Grand Theft Auto Message Board older than one year ago

Hey Niko, want to go bowling? Hey Niko, want to go to a show? Hey Niko, let's go to a strip club! GO AWAY, ROMAN. This new musical tribute from Miracle of Sound (better known as the outfit behind "Commander Shepard," aka easily one of the best musical tributes to Mass Effect) is outstanding. It's enough to make you wonder what annoying characters will get their own songs in Grand Theft Auto V. Because you know there'll be someone.

Because otherwise it'd be a bit... goofy. We all are hoping that Grand Theft Auto V will get a graphical facelift from past games in the series. But I think that, after watching this silly (and quite well-done) video from Ty Green, we can all agree that it's good that GTA V won't be too photorealistic.

In a Q&A on its website, Rockstar has answered questions about character switching, customisation and installs.

For modder JulioNIB Liberty City was too calm, so he modded Hulk—a really detailed one!—into the game, with all his unique abilities. It's all about thunderclap, throwing cars and definitely not setting up dates. With Tony Stark already in Liberty City we'll probably soon have the whole cast of the Avengers in Grand Theft Auto IV and then the real fun can begin. To contact the author of this post, write to gergovas@kotaku.com

Nowadays, we're all used to the house style of the marketing art for Rockstar Games' blockbuster open-world games: paneled mosaics with character likenesses and heavy black orders, with the game series' name spelled out in the Price Is Right font. But GTA promo images didn't always look like that. They used to be a lot more cinematic. Just look at this poster for GTA 1. Writer Luke Bellmason shared an image of a Grand Theft Auto poster on Twitter tonight and the thing's hella cool just a historical document. The studio that would later change names to Rockstar North is called DMA. The game is advertised as a Sony Playstation/PC CD-ROM game, which is hilarious to consider in these modern times where we still don't know if a PC release for GTA V is coming. The art direction of the poster is decidedly retro, harkening back to art styles used to advertise the gritty crime dramas of the 1970s. And, of course, the font isn't the familiar one that we're all so used to now. Times sure have changed, huh?

Are you ready for Grand Theft Auto V? We wanted to celebrate the release of this groundbreaking game on September 17th in a big way. To mark the occasion we’re releasing a brand new PlayStation 3 Grand Theft Auto V Bundle, a custom Grand Theft Auto V Pulse – Elite Edition headset and a custom audio mode!

For $299 (MSRP), this bundle comes complete with a 500GB PlayStation 3, a Blu-ray copy of Grand Theft Auto V and a 30-day PlayStation Plus trial membership. You can pick up this awesome bundle when it hits stores on September 17th.

In addition to the bundle, we partnered with our friends over at Rockstar Games to create a custom designed Grand Theft Auto V Pulse – Elite Edition headset that features styling created specifically for Grand Theft Auto V. The custom headset design was inspired by Grand Theft Auto V’s focus on the almighty dollar. The new custom headset will be available September 17th exclusively at GameStop for $179.99 (MSRP).

We are also introducing a specifically crafted audio experience exclusive for the PlayStation 3. The custom Grand Theft Auto V audio mode for Pulse – Elite Edition takes full advantage of the BassImpact technology embedded in the Pulse – Elite Edition headset to provide the ultimate Grand Theft Auto V experience. You can download the Grand Theft Auto V audio mode at no cost from the free Pulse – Elite Manager App. This exclusive mode enhances the game’s most epic moments like car crashes, explosions and more.

Let us know what you think of the bundle, custom headset and custom audio mode. Will you be picking up the bundle, the headset or both?

