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"When we talk about video games, we have a tendency to classify them by the nature of their mechanics (first-person, strategy) as often as by narrative or thematic content, the way other works of art are usually described. Sometimes the two are used together to describe a game - Halo is a “sci-fi shooter.” It’s an important distinction, since video games are made up of more than narrative content. A game’s mechanics define it just as much as, if not more than, what it’s about. They’re the way ..."
"We reviewed Chinatown Wars twice already, first for the Nintendo DS, and then for the PSP. Both were highly rated, and for good reason: the Rockstar-developed game is just great, in so many ways. Yet both times I played it, heading down to Chinatown just didn’t feel the same as it’s home console brethren, the Grand Theft Auto III’s and IV. But with a new platform comes new possibilities, and the iPad brings Chinatown to the big (or at least, bigger) screen."
All Age Gaming's John Elliott brings us the 7th developer profile. This fortnight he looks at the Grand Theft Auto series developer Rockstar Games. See inside for a look into the famous multi-platform developer.
"At anytime there’s a highly anticipated game, a article like this will certainly pop up. After GTAIV was released, a hell of a lot of people were disappointed and confused. A hefty amount of people were confused because the game got many perfect review scores but the game was far from perfect."
"Rampant piracy is the real reason for GTA: Chinatown Wars’ slow sales according to Take-Two CEO Ben Feder.
"The handheld market is currently challenged by weak demand and by piracy. Piracy is a real and present danger for our industry and must be addressed, especially in the handheld market. The commercial performance of Chinatown Wars has certainly suffered at the hands of piracy.”"
"Along with the announcement of the April Foolishness sale earlier today, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has revealed a second money-saving event. The PSP Favourites promotion includes a number of PlayStation Portable (PSP) titles that will be discounted on the PlayStation Store beginning this Thursday, April 1st 2010."
"Last night, the GAME British Academy Video Games Awards ceremony took place in London, with a number of shocking results. While few would argue that Batman: Arkham Asylum found itself up against some tough competition for the coveted Game of the Year award, the fact that Rocksteady Studios walked away with the award will certainly be a boon to UK videogame development. However, another winner is now going to be a benefit to the UK’s gaming public, as the UK’s largest high street videogames re..."
With the BAFTA Awards coming up late this week (March 19), AAG's Ian Crane looks at the nominees and does some predictions of his own as to which game will win what category at the famous awards later this week.
"The shortlist for the BAFTA GAME Award 2009 has been announced and you - the British public - will decide who nabs the prize.
Last year 60,000 gamers voted, with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare crowned the eventual winner. This time around the sequel could repeat the feat, but will face stiff competition from the likes of Batman: Arkham Asylum and FIFA 10."
LVLONE has just relaunched the website with new features and new content to come in the future. To celebrate they are giving away 1 of 8 games every week in the month of February. They will also be adding games in the future.
The list so far
WET - Xbox 360
FairyTale Fights - Xbox 360
Motor Storm Arctic Edge - PSP
Grand Theft Auto China Town Wars - PSP
Dead Space Extraction - Wii
Spyborgs - Wii
Mario and Sonic Olympic Winter games - Wii
Nostalga - Nintendo DS
"With a Platinum and two Gold Awards under its belt, Rockstar's handheld chapter of the massively popular Grand Theft Auto series is now tearing up the App Store charts after the iPhone version was suddenly and unexpectedly released.
And despite all three versions being the same essential game, there are distinct differences between the DS, PSP, and iPhone renditions of Chinatown.
We decided to throw the three handheld gaming platforms into a cage match and see which one was left standing."
"As 2009 came to a close, we posted a weeklong look at our favorite games of 2009. However, those 40 titles (including the eight we ultimately chose to honor as "The Best of the Best") were far from the only good games released last year. And did our picks match up with the rest of the game industry? But most importantly, what we really wanted to know was which game was truly the best game of 2009."
"Like Jack Bauer, Chuck Norris and Neil Patrick Harris rise above the station of mortal men and become legendary, so do some video games. While 2009 was a tough year for the industry, both financially and creatively, that didn't stop a handful of titles from being enshrined into the video game canon."
"Today the festivities may be over and hopefully you’re all settling down to some well deserved videogaming time. It is also the day Electronic Theatre brings you the third instalment of The Twelve Games of Christmas series. Every day for the twelve days of Christmas Electronic Theatre will be taking a look at each month of 2009 and bringing you the very best releases for that month. On the third day of Christmas we bring you the best of March 2009 and the titles we think you should be looking..."
""2009 saw Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's record breaking launch, the return of Nathan Drake in Uncharted 2, new, groundbreaking experiences and traditional classics for the whole family. 2009 was a huge year for any type of gamer, no matter how you slice it.
