Joystiq

Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 rated for PlayStation platforms

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:20:00 EST

Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2 have been rated for PlayStation devices by the ESRB, implying that the two classic crime games are on the way to the PlayStation Network. Yup, if you're as surprised as we are this hadn't happened already, join us in the boat.

Curiously, rumors of GTA and GTA 2 coming to PSN go all the way back to February 2008, when Official PlayStation Magazine first heard whispers. The other rumored game from that same article, Street Fighter Alpha, arrived in August 2008. GTA certainly took its time.

Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 rated for PlayStation platforms originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 May 2013 09:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PlayStation Plus gets free Malicious, cheap Grand Theft Auto

David Hinkle — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:45:00 EST

This week's free North American PlayStation Plus game is Malicious, a third-person action game in which players defeat an eclectic collection of bosses and pilfer their powers.

Meanwhile, the Spring Fever sale event continues for PlayStation Plus with a series-wide sale on the Grand Theft Auto games, including recent PS2 Classics GTA 3 (for under $5) and GTA: San Andreas (for under $8).

PlayStation Plus gets free Malicious, cheap Grand Theft Auto originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rockstar drops Grand Theft Auto playlists on Spotify, iTunes

David Hinkle — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST

Rockstar has released the soundtracks for its most recent Grand Theft Auto games onto Spotify and iTunes. Sadly, just the tunes from Grand Theft Auto 3 and every entry since are here - none of Rockstar's zany commercials or satirical talk radio stations.

The only place to get the full soundtracks still is through Rockstar's box set releases; however, if you want to just listen to the ads, you can point your browser to The Advertising Council.

Rockstar recently revealed the box art for Grand Theft Auto 5, due on September 17 for Xbox 360 and PS3. Even though over 100,000 have signed a petition calling for a PC port, Take-Two has not announced Grand Theft Auto 5 for the PC at this time.

Rockstar drops Grand Theft Auto playlists on Spotify, iTunes originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam Holiday Sale, day 10: Skyrim, BioShock, Grand Theft Auto franchise sales and more

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST

Have you guys ever noticed how our money and a Steam Holiday Sale are never in the same room at the same time? Like, the same way that no one has ever seen Bruce Wayne and the Batman together in the same place? It's just weird, is all; almost as if our money was somehow being removed by the sale, or something.

Some mysteries will never be solved, we suppose. Today's Steam Holiday Sale offerings include 50 to 75 percent off of Skyrim, its DLC and its predecessors, 75 percent off various Grand Theft Auto games, BioShock and BioShock 2 for a collective $10, 75 percent off both Witcher games, Galactic Civilizations I and II for $6.24 and Payday: The Heist for $5.

Steam Holiday Sale, day 10: Skyrim, BioShock, Grand Theft Auto franchise sales and more originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 29 Dec 2012 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto franchise up to 125 million shipped, GTA 4 at 25m

Sinan Kubba — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:30:00 EST

125 million copies of Grand Theft Auto games have shipped to retailers, with a fifth of that figure represented by Grand Theft Auto 4, in at 25 million. Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick announced the franchise's new milestone at this year's Credit Suisse Technology Conference. GameSpot later confirmed it with a Take Two representative, who also disclosed the figure for GTA 4.

That means Take Two shipped 3 million copies of GTA 4 in the last 14 months, and 11 million franchise units. According to Zelnick, it's the irregular scheduling that maintains the series' popularity. Zelnick cited his understanding that Call of Duty Black Ops 2 is performing poorer commercially than Modern Warfare 3.

"That's never been the case with one of ours," said Zelnick. "Ours do better each time. Our view is it's hard to make permanent intellectual properties if you annualize it, with the exception of sports titles. So far that's proven to be the case. IP that is annualized eventually seems to hit the wall and we don't want our IP to hit the wall."

For the record, Activision recently announced Black Ops 2 made $500 million on its first day at retail, up from the $400 million for Modern Warfare 3.

Grand Theft Auto franchise up to 125 million shipped, GTA 4 at 25m originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA Vice City PC 'temporarily' pulled from digital distributors over music licensing issue

David Hinkle — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 23:59:00 EST

Rockstar has decided to pull the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City from digital distributors for an undisclosed period while it deals with some licensing-related complications.

"Due to some music licensing issues, we've had to temporarily remove Vice City PC from digital stores. We'll make it available again as soon as possible," a statement to Game Informer reads. Rockstar hasn't specifically called out which song(s) are at the heart of this dispute, but tells Game Informer this current licensing issue won't affect the upcoming mobile port.

