Grand Theft Auto posts (Subscribe to this feed)

When Take-Two Interactive Chairman Strauss Zelnick spoke to a group of investors on Tuesday, his comments were vague enough to make us wonder if Grand Theft Auto IV would miss its target launch window of February to April, 2008.

However, Zelnick recently spoke with GameSpot to take a more concrete stand on the matter. He said that the company is sticking with the February to April target, and that a firm release date within that three month period will be set when Take-Two knows the game will be ready. While this doesn't set our mind completely at ease, it's nice to see them give us any sweet morsels of certainty in their ocean of ambiguous announcements.

The writers behind The Simpsons Game aren't too impressed with Rockstar's recent apoplexy over the game's "Grand Theft Scratchy" parody level. In an interview with Game Head's Geoff Keighley, Simpsons Executive Producer and Writer Matt Selman said the Grand Theft Auto makers "spazzed out like little babies" over marketing that included a poster for the parody game.

Selman told Keighley that it's ridiculous to expect gamers to think an Itchy and Scratchy poster is actually promoting a real Grand Theft Auto game. He also said the concern was particularly ironic coming from Rockstar, a company whose "games are full of satire, lame attempts at parody... basically putting the words sixty-nine in wherever they can find it, that's their idea of a joke." That's known in the comedy business as a roast.

While EA's lawyers have been quick to remove any "Grand Theft" references from the game's marketing, Selman hinted that the Grand Theft Scratchy content could make it into the final game unaltered. If that happens, will Rockstar react like the cool rock stars their name implies or will we hear more baby-like spazzing? Here's hoping for the latter ... it makes for a great headline.

Check out the interview after the break.

[Via GamePolitics]

After a pretty killer week for boxed game releases, the PSN is also doing its part to beef up the PlayStation argument. This week we have a game, a demo, a major trailer and some other accompanying fancies. No PS1 games, though. They've all been funneled into the Japanese PSN store. Not that we mind. We've got more than enough to keep us busy. Super Stardust HD is one of those games that popped up a couple of weeks ago yelling "I'm going to be amazing. Buy me." The full release list is as follows.

• Super Stardust HD ($7.99)
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam demo (free)
• Grand Theft Auto IV trailer (free)
• I know who killed me film trailer (free)
• Superbad film trailer (free)
• License to Wed film trailer (free)
• The Invasion film trailer (free)

Great stuff. Keep it coming, Sony!

As promised, Rockstar has just released a new trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV and it's bringing down the internet as we speak. This one features a ton of gameplay and new scenery, and honestly makes the game look a lot more interesting than the previous trailer and screenshots.

As you can see, the trailer is embedded right above so check it out and let us know what you think. Does it tickle your sandbox crime fancy? Or does it leave you cold and uninterested like a body in a morgue?

Injury. Obesity. Becoming a murderer. These are just some of the risks we as gamers knowingly take on in deference to the hobby we love. But now there's a new risk. Apparently, playing video games can also turn us into drug addicts.

A new TV ad from the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign features a mom talking to a virtual convict in a fictional crime simulator. The ne'er-do-well warns mom that her son and his friends think he's cool because all he does is "deal drugs ... smoke weed and cause trouble." Sounds like fun to us, but the virtual thug, in a moment of supreme self-awareness and social consciousness, tells mom that "in real life, drugs are nothing but trouble." How does the mom thank him for this information? By turning off the game, ignoring his pleas for a reprieve-granting reset.

Like most anti-drug ads, the main message here is that parents should talk to their kids about drugs, which is something we can all get behind. But really, do the people behind this ad seriously think that kids are going to start experimenting with drugs just because they saw a video game character do it? We know kids can be easily suggestible, but give them some credit. They're not idiots. Check out the video after the break.

