GTAV Trailer Released, Aircraft!

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... ten days. must.. be.. patient....

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... eight days.... musst bee patient....

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Wednesday, September 11, 2013
GameInformer GTA Online Hands On
Posted by PrometheusX at 22:06. Category: General

The October 2013 issue of the GameInformer magazine featured a GTA Online Hands On preview with some new tidbits about the game. Special thanks to forums member xcroptic for summarizing the article and listing all the new info.

Summary

General:

The aim of GTA Online is to do whatever it takes to get more money in the bank and accrue assets such as cars and real estate.
Almost all activities from the campaign are available in GTA online: "heists, missions, robberies, assaulting gang hideouts, hijacking armored vehicles, races" as well as "tennis, golf and base jumping."
GTA Online has been created to be "as customisable as possible" in terms of who you play with: "there are options to let the game decide who to play with... or you can hand pick every player in the game".
Purchases can still be made using the money even if it's in the bank.
Each house you pruchase has space for storing cars. Modest appartments have space for two, but high-end homes can store ten.
Garage areas can be treated like showrooms. You can walk around and admire your cars and hire a mechanic to keep them in good condition. You can also insure them to avoid big payouts should you damage them badly.
Phone cameras can be used to take a selfie.


Character:

The fourth [GTA Online] player is fresh off a plane in Los Santos, character creation involves choosing your mother, father and grandparents and you're given a character. Then players then choose a lifestyle, make choices about the things the character does (partying, couch potato, criminal, athletics nut).
Characters appear in cutscenes when interacting with other characters in the world as they would in the single-player but doesn't speak.
Female characters can be used in GTA Online.
Starting skills are based on the chosen lifestyles, but can be upgraded, as can the look of the character.
Holding the Select/Back button pulls up a menu where outfits and gestures can be changed.


Story:

GTA Online takes place before the main story, familiar faces will make appearances By currying favour of characters you can be introduced to more people and delve deeper into the criminal world.
Franklin's friend Lamar may introduce you to a car dealer named Simeon Yetarian, who wants you to steal cars for him.
A tech-savvy character you've befriended may hide you on the radar during multiplayer.
Security firms that have taken a liking to you may be used to deliver airstrikes.
Biker gangs may support you during missions if you're friendly with them.


Missions:

After each GTA Online mission the crew leader decides who keeps the loot.
A leader can choose to hog the spoils but, obviously, other players might not take that very well.
In missions involving bigger teams a lobby window opens up. From this the roles such as sniper, look-out and transporter can be assigned. The crew leader can tweak settings such as time of day, weather, difficulty and how many lives they have to complete the mission.
Everyone is given priorities suited to their role when missions begin.
Some missions involve multiple phases, including a set-up phase. In the mission shown prep involved buying guns from Ammu-Nation and procuring a helicopter. The tasks can be split between players.
When you have enough cash to purchase a "high end residency" you gain the ability to set up heists like the ones in the solo campaign.
Missions are controlled through Rockstar's Social Club, which means the developer will be able to tweak them regularly.


Multiplayer:

There's a crew ranking system [as well as a personal rank.]
Players riding shotgun in cars can control radio stations, set waypoints, use a cinematic camera, or attack others.
Passive mode can be activated if you want to enjoy Online without being troubled by other players, this is automatically deactivated when you fire your gun however.
You can invite friends to your home and drink, call strippers, and watch Rockstar's custom created TV shows (or your friends in high-speed chases).

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Friday, September 13, 2013
Official Website Fully Updated
Posted by Kirsty at 18:44. Category: General

Rockstar have just updated the official GTAV website with some fresh new media to feast our eyes on.

The Los Santos travelogue is now complete, with the introduction of Lovely Accomnodations, Sightseeing & Celebrity, Convenience Stores and Opportunities. Check them out for new screens and details about the game, including a Blaine County video.

Not only that though! there's 6 new screenshots and a brand new unseen artwork of the trio on 'The Hunt'. You can find them all in our gallery shortly.

http://www.rockstargames.com/V/

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Monday, September 16, 2013
First GTAV Reviews Released
Posted by Kirsty at 16:39. Category: General

The first official reviews have debuted this afternoon, 1 day before release, from gaming sites around the world. It's safe to say that GTAV has wiped the floor and then some, with top ratings across the board and a Metacritic score of 98.

No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope, and there is sharp intelligence behind its sense of humour and gift for mayhem.
- IGN, 10/10

It also raises the bar for open-world mission design in a big way and has one of the most beautiful, lively, diverse and stimulating worlds ever seen in a game.
- Gamespot, 9.0/10

That's GTA V at its best - excelling at what you thought GTAs were supposed to do, while heading for the next impossibly high peak.
- Kotaku, Yes!

