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"I began playing a game yesterday, a game lauded by many, so I decided that I should have a go at it as well: LA Noire. Now, truth be told, open world games have stopped captivating my interest these last few years (yes, I’m counting Skyrim as well). The problem is that this kind of game tends to sacrifice storytelling for freedom. After playing New Vegas a while back, I said to myself that I’d rather play a completely linear story that at least has more depth than 50 square miles that are as ..."
"Friday the 13th is the day you’re most likely to get struck by lightning, run over by an ambulance and stabbed in the face by a bad tempered fella with a hockey mask, so why not do yourself a favor and remain indoors with our top five list of the unluckiest characters in gaming history."
Even though its 2012 there are plenty of games to fill the early year void. The best part of this that so many of these games are less then $20. Games like GTA IV, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Saints Row 2, Mass Effect 2, Fallout 3, and lots of others. There are plenty of other games that offer a lot of bang for your buck.
In the final entry in Gaming Irresponsibly's storytelling in games series, Matt Beaudette takes a look at the quality of writing present in most games, and speculates about where storytelling can go in the future of games.
"This time around it followed the lawless adventures of Russian immigrant Niko Bellic who engaged in all the same forms of mayhem that his predecessors did, but had some new moves up his sleeve, or at least they were new back in 2008. This was the time when every action franchise had started to dabble in cover systems, and Niko jumped on that bandwagon – then took cover behind it."
The trailer is out for GTA V. But there were only hints of what the game is about. The biggest question Goozernation asks is, will the game be like San Andreas? Will it have the customization? Will there be co-op? How about a multiple arc story? Each GTA game in the series was better then the last, what will GTA V bring? No matter the answers this is going to be a great game.
In this week's edition of The Catch-Up, Kyree discusses several games that he can't bring himself to return to, regardless of how much positive press some may have received.
GamersGameplay: Controversy to praise, chaos to orderly conduct, Rockstar Games is one of the companies that have evolved into a renowned publisher in the video game industry. Over the past few years their presence in the industry has changed in a good way. Countless great titles lie under their belt, however one franchise by far is the most common one associated with their name.
Here is a list of 10 of the best games on the Xbox 360 that you can currently find on Amazon for under $20. Some are many years old while others were released as recently as 2010.
Morality has become the gaming theme of this generation. Black, and White, Good vs. Evil with some choices doing nothing to impact the long term plot. Gamers have experienced morality in games such as Fallout 3, Mass Effect, GTA IV, Bioshock as well as several others. Goozernation takes a look at the bigger questions and asks is morality really needed? Why do gamers always have to make a choice with consequences?
"If there’s one franchise that’s engendered more attention than any other, it’s Grand Theft Auto. With good reason, too - despite the controversy, or maybe thanks to it, each new title in the series has become the benchmark for open world games and video game narratives."
Game Podunk blogger MonkJammas presents perhaps a sensitive topic about video games possibly ignoring the minority for racial group? Read on for more.
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."
"I think even BioWare would have to admit, though, that the sex scenes depicted in one of their most recent titles, Dragon Age: Origins - in which your character and paramour of choice roll around by the fire with their underwear on - felt a bit awkward and cheesy."
There's been some talk going around lately about the relationship between Nintendo and third party developers. An example being difficulty with hardcore third party titles. Lee Evans has posted a blog entry going over some facts and figures in an effort to shed some light on the matter and the severity of the situation.
All Age Gaming's Phong Nguyen bring's us the 27th AAG "The Week That Was". This week he discusses the continual sales boom for Nintendo's New Super Mario Bros. Wii game, Halo: Reach at Microsoft's X10 event, the once Xbox 360 exclusive GTA IV DLC coming to PS3 and PC and more.
Let's face it. Most videogame movies suck. It's extremely hard to make the transition from videogame to the silver screen and even harder to portray the game's plot effectively within a two-hour motion picture. Here's eight games that are so good that turning them into movies would be suicide.