Despite never having been to the US - he used photos and movie clips as reference - nine30 has made this incredible mod for Grand Theft Auto IV that turns the city-sized game into one giant and very not New York desert road. The mod, which isn't yet available for download, is so long it takes over three minutes of high-speed driving to complete. It's got roadside diners, cracked desert bitumen, traffic, the works. Amazing stuff. As the video above shows, throw in some modded cars as well and you've got an all-new game. GRAND THEFT AUTO IV ROUTE 66 HUGE MAP MOD HD [insanegaz]

Rockstar has—probably deliberately—been doling out snippets of the Grand Theft Auto V map for some time. The ultrafans on the GTAForums have been collecting them and finally stitched all of them together, giving us what appears to be the unofficial full map for Los Santos and the surrounding area. There is an enormous amount of rural territory in this game. In area it appears to be some three times larger than the square mileage of Los Santos itself. Rockstar has said that San Fierro and Las Venturas will not appear in this game, which is kind of a bummer, but maybe Blueberry or Palomino Creek return for your hijinks with Trevor and his merry band of meth-heads. Remember, this map is said to be larger than Grand Theft Auto IV, San Andreas and Red Dead Redemption all put together. So that's a lot of wide-open space out there. Nice inclusion of Catalina Island, too, by the way. Complete ‘Grand Theft Auto V’ map revealed [Stick Skills via NeoGAF]

Five months ago, modder H1Vltg3 gave us an Iron Man script for Grand Theft Auto IV, and it was already loads better than the official Iron Man moviegame of 2008. With another five months' worth of polish, it's even better. Repulsor rays and the chest beam have better sound effects and a lot more oomph. Jarvis talks to you when you slam into the ground or the side of a building. Melee attacks look like someone's really getting hit by powered armor. Want to play? Download it here. YouTube video uploaded by taltigolt To contact the author of this post, write to owen@kotaku.com or find him on Twitter @owengood.

A post on the Rockstar Newswire shows just what each one contains, as well as the pre-order bonuses for the game.

We are proud to announce full details of the Special Edition and Collector’s Edition of Grand Theft Auto V – which will be available for worldwide pre-order starting today from participating retailers.

As an additional bonus, those who pre-order any edition of Grand Theft Auto V (including the Special Edition, Collector’s Edition or the standard retail edition) between now and September 17th will get access to pilot the Atomic Blimp in-game vehicle.

Here are details of what exclusive items you can look forward to in each edition, and you can read about each of them in more detail over on the Rockstar Newswire and at http://www.rockstargames.com/V/preorder.

The Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition

The Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition

The Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition and Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition are the perfect way for fans to celebrate the return of GTA, with special digital content and exclusive Grand Theft Auto V physical items. Grand Theft Auto V Collector’s Edition will retail for $149.99, while the Grand Theft Auto V Special Edition will retail for $79.99 (check with your local retailer for international prices). All versions are now available for pre-order until September 17, 2013, while supplies last.

Look for online pre-order links to be updated at www.rockstargames.com/V/preorder starting later today.

You can't have a trailer for a high profile game on YouTube without having the comments sometimes becoming strange, weird, and downright trollish. Grand Theft Auto is no exception, as shown by this funny dramatic reading of YouTube comments done by Shesellssheshells. Previously: a dramatic reading of BioShock Infinite YouTube comments, and a dramatic reading of the Donkey Kong Pauline hack. YouTube Reacts to Grand Theft Auto V [Shesellssheshells]

