Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 - Page 6 - The Punters Lounge

Carl · 03-04-2008, 17:48

Fookthe game Im gonna spend all my time in Bohan

I might have to take a few quid with me tho

buzzabouttheplace · 06-04-2008, 09:37

Are you all getting this on pre order, or waiting to see what it's like ?

I think this one could be a safe pre order. It takes so long to make this game, so it should be worth it, easily.

lemonjon · 06-04-2008, 12:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzabouttheplace

Are you all getting this on pre order, or waiting to see what it's like ?

I think this one could be a safe pre order. It takes so long to make this game, so it should be worth it, easily.

pre ordered this awhile ago

36.99 at www.shopto.net

free next day delivery, have used them twice b4

the game will arrive on the day of launch and sometimes the day b4

GotaFancy? · 06-04-2008, 12:29

I've preordered

Suggestion seems to be that preorders have a good chance of being fulfilled in advance of 29th April.

Best chance of an early delivery seems to be with Shopto.net, where the suggestion seems to be anything up to 6 days early is possible.

I ordered with HMV though, with 1000 MS points "free". I've waited this long, if I have to wait an extra couple of days......

buzzabouttheplace · 07-04-2008, 11:23

Nice one folks. I think i will get it pre-ordered this week. Here's a sweetner. This interview is from the first guy to test the game, and complete it. He's hardly going to say it's no good, so it's a biased opinion really. It's better than nothing though !

You're the first games writer to have finished GTA IV, how does that feel?
Pretty darn sweet to be honest, I allowed myself a quick smug grin when the Rockstar guys told me! It's funny; I didn't actually really get to play as much as – say – the Benelux journos we met while up in Chelsea (we were based in Rockstar's actual offices and I think I racked up 25 hours at the final count, while they were ensconced in their hotel rooms playing up to 11 hours a day!) and I also had to write down some fairly comprehensive tips for the first batch of missions so actually I got off to a slow start.
On day two though, I flew through a major batch of the story missions without messing up once and then on the final day a Rockstar PR sidled up to me pretty late on while I was swearing my head off at getting stuck during a mission called 'A D*** B*** S**** C***' (edited to avoid spoiler) and said "Keep pushing on, you're actually nearly there. The missions are meant to be tough near the end!". It's true; the final couple of missions are rock, but after a couple of retries I finally made the breakthrough. And boy did I feel relieved; to have missed out that late on after all that, ahem... 'hard work' would have been hard to take.

How hard has it been to keep it all a secret?
Well, I've been threatened with physical violence more than a few times by mag colleagues after my constant stream of GTA enthusiasm threatened to get a bit too spoiler-intensive! Generally though, it'd be a shame to ruin the surprises for anyone else; GTA IV single player simply has to be played on your lonesome to be fully appreciate it for what it is: a true milestone in videogames. Likewise, my review in Xbox World 360 (out Wednesday 23rd April) talks more in general terms rather than getting into specifics... I can tell people why they have to buy this game, but I'd rather not tell them everything that transpires while doing so.

How did it all pan out then? Where did you play it?
So we got the call from Rockstar to come up on the March 26 and play for three straight days in a row – including a Saturday! We'd usually kick off at 9 or 10ish in the moring, play until 8 or 9 at night, then go eat, then crash before getting up the next morning and do it all over again. Sat in front of a 60" LCD screen in a dark room for nigh on 30 hours – now that's hardcore! Every GTA fan's dream though, huh?

How hard did you find it, playing it under so much pressure? Did you die a lot?
Definitely. It's funny, I actually had another colleague in the room with me, who also got real close to finishing. We were always comparing stats though, and I think I'd died 40-odd more times than he had by the end of the game. And failed, like, 50 missions! So I think in my rush to get through the game my skills let me down once or twice(!) The pressure to plough through as much as humanly possible did get irritating at times – especially when you get stuck on a certain mission – but you want to soak in as much atmosphere for your readers, cover as much ground as possible... all while taking over 4000 words worth of notes on a nearby laptop! It was the ultimate mix of fun and high pressure.

How different is the game from the others?
It's certainly tighter, both in terms of the way Liberty city is structured and the way in which the narrative feels more movie-like than before. Otherwise, everything feels as if it's been given the next-gen treatment; in particular the driving and shooting are light years ahead of past GTAs. Overall, it's a stratospheric leap forward, beyond anything I'd imagined.

