Rockstar has just updated the official Grand Theft Auto IV site. The update finishes the rest of the blank radio stations in the music section. Each radio station now has a sample that plays just like the other radio stations. We have embedded the widget below or you can go directly to the site via the link below the widget.
Itagaki, the main man behind Ninja Gaiden (Ninja Gaiden II is out next month), has praised Rockstar Games for taking their job seriously:
"I don't think there's anyone who takes their job as seriously as the guys who make [GTA IV]," Itagaki said. "You only have to look at all the detail in there."
"I think it's made extremely well and is a fun game."
In November of 2004 Halo 2 sold 222,000 copies at it's launch in Canada, followed by 197,000 sales of Super Smash Bros. Brawl last month and 191,000 sales of Halo 3 last September. Grand Theft Auto IV has, however, beaten all of these, with a record sale of 270,000 at it's launch. Which is quiet a significant difference compared with Halo 2. Another win for the series, and another example of just how powerful the game series is as a whole. Well done Rockstar!
Thanks CTV.ca
A theme for the Sony Ericsson mobile phone of Grand Theft Auto IV has appeared online. A member of eSeth forum, known as Rancid-A has developed the theme, and it's completely free. The theme will work on these models:
- Sony Ericsson K790, K800 and K810.
- Sony Ericsson W550, W830, W850 and W910.
You can see a full preview of the theme here. The theme is available for download here, registration is required but is also free.
A day after the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, UK Internet Service Provider (ISP), Plusnet, reported the two days following the games release were the busiest ever hours for online gaming. Apparently the Xbox 360 version does cause some issues, as it uses a P2P (person 2 person) method for multiplayer, which makes the game and the ISP prone to lag and glitches. Plusnet worked hard to insure there systems were ready for this though.
Grand Theft Auto IV was released on 29th April, looking at our reports, gaming traffic on the 29th was roughly in line with the previous Tuesday; there was no noticeable increase in traffic. This may well be because a lot of people bought it online and didn’t receive it until the following day or those that did get it decided to play it offline rather than online that first evening.
The early hours of Wednesday [30th] morning (4am to 7am) saw an increase in gaming traffic of between 15% and 35% compared with the Wednesday before. Wednesday morning saw the biggest increase in usage with up to 65% more gaming traffic per hour than the previous week. Usage during the rest of the day saw an increase of around 30 to 40%.
Comparing that instead to Tuesday and usage across most of Wednesday was up to 50% higher.
The busiest hour for gaming was 8pm to 9pm on 30th April, followed closely by 9pm to 10pm. In fact the 8 to 9pm hour was actually the busiest hour for gaming in the past 6 months (and 9 to 10pm the second busiest) in terms of usage and very probably the busiest hour we’ve ever seen for gaming. The previous highest hour was 9 to 10pm on 4th November 2007, 8 to 9pm on 30th April beat that by almost 30%.
To add a bit more perspective, gaming accounted for approximately 7.6% of all downloads between 8pm to 9pm on 30th April, we’d normally expect to see between 3.5% and 5% be gaming around that time of day. (It was about 7.1% for 9 to 10pm).
As of Wednesday the number of online gamers was back to it's normal amount of 90,000 players.
Source: ISPReview
In a post on Microsoft's official Gamerscore Blog earlier this week, the Xbox team stated that 60% of all Grand Theft Auto IV sales in the US were for the Xbox 360. It was to be expected, as most promotional material was for the Xbox version, so it was given the look of being superior to the PlayStation 3 version (with the downloadable content and such). However it was a win for the PlayStation 3 also, nabbing up 40% of sales. So overall both consoles did very well from the release of the game, the PlayStation 3 with a boost in console sales and the Xbox with a boost of popularity and Xbox Live users.
Rockstar Games have announced on their RSS that they have made a radio station for download on Amazon MP3 and iTunes.
Rockstar News Feed:
Fri, 16 May 2008 - Vladivostok FM tracks have been burning up the charts at Amazon MP3 and we're proud to be introducing killer music from these Russian and Eastern European stars to palettes here in the US. This collection of rock, hip-hop and pop from artists like Ruslana, Seryoga, Glukoza, Basta and more features music from the Vladivostok FM radio station plus additional songs inspired by Grand Theft Auto IV.
Source: Rockstar Games RSS
It's a very rare honor to have the chance to talk to this man, Sam Houser, the brains behind 'Grand Theft Auto' and many other very successful gaming series' developed by Rockstar Games. Grand Theft Auto IV is obviously his latest and undoubtably his most popular creation yet. Recently he has been talking to the media about himself and his games, something he very rarely does. The Houser Brothers, Sam and Dan, don't like having the spotlight put onto them, they rather people discuss their games rather then them themselves; very nobal really.
