It’s here! The official trailer for Grand Theft Auto V. It’s alittle over a minute and 20 seconds, and shows a game set in Los Santos and perhaps even other parts of the fictional California.

Rumors have indicated that the next Grand Theft Auto title will be located in San Andreas, the series’ fictional version of Los Angeles. Now, according to Kotaku, sources close to the development team have confirmed these rumors to be true.

In addition, these sources have also revealed that Grand Theft Auto V will feature multiple playable characters, a first in the series. With that said, the option for multiple characters is something that fits within the series’ natural evolution — because the cities have always been detailed with the stories of multiple characters.

Next week, on November 2nd, Rockstar Games will be debuting trailer for the fifth major installment in the Grand Theft Auto series, according to the developer’s website. But, unfortunately, no details where revealed about the forthcoming project.

According to multiple reports, Team Bondi, the Australian studio known for L.A. Noire, owes its employees more than one million dollars, which is a fitting epitaphs to its already enormous amount of employment issues.

Following the reports of its shady employment practices, an insider is tipping that Team Bondi’s boss was something of an insufferable martinet. That insider, Brendan McNamara, has largest slate of that one million dollars in unpaid compensation. In addition, Depth Analysis, which created the game’s animation technology, is owed more than $140,000.

However, Team Bondi is currently being liquidated by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and the proceeds will go to pay outstanding claims held by McNamara, employees and other creditors.

There’s been absolutely nothing mentioned about the upcoming project — it’s been delayed a couple of times, then it stopped showing on release calenders. However, Rockstar Games has gone on the offensive; tweeting a simple, definitive message: “he’s coming.”

Rockstar released the first in a series of videos for L.A. Noire, the upcoming interactive detective drama. The video showcases shootouts, investigations, hand-to-hand combat, chasing suspects and more.

Using state-of-art motion capturing technologies, L.A. Noire, the much-anticipated detective drama, relates a story of “deception” and “investigation” in a plot to uncover a series of gruesome murders.

Industry analyst Doug Creutz believes that Red Dead Redemption will hit atleast 4 million units within its first year on the market.

“Red Dead has been perched at the top of the online retailer best seller lists for several weeks now, and we believe it is poised for breakout success,” he stated. “Although this positions Red Dead to be another core franchise for Take-Two, given the time between Rockstar franchise iterations, it is possible we might not see another Red Dead title until the next console cycle.”

Publisher Take-Two Interactive has regularly been criticized for not being profitable in its non-GTA years, so the company is pinning its hopes on Red Dead Redemption. However, Wedbush analyst Micheal Panther isn’t sure Red Dead Redemption qualifies as “blockbuster” material.

“I’m sure that the quality of Red Dead Redemption is extraordinary, and I expect the game to garner review scores of around 90. Whether the game is a blockbuster franchise will depend upon whether the game resonates with a large segment of the market,” Panther stated.

Rockstar has received a larger amount of heat because of the recent in-house work condition accusations, which is something that Rockstar has declined to comment about. However, its employees/ex-employees have been very candid on the matter. According to Joystiq, a former employee told to them that the in-house conflict has affected the development of Max Payne.

When discussing Max Payne’s release, the former employee revealed that Rockstar had planned on releasing Max Payne “August 2010″, but they aren’t sure if that will still happen. “The game’s story just went through another total re-write earlier this month (the third that I am aware of in the past two years) and that [means] the team would have to have all of the content done by April or May to make that August release date,” said the source.

The source also reports of an “enforced crunch mode through to the end of the project”, meaning “14 – 16 hour work days, six or seven days a week” for developers, with a canceled two-week vacation time over the holidays. However, Rockstar has, unsurprising, declined to comment on anything, once again. Max Payne 3 is due to release later this year, however, that release target is still in the question.

When you think about racing video games, one of the first games that come to mind would be Midnight Club. However, when conducting an investigation of Rockstar San Diego — because of the recent work condition accusations — anonymous sources (within the company, of course) spoke about Midnight Club’s future.

“Jay Panek and Mark Garone, people who were at the company for over 10 years, were fired in 2009 after the completion of Midnight Club: LA … other major people quit, as they lost hope in the company after the handling of MC:LA and didn’t want to work on Red Dead Redemption,” reported one source.