Was the game everything you expected? Or are there some surprises?
That's a tricky question. It certainly exceeded my expectations, while there are so many small, chucklesome Easter Egg-style surprises that you're constantly shaking your head at just how savvy a developer Rockstar really is – light years ahead of its contemporaries. Again though, it's hard to be specific without venturing into the spoiler region... sorry!

In terms of the time it takes to finish, how does it compare with others in the series?
That's a hard question to answer really. I finished the story mode in 24 hours, without skipping cut scenes, but I literally blitzed through and hardly took on any side missions. If I was to play it again (which I will be, right on launch day!) I'd say to wrap up the story will take at least 40 hours at a normal pace, plus another – say, 25? – to wrap up the remainder of the missions. In truth though, you could be paving the streets of Liberty City in a year's time and still not have discovered everything. Plus, if you're a 360 owner, there's the promise of downloadable content to come...My advice is: just kick back, take your time and breathe every fresh sight and sound in, don't simply rush through just to finish it before your mates. I wish I'd had that option!

how many "Woooaah, Jesus that's amazing!" moments did you have?
Without giving away any spoilers; lots! I think, overall though, it'll be three overall things that entrance GTA fans like never before. The City is one, with a lighting engine that has to be seen to be believed, plus the incredible dialogue and characterisation is genuinely Oscar-worthy and Niko Bellic is absolutely the most amazing protagonist in any game I've ever played. Finally, multiplayer of course!

Are the GTA fans going to happy with the new game, do you think?
Obviously, you can't make everyone happy all of the time but if any GTA fans aren't happy with IV, they need to take a good long look at themselves. Seriously though, this game is going to make a lot of people very happy.

Did you get a chance to play much multiplayer? Did you get your ass kicked by the Rockstar guys?
Yes, Xbox World 360 actually snagged a whole day playing against Rockstar PRs and devs in a exclusive feature a month or so back. Rather than simply go with the whole Deathmatch and Capture the Flag stuff, they've genuinely taken their time creating some amazing new modes that'll do the business online. Mafiya (a chaotic, mission based affair), Cops 'n' Crooks (one team try to capture the other) and Hangman's Noose (players team up to take an army of AI SWAT troops) were our personal faves...

If you had to pick a favourite out of all the games in the series now which one would it be?
GTA IV. By a country mile. It craps on all the others – even the mighty Vice City – from a height equivalent to the Statue of Happiness. Believe me, GTA IV is even better than the hype suggests!