[Via FileFront]

We got some potential tantalizing tidbits of Grand Theft Auto IV from a Turkish Xbox magazine. Since this is posted in the Team Xbox forum, we're going to classify this as rumors until further confirmation. That being said, some of the stuff has been alluded to before, so it's not out of the question. Simple stuff like slight vibrations for your strides when running, or a lack of a HUD, with visual cues ingame instead sound reasonable. Getting something more than a lousy t-shirt for completing the game 100% is almost a given. Liberty City will be larger than Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas combined has been heard before. Some RPG elements from San Andreas will be included, expanded upon as well as removed, for example the love interests, working out and eating have been cut, but skill development is still in. For more details, and potential features, click the "Read" link.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Take-Two refuses to comment any further on Chief Financial Officer Laine Goldstein's "oopsie" that Microsoft may have paid $50 million for GTA IV's episodic content. Goldstein said during a conference call last week that they had been paid $25 million for the episodic content to be released next March and another $25 million for their next fiscal year. GI.biz, along with almost every other news outlet, contacted Take-Two for clarification and got nothing but the wall of voicemail and receptionists who just can't find someone to comment at the moment.

Some questions remained previously about if the GTA IV episodic content was "exclusive" (the same way Haze is a timed exclusive) or if the Xbox 360 episodes were actually exclusive exclusives (that word really gets so muddy in this industry). Take-Two confirmed late last week that the episodes are actually only for Xbox 360. And at a price of $50 million dollars, if that's how much the episodes actually were, you better believe that the word exclusive means exactly that in this case. There is also the belief that the $50 million is an advance to Take-Two on what Microsoft believes their portion will be off of Xbox Marketplace sales. Although, $50 million dollars for two episodes is still a large sum of money ... an oddly large sum.

A telling exchange during last week's Take Two earnings conference call may have revealed a sizable price tag for the Xbox 360's exclusive rights to Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content. During the call, Pacific Crest Securities Analyst Evan Wilson inquired about a $25 million "deferred revenue chunk associated with the episodic content on Xbox 360." Take Two CFO Lainie Goldstein responded that the money was for "the first episodic content package that's supposed to go out ... in March of '08" and that another $25 million was being deferred for the second content pack, to be released later in fiscal '08.

Many news outlets are reporting that this revenue came from Microsoft to secure exclusive rights to these content packs, but this is not explicitly confirmed in the conference call or any other sources we could find. Take Two spokesperson Meg Maise would not comment on the matter, telling Joystiq the financial arrangements for the downloadable content were confidential.

Still, it seems highly likely that the money came from Microsoft. Deferred revenue is often used to account for money paid before a product is delivered, and Take Two deferring Microsoft's payment for downloadable content would be a prototypical example of the practice. It's hard to imagine where else Take Two would derive such sizable revenue before the product was released.

So was this a good move for Microsoft? Downloadable content is definitely a selling points for the Xbox 360 version of the game, but $50 million is a lot of money to pay just to get some additional content. If you're prepared to throw your money around, why not go all the way and secure the entire franchise as a system exclusive?

[Via NeoGAF]

Those interested in gunning down finely-dressed gentlemen in dark, 1940's Los Angeles alleyways need to plan their future investments wisely. Between the cost of building a time machine and that of acquiring a PlayStation 3, we'd advise you to go with the latter -- it's considerably cheaper and won't run the risk of demolishing our current timeline. A recent Take-Two investor report confirms what many have suspected since Rockstar's L.A. Noire was first revealed, listing the game as a PS3 exclusive -- at least as far as the 2008 fiscal year is concerned.

Much of the game and its additional "e" is still aptly covered by darkness and smoke, though it's expected to share many similarities with Grand Theft Auto and developer Team Bondi's The Getaway series. It certainly looks to be the only noir experience we'll encounter in a while, at least until we manage to adapt our ridiculous gumshoe trilogy into a video game.

[Via PS3 Fanboy]

CEO and founder of Gas Powered Games Chris Taylor (Supreme Commander, Dungeon Siege) wants to retire the old-school game design philosophies of punishing gamers. In an essay on GameDaily BIZ, Taylor notes an observed trend towards games that now reward players.