When questioned about the possibility of there being another title, a second source relayed to Joystiq that “there was going to be another”. But, soon after the team got the news, they had been outsourced. However, at the time, a small development team were still developing the title. Then, after a while, nothing happen. So anything could, and would, happen to the Midnight Club series at this point, seeing that Take-Two, its big brother, wants something soon.

Last week, Rockstar narrowed the release target of Red Dead Redemption to April and teased at a new trailer. That said, today, Rockstar San Diego released the new trailer entitled “My Name Is John Marston” for Red Dead Redemption, giving a more pacific release target then April, “April 27, 2010″.

Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. At the center of all of this maddest is John Marston, a former outlaw caught up in the uncertain times.

For years, Rockstar have been keen on reminding its investors of the money-making potential of its Red Dead Revolver franchise. Back in February, the publisher announced Red Dead Redemption, the sequel to its first western shoot ‘em up. However, since the announcement, Redemption has been pushed into 2010; with no announcement of its new release date. But, that’s all about change.

With a lot of heavy hitters, hitting within the first quarter of 2010, Rockstar has announced that Red Dead Redemption will release on both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in April, that’s within the exact same time-frame. However, if that wasn’t enough, the publisher also announced that a new trailer will premiere on December 1 for Red Dead Redemption.

“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.”

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.

Today, Rockstar revealed a new character that will be featured in Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, Yusuf Amir – who is obviously a main character in the game – via a trailer.

The exclusive 360 episode, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, will put players in the role of Luis Lopez, as his part-time hoodlum duties are supplemented by full-time work for nightclub impresario Tony “Gay Tony” Prince. The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Xbox LIVE this October for $19.99 or 1600 MS points and requires players to have Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download.

Rockstar has revealed that Lazlow, the lovable talk show host, will be making a return in the latest expansion of Grand Theft Auto IV, The Ballad of Gay Tony, with new content. Lazlow is the host of radio station Integrity 2.0 in Grand Theft Auto IV, and also had some new content in The Lost and Damned. That’s all we know so far.

Increasing the presents of the game, Rockstar revealed a new character that will be featured in Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, Tony “Gay Tony” Prince – who is obviously a main character in the game – via a trailer.

The exclusive 360 episode, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, will put players in the role of Luis Lopez, as his part-time hoodlum duties are supplemented by full-time work for nightclub impresario Tony “Gay Tony” Prince. The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Xbox LIVE this October for $19.99 or 1600 MS points and requires players to have Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download.

With its anticipated release next month, fans have been waiting for a chance to finally see The Ballad of Gay Tony in action ever since it was announced back in May. That’s why Rockstar has announced today that they’ll doing exactly that, and have released the first ever trailer for The Ballad Of Gay Tony, “You’ll Always Be The King Of This Town”.

The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Xbox LIVE this October for $19.99 or 1600 MS points and requires players to have Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download.

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.

Rockstar have been quite and it hasn’t said much about much about newest expansion to Grand Theft Auto IV, The Ballad of Gay Tony, ever since it was announced back in May. However, in recent weeks, they have been going all out, even releasing the first pair of screenshots and its release date. In this coming week, you’ll get to see more.

On Tuesday, September 1, they’ll finally release the first trailer for The Ballad of Gay Tony, which will be featured with the Episodes from Liberty City trailer.  The Episodes from Liberty City is a disc-based version featuring both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony add-ons for Xbox 360. Once again, the trailer will release on Tuesday, September 1.

Presented by Timbaland and developed by the studio behind Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Rockstar Games has revealed that its music application, Beaterator, will release in North America on September 29 for the PlayStation Portable and the PlayStation Network. But, that’s not all. They even released a video of Timbaland showing the game – shown below.

“I’ve worked closely with Rockstar Games to make something completely unique,” said Timbaland. “Beaterator is like taking my music studio and turning it into a suite of tools anyone can use. We can’t wait to hear the beats people make and share with the world.”

Initially created in 2005 as a Flash application on Rockstar’s website, Beaterator quickly took on a life of its own. Featuring thousands of loops and sounds made by both Timbaland and Rockstar, Beaterator puts the power to make professional-level music at your fingertips in a format that’s portable, accessible and fun.