buzzabouttheplace · 07-04-2008, 11:45

1 GAME FOR A LAUGH
There are plenty of mini-games tucked away in GTA IV. Old favourites pool, basketball and Go Go Space Monkey return, joining new games such as darts. You can even visit the driving range to practice your golf swing. For fights, of course.
2 IN FOR THE LONG HAUL
San Andreas' RS Haul is back, and some missions will be centred around it. Details haven't been revealed by Rockstar, but given Niko's history of people smuggling... well, let's just say, you can fit a lot of immigrants in the back of a lorry...
3 THE GOOD SECHS SHOW
The Gruppe Sechs securicars are back too, but this time there's a bigger emphasis on jacking them, nicking the money and destroying the evidence. Don't expect an easy ride; stealing one is a tough task, but losing the cops in the aftermath is even trickier.
Advertisement:
4 CRACKING JOKES
The poster behind Manny is more than just a hint at a drugs-related side mission - it's a blatant nod towards fellow sandboxer Crackdown. We've also seen Crackdown's name on a news ticker, and there are plenty more references tucked away in the final game.
5 SMILE FOR THE CAMERA
We knew that the camera would return, and now it's been placed on the mobile phone. But the official website hints at something quite brilliant, and even more exciting: the ability to upload and share your pics with other GTA IV players.
6 ALL GONE TO SHITZU
Most vehicle brands will return, but we know for sure that the Stallion and the Comet are definitely in. And San Andreas' fastest bike, the Shitzu NRG500, has been bettered - the NHG900RR is now the motorcycle of choice.
7 SPRAY WHAT YOU SEE
Keep your eyes peeled for graffiti loaded with knowing winks. The red motorcycle on the left is a direct copy of the bike on the Vice City box art, while GTA 3 characters El Burro and 8-Ball are visible on the right.
8 MAP OF HONOUR
Again with the self-references. While San Andreas contained maps of Vice City, IV has actual photos. One of the first promotional shots of Vice City can clearly be seen pinned to the wall of the bar.
9 SUPER STORES
San Andreas brand names like Binco, Burger Shot, 24-7 and Clucking Bell are all back in GTA IV, along with plenty more brands from previous games. Alderney will also be the home of strip malls, providing a one-stop-shop for clothing, food and more.
10 TICKER TAPED
Rob a bank? Murder a crime boss? People are going to know about it. The news tickers in Star Junction (Liberty City's Times Square) and around the city are always being updated - along, sadly for you, with descriptions of the perpetrator.
11 COFFEE REPUBLIC
The Hot Coffee mod fiasco landed Rockstar in some hot water, but it's good to see they've seen the funny side of it. Bean Machine Coffee signs litter Liberty City. The 'familiar' positioning of the coffee beans in the logo is no accident either...
12 MAN IN THE MIRROR
Those of you who aren't overwhelmed by the graphics (seriously - what's wrong with you?) should take a close look at this. First car: driver facing forward. Second car: driver checking the mirror. Third car: driver looking out the side window. GTA IV's about the little details - and they're staggering.
13 JUST GOTTA RIDE IT
Flushing Meadows (site of the NY World's Fair) is featured in its entirety, as is a recreation of theme park Astroland at Coney Island. Rides such as the Corpse Ride and Cyclone can be tested, and the major tourist spots will play a part in some missions.
14 CANNED LAUGHTER
Mmmm. Sprunk: A Taste of (Things to) Come. The drink from Manhunt, Vice City and San Andreas is back, and for a mere $1 you can grab a can and top up your health. Even the Statue of Happiness loves a helping of Sprunk - just look in her hand.
15 PHONE SEXY
In a nod to Saints Row, any phone number you find, be it on a sign, flyer or even scrawled on a bathroom wall, can be contacted for aid and, sometimes, secrets.
16 BAN THIS FILTH!
Visit the Videogeddon Arcade to try out a number of tongue-in-cheek games, and keep an eye out for people and posters attacking violent games.
17 BAT MAN BEGINS
We all know the cops are crooked, but did you realise that they display the fact on their uniform? Take a close look at the badge this copper's wearing with pride - two cops with bats dragging off a beaten man.
18 WHAM BAM TRAM
See the sky tram on the box? It's actually a form of transport that you can ride - if you pay the fare.

aliando · 07-04-2008, 20:09

not sure if this has been posted or will be of any use, but thought would share

http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/16768...-199-99-at-pl/

DJ · 07-04-2008, 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nade

What do people make of this deal for an xbox360 with Halo3 - £199 ? http://www.play.com/Games/Xbox360/4-...y/Product.html

Seems good to me, but not sure of all this premium console, arcade console stuff, and also the hard drive sizes vary - is this important? could people with experience enlighten me

Cheers

Premium consoles come with a hard drive of around 20gb which isn't the best. Elite comes with a hard drive of around 120gb which is a lot more but generally only useful if you play to download games, maps, videos etc from the Xbox Live Marketplace.

So depends what exactly you're looking for with your Xbox 360. The Arcade console, I think has no hard drive which means that you can never save your games or have saved data files. I'm not overly sure why anyone would buy an Arcade Xbox 360, especially now when as you said you can get game and the console for under £200.

Naturally all Xboxes come with the HD drive, so HD dvds and a better quality picture if you have an HD TV.

I think all that I said is correct so hope it helps!

I have the Elite but inspite of some downloading of some of the classic games including Sensible Soccer, Speedball 2, Worms and Gauntlet, I still have over 100GB left available. Each of those games cost me too but are good fun and I guess you pay money in shop for game so couldn't expect it for free.

lemonjon · 08-04-2008, 13:41

New Multi Player pics

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http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=324215

lemonjon · 08-04-2008, 14:10

Online retailers GAME, Play.com and Gamestation have admitted they will struggle to cope with Grand Theft Auto IV demand when it is released on 29th April.

