Weblogs Inc : Tag grand-theft-auto http://www.weblogsinc.com Post tagged grand-theft-auto on the Weblogs Inc Network http://www.weblogsinc.com/media/feedlogo.gif Weblogs Inc : Tag grand-theft-auto http://www.weblogsinc.com en-us Copyright 2006 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ Grand Theft Auto franchise may have 'peaked,' according to analysthttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/07/grand-theft-auto-franchise-may-have-peaked-according-to-analy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/07/grand-theft-auto-franchise-may-have-peaked-according-to-analy/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/07/grand-theft-auto-franchise-may-have-peaked-according-to-analy/#comments 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 Take-Two's Zelnick doesn't believe in annualized GTAhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/take-twos-zelnick-doesnt-believe-in-annualized-gta/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/take-twos-zelnick-doesnt-believe-in-annualized-gta/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/04/take-twos-zelnick-doesnt-believe-in-annualized-gta/#comments 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.]]>grand-theft-auto Play The Ballad of Gay Tony with Rockstar tonighthttp://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/play-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-with-rockstar-tonight/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/play-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-with-rockstar-tonight/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/play-the-ballad-of-gay-tony-with-rockstar-tonight/#comments
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.]]>grand-theft-auto Go clubbing with new GTAIV Gay Tony teeshttp://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/go-clubbing-with-new-gtaiv-gay-tony-tees/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/go-clubbing-with-new-gtaiv-gay-tony-tees/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/11/23/go-clubbing-with-new-gtaiv-gay-tony-tees/#comments 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.]]>grand-theft-auto Top Ten Nintendo DS Gameshttp://shopping-articles.aol.com/2009/11/19/ds-games/http://shopping-articles.aol.com/2009/11/19/ds-games/http://shopping-articles.aol.com/2009/11/19/ds-games/#commentsDS GamesThe Nintendo DS games list keeps growing and growing! I've put together a top 10 list of the best DS games out so far that are must plays, and great gifts for the holiday season.










]]>grand-theft-auto Video: 15 days in GTA IV's Liberty Cityhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/video-15-days-in-gta-ivs-liberty-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/video-15-days-in-gta-ivs-liberty-city/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/06/video-15-days-in-gta-ivs-liberty-city/#comments
Time lapse videos were all the rage back in -- actually, we don't think they were ever rage caliber stuff, but in the case of this GTA IV video that shows 15 days go by Liberty City, it's at least reached "oh, that's neat!" territory. The video comes courtesy of DigitalFoundry (you can watch it over at Eurogamer) and reminds us just how much life there is in the virtual sand box, as cars drive along to their respective destinations, pedestrians shuffle about doing their own thing and, in the case of that one lady around the 32-second mark, loaf around the riverside all day and night. We just hope she's not doing what we think she's doing. It'd be such an unbecoming thing of the purest city in all of gaming, amirite?]]>grand-theft-auto Rockstar revamps Social Club's online leaderboards and stat tracking for Gay Tonyhttp://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/rockstar-revamps-social-clubs-online-leaderboards-and-stat-trac/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/rockstar-revamps-social-clubs-online-leaderboards-and-stat-trac/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/29/rockstar-revamps-social-clubs-online-leaderboards-and-stat-trac/#comments
With the release of this week's second Grand Theft Auto IV expansion The Ballad of Gay Tony, the game's developer has decided to update the online multiplayer statistics tracking in order to reflect the new multiplayer game types. The addition of "BASE Jump" to the mulitplayer as well as "new, tighter Deathmatch arenas" helped spur the leaderboard overhaul, according to the developer blog. The various new additions being made due to the DLC will even get their own section on the Rockstar Social Club, presumably for the four of you tracking your new GTAIV DLC stats after Modern Warfare 2 releases in a couple weeks.]]>grand-theft-auto GTA's 'Next Stop' teased in Liberty City Episodes manualhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/gtas-next-stop-teased-in-liberty-city-episodes-manual/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/gtas-next-stop-teased-in-liberty-city-episodes-manual/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/gtas-next-stop-teased-in-liberty-city-episodes-manual/#comments We'd thought the Grand Theft Auto franchise had taken us to lovingly rendered simulacra of every metropolitan city-type known to man, but apparently, we thought wrong. In the back of the GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City manual, a fake advertisement points to the series' "Next Stop" (seen above). Of course, the destination being teased is quite obviously the lovely town of Clip Artington, Minnesota. Surely you've heard of Clip Artington! It's renowned for its apple butter festivals.