So it is without further ado that GameZone presents our 2009 Game of the Year Awards. We took a look at the best and the brightest that this year had to offer, wracked our brains together in a rigorous voting process, and now we pres..."
"Some people blame the economy for a game’s poor sales but with the gaming industry gaining ground even in the face of the sunken economy there has to be other reasons for it. Some people blame market saturation saying there are too many desirable games to compete for the available time and cash gamers are willing to surrender. Still others think that a game’s sales have everything to do with competing titles released on or around the same date. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that some gam..."
Ironically, the list dubbed "Ten Games to Cross off Your Child's Gift List" almost certainly contains at least one game that if on ever member of Neoseeker's list this holiday season.
Now while I'm sure the Times *scoff* has their reasons to dislike this list of mostly shooters and questionable ethical decisions, but that's the main draw (at least for most gamers)
Amazon has posted their list of "Cyber Monday" deals and while many of them are repeats from Black Friday, there's still plenty of deals to be had. Some of the games on sale include Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, Dragon Age: Origins, Left 4 Dead 2, Need For Speed: Shift, The Beatles: Rock Band, WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010, a great deal on Tekken 6 and discounts on every recent Guitar Hero title.
"Thanksgiving is here and that means one thing for retailers and bargain hunters, "Black Friday" is tomorrow. But rather than wake up at 2 AM or 3 AM or even earlier, Amazon has the perfect solution. Shop for deals from your pajamas a day early. Yes, Amazon has posted their Black Friday deals a day early. With more deals to be added tomorrow."
"It's been four full years since the introduction of the Nintendo DS. This dual-screen, touch-screen handheld was a system first received with skepticism when it launched in the US in November of 2004. Over time, it began to prove itself. The dual-screened handheld that had everyone, gamers and developers alike, scratching their heads has become the most popular and most purchased piece of video game hardware.
But it's not on the strength of the hardware alone. The reason why Nintendo's DS ..."
All Age Gaming's Ian Crane brings us his 1st "The Wednesday Humps" article. "The Wednesday Humps" is our mid-week look at a few topical issues in the world of gaming. In this article, Ian looks at the controversy surfacing in regards to a couple of upcoming in-game achievements, he looks at a couple of anticipated GTA releases happening this week and more.
"Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has now launched on PlayStation Portable (PSP) in North America and Europe, and in an effort to extend the launch celebrations Rockstar Games have today announced a number of new features for players of the game at the official online space, the Social Club. The Social Club is an online community including a space for each of Rockstar Games’ recent releases, and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars has received a whole heap of new additions this week."
"Today Rockstar has announced that they will be releasing the Rockstar Legacy Collection for PSP. On October 15, Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition, Midnight Club: L.A. Remix and Manhunt 2 will be available for digital download from the PlayStation Network for the PSP system."
"Rockstar Games, the world-renowned publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., has today announced that the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars from Rockstar Leeds, the winners of the 2009 Develop Award for Best Handheld Game Studio, will be making its way to the iPhone and iPod touch this Autumn."
"Following the announcement of a release date for RockStar Games’ forthcoming PlayStation Portable (PSP) conversion of the Nintendo DS’s Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, today has seen the release of the first batch on screenshots and the launch trailer for the game. Set for release in October, the PSP conversion of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be available both digitally and as a fully retail-boxed release."
"RockStar Games have today announced, via their Twitter account, that the PlayStation Portable conversion of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will release in North America on October 20th, 2009. No UK date has yet been announced, though Electronic Theatre expects it will follow within a few days as is typically the case with Grand Theft Auto releases."
It is the opinion of Neoseeker writer Lydia Sung that Nintendo has in recent years fallen a bit off the wagon, so to speak. Okay, a lot.
Citing her experiences at E3 this year, some of the company's contradictory statements and actions, and support of the mature audience (or lack thereof), she divulges on how Nintendo has missed the mark in a lot of ways, and touches on how they can fix it.
Have a read if you feel so inclined!
"Rockstar Games has announced that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be released for PSP this autumn.
Developed by the award-winning studio Rockstar Leeds, in conjunction with series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be available at retail on UMD and digitally from the PlayStation Network.
"We're proud to extend this truly unique handheld Grand Theft Auto experience to PSP and offer a downloadable version of Chinatown Wars for PSPgo," said Sam Houser, Foun..."
Dylan Nelson of My Secret Online Thoughts takes a look at what may be one of the DSi's most compelling reasons for a purchase. Among other things he provides his opinion of the DSi itself and GTA: Chinatown Wars.
"The adult nature of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is unmistakeable; even the Splash Screen prior to the game displays mysterious white parcels being exchanged for cash over two variants of the Rockstar Games logo. The developers were clearly anticipating more anti-Nintendo DS Grand Theft Auto campaigning than the game actually received, as it seems that almost every aspect is designed to create controversy."