The world is breathtaking, the script is funny, the music is superb and, most of all, it's really, really fun.
- CVG, 10/10

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http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/a ... views.html

With the countdown to the September 17th arrival of GTAV now being measured in mere hours around the world, here is the first round-up of reviews from across the web:

IGN 10/10
"Grand Theft Auto V is not only a preposterously enjoyable video game, but also an intelligent and sharp-tongued satire of contemporary America. It represents a refinement of everything that GTAIV brought to the table five years ago. It’s technically more accomplished in every conceivable way, but it’s also tremendously ambitious in its own right. No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope, and there is sharp intelligence behind its sense of humour and gift for mayhem. It tells a compelling, unpredictable, and provocative story without ever letting it get in the way of your own self-directed adventures through San Andreas. It is one of the very best video games ever made."

Read more and see their video review at: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/16/ ... o-v-review

The Guardian 5/5
"Set mostly within the glitzily superficial city of Los Santos, a warped mirror of Los Angeles, GTAV is a sprawling tale of criminal maniacs self-destructing on a blood-splattered career trajectory to hell... The genius of GTAV is in the sheer seductive force of its vision. The visuals are astonishing – just astonishing. Surely pushing this ageing hardware to the limits, we get the dense downtown with its soaring skyscrapers and murky, rubbish-strewn back alleys. But then out into the country, we have rolling grasslands and desert stretches, coyotes roaming, the shadows of eagles swooping overhead. The world drags you in. It begs you to explore – and then it rewards you. You feel every millimetre of the landscape has been thoughtfully handcrafted with the curious gamer in mind."

Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... eft-auto-v

EDGE 10/10
"Everything works. It has mechanics good enough to anchor games of their own, and a story that is not only what GTA has always wanted to tell but also fits the way people have always played it. It’s a remarkable achievement, a peerless marriage of world design, storytelling and mechanics that pushes these ageing consoles to the limit and makes it all look easy. As we stand on the brink of a new generation, GTAV sends an intimidating message to the rest of the industry. Beat that."

Read more at: http://www.edge-online.com/review/grand ... -v-review/

CVG 10/10
"The scale is dizzying. It's insanely detailed too. Gangs loitering on street corners, cracked roads, foreclosure notices, and police searchlights cutting through the night sky give the poor areas of the city a tangible layer of grime. In Vinewood, sports cars glint in the sun, tourists snap pictures with their phones, and obnoxious starlets bray into their phones about movie auditions. Wander through the countryside and you'll see backpackers, cyclists, and people walking their dogs. Extras in rubber alien costumes take smoke breaks on studio lots, and bikers cruise the desert highways... The world is breathtaking, the script is funny, the music is superb... and, most of all, it's really, really fun."

Read more and watch GTAV o'clock's verdict on the game at: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/42 ... ry-review/

GamesRadar 5/5
"Throughout GTAV you'll swap between the trio, seeing San Andreas through the eyes of three wildly different personalities, each of whom brings their own breed of psychosis to one of the most exciting games of this generation... They're all exceptionally written, and play off of each other well. Instead of forcing one character to climb his way up his own slice of the criminal underworld, GTAV does a remarkable job of providing each with their own motivations, their own missions, and their own personas you'll come to love as you swap between them."

Read more at: http://www.gamesradar.com/gta-5-review/

GiantBomb 5/5
"The driving is a lot looser and more exciting than it was in GTAIV, and the lock-on targeting and cover system means that you're never fighting the controls in the middle of combat. It also looks great on current consoles, with a solid draw distance and a frame rate that takes few major hits along the way. Furthermore, the characters themselves emote well in cutscenes, which really helps make the story feel more meaningful. The city itself is nicely evocative of Los Angeles, as well, giving you GTA-ified equivalents of studio lots, the TCL Chinese Theatre, the Santa Monica Pier, and more. Little touches like lighting as the sun rises and sets go a long way, too. That all meets well with the game's on-foot and on-mission soundtrack, which delivers tense backing tracks that heighten the heists whether you're opening fire on the obstacles in your way or watching Michael slyly convince a guard that he is, in fact, supposed to be there. And all of it comes together to bring you a fantastic approximation of LA's sleazy-yet-sunny West Coast vibe."

Read more at: http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/grand- ... /1900-598/

The Telegraph 5/5
"Grand Theft Auto V is the pinnacle of open-world video game design and a colossal feat of technical engineering... It dares the rest of the blockbuster industry to try and match its scope and, even with new consoles on the horizon, it may be some time before anything steps up."

Read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/v ... eview.html

The New York Times
“...Rockstar Games has produced the most playable, well-plotted, character-driven, fictionally coherent entry in this 16-year-old series. The game is set in an immense, parodic vision of Southern California, a West Coast counterpoint to the caricature of New York City in Grand Theft Auto IV (2008). While Los Santos — the game’s version of Los Angeles — and its surroundings exist in an alternate reality, it is also a contemporary one that evokes and satirizes the anxieties of 21st-century life… Video games tell their own lies to their players: you’re powerful, you’re smart, you’re important, your problems can be solved if you just keep trying. And Grand Theft Auto V is one of the most beautiful, seductive lies yet uttered by our youngest creative medium.”

