objects which you can use for cover are destructible, meaning that finding a safe place to hide from enemies can be challenging.
* A much more complete "wanted" system involving the radar showing your crime's location and your last known whereabouts enhances the chase experience.

* A significant new feature is dynamic relationships. The way you treat other characters, such as returning their calls promptly or collecting them at the correct time will affect their behavior towards you. No-showing for an arranged meeting will damage your relationship with a character.
* Relationships can be built by engaging in activities like billiards, darts and bowling with your associates.
* Characters are seen wearing different clothes during different appearances.
* Playboy X is one of Liberty's more wealthy residents and lives in a mansion.
* A character named Bell is introduced who has a nephew called Frankie



* Different cars have different navigation systems. More expensive cars include GPS which talks the player through the streets.
* You are now required to break the window of a vehicle to perform shootings while driving.
* The shooting while driving mechanic has improved and you can now shoot in any direction around the vehicle using both analog sticks.
* Police vehicles now include an extensive GPS and database system. You can enter the name of a criminal to find out their whereabouts and the game will guide you to them.
* An in-car view has been added, meaning that vehicle models now have detailed interiors.


* A new mission complete jingle is included.
* A new radio station called IF99 is broadcasting in Liberty City.
* You can now listen to the radio outside of the car via your cellphone, although audio quality will be realistically reduced.
* If you're in a car listening to the radio when your cell phone rings, the radio will be interrupted by the infamous "clicking" of interference.
* The voice actor list is shrouded in secrecy, with some members of the game team even being in the dark as to its contents.
* A "couple of famous actors" will lend their voices to characters

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Ten or so new screenshots have been released. You'll find them here.

http://www.gtagaming.com/gtaiv/screenshots.php

[Big Red Spider]

http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2423927520080124

April 29TH!!!!

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

And lo, there were four new pics!

http://media.gtanet.com/images/3901_gta_iv.jpg

http://media.gtanet.com/images/3902_gta_iv.jpg

http://media.gtanet.com/images/3903_gta_iv.jpg

http://media.gtanet.com/images/3904_gta_iv.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

http://www.gamesradar.com/us/ps3/game/news/article.jsp?releaseId=20060313153735796095&articleId=20080124115658390069&sectionId=1006&pageId=2008012412140984037

A nifty 'Everything We Know' guide.


Even surprised me with some info, like Brucie being able to arrange a helicopter 'Taxi' service for you if you befriend him.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

A more in-depth look at the battle elements of the game.


http://au.ps3.ign.com/articles/848/848094p1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Well, the official GTAIV site has opened up, and there's a crapload of new pics, vids, and information to sort through.

To start off, some of the new pics.

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix88/pre/1202495311.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix10/pre/1202495320.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix58/pre/1202495337.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix13/pre/1202495388.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix17/pre/1202495356.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix48/pre/1202495449.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix46/pre/1202495414.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix73/pre/1202495412.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix82/pre/1202495385.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix70/pre/1202495413.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix37/pre/1202496984.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix45/pre/1202497035.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix56/pre/1202497042.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix2/pre/1202497036.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix96/pre/1202497118.jpg


More to come!

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

2nd batch of pics from the update!

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix22/pre/1202497224.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix88/pre/1202497230.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix85/pre/1202497376.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix42/pre/1202497490.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix9/pre/1202497561.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix7/pre/1202497540.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix71/pre/1202497655.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix59/pre/1202497684.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix52/pre/1202497696.jpg

http://www.isarapix.com/my.php?isara=pix87/pre/1202497741.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Here's an especially impressive shot.

Tell me you don't want to get out and explore that city.

http://s222.photobucket.com/albums/dd2/GenmaTheDestroyer/?action=view&current=gtaivbackround1.png

(Make sure to click to enlarge it, for the full effect)

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

5 new movies, yes, that's right, 5.


http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30429.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30428.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30422.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30426.html

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30421.html

[StoneGold]

Can't say I'm impressed graphically.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Some of the new info cribbed from Game Masters:

* You can push pedestrians out of the way using the B button (X360). This may help to cut through heavy crowds.
* Dialling 911 from your cell phone offers the ability to send a police car to your location.
* Police are more intelligent and less trigger happy - they won't open fire unless you've committed a serious offence, although running from them will make them let rip instantly.
* Cars no longer explode if they are flipped over.
* Grenades can now be thrown from cars.
* Combat is much improved and includes a block button.
* Holding the right trigger and then pressing Y, X or B results in different melee attacks on enemies.
* The cover system will be familiar to those who have played Gears of War - it allows movement between hidden areas with button presses as well as blind fire.
* A form of body roll in cars has been implemented using the physics engine in the game, meaning that taking a tight corner will result in the car's chassis reacting realistically.
* Streets names in the game are devised from various sources of inspiration, including celebrities. Expect to see Jim Jones Street and Hubbard Avenue among many others.
* Characters' breath will be rendered when it is cold in Liberty City.
* The Mafia, Jamaicans, Triads and Irish are some of the gangs in the game.
* On some bridges you'll be required to pay tolls - just like in New York.
* Spinners (wheels rims which rotate even when the car is stationery) have been implemented after countless PC mods and requests from the community.
* Niko is tech savvy - he's got an E-Mail account which you can access by visiting any Tw@ internet café and he'll also take advantage of RSS feeds. Hey, we've even got one here on GTAGaming!
* You can hear the stereos of other cars while in the city.
* Radio news reports will reflect your progress in the game, often speaking of missions you've completed.
* Running a pedestrian over will result in blood splattering over the bumper of the car and the windshield.



Also, here are some of the activities you can do while hanging out with friends in the game. No word on special activities for dates:

Darts, Pool, Bowling, Comedy Clubs, drinking and dancing

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Can't say I'm impressed graphically.

Well, it's certainly not going to compete with Crysis, but as far as sandbox games go (in the mold of Saints Row, Crackdown, Lost Cause) it's far and away the best looking.

While at the same time making its game world more interactive and 'alive' than those that came before it.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

-For those interested in music, GTAIV will have 18 unique radio stations. I'd love to post the newest 8 and 12 page articles from PSM UK and Game Masters, but they're scans, so...