The Wall Street Journal has been lucky enough to speak with Sam Houser about Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar, the EA vs. Take-Two takeover and himself as a whole. The article is a must read for anybody who enjoy's hearing about the behind-the-scenes happenings of Rockstar Games, you can see the full article here. Below are some snippets we felt you might link to read, however we do insist you read the full article, it's well worth the read...
On Sam Houser:
Mr. Houser, 36 years old, sports a scruffy beard that stretches to the top of his chest. In a rare interview, he joked that associates have described him as a "lunatic" -- a reference to his creative intensity. Last year his studio hired a spiritual healer to exorcise bad vibes after the deaths of two fellow employees. He makes a habit of walking the streets of New York to study a hidden underworld of ex-cons, vagrants and other Diane Arbus-worthy subjects. Some of them have inspired characters in his games.
He's also a man of contradictions. "I'm about the most conservative guy you'll ever meet," says Mr. Houser, who lives in Brooklyn with his wife and two young children. "I have a panic attack if I get a parking ticket."
On Rockstar:
The "talent" at Rockstar, as they're called internally, make star-caliber money and might find EA's more traditional pay structure jarring. In 2005, a particularly strong year, Take-Two paid royalties of $84 million, according to company filings. The bulk of funds, say people familiar with the matter, went to Mr. Houser and other Rockstar executives. If EA succeeds in acquiring Take-Two, some analysts believe EA's star developers might demand a bigger share of game proceeds.
Another possible kink: Rockstar's history of autonomy. If EA ends up with Take-Two, Mr. Houser says it's unlikely that he would go so far as to seek EA's approval for game content. Still, he calls Mr. Riccitiello "the real deal" and sees some appeal in an EA alliance, which he says would make Rockstar a "much smaller fish in much bigger pond."
"I'm not someone who has any kind of problem with that," says Mr. Houser, who says EA turned him down for a job in the late 1990s. [Ironic really isn't it? They turned him down for a job a mer 15 years ago (if not less...) now they would kill to have his million dollar studios under there belt.]
The journal also showed some visual data of Grand Theft Auto, one is of the profit from games, the other is from the sale of games:
Left: As we see here Grand Theft Auto pushes the profit through the roof each time one is released, take 2004 for example, this was the year San Andreas was released, the profit was $1 billion dollars approx. Followed only by 2005 which had the PC version of San Andreas released, which made Take-Two and Rockstar $1.2 billion, so the PC version of games must be very popular when it comes to PC. Could be a hint as to why we may have a PC release of GTA IV? Let's hope so!
Below: It's clear that GTA IV is doing fantastically all ready, in the first week it sold 6 million copies, GTA VCS sold 4.5 million in it's entire time, with GTA LCS selling only 2 million more than IV in it's entire time. So from this we can see that the Grand Theft Auto series has a huge affect on the profit of Take-Two and Rockstar.
For more, we highly recommend reading the article at The Wall Street Journal article.
The Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), Australia's rating board which covers games and movies, has released their "Summary of Reasons for Decision" behind the final rating they gave Grand Theft Auto IV in Australia.
SUMMARY OF REASONS FOR DECISION
Under the Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 (FVPC Act)
Type of Publication: Console Game
Title of Publication: Grand Theft Auto IV
Other known title: GTA 4
OFLC Publication Reference No: 800191
Decision: Objectionable except if the availability of the publication is restricted to persons who have attained the age of 18 years.
Display Conditions: Nil
Descriptive Note: Contains violence and offensive language
The publication is classified as objectionable except if the availability of the publication is restricted to persons who have attained the age of 18 years because of its treatment of violence, cruelty and crime
Description of Publication:
The publication is a console game formatted for play on the Xbox 360 console. The game is the latest instalment in a series of popular free-roaming, or open-ended, games from the development company Rockstar Games. The game is plot-driven, broadly fitting into the action/drama genres with strong elements of satire. It tells the story of Nico Bellie, a fresh-off-the-boat Eastern European immigrant to Liberty City (modelled on the real New York city). Nico stays with his cousin Roman, a loser with dangerous levels of gambling debt, and begins to perform odd jobs to keep his head above water. Nico’s ulterior motive in visiting Liberty City is to try and find the man responsible for betraying his friends.
As with the previous versions of Grand Theft Auto the game utilises a third-person perspective. The storyline is progressed through cinematic scripted sequences, and supported by a wide range of mission objectives. The game world is immersive and fully realised, with the changing of seasons, weather patterns, and time of day, all ticking over with a realistic attention to detail.