"The Xbox 360 launched four years ago today in Europe, ushering in the current-generation of videogames consoles and putting a full stop in the life of the original Xbox. Only a handful of games for Microsoft’s first console made it to UK shores after 2nd December 2005, as the Xbox 360 began its life as the company’s definite priority."
"I hear a lot of bitching that innovation is dead in America. That’s a lie. The problem is that we have two industries at odds, neither of which is really equipped to present innovations to the masses.
First off, we have the indie community, which bewails its unrecognized genius and occasionally screams “sellout!” whenever someone in the community actually manages to make a hit.
Then we have the AAA industry, which often claims that it can’t take the kind of risks that innovation require..."
"More than a year after the original release of Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar is about to release a downloadable content pack that will be the game many fans were waiting for. Some will argue that The Ballad of Gay Tony arrives too late to make much of a difference for those who felt betrayed by the original GTA IV. The first game had tons of narrative punch, but lacked many of the little details that made San Andreas so fun: there wans't much to do outside of the main storyline, and customizi..."
"This will be a debateable article for many of you, and some will simply say it is a cry piece about not having the right console, or a PC for that matter. However, to the open minded, this is a true reflection on how we have all been affected, penalised, punished or, dare I say it, betrayed by the games we love and hold dear to our hearts for simply not having the right gaming platform."
"Games should be fun.
But sometimes they get to a point where the challenge simply becomes beyond frustrating and makes you feel like an incompetent, so you don’t finish. Sometimes maybe it is your lack of skill, but other times it is just poor game design.
Or maybe the game becomes so boring that it becomes too frustrating to even bother finishing. After all, every second is a second lost of your life you’ll never get back, and who wants to be stuck playing a game that’s no longer fun..."
Anyone that plays games knows that receiving demos via Xbox live or PSN is never a bad thing. Consumers play the game then go out and buy it right?, but what if playing that demo that someone was excited about changed their feeling about the game in a negative way. At this point was the demo a good idea to even release knowing they just lost a sale? Here are a few reasons why demo's can either help or hurt game releases.
"With the dawn of the new century came the dawn of a new console, the Playstation 2. A significant upgrade over its earlier iteration, the system provided developers with the power they needed to develop more involving and expansive games.
[...]What Do You Think?
Do you prefer open-playgrounds for your games, or would you rather follow the path laid out by developers?
Is the idea of Open-World Games a passing “fad,” or is it the future of games?
What direction will games move in? W..."
"omparisons are made constantly within the gaming industry, from both gamers and critics alike. We often compare different games and franchises in order to determine which is the greatest for that particular genre. It therefore comes as no surprise when we talk about ‘heavyweights’ within the industry – specifically, particular developers and certain franchises which are hailed as leaders … or bench-setters for a certain genre."
Major Nelson has posted up the Live Activity for the week of May 11th, and with that comes some regulars, along with some .. weirdness... such as the fact that the UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo has made it's way on the top ten for the fourth week in a row! I played it, I don't get it, how is this on the list.. *shrugs shoulders*. Though being out a year and a half, as well as having a sequel, Call of Duty 4 continues to carry a high rank on the list :D
""As part of our long standing relationship with Rockstar, and the incredible success for both companies with the cultural icon that is Grand Theft Auto, we've agreed to the PlayStation exclusive rights of the next great franchise from the Rockstar studios," Shorrock wrote."
"Video games allow us to enter worlds and scenarios in which we couldn’t possibly take part in in the real world. You may battle aliens on a distant planet. Or you may fight the Reich in a WWII shooter. The possibilities are endless, because what can be done in the realm of imagination is endless. So why do we continue to return to the same enemies that we’ve killed thousands of times before? The straightforward answer? Because they’re safe."
It's so strange to see Battlefield Heroes and Grand Theft Auto tied to one article but I'm afraid its true, 18+ rated games like the GTA series aren't the only ones to be victimised and scrutinised under the latest epidemic that seems to be sweeping the world.