Cinema Blend suggests it's Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Something" that's the problem, which Sony Music Entertainment owns. If you've already purchased Vice City through Steam or your other favorite digital distributor, you should run into no problems installing and playing the game - unless you do, in which case you'll want to call your cousin Carl. He's real good with them computers.

GTA Vice City PC 'temporarily' pulled from digital distributors over music licensing issue originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 16 Nov 2012 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas rated by ESRB For PS3

Sinan Kubba — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:15:00 EST

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas now has an ESRB rating for PlayStation 3, following in the footsteps of PS2 siblings GTA 3 and Vice City. Curiously, the ESRB also re-rated Vice City for PS3, maybe feeling the need for a nostalgic revisit in light of its 10th anniversary and arrival on iOS and Android.

With GTA 3 recently releasing on PSN as a PS2 Classic, it's not a great leap to suggest we'll see Vice City and San Andreas do the same in the future.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas rated by ESRB For PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto: Vice City cruising onto iOS, Android this fall [update: GTA sales]

Sinan Kubba — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 08:30:00 EST

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is marking its 10th anniversary by riding onto iOS and Android this fall, following in the tire tracks of GTA 3. Rockstar also announced that, to celebrate the 2002 game's landmark, the new versions will include unseen assets and artwork. Rockstar didn't reveal a price or release date, but for reference GTA 3 went on sale at $4.99 on both platforms.

Vice City hitting iOS and Android may well mark the coming of the final entry in GTA's PlayStation 2 triad. Not only is it logical, but around this time last year Rockstar said upcoming iOS ports of both Vice City and San Andreas were "very possible." The first has come to pass, so don't be surprised if you're visiting Los Santos on your iPad in a year's time.

Update: As part of the 10th anniversary celebrations, GTA 3 is now on sale on iOS and Android, and Chinatown Wars on iOS. Each version's going for 99 cents for a limited time.

Continue reading Grand Theft Auto: Vice City cruising onto iOS, Android this fall [update: GTA sales]

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City cruising onto iOS, Android this fall [update: GTA sales] originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Listen to a whole bunch of new (old) ads from GTA games

David Hinkle — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST

Sure, lots of folks have fond memories of beating hookers to death and zipping around in a Banshee in GTA 3, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas. But the real star of those games were the commercials, hilarious ads that you can now relive thanks to Rockstar.

Like, who can forget the private sensual secret radio advertisement for the thriller Twilight Knife? Having trouble letting go of that deceased pet? Well, you don't have to thanks to Pet Stuffers! And if you're having problems dealing with the day-to-day grind, retreat into the blood-filled playground of Commemorative Miniatures.

Listen to a whole bunch of new (old) ads from GTA games originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 07 Sep 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Deus Ex, Civ 5, GTA series on sale today on Steam

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:40:00 EST

We know you're probably exhausted both mentally and financially by the onslaught of Steam Holiday Sales, but try to steel yourself: Today's righteous offers include Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Civilization 5 and all of the Grand Theft Auto games in the world. (Well, most of them.)

Continue reading Deus Ex, Civ 5, GTA series on sale today on Steam

Deus Ex, Civ 5, GTA series on sale today on Steam originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto 3 coming to iOS, Android for 10th anniversary, oh and $150 GTA3 action figure

Christopher Grant — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:20:00 EST

With this October marking the 10-year anniversary of Rockstar's groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto III, the developer is celebrating by releasing the open-world classic on iOS and Android "later this fall," though no price was given. "Grand Theft Auto III showed us the potential of open world games," Rockstar big boss Sam Houser said in a press release. "It helped set the vision for the company, and we have been expanding on those possibilities with every game ever since." You're probably as curious as we are as to how an open-world title like GTA3 controls on a touchscreen, but luckily the game will be playable at this weekend's New York Comic Con.

If playing with bits and bytes isn't your thing, then ... well, why are you reading this website? Regardless, you'll probably be interested in the above 1:6 scale action figure of GTA3 antihero Claude, replete with various outfits, guns, and severed hands. At just $150, we clearly don't understand the economics of action figures anymore.

For a full list of supported devices, along with a photo gallery of the action figure, head on past the break.

