Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony won’t only build on the game’s already prominent single player experience, it will also improve Grand Theft Auto IV’s prominent multiplayer experience, turning it into something more — adding such things such as Parachutes and Tanks into the mix, reveals Rockstar today.

“Tanks, attack choppers, new weapons, and, of course, parachutes make their multiplayer debut alongside new, tighter Deathmatch arenas, kill streaks, and assisted kills,” stated Rockstar via its official website. “It’s Grand Theft Auto multiplayer made more intense than ever.”

MAN! October 29th can’t come soon enough.

If you own an iPhone, and you love Chinatown Wars, I have some very exciting news for you. Today, Rockstar confirmed that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will headed be to Apple’s handy portable system this fall. “Chinatown Wars is a perfect match for the iPhone and iPod touch,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We are very excited to bring this incredibly ambitious version of Liberty City, with this level of detail and immersive gameplay on Apple’s new gaming platforms.”

Chinatown Wars is currently available for the Nintendo DS and is also coming this fall for the PlayStation Portable system. The game follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father. Players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale of crime and corruption within the Triad crime syndicate, delivering the unprecedented amount of depth that has become a true trademark of the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

While its rival, Grand Theft Auto, has made its rounds on and off the PlayStation Portable, Saints Row is yet to venture on the system. However, it seems that THQ and Volition look to change that.

According to the Swedish metal band, Opeth, one of their songs, “The Lotus Eater”, was given the go ahead to be featured in the upcoming PSP version of Saints Row.

“We may not like playing videogames all that much but we do like it when our music is featured on them! Makes us a bit proud even when it’s a game as big as Saints Row for the PSP… So if you love playing videogames: the game is expected to hit the streets around March 2010.”

THQ hasn’t given the official word on this yet. But, it looks like Opeth was a little keen on announcing their presents within the game. Anyway, lets hope they announce the game soon.

It’s a good news/bad news situation, depending on how you view it: if you pre-ordered the game for as a Christmas gift, it’s bad. If it’s one of the many games on your Christmas shopping list, and you’re short on holiday money, it’s good – but not all that good.

Yesterday, Take-Two Interactive announced that BioShock 2 won’t be releasing within the company’s fourth quarter, as previously planned. BioShock 2 has instead been pushed up to the “first half” of 2010.

“The decision to shift a release date is never an easy one, especially with a product as highly anticipated as BioShock 2,” said Take-Two CEO Ben Feder. “We felt that it was essential to invest the additional time to ensure that this title will deliver what its fans expect and deserve.”

However, the move is worst for the company’s current fiscal year, which ends on October 31, but good news for its 2010 fiscal year, said Jesse Divnich, director of analyst services at Electronic Entertainment Design & Research in Carlsbad, Calif.

“I expect them to dominate fiscal 2010,” Divnich said. “BioShock 2, Max Payne 3, Red Dead Redemption, Mafia II, additional Grand Theft Auto Downloadable Content (DLC), and the possible launch of Agent should make fiscal 2010 the year of Take-Two. As far as I am concerned, Take-Two is just moving numbers from one financial year to another.”

[Bioshock 2 delayed; Take-Two's stock takes a hit via LA Times]

Agent was announced at the Sony’s Press Conference during E3 earlier this month, but we only received some “base-line” information about the title. However, in a recent Eurogamer interview, Take-Two CEO Ben Feder spilled the goods on the “spiritual successor” to the Grand Theft Auto franchise.

“It’s a completely different storyline, there is completely different character development. It’s a game about espionage, set in the 1970s. GTA is obviously more about an urban experience, a typically rags to riches experience,” Feder says. ”Very, very different storylines, very different character development. It’s going to be very fresh for gamers.”

Feder then went on the reveal the reason as to why its an exclusive title; he stated that, “it’s important when you’re launching a new franchise to make sure you have the right support.” As you can see, the PlayStation 3 apparently provides such support. I’m not going to continue beyond that point.

As it was rumored, Rockstar Games has announced that one of the highest-rated handheld games of all time, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will released for PSP this autumn.