Subject Matter Gateway
Matters such as sex
Possibly the strongest in-game violence occurs when a person is hit by a Molotov cocktail. The victim is shown running to and fro on fire before collapsing. The level of cruelty is stronger because of the length of time it takes for the person to die.
The scripted sequences also feature a range of violence, such as people being shot in the head. These are shown in a very cinematic way, utilising camera angles and sound effects one would expect to see in large budget films.
In terms of s3(3)(d) the game contains the potential for anti-social and criminal behaviour through the freedom Niko has to hijack cars and kill civilians and police with an array of weapons. The missions themselves also involve Niko performing criminal behaviour, such as shakedowns of business owners who refuse to pay protection money, and killing other criminals. The criminal behaviour is balanced to some extent by the positioning of Niko as a sympathetic, and flawed, character trying to find his way in Liberty City, and the power the police have to kill or arrest Niko when he commits wanton acts. Illegal drugs play a very minor part in the game and appear only in as far as some characters are shown snorting cocaine or discussing drug deals. Niko does not take drugs and there is no sense that drug use is ever glamourised.
3A Publication may be age-restricted if it contains highly offensive language likely to cause serious harm.
The publication contains frequent use of coarse language in keeping with the characters’ backgrounds. Examples include use of word “f#ck” and its derivatives, and the word “cu#t”.
Section 3(4) Additional matters to be considered
s3(4)(a) The dominant effect of the publication as a whole
The dominant effect of the publication as a whole is of an engaging third-person action drama set within an interactive game world.
s3(4)(b) The impact of the medium in which the publication is presented
The publication is an Xbox 369 console game, allowing for complex and sophisticated gameplay with realistic graphics and sound effects.
s3(4)(c) The character of the publication, including any merit, value or importance it has in relation to literary, artistic, social, cultural, educational, scientific, or other matter.
The publication has some merit in relation to social and cultural matters. The GTA series has attracted a dedicated following worldwide, across all gaming platforms, and this version is likely to be one of the most anticipated gaming releases of 2008. The game is one of the most complex soon to be available on the market in terms of narrative structure, characterisations, and a player’s freedom to explore enormous animated environments.
s3(4)(d) The persons, classes of persons, or age groups of the persons to whom the publication is intended or is likely to be made available.
The publication is probably intended for an adult audience due to its depictions of violence and cruelty, low level sexual content, and anti-social elements.
s3(4)(e) The purpose for which the publication is to be used
The publication is intended as entertainment
BILL OF RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS
Discussion of Bill if Rights Consideration
Section 3(1) considerations have been weighed against relevant provisions of the NZBR Act. Given the manner in which the game treats matters of violence, cruelty and crime, the classification imposed on this game is a reasonable limitation on the freedom of expression contained in the Bill of Rights, and is demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. A limitation on the console game’s availability is the minimum restriction that can be applied in order to prevent injury to the public good.
Conclusion
Injury
The unrestricted availability of the publication would be injurious to the public good given the manner in which it deals with matters of violence, cruelty and crime. Weighting has been given to the potential for the player’s character to commit gratuitous acts of violence upon unsuspecting members of the public and the police, as well as frequently extreme acts of anti-social and illegal behaviour. This kind of content might be disturbing to younger viewers, however there is also the risk of children and young persons becoming desensitised or inured over the long term to this type of behaviour, and trivialising it through presenting it as amusing or exciting. Adults are more able to put this material in the context of an entertaining but violent console game. The likelihood of injury to the public good is avoided by restricting this publication to audiences that have attained the age of 18 years.
Source: All information supplied by Office of Film and Litersature Classification.
This is an expansion on what we had before the games release, that report leaked to PALGN which listed the type of gameplay.
Thanks spcs.org.nz
Not even a week after GTAIV coming out, Australia has gone metal over the game, even if it is the cut version. At school, all anyone can talk about; it all becomes a little repetitive really. All over the newspapers and TV is just GTAIV, ads and everything, even major TV personalities are all over the game.
Hamish and Andy spent 10 minutes of their Radio Program talking about it on Thursday, then on Friday, Hamish, as part of the infamous segment ‘Fred Basset’, Andy made Hamish’s girlfriend break the disk, of GTAIV, live on air, if Hamish read the strip, in which he did, and the disk got broken.
On the TV show Rove. [previously Rove Live] (12th May 08), Rove made numerous references to the game, he made jokes about killing prostitutes, then again saying near the end of the night, “Killing people is fun, I killed seven prostitutes today”.