Continue reading Grand Theft Auto 3 coming to iOS, Android for 10th anniversary, oh and $150 GTA3 action figure

Grand Theft Auto 3 coming to iOS, Android for 10th anniversary, oh and $150 GTA3 action figure originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto Classics pack on Steam sale

Ludwig Kietzmann — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST

If you thought Rockstar's crime saga began with the illicit exploits of Niko Bellic, your thumb may have obscured some vital roman numerals when you last picked up a Grand Theft Auto box.

We'll just avoid boxes entirely and point you to Steam's ongoing Rockstar Weekend sale, which now has the Grand Theft Auto Classics pack for $7.49 (a discount of 75% off the regular price). The pack contains top-down classics Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, along with sandbox giant Grand Theft Auto 3 and its follow-ups, Vice City and San Andreas. The deal's making a quick getaway tomorrow, so don't wait too long if you prefer your virtual violence vintage.

Grand Theft Auto Classics pack on Steam sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto character listed in voice actor casting call

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST

You don't have to look like this creepy guy -- you just have to sound like him. James Pedeaston (pictured), a recurring side character in the Grand Theft Auto universe, is listed among several other roles in a voice-over casting call posted on Actors Pages, which could be further evidence that production of Grand Theft Auto 5 is underway. Take-Two was initially named (as the production company) in the posting, according to Eurogamer, but reference to the GTA publisher has since been removed.

Pedeaston was the host of "The Wild Traveler" radio show in GTA: San Andreas -- in which he openly recounted acts of pedophilia -- and, in GTA IV, he was "arrested by the Indonesian police after being suspected of child molesting in Bali, Indonesia," according to the GTA Wiki. The casting call describes Pedeaston as a "man-boy love activist who just got released from an Indonesian prison," suggesting that the role would be set in a time period following the events of GTA IV -- in other words, a role featured in the next GTA game.

Additional first-name-only characters are listed in the job posting and sound generally befitting of a GTA game -- take "Samantha," for instance: "A young female obsessed with sex parties, always dreaming of being a Hollywood celebrity." The Actors Pages casting call follows a similar job posting on The Agency, for a project named "Rush" (assumed to be a codename and linked to Take-Two), which introduces more puzzle pieces that might fit together into a new GTA game set in Los Angeles -- or "Los Santos," as it's known in San Andreas.

[Image source: GTA Wiki; credit: C-d-rom]

Grand Theft Auto character listed in voice actor casting call originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Race'n'Chase: Original GTA design docs posted

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST

The original concept for Grand Theft Auto would see players committing only a few crimes, according to design documents posted by developer Mike Dailly that date back to sixteen years ago today. At that time, the early concept was for a game called Race'n'Chase. Its aim was "to produce a fun, addictive, and fast multi-player car racing and crashing game which uses a novel graphics method."

The story? "The game will be set in a present-day world." (Period.) While it would take two and a half years -- and narrowly dodging cancellation, by another creator's account -- to flesh out the eventual game, Grand Theft Auto, the designers did have some inkling of the direction they would ultimately take, as detailed in the original pitch.

"There will be 3 cities with a different graphic style for each city (e.g., New York, Venice, Miami)," wrote the heads of then DMA Design (now Rockstar North). "There will be many different missions to be played in each city." The initial mission types consisted of "a straight race across the city," a free-roaming demolition derby and a bank robbery.

Other seeds for the mega-franchise-to-be were also planted in the early documents: "Pedestrians will be wandering about all of the time," notes one section, suggesting bystander types could include "schoolchildren" and a "lollipop lady." "They can be run over by cars."

"It will also be possible for players to get out of their car and steal another one," the designers propose in the opening pitch, adding, "Trying to steal a car may result in an alarm being set off which will, of course, attract the police." Later, it's clarified that "police will be able to get out of their cars and shoot at the robbers."

[Image credit: Mike Dailly; source: mikedailly/Flickr]

Race'n'Chase: Original GTA design docs posted originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take-Two registers Grand Theft Auto-esque domains, GTA V shows up on stuntman's resume

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST

Take-Two recently registered a batch of speculation-rousing web domains, each of which sound like possible online extensions of the Grand Theft Auto series' parodic brands and businesses. These include gems like CashForDeadDreams.com, SixFigureTemps.com, LifeInvader.com, StopPayingYourMortgage.net and HammersteinFaust.com. Unless the publisher is trying to earn a few extra bucks by getting into the domain-squatting racket (time to pay up, Six-Figure Temps!), it seems plausible that Rockstar's thought up some gags for the next GTA.