“We’re proud to extend this truly unique handheld Grand Theft Auto experience to PSP and offer a downloadable version of Chinatown Wars for PSP GO,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Rockstar Leeds has shown incredible talent in creating games that raise the bar in terms of depth and innovation on portables, and with Chinatown Wars we have a rich, fast-paced, and incredibly addictive entry into the series.”

“Rockstar’s work with the GTA series has been an enormous part of the success of PlayStation platforms,” added Jack Tretton, President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America. “We’re excited to welcome the critically acclaimed Chinatown Wars to the outstanding line-up of great games headed to the PSP platform this fall.”

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars follows the story of Huang Lee, a young Triad who travels to Liberty City after the mysterious death of his father.

This game is sounding better and better each time. Ben Feder, president of Rockstar parent Take-Two Interactive, believes that Agent could achieve the same level of success as their Grand Theft Auto series, given its development is being overseen by Rockstar North founders Sam and Dan Houser.

“We think this has the potential to be yet another great Rockstar North franchise title….It’s the Houser Brothers and Rockstar North. It’s the A team working on an AAA title. I think the subject matter, the characters, the story, the environment, the background–all the elements are there. It’s such a rich environment to play in.”

When speaking with GameSpot on the Electronic Entertainment Expo show floor, Feder explained the decision to develop the game solely for Sony’s console.

“The trade-offs a publisher will typically make is, if you’re platform-agnostic, you get a larger installed base,” he said. “You’re platform exclusive when you get the right kind of support from first parties.”

Take-Two believes Sony will offer the same kind of support which made Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – all initially PlayStation 2 exclusives – three of the top 10 selling games of all time.

At this phase in the cycle, when you’re trying to launch a new franchise, exclusivity can really help you launch the franchise. It can give you the kind of platform that you need to start exclusive, start in the right kind of way with the right kind of partner. Exclusivity does work,” Founder continued.

“I have a lot of confidence in Sony. I have a lot of confidence in their ability to lead the market, as they always have,” declared Feder. “Their console is a terrific platform to be developing for, and Agent is a great testament as to our belief in what that platform can do, and what they can do with us as part of a partnership.”

The developer behind such games as Grand Theft Auto and Manhunt, Rockstar North has announced its work, during the Sony keynote via Sony’s Jack Tretton, on upcoming PlayStation 3 exclusive “Agent“.

Agent takes players on a paranoid journey into the world of counter-intelligence, espionage and political assassinations during the height of the Cold War at the end of the 1970s.

“We have always enjoyed making action games, and with Agent we are making what we believe will be the ultimate action game,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games.

“Agent is a game we have wanted to make for a long time. The team in Edinburgh is doing an amazing job combining intense action, atmosphere and story in a great period setting to create something that feels quite unique. We cannot wait for people to experience this game.”

It looks like there’s going to be another important no-show, go to the show at this years E3. Despite already having five titles that we already know they are working on, the developers behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise, Rockstar Games, don’t have any plans on showing anything at this years E3 event, as reported by EuroGamer.

Although, Rockstar has revealed that its not going to rule out announcements during the show. However, when asked about rumors that they have plans to reveal the second downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV they stated that, “we don’t comment on rumour and speculation.”

When the makers of the Grand Theft Auto series announced that they were doing  a following up to ‘04 western shooter Red Dead Revolver, we strapped on our riding boots and pumped bullets into our six-shooters.

Okay, that actually didn’t happen. But, if you watch the trailer below, you may be inclined to do something cowboy-like.

“The team at San Diego have massively exceeded our expectations with the sheer depth of experiences in Red Dead Redemption,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games.

“The seamless combination of breathtaking beauty and intense action, all woven together with strong plotlines in a massive vibrant, rural environment is mind-blowing. We think this game helps to push the limits of what an open-world gaming experience can be.”

It was a recipe for success: one of the biggest franchises in gaming, on the most popular platform available, leaving rest to positive reviews.