Updated: The episodic content will also arrive on a disc along with previous DLC episode, The Lost and Damned, as Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City, only on 360, and set to release on Oct. 29 for $39.99 and does not require a
copy of the original Grand Theft Auto IV to play.

Original: GTA IV’s second and latest piece of exclusive downloadable content for the Xbox 360, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Oct. 29, Rockstar Games announced today.

The Ballad of Gay Tony focuses on the glitzy “high-end night life” of Liberty City. And puts players in the role of Luis Lopez, as his part-time hoodlum duties are supplemented by full-time work for nightclub impresario Tony “Gay Tony” Prince.

The DLC will release for Microsoft’s console this fall for $19.99, or 1600 MS points, and will require players to have a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV and an Xbox Live membership in order to download it.

[Next Grand Theft Auto DLC Hits Oct. 29 [Update] via Kotaku]

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.”

Remember Gay Tony? Well, now you can’t forget. Rockstar Games today announced that the second round of downloadable content for GTA IV is entitled The Ballad of Gay Tony.

In contrast to the seedy biker gang expansion that is The Lost and Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony is said to focus on the glitzy “high-end night life” of Liberty City. The exclusive 360 episode will put players in the role of Luis Lopez, as his part-time hoodlum duties are supplemented by full-time work for nightclub impresario Tony “Gay Tony” Prince.

“Liberty City is the most vibrant game world we’ve created yet. The episodic structure has allowed us to interweave stories, gameplay and atmosphere in a whole new way,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games.

“The team at Rockstar North have yet again surpassed themselves, and made something that is both epic and very innovative. This episode’s focus on high-end night life contrasts with the biker gangs portrayed in The Lost and Damned, whilst giving us a lot of new gameplay possibilities.”

The DLC will release for Microsoft’s console this fall for $19.99, or 1600 MS points, and will require players to have a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV and an Xbox Live membership in order to download it.

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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.”

Weesnaw. If you love horses and shooting up old school Texan baddies, you’ll love this. Rockstar’s Dan Houser has confirmed with IGN that Red Dead Redemption’s multiplayer mode will feature Horses, Stagecoaches, and Trains.

“Charging around on horses and stagecoaches and trains, shooting each other in a multiplayer world,” said Houser. “It’s pretty epic, but it’s not finalized to talk about in any more detail than that. We’re still learning a lot as we learn how to do multiplayer games successfully.”

He continues to state that their mistakes learned from Grand Theft Auto IV will be applied to its upcoming western.

“We definitely feel there’s something really fun about third-person multiplayer games, just as we feel there’s something really fun with third-person single-player games,” he continued. “Even between GTA IV and the Lost and Damned we made quite a leap forward in how the games were structured and how they played and I think we’re looking to do that again with everything we do going forward.”

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.”

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-

Max Payne 3 is scheduled to hit the PC, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 this winter – which Rockstar Games announced this morning.

The game, Max Panye 3, will stars series know main character, Max Payne, in where he has now lefted New York and his job at the NYPD behind. When openning this new area in his life, he is somehow betrayed and “trapped [with]in a city full of violence” – sounds like a typical day in the life of Max Payne.

However, it now appears like if we’d be getting older Max Payne, much like what happen to Snake in Metal Gear.

“We’re starting a new chapter of Max’s life with this game. This is Max as we’ve never seen him before, a few years older, more world-weary and cynical than ever. We experience the downward spiral of his life after the events of Max Payne 2 and witness his last chance for salvation.”

Since leaving the NYPD and New York itself behind, Max has drifted from bad to worse. Double-crossed and a long way from home, Max is now trapped in a city full of violence and bloodshed, using his weapons and instincts in a desperate search for the truth and a way out.

Its been ten months since the release of Grand Theft Auto IV and it looks like its developers, Rockstar Games, are finally ready to put their latest work to the test in GTA IV: The Lost and Damned. But, this time we will not be taking on the role of Niko Bellic, the leading man in the Grand Theft Auto IV. You’ll be taking on the role of Johnny ‘The Jew’ Klebitz, the Vice President of The Lost (MC), which is one of the three known big Biker Gangs in the Liberty City.