Another piece of evidence for a new installment in Rockstar's crime-filled franchise also appeared in the resumé of Declan Mulvey, who apparently did some motion capture stunt work on "Grand Theft Auto V." For what it's worth, Mulvey tells CVG that the listing was simply a "typo," missing the single Roman 'I,' though a little further sleuthing on IMDB.com turns up plenty of video game work and not a single mention of 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV. Sure, that only lends itself to further speculation, but we think we can confidently confirm that, at the very least, the game is almost certain to contain stunts.

Take-Two registers Grand Theft Auto-esque domains, GTA V shows up on stuntman's resume originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 27 Feb 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Original GTA developer says game was 'almost canned'

Mike Schramm — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST

Gary Penn was a developer at DMA Design way back when the British company was working on the very first Grand Theft Auto game -- the top-down, PC-based version, not the 3D console hit you know and love today -- and says that it was "almost canned." Not because of any Hot Coffee-style shenanigans, mind you. Just because (and we're paraphrasing here) it sucked.

It was incredibly unstable and "it was awful, it was too sim-y," says Penn. It wasn't until the developer found a bit of fun by turning up the police aggressiveness that it finally landed on the gameplay that's sustained the series to this day: GTA creates a much more manic, amped-up version of the world we actually live in.

Once the dev figured that out, it moved on to things like mowing down 2D Hare Khrishnas (Penn's right -- it was really satisfying, moral qualms aside) and just enjoying the world. Penn goes on to say that the series is "stagnating" for him, perhaps because of its success. "It's anything but a lazy game," he says, "but they don't have the pressure if no one else is doing it anywhere near as well as they're doing it."

Original GTA developer says game was 'almost canned' originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Steam offering a whole lotta Grand Theft Auto for $7.50

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:00:00 EST

If you've got a handful of change and a heart full of deviancy, you may want to perk up your ears -- for this weekend only, Steam is offering the Grand Theft Auto Classics collection (which includes GTA I - III, Vice City and San Andreas) for $7.50, or 75 percent off the bundle's standard price.

Continue reading Steam offering a whole lotta Grand Theft Auto for $7.50

Steam offering a whole lotta Grand Theft Auto for $7.50 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Nov 2010 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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British news outlet apologizes for 'Grand Theft Auto: Rothbury' report

Griffin McElroy — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

A long, stupid story short: British newspaper The Daily Star recently ran a since-pulled article claiming Rockstar Games was working on a game titled Grand Theft Auto: Rothbury, based on the shooting rampage allegedly perpetrated by Raoul Moat earlier this month. The report was based on a shockingly tasteless and obviously Photoshopped box art for the non-existent title -- though the Star ran the report as cold, hard fact, even going so far as to get quotes from the still-grieving family members of the shooting victims.

Rockstar (and, assumedly, its fleet of superhuman lawyers) must have sent some stern words to the outlet, which ran a lengthy retraction (via Rock, Paper, Shotgun) earlier today. In addition to apologizing for the irresponsible report, the paper claims, "we have also agreed to pay them a substantial amount in damages which they are donating to charity." Well, at least something good came out of this situation, we guess.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

British news outlet apologizes for 'Grand Theft Auto: Rothbury' report originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rockstar squeezes its art into expensive book trilogy

Griffin McElroy — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

To celebrate its swiftly-approaching tenth anniversary, Rockstar Games will compile all of the visual elements that have gone into designing its catalog of games into a three-book set sometime next month. The pages therein will contain everything from conceptual illustrations, models and wireframes to advertisements and box art. This beefy, aesthetically pleasing package comes with an asking price of $450.

As attractive as these tomes would look propped against one another on our coffee table, we find it difficult to reconcile the fact that we could spend the same amount of money on a PS3 or 360 and copies of Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto IV and Episodes from Liberty City. Heck, we'd even have enough cash left over for one of those novelty-sized party subs, which would increase our enjoyment of the aforementioned items tenfold.

Rockstar squeezes its art into expensive book trilogy originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA Chinatown Wars on iPad this month

JC Fletcher — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

Take-Two is set to release its least portable version yet of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. G4 reports that, during yesterday's investor conference call, CEO Ben Feder outed plans to release an iPad version of the game, which was originally designed for the Nintendo DS and has since been ported to PSP and iPhone.

No specific features were named for the upgraded version, though we can expect improved graphics and virtual controls that occupy less of the screen space. Feder said that the iPad port will be available "later this month."

