Gta Iv

[FLooDY]

yea im going to get the 360 version when its out ! woohoo

[Elwenil]

It was ok, but a big disappointment compared to the hype. It was a bit rushed and had a few bugs in it and just some crappy quality issues. Still a decent game, but with all the advertising, music CD releases, magazine articles and multiple TV spots, I expected more than I got. The phantom hole in the pavement that you would fall into up to your waist was one of the big ones for me. Again, it was a decent game, but if they are going to hype up a game that much, they better get it right on release. On the other hand, San Andreas was not hyped as much and took the series to new levels and really left the Vice City problems far behind. Also, my PC version of Vice City doesn't seem to have all problems of the original PS2 release so at least they polished it up for others.

[AMosely]

I do wish you could use a joystick for the aircraft though.

In GTA3 or 4? I've always used the joystick to fly in GTA3/SA.

I am seriously tempted to get a console just to play this game, but I can resist.

[Elwenil]

I never can get my PC version of SA to see my joystick. The only options I found for controls were the basic keyboard and mouse controls and keypad options. It might just be my joystick since it's an older model.

I wouldn't buy a console just for this game, especially when it's sure to be on PC sooner or later, but there are some interesting titles coming out this year that make me glad I went ahead and bought my PS3.

[Sirusblk]

None of the versions of GTA IV will support mp3 playback, it's not a PS3 only issue. As for games that allow you to play mp3s in game, I know that Super Stardust HD and the expansion does. Also Wipeout HD has it as well when that comes out

[Elwenil]

Thanks for the info, Sirusblk. I wasn't sure any PS3 games allowed it and the usual Internet searches turned up the usual amount of conflicting info.

[aculle01]

That makes sense considering this..

When Elvis Costello penned the lyric "radio is a sound salvation" in his seminal 1978 hit "Radio, Radio," he was actually attacking the airwaves. Thirty years later, though, a video game radio might very well offer salvation to a music industry struggling to make ends meet.

In a partnership bound to shake, rattle and roll both the music biz and interactive entertainment, Rockstar Games and Amazon have teamed up to create an ambitious new model for digital music distribution. Built exclusively for the upcoming video game blockbuster Grand Theft Auto IV, it allows players to buy real-world MP3s of tracks heard over the game's numerous radio stations in a very seamless manner. (Initially, this service will only be available in the U.S.)

Advertised throughout Liberty City, the cheekily-named "ZiT" technology is built into the game's mobile phone interface system. As players cruise around the world listening to the in-game radio, they can at any point 'mark' a song by opening their phone and dialing the number ZIT-555-0100. Gamers will then receive a text message with the song and artist names, and if they're registered at the forthcoming Rockstar Games Social Club community site, they'll find an e-mail waiting in their inbox with a direct link to a custom playlist on Amazon.com. All songs tagged "ZiT" will be stored here, available for preview and purchase at Amazon's going rate of $.89-$.99 per track. Best of all, those MP3s are free of the Digital Rights Management (DRM) limitations imposed on files downloaded through Apple's iTunes store and thus can be imported into any computer or digital device with no constraints.

Needless to say, record execs are thrilled at the prospect of using GTA IV's radio to reach millions of ears and, in turn, wallets.

"Music has long played an integral part of the game playing experience," said Ronn Werre, EVP, EMI Music's Sales, Licensing and Synchronization unit. "We think giving players the ability to identify and buy their favorite tracks from Grand Theft Auto IV's popular radio stations is a great new music discovery tool for fans and an innovative new revenue stream for artists."

The recent success of downloadable music in other games gives credence to ZiT's ambitious dreams. In a mere three months, owners of MTV Games' hit music game Rock Band have downloaded over 6 million songs. At roughly $2 apiece, that's a hefty source of post-launch revenue.

None of those tracks, however, are accessible outside the game, and that's where GTA IV's model really takes off. Rockstar has boldly proclaimed that GTA IV's soundtrack is "the biggest in the history of entertainment," and with over 150 tracks, we're not prone to argue. In addition to high-profile tunes from popular artists, the developers are aiming for music geeks by handpicking rare, hard-to-find songs such as Electrick Funk's 12-inch treasure "On A Journey" and Elton John's "Street Kids" off his relatively unheralded Rock of the Westies. Some artists have even contributed brand new songs written exclusively for the game, including "Vagabond (Liberty City Mix)" by the Greenskeepers and "War is Necessary" from iconic rapper Nas.

[Elwenil]

Good post. You can actually go ahead and sign up for the Social Club now and get entered in some sort of sweepstakes also if you do it before the release. Check it out:

http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/#?page=news

[206 Wolfpack]

Does anybody know when prices will probably drop for this?

[Elwenil]

Judging by the amount of time it has taken the previous GTA titles to come down, and the extreme popularity of the games, I would not expect it to drop in price for at least a year, probably two.

[SharinganTH1422]

I've been playing GTA since my bro downloaded the top-down game on PC about 10 years ago.

Got GTA3 with my PS2, and been playing all of them since and I can't wait for this one. Looks great, and I can't wait to see what they've down with the power after giving the graphics a nice clean up, the huge landscapes only allowed for fairly minimal detail, but this looks nice and gritty, to suit the tone of the game. Also looks like this might be a more serious GTA than the others, and a little less cartoony, with, it seems, more focus on the story than in previous titles, also with the mutliplayer adding something awesome,

I actually recently revisited Vice City, and when I first played it, it seemed impossibly big, but after San Andreas, it was fairly easy to navigate. What was good about it was it was a bit more simple. Not so many gang wars and going to the gym and just more plain fun (Plus VCPR is funny). I'm not saying that I didn't like that aspect of SA, but it was kind of nice to be back to basics, but SA was a magnificent game.

[aculle01]

I enjoyed the original GTA's too. GTA2 is lying around somewhere at my parents' home.

Its an old article (mid March) but I found it interesting, though somewhat tough to read at times. Its an interview with Sam Houser, President of Rockstar Games, from Edge The Magazine. Part I goes into the history of GTA and how it has evolved into GTA IV. Part II goes into the details of GTA IV more specifically.

Part I
Part II

[Zoopy]

You can actually get Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 for free now, Link. Which is great because the cd version was incompatible with the newer Operating Systems.

[aculle01]

sweet, thanks.

[Elwenil]

Heh, I had no idea. Thanks for posting!