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Folks have found a seemingly unused video intro for the GTAIV site, and here's the link.

http://www.rockstarwatch.net/news/271/unused-gtaiv-site-intro/

Also, two additional screenshots (need to be copy/pasted)

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/133.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/132.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

The official GTA site has revamped itself:

http://rockstargames.com/grandtheftauto/


-Information notes that GTAIV's virtual internet will contain over 100 websites to explore.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Neeexxxxttt!

-Depending on the borough you are in, pedestrians may speak different languages. Italian, Chinese and those in the Bronx are different when it comes to language.
-Choppers with search lights are in the game.
-Women will striptease in strip clubs when you pay.
-With powerful weapons, you can shoot through the walls.
-There is a swimming club.
-It took 15 minutes to go through 2/3 of Manhattan with a boat. It took 10 minutes by car to go through Brooklyn and Central Park.
-If you walk around the street with a gun in your hand, pedestrians who have a phone can call the police.
-The pedestrian population density changes between the place/borough you are in.
-Sometimes, your contacts may call you during a hard mission to ask you a service. In this instance, you can choose between the mission or whatever your contact is asking. If you ditch your mission to do things with your phone contact, you may see consequences. Whether or not you will be able to replay the mission that you went away from remains to be seen.
-You cannot enter every building. However, you can interact with most of them. Rooftops, stairways, fire escapes, partial interiors, etc.


http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/132.jpg (copy/paste)

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/133.jpg (copy/paste)

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Copy/paste them all.

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/134.jpg
http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/137.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/138.jpg

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/139.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Small update, facts gleamed from latest playthroughs:

-In one instance, Niko punched a "bad guy" named Dardan hard enough to send him through the window to his rear.
-In reaction to the crash, a lady bystander started cursing out the two men as they got out of the car, at which point the passenger drew a weapon and gunned the lady down—to the genuine surprise of all those viewing the gameplay
-Niko is a master at Krav Maga, a fighting style used by Israeli Special Forces.
-The 360 build is brighter and has slightly more vibrant color while the PS3 build has less aliasing issues.
-You start off on the island containing Broker and Dukes, and the rest of the islands are blocked off. Bohan opens up shortly, though.
-You won't be able to customize your car like in San Andreas and you can't store goods in them either.
-Car headlights can be put on full beam or dipped, but can't be turned off.
-Niko takes a crash helmet and puts it on when getting on a bike and leaves it next to the bike when getting off.
-The mission markers are now yellow arrows floating in the air, pointing at the floor, not cylinders like in the previous GTAs.
-Dropped weapons and other items now have a yellow halo around them.


Three new pics:

hxxp://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/153.jpg

hxxp://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/154.jpg

hxxp://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/screenshots/155.jpg

(Copy/paste, of course, and xx=tt)

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Next batch of photos! These you can simply click on.

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082029210.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082046444.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082031241.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082035413.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082041241.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082043257.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082033257.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080228082039194.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080221005131822.html

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/xbox360/827005/images/grand-theft-auto-iv-20080221005129807.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Next update! Massive One!


* You can precision throw grenades.
* You can break dumpsters, fire hydrants, bushes and park -benches with your car.
* With the new wanted system, it's practically impossible to escape from two police cars and helicopters.
* No boats will stop to help you if you swim in the 10°C water.
* While sailing with a sailing boat, Niko gets outrun by people jogging on the shore.
* Being chased by police cars and at the same time having a female voice giving directions is priceless.
* A lot of thing resembles to American gangster movies such as The Usual Suspects and Heat.
* When night, ten thousands of lit up windows can be seen in Liberty City.
* It seems that you can breathe in while sniping, for more accuracy.
* The game looks nothing like it did back in March 2007, after trailer 1, the game was looking far from finished, with very unstable FPS count. Now the FPS is amazing all the time, no matter how much going on on the streets.
* When inputting the info in the police databases in cop cars, Niko drives with one hand and operates the computer with the other one.
* Some spotted street names were: North Holland, Ruby street, and Silicon street.
* When driving by, you can occasionally spot peds having problem with their cars, standing and shouting and waving with their arms.
* At one moment Niko said: "What the hell is wrong with these people?" while driving by in the car.
* Characters' breath can, besides on the street, also be seen when traveling to higher altitudes, like skyscrapers.
* You can hang onto passing boats and climb on board (similar to VCS I guess)
* There is a helicopter-tour place where you can take a tour around LC with a guide, or hire your own helicopters. Or just shoot the guide and steal the heli...

#If cars take on too much damage, the engine may stall, requiring you to escape on foot and find a new one.
# Tapping up on the D-Pad brings up the phone where you can access text messages, an organizer, multiplayer modes, a camera, and contacts list, which becomes updated automatically as you meet people. Tapping up a second time will bring up the keypad to make calls.
# The more advanced model of the phone, including the MP3 player (radio on the go), is not added until later in the game.
# Lazlow is confirmed to return on the radio.
# Emergency vehicles respond in real time from their stations around the city. Calling the police can be a handy trick when you need to obtain a police car for a mission - pick one up at the station when no one is around.
# Again, developing relationships with people will be a crucial part of the game. The better the relationship with someone, the more you'll benefit. If you ignore someone for too long, they will start contacting you with angry messages.
# Mission dialogue varies after any failed attempts.
# Portions of the city are closed off at the beginning of the game due to a terror alert. Though Niko can visit the unlocked islands, but that will cost as a heavy increase in the heat level.
# Niko is said to be a man with no country, in the same was as Claude had been known as a man with no name.
# Niko spent time in third world prisons.
# All the ladies love Niko Bellic. Girlfriends will again play a big role in the game as a subsidiary of building relationships - although this time it will be more incorporated into the story.
# No more invisible ramps. AKA, the new skeletal-animation system will have Niko's body and specifically his feet fall naturally onto different services. (On a set of stairs, Niko will take each step, not walk up an invisible ramp). It's a subtle feature that's explosively illustrated when Niko or any NPC is run down by a car or dragged by a bumper.
# After telling Houser how much they enjoyed cooking grenades and tossing them out windows of a car, he offered a hint about the online multiplayer "I just like running up to a bunch of players with the grenade cooking in my hands and taking them all out with me."
# You can resist arrest when getting busted by tapping A/X. This however will reward you an additional wanted star.
# If you enjoyed the San Andreas multiplayer modes, then you should be a happy with GTA IV online.
# The motion sensing in the PS3 version will work in "a way that makes sense" is all Sam Houser would reveal.
# At first, the map of Liberty City was to be enormous - roughly the size of the state of New York. It seemed logical to go bigger at first, but Rockstar decided the focus should be about making the whole GTA experience larger.
* In a dense neighborhood, there will be yellow lines at the curb adjacent to your safehouse that will save your car's placement. This works in place of safehouse garages.
* The traffic is realistically dense.
* Check your money supply at ATMs.
* Girlfriends will work similarly to in how you dated them in San Andreas, but it will be taken to a deeper level.
* You can eat a hot dog from a vendor to heal yourself, but if you bump his cart he will become angry and refuse you service.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