Limited Edition copies are still promised for delivery on launch day, but those of you after the standard version may face a wait if you haven't pre-ordered already.

"We cannot guarantee delivery on the day of release for orders placed on or after the 7th of April," states GAME on its website, while rival Play.com offers, "we are currently sold out of this item. All orders will be dispatched on a first come, first served basis."

Gamestation too, indicates that "due to unprecedented demand for the standard editions of Grand Theft Auto IV, we are no longer taking pre-orders for this version."

The Rockstar creation is expected to be one of the biggest games released this year, with some predicting it will top six million units in its first week of sale.

The retail community has been offering plenty of incentive to pre-order the title, with GAME giving away 500 free Microsoft Points to users, while HMV doubled that offer to 1000 Points as well as a book of vouchers worth GBP 130.

April and May could be massive sales months for the industry this year - as well as GTA IV, April will also see the release of Wii Fit from Nintendo, and Rock Band from EA, which was dated and priced for release today, is due out next month.

lemonjon · 08-04-2008, 14:11

Rockstar details GTA IV multiplayer
News by Rob Purchese

Today 12:17

Rockstar has shed some light on a handful of the multiplayer options in Grand Theft Auto IV.

Among its offerings will be the expected Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes, according to GameTap, which can be tinkered with by whoever is hosting. You can change the number of fighters on each team if you like, so one person could try to hold off 15 others - or you can fiddle with things like weapon types, police numbers, traffic, and pedestrians.

There's also a clever blip system you can turn on or off, which shows enemy locations when they move, but disappears when they stop.
Unsurprisingly, matches will be split into ranked and unranked affairs, and the reward for going competitive is cash; cash you can spend on in-game items and use to bolster your persistent ranked career.

Rockstar is also adding co-operative modes: Cops 'n' Crooks and Hangman's Noose.

The former splits you into two teams and has one side escort a boss character from A to B. The higher the difficulty the better the cash reward, and the more of you that are escorting the boss, the better the bonus.

Helping your friends can be as simple as plotting way points on an on-screen map so your driver doesn't have to do it.

Hangman's Noose, on the other hand, is a collection of mini-challenges. The specifics of each mission are laid out in cut-scenes at the start. You could find yourself fending off Noose (SWAT) teams while protecting someone, then hopping into a car and trying to escape helicopters and the full wrath of the law.

Rockstar shed a little light on the GTA Race mode as well, which simply requires you get to the finish line as fast as possible. The entire world and its contents are available for use, so you can pinch a noisy moped to distract your opponents, or just pick up a bazooka and blow them up.
Those of you with a hankering for pure racing will be able to do so in a GT mode, where you can pick car classes from favourites like Infernos, Turismos, Comets and Supercars.

There will be around 15 game modes to get to grips with online in the final game, which should make for a rather compelling experience, Rockstar claims.

"After players earn the cell phone in the single-player game (which takes about five minutes), if they want they can jump online and never even play the single-player again," said Jeronimo Barrera, product development boss. "Online is a serious time sucker. You're going to have to be really careful if you're married."

Grand Theft Auto IV is due out for Xbox 360 and PS3 on 29th April.

Carl · 08-04-2008, 14:38

on the game website:

Please Note: We cannot guarantee delivery on the day of release for orders placed on or after the 7th of April.
You can still preorder the superb Special Edition for release day! Grab it here.

Shopto.net

GRAND THEFT AUTO IV ( GTA IV )

Released:	29/04/2008*
Format:	XBOX 360
Availability:	Pre-order temporarily stopped
Manufacturer:	TAKE 2
Category:	New Releases

GotaFancy? · 08-04-2008, 17:54

Wow - with no specific hardware, I thought there was no chances of shortages on launch day

Glad I preordered now

If you cannot even preorder any more I imagine it will be quite tough to find in the shops

GotaFancy? · 09-04-2008, 18:16

Rec'd from HMV

Quote:

Originally Posted by HMV

As you may have seen on hmv.com we have sold out of our initial allocation of Grand Theft Auto IV, and are now unable to guarantee delivery for release date on any orders placed on or after 9th April.

The good news is that your order with us was placed before this date, and is secure. We'll be shipping the game to you in time for launch on April 29th, don't worry - your order is safe with us.