It started with casual games, says Taylor, when The Sims and Railroad Tycoon were selling millions and bringing women gamers on board. He compares the old punishment system to Carnival games -- you get three lives, a few options for more, but if you die then you start all the way over. Taylor uses Grand Theft Auto as an example where, if you screw up, you simply walk out of jail or the hospital. "The punishment is quite small, and perfectly integrated into the gameplay. Hats off to Rockstar," he said.

Much of his essay is muddled, however, in defining the line between making a game universally accessible and dumbing it down in difficulty. "Games shouldn't punish the player, but rather reward them. Oh, and it should be a whole lot easier to win," he said, followed by "Duh! Can I say duh?" You can, but a game like Ninja Gaiden serves as an opposing example to that argument, where toning down the difficulty would likely result in a less satisfying and indeed, less rewarding experience.

Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, in his latest assessment of Take Two, said that the publisher might delay Grand Theft Auto IV so as to move it farther away from Halo 3's September 25 launch. Currently, GTAIV is expected October 16, just three weeks after Master Chief moves in.

"We believe that a two-week delay would provide a reasonable gap between the launch of Halo 3 and the launch of GTA IV, and would actually help sales of both games," he said.

Indeed, the thought of having to shell out $120 to $220 (that's $90 for GTA special edition and $130 for the Halo's legendary set) in a short amount of time does make us want to hold off on one of the titles until our wallets are happier. But will two weeks make all the difference?

Pachter suggests another reason for a delay that has more to do with business strategy. If Take Two delays GTA IV two weeks, that will put it in their 2008 fiscal year. Though that would most assuredly hurt the publisher's FY 2007 prospects, Pachter said that it's possible they will just "throw in the towel" for the year and give themselves a strong start for FY 2008.

One devious suggestion that we hope doesn't happen: Pachter suggested Take Two keep the special edition on October 16 while moving the "normal SKU" back a few weeks. Good for business, but bad for the impatient gamer. Remember, this is just one analyst's opinion, and Take Two is still officially committed to the October 16 release dates.

It's not uncommon for Americans to wait for Japanese games and systems. Heck, we still don't have any localized version of Bleach: Heat the Soul. Nor do we have other system colors, or that GPS accessory .... need we go on?

Well, looks like Japan can finally understand the pains of localization delays. Nearly two years since its original release, Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is heading to Japan. The revolutionary handheld title will receive Japan's most restrictive rating of Z and will be on Japanese store shelves on 7/26.

With such a long lead-time for the title, one has to question: how much longer will the Japanese have to wait for Vice City Stories?

Rockstar has rolled out a handful of new Grand Theft Auto IV images and we've incorporated them into a new gallery, along with previously released content as well. The shots all show off a very impressive level of detail, from foliage in the trees to reflective surfaces on automobiles. We also get some close looks at GTAIV's protagonist, Niko Bellic (seen above behind the wheel of a likely stolen ride). Check out our extensive new gallery below and tell us what you think.

To understand the upgrades in the Grand Theft Auto series' graphics just look at the hands. Like a palm reader, Games Radar just examined the hands of GTA's anti-heros to observe how the series has evolved over time. From GTA 3's "The Stump" to GTA IV's "The Real Hand." Nikko (if that is the real main character) apparently "grasps objects in an entirely realistic fashion." We're sure to get a better idea of what GTA IV actually holds when we hopefully see the first gameplay footage in the near future.

San Andreas Stories? We never knew thee ... and we may never. GTA4.net has information supposedly from the Australian OPM. In their Grand Theft Auto IV preview, they reveal that work on San Andreas Stories is not happening. In fact, there's no plans to develop a PSP GTA title at all. "When asked about a San Andreas Stories for the PSP, he replies saying that they don't have any plans for that at the moment, suggesting that they likely haven't started at all on another GTA PSP title."

We're a little saddened by this revelation, if only because we'd love to see San Andreas squeezed onto the portable. It seems that crime-loving gamers will have to look towards Driver 76 to get their fix.

[Via DCEmu]