Rockstar Games has officially announced the first details of the first downloadable content for the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto 4. It will not be released this holiday season, but now has a definite release date – February 17, 2009.
Dubbed “The Lost and Damned”, the DLC will introduce a new character and feature a plot that intersects with the main storyline of the original game. It will also include new multiplayer modes, weapons, music, vehicles and more.
No pricing was announced, but four screenshots were released.
Rockstar has revealed some details on the video editor that will be included in the upcoming PC edition of Grand Theft Auto 4 due out this December. There are screenshots and videos of the movie editor on the game’s website, showing how you will be able to splice together in-game movies, add ittles, transitions and music to your own GTA film.
The studio even offers some sample machinima movies set in Liberty City, showing off various activities including driving, shooting and spying on girls. You will be able to upload your own clips and view others’ movies on Rockstar’s Social Club once the game launches.
Eurogamer reports that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will features four of the five neighborhoods presented in GTA 4. All boroughs except Alderney will be present in the game.
The site also notes that the game will have a PDA with a GPS system for keeping track of missions and navigating the streets of Liberty. The touchscreen will be used for this, along with radio and controls for talking to people.
Additionally, the camera can be rotated through a full 360 degrees, despite the game being played from a top-down perspective.
Chinatown Wars is due out in Spring 2009 exclusively on DS.
Looking to talk smack and put down game developers? You’ll get your chance soon, as Rockstar and Microsoft are hosting an event for Midnight Club: Los Angeles, the recently released racer, on November 16.
Starting from 4 and lasting till 7pm EST, you’ll get your chance against a group of Rockstar developers. Also, from 7-9pm EST, you will also have the chance to race against MURS, an LA-based rapper.
With the year nearing its end, Grand Theft Auto 4 producer Dan Houser revealed that the promised Xbox 360-exclusive downloadable content may not be released this year despite persistent statements and rumors.
"I’m not sure. It’s going well. But we don’t know a date," he said, adding that they are still “figuring out a few things” and that they are “more focused on quality than dates.”
The first of two downloadable expansion packs for the game had previously been expected to launch this fall. Houser notes that they hope to announce a release date in the coming weeks.
Following rumors that the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV may be receiving more than the two formally announced exclusive pieces of downloadable content, Rockstar set the record straight, stating that there are no plans to release any more content for either version.
The company recently delayed the game to sometime next year. This has pushed back the second content pack, which is now expected in 2009.
In related news, MCV claims that sources close to Take-Two has told them that the game will be released in the UK on April 25, though it is yet to be confirmed.
It appears that the BBFC does NOT want Manhunt 2 to be released in the UK. The ratings board has applied for a judicial review of the recent VAC decision that allowed the game to be classified. Here’s the deal:
The BBFC is contesting the VAC judgement because in the Board’s view, it is based on an approach to harm which is an incorrect interpretation of the Video Recordings Act. The VAC judgement, if allowed to stand, would have fundamental implications with regard to all the Board’s decisions, including those turning upon questions of unacceptable levels of violence. If the VAC’s decision is suspended, then the game will not be classified before the outcome of the Judicial Review.
Though the game was released in the US this Halloween, Manhunt 2 is yet to be released on the other side of the pond as BBFC still denied the title a classification. However, the regulations board has considered an appeal by Rockstar to take a look at the game once more. Their judgment will be carried out soon, they note in the press release.
“The BBFC exercises great vigilance and care in ensuring that all violent games which are submitted to us are correctly classified. Our decisions are based on published guidelines, which are the result of very wide public consultation. The Board also provides very full content information to the public, including parents, about the videogames which it classifies. We recently launched a new website for parents, PBBFC, in addition to the main website and our websites for children and students.“The BBFC twice rejected Manhunt 2 for its focus on varied and cumulative killings. We recognize that rejection is a very serious step, in which the desire of publishers to market their games, and that of gamers to buy them, must be balanced against the public interest, including the full range of possible harm risks to vulnerable individuals and to any children who may be wrongly exposed to such games. Such balancing judgements are inevitably complex and multi-faceted, and are made only after very careful consideration of the contents of a work. We played Manhunt 2 for well over 30 hours prior to our decision.
The Board recognizes that the available research findings on the effects of video games (including positive as well as harmful effects) are varied and contested. But we continue to believe that a broad approach to the possible risks is needed, which goes beyond purely behavioural harm, and which also takes account of other possible effects on the sensibilities and attitudes of individuals.”
In a surprise move, Rockstar Games has announced that it will release its Table Tennis game for the Wii this Fall. Previously exclusive to the Xbox 360, the game is being developed by Rockstar Leeds in collaboration with Rockstar San Diego and will make use of the motion-sensitive Wii remote.
“Ever since we released Table Tennis, fans have been asking us to create a Wii version,” said Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games. “By bringing Table Tennis to the Wii and utilizing the motion-sensitive Wii Remote, a new audience can now experience a game that is beautifully designed and impossible to put down.”
No other information or media were released.
Speaking to Game Politics, industry analyst Michael Pachter commented that Rockstar’s school life adventure game Bully won’t be receiving a sequel. The reason? Sluggish sales. The game sold over 800,000 units, and even though that’s quite a lot, it cost Take-Two close to $15 million in R&D, implying that they “did no better than to break even.”
If what he says becomes true (the “no sequel” part) then Bully would be the only Rockstar property not to get a follow up. Those who played Bully will tell you how great a game it is, including the critics. So, it’d seem stupid not to create a sequel. Let’s hope Take-Two sanctions a sequel for us fans and not just look at the money.