Don't forget, we'll also be sending you 1000 Xbox LIVE points and a voucher book with over £130 worth of savings with your game!

We hope you're as excited about Grand Theft Auto IV's imminent release date as we are

Nade · 12-04-2008, 18:46

Glad i pre-ordered with amazon a week ago as part of the deal with the xbox

.

Looking at those pics of GTAIV above they really don't inspire me, the character's look and features make me cringe tbh. Only hope is that's because they're close ups and it'll look a lot better from the normal viewpoint.

Carl · 13-04-2008, 08:40

Quote:

Don't forget, we'll also be sending you 1000 Xbox LIVE points and a voucher book with over £130 worth of savings with your game!

Nice one GAF

Theirs about a tenner worth of Live Points.

buzzabouttheplace · 13-04-2008, 12:11

I've never played xbox live before. Modem is up here, tv is down stairs. I could bring the tv upstairs sometimes, is XBL hard to set up. What do you need ?

I'm with Virgin Media.

03-04-2008, 16:08	#101 (permalink)
GotaFancy? God Punter Join Date: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 32,337 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 4	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008

03-04-2008, 17:48	#102 (permalink)
Carl -Woo Join Date: 06 Feb 2004 Location: Ewood Age: 36 Posts: 28,610	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 Fookthe game Im gonna spend all my time in Bohan I might have to take a few quid with me tho __________________ www.farbets.co.uk 19th/23rd Aug 08, I will drink Ireland dry. Im not dead just yet !!!!!!!

06-04-2008, 09:37	#103 (permalink)
buzzabouttheplace Senior Punter Join Date: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 114	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 Are you all getting this on pre order, or waiting to see what it's like ? I think this one could be a safe pre order. It takes so long to make this game, so it should be worth it, easily.

06-04-2008, 12:29	#105 (permalink)
GotaFancy? God Punter Join Date: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 32,337 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 4	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 I've preordered Suggestion seems to be that preorders have a good chance of being fulfilled in advance of 29th April. Best chance of an early delivery seems to be with Shopto.net, where the suggestion seems to be anything up to 6 days early is possible. I ordered with HMV though, with 1000 MS points "free". I've waited this long, if I have to wait an extra couple of days......