* There is an ice-cream truck called Cherry Popper. (the name of the ice cream business in Vice City)
* Refusing to pay a toll at a bridge could get the police involved
* There will be some character platforming elements such as shimmying along a roof's edge to climb to the top.
* You can call up Little Jacob at any time and he will arrive with a trunk full of weapons.
* Niko will not wear the full-face helmet when riding a chopper bike.
* Entering a locked borough will instantly put the player on a 5-star wanted level and the fiction behind this is, Niko doesn't have a naturalization papers and is considered as a terrorist threat.
* Pedestrians seemingly have thousands of lines of dialogue
* When asked about how the game begins, VP of development Jeronimo Barrera says, "It sets up your position as an immigrant."
* The cast of characters is guesstimated at being in the hundreds by Barrera.
* Barrera states "We want this game to last for years. I'm sure we'll do another GTA some time in the future, but this one is built to last." They also mention that the PS3 will most likely have their own form of DLC as well.
* Any problems with the PS3 version have been addressed and fixed. Sony tech. was there to help.
* The euphoria engine goes as far as Niko actually stepping up onto a curb and onto a dead body (think Captain Morgan's pose).
* Shots can penetrate some walls.
* Knife: "one slash across the face was enough to drop a bad guy"
* Firetrucks are confirmed. In the preview they state that they set a car on fire, called 911 for a firetruck, and when the firetruck arrived they stole it and drove down the street shooting the water cannon.

# Explosions are extremely robust and pretty. When we shot down the helicopter, the ball of flame lit up our screen and made a thundering bang before being swallowed in a cloud of black smoke.
# Car damage is quite awesome, from bullet holes in the windscreen, to popped tyres sending sparks flying into the air and damaged bonnets flipping overhead at speed to go spiraling into the crowd.
# In the mission to Live and Die in Alderney, Frankie could have died. We were under no obligation to protect him and had the A.I got lucky he may have expired. This would have affected future dialogue streams, but not the mission. So characters can die if chance doesn’t favor them and the game is prepared to deal with such an event.
# There are so many dialogue streams in this game it is unbelievable. You can learn so much about the characters just from the way they talk shit to each other when nothing else is doing.
# Jacob the Jamaican pot dealer’s accent is so thick and munted you can barely understand a word the dude is saying.
# Niko was offered drugs twice in our play through, but denied them on both occasions.
# We caught a brief glimpse of one of the safe houses in the game. You can change your outfit there should you please, although the options are based on what Niko would realistically wear (i.e. no chicken suits).
# During the mission Harboring a Grudge we engaged in a massive shoot-out down at the docks. It occurred during a thunderstorm. The rain looked quite awesome as it bucketed down, but it was the lightning that was most memorable. As it cracks a flash rattles through the whole world, throwing its own weight behind at atmosphere already encouraged by the bursts of fire coming from everywhere and the environment falling to bits under the combat.
# There is a definite shift in skill level of the A.I as you go up the chain of the law. Get caught in the open while fighting the Feds and expect a head-shot.
# When you die, the screen fades to black and white and the camera shifts to a first-person view of your final resting place – it is quite affecting, and again, not a small bit cinematic.
# A big head-on crash will cause you to go flying out of the windscreen to serious injury and possibly death: Niko ain’t got time for seatbelts.
# Jumping out of a moving car can create a truly awesome ragdoll/Euphoria effect that makes Saints Row’s insurance scam missions look like a piss-weak joke. We wasted a good ten minutes just laughing our arse off driving into busy areas at full pace and then bailing out the door.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

IGN's article, the 'First 10 Things to Do in GTA'.

http://au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/855/855785p1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Link to two new advertisement videos:

http://au.media.xbox360.ign.com/media/827/827005/vids_1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Here's a page or two of brand new pix.

http://au.media.xbox360.ign.com/media/827/827005/imgs_1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Multiplayer revealed for GTAIV! Up to 16 players, 15 modes!

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=184841


And the last trailer will be released March 27th, so get ready.

[Big Red Spider]

SWEET!

now i just need an $800 tv, $500 ps3, and $70 game. good thing I have a month to save up. :)

[Forefinger]

I can't afford a PS3, so I'm going to have wait on it to come out for the PC.

[StoneGold]

SWEET!

now i just need an $800 tv, $500 ps3, and $70 game. good thing I have a month to save up. :)

Except no you don't. It'll run on any TV, it'll probably be more interesting on 360 just because of the exclusive DLC, and the new overprice for games is $59, not $69. Although I guarantee you will be able to find it cheaper as a loss leader early on.

[Big Red Spider]

http://kotaku.com/372415/gta-iv-street-map-leaked

Rumored leaked street map for GTA IV

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Inside story of the GTA series:

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9568&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=0

Making of GTAIV:

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=9570&Itemid=2&limit=1&limitstart=0


GtaGaming's screenshot archive has been updated massively, including first pics of MULTIPLAYER! (they start with the last picture of the third row)

http://www.gtagaming.com/gtaiv/screenshots


Here's some more multiplayer details:

* The entire map is playable during multiplayer
* You can't play as Niko during multiplayer, but you choose a male or female character with custom clothing
* The money you earn during multiplayer, achieved by killing opponents, determines your rank - weighted 0 to 10
* There are three styles of voice chat chosen by the host: free, team, or proximity chat
* You can use any vehicle (that means cars, boats, helicopters, etc) in race modes
* Hangman's NOOSE is a four-player mode that starts at the airport. In this mode, you have to take Kenny Petrovic to a safe zone in the city while pursued by the NOOSE team (National Organization of Security Enforcement), similar to "VIP" multiplayer modes in other games
* You can skip rockets on the ground with good aim
* Free roam has no rules or cash, and the host decides what weapons appear. It should prove to be the most popular multiplayer mode.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Oh, and the main site updated with lots of goodies. Audio clips from the radio stations, in-game advertisements, a new video or two, etc.

http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/


The last trailer hasn't shown up yet, but I'll make sure to say something when it does.

