The Grand Theft Auto IV Xbox 360 Exclusive Downloadable Content has been causing a stir for months now, when will it be released? Nobody really knows, and it seems that Rockstar and Microsoft are forgetting to memo each-other when the dates change. Original Microsoft stated it would be available around November, then Rockstar said it would take longer and would most likely hit the Xbox store earlier next year, and now Microsoft has said it will be available between those dates, just before Christmas.

It does seem as though Microsoft is pushing Rockstar, and possibly, making announcements of the contents release without first consulting Rockstar. Rockstar and Microsoft need to actively discuss when it could be released, as the constant change in dates is causing many fans to lose interest. From the many Blogs and news articles I have read over the last day, it is apparent that people are not happy with the chopping and changing of dates by either side. Overall, many people believe that Microsoft is taking it upon themselves to announce dates without consultation.

Lets hope we receive a solid release date sometime soon.

Rockstar has quietly released the recommended specifications for the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV via the Game for Windows website.

Update: It appears that the Games for Windows website has now been updated and the system requirements has been removed from the site, this may mean that the specs below are only temporary, so be aware that they may change at anytime, however as always we will let you know if that does happen:

OS: Windows XP SP2
Processor: Dual core processor (Intel Pentium D or better)
RAM: 2GB
Hard Drive: 18GB free hard disk space
Video Card: 512MB Direct3D 10 compatible video card or Direct3D 9 card compatible with Shader
Drive: DVD-ROM dual-layer drive

In addition to the specs, the website also has two small screenshots of the PC version:

Source: Games for Windows

Take-Two has just released the third quarter fiscal 2008 results. As expected, Grand Theft Auto IV sold well, moving over 10 million units. EA's offer was a costly offer for Take-Two as professional fees and legal expenses racked up a bill of $10.7 million. The results also bring news that may make you want to smash your computer. Midnight Club: Los Angeles has been delayed for a third time. The new release dates are October 21st and October 24th in North America and Europe, respectively. Though the thing that surprised me was that Bully for the PC wasn't mentioned in the press release or the conference call which has already been quietly announced by Rockstar.

Press Release: Third Quarter Fiscal 2008 Financial Results

An unnamed source has told Videogaming 24/7 that the exclusive Grand Theft Auto IV expansion pack for the Xbox 360 will be coming in January or February of 2009:

"It'll be in January or February,"

The information contradicts a statement by Microsoft recently that it would in fact be available for download this fall from the Xbox 360 store. Microsoft did not comment on the news when GamePro contacted them last Thursday.

Thanks Videogaming 24/7, via GamePro

At the Leipzig Games Convention today, Rockstar showed off the highly anticipated PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV. Eurogamer got the chance to see the game demoed.

1. Visuals will be polished well beyond what they were on the consoles versions.
2. Replay editor - the game will keep the last 30 seconds of gameplay in memory. You can at any time stop and watch what you just did. From there, you can also edit footage - chop it up, add filters, switch camera angles and so on.
3. A montage editor that lets you put together multiple 30-second clips you have saved. You can then share the movies you make via the Rockstar Social Club.
4. When asked about the 16 player online limit, the Rockstar PR person responded "We're expanding on that". Perhaps more than 16 people for the PC version?
5. You can add filters to the server list so you can have more control over the type of online matches you join.
6. Rockstar demoed the mission Three-Leaf Clover.
7. According to Eurogamer, "The visuals do indeed look more polished - lighting is more realistic and there's a much higher level of detail on both characters and environments." Animations are also said to be smoother.
8. Thanks to IGN, we now know the maximum resolution is 2560x1600
9. In addition to being able to the a keyboard and mouse, GTAIV will be able to use the 360 controller if you have one.

In addition to the details, Rockstar also released 10 new screenshots.

Sources: Eurogamer and IGN

The rumours were true. Rockstar Games have just announced that Grand Theft Auto IV will be hitting your computer screens on November 18th in America, and three days later in Europe.

"We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can't wait for people to play it."

You all saw how big the modding community is for GTA:SA on the PC, so we can't wait to see what they have instore for GTA IV! It's currently unknown what exactly the system requirements will be, however, we are going to contact Rockstar to see if they have them finalized yet.

Source: Press Release

"We are sending out requests today to outlets and shops to pull the games off their shelves and we will replace them with other games," Sakchai Chotikachinda, sales and marketing director of New Era Interactive Media, told Reuters.

This is the request that shops are receiving today in Thailand. Why? Because of an “obsessive” player of Grand Theft Auto IV who had no mental problems but committed crimes because of the very evil game and the evil game alone.

"He said he wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game," chief police investigator Veeravit Pipattanasak told Reuters.

Now, my opinion of this story is that this person clearly does have a mental problem. What kind of person would like to see if robbing a taxi was as “easy” as robbing it in the game. Nobody in their right mind would do such a thing like that.

Thanks to Reuters for the story.

Rockstar North has just won 5 awards at this year's Develop Industry Excellence Awards. They picked up awards in Visual Arts, Audio Accomplishment, Technical Innovation and In-House Developer titles. They also got a Special Recognition award for their work throughout the history of gaming. Defiantly deserving of each and every one and the only developer to pick up more than one award. Congrats to the team at Rockstar North! Also, on a related note. Real Time Worlds, founded by Dave Jones (Who was one of the founders of DMA which is now Rockstar North) won an award in Business Development. Congrats to them as well.

A new feature for the Grand Theft Auto IV section in the Rockstar Social Club has been released today, it is all about celebrating those wealthy seven–figure Grand Theft Auto IV players.

The wealth of a member us decided by the single-player missions completion, won races, side-missions and "dropped" money you've picked up on the streets. The Millionaires Club has lanuched, so be sure to login to your account and check it out, perhaps you are one of them...?

Also Rockstar has let word of a new attraction/feature soon to be available in the Social Club, entitled "VIRAL INFECTION". It has something to do with zombies and "how far the infection has spread". Nothing more is known, however given the statement from Rockstar and the fact it is relation to zombies, our money is on it being a calculation of how many GTA IV players have been turned into zombies (click for more info on zombies and GTA IV)...

Social Club Home: http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/