07-04-2008, 11:23	#106 (permalink)
buzzabouttheplace Senior Punter Join Date: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 114	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 Nice one folks. I think i will get it pre-ordered this week. Here's a sweetner. This interview is from the first guy to test the game, and complete it. He's hardly going to say it's no good, so it's a biased opinion really. It's better than nothing though ! You're the first games writer to have finished GTA IV, how does that feel? Pretty darn sweet to be honest, I allowed myself a quick smug grin when the Rockstar guys told me! It's funny; I didn't actually really get to play as much as – say – the Benelux journos we met while up in Chelsea (we were based in Rockstar's actual offices and I think I racked up 25 hours at the final count, while they were ensconced in their hotel rooms playing up to 11 hours a day!) and I also had to write down some fairly comprehensive tips for the first batch of missions so actually I got off to a slow start. On day two though, I flew through a major batch of the story missions without messing up once and then on the final day a Rockstar PR sidled up to me pretty late on while I was swearing my head off at getting stuck during a mission called 'A D* B* S** C' (edited to avoid spoiler) and said "Keep pushing on, you're actually nearly there. The missions are meant to be tough near the end!". It's true; the final couple of missions are rock, but after a couple of retries I finally made the breakthrough. And boy did I feel relieved; to have missed out that late on after all that, ahem... 'hard work' would have been hard to take. How hard has it been to keep it all a secret? Well, I've been threatened with physical violence more than a few times by mag colleagues after my constant stream of GTA enthusiasm threatened to get a bit too spoiler-intensive! Generally though, it'd be a shame to ruin the surprises for anyone else; GTA IV single player simply has to be played on your lonesome to be fully appreciate it for what it is: a true milestone in videogames. Likewise, my review in Xbox World 360 (out Wednesday 23rd April) talks more in general terms rather than getting into specifics... I can tell people why they have to buy this game, but I'd rather not tell them everything that transpires while doing so. How did it all pan out then? Where did you play it? So we got the call from Rockstar to come up on the March 26 and play for three straight days in a row – including a Saturday! We'd usually kick off at 9 or 10ish in the moring, play until 8 or 9 at night, then go eat, then crash before getting up the next morning and do it all over again. Sat in front of a 60" LCD screen in a dark room for nigh on 30 hours – now that's hardcore! Every GTA fan's dream though, huh? How hard did you find it, playing it under so much pressure? Did you die a lot? Definitely. It's funny, I actually had another colleague in the room with me, who also got real close to finishing. We were always comparing stats though, and I think I'd died 40-odd more times than he had by the end of the game. And failed, like, 50 missions! So I think in my rush to get through the game my skills let me down once or twice(!) The pressure to plough through as much as humanly possible did get irritating at times – especially when you get stuck on a certain mission – but you want to soak in as much atmosphere for your readers, cover as much ground as possible... all while taking over 4000 words worth of notes on a nearby laptop! It was the ultimate mix of fun and high pressure. How different is the game from the others? It's certainly tighter, both in terms of the way Liberty city is structured and the way in which the narrative feels more movie-like than before. Otherwise, everything feels as if it's been given the next-gen treatment; in particular the driving and shooting are light years ahead of past GTAs. Overall, it's a stratospheric leap forward, beyond anything I'd imagined. Was the game everything you expected? Or are there some surprises? That's a tricky question. It certainly exceeded my expectations, while there are so many small, chucklesome Easter Egg-style surprises that you're constantly shaking your head at just how savvy a developer Rockstar really is – light years ahead of its contemporaries. Again though, it's hard to be specific without venturing into the spoiler region... sorry! In terms of the time it takes to finish, how does it compare with others in the series? That's a hard question to answer really. I finished the story mode in 24 hours, without skipping cut scenes, but I literally blitzed through and hardly took on any side missions. If I was to play it again (which I will be, right on launch day!) I'd say to wrap up the story will take at least 40 hours at a normal pace, plus another – say, 25? – to wrap up the remainder of the missions. In truth though, you could be paving the streets of Liberty City in a year's time and still not have discovered everything. Plus, if you're a 360 owner, there's the promise of downloadable content to come...My advice is: just kick back, take your time and breathe every fresh sight and sound in, don't simply rush through just to finish it before your mates. I wish I'd had that option! how many "Woooaah, Jesus that's amazing!" moments did you have? Without giving away any spoilers; lots! I think, overall though, it'll be three overall things that entrance GTA fans like never before. The City is one, with a lighting engine that has to be seen to be believed, plus the incredible dialogue and characterisation is genuinely Oscar-worthy and Niko Bellic is absolutely the most amazing protagonist in any game I've ever played. Finally, multiplayer of course! Are the GTA fans going to happy with the new game, do you think? Obviously, you can't make everyone happy all of the time but if any GTA fans aren't happy with IV, they need to take a good long look at themselves. Seriously though, this game is going to make a lot of people very happy. Did you get a chance to play much multiplayer? Did you get your ass kicked by the Rockstar guys? Yes, Xbox World 360 actually snagged a whole day playing against Rockstar PRs and devs in a exclusive feature a month or so back. Rather than simply go with the whole Deathmatch and Capture the Flag stuff, they've genuinely taken their time creating some amazing new modes that'll do the business online. Mafiya (a chaotic, mission based affair), Cops 'n' Crooks (one team try to capture the other) and Hangman's Noose (players team up to take an army of AI SWAT troops) were our personal faves... If you had to pick a favourite out of all the games in the series now which one would it be? GTA IV. By a country mile. It craps on all the others – even the mighty Vice City – from a height equivalent to the Statue of Happiness. Believe me, GTA IV is even better than the hype suggests! Last edited by buzzabouttheplace; 07-04-2008 at 11:26.*