[1WEBHEAD]

This game will kick all kinds of ass.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

The trailer's going to be released at 10 PM GMT.


Just thought you'd want to know.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Here's a link to the fourth trailer:


http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/#?page=videos&content=trailer4

You have to do the old 'input your birthday' thing, but it has a better visual quality than those on Youtube, so I say it evens out.

Edit: Now I'm not even getting asked. Sweet.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

For those curious about various details, here are the screen-caps of the trailer.

http://www.gtagaming.com/gtaiv/trailercaps4

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Not too in detail, but points out a couple of things you might have missed.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/195248.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

This is hands down the greatest fan video for GTA I've ever seen. Takes shots from all around San Andreas, in various activities and perspectives. Sort of a 'send off' tribute.

For an even greater impact, follow the link in the info box for the HD version. Awesome.

"It's Been Good"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guDYTNxzd8k&eurl=http://www.gtagaming.com/gtagaming/news/archive.php?p=200811

[Big Red Spider]

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/sony-downplays-gta-iv-episodic-content/?biz=1

Sony says downloadable content, "No big deal".

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Yeah, I'm sure if they'd been the ones who snagged the exclusive rights, their stand would be the same...


...*Chuckle*


Right. They'd be doing a media blitz, saying 'why buy that product, when you know ours is going to be getting content they'll never experience'.

[Big Red Spider]

Yeah, definetly. If they had downloadable content and 360 didn't they would be going on and on about how much better they are. Since they're the one's that don't have it they have to come out and say, "Oh it's no big deal, we offer a lot of games that are exclusive to Sony."

Power of the Spin.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0fVl0MDCoo&eurl=http://www.gtagaming.com/

Here's a promotional video created through collaboration between Rockstar and Gamestop. And it looks drool worthy, folks.

Now wait in frustration for the 29th to come.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

More tidbits for everyone:


Here's a list of the confirmed achievements

http://www.gtagaming.com/gtaiv/xbox360/achievements/



An interview with the first person allowed to *beat* the game. No spoilers, so don't worry.


http://www.gamesradar.com/f/hes-finished-grand-theft-auto-iv/a-2008040412432960029



And in other news, OXM gave the game a 10. Not that you should base your decisions solely on what what any magazine says, but since this is the first official review and all, thought I'd mention it.


* Skipping a trip in a taxi costs more than simply sitting back and enjoying the view of the driver's head.
* The Statue of Happiness is clutching a coffee cup rather than the torch her real life counterpart has.
* Some celebrity voice actors play themselves in the game.
* Like Crackdown's Orbs, the collectable (hidden packages?) in GTA IV make a soft sound as you get close to them, aiding you in finding them all.
* Your in-game email account will get the odd piece of spam.
* Driving through flames will set a car's tires on fire, causing them to burst after a while.
* One mission involves traveling across town with two bodies in the trunk - if you hit a bump and it opens, you'll have to scramble to close it again before any passers-by notice.
* The mobile phone you receive at the start of the game is an old, second hand model capable only of calling and texting. You'll need to wait for an upgrade later in the story to unlock the full functionality that people get from more modern models.
* Downloadable episodes are confirmed to contain at least 10 hours of gameplay.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Yet more pics for consumption!

http://gtasite.net/gta4/gtasiteexc2_big.jpg

http://www.gtavg.com/exclusive.jpg
http://www.gtagaming.com/# (scroll down)

http://www.neilchristie.com/dump/ZZ5F28959D.jpg


http://www.neilchristie.com/dump/ZZ1C68D56C.jpg


http://www.neilchristie.com/dump/ZZ2705A6AE.jpg


http://gta4.tv/img/content/816.jpg


http://www.gtanetwork.it/gta4/Images/Screens/15_04_08.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

An Irish TV commercial spliced Niko's walking animation from Trailer #2 with new gameplay scenes in the background. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpA-uXT8w74

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Another 10 from the Official UK Playstation Magazine, but more importantly, here's a complete list of the radio stations.

* We Know The Truth (Talk)
* Radio Broker (Alternative Rock, eg LCD Soundsystem)
* San Juan Sounds (Latin)
* Integrity 2.0 (Talk featuring Lazlow)
* Tuff Going Radio (Reggae, eg Bob Marley)
* Liberty City Hardcore (Punk/Hardcore)
* Electro Choc (Dance)
* Liberty City Rock Radio 97.8 (Classic Rock, eg R.E.M.)
* Massive B Soundsystem 96.9 (Dance hall)
* International Funk IF99 (Funk, eg War)
* Public Liberty Radio (Phone in speech)
* The Classics 104.1 (Old school Hip hop)
* The Beat 102.7 (Contemporary Hip-Hop)
* Jazz Nation Radio 108.5 (Jazz, eg Miles Davis)
* K109 The Studio (Disco)
* Fusion FM (Soul, eg Roy Ayers)
* Vladivostok FM (Eastern European)
* The Journey (Ambient/Chillout, eg Jean Michelle Jarre)

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

An Irish TV commercial spliced Niko's walking animation from Trailer #2 with new gameplay scenes in the background. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpA-uXT8w74

Here's a higher-def one, with even more scenes added onto it by Rockstar themselves. Enjoy.

http://www.gtagaming.com/images/gtaiv/movies/gta4uktvad.wmv


For those having trouble with that link, try this one:

http://www.xbox.com/NR/rdonlyres/F5CE240A-9D3B-4025-ADC7-26CAEABAFCF8/0/vidgta4tvcmukhi.asx

[Jared H.]

Up until a few days ago, I was dead set on not buying this game. But having read about the multiplayer modes, the new radio stations, the comedian performances in the game, and the improvements to the combat system, I now simply MUST have this.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Lazlow was on Opie and Anthony recently, and said a few more things about the game.

* Lazlow prefers the Xbox 360 version of the game because of the DLC offered: "We are already working on new missions, new downloadable missions. They'll be new missions, new characters, new comedy. First will be in August."
* If Niko gets shot in the leg, he will bleed from the leg and begin to limp.
* At least 20 missions are dedicated to controls tutorials.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

New article about the audio portion of the game. Also has a number of neat new screenies. Enjoy!

http://www.gamesradar.com/ps3/f/grand-theft-auto-iv-audio-qa/a-20080418152838249060/g-20060313153735796095

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

New info and such!