Several days ago, a woman named Lucia e-mailed me to tell me the positive impact Grand Theft Auto IV had on her life. The game helped make her “a strong, independent black woman,” she told me. Hers was not the kind of e-mail you get every day, certainly not about a game like Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto. Lucia credits GTA IV with teaching her to drive. This is no small thing. She told me that it helped her in ways her father and her friends could not. She'd been a 22-year-old in Miami who couldn’t get where she needed to go without begging a friend for a ride. The game had helped turn her into someone who could steer down her own path. She was serious about this. We often hear about the bad influence a GTA game may have on someone. Lucia was flipping that on its head. Lucia reached out to me because she had read a preview I’d written about Rockstar's next game, GTA V. I think Rockstar’s pledge to improve its series’ driving physics in the Los Angeles/Los Santos-based sequel, caught her eye. “I feel like Rockstar gets undo criticism for the vehicle physics and the ‘traffic jamminess’ of the world of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV,” she wrote to me. She had liked that in the 2008 game. “I appreciated a vehicle with a bit of heft and weight to it, as it prepped me to be aware of my surroundings and treat the car as an extension of myself.” She recalled her in-gaming driving and the good habits it ingrained in her: “Waiting for a traffic light to turn green, pulling to a stop at intersections even when there was no light in Alderny, staying to the left and slowing for toll booths... It gives you a deeper appreciation for what Rockstar pulled off in creating a living, breathing world with traffic restrictions most players may choose to ignore.” Lucia correctly anticipated my skepticism that this really helped her in real life. Driving in a video game is nice and all, but it can teach you to drive for real? I, for one, remember needing to drive an actual car with a drivers’ ed guy sitting next to me, constantly whispering “slow, please, sloooooow.” That was a while ago. I can’t believe I remember that, but I guess learning to drive really is a big deal when it happens, when you can finally make it official. “GTA really liberated me by giving me an environment where I was free to screw up. “Let's slow down for a minute and go back to the beginning,” Lucia wrote. “Yes, I read the test-primer manuals online. I filled in the bubbles and got my learner's permit. But I couldn't be in a vehicle at all hours. There wasn't always a course available, and I couldn't always convince a friend or family member to give me lessons. “This is where Grand Theft Auto IV—yes, a video game—filled in the gaps. Virtual practice for real world driving, and I feel it really helped me get up my confidence.” Lucia told me that she started learning to drive when she was 22. “I felt driver's ed was a waste of time,” she wrote. “Instead , I took a computer programming class, thinking my father would teach me. Unfortunately my father—an otherwise patient man—turned out to be very demanding and reckless when teaching me how to drive (he took me on the highway my first time out!), and made the experience so nerve-wracking I stopped trying with him. Instead, my boyfriend gave me lessons at the parking lot of Miami Dade community college.” OK, so we have to give Lucia’s boyfriend some of the credit. But GTA gets its due, too: “GTA really liberated me by giving me an environment where I was free to screw up while I went over the rules in my driver's manual.” At the age of 23 she got her license. “I felt at ease during the road test... thanks to my bf, and, of course, the more than reckless baddies of GTA IV.” Lucia drives a ’97 Honda Accord these days. “I had it repainted dark green like Cal Poly, where I hope I end up,” she told me. “Maybe not Los Santos, but close to it!” I loved Lucia's story. It reminded me how empowering it is when we transition from being kids to adults, when something like not being able to drive to having a license gives us the kind of sudden, definite life upgrade many of us gamers love to experience virtually in the things we play. Getting a license is a huge deal. It opens a world to us. I think Lucia agrees. “Thanks to Grand Theft Auto IV,” she wrote, with a fan’s enthusiasm, “I am now a strong, independent black woman.”

Hey now, you're a Rockstar, get on Amazon, go save. Looking for the current Moneysaver roundup? Click here. You don't have to go bowling ad nauseum with annoying NPC's to enjoy these deals. Amazon's gone and discounted quite a few Rockstar games for the weekend, so if these must-plays haven't made their way into your collection yet, today is the day. There are several different bundling options to take note of. For example, you could pair GTA IV with Max Payne 3, or leave Max to his drinking and put GTA IV together with L.A. Noire and San Andreas. We'll break out a few of the best offers below and then let you dig in. [Amazon] By the way, several of these games are Steam, and as an added bonus, you'll receive a $5 credit toward a future purchase of a Rockstar game on Amazon by partaking. There are even some Mac versions mixed in there. • GTA IV Complete + L.A. Noire Complete + San Andreas ($47.50) • Bully + San Andreas + Vice City + Max Payne 2 + Midnight Club 2 ($30) • Manhunt ($4) • Manhunt 2 ($7.50) • Max Payne 3 ($20) Keep up with Shane Roberts on Kinja and Twitter. Check out Dealzmodo for more great tech deals, and Deals.Kinja.com for even more discounts. This is a Moneysaver One-Shot, a post focusing on a single deal, sale, or category. Join us every weekday at 2:15pm ET for the full Moneysaver roundup, brought to you by the Commerce Team. We're here to bring Kotaku readers the best gaming deals available, and to be clear, we also make money if you buy. We want your feedback.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is on the way we looked at GTA 4's best mods. Ever wanted to play as Superman or drive the Batmobile? With these you can!