Well, that wasn’t the case with Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars because the other day reports started coming in that the title is under has sold 100,000 units in the U.S. – a total of about 89,000 units. That compares to 805,000 units of “Pokémon Platinum” sold on the DS by Nintendo from its March 22 launch through April 4.

But, however, GameStop says that the game is ‘exceeding [their] expectations’.

“‘GTA: Chinatown Wars’ is exceeding our expectations and illustrating the power of the franchise on a new platform,” GameStop spokesman Chris Olivera said in an e-mail to MTV News. “We’ve seen a solid lift in sales of ‘Chinatown Wars’ following the launch of the DSi and believe that the product will continue to enjoy a long life at our stores as the buzz around the new handheld gaming experience continues to grow.”

The GTA series has become a bit of a mixed bag throughout the years. Upon changing up formulas, catering to different audiences, and bringing change to a formula that wasn’t exactly broken, its popularity continues to surge. With the recent release of Grand Theft Auto IV and its very first DLC episode, the franchise has gained and lost a myriad of fans. However, one thing remains unchanging: the fact that Rockstar has never been, nor will be, afraid to go there.

When Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was announced for the Nintendo DS, gamers collectively sighed with noticeable disgust. And why not? The DS has never particularly been seen as a platform for which more adult-oriented games could truly shine, that is, until now. A spectacular and intense throwback to the games that kickstarted the series’ success, Chinatown Wars is destined to become one of the DS’s must-play classics.

Fire up Chinatown Wars, and you’ll get acquainted with one Huang Lee. He’s making his way to the ubiquitous Liberty City in order to pass on a sword to his uncle. It’s no ordinary sword, as it’s symbolic in nature. After the slaying of Huang’s father, it’s his job to pass on the sword to the Triad head’s father. After some shady and unfortunate events unfold, Lee finds that the sword has been stolen and he’s tossed out into the sea, thought to be dead. With this, you’re thrust into the seedy underbelly that comprisees the single-player mode of Chinatown Wars.

Perhaps the very first thing you’ll notice is the long-awaited return of the top-down perspective from the heyday of Grand Theft Auto. What’s presented here is essentially a classic console installment downsized in every proper way imaginable to fit the DS like a glove. However, though it may look entirely alike, there are many ways in which it’s a bit different from its predecessors. Though everything is seen through a bird’s-eye view, the game is entirely 3D. Of course, that’s not exactly saying too much due to the DS’s graphical restrictions, but regardless of the bells and whistles expected these days from gaming youth, there is too much fun to be had here.  The best way to describe Chinatown Wars is a modern-day GTA title with a different camera angle.

Liberty City remains relatively unchanged from the days of the console releases, and if you feel the urge to explore right away, the entire city is unlocked at the onset. GTA wouldn’t be the mother of all sandbox titles if they didn’t cater to those of us with the burning desire to explore.  Exploring the city is one of the absolute biggest draws – if you see something that could possibly take you from point A to point B,it’s up for grabs. Commandeer a truck, a car, a bike, anything you want.  However, a good portion of your time will be spent exploring every nook and cranny on foot, because you can aim much better that way. You’ll be faced with many, many missions that require the sweet sound of shots ringing out -  a regular series staple.  There is a bevy of weaponry available via the ammunition dealer, ensuring that you always receive the proper tools to get any job done right. The implementation of a targeting system will ensure that you’re shooting to kill, but as the game wears on you may find that it makes certain areas of the game a bit easier than you’d like.

If you’ve ever wanted to live out the life of a drug dealer, Chinatown Wars delivers with its network of who’s buying low and who’s particularly needing a fix. It’s a living, breathing economy that works well, even incorporating real-life elements that could completely screw up even the best-laid of plans.  That’s right, a surprise sting could ruin your precious trade, leaving you with nothing if you hadn’t the presence of time to stockpile some goods. I found myself spending loads of time on this aspect of the game, forsaking storyline elements and productivity to make some quick cash and to forge some bonds with respected dealers around Liberty City. I can’t imagine this element going over well with whiny parents, but to be honest it really made the game for me. This level of interaction with the world was rather impressive, coming from a DS title Rather than relying on a cell phone to make plans, keep in touch, and all of those other important aspects, you’re given a PDA that works fantastically – allowing you to contact NPCs, and providing a great little GPS that you can use the stylus to navigate. It’s all about making the connections and networking.