Our favorite lunatic, Jack Thompson, had sent out a mass-email to various news outlets, stating his plans to protest the release of Grand Theft Auto IV. Apparently, he will take “various means to prohibit” the sale of the game to minors, but most surprisingly, he specifically targeted Bill Gates: “Please have your lawyers [Microsoft chairman Bill Gates', that is] contact me in order that such sales will be prevented.”
He also added: “I and others will endeavor to stop Microsoft from participating in any fashion, directly or indirectly, in such sales to minors.”
Grand Theft Auto IV is slated for release this October on both PS3 and Xbox 360.
We have all seen and read those ‘top 10 of 2006′ lists, but, besides editorial GOTY awards, which games have been the most important of 2006? USA Today has the answer: it lists the ten best-selling games of the past year, which unsurprisingly includes three EA titles. The best-selling title is obviously a sports game - Madden NFL 07 -followed by New Super Mario Bros. and Kingdom Hearts II. Rockstar sneaked in GTA: Liberty City Stories; Square Enix got in Final Fantasy XII and the aforementioned Disney-RPG; and Ubi got one of the coveted spots with GRAW. Hyped to be the ’system-seller’ for Xbox 360, Gears of War sold well enough in just two months to guarantee itself a spot as one of the best-selling games of 2006. There are already talks of a sequel, as well as a trilogy.
Here’s the full list, with platform and publisher:
- Madden NFL 07 (PS2) EA
- New Super Mario Bros. (DS) Nintendo
- Kingdom Hearts II (PS2) Square Enix
- Gears of War (Xbox 360) Microsoft
- Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter (Xbox 360) Ubisoft
- Final Fantasy XII (PS2) Square Enix
- Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (PS2) Rockstar
- NCAA Football 07 (PS2) EA
- Madden NFL 07 (Xbox 360) EA
- Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day! (DS) Nintendo
Rockstar Games has announced that The Warriors, already out on PS2 and Xbox, will be making its way to the PSP this Holiday season. It is being handled by Rockstar Leeds in conjunction with Rockstar Toronto.
“We set out to create a highly sophisticated portable game that delivers a visceral experience previously unseen on the PSP system,” stated Sam Houser, Founder and Executive Producer of Rockstar Games. “We are looking forward to setting the definitive bar for the brawler genre on the PSP system by delivering an extremely stylish and exceptionally deep experience.”
The word ‘exclusive’ just doesn’t mean ‘exclusive’ anymore and if Grand Theft Auto IV is taken as an example, it doesn’t mean anything at all. At last year’s E3, Microsoft announced the development of the game for both the PS3 and Xbox 360; along with word that it will be released on the company’s console on day one and will also be host to exclusive bonus content, seemingly making it superior to the PS3 version. That doesn’t seem to be the case any longer as EuroGamer cites a source “close to Rockstar North” that the studio is working on “exclusive supplemental content for both systems, which will be made available for download via Microsoft and Sony’s respective online services.”
The report goes on, saying that we can expect the “same deal” on PS3, except that it’ll be unique to its own platform. As per the source, the downloadable content will feature brand new areas which will link into the main game world.
It is not known whether this is true or not, as no official word from either Rockstar or Take-Two (its publisher) was released. But rest assured, further information can be expected closer to the game’s release next year. GTA IV is scheduled for release on both PS3 and Xbox 360 in October 2007.
This year’s X06 saw a couple of big announcements from Microsoft. Very big announcements. Let’s check them out:
- Peter Jackson, who is currently associated with the upcoming Halo movie, Academy Award-winning screenwriter Fran Walsh and Microsoft Game Studios have teamed up to create two new games exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. The first series will be a collaborative with Bungie to co-create the next game in the Halo universe, while the second series will be a completely new IP. Additionally, they have also partnered up to form Wingnut Interactive, the studio which will dedicate itself to bringing these series’ to the next-gen console.
- Besides the Wingnut Halo game, Ensemble Studios is working on Halo Wars, a new real-time strategy game based on the legendary universe. Before you cry foul, keep in mind that these guys are behind the Age of Empires franchise, which has been a solid series so far. The game is entirely exclusive to Xbox 360.
For more information, check out the game’s website which hosts a cinematic trailer, as well as these screen grabs from the trailer.
- Hoping to make a dent in Sony’s future, Microsoft revealed that the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV will receive two exclusive downloadable, “epic” episodes via Xbox Live, each with many hours of entirely new gameplay. These episodes will be available just months after the game’s release next year.
Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game will ship at the same time in October 2007.
- In a move that is very uncharacteristic of Ubisoft, the publisher confirmed that the next Splinter Cell title after Double Agent will be a console-exclusive on Xbox 360. It will also be released on PC for those without the console.
- Yes, BioShock is also exclusive to the console. It’s on PC as well.
- Banjo-Kazooie is back, courtesy of Rare! Another exclusive to Xbox 360, the title will feature the much beloved characters, who, according to the press release, will thankfully retain their “sharp wit and hilarious sense of humor.”
- Another exclusive: Marvel Universe Online. In development at Cryptic Studios, the game will also be released for Windows Vista.
- Everyone saw this coming, but not this soon: Project Gotham Racing 4. The game was unveiled at the show, though it is not expected until late next year, or 2008.
- id Software’s DOOM and Codemasters’ Sensible World of Soccer are now available on Xbox Live Arcade.
- And finally, the Xbox 360 HD-DVD player will be released in North America, UK, France and Germany this November. It will retail for $200 in North America and €200/£130 in U.K., France and Germany. The player will also come with a copy of King Kong on HD-DVD and the Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.
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