Interview with a member of the team, plus some screenshots:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=133192


A mini-review (not really from a big name, but at least its something you can read)

http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?GID=522



Another interview, with even more unique screenshots for you to peruse

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/868/868124p1.html



And the info that the U.S. edition of Official Xbox Magazine gave the game a 9.5.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

IGN preview about GTA multiplayer

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/868/868607p1.html

Interview with Dan Houser about how various events have shaped GTA as a whole

http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3167500

Interview with some of the animation team

http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/grandtheftauto4/news.html?sid=6189709

[1WEBHEAD]

I got a question and since Genma is essentially GTA guru, it's best that I ask him . .

What's so special about the limited/special edition?

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I got a question and since Genma is essentially GTA guru, it's best that I ask him . .

What's so special about the limited/special edition?

*Ahem*

-The game itself, of course
-The official Soundtrack
-Art book filled with stuff from all stages of development
-Keyring (which you'll need for something a bit further down)
-Duffel bag
-Metal lock-box


All of this will be inside a specialty cardboard case with unique art not found on the standard edition.


Also, Amazon was throwing in something extra for pre-ordering it with them, but I can't remember what. *Goes to check*

Incidentally, I'm just getting the standard. But your mileage may vary.:biggrin:

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Here's a pic of the swag, WEBHEAD:

http://www.hardgame2.com/index.php?zone=news&mod=noticia&id=37372

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Ah, the additional item Amazon is throwing in is a Liberty City license plate.

http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd2/GenmaTheDestroyer/1198183916.jpg


Had to go back to December articles for that bit of info.

[Karl H]

I have had the deluxe edition on order for over a year now. Verily I am excited. Back to the UK on May 10 when I should have a copy there waiting. Hoah boy, no job for a while!

[Jared H.]

OMG (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/868/868607p1.html) Free Mode OMG OMG.

As much as we've loved Cops 'n' Crooks, Free Mode is going to be the bread and butter of GTA IV multiplayer. Here's the deal: Up to 16 players can run around Liberty City doing whatever they want. Create your own game modes, hunt for Easter eggs, work together to survive a six-star wanted level -- if you can dream it, there's probably a way to do it. And this mode begins in the most unusual, jarring way.

You begin in a standoff with the other players. Everyone spawns in a circle and there is, at least the first time you play Free Mode, a brief moment of surprise when no one does a damn thing. This lasts a few seconds before someone takes out a gun and shoots their neighbor in the face. But this standoff isn't just to start the killing (and jump people around the city with their first respawn); it also allows players to talk about what they want to do in Free Mode. This way you don't have to hunt for anyone in order to discuss plans to take a bus caravan down to Star Junction or to agree that there will be a knife fight atop the Algonquin Bridge. Or you can just blow each other up. It's Free Mode -- do whatever the hell you want.

As with the other MP modes, the host has plenty of options to customize the experience, from setting the level of traffic, to turning cops on or off, to the time of day, to weapons available and so much more. This also includes setting a time limit if you don't want Free Mode to last forever.

Free Mode taps into the very essence of the GTA series. As much as we may love the single-player narrative, the core game is still the open city ready to be explored. Part of enjoying a GTA game is spending dozens of hours racing around the city, causing trouble and hunting for Easter eggs. Now you can do it with 15 of your closest friends. No longer do you need to nudge your buddy and say, "You looked up the Statue of Happiness' skirt yet?" Now you can pick him up in a chopper and show him what you're going on about.

At first, people will be content to run around the city destroying one another. But over time, games will emerge from these online jam sessions. Take a few people to the top of Playboy X's pad and try to defend it from the rest of the group; play a game of "Quell the Riot" where one person hops into a fire truck and uses the fire hose to keep back a crowd armed only with baseball bats; or make your own version of "America's Most Wanted," which has everyone acquire a six-star wanted level and see who can make it to the other end of Liberty City without dying.

There are many possibilities for Free Mode. It's wide open. You decide how to approach it.


Must. Possess.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

OMG (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/868/868607p1.html) Free Mode OMG OMG.



Must. Possess.

:smile: Glad you found something to catch your eye in one of those articles!




Here's some info for folks:


Apparently, GTAIV has already been leaked to the internet.

http://kotaku.com/383017/pirated-gta-iv-leaked-early-online

Also, some online stores are already sending out their orders. People have reported getting their game, and clips are popping up all over Youtube.


So if you're not the type who likes spoilers...


You may want to stay away from putting 'GTA' anything into the Youtube search.


Or going to any GTAIV board at Gamefaqs. They'll purposely spoil you right there. Even putting spoilers in the title so you can't avoid it.


You've been warned!

[Captain Trips]

OMG (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/868/868607p1.html) Free Mode OMG OMG.



Must. Possess.

Yeah, the Free Mode in multiplayer is going to rule. Players will be able to do anything - kill each other, team up, explore the city, race, etc. Simply awesome.

An interesting note about sales is that in the UK, the PS3 version of the game is outselling the 360 version 3 to 1: http://ps3.ign.com/articles/868/868764p1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I'm going to be posting a few things from May's EGM, it has good stuff.


First off, Co-op isn't just an afterthought, the missions themselves will deal with characters that may have been seen rarely, or only mentioned in the single-player campaign. Events that helped shape the city Niko found himself in.


So even though I'm not usually much for Co-op ( standard deathmatch, not even teams), I'll probably have to find someone to go through it with.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

In the GTA Race mode, collisions and use of your weapon arsenal aren't just allowed, they're encouraged. As is dirty gameplay.

One of the contestants, a developer, fell so far behind the rest of the pack that he drove to a site he knew the race would be going through soon, and created a roadblock out of abandoned cars. Then sat waiting with a weapon for the next unlucky person to come along. The author of the article mentioned that he ended up having to finish the last 100 yards on foot as a result.

Ditching your beginner car is allowed as well. Folks were constantly trading up for the next best thing when they saw it.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

This last post I'm just going to copy word-for-word the article about the Co-op mission they played.



The Setup: This mode is comprised of stand alone story missions for up to four players. Hangman's noose, the mission we played (the game will ship with at least five, maybe more), involved a minor character from the single-player story:Kenny Petrovic. He has just landed at the airport...with a contingent of SWAT personnel waiting on the tarmac. The players are charged with clearing out the area enough for him to disembark and then transporting him to the extraction point alive.