Of particular interest is the new method in which you must lose the heat. Rather than simply evading cops, you must now take an offensive stance against those pigs, er, respected members of law enforcement. Driving away just won’t be enough anymore. Now you’ll find yourself going after the cop cars, effectively disabling them in order to lose your wanted level. This is an extremely satisfying addition to the series, and personally I hope to see it implemented in future, “big brother” console ports.

Chinatown Wars looks great, considering the hardware it’s got to work with. Music tracks as well as audio fit the mood perfectly, as well as score the action to a T. Rockstar has done a truly admirable job here in utilizing every bit of power the DS has to create a smashing new entry into the Grand Theft Auto series.

Closing Statement:

If you’re a veteran of the series, or if you’re just starting to get into the madness that is Grand Theft Auto, this is a  great first choice to start with, as it’s very accessible, reasonably priced, and you can take it with you. It’s a fantastic throwback to the original days of the series, if you remember the very first few iterations. This game is indeed a breath of fresh air for the franchise, and going back to basics is always a good thing. Check it out at your first convenience.

Score: A-

Niko Bellic, the main character in Grand Theft Auto IV, will not being making an appearance in the games newest expansion, The Lost and Damned. Many of us, at first, were very convinced that Niko would being making an appearance because of many unknown reasons.

But, when MTV’s Mutliplayer Blog asked Rockstar Games if Niko’s voice actor was brought back to contribute new lines, they got a very sharp response. “Hell no!” Which was the response given by Rockstar Games’ vice president of product development, Jeronimo Barrera.

Instead he pops up in the Lost and Damned in the recreation of an early GTA IV mission that they had served as the introduction to a major supporting character, Playboy X, recalling Niko as a “Slavic motherf—-r.”

Anyway, the reason for such a strong response was because Niko’s voice actor, Michael Hollick, complained to The New York Times last year that his union failed to take the proper steps to get him more than $100,000 dollars for his work on a game that generated more than a half billion dollars in sales in its first two weeks and has sold a few million more copies since then.

As of lately, I have had this wield feeling that when this downfall is over things are never going to be the same, and it looks like I’m right.

Today, according to Reuters, Take-Two Interactive has announced that its Chief Operating Officer (COO), Gary Dale, has resigned after only five months. The company proclaims that he left because of some ‘personal reasons’ and they also say that they don’t have any plans to fill Dale’s position.

Dale had been responsible for Take-Two’s publishing labels, sales activities, international expansion and business development initiatives.

Dale was named COO in August. Previously, he served as an executive vice president at Take-Two, and before that he was COO of Rockstar Games, the developer of “Grand Theft Auto.”

Anyway, what i meant by ‘downfall’ was that everything is falling, like the recent use with Circuit City and them closing hundreds of U.S. stores.

Earlier on today, we reported that in the latest issues of GameInformer it revealed a new rumor saying that they ‘think’ that Rockstar is working on another ‘full retail’ Grand Theft Auto title, Grand Theft Auto V.

But, with in due time, Rockstar was quick to respond saying “[that they] don’t comment on rumour and speculation”, or at least that’s what they told SPOnG. But, if I were you, I wouldn’t be quick to turn my back on this rumor because with the source of the report being unknown it opens up many windows, which makes us very skeptical. Very skeptical indeed…

I’m mean when you look back, before GTA IV, it didn’t take Rockstar that long to release another Grand Theft Auto title after GTA 3 because a year later they revealed Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

]]> http://www.gamercenteronline.net/2009/01/15/rockstar-repones-to-new-gta-rumours/feed/ 0 http://www.gamercenteronline.net/2009/01/15/grand-theft-auto-5-by-holiday-2009/ http://www.gamercenteronline.net/2009/01/15/grand-theft-auto-5-by-holiday-2009/#comments Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:52:08 +0000 Kevin Lee http://www.gamercenteronline.net/?p=5138

In the current issue of GameInformer, in their Loose Talk section, it reveals that they think that RockStar North are working hard on the next Grand Theft Auto installment and they have set an release date for this holiday 2009.