"31 studios from across Europe feature in the list - 26 of them in the UK. These include the likes of Rockstar North (third on the list and responsible for the Grand Theft Auto franchise), LEGO Star Wars developer Traveller's Tales (11th) and Media Molecule (18th), the developer of LittleBigPlanet - and the highest placed independent UK studio on the list."
"I've been away for a couple of days so missed out on the big sales story from last week – namely that GTA: Chinatown Wars has seriously underperformed. The Rockstar developed DS title shifted 89,000 units in the US in March, way below the 200-450,000 analyst prediction. And that's despite the game being rather good and certainly not just the retro remake of GTA 1 or 2 that many feared. So what happened? Is the Nintendo DS audience just not interested in "mature" gaming?
And it's not just t..."
This week Yahtzee looks a Grand Theft Auto: China Town Wars.
This is the first handheld review to be done by him, so it should be something different to the usual. But of course, expect his usual humour.
"MTV Multiplayer: If we’ve gotten to the point where we can have a “Grand Theft Auto” on the DS, how much progress does that bring you guys, Take-Two and gamers to getting a “Grand Theft Auto” on a Nintendo console?
Fils-Aime: I’ve said this — and it may have been in one of your interviews –from the get-go. I as a gamer — and Nintendo as a company — would love to see a new “Grand Theft Auto” on our home console. We think the volume opportunity is there."
"The last Grand Theft Auto game on a Nintendo platform sucked. GTA Advance was a shell of its console brethren, with terrible controls, graphics and gameplay. It was, in short, a phone-in. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is not that game. Picture a world in which GTA never entered the 3D, behind-the-back realm which made it famous. What if it stayed as a top-down, arcade-y, balls-out action game? Chinatown Wars is just that, and it is easily one of the best games on the DS."
It's all about the DS this week, fellas, ladies. Sure, there's a few notables for the other platforms (Rune Factory: Frontier on the Wii, Resistance: Retribution on PSP), but none of them can top a whopping six high profile titles, and of such a great variety. Three RPGs, one RTS, one shooter, one racer, and GTA: Chinatown Wars? Never been a better time to be a DS owner than now..
"To honour the highly-anticipated releases of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and the latest installment of the survival horror videogame Resident Evil, Guinness World Records have announced some of the franchises' biggest records."
In a press release today, Nintendo has announced release dates for a number of first-party and third-party games headed for the Wii and DS in the second quarter of 2009 (although technically April to June, this includes March as well).
Nintendo itself noted these games as upcoming to the Wii, WiiWare, and Nintendo DS:
Wii:
Excitebots: Trick Racing - April 20
New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat - May 4
Punch-Out!! - May 18
WiiWare:
BIT.TRIP BEAT (Gaijin Games/Aksys Games)
Edu...
The ESRB has unveiled the content descriptions for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. The article points out the excerpts regarding the sexual content contained within the game, and there's no doubt that this DS title is strictly suited for a Mature audience.
"We've played GTA: Chinatown Wars and it's our new favourite game. Not just because it's accessible yet deep. Nor because it's got radio stations crammed onto the tiny DS cart. Not even because you can spell out words with the magnetic letters on the whiteboard in your safehouse. No, our biggest reason is because Nintendo's family-friendly handheld finally has something 18-rated on it. If ever a game was going to grow your DS a set of man balls, it's this. And here's why."
"
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"But speaking about Chinatown Wars in September, Rockstar's co-founder Dan Houser told Edge magazine: "It can't be softened to make it family-friendly - that's not the game we're making. We've never not done well by sticking to our guns."
Tim Ingham, editor of games industry magazine MCV, said: "The DS is a console that doesn't exclusively cater for children and families even though it provides a wealth of suitable entertainment for them."
A list of upcoming games to look forward to in 2009. Blend Games writer' Nathan Ochiltree lists games like Final Fantasy XIII, Punch-Out Wii and Star Ocean: Second Evolution as some of the prospective highlights for 2009.
In a shock move, the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has given the highly anticipated Nintendo DS game GTA: Chinatown Wars an 18 certificate, despite the game being considerably toned down for the handheld console.
myreviewpoint.com has posted their list of the top five video game series that should move on over to the latest major console by Nintendo, the Wii. They've been seen on the other two consoles, why not this one?
"Chinatown Wars is much bigger than anything we have ever done before [in terms of scope]: more odd jobs, deeper missions, and more moments of over-the-top action. We have a huge interaction with the Rockstar Social Club, a massive [narcotics trafficking] game that would stand alone on its own. The list goes on and on; this thing is huge. We are very proud of all of the PSP games we have made, especially the two GTA games, but this game is far bigger."
While going through my financial news this morning, I came upon a nice press release from Take Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO). The most interesting part was about halfway down they posted tables of their releases for the 2008 fiscal year, as well as their projected releases for the 2009 fiscal year.