On the off chance the teaser is pointing to a different city, we've ... we've really got no idea. Looks like a desert, though, right? And a mountain? And some conical, obsidian monoliths? What? Trees? Oh, yeah, that makes a lot more sense. We'd love to hear your speculation in a well-written, thought-provoking comment! There's a place for those right after the jump, you know.

[Image credit: VGChartz]]]>grand-theft-auto Latest Ballad of Gay Tony trailer showcases Luis Lopez's many exploitshttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/latest-ballad-of-gay-tony-trailer-showcases-luis-lopezs-many-ex/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/latest-ballad-of-gay-tony-trailer-showcases-luis-lopezs-many-ex/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/28/latest-ballad-of-gay-tony-trailer-showcases-luis-lopezs-many-ex/#commentsRather than offer interesting social commentary or moody atmospheric tone, the just-released Ballad of Gay Tony teaser instead teaches us that Luis Lopez is not a joking around kinda guy. He takes shots, tosses dudes off buildings – he even goes to the driving range!

In case it weren't already glaringly obvious to you, the second Grand Theft Auto IV expansion will be taking itself quite a bit less seriously than the first digital release. Thankfully, the wait is nearly over and we can find out for ourselves tomorrow just how much Rockstar Games has twisted its latest opus.
%Gallery-68537%]]>grand-theft-auto New Gay Tony in-game anime is all too familiarhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/new-gay-tony-in-game-anime-is-all-too-familiar/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/new-gay-tony-in-game-anime-is-all-too-familiar/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/new-gay-tony-in-game-anime-is-all-too-familiar/#comments Grand Theft Auto has always been heavy on satire, making exaggerated observations about the world for the sake of a few cheap yuks. It's readily apparent on the in-game radio programs, which poke fun at both extremes of political talk radio. The in-game TV programming does much the same (if you haven't, we suggest you make time to watch "Republican Space Rangers"). It looks like The Ballad of Gay Tony will continue the tradition with "Princess Robot Bubblegum," an anime parody to be featured on the in-game CNT channel. The show will serve as part of the new TV lineup in the upcoming expansion.

In Rockstar's own words, "Princess Robot Bubblegum" features the hallmarks of more than a few animes: "Incomprehensible narrative, wretched dialogue and creepy, misogynistic sexuality." See it all in the trailer above.]]>grand-theft-auto Peter Molyneux picks his 5 favorite innovatorshttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/peter-molyneux-picks-his-5-favorite-innovators/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/peter-molyneux-picks-his-5-favorite-innovators/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/23/peter-molyneux-picks-his-5-favorite-innovators/#comments
After discussing his vision for Fable's future, Lionhead's Peter Molyneux recently reiterated his mantra of inclusive gaming innovation to attendees of BAFTA's Annual Video Games Lecture. Citing their ability to challenge "the foundation stones of conventional wisdom," he revealed five titles (documented by That VideoGame Blog) that he considers to be among the most revolutionary within the last two decades.

Molyneux praised Tomb Raider for subverting gaming's tough-guy protagonist and named Mario 64 as the genuine precursor to 3D titles like Grand Theft Auto 3. Dune 2 got a nod for its encouragement of more thoughtful tactics, while Bungie's first Halo earned mention for halfway introducing the now-ubiquitous regenerative health system and curtailed weapon swapping.