“We’re not talking about new DLC or a collection of previously available DLC, we’re talking about a full retail game,” explains Game Informer. “We expect this title to follow the suit of previous GTAs and use a subtitle such as GTA: San Andreas, etc. Tokyo might be a possible setting for the game, but details are non-existent currently.”

While this intelligence is massive for many,  if you look back down the road we may remember that when Grand Theft Auto 3 was released RockStar Games did managed to get GTA: Vice City in as little as 12 months. Rockstar Games also loves holiday release dates an they have released about eighth games launched in the holiday gaming schedule. A October 2009 release would allow around six months longer than was required for Vice City.

Probably one of the most significant criticisms of the first No More Heroes game was the fact that its “open world” wasn’t really all that “open”. But, when being interview, Goichi “Suda51″ Suda informed that all of that was about to change.

In an interview with GameSetWatch, Suda was asked about his desire to build a true open-world game, much like Grand Theft Auto and Saints Row. He acknowledged that No More Heroes was a step towards realizing his goal (or dream), but, as for the sequel, he said to “expect big changes for No More Heroes 2’s open world.” Which can only point to there being a more entertaining and really free “open world” environment.

He was also willing to give a little light on No More Heroes 2’s story: “In the case of No More Heroes 2, it’s just going to be one story again that takes place after No More Heroes 1.” he continues. “…there are still some heroes left.”

Some of you are probably still enjoying Grand Theft Auto IV, especially if you’re a huge fan of the online component. And if your not playing the online component, or the game all together, here’s a great reason for you to start playing again. Rockstar Games has revealed the upcoming episode for their since released game, Grand Theft Auto IV.

The game was once focused on Niko Bellic, a former Eastern European soldier, now the game has shifted its focus onto a member of a Liberty City bike gang. As I was saying, in the upcoming DLC the game shifts it’s focus onto Johnny Klebitz, member of The Lost biker gang from Liberty City. The new version of the game is entitled Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned and it’s exclusively on the 360 and will be releasing on Feb. 17.

“Making these episodes has enabled us to expand the narrative and the experience of interacting with a game world in really innovative ways,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “We hope fans of the game enjoy the new way of experiencing life in Liberty City contained in this first episode.”

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned requires players to have the full version of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download. Further details, including pricing, will be announced soon.

If your are like me and you haven’t even finished San Andreas on the Playstation 2 or you haven’t even gotten the chance to even finish a Grand Theft Auto game all together, and you own a 360, I have some news for you because you may want to download this. According to Gamersplatform, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is heading to the Xbox 360 as a downloadable Xbox original game. You will be able to download the game for 1200 Microsoft Points which the is equivalent of $15(US). The game will be releasing on Monday and will be available for download via Xbox Live Marketplace.

After months of waiting patiently this month via Nintendo Power details for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars have hit the fan. From taking a look at the pics the first thing that came to mind had to do with the gameplay, and could the lower hardware power handle the complexity of the Nintendo DS or the Grand Theft Auto University or could this franchise be compromised.The answer is very simple to answer and that is no it has not. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown War will feature its classic sandbox style gameplay and to add to the mix a 3D cel-shaded city with a huge array of various cars and a 24 hour different whether affect but it will still bear a M rating from the ESRB. While mission are shorter the game is design for a more frequent play time.There are radio station but instead real music there will be instrumental mainly because MIDI is preference on the DS.

Style controls are to be implement, and aiming will be control by with the pad.You can switch to auto aim by using the R button.User Inference will be handle in an in-game PDA. Players can view their contacts,e-mail,stats,map,GPS, and the music player via the PDA.

According to a report by RPG.tv.com, the upcoming DLC for the 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV will add almost 15 more hours of gameplay to the game. “…I also discovered that the first piece of GTA downloadable content will be arriving in November as well. Very little details were given but I was assured it would be sizeable bringing roughly 15 hours of additional play time” said an writer for RPG.tv.com. We have yet to gain official news about the upcoming DLC being this long until we do you can place this one as a rumor.