Read the full review at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/arts/ ... lence.html

The Free GTAV iFruit and Game Manual Companion Apps
Posted 1 hour, 3 minutes ago | Author: R* Q | Filed Under: Games

In support of this week’s worldwide release of Grand Theft Auto V, we’ve got a special pair of totally free companion apps that will be available for download starting today to enhance and aid your game experience.

Grand Theft Auto: iFruit – featuring Los Santos Customs and Chop the Dog

The free iFruit mobile app hooks directly into your Grand Theft Auto V experience featuring:


Los Santos Customs - The Los Santos Customs app offers players the freedom to create their ultimate vehicle in Grand Theft Auto V from anywhere. At the bar, on the beach, on the toilet. This is the future, we’re almost sure of it. You can even create and reserve custom license plates for both Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online – order your personalized plates before they’re gone! Also choose from paint jobs, window tints, smoke colors, wheels, hoods and spoilers. Upgrade your engine, brakes, exhaust, suspension, and accessorize with new lights, horns, tires and body armor. Place your order on-the-go and find it waiting for you in the garage the next time you play Grand Theft Auto V, or send your order in while playing and get a call from your local mechanic to swing by. Everybody’s had some work done in Los Santos, so don’t let your ride be the exception to the rule.



Chop the Dog - Depth of content, high production values, defecation. It’s the app that has it all. Because who doesn’t love tending to a virtual pet? Chop is Franklin’s canine sidekick in Grand Theft Auto V. Look after him well in the Chop the Dog app and you will reap the benefits when playing as Franklin in Grand Theft Auto V. Pet him, feed and water him, play fetch and tug-of-war, teach him tricks. Too much or too little of an activity, however, will cause Chop to become unhappy, and nobody likes an unhappy Rottweiler. Take Chop on walks to give him a chance to work off last night’s steak and Piswasser and to mark his turf in the hood - defending his ladies, fending off gang members and even protecting the beach babes of Los Santos from unsightly tan lines by removing their bikinis.



Grand Theft Auto V: The Manual

As this is the biggest Grand Theft Auto game to date, we literally couldn’t fit everything into an old fashioned style printed booklet anymore so instead we have taken the tradition of the classic GTA game manual into the digital era properly and have created for you a massive over-100-page free digital app for smartphones, tablets as well as desktops called Grand Theft Auto V: The Manual. The official manual app has everything from essential and practical Game Controls, Features and Credits info to a tour through the activities and local shops and brands in the game – and best yet, a special digital version of the game map to zoom in and explore with an interactive legend to browse neighborhoods and points of interest all over the entire world of Los Santos and Blaine County.

Both of these free digital apps will be available for download beginning today, and we will update this post with more information and download links as they become available throughout the week for other platforms and devices.

The iFruit Mobile Application
Now available for iOS devices at the App Store.
Coming soon for Android devices via Google Play as well as for Windows Phone, PlayStation Mobile and Vita.

Grand Theft Auto V: The Manual
Coming later today for iOS devices at the App Store.
Coming soon for Android devices via Google Play and Windows Phone, as well as for PC/Mac as a desktop application.

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... I have to admit, I'm a bit annoyed at the pre-release... release.

I like the ...
remarkably authentic visual appearance
also very realistic (desaturated) appropriate color range and appearance
camera movement (cinema verite) effect
glow and interaction of various lighting
realistic speed and differential speed of the traffic.
variety of other vehicles of traffic that don't seem to be the same spawn so many times
authenticity and identifiable SoCal freeways and areas.
way as I watch the video I can identify and know where it's (supposed to) be.
appearance and sensation of speed as well as the fluidity that seems more like real video, less like video game.
authenticity of the utterly f'd up roadway surface and appearance, which is sadly, authentic for SoCal.

way that they have masterfully and magically captured the location such that, just like MidnightClubLA, you can feel and smell the air from the way it looks on screen. you can feel the smooth, dry but faintly moist coastal air, the smell of the environment, as mixed and funkified by the exhaust and roadway.

Admittedly also, it's intensely impressive to watch this and as annoyed as I may be that others have this before I do, I will soon.

I had a very sneaking feeling GTAV would go there already having so much of the assets and area and content from MidnightClub:LA, and LA Noir. This is quite the Kessel Run apart from the otherwise 'cartoony' GTA:SanAndreas of GTA III era.

I can't wait to fly, and boat, this scenic location and environment as well. I only wish there were some on screen sort of display for gauges, rpm, speed. even simply stylized novelty items. I wish for an in-vehicle view, may have but yet to be seen.