And the fifth title? World of Warcraft, which managed to lure Molyneux to level 40 with promise of a steed. You see? He's human, just like the rest of us.]]>grand-theft-auto Dancing, drinking and drugs: The nightclubs of GTA Gay Tony revealedhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/dancing-drinking-and-drugs-the-nightclubs-of-gta-gay-tony-rev/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/dancing-drinking-and-drugs-the-nightclubs-of-gta-gay-tony-rev/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/15/dancing-drinking-and-drugs-the-nightclubs-of-gta-gay-tony-rev/#comments The Ballad of Gay Tony's Luis Lopez seems to have a pretty easy life. The main playable character of the Xbox-only GTA IV episode must simply deal with Liberty City's wealthiest clientele, ensuring their experience at Tony Prince's two nightclubs goes without a hitch. According to Rockstar PR, jobs will involve kicking out drug dealers, dealing with the paparazzi, and getting the appropriate pick-me-ups for the stars.

Maisonette 9 and Hercules are two new locations added to the Gay Tony episode. In addition to work, you'll be able to partake in a variety of sidequests and minigames: a "familiar-feeling dance minigame," and a new game that takes place in the club bathroom with a girl. We're not entirely sure what that will entail ... but thinking about the franchise's legacy, we think you can figure it out.]]>grand-theft-auto Rockstar drops details of new multiplayer in GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tonyhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/14/rockstar-drops-details-of-new-multiplayer-in-gta-the-ballad-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/14/rockstar-drops-details-of-new-multiplayer-in-gta-the-ballad-of/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/14/rockstar-drops-details-of-new-multiplayer-in-gta-the-ballad-of/#comments
Click for grander imagesYou know that iconic moment in the Ballad of Gay Tony trailer when Luis jumps out of some kind of aerial vehicle? Did you ever wonder what it would look like if, instead of one guy parachuting down into Liberty City, it was eight people? Probably not. Anyway, here's a screenshot of that from Rockstar's latest release, detailing The Ballad of Gay Tony's multiplayer modes.

Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch will see lots of new weapons, of course, but also new Kill Streaks and Assisted Kills, which provide cash bonuses. Free Mode gets a little freer with the addition of Buzzard helicopters, APCs, and, of course, parachutes. We can't wait to see what kind of ridiculous emergent competition comes from parachute-based combat.

Check our gallery for more new multiplayer screens!
%Gallery-75593%]]>grand-theft-auto PSA: GTA IV is now available on demand, $30 in UShttp://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/psa-gta-iv-is-now-on-demand-30-in-north-america/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/psa-gta-iv-is-now-on-demand-30-in-north-america/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/13/psa-gta-iv-is-now-on-demand-30-in-north-america/#comments
Crime epic Grand Theft Auto IV has arrived (as promised) on the Xbox Marketplace's Games on Demand lineup. The grand theft mega-hit costs $30 to download, which is the same price as a fresh new retail version -- a tiny bit more in some cases. We should probably note that a used copy from GameStop is about $25. By all means, if you have no way of getting to a retailer please feel free to buy the game online.

Oh, wait, that was a missed opportunity for a "steal a car" joke, wasn't it?]]>grand-theft-auto Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars looking grand in new PSP trailerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-looking-grand-on-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-looking-grand-on-psp/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/08/grand-theft-auto-chinatown-wars-looking-grand-on-psp/#commentsIt's a big week for Grand Theft Auto trailers! First we got a new Episodes from Liberty City clip, and today, Rockstar sent out a trailer for the PSP version of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, which comes out on October 20. We didn't realize it was so soon!

Of course, if you have a DS, it comes out a lot sooner -- seven months ago, in fact -- but no matter how many times this wonderful game is released, it'll be exciting every time. The graphical update on the PSP version looks nice, even if the trailer makes it hard to actually see the game.

If these moving images aren't enough, check Kotaku for some new screens. And yes, two trailers counts as a big week.]]>grand-theft-auto Rainbow-licious Gay Tony Tees from Rockstarhttp://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/rainbow-licious-gay-tony-tees-from-rockstar/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/rainbow-licious-gay-tony-tees-from-rockstar/http://xbox.joystiq.com/2009/10/07/rainbow-licious-gay-tony-tees-from-rockstar/#comments Are you excited for the release of The Ballad of Gay Tony? Would you like to display that excitement for the whole world to see? Wait ... no ... pull up your pants, we were talking about T-shirts. Rockstar is now selling T-shirts celebrating the release of the upcoming GTAIV expansion. Up for grabs are several Gay Tony logo tees -- available in white, black and pink -- as well as the Episodes from Liberty City tee and, our favorite, the Rockstar rainbow logo tee.