According to IGN, they spotted a poster at Rockstar Games Games Convention booth on the show floor and according to the poster Bully: Scholarship Edition will be indeed coming to the PC. They even had a member of the team translate the poster because it was in German just to confirm that it was true. A Rockstar representative went on to say the game should be expected to ship sometime in late October. Their wasn’t any other information given on the game coming to the PC, but the event isn’t over until the fat lady sings on sunday.

Today, Rockstar Games announced that Grand Theft Auto IV will really be headed toward the PC in North America and Europe this November the 18th and 21st. Grand Theft Auto IV was once rumored to be on the PC sometime back, but Rockstar didn’t comment on the rumor. This information was first made public when a PC mag cover which showcased Niko with a news title saying that Grand Theft Auto IV will be headed on to the PC.

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

That rights. Nintendo just revealed Grand Theft Auto for there DS called China Town Wars. There was no word on this game at this time we will keep you updated…….

Here’s some more Details:

“This is a game that will deliver a rich, fast-paced and intense ‘Grand Theft Auto’ experience that will be truly unique to Nintendo’s handheld platform,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “Rockstar Leeds, along with…the….team at Rockstar North, has built upon a decade of progressive design on Grand Theft Auto, and has created something fundamentally fresh and immersive.”

Update 7/16/08 2:00 AM EST: With the use of the DS touch screen, players will navigate their way through the streets as they uncover the truth behind an epic tale.

While EA Redwood Shores is very busy making the upcoming Dead Space, they have also been working on a new game called The Godfather. EA’s CEO John Riccitiello was very nice to share some info on this game here’s what he had to say.

“You can play this game both at the street level, much like a GTA-style game, but you can also play it top-down, almost like you’re in an RTS, controlling the strategy of the boroughs so you can see what’s going on…

It’s a game that I think we’ll be talking a lot about this fall.”

While you may have to this fall,You can make up that time by finshing Grand Theft Auto 4.

And what Hollywood? "The reason why ticket sales are down is because of video games", my butt! According to the Box Office charts, Grand Theft Auto IV is not the only thing that is making the fans go crazy. Today, we got news that Iron Man has made over $100.8 Million in ticket sales, or in other words, alot of money. So maybe next time they should point fingers at the crappy movies for ticket sales going down.

While GTA IV has just landed and that players around the world are going crazy as they play this game. Mafia II, another representative of the genre, has illustrated with a new screenshot that Grand Theft Auto is not the only game of it kind. The screenshot is some what timid but, we can still get the point. The game will be releasing on the Xbox 360 and sony’s PlayStation 3 in the next year or so.

In a speech given at a campaign stop in Indianapolis, Indiana, the senator addressed the problem of children being raised by video games. Here’s what he had to say:

I was just catching the news this morning about Grand Theft Auto, this video game, which is gonna break all records and make goo-gobs of money for whoever designed it. Now, this isn’t intended for kids, although I promise you there are kids who are playing it, but these video games are raising our kids…

Across the board, middle-class, upper-class, working-class kids, they’re spending a huge amount of their time not on their studies, but on entertainment.

And so part of our job is going to have to be to inspire the entire country to say, ‘How are we giving our kids a thirst for knowledge?’ And turning off the TV set, and getting them to be engaged and interested, like their future really does matter on how well they do in school.”

[Obama Name Checks GTA, Says Video Games Are Raising Our Children via Kotaku]

After playing almost four hours of Grand Theft Auto it’s about time we give you our impressions about the game.

If you did not know, Grand theft Auto IV follows the story of Niko Bellic, a veteran of the Bosnian war, who has came to America to follow the America dream (the high life, woman, cars and big houses) and that just the beginning.

At first the game feels as if you have seen it all before but, after 30 min you jabber to yourself then you come to reality and tell yourself that this more then just a brand new game it’s an whole new Grand Theft Auto.