Battlefield Heroes is a 12+ rated free to play game. Not even released yet and still under closed beta status yet already within the forums, problems are occuring, well see for yourself in the quote below which was taken directly fro...
Good old Jack has been on the gamer's radars recently and never for good reasons either. Now before I state my opinions here, I would like to point out that I am in no way defending Jack and his antics but neither am I defending anyone elses. You could say I am trying to see a good side to all of this and give my general opinion on the gaming industry. So why am I doing this? I feel that Jack is misunderstood by the methods he uses and that one thing he does press on about the gaming industry...
Binge Gamer's Intern Perry takes a look at the elements that make a game and provides a guide for future games to follow. Listing examples, both good and bad, on some obvious subjects and some not so obvious that need to be taken into account: Play Control, Characters/Writing, Graphics/Glitches, Depth/Replay Value, Atmosphere, Licensing, Hype, Initial concept, Sound and Music. Hit up the source for the in depth read.
"Rio de Janeiro is just asking for a Grand Theft Auto remake. A large gap between the rich and the poor, abundance of foreign tourists, thriving drug trade and pervasive police corruption due to low wages combine to create a petri dish for criminal activities. But dont take my word for it, check out these excerpts from the Overseas Security Advisory Council they make it sound like the acts common in a GTA game are actually commonplace in Brazils second largest city:"
"If we think about LittleBigPlanet, Age of Conan or Mirrors Edge, we notice they have two things in common: very successful and well received demo versions (or beta stages) and very poor, lower than anticipated game sales. And since these are not the only titles in which a demo (or the lack of it) appears to be connected with their commercial success, I believe we should analyze the influence demos have in the game world and debate: are game demos game killers?"
"We get it. Its hard enough for a company - dev or publisher - to turn a profit with each game release. Given the choice, would you risk losing tens of millions to completely reinvent your money-maker, or play it safe with a slight upgrade you designate a sequel? Hell, it took Capcom five tries to reinvent Resident Evil 4 and Ubisoft has no clue what to do with Splinter Cell: Conviction.
Weve got some tips for these companies. Weve come up with some ideas to reinvent franchises before th..."
"After 12 months of playing and enjoying as many games as possible, its time to take a break, look back and choose the best of the best - the best 10 games of the year 2008. As you can imagine, its a really tough mission, especially because the overall quality of the games released this year was pretty high (there were exceptions, of course), but we must choose the game of the year here, at the Unigamesity!"
What do gamers do when people in America are going to the booths to vote? They hold their own elections, for video game characters of course!
Take your pick from the likes of Sackboy, Tom Nook... and even 12-Pack! Even gamers like a good old beer now and then, right? Each candidate has a badge, their promises and their slogan.
So who gets your vote?
"People keep asking me if doing the installation is worth the trouble. Are loading times that much better?
I tested Microsoft's claim on four games, using my NXE-enabled 360. Above, you can watch the initial loading for "Grand Theft Auto IV," DVD vs Hard Drive. After the jump, check out loading comparisons for "Fable II" and "Gears of War."
...Each of the games took about 11 minutes to install and required between 6.6 and 6.8GB. It shaved off about nine to 15 seconds off the initial load..."
This topic has already been covered fairly well (see: The Problems with Game Criticism, and The Problem with Game Reviews Part 1 & 2), but until we're in a better state, it's always a positive thing, yeah?
Anyhow, Variety's Ben Fritz offers his take on the situation (as a response to Variety critic Leigh Alexander's recent blog), saying we nitpick too much and actively look for things to criticize in games instead of really valuing what needs to be valued and not letting the little stuff (...
"With some games, ESRB ratings can be either too damning, or not restrictive enough. How many parents buy their children copies of games like Halo 3 and Grand Theft Auto IV, regardless of the warnings on the box, pamphlets shoved into their hands by concerned Best Buy employees, or simple common sense? On the hand, there are plenty of other games that the ESRB just rates poorly. Mass Effect gets an M rating for fictional alien violence, but Call of Duty (which is based on actual military event..."