07-04-2008, 11:45	#107 (permalink)
buzzabouttheplace Senior Punter Join Date: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 114	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 1 GAME FOR A LAUGH There are plenty of mini-games tucked away in GTA IV. Old favourites pool, basketball and Go Go Space Monkey return, joining new games such as darts. You can even visit the driving range to practice your golf swing. For fights, of course. 2 IN FOR THE LONG HAUL San Andreas' RS Haul is back, and some missions will be centred around it. Details haven't been revealed by Rockstar, but given Niko's history of people smuggling... well, let's just say, you can fit a lot of immigrants in the back of a lorry... 3 THE GOOD SECHS SHOW The Gruppe Sechs securicars are back too, but this time there's a bigger emphasis on jacking them, nicking the money and destroying the evidence. Don't expect an easy ride; stealing one is a tough task, but losing the cops in the aftermath is even trickier. Advertisement: 4 CRACKING JOKES The poster behind Manny is more than just a hint at a drugs-related side mission - it's a blatant nod towards fellow sandboxer Crackdown. We've also seen Crackdown's name on a news ticker, and there are plenty more references tucked away in the final game. 5 SMILE FOR THE CAMERA We knew that the camera would return, and now it's been placed on the mobile phone. But the official website hints at something quite brilliant, and even more exciting: the ability to upload and share your pics with other GTA IV players. 6 ALL GONE TO SHITZU Most vehicle brands will return, but we know for sure that the Stallion and the Comet are definitely in. And San Andreas' fastest bike, the Shitzu NRG500, has been bettered - the NHG900RR is now the motorcycle of choice. 7 SPRAY WHAT YOU SEE Keep your eyes peeled for graffiti loaded with knowing winks. The red motorcycle on the left is a direct copy of the bike on the Vice City box art, while GTA 3 characters El Burro and 8-Ball are visible on the right. 8 MAP OF HONOUR Again with the self-references. While San Andreas contained maps of Vice City, IV has actual photos. One of the first promotional shots of Vice City can clearly be seen pinned to the wall of the bar. 9 SUPER STORES San Andreas brand names like Binco, Burger Shot, 24-7 and Clucking Bell are all back in GTA IV, along with plenty more brands from previous games. Alderney will also be the home of strip malls, providing a one-stop-shop for clothing, food and more. 10 TICKER TAPED Rob a bank? Murder a crime boss? People are going to know about it. The news tickers in Star Junction (Liberty City's Times Square) and around the city are always being updated - along, sadly for you, with descriptions of the perpetrator. 11 COFFEE REPUBLIC The Hot Coffee mod fiasco landed Rockstar in some hot water, but it's good to see they've seen the funny side of it. Bean Machine Coffee signs litter Liberty City. The 'familiar' positioning of the coffee beans in the logo is no accident either... 12 MAN IN THE MIRROR Those of you who aren't overwhelmed by the graphics (seriously - what's wrong with you?) should take a close look at this. First car: driver facing forward. Second car: driver checking the mirror. Third car: driver looking out the side window. GTA IV's about the little details - and they're staggering. 13 JUST GOTTA RIDE IT Flushing Meadows (site of the NY World's Fair) is featured in its entirety, as is a recreation of theme park Astroland at Coney Island. Rides such as the Corpse Ride and Cyclone can be tested, and the major tourist spots will play a part in some missions. 14 CANNED LAUGHTER Mmmm. Sprunk: A Taste of (Things to) Come. The drink from Manhunt, Vice City and San Andreas is back, and for a mere $1 you can grab a can and top up your health. Even the Statue of Happiness loves a helping of Sprunk - just look in her hand. 15 PHONE SEXY In a nod to Saints Row, any phone number you find, be it on a sign, flyer or even scrawled on a bathroom wall, can be contacted for aid and, sometimes, secrets. 16 BAN THIS FILTH! Visit the Videogeddon Arcade to try out a number of tongue-in-cheek games, and keep an eye out for people and posters attacking violent games. 17 BAT MAN BEGINS We all know the cops are crooked, but did you realise that they display the fact on their uniform? Take a close look at the badge this copper's wearing with pride - two cops with bats dragging off a beaten man. 18 WHAM BAM TRAM See the sky tram on the box? It's actually a form of transport that you can ride - if you pay the fare.