According to an employee at UPS, 3 of the workers were fired for stealing copys of Grand Theft Auto IV from there shipment boxes.

"I spoke to an employee of UPS over the weekend, and he told me that a surprising amount of workers were getting busted stealing the game from the shipment boxes. In one 24-hour period, three workers were fired, and more interviews were scheduled for today that would likely end in termination."

[Grand Theft UPS: copies of GTA stolen via Arstechnica]

Xbox360Achievements.org has posted the achievements for the upcoming game Grand Theft Auto IV. GTA IV follows the story of Nikolai Bellic, who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

	Off The Boat	5
	Complete the first mission.
	One Hundred And Eighty	10
	In a darts game score 180 with 3 darts.
	Pool Shark	10
	Beat a friend at pool.
	King of QUB3D	15
	Beat the High Score in QUB3D.
	Finish Him	15
	Complete 10 melee counters in 4 minutes.
	Genetically Superior	25
	Come first in 20 singleplayer street races.
	Wheelie Rider	30
	Do a wheelie lasting at least 500 feet on a motorbike.
	Gobble Gobble	10
	Score 3 strikes in a row, a turkey, in 10-pin bowling.
	Driving Mr. Bellic	10
	Unlock the special ability of taxi.
	Rolled Over	30
	Do 5 car rolls in a row from one crash.
	Walk Free	50
	Lose a 4 star wanted rating by outrunning the cops.
	Courier Service	10
	Complete all 10 package delivery jobs.
	Retail Therapy	10
	Unlock the special ability of buying guns from a friend.
	Chain Reaction	20
	You must blow up 10 vehicles in 10 seconds.
	One Man Army	40
	Survive 5 minutes on 6 star wanted level.
	Lowest Point	5
	Complete mission “Roman’s Sorrow”.
	Order Fulfilled	10
	Complete all 10 Exotic Export orders.
	Manhunt	15
	Complete the most wanted side missions from the police computer.
	Cleaned The Mean Streets	20
	Capture 20 criminals through the police computer.
	Fed The Fish	5
	Complete the mission “Uncle Vlad”.
	It’ll Cost Ya	5
	Complete a taxi ride without skipping from one island to another.
	Sightseer	5
	Fly on all helicopter tours of Liberty City.
	Warm Coffee	5
	Successfully date a girl to be invited into her house.
	That’s How We Roll!	10
	Unlock the special ability of helicopter.
	Half Million	55
	Reach a balance of $500,000.
	Impossible Trinity	10
	Complete mission “Museum Piece”.
	Full Exploration	20
	Unlock all the islands.
	You Got The Message	20
	Deliver all 30 cars ordered through text message.
	Dare Devil	30
	Complete 100% of the unique stunt jumps.
	Assassin’s Greed	20
	Complete all 9 assassin missions.
	Endangered Species	50
	Collect every hidden package in the game.
	Under The Radar	40
	Fly underneath the main bridges in the game that cross water with a helicopter.
	Dial B For Bomb	10
	Unlock the special ability of phoning for a bomb to be placed.
	Gracefully Taken	10
	Complete mission “I’ll Take Her”.
	Liberty City (5)	20
	After meeting all possible friends, the ones left alive all like you above 90%.
	No More Strangers	5
	Meet all random characters.
	That Special Someone	10
	Complete mission “That Special Someone”.
	You Won!	60
	Complete the final mission.
	Liberty City Minute	30
	Complete the story missions in less than 30 hours.
	Key To The City	100
	Achieve 100% in “Game progress” statistic.
	Teamplayer	10
	Kill 5 players who are not in your team, in any ranked multiplayer team game.
	Cut Your Teeth	5
	Earn a personal rank promotion in multiplayer.
	Join The Midnight Club	10
	Win a ranked multiplayer race without damaging your vehicle too much and with damage enabled.
	Fly The Co-op	15
	Beat our time in ranked versions of “Deal Breaker”, “Hangman’s NOOSE” and “Bomb da Base II”.
	Taking It For The Team	10
	Be on the winning team in all ranked multiplayer team games.
	Top Of The Food Chain	10
	Kill 20 players with a pistol in a ranked multiplayer deathmatch.
	Top The Midnight Club	20
	Come first in 20 different ranked standard multiplayer races.
	Wanted	20
	Achieve the highest personal rank in multiplayer.
	Auf Wiedersehen Petrovic	30
	Win all ranked multiplayer variations, all races and “Cops ‘n Crooks”, as both sides.
	Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie	10
	Kill a Rockstar developer in a ranked multiplayer match.