GameInformer, the popular magazine about all things gaming that has somewhere near three million subscribers, always has a different game on the cover each time. MTV wanted to see if there was a GI cover curse, so they looked back into the past and pulled out magazines from 2-3 years ago.
One game titled Superman Returns didn't so well, receiving 6/10's. That's nothing compared to Fear and Respect, which was at one point on a GI cover, but ended up being canceled!
All in all, the game...
A GotGame blogger actually defends that raving lunitic Jack Thompson, whom as you all know, is to be disbarred. I cannot be 100% certain that the article is pure sarcasm, but you do have to admit - if if is not - there are some scary people in this world. (I'm pretty sure it is - for the record)
An extremely refreshing article by the folks over at GameRevolution showing how as violent videogames are on the rise - violent crime rates are actually falling (and at record rates). So take that Jack Thompson, Take that Connecticut Senator Gayle Slossberg. For those ignorant fools who still will not believe these facts (not that there are any here on GG and Neo, but...) there are pretty and colorful charts, and after all a picture is worth a thousand words.
"Real news from the virtual world:
_BEST OF 2008 (SO FAR): E3, the video-game industry's big trade show, is next week, and you'll be hearing a lot about all the new software coming between now and Christmas. But there's a bit of a lull until Aug. 12, when "Madden NFL 09" unofficially marks the beginning of the fall game season. July is a good time to catch up on some of the games you may have missed. Here are the best of the year so far:
1. "Grand Theft Auto IV" (Rockstar, for the Xbox 3..."
"Melodrama evokes a universe where a cosmic struggle between good and evil is being waged, a struggle that nevertheless remains hidden behind everyday appearances. Only at moments of heightened emotional intensity does evidence of this other world break through into our own. Melodrama tries to make this otherworldly struggle that structures our own existence visible through elaborate staging effects, a heightened delivery, and a reliance on gestural as opposed to verbal language.
That sound..."
"The average age of a video game customer now hovers around the late twenties to early thirties. The variation on either side of that average reveals a fascinating picture, too. Many of the first generation of child gamers now approaching their forties have children of their own. Whole families now gather around a game console, just as in previous generations the family gathered to watch a video or Morecambe & Wise on TV or to play Monopoly together.
If you don't play videogames, you may co..."
What's Sony's fatal mistake in their poor launch and poor sales? Loot Ninja narrows the option down to the fact that they discontinued the 80GB Playstation 3's. Maybe they'll boost at the 80GB Metal Gear Solid 4 Bundle? Maybe they've lost to towards the gamers that bought the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV. Who knows? We won't unless we rewind back to the release of the PS3.
"Even though GTA the quatro has only been out a few weeks, youd think we wouldve seen it all by now. But that kind of thinking is foolish! Like you, were discovering astounding new details every day, and were not talking major features like the new aiming system or the wacky shit the colorful locals have to say. Were focusing on all the small touches that go into making Niko and Liberty City feel well-rounded and three dimensional. And while some of these things arent new per se to gam..."
Slobs of Gaming has complied the 7 most evil things you can do in the game, Grand Theft Auto IV. The list includes burning hookers, face-stepping a civilian, chucking your date out of your car, driving on the sidewalk, using your chopper's blades as a weapon, maiming hospital patients and of course, making a big explosion by blowing up the gas station.
Monique over on Girls Don't Game (that's satire!) has some intriguing views on gamers and politics. She speaks about gamers' general willful ignorance towards the politics involved with the video game industry these days (Clinton wants to censor the crap out of them, did you know that?). Her solution to make things better for everyone: both sides have to start listening to each other. It's a great read, anyhow, especially her dissection of the GTA controversy (despite the 8 million articles o...