GTA Chinatown Wars on iPad this month originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Episodes from Liberty City $10 off at Amazon

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 26 May 2010 11:40:00 EST

Are you enjoying your nightly Wild West adventures through the expansive world of Red Dead Redemption, but wish the game was set in a more contemporary, urban environment? Here's a fun little fact you might not know: Before making Red Dead, Rockstar worked on a series called "Grand Theft Auto," which fits that very niche. Amazon recently reduced the price on the most recent GTA release by one Hamilton: Episodes from Liberty City, now available through the online retailer for $29.99 on consoles and $19.99 on PC.

Just don't be alarmed when your precious horsies are replaced by unfeeling metal automobiles, or when your beautiful, intricately crafted six-shooters are replaced by primitive-looking rocket-propelled grenades. That, dear friends, is the steep price of modernity.

Episodes from Liberty City $10 off at Amazon originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Heavy Rain in Liberty City: a GTA IV Machinima

David Hinkle — Tue, 11 May 2010 23:30:00 EST

If you've played through Heavy Rain, you know that most problems can't be solved by shooting a dude in the face. For GTA IV's Niko Bellic, that's very much a real problem solver -- a tactic he has no problem using. So it's a pretty odd juxtaposition to see the two games spliced together like they are in the video past the break.

It's a pretty great video, but we feel we should warn you that you probably won't get it if you've never played Heavy Rain. Unless you're watching this part, which we're pretty sure is funny no matter what game(s) you've played.

[Via Kotaku]

Continue reading Heavy Rain in Liberty City: a GTA IV Machinima

Heavy Rain in Liberty City: a GTA IV Machinima originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 May 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rockstar collection 50% off through Steam this week

Andrew Yoon — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:30:00 EST

Haven't picked up Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City? For about the same price as the retail console version of the GTA IV expansion packs, you can get every nearly single Rockstar game in one massive, discounted bundle. The "Rockstar Collection" includes 13 titles, including Bully: Scholarship Edition, Manhunt, Max Payne, Midnight Club 2, and every Grand Theft Auto for PC -- including The Lost and the Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.

This week, the bundle will be discounted to a mere $42.49, a considerable savings over the suggested $169.90 value for all the games combined. Considering the bundle includes rather new content, one can even consider this package ... a steal.

[Via BigDownload]

Rockstar collection 50% off through Steam this week originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 01:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mothers Against Violence discuss GTA, emphasize parental responsibility, on BBC

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST

During a BBC Radio Leeds discussion on violent video games earlier today, a spokesperson for Mothers Against Violence urged parents to take responsibility for their children rather than blame the games themselves. "I'm not directly blaming games, I'm blaming parents. If someone doesn't do something, where does it stop?"

Eurogamer transcribed pieces of the discussion, which range from the relatively mild, positive quote above, to the misinformed ("Why is it okay to beat up a prostitute, but not okay to pick up a normal civilian?" -- regarding the Grand Theft Auto series), and even to the legalese ("[Rockstar Games] submits every game to the appropriate ratings body. [GTA is] 18-rated and is entertainment clearly aimed at an adult audience." -- Rockstar's response). The MAV spokesperson reiterated that, while she worries about the effect violent games have on children, the onus is on parents to "study what games are all about." We're just gonna put this out there -- hear, hear!

Mothers Against Violence discuss GTA, emphasize parental responsibility, on BBC originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rooster Teeth experiments with third-person driving in real life

Griffin McElroy — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST

In the pilot episode of a new web series titled "Immersion," the comedic machinimists of Rooster Teeth attempted to bring a popular action game phenomenon into the real world: What if you could really drive a car from a third-person perspective? Using a pole, some dumbbells, an expensive camera and some vision-impairing black sheets, the troupe was able to have an entertaining, albeit entirely irresponsible out-of-car driving experience. Check out the NSFW video after the jump to see their automotive shenanigans in action.

Continue reading Rooster Teeth experiments with third-person driving in real life

Rooster Teeth experiments with third-person driving in real life originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA: Chinatown Wars accounts for 50% of M-rated sales on DS

JC Fletcher — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:32:00 EST

Here's how you make Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars sound like a massive sales success: "As of February 2010, Chinatown Wars' unit sales in the US represented nearly 50 percent of the unit sales of all M-rated DS titles in the history of the platform." That's Take-Two CEO Ben Feder, via MCV, putting Chinatown Wars' sales into perspective. That means it met the combined sales of the 6 M-rated games on DS to date, which include Dementium: The Ward, Resident Evil: Deadly Silence and Ultimate Mortal Kombat, and the smaller releases: Theresia, Touch the Dead and C.O.R.E.

