Xbox 360 Fanboy

We got some potential tantalizing tidbits of Grand Theft Auto IV from a Turkish Xbox magazine. Since this is posted in the Team Xbox forum, we're going to classify this as rumors until further confirmation. That being said, some of the stuff has been alluded to before, so it's not out of the question. Simple stuff like slight vibrations for your strides when running, or a lack of a HUD, with visual cues ingame instead sound reasonable. Getting something more than a lousy t-shirt for completing the game 100% is almost a given. Liberty City will be larger than Los Santos, San Fierro, and Las Venturas combined has been heard before. Some RPG elements from San Andreas will be included, expanded upon as well as removed, for example the love interests, working out and eating have been cut, but skill development is still in. For more details, and potential features, click the "Read" link.

[Thanks, Jeff]

Rockstar has rolled out a handful of new Grand Theft Auto IV images and we've incorporated them into a new gallery, along with previously released content as well. The shots all show off a very impressive level of detail, from foliage in the trees to reflective surfaces on automobiles. We also get some close looks at GTAIV's protagonist, Niko Bellic (seen above behind the wheel of a likely stolen ride). Check out our extensive new gallery below and tell us what you think.

The UK Official Xbox Magazine had a chance to sit down with Rockstar North to talk shop about Grand Theft Auto IV, which is evidently 66% complete. Details on the benefit on basing Liberty City off of modern day New York City, the size of Liberty City in comparison to other cities in the GTAIII series, as well as some landmarks are given. In terms of gameplay, the camera's functionality, the targeting system, and improvements on the hand to hand combat are all touched on. Not only that, but boats will be making a "fun" return to the series. Click the "Read" link to get the full scoop, with scans to come shortly, and note that October can't come soon enough.

[Via Achievement Junkie. Thanks, Jonah Falcon]

Speaking to the Official Playstation Magazine, Rockstar's creative vice president, Dan Houser, noted that the Xbox 360's lack of a guaranteed hard drive poses a challenge for the development of Grand Theft Auto IV. When asked directly about the issue, Houser agreed that the hard drive issue presented limitations. It should be noted, however, that Houser elaborated that both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 have their share of challenges. As Houser put it, "both have their own particular pleasures and pains." What exactly these pleasures and pains are is anyone's guess.

For what it's worth, the version of Grand Theft Auto IV being shown to the press is running on an Xbox 360. Do with that what you will.

[Via Digg]

Among the details revealed about GTAIV a couple weeks back was this little tidbit: "No planes." Many readers were understandably miffed, as flying is one of the more entertaining things to do in Grand Theft Auto. Fear not, fanboys, for we have discovered that flight has not been removed from the series. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner recently spilled the beans whilst speaking to GTANet. According to Reiner, the city is really too small for a plane to make sense, but other craft -- like helicopters -- will definitely make it into the game. That, obviously, is the big news, but Reiner revealed a few other details as well. The camera has been adjusted while driving, making the game feel more like Midnight Club according to Reiner. Also, Reiner was very impressed by the game's visuals (no pop up or loading screens), and notes that retail will look even better than what he saw. He also hints that characters from previous games may make an appearance.

Hit the "read" link for the full interview.

[Via IGN. Thanks, Rodney]

Many will recall yesterday's big Grand Theft Auto IV news including plenty of new details about the game. One of those details is causing a bit of a stir in Staten Island. It was revealed yesterday that only four of New York's five boroughs would be represented in GTAIV, with Staten Island being left out. It seems that Staten Island (or at least one of its newspapers) is miffed at its exclusion from the game. As John Annese writes in the Staten Island Advance "When did Staten Island get run off the road as a borough of New York City?" A gamer at a local gaming center stated, "If you're gonna base a game on the five boroughs and you leave out one of the boroughs, it's kind of unsettling" (he added that he would still probably buy the game though).

Of course, not everyone is displeased with the news. Linda Baran, the president of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce noted, "That's something I appreciate being left out of." A mother at the gaming center shared similar sentiments, noting that GTA is "not a great game" and that her son wasn't allowed to play it.

Naturally, as game journalists, we're disappointed that so many people remain unaware that games have grown up over the years. Still, the response is expected at this point. Considering the flack companies have been getting lately for basing their games on real world locations, it's interesting to see things turned the other way around.

[Via Game Stooge]

Our buddies at Xboxygen nabbed over a dozen scans of Grand Theft Auto IV (GTAIV to the kids) from the latest Game Informer. The screens give a nice idea of the level of detail in the game, as touched upon by the recently released trailer. The shot above in particular is a great example of how alive the game seems to be. In this shot, you can see reflections on the car, realistic shadows, and of course, lots of pedestrians. It's unfortunate that this shot shows off two identical NPCs (the women in white shirts and jeans), but the level of detail is still very impressive. There are also some nice shots of GTAIV's locations, cars, and characters (including some character art). Hit the "read" link to check 'em out. Be sure to head back here and tell us what you think.

Take-Two, publisher of infamously violent games such as Grand Theft Auto 3 and Manhunt, has seen better days. Gamasutra reports that a group of Take-Two shareholders -- who own a combined 46% of the company -- wish to remove the current CEO, Paul Eibeler, and shake up the company's board of directors. Take-Two has postponed it's annual meeting from March 23rd to March 29th in order to review the shareholders' requests and come up with alternative solutions. Currently, the main "alternative" is an outright "sale of the Company."