Nothing that we really didn't know already, GTA: IV PC, and GTA Chinatown Wars obviously caught my eye, as well as Mafia II, Bioshock 2, and Borderlands.
Add that to their recent publishing a...
"Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. today announced that it has established a new incentive compensation program for the Rockstar Games label that is primarily based on a profit sharing arrangement, and at the same time has entered into new long-term employment agreements with members of the creative team of its wholly-owned Rockstar Games publishing label. The new employment agreements have an initial term ending on January 31st, 2012."
"By pre-ordering the game at the retailer, consumers will get $10,000 in "cold hard Liberty City cash" and immediate access to the game's entire arsenal from the start of play.
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars launches on March 17 in the U.S.
GameStop's exclusive pre-order bonuses are an increasingly common means of drawing consumers into stores, although bonus items are typically those of the physical variety, such as soundtrack CDs and game-related trinkets."
In a press release today, Nintendo has announced release dates for a number of games headed for the Wii and DS in the first quarter of 2009 in North America. Some of the more notable games are as follows:
Wii
D3Publisher
Onechanbara Bikini Zombie Slayers - February
Hudson Entertainment
FISHING MASTER WORLD TOUR - Jan. 6
Marble Saga Kororinpa - Spring
Majesco Entertainment
Major Minor's Majestic March - March
Marvelous Entertainment USA
Little King's Story - Feb. 17
Ru...
"Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. had announced the release date for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the latest entry into the genre-defining Grand Theft Auto series. Developed by Rockstar Leeds, in conjunction with series creators Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be available for the NintendoDS..."
"If that isn't enough bad news for you wannabe street thugs, it also turns out that Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the DS game, may be delayed as well. Zelnick made sure to mention that Chinatown Wars may not make it's Q1 2009 target release date, meaning that the game will more than likely be pushed back to February, 2009 at the very earliest."
We have unearthed the first screen shots of the anticipated (by both gamers and anti-gamer legislation happy executives) Drug Dealing mini-game in Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the DS.
At first glance - it appears to be quite similar to Dope Wars, but probably not as involved.
I can't wait to see it be refused ratings across the board for this mere fact alone.
Yesterday it was predicted the drug dealing minigame announced for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars would cause something of a media frenzy, and it came true, though maybe a little sooner than expected.
Tabloid journalism outlet The Sun has posted something on their website which features charities blasting the game, and cites "experts" (editors?) who say the final version will be less explicit than stated (despite Rockstar saying Nintendo is fine with it, and they will not be softening t...
Remember those "tasteful" minigames announced for GTA: Chinatown Wars? Apparently one of them is going to be a drug dealing minigame which allows you to sell drugs for in game profit. Rockstar is saying Nintendo is cool with it. I'm just wondering how they're getting through with this on the DS while Fallout 3 can't get away with it on the PC/Xbox 360, even if Australian authoritative bodies were the main obstacle.
Well as you know GTA Chinatown Wars was a game in development for the DS, since to Rockstar it looked interesting platform to develop the game using the Stylus. However some news may make this game even more interesting. It seems another very possible candidate to make a GTA game on is Apple's very own iPhone. Since Rockstar is using the touch capabilities it couldn't be that difficult to port this game to the iPhone and use its touch screen possibilities. At least it seems this way to Janco ...
According to an interview in the latest edition of the magazine titled Nintendo Power, Dan Houser - Co-Founder of Rockstar Games - has told us why there is a GTA game headed to the DS and not the Wii. Apparently, "It didnt really feel natural".
Hit the quote for his full answer.
image credit - pcworld
Just yesterday Nintendo Power revealed the first details of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars and now Gamekyo have uploaded the first screenshots ( scans ) of the game too !
"- True GTA game - sandbox gameplay, open-world environment, gritty crime narrative.
- M-rating
- Isometric camera angle
- Cel-shaded polygons w/ black borders
- good touch-screen implementation - "tasteful" minigames, streamlining interface
- UI based on a PDA - hub for email, contacts, map, music player, GPS, stat-tracking
- stats uploaded to Rockstar Social Club website via Wi-Fi
- finger-sized icons
- missions designed for shorter periods of play, arcade quality
- aiming with cont..."
After a teenager from Thailand was arrested because of murdering a taxi driver, police questioned why he did it. He said he was inspired by the Grand Theft Auto series (police assume from Grand Theft Auto IV specifically). The game was then pulled from shelves in Thailand. Now the Secretary General of the Catalan Taxi Federation in Spain, is asking for a ban of the Grand Theft Auto games, along with the cabbies in Spain.
![Box shot of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvTmludGVuZG9fRFMvQWN0aW9uL0F1dG9tb2JpbGU=/grand_theft_auto_chinatown_wars_frontcover_small_T6I5qSoEoY8u21C.jpg)