Sadly, unlike some of Rockstar’s other characters, Johnny really isn’t one of those characters in where you’ll gain a strong bond with. Basically, the DLC is all about John and his gang. BOY his gang is just a group of jerks. REALLY. When we were playing through the title, we found out that Rockstar tried hard to match some of the events that happen in Grand Theft Auto IV that they just didn’t give you enough time to gain a bond with the characters in the DLC. Making the characters look like they do what they do just because they can. However, what they did manage to do right is the game’s presentation. Talk about the ability to keep busy. Not only did they add a hand full of weapons to the mix, but they also added an interesting new race type in were you use a bat to hit your opponent off their bike if they get too close. But, one thing they messed up on in the games presentation is the new grain filter. It really makes the city look ugly, but it really does fit the kind of story they were trying to tell. On the other hand, they did add in a new group of games to play and trust us when we say that it isn’t a waste of time.

Sadly, the character models in the title don’t have that ground breaking amazement like they did when GTA IV, when it was first released, but they are still very detailed. Once again, the grain filter isn’t something that I would want to play this game with, but you can’t do anything about it. This makes me mad because it makes the city look alot on the bad side. Also, the vehicles in the game have received an update and, boy, was it a great step for the developers to make. It makes everything fun and easy to control.

Another great part about the DLC is the added additional Tunes, Talk Shows and Television Shows which prove that this title is a ‘BIG Bang’ for your 20 bucks. The Stations are freaking awesome! I even spent about ten minutes just sitting there in my vehicle tuned into ‘The Beat 102.7′ checking to see what was the update with Busta Rhymes’ ‘If your car ain’t right, homie you ain’t right’. Also, there are new Television Shows. It’s just that they aren’t that entertaining, but it’s there if you want to watch it.

The multi-player is still there with added content like weapons and vehicles. But, I don’t know what it is, when you get into a good match with willing players, you’ll have one of the best mutli-player experience there is. However, one thing I wished that they had updated was the cover system. Just like the single player, you can be easy pickings when you don’t attach to the right cover spot in the right way.

Closing Statement:

The Lost and Damned will go down, in at least our book, as one of the greatest download contents ever made because it has all the things that great DLCs are made of: great content and great acting all around. And for 20 dollars it’s one of the best items you can find on Xbox Live Marketplace, which is saying alot. There’s only one thing I wished they did and that is adding the ability for you to go back and play Grand Theft Auto IV instead of you having to re-download it every time you play Grand Theft Auto IV. Also, they should have given the player a little more back story into the members of ‘The Lost’.

Score: A

In celebration of the release of the first Downloadable Content for Grand Theft Auto 4, Microsoft has announced a week free of multi-player for Grand Theft Auto 4. The experience will give players the chance to play for a total six days, all together – no more or less.

The deal will start from 9 AM on February 17 and continuing until midnight of February 22 for only players with the ability to access Xbox Live.

The company has planned a full slate of Xbox Live events during the time period including a chance to play the game online with members of the development team at Rockstar Games.

After being rumored a thousand times, it seems that Rockstar games has finally announced this morning a sequel to 2004′s Red Dead Revolver.

The game Red Dead Redemption will tell the story of ex-outlaw John Marston at the turn of the 20th century when the “lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age.” The uses the power of the RAGE engine, which we have seen the games like Grand Theft Auto IV.

“Along the way, players will experience the heat of gunfights and battles, meet a host of unique characters, struggle against the harshness of one of the world’s last remaining wildernesses, and ultimately pick their own precarious path through an epic story about the death of the Wild West and the gunslingers that inhabited it.”

“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.”

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.

Rockstar Games have revealed a list of the achievements for the downloadable content that will be apart of Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned. Along with the achievements they also revealed a new screenshot showcasing the game’s protagonist Johnny Klebitz holding a shotgun.

Get Good Wood – 50G: In the Bike Races, whack off 69 bikers with a bat.
Easy Rider – 100G: Finish The Story
Full Chat – 70G: Your backup are riding at their best!
The Lost Boy – 25G: All hail the leader of The Lost!
One Percenter – 5G: Billy is back on his bike.

[The Lost and Damned achievements + new screenshot via GTAGaming]

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/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=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.

