Grand Theft Auto IV
- For the first game released after Grand Theft Auto III, see: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
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| Grand Theft Auto IV | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Rockstar North |
| Publisher(s) | Rockstar Games |
| Series | Grand Theft Auto |
| Engine | RAGE |
| Platform(s) | Xbox 360 Playstation 3 |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Unknown |
Grand Theft Auto IV (also known as GTA IV) is the upcoming eleventh installment of the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, announced for release by Rockstar Games on October 16, 2007 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[1] It has been confirmed that Grand Theft Auto IV will run on the RAGE game engine, the same engine that powered Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis.[2] The game is being written by Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser. GTA IV has been nominated for a 2006 Golden Joystick Award in the One To Watch For 2007 category.[3]
According to Janco Partners analyst Mike Mickey, a financial consultant for Take-Two Interactive Software, around 150 game developers are working on Grand Theft Auto IV. The analyst also found that Rockstar Games is "fully capable of ushering in an entertainment experience categorically superior to the prior cycle’s GTA product."[4] This is compared to about 130 non-voice actors and non-motion-capture actors listed in the credits for 2002s Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
The new official Xbox page on GTA IV states that the game will be enabled with Dolby 5.1 Surround sound, downloadable content from Xbox Live Marketplace and played at 720p.
GTA IV will mark the 10th anniversary of the GTA franchise.
Episodic content
During Microsoft's 2006 E³ press conference on May 9, it was announced that Grand Theft Auto IV would be available for the Xbox 360 and that Rockstar will offer exclusive episodic content via Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 version. This had been confirmed by Rockstar, announcing two extra, exclusive episodes[5]. After the press conference, Rockstar Games' parent company, Take-Two Interactive, posted a press release announcing Grand Theft Auto IV will be released simultaneously for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms. On February 28, 2007 it was announced that exclusive episodic content will be introduced starting in 2008.[6]
Peter Moore, head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division announced that Rockstar Games is working on two downloadable packs for GTA IV exclusively on the 360, which will probably be available within months of the game's release date. Moore described the downloads as "epic episode packs," and not just extra cars or characters. A press release during the conference said that the packs would add "hours of entirely new gameplay" to the game.[7] There have been no details on pricing of the downloads revealed. The nature of exclusivity on these episodes is still in vague detail.
First trailer
The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV was released on March 29, 2007 at 22:00 UTC. At the time the trailer was released, it was available for about a minute before being completely overloaded. This trailer shows that GTA IV is set in Liberty City (New York City) and the main character is an immigrant with an Eastern European accent, who says, "Life is complicated. - I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different." It shows Times Square as well as many other familiar landmarks. All of the cars and buildings seem to indicate a present-day setting. The trailer was a parody of Godfrey Reggio's Koyaanisqatsi as it used Philip Glass's original music from the film as well as emluated time-lapsed filming.
Jack Thompson
The American attorney and anti-obscenity activist Jack Thompson has sent a message, entitled “Bill Gates in the Crosshairs," to various news outlets vowing to rally against the release of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360. He cited a December 2006 report from the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility that indicates progress has been made to keep mature-rated games out of children's hands, but that further efforts need to be taken to ensure inappropriate content is held from minors.
Thompson said that he would “undertake various means to prohibit” the sale of GTA IV to minors, and told Gates “Please have your lawyers contact me in order that such sales will be prevented.”
He also said that the ICCR report “makes it abundantly clear that unless such prohibitions are in place, then millions of units of the new Grand Theft Auto game will be sold directly to minors.” He continued, “I am quite intent upon making sure that does not happen. I and others will endeavor to stop Microsoft from participating in any fashion, directly or indirectly, in such sales to minors.”
Thompson's campaign seems to be solely focused on the Xbox 360 release of the game, making no mention of the PS3 version at all.[8]
On March 16th, 2007, Take Two Interactive filed a lawsuit against Thompson in attempt to block him from trying to declare the games a public nuisance.[9]
References
- ^ Rockstar Games announces Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360™ and PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system retrieved May 9, 2006
- ^ RAGE Graphics Engine Confirmed June 15, 2006
- ^ "Grand Theft Auto IV nominated for Golden Joystick Award". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ "150 developers at work on GTAIV". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ Xbox 360 Gets Two Exclusive Grand Theft Auto 4 Episodes September 28, 2006
- ^ "Announcement of Episodic Content starting in 2008". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ "Details of episodic content announced at Microsoft X06 Conference". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ "Jack Thompson writes open letter to Bill Gates". Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ "BREAKING: Take Two Sues Jack Thompson over Manhunt 2, GTA4". Retrieved 2007-03-16.