Continuing the trend begun last year, the internet has followed Rockstar's release of three new Grand Theft Auto V trailers with a collection of some of the worst - and by that virtue the best - comments from YouTube. Collected on the Tumblr linked below, they are like diamonds, shining through the mud. Grand Theft Auto V Trailer Comments [Tumblr]

Rockstar released their triptych of trailers yesterday for Grand Theft Auto V's cast. Of course, it was a busy day yesterday. You may have been at work. You may have been enjoying a lovely April day. You may have been reading a review of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. Believe me, we understand. So in case you didn't have time to watch them, here they are summarized in Animated GIF form. Michael Franklin Trevor

It's Grove Street vs. the Ballas, and we have the evidence.

Franklin makes his way up the thug ladder, one heist at a time.

Calling the violent but charming Trevor a loose cannon is an understatement.

Michael faces his middle life crisis looking down the barrel of a gun.

Rockstar has unearthed three previously unreleased tracks from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's beloved in-game radio station "Radio Espantoso." The three tunes are now available on iTunes and streaming on Spotify. Nice. The songs in question are "The Bull's Wrong" by Alpha Banditos, "Yo Te Mire" by Tres Apenas Como Eso and "La Vida Es Una Lenteja" by Unaesta. That middle one, by Tres Apenas, is a real party. According to an update to the Rockstar blog, the tunes have digitally remastered; they join the exhaustive collection of GTA radio playlists that Rockstar has already shared on iTunes and Spotify. I'm sure a lot of this is to generate roundabout hype for GTAV, and I gotta say… it's working. Top image by Patrick Brown.

The Epsilon Program has made a comeback, and a live-action GTA V commercial set was spotted.

All this week, as part of the Spring Fever 2013 sale, select titles from the Grand Theft Auto series available on PlayStation Network are 30% off. PS Plus members enjoy a 50% off discount on all titles in the sale. See a complete list of games available in the sale below, along with wallpapers for each title.

Click on each image to go through to the full wallpaper collection for that game at www.rockstargames.com/downloads, where you’ll find a range of sizes and resolutions, including versions for PS3, PSP and PS Vita.

PS3 Titles

• Grand Theft Auto IV (now $13.99 / PS+ members $9.80)
• Grand Theft Auto IV: The Ultimate Edition (now $20.99 / PS+ members $14.70)
• Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City (now $13.99 / PS+ members $9.80)

PS3 Add-Ons (Both require GTAIV, either disc or digital, to access)

• Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned (now $6.99 / PS+ members $4.90)
• Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony (now $13.99 / PS+ members $9.80)

PS Vita / PSP

• Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (now $13.99 / PS+ members $9.80)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (now $13.99 / PS+ members $9.80)
• Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (now $13.99 / PS+ members $9.80)

PS2 Classics

• Grand Theft Auto III (now $6.99 / PS+ members $4.90)
• Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (now $6.99 / PS+ members $4.90)
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (now $10.49 / PS+ members $7.35)

#grandtheftauto Maybe you've seen some screenshots of Grand Theft Auto V. The game isn't an exact recreation of LA, but it does take inspiration from it. More »

#toystory There's certainly no shortage of funny Grand Theft Auto IV mods out there, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for one more. More »

#grandtheftauto Nobody respects the sex workers in Grand Theft Auto, man. To most players they're just an ongoing joke about what you really do in the GTA games (blow shit up and kill hookers, basically). Ever think about what it's like for the call girl to have a psychopath John running around, though? More »

Developer dismisses "conspiracy theories" and speculation over "ulterior motive."

#mario We've posted one of Amirul Hafiz's Mario X GTA creations before, but he's recently created a few more. I couldn't help but share them with you all, especially because that Bowser one is genius. More »

#farcry Sure, Jason Brody is also featured here—he's the protagonist of Far Cry 3—but who cares? He's riding in the back anyway. More »