Despite comparing GTA's sales to 3 games most people have never heard of, 2 games that most people didn't know were on DS, and Dementium, Feder kind of admitted that the game's sales weren't where Take-Two wanted them to be, echoing Nintendo's statement last December. What's to blame? Piracy, of course. "Piracy is a real and present danger for our industry and must be addressed, especially in the handheld market," he said. "The commercial performance of Chinatown Wars has certainly suffered at the hands of piracy."

GTA: Chinatown Wars accounts for 50% of M-rated sales on DS originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take-Two sending out Hot Coffee settlement checks

JC Fletcher — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST

If you went through all the trouble of traumatizing yourself by unlocking the Hot Coffee stuff in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ... cha-ching! Take-Two, owner of publisher Rockstar, has started paying out the settlement for the class action suit filed in response to the discovery of hidden sexual content on the disc. Depending on what kind of documentation you submitted, you're due an amount between $5 and $35 -- or, for those of you who sent your first-edition discs in, a new copy of the game. Which, we'd imagine, is worth quite a bit less than $35 these days.

The settlement website notes that "All those who filed claims for benefits prior to the May 16, 2008, deadline will receive those benefits prior to April 15, 2010." Which means you can start planning where that $5 is going to go right now. Perhaps a nice cup of coffee?

[Via Kotaku]

Take-Two sending out Hot Coffee settlement checks originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA: Episodes From Liberty City for PC, PS3 delayed two weeks due to 'minor content changes'

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:45:00 EST

If you've waited this long for Episodes from Liberty City, another two weeks shouldn't hurt, right? Rockstar Games has pushed back the PS3 and PC releases of the long-awaited Grand Theft Auto IV expansions by two weeks due to "a request by Sony Europe to make some minor content changes to the PAL PS3 version of the game." According to the press release, "the minor changes made to the game will not affect the gamers enjoyment of the games, these will not affect any gameplay elements and were not related to any local ratings requirements."

All versions of the add-ons -- including the downloadable episodes "The Lost & Damned" and "The Ballad of Gay Tony" -- have been delayed to April 13th for North America, and April 16th for all other countries. A Rockstar Games blog post further elaborated on the decision to do a global delay, ensuring that "everyone can experience multiplayer simultaneously, take part in online events together, be on level ground on leaderboards, etc."

GTA: Episodes From Liberty City for PC, PS3 delayed two weeks due to 'minor content changes' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA: Chinatown Wars 30% off on iPhone this weekend

David Hinkle — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST

Both the DS and PSP versions of GTA Chinatown Wars have been well-received by gamers and critics alike, which inevitably spurred a release on the iPhone. And if you're an iPhone fan who's been looking to pick up the Apple platform port, now's a good time: it's on sale for 30 percent off this weekend only in the App store.

That brings the game down to a very manageable $6.99, and you can download it for that price up until 12am ET Sunday night, at the conclusion of Valentine's Day. We'd offer that it's also a good gift idea for that special someone in your life, but we wouldn't want to help produce any modern day Bonnie and Clyde types now, would we?

Download GTA: Chinatown Wars from the App store - $6.99

GTA: Chinatown Wars 30% off on iPhone this weekend originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why a Grand Theft Auto movie hasn't gotten off the ground (yet)

Ben Gilbert — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST

You know Gamer, right? That movie with a pasty-faced kid controlling human prisoners in a future game? Well, it turns out that the film almost ended up as a Grand Theft Auto joint. According to a recent interview with co-writer/director Mark Neveldine, "We [Neveldine and co-writer Brian Taylor] actually were going to be hired to write GTA. I am sure that was part of it. That was after we wrote and directed Crank, so I got involved with GTA pretty heavily, I didn't grow up with it."

Neveldine claims that it was a "rights issue" that caused the silver screen adaptation of GTA to founder. "It was a movie originally directed by Ron Howard ... and because Rockstar Games made a video game, there is some battle of who can use the title ... you can't make it about the game." Back in 2008, Variety alleged that a GTA movie was on the precipice of production when the deal fell through, but we get the feeling that these folks are speaking about something completely different.