"So to test out exactly how free the experience is, we decided to see how far we could get through the game's story without committing a single illegal act, documenting it every step of the way, (For the purposes of our own sanity, though, we're discounting things like speeding, trespassing, running red lights, public intoxication, reckless driving and accidental damage to property as "crimes." If doing it in front of a cop doesn't get you in trouble, it's not technically illegal.)"
"The biggest game of the year deserves the most in-depth face-off piece yet produced by anyone, anywhere, so we've massively upgraded the scope of our coverage and the amount of 'assets' you can view. There's still the same 720p and 1080p 24-bit RGB screengrabs taken from both versions of the game of course, this time using the new Digital Foundry TrueHD capture station, so why not take a look with the first of our galleries, featuring general gameplay shots?
Comparison videos appear to be ..."
Silviu Stahie, a video and PC games editor has written up a blog on five reasons that if Grand Theft Auto IV gets ported to the PC, it will be better than the console reasons. Two of the reasons are that the controls will be much better and how all the bugs from the console versions will be phases out for the PC release. Go to the source to read the three other reasons.
"As of late, much of my time has been spent in the friendly confines of Liberty City, and my wife has been extremely tolerant of my gaming time. Last weekend we were about to go out to eat, so I began shutting the game down when the thought popped in my head, After watching me play for hours, I wonder if my wife wants a turn? She was sitting on the couch next to me, so I extended the controller to her and asked, You wanna drive around for a bit? She replied, Sure, why not. During her tim..."
Cristism. Everyone needs it and while Grand Theft Auto IV was being praises with a 10/10 from IGN and living up to the hype, somebody from video gamer sat in their basement to write up a blog on all the wrong things of the game. He relates the new to the old, basically and how Rockstar changed things...for the worse. Go to the source to read full details, but the changes that he doesn't like in the game are the 'too-realistic' driving, harsh cops, the world, the bad combat, the overall fun(wh...
The idea of a female gamer as a commodity, I think, is horribly outdated now. Since women have entered the video game world, though, even more stereotypes have developed, many regarding the type of games we prefer. Also very misleading.
But Im not going to argue with your preconceptions of female gamers. Instead, I bring you yet another GTA IV related editorial. But RCG, youve never posted anything on GameGrep! Thats because I write for Neoseeker, so normally everything I write w...
There's no doubt you've seem the countless articles flooding in about Grand Theft Auto IV, but Blend Games believes that the game deserved the hype without a doubt. Now let's rewind back to Halo 3 which had loads of hype as well. They believe that Halo 3 did not deserve the hype at all due to the fact that it didn't live up to it, for one and it didn't fill in the shoes of the 'next-generation' gaming. On the other hand, Grand Theft Auto IV fit those shoes perfectly and deserves all the hype ...
"LOS ANGELES There's no Burger King tie-in or special flavor of Mountain Dew. No commercial directed by Peter Jackson, or even an action figure.
The run-up to "Grand Theft Auto IV" has been considerably less ballyhooed than last year's over-the-top "Halo 3" debut.
Yet when "GTA IV" parks on store shelves on April 29, the latest entry in the controversial video game franchise could be the most lucrative launch in entertainment history and one that many people may not even know about."
There has been plenty of controversy in gaming lately, from Mass Effect's sex issue to Resident Evil 5's racism. But they all have something in common: Gamers lashed out with a "they don't know what they're talking about" attitude as soon as these 'controversies' arised and rarely bother looking at it from the critic's point of view.
A recent example of this is NGai Croal's blog on the racist imagery in RE5 ... Croal explained that anyone who wasn't familiar with the Resident Evil series ...
"Grand Theft Auto IV baby! It’s the game of the year no matter how you spin it. Seriously, what else are you looking forward to (Metal Gear Solid 4)? Although, this M rated masterpiece begs the question: how do the youngins get their play on? Surely they’ll get carded at the gates of GameStop, leaving them with no way to experience Niko’s hustle through the newly revamped streets of Liberty City. Why waste that expensive marketing campaign and all that street hype on just the big kids? Well, T..."