Senator Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo), the author of California’s law attempting to prohibit the sale of extremely violent video games to minors, today urged parents to avoid purchasing the latest graphically violent video game – Grand Theft Auto IV – scheduled for release on Tuesday, April 29. GTA IV, the newest in the ultra-violent video game series, is expected to be the year’s most popular game despite its rating of M for adult audiences.

"It is imperative that parents avoid purchasing this game for their children and always review the video games their children are playing," said Yee, who is also a child psychologist. "Unfortunately, the makers of Grand Theft Auto have a history of deceiving the ratings board and the public on the true content of their games. Parents beware: this game undoubtedly glorifies violence, is extremely realistic and designed for adults only."

In June 2005, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and GTA’s creator Rockstar, were involved in a multi-million dollar scandal called "Hot Coffee," in which Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a game originally rated M by the ESRB, was found to have hidden animations allowing players to watch graphic scenes of oral sex, nudity, and simulated intercourse. The scandal resulted in the game being pulled from most store shelves, a $2.75 million class-action settlement, and the stocks of the Rockstar’s parent company (Take Two Interactive) losing nearly half their value.

The ESRB rates a game based solely on a short video clip and information supplied by the game’s maker and does not actually play or review the full content of the game. While M-rated games are designed for adults, there is no prohibition to selling such games to children. In fact, the Federal Trade Commission reports that 42 percent of unaccompanied children 13 to 16 years of age can successfully purchase M-rated games.

In addition, a recent report by the National Institute on Media & the Family found complacency among retailers, parents and the gaming industry regarding video game rating awareness, enforcement and usage. Among the report’s highlights was a retailer grade of C-, with national retailers receiving a D and rental stores collecting a failing (F) grade. The game industry as a whole received a C and the ESRB received a C+.

Please note: this is a press release

Thanks to Cory for pointing this out, a memder of GT posted the first 20 mins of the game. This comes after all the leaked video which appeared yesterday and are still appearing today. GTA IV follows the story of Nikolai Bellic, who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Many people have been waiting to see this and I will let you know that we got it and don’t care about what anyone eles has to say about it. You can see the leaked intro video the upcoming game Grand Theft Auto IV, with all it’s goodness.

GTA IV follows the story of Nikolai Bellic, who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Realtime Worlds announced today, that it has raised $50 million USD in Series B funding. Maverick Capital, the renowned investment firm founded by Lee Ainslie, led the new investment round with existing investor New Enterprise Associates and WPP, a world leader in marketing communications services. The Series B investment will support Realtime Worlds’ continued growth and expansion as the company develops new creative properties and brings innovative online gaming experiences to market.

“Securing funding of this size from partners that are leading the financial and marketing communications industries further affirms Realtime Worlds’ position as one of the most creative, respected and successful game development companies in the world,” said David Jones, founder and CEO, Realtime Worlds. “Since our founding, we have been fortunate to have some of the gaming industry’s top creative talent crafting amazing, groundbreaking interactive entertainment products. With this new infusion of capital, Realtime Worlds is poised to deliver new original experiences to gamers around the globe and to push the boundaries of online gaming.”

Source

One of the many members of youtube has posted the real Intro Grand Theft Auto IV, GTA IV you follows the story of Nikolai Bellic, who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Update 4/23/08: This appears to be not real you can see the real video by clicking on these words.

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Rockstar Games revealed screenshots for the online mode upcoming game Grand Theft Auto IV coming this April. Grand Theft Auto IV follows the story of Nikolai Bellic who has come to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream. Grand Theft Auto IV the game is powered by the RAGE game engine and will be releasing worldwide on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.