Why a Grand Theft Auto movie hasn't gotten off the ground (yet) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA: Episodes From Liberty City on PS3, PC March 30

David Hinkle — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:16:00 EST

We were all expecting it and finally Rockstar has come through with the announcement: Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City is coming to the PS3 and PC on March 30. There will be two ways to get your expansion fix: you can either jack each individual episode -- The Lost and the Damned or The Ballad of Gay Tony -- through PSN or Games For Windows Live, or you can snag a disc with the new content on there, just like the previous Xbox 360 release. Well, OK, technically it's not "jacking," per se, but work with us here -- it's essential to the mental imagery we're trying to force into your wrinkly thought machine. Jedi blogging.

A disc will set you back $39.99, while individual episodes will be $20 each. Like the Xbox 360 version of Episodes From Liberty City, a retail disc will not require a copy of GTA IV, while the DLC will.

GTA: Episodes From Liberty City on PS3, PC March 30 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NPD: Wii Play is best selling 'game' of all time in the US

David Hinkle — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST

If there's a statistic measuring how well a game sold, you're likely to find Wii Play lingering in it somewhere. It's not only been the best-selling game of 2009, but also just recently made itself known as the top seller for the last decade. Now, according to NPD data (via GameSpot), the software-hardware hybrid has claimed another throne: top-selling non-PC US game ever.

It's a pretty prestigious list and while no exact figures are listed (save for the bundle's October performance, selling a whopping 11.1 million units in that month alone), the other games listed should give you an indication of just how many homes Wii Play has invaded. Taking second place is Guitar Hero III, the first game to earn $1 billion in revenue, followed by Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The others in the top ten are generally expected, including Activision's other $1 billion earner, Modern Warfare 2 (notable because, damn, that was fast!), along with a pair of other Call of Duty games. Head over to GameSpot for the full list.

NPD: Wii Play is best selling 'game' of all time in the US originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTA Chinatown Wars brings the battle to iPhone

Alexander Sliwinski — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:15:00 EST

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars keeps driving around for an audience, with the excellent handheld entry in the crime sim franchise quietly releasing on iPhone last night. TouchArcade notes that in its third platform iteration, behind DS and PSP, the $10 game uses on-screen buttons similarly to Gameloft's Gangstar and retains the DS stylus minigames.

It would seem that those who can get around the button-less interface are in for a full GTA experience that costs less than a dime bag.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars ($9.99):

GTA Chinatown Wars brings the battle to iPhone originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Jan 2010 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final day of Steam Holiday Sale wraps up the best-sellers

Griffin McElroy — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST

Okay, this is it: The penultimate batch of offers in the long-running Steam Holiday Sale. For the final day of the long-running promotion, Valve has elected to re-encheapen some of the games that sold like hotcakes in the sale's earlier one-day discounts. Until 9 a.m. PST tomorrow, the following games will be available for the following prices:

BioShock - $4.99
Grand Theft Auto IV - $7.49
Torchlight - $4.99
Left 4 Dead 2 - $33.49
Killing Floor - $4.99
Defense Grid: The Awakening - $2.49
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl - $2.00 (Yes, two American dollars.)

Final day of Steam Holiday Sale wraps up the best-sellers originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mom calls 911 over son's gaming habit

David Hinkle — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:30:00 EST

Look, we totally get it. Video games are evil -- they're turning your kid into some kind of arsonist or blood-obsessed psycho killer or -- in the case of one Boston area mom -- a rebellious little rabble-rouser. A frustrated mother called police about her son's overzealous gaming this past weekend, complaining the kid wouldn't shut off his console and go to bed.

The call came in on 2:30 a.m. Saturday, when the mother complained her son was walking about the house, turning on all of the lights and failing to comply with her wishes. Two officers responded to the call and were able to diffuse the situation.

The Boston Herald -- the outlet which broke the news -- said the kid was apparently playing "Grand Theft Auto."

Mom calls 911 over son's gaming habit originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 22 Dec 2009 00:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nintendo: GTA Chinatown Wars sales 'frustrating'

Ben Gilbert — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:40:00 EST

Nintendo's focus on "evergreen" titles has been a staple of the publisher for years now, with marketing support lasting longer than ever with this generation's major releases. So it surprised us last April when the company said it hoped "word of mouth" would help push GTA: Chinatown Wars' lackluster initial sales higher as the months progressed. However, when executive vice president Cammie Dunaway recently spoke with MTV Multiplayer, Nintendo's traditional message quickly returned. "Part of what's needed is you have to continue to put marketing support behind these titles."