"Heroes, cities and decades change, but in the world of Grand Theft Auto, the hard-working hooker will forever remain. No matter what the year or console, we can always count on her to patrol our virtual streets.
Isn't it time, then, that this beloved gaming icon received the spotlight she deserves? And more importantly, isn't it fun to laugh at really cruddy last-gen graphics? We think so - which is why we've rounded up every prostitute we could find and pitted them against each other in a..."
"You might have noticed that a little game going by the title GTA 4 is due out in just over a week. Even if you haven't been caught up in the euphoric hype across every gaming forum on the internet, chances are you've seen the trailer on TV, seen a 10/10 review in a magazine or heard people talking about it at work. To say Grand Theft Auto 4 is hyped is quite possibly the understatement of the year, with people expecting the game to be what dreams are made of. The problem is, can it, or any hi..."
"Can you think of anything bigger than the launch of GTA 4 on April 29? We sure can't and we're already putting together our plan for how to best play the game while also getting some work done. We want you guys to get the most out of the game too though, so we've put together our Top 10: Ways To Survive GTA 4. Our simple to follow 10 steps will get you prepared for the big day and get you through it without incident. So panic no more, GTA 4 wonderment is just around the corner and we've got y..."
"What is art? It’s a fairly straightforward question, yet it encompasses a limitless amount of correct answers. Art is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as the conscious use of skill and creative imagination, especially in the production of aesthetic objects. What happens then, when the physical aspect is removed?
The other day, I asked my friend’s father, one of the most level-headed people I know, if he considered film to be a form of art. I was hit with a rapid response confirming that ye..."
"First of all, the credits. The crew is EXACTLY the same as that from the introduction to San Andreas. I can imagine Rockstar is a relatively tight-knit family, and who would give up what for many developers would the dream job of working for them? But things change, San Andreas is four years old and I doubt there is a company on the planet that hasn’t changed just a little in the last 4 years.
Secondly, the style is exactly the same as that of San Andreas. The only difference is the artwor..."
Many say yes, many say no. Many have no idea, and many are between opinions. A previous article 'Rockstar Screwing Microsoft over GTAIV?' brought around the question 'is downloadable content really a system-seller' or is the 'system pack a system seller'.
Many of the comments in that article geared towards the DLC and whether people on the fence about which system would go for would buy the XBOX360 just for the DLC or not... well Game Critics were just as unsure, until they thought about ...
""I find censorship today in Australia a mass of confusing and conflicting laws..." -- Bill Hayden, Former Governor-General of Australia
Dark Sector, Manhunt, Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure, Reservoir Dogs, BMX XXX, Blitz: The League, and Postal 2. What do all these games have in common?
All of the above games are banned for sale in Australia, casualties of our country's strict games classification system. While other forms of media (such as films and DVDs) have ratings..."
"How close was this deal to happening? Reporters at Variety (and, I have since learned, other publications) were preparing their stories based on conversations with the studio in question. Internally at Take 2, people were talking about it as a done deal. Then at the last minute, it all fell apart. I'm told Take 2 couldn't finalize terms with the studio, though I'm not sure if it was a purely financial issue or if, in the end, the publisher got cold feet about giving away rights to its baby.
..."
Today was a day that's meant to go down in history, the day that GTA IV was going to be released. Unfortunately it isn't. Rockstar is one of few company's the delays their games but this time it was an exception yet we still don't know the reasons to why GTA IV was delayed.
![Box shot of Grand Theft Auto IV [Europe]](http://i.neoseeker.com/boxshots/R2FtZXMvUGxheXN0YXRpb25fMy9BY3Rpb24vQXV0b21vYmlsZQ==/grand_theft_auto_iv_frontcover_small_9dJkKOeGCunDnLi.jpg)