08-04-2008, 14:10	#111 (permalink)
lemonjon GAWA Punter Join Date: 10 Feb 2006 Location: Norn Iron Age: 31 Posts: 2,082	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 Online retailers GAME, Play.com and Gamestation have admitted they will struggle to cope with Grand Theft Auto IV demand when it is released on 29th April. Limited Edition copies are still promised for delivery on launch day, but those of you after the standard version may face a wait if you haven't pre-ordered already. "We cannot guarantee delivery on the day of release for orders placed on or after the 7th of April," states GAME on its website, while rival Play.com offers, "we are currently sold out of this item. All orders will be dispatched on a first come, first served basis." Gamestation too, indicates that "due to unprecedented demand for the standard editions of Grand Theft Auto IV, we are no longer taking pre-orders for this version." The Rockstar creation is expected to be one of the biggest games released this year, with some predicting it will top six million units in its first week of sale. The retail community has been offering plenty of incentive to pre-order the title, with GAME giving away 500 free Microsoft Points to users, while HMV doubled that offer to 1000 Points as well as a book of vouchers worth GBP 130. April and May could be massive sales months for the industry this year - as well as GTA IV, April will also see the release of Wii Fit from Nintendo, and Rock Band from EA, which was dated and priced for release today, is due out next month. __________________ GAWA

08-04-2008, 14:11	#112 (permalink)
lemonjon GAWA Punter Join Date: 10 Feb 2006 Location: Norn Iron Age: 31 Posts: 2,082	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 Rockstar details GTA IV multiplayer News by Rob Purchese Today 12:17 Rockstar has shed some light on a handful of the multiplayer options in Grand Theft Auto IV. Among its offerings will be the expected Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch modes, according to GameTap, which can be tinkered with by whoever is hosting. You can change the number of fighters on each team if you like, so one person could try to hold off 15 others - or you can fiddle with things like weapon types, police numbers, traffic, and pedestrians. There's also a clever blip system you can turn on or off, which shows enemy locations when they move, but disappears when they stop. Unsurprisingly, matches will be split into ranked and unranked affairs, and the reward for going competitive is cash; cash you can spend on in-game items and use to bolster your persistent ranked career. Rockstar is also adding co-operative modes: Cops 'n' Crooks and Hangman's Noose. The former splits you into two teams and has one side escort a boss character from A to B. The higher the difficulty the better the cash reward, and the more of you that are escorting the boss, the better the bonus. Helping your friends can be as simple as plotting way points on an on-screen map so your driver doesn't have to do it. Hangman's Noose, on the other hand, is a collection of mini-challenges. The specifics of each mission are laid out in cut-scenes at the start. You could find yourself fending off Noose (SWAT) teams while protecting someone, then hopping into a car and trying to escape helicopters and the full wrath of the law. Rockstar shed a little light on the GTA Race mode as well, which simply requires you get to the finish line as fast as possible. The entire world and its contents are available for use, so you can pinch a noisy moped to distract your opponents, or just pick up a bazooka and blow them up. Those of you with a hankering for pure racing will be able to do so in a GT mode, where you can pick car classes from favourites like Infernos, Turismos, Comets and Supercars. There will be around 15 game modes to get to grips with online in the final game, which should make for a rather compelling experience, Rockstar claims. "After players earn the cell phone in the single-player game (which takes about five minutes), if they want they can jump online and never even play the single-player again," said Jeronimo Barrera, product development boss. "Online is a serious time sucker. You're going to have to be really careful if you're married." Grand Theft Auto IV is due out for Xbox 360 and PS3 on 29th April. __________________ GAWA

08-04-2008, 17:54	#114 (permalink)
GotaFancy? God Punter Join Date: 18 Jun 2005 Posts: 32,337 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 4	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 Wow - with no specific hardware, I thought there was no chances of shortages on launch day Glad I preordered now If you cannot even preorder any more I imagine it will be quite tough to find in the shops

12-04-2008, 18:46	#116 (permalink)
Nade Enigma Join Date: 27 Mar 2007 Age: 21 Posts: 2,429 Awards Showcase Total Awards: 1	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 Glad i pre-ordered with amazon a week ago as part of the deal with the xbox . Looking at those pics of GTAIV above they really don't inspire me, the character's look and features make me cringe tbh. Only hope is that's because they're close ups and it'll look a lot better from the normal viewpoint.

13-04-2008, 12:11	#118 (permalink)
buzzabouttheplace Senior Punter Join Date: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 114	Re: Gta Iv - 29th April 2008 I've never played xbox live before. Modem is up here, tv is down stairs. I could bring the tv upstairs sometimes, is XBL hard to set up. What do you need ? I'm with Virgin Media.