Execution: This mission starts at a gallop. With a fleet of armored police waiting, we were forced to hold our position and fight them off, making extensive use of the cover system thanks to the scattered luggage carts. Speaking of which, grabbing cover grew easier over time, especially when I wasn't surrounded by too many objects-it tends to be a 'sticky' feature with an annoying tendency to latch onto nearby cover spots when you just want to be cover-free. Once we cleaned things up enough, Petrovic was ready to go. Our initial strategy was to grab one of the law's armored trucks for a low-risk (relatively speaking) escape. And that method worked. The only hang-up for the first few matches was waiting for the stragglers to arrive at the extraction point, a baseball field across town.

As we replayed the mission (probably a dozen times between trying all the different modes and restarts), we kept testing different strategies, like having guys immediately peeling off and grabbing the sports car and motorcycle conveniently parked around the corner. Using those vehicles often resulted in our VIP's death, because, as you'd imagine, the cops love taking potshots at the exposed passenger. And I swear that at higher difficulties those guys turn into sharpshooters with a grudge against tires. I'd always think "Ok, I can deal", when riding on three tires and a rim, but as soon as I hit a turn and spun out, I'd be looking for new wheels as those do-gooding vultures swarmed. Another teammate loved going for the helicopter at the end of the airfield we started on. But experimentation was the name of the game. An effective technique we employed was putting Petrovic and the lead player in one car, with the others following in an armored truck, acting as a shield.

My hope is that the other co-op missions have some more varied, multipart goals beside a simple point A to point B extraction. But freshing out some of the minor characters with these missions, complete with quickie cut-scenes, is a good idea. Playing as a handful of these named characters instead of just the hired help would be appreciated as well.


Best GTA moment: Riding shotgun in a helo for some air support, and then realizing I'd be better served on the ground. I thought we were close enough to the highway to make a clean landing, but my leap ended with me nicking the concrete overpass and falling to the ground. Wasted indeed.


Also couldn't miss this 'Best of' moment from the 'Cops 'n' Crooks' article:

A car hitting inches below my feet as I climbed my way up a ladder to an extraction point. Said the laughing opposing driver over my headset "You have no idea how close that was".

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Edit: Whoops. Accidentally posted the same thing again. Carry on.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Two more interviews for everyone!




http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/868/868928p1.html




http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3167534&p=37

[Jared H.]

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/2791/20514360yb8.png

PLEASEBEREALPLEASEBEREALPLEASEBEREAL.

[Jared H.]

Consensus seems to be that it's a fake.

Stop toying with meeeeeeeee!

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Nope, not real.

http://kotaku.com/383724/that-release-gta-iv-early-letter-its-not-real

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Another interview:

http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3167561&p=37


And Gamespot has new screenies:

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/grandtheftauto4/images.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gsimage&tag=images;all

[StoneGold]

I'm not going to link, because that would be wrong, but J&R Music has pretty much the best deal so far on GTA, $49.99 plus shipping, comes out to about $52. I'm not a "need to have on opening night" kind of guy, and local sales tax would come out higher than that even if Fry's puts it out at $49, so I pulled the trigger.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Whole bunch of stuff for you, today!


A Q&A about weapons, cover, etc from Gamespot:


http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/grandtheftauto4/news.html?sid=6189845


Article from IGN about how the relationship system works:

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/869/869322p1.html

Small Gamespy article

http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/grand-theft-auto-4/869376p1.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Here's a brand new trailer for the game, mostly focusing on Niko!

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33252.html



Here's two IGN reviews of the game. A written and video article:

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/869/869381p1.html


http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/827005/grand-theft-auto-4/videos/gta4_review_042508.html

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

For those of you who broke down and watched one of the streaming videos of folks playing the game (guilty), you'll be interested to know that the most popular of them, hosted on Justintv, hit a bit of a snag.



The 360 experienced the RROD right in the middle of play.

Heh.

http://kotaku.com/384085/live-gta-iv-players-xbox-360-goes-rrod

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

The GTAIV Activity Book for Kids!


It's...uh...well, the name really says it all.

http://the-minusworld.com/2008/04/23/grand-theft-auto-iv-activity-book-for-kids/

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I'm reading through the IGN review at the moment (sometimes, when I'm doing the mass posts, it takes a while for me to catch up and read everything), and a section talking about the feel of the city caught my eye:


"Watch the people and you'll witness some amazing things. At one point, I saw a woman stopped at a light, looking in the rearview mirror right before she was rear-ended by a man ogling a girl on the street. The man got out of his car and went to the woman, checking to see if she was okay. This had nothing to do with Niko or a single action I took. These were the citizens of Liberty City going about their day. And it was just one moment in a day full of incidents.

Hang in one area of the city long enough and you'll see how traffic and pedestrian flow changes as the day progresses. When it rains, people bring out umbrellas or shield themselves with a newspaper and run for an awning. Cops chase petty thieves unaware that walking down the street is Niko Bellic, cold-blooded killer. There's a perfect balance of mumbling doomsayers to remind you that the reason this city never sleeps is because it's full of nut jobs. People go about their day, only altering course when Niko inserts himself into their lives with his crappy driving or excellent marksmanship.




The idea of a "living, breathing city" has always been somewhat of a joke in gaming. Every city in the past has felt artificial in some way. But Liberty City feels like a real place. And its history is built not only into the architecture and the people, but even in the music. There are more than 200 songs in GTA IV and many of them were recorded or remastered with specific references to Liberty City. You'll hear songs on the Classics station referencing the city, as if to suggest there's decades of history built into the culture. The soundtrack is an unbelievable blend of rock, pop, reggae, R&B and hip-hop. But more astounding is how well the songs and the DJs blend into the city itself.

You never have to be alone. A high-priced call girl is always at the ready.
It's this level of integration that makes Liberty City such a believable place. You won't just hear "America's Next Whore" advertised on the radio; you'll see posters when walking down the street and spot ads on the Internet. GTA IV takes aim at all of the modern forms of communication. Along with radio stations (a staple of the series) there are full programs and ads you can watch on TV and a fully browseable Interweb.