Take-Two recently posted a loss for 2006 and its future has been questioned for some time. Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities recently downgraded the company's stock and suggested that Take-Two could eventually be bought and sold in pieces, including its 2K Sports line. With the recent shareholder activity, that prediction could be coming true.

Whether or not this could affect the development of GTAIV remains to be seen, though we're curious to see if Take-Two will now shy away from controversial titles, as its financial troubles began with the eruption of the Hot Coffee scandal.

Take-Two stocks have already gone up as a result of the rumored sale.

In roughly an hour the world's most watched television broadcast will begin. Super Bowl XLI will kick off in Florida tonight with the Colts pitted against the Bears (that's American football for those of you who don't know). But why do we bring up a sports event on an Xbox 360 fansite? Well, there is a very good reason for that ... commercials! Tonight, during the game, watch for any video game related commercials. Rumor has it that Coke will be airing their GTA inspired commercial during the football game. And although not video game related, the guys over at Digg just might be in GoDaddy's commercial. Just keep your eyes peeled and feel free to discuss your favorite commercials ... let the pizza eating begin!

Have you been wondering why our Playstation 3 friends have lost so many exclusive games? Think about it, Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed are both shinning examples. Also, why has the Xbox 360 wrapped up exclusives from third party developers like Bioshock and Winning Eleven? It's quite simple actually, Sony's lead man Ken Kutaragi dragged his feet for far too long. Mr. Kutaragi couldn't give developers the thumbs up for exclusivity and Microsoft played the roll of annoying best friend, constantly bugging developers to flock to their console. And look at the result, we've got great games coming. Good job Microsoft, third party exclusive titles are butter and cream and we're all anticipating Assassin's Creed. Oh the joy.

[Via, Digg]

Crackdown, from GTA creator Jason David Jones, is an interesting game. Go find an interview with a Microsoft executive and find the part where he is inevitably asked what 360 games he is looking forward to. Crackdown is almost always on that list. And yet, if you read internet chatter, the first thing out of many people's mouths is, "this game looks like crap." Whether or not you can deal with the (slightly) cel-shaded graphics, one thing remains clear: the game sounds like a lot of fun.

Shacknews recently got a chance to sit down with the game, exploring both the single player game and co-op. Crackdown places players in the shoes of an agent, a genetically enhanced super soldier deployed in Los Muertos, a city where regular law enforcement just doesn't cut it anymore. The ultimate goal is to remove all the gang activity from the city -- destroying 21 gang leaders to do so. The game has no set, linear way in which to reach this goal, but does employ some MetroidVania style impediments to point players in a suggested direction. For instance, if you don't have high enough agility to jump over a certain wall, you probably aren't ready to deal with what's on the other side. Of course, there are multiple ways to reach a given destination (including vehicles that drive up walls). Players will slowly gain new abilities as they level up the game's five skills: agility, firearms, driving, explosions, and strength. Firearms and explosions are self-explanatory. Agility governs how high you can jump -- over buildings once it's high enough. When leveled up, strength will allow you to throw cars and other huge objects at deserving miscreants and thugs. Driving, curiously, affects what sort of badass machine your Agency car morphs into.

Co-op, always a welcome feature, allows you and a friend to join up online and take down kingpins together. Of course, you could just shoot each other, but where's the fun in that?

Update: The name of GTA's creator is David Jones, not Jason Jones. Jason Jones is the co-counder of Bungie. Guess I have Halo on the brain.

[Via Evil Avatar]

Our Aussie friends at My360.com.au got a chance to playtest a near final build of Saints Row. In short, it sounds like great fun.

"Gamers will be pleased to know that Saints Row, from what we saw from the preview code, is far from a GTA-clone. It offers so much more in terms of customization and interaction that it really makes a run for the best GTA-type game out there, considering GTA is pretty much a genre in itself."

Some of the high points:

• Solid controls
• Lots of side missions (insurance fraud? Sweet!)
• Create-a-gangster and ride pimping
• No loading times
• Lots of multiplayer modes

The multiplayer modes in particular sound very cool. Big Ass Chains mode has players killing each other and then stealing the bling off of the bodies. Take the bling to a jewelry store, fence it, and get money. The first team to a certain score is the winner. But the best of all modes has to be Protect the Pimp. I'll leave it to you to figure out the objective, but this is the important part: the pimp is controllable and has the "Bitch Slap" ability, which is a one hit kill. That's got to be the best idea ever.

A new trailer of Just Cause has popped up. Filled to the brim with all kinds of derring-do, it's sure to get your heart pumping. In a funny way, it seems to be the opposite of GTA, as the focus seems to be getting out of vehicles rather than getting in. Check it out, tell us what you think.

[Thanks, bv]

We received some fresh Crackdown videos yesterday. The first of the pair (seen above) demonstrates mass carnage with a rocket launcher. For a supercop, this guy seems to destroy a lot of civilian property. The end of the video is especially brutal, as some poor thug gets rocket juggled into the stratosphere.

The second video showcases a gun battle inside a villa -- presumably owned by some nefarious drug lord in a white suit. Check it out after the break.

Update 1: Embedded second video after the break.

Xboxic clues us into these Saints Row multiplayer shots from Dutch Xbox site XboxWorld. Those of you who've wondered what GTA would be like with multiplayer, look no further. My favorite thing so far is the caption in the above picture:

"The other team's ride has left their base."

Nice. Expect the game to hit shelves on August 29th with a demo available on August 1st.

[Via Xboxic (sorry guys, forgot your linkage earlier)]