At twenty bucks each, you can get enough for the whole family. That, or you could just save the scratch and buy the actual game. It's up to you, really.]]>grand-theft-auto New 'Episodes from Liberty City' introduces Armando & Henriquehttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/02/new-episodes-from-liberty-city-introduces-armando-and-henrique/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/02/new-episodes-from-liberty-city-introduces-armando-and-henrique/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/02/new-episodes-from-liberty-city-introduces-armando-and-henrique/#commentsGood friends are hard to come by, especially on the seedy streets of Liberty City. That's why we're so glad the above trailer for Episodes from Liberty City (which features snippets from The Ballad of Gay Tony and The Lost and the Damned) emphasizes the comradery one can experience in the city's many boroughs.

Don't believe us? Just ask The Ballad of Gay Tony protagonist Luis Lopez's childhood friends Armando Torres and Henrique Bardas, who have stuck with Lopez through thick and thin.]]>grand-theft-auto Catch a gold bar from Yusuf Amir in the new Ballad of Gay Tony trailerhttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/catch-a-gold-bar-from-yusuf-amir-in-the-new-ballad-of-gay-tony-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/catch-a-gold-bar-from-yusuf-amir-in-the-new-ballad-of-gay-tony-t/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/24/catch-a-gold-bar-from-yusuf-amir-in-the-new-ballad-of-gay-tony-t/#commentsIt would be outright unfair to spoil any of the hilarious, minute-long trailer for upcoming GTA IV expansion The Ballad of Gay Tony that we've dropped above. We would like to highlight its introduction of Yusuf Amir, a character who seems to be on the level of Brucie in terms of sheer personality. With any luck, we'll get to hang out with Mr. Amir quite a bit while playing through The Ballad of Gay Tony when it's released on October 29.
%Gallery-68537%]]>grand-theft-auto GTA: Chinatown Wars losing nothing in PSP porthttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/18/gta-chinatown-wars-losing-nothing-in-psp-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/18/gta-chinatown-wars-losing-nothing-in-psp-port/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/18/gta-chinatown-wars-losing-nothing-in-psp-port/#comments Meeting with Rockstar yesterday for our first hands-on with the PSP "remastering" of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, we kicked things off with a question that's on everyone's minds: What's happening to the DS version's touch-based minigames? The answer: They're all still in the game, just adapted to a button-based format.

We hotwired a car to try it out and were presented with a comic book panel-like inset that had us rotate the analog stick, time L and R button presses and rotate the stick again. According to Rockstar, similar mods have been made to all the minigames, but no minigames have been added exclusively for the PSP release. (Developer Rockstar Leeds did, however, deem the need to pay bridge tolls unnecessary.)

We were quickly pointed toward some added elements, specifically a new aiming "arc" for lobbing grenades and Molotovs while driving, copious bloom lighting (it was a rainy night) and punched-up explosions. The in-game "PDA" has also been redesigned slightly to mimic the PSP XMB interface.

Check out freshly captured new screens in the gallery below:
%Gallery-71116%]]>grand-theft-auto Pachter expects GTA 5 coming in 2010http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/pachter-expects-gta-5-coming-in-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/pachter-expects-gta-5-coming-in-2010/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/03/pachter-expects-gta-5-coming-in-2010/#comments So yes, prognosticator of all electronic entertainment Michael Pachter told Gamasutra that he expects Take-Two to release the fifth full Grand Theft Auto game in 2010. It seems far-fetched to us (especially with another GTA IV episode still in the pipeline). But, sadly, Pachter doesn't give us a lot to work with in the piece, so, in the absence of details, we're just going to assume he's right. Journalized.

One thing that's actually hard to argue about from the piece, analysts are overwhelmingly positive about Take-Two in 2010 with a bevy of big titles like BioShock 2, Mafia 2, Red Dead Redemption and several others. Does Take-Two even need a Grand Theft Auto next year?

]]>grand-theft-auto