You could lose hours of your day surfing the 'net. That may mean sorting through junk mail, clicking on random links, using Love-Meet.com to find dates, or reading the news. There are multiple websites that cover news based on missions Niko's completed. You can read different takes on these events if you want to get an idea of how your actions are perceived in different political corners. You might never bother looking at all, but like so much of GTA IV, there are dozens of hours of content waiting to be either discovered or ignored."

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Another one of those specialty trailers has popped up. Check it out.

http://www.gamespot.com/video/933037/6189948/grand-theft-auto-iv-official-trailer-5

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Bunch of reviews are out now!

Gametrailers:

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33327.html

Game Informer:

http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200806/R08.0425.1548.19614.htm

Gamespy:

http://uk.xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/grand-theft-auto-4/869689p1.html

CGaming:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkb2ZxaNCww

Eurogamer:

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=134493

Kotaku:

http://kotaku.com/384421/grand-theft-auto-iv-review-life-liberty-city-and-the-pursuit-of-happiness

GameVideos

http://www.gamevideos.com/video/id/18614

1Up.com

http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3167589&p=37

Team Xbox

http://reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1501/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV/p1/

Computer and Video Games

http://computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=187732

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Crapload of new gameplay vids. Enjoy!

http://media.xbox360.ign.com/media/827/827005/vids_1.html

http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/videos

http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/blog/index.html?t=684930#684930

Needless to say, some of these are not for kids.


Then again, neither is the game.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Heh, even side-jobs like Vigilante missions have been expanded, as have the general abilities gained from stealing a cop car. A post on Gamefaqs sums it up best (note, there is some horrible spelling, this is Gamefaqs, afterall):






"I'm here to talk about how aweseome the vigilante missions are.

Inside any cop vehicle you can stop and press the LBumper to access the police computer.

From this menu you get toe see current crimes, search police files, check the most wanted criminals, and call for police back up.

Current crimes works similar to the old vigilante missions. You choose a crime in progress, and then a timer starts. You have to get to the scene before time runs out, and generally kill all the criminals. The timer stops couting down when you find the criminals, so it's greatly imporved.

The police files allow you to search for the location of people in the city by inputting their names. The comuter than finds the nearest match. I horribly misspelled my first target and it found who i was looking for. You can also search by photo, at which point it scans your digital device. I don't have a camera yet, so I imagine that this will be cool when I get one.

Most wanted shows a list of crimals and what they are wanted for. You select a name, and it puts a marker on your map. No timer, just find them and kill them. The name then gets highlighted in red to show that they are eliminated.

Police backup is great. You can call this in whenever and a squad car shows up quickly. Useful when you find the criminals and need help, or just for fun when you see some criminals acting badly.



Another important thing to note about the criminal justice system... You are no longer the only criminal. By this I mean:

In past GTAs if a cop was nearby when somone was attacking you, they would do nothing to them but arrest you when you fought back.

Some taxi nailed me, and to get back at them I smashed up the taxi with my bat. He got out and started fighitng me as a cop drove by. they jumped out and pulled guns on my assailant and threw him in the squad car. Justice served."

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

It's an amazing game, and easy as heck to lose time playing (I spent an hour just watching some of the television programming), but I do have one complaint.

I wish the driving controls would be tightened up a notch or two. Does anyone remember what the cars in Vice City were like if you put in the 'Better Handling' cheat? How, unlike GTA3's version (which made things just right), it ended up with your cars swinging all over the place?

That's what it's like here. I actually did a 360 spin once.



Everything else is gravy, though, and I'll probably adapt to the driving mechanics eventually. The shooting, the fighting, just the 'living city' feel of the game in general are leagues better than San Andreas. I found myself just walking the streets, and seeing what happened.

Oh, and I probably would have killed Roman within a week of meeting him.

[StoneGold]

http://www.gamepolitics.com/images/JT-GTA4-cropped.jpg

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I will say one thing, though: I love how almost every action you make seems to have a consequence somewhere down the road.

*Some light spoilers, so look out*

Roman called me up once, asking for some help with folks who were harassing him. His icon appeared on the map, and I was debating whether to take the mission now or go exploring, when Michelle called up about a date.

Now, thinking back to how the mission system has worked in all the previous GTAs, I thought Roman's mission marker could wait, and I would be able to pick it up later.

Heh.

I got off my date with Michelle, only to get a call from a pissed Roman, who was mad that not only did I leave him to get his butt beat for a date, I didn't even bother to call him and tell him. He's in the hospital, because I was chasing 'tail'.

Then he admitted he'd probably do the same thing in my situation, and asked that next time I PLEASE HELP HIM!!

Next time it really struck me was when I ran errands for Vlad. He wanted me to steal a car, and when I called to tell him the thing was filthy, he ordered me to clean it. On the way there it got pretty banged up, one of the fenders was even hanging off. But, again like in the previous GTAs, I assumed that as long as I followed the mission orders to the letter, no trouble would come of it. I put it through the carwash, and brought it back to the garage.

I went out on a date, hung out with Roman, and then got a call from Vlad, who proceeded to chew me out for giving him a clean, but wrecked ride. One he was going to use on a date.

Niko just laughed at him, and hung up.

*End spoilers*



Tell me that isn't awesome!

[the goddamn batman]

I did the same thing with the date...

this game is amazing!

[Agent Helix]

I skipped out on the date to help Roman, and ended up with a confused text message from Michelle, but no major consequences.

The game is spectacular, easily the best, most refined in the franchise. Every problem that existed in the previous games is gone. There's no downtime. Every inch of the map has something to do. I spent twenty minutes just bowling last night because it was there, and it's actually a fully realized little bowling game. I sat and watched two shows at the cabaret, and they were genuinely hilarious (and eerily well animated. I could have sworn that juggler was actually real.).

The characters are compelling, a far cry from the cartoonish marionettes of Vice City. They're stll off-kilter in that GTA way we love, but Niko and Roman are the first protagonists in the series that I really want to root for, and this is the first game, period, that I'd actually say is movie-quality storytelling.

My best moment so far, stealing a car from some unsavory type, and then trying to escape as he STOLE A TRUCK to hunt me down and kill me for my transgressions.

[Jmacq1]

I skipped out on the date to help Roman, and ended up with a confused text message from Michelle, but no major consequences.

The game is spectacular, easily the best, most refined in the franchise. Every problem that existed in the previous games is gone. There's no downtime. Every inch of the map has something to do. I spent twenty minutes just bowling last night because it was there, and it's actually a fully realized little bowling game. I sat and watched two shows at the cabaret, and they were genuinely hilarious (and eerily well animated. I could have sworn that juggler was actually real.).