Once again, this years show just keeps on surprising me, but one thing that didn’t surprise was the trailer GTA IV: The Lost And Damned, because I already knew that it was coming. Anyway, the trailer really did show a new side of the GTA seires, but it did find away to keep its style. But, I’m not going to say that I’m completely happy with the trailer, but man was it a great showing.

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.

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.

As many of us may already know this holiday season, if you are a gamer, you may need to take a loan on something because man are you going to need it. Well, with many release date given for almost every week of the holiday season it looks like if Rockstar wants you to take sometime off so that you can really beat one of the many games you are to buy before you buy another. Today, Take Two has decided postponed two of the upcoming Midnight Club games, Midnight Club: LA and the PSP spin-off Midnight Club: LA Remix. The release dates are now changed from October 7 to a few week later, October 21.

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.”

Due out in October for the Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3, Saints Row 2 continues to reveal it self to us through some new screenshots. Some of the screenshots are just as amazing as the trailer we saw sometime back, so we know that THQ is cooking up something good. The game even mocked Grand Theft Auto IV in a video, which compared the games to one another. You can view the images below:

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.

Rockstar Games announced that the Midnight Club: Los Angeles released has been pushed to October 7, 2008 this date also come’s in effect for the PSP version. Along with this delay they where nice to grace us with some new screenshots.

Rockstar Games announces new release date for Midnight Club: Los Angeles on the Xbox 360® and PLAYSTATION® 3 and Midnight Club: LA Remix for the PSP®
Open-world street racing series debuts on October 7th and 10th in North America and Europe, respectively

New York, NY – July 3, 2008 – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO) today announced a new release date for the fourth installment of its critically-acclaimed and genre-defining Midnight Club franchise, Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Set for release on October 7th in North America and October 10th in Europe and developed by series creator Rockstar San Diego, Midnight Club: Los Angeles will give gamers the unprecedented freedom to race through a hyper-realistic LA.

Rockstar San Diego has created a beautiful rendition of Los Angeles to race through at break neck speeds and explore at your own pace. With no tracks and no load times, Midnight Club: Los Angeles offers the ultimate freedom to play however you choose.

Also scheduled for release simultaneously, Midnight Club: LA Remix for the PSP® system will provide another incredible portable racing experience. Developed by Rockstar London, the game will take full advantage of the hardware to deliver the unrivaled sense of speed and style that the best-selling Midnight Club series is known for.

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.

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.

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.

Rockstar Games is proud to announce the fourth installment of its critically-acclaimed and genre-defining Midnight Club franchise, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, is set for release on September 9th in North America and September 12th in Europe. Developed by series creator Rockstar San Diego, Midnight Club: Los Angeles will give gamers the unprecedented freedom to race through a hyper-realistic LA.

“From the beginning, Midnight Club has been about street racing in a open-world,” said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. “With our team at Rockstar San Diego we have developed a game that we feel once again pushes the boundaries and expectations of what a racing game can be.”

Whether driving by the beach or beating the competition by cutting through a parking garage at 200 mph, Midnight Club: Los Angeles provides a seamless, breathtaking environment for everyone who loves to compete. With no load times, no tracks, and no rules, the game allows players to race who they want, when they want, and where they want in an unbelievable recreation of Los Angeles.

“People are going to be blown away when they see how true-to-life Los Angeles looks in this game,” said Jay Panek, Midnight Club Producer Rockstar San Diego. “We’ve added some great twists and turns that let players experience the authentic vibe and feel of the city at blistering speeds that you simply couldn’t get away with in real life.”

A racing game is nothing without the great cars and Midnight Club: Los Angeles allows extensive customization of vehicles for both performance and appearance. Players can now fully personalize their officially licensed imports, tuners, classic muscle cars and motorcycles both inside and out with a dizzying array of licensed rims, spoilers, interior gauges, tires and more.

Source: Rockstar Games

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.

Today Rockstar Games released three new screenshots for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV coming this April. These screenshots where exclusive to a few other gaming blog but was released in full size. 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.

(You can click on the images to see them in there full page glory)

Hot off the press this morning from Rockstar Games the new Box art for the upcoming game Midnight Club: Los Angeles coming to the Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3.