She also called sales "frustrating, quite frankly," but declined to comment on Rockstar's marketing surrounding the release of the game. Dunaway remained diplomatic through the conversation though, only offering, "The old dynamic of 'throw it on television for a few weeks and then move on and forget it' just doesn't work," giving us little more than a taste of her real feelings behind the release's marketing push. Check out the whole clip after the break.

Continue reading Nintendo: GTA Chinatown Wars sales 'frustrating'

Nintendo: GTA Chinatown Wars sales 'frustrating' originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grand Theft Auto franchise may have 'peaked,' according to analyst

Andrew Yoon — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST

While Take-Two has a number of solid properties, such as BioShock and Borderlands, Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto is unquestionably its largest and most important franchise. However, sluggish sales of recent GTA efforts, from the handheld Chinatown Wars to the 360-exclusive DLC Episodes from Liberty City, have Broadpoint AmTech analyst Ben Schachter worried about the future of Take-Two's flagship brand.

"Has the Grand Theft Auto franchise peaked? Given the strength of GTA IV in 2008, the question may seem misplaced, but our concern is that the very highly rated new GTA content for Xbox as well as PSP and DS did not perform up to expectations in 2009," Scahchter notes, while addressing potential criticisms to his claim. "Now, we very clearly understand that these do not represent 'true' new GTA titles. However, the fact is that these were compelling titles, attractively priced, and reasonably well-promoted, yet they fell relatively flat."

Considering well over ten million people purchased GTA IV, the lackluster sales for these spin-off efforts is even more evident. Does the GTA name no longer carry the weight it once did? Or, are gamers simply waiting for a game that doesn't take place in Liberty City?

Grand Theft Auto franchise may have 'peaked,' according to analyst originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Take-Two's Zelnick doesn't believe in annualized GTA

Ben Gilbert — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:25:00 EST

If we took away one important lesson from Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick yesterday, during the company's investor call, it's this: it takes a lot of time to make "triple-A" games. That's why Zelnick isn't interested in annualizing the Grand Theft Auto franchise. "We don't feel that GTA oughta be an annualized franchise," he said, adding that he was "pleased" the series has been "testing new formats and new platforms" this year with two DLC expansions on Xbox Live and GTA: Chinatown Wars for DS and PSP.

Instead of pushing out a new GTA game every year, Zelnick explained that Take-Two is focused on the "balance between how long it takes to develop such an incredible title that meets consumer expectations and how long you need to make sure than an appetite has been both satisfied and whetted [for the next game]." He padded his point with phrases like "high profitability" and "resiliency of the franchise," though when taken to task over how the publisher expects to make money in a "non-GTA release year" -- and in light of projected, continued losses from its baseball franchise -- he responded, "We remain committed to that goal [of profitability] ... naturally, we are disappointed that we're not projecting to achieve that goal in 2010." Meanwhile, somewhere in California, Bobby Kotick laughed maniacally.

Take-Two's Zelnick doesn't believe in annualized GTA originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Play The Ballad of Gay Tony with Rockstar tonight

David Hinkle — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST

Before you put on some sweats, make a little popcorn and sit down for your sitcoms tonight, you may want to gear up for some The Ballad of Gay Tony multiplayer. Rockstar Games has announced it'll be holding a multiplayer session tonight from 5pm - 8pm ET, allowing prospective Liberty City hoodlums to hang out with some developers in the expansion's new multiplayer modes for a bit of two-on-two action.

If you want to get involved, pack a parachute and send a request to these Gamertags:

GwRockstar3
GwRockstar4
GwRockstar5
GwRockstar6

And if you fancy yourself a bit of a voyeur or can't get to your Xbox, you can still watch the action from the perspective of one of Rockstar's employees at the Social Club event page here.

Play The Ballad of Gay Tony with Rockstar tonight originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Go clubbing with new GTAIV Gay Tony tees

Richard Mitchell — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:15:00 EST

Rockstar has unleashed some brand new Grand Theft Auto IV T-shirts, giving fans of The Ballad of Gay Tony a reason to hit the floor show off their best moves. Available for $20 each, the shirts depict the logos of two of the DLC's nightclubs, Hercules and Bahama Mamas. If you've been looking to make a super hip fashion statement ... well, you probably shouldn't be buying video game T-shirts. If, however, you're looking for some inoffensive gaming apparel -- which can be hard to find -- go ahead and take a look.

Go clubbing with new GTAIV Gay Tony tees originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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