The characters are compelling, a far cry from the cartoonish marionettes of Vice City. They're stll off-kilter in that GTA way we love, but Niko and Roman are the first protagonists in the series that I really want to root for, and this is the first game, period, that I'd actually say is movie-quality storytelling.



100 percent agreed. 10 minutes into the game and I felt like Niko Bellic got more characterization and was better realized than all three of the last GTA games' main protagonists got in their entire games....combined. He's an immediately likeable character.

Have you tried watching TV yet? It's really pretty hilarious in and of itself. Or at least the faux "world series of poker" show that I watched was a great spoof of those kinds of shows. The commercials are even more hilarious (particularly the "campaign ads" that I suspect will play into the plot later on.

Either way, I think the best thing I can say about this game is that it's really the first GTA where I'm more interested in playing through the main plotline than just running around the sandbox blowing stuff up.

[Agent Helix]

Oh, the TV stations are great. "The Men's Room" had me in stitches.

And I totally agree about the plotline. This is the first time I've been really engrossed. Usually I ignore it as soon as I have all the areas unlocked, but I don't see that happening now.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

I shamefully admit to watching the show where the hick astronauts go around blasting peaceful alien races, then nuking their orphanages. All the while blurting out patriotic American slogans.

Oh, and one of the home-shopping network shows. Where the woman hostess is plainly out of her gourd.


Just wait till you open up the internet! The thing is massive!

[JDogindy]

Quick question to anyone who has it: how good is it? I bet it's living up to the reviews.

[StreetFighterRyu]

I saw this on the news earlier today. Someone was going to steal the game. Don't know if it happened yesterday or this morning. First thing you see is him in the back seat of the police car kicking the window. lol I was laughing of course, and disappointed. -_- Granted, this isn't the first time that it happened with a GTA game. I still remember when Vice City came out, (it was around the same week too) a couple of teens drive-by an old lady "just because they played the game". Of course it pissed me off because how the hell are you going to blame on a game for your own stupid actions? Geez. -_-

Anyway, I'll see if I can find the article about it. 'Till then, I'm sure they're gonna show it almost the whole day.

Discuss: Why do stupid things like this happen? -_-

[Agent Helix]

It's fantastic. Best game in the series by a wide margin.

[1WEBHEAD]

It is truly a video game benchmark.


Seriously, this game is amazing and will be remembered as one of the greatest games of our time.

I have completely fallen in love with this game and with the upcoming Xbox exclusive episodic DLC possibly arriving this summer, my Wii and PS3 aren't getting sheat from me at least until MGS4 and Ninetendo fix up their pathetic excuse of an online service.

[StreetFighterRyu]

It's fantastic. Best game in the series by a wide margin.

Yeah, they got rid of the palm hand thing. lol But the brightness is the same. I know you can change it, but still, you think with next-gen graphics they can at least fix it.

I also like the cell phone option. Neat.

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Heh.

A helpful warning when you're on the internet at Tw@; stay away from certain sites. Clicking on them will...well, let's put it this way, it'll make you start running for your life.

I heard an in-game news report about it, and decided to tempt fate. It said 'stay away', which to me meant 'go'. Not the best of ideas. I'm finding myself in all sorts of hi-jinks outside of the normal story.

[the goddamn batman]

^^^Oh, really?

Anyone try dating any of the girls online yet?

Either way, I think the best thing I can say about this game is that it's really the first GTA where I'm more interested in playing through the main plotline than just running around the sandbox blowing stuff up.

yeah, I've been blowing through the missions instead of just causing random trouble and exploring.

[the goddamn batman]

because people are stupid.

[Brett P]

Read in the paper today that someone got stabbed waiting in line of the midnight opening at one store o_O

The rest of the shoppers thought it was a publicity stunt when the guy was staggering among them covered in blood until the police turned up.

Another 18 year old boy got his copy of the game stolen and his jaw broken by two guys half hour after he'd bought it...

Yay GTA and thug mentality...

[Young Avenger]

Yesterday I read an article about UPS workers stealing copies of the game they had to deliver. GTA makes people to crazy things

[Perry Holley]

So, did any of you get your Gamestop pre-order bonuses?

http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comics/20080428.jpg

[Xero Kaiser]

Yay GTA and thug mentality...

Because nobody ever got jacked before GTA came out

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

...I think I got ripped off at my Gamestop.




Anyway, here's a little thing I just noticed:

If you're expecting to need to get away from the cops quickly, you'll probably want to abandon that highly damaged ride of yours, or at the very least go to a Pay N' Spray. It's not just because of the fragile nature of the vehicle, no (heck, you might be such a brilliant driver that you can weave that wreck through the onslaught, I dunno).

The problem is that, sometimes, the car won't start up again the next time you hop inside, at least not right away. When my Niko jumped back into his topless Feltzer (I recommend it, early, sleak looking, and the best handling so far), he had to sit there cranking the car for 10 seconds or so to get it going.

[StoneGold]

Read in the paper today that someone got stabbed waiting in line of the midnight opening at one store o_O


Turns out that was BS. Neither the guy who was stabbed, nor the stabber, was in the line. Apparently, it was a random stabbing that just happened to occur next to a GTA pre-order line. Or not. Even more apparently, it happened a quarter-mile away from the store.

http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/grand-theft-auto-iv/news/gta-stabbing-nothing-to-do-with-gta/a-20080430102550859040/g-2006051014323586065

[Thnikkaman]

Thompson's probably having an orgasm...

[Donald M.]

Thompson's probably having an orgasm...

Absolutely. Lies get him excited as long as they're lies about the danger posed by videogames.

[Astonishing X-Fan]

Read in the paper today that someone got stabbed waiting in line of the midnight opening at one store o_O

The rest of the shoppers thought it was a publicity stunt when the guy was staggering among them covered in blood until the police turned up.

Another 18 year old boy got his copy of the game stolen and his jaw broken by two guys half hour after he'd bought it...

Yay GTA and thug mentality...

Don't blame the game, which is a legit work of art, for what retarded people decide to do.

[StreetFighterRyu]

Don't blame the game, which is a legit work of art, for what retarded people decide to do.

Wasn't it the same argument in UK about Manhunt? The main reason why part 2 was banned?