The Internet age has lifted humanity up to a fast-paced, easily accessible society. When it comes to console videogames, online gaming has become an essential part of the overall experience.

Ten years ago when a gamer would complete a twelve-hour single player game, the experience was all but over, and the only way to enjoy the game further was to play it all over again, running through the same occurrences with little to no fresh experiences. Flash forward ten years later, and gamers can now rejoice as their short-lived single player experience may now be expanded through the infinite realms of online gaming and downloadable content.

While online play might be something that has been engraved into the videogame industry for over a decade now, downloadable content (DLC) is a newly introduced concept that allows developers to create fresh content such as maps, characters, and items so that a twelve-hour single game experience could be a whole new experience the second or third time through.

Downloadable content is available through the Xbox 360’s Xbox Live and PlayStation 3’s PlayStation Store ranging from prices of $5 to $10, which can be paid with a pre-paid card bought in stores such as Gamestop or with a debit/credit card. Downloadable content varies between games– for example, Rock Band’s DLC is typically a pack of 3 new songs, while Call of Duty 4’s DLC is a bundle of new multiplayer maps which provides the player with a variety of environments.

As a result, those small $5 or $10 investments may add just a few more months of fresh gameplay for that particular title. In 2008 alone, titles such as Call of Duty 4 and Halo 3 were friendly to the DLC community. However, there are two titles that promised to appeal heavily to the DLC community, but as of today, they have failed to pursue that promise.

Grand Theft Auto IV

At the time Grand Theft Auto IV was initially announced at the 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), specifically for Xbox 360 owners, the hype machine was in full swing when it was declared that episodic content would be released exclusively for the 360. After a few delays and long periods of anticipation for new information, GTAIV finally released onto the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles in April 2008.

The game was met with critical accolades, boosting revenue higher for Take Two Interactive and ending a long, seven year wait for the new title. Gamers were finally satisfied, but the DLC announcement is something that Rockstar has been tight lipped on all year. By now, the initial buyers of GTAIV have probably completed the game at least one time, and have delved deep into the title’s stellar online realm. While GTA games in the past have withstood their lifespan without DLC and multiplayer, GTAIV is different in that respect. Microsoft in particular used downloadable episodic content in the title’s marketing.

The planned release for the DLC was set for sometime in early Fall. However, it seems that the wait for episodic content will go on into November or December 2008. Now that September is here and no official word on DLC has surfaced, uneasiness is beginning to settle in the minds of many owners.
We still don’t know when DLC for GTAIV will come about, and what it will contain. Could it be a new plot layered over the current story, or could it be a totally new location such as Vice City? The possibilities are endless, and let’s just hope that whatever comes out will truly live up to the high expectations and appease the masses.

Mass Effect

When Bioware, developers of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Jade Empire, introduced Mass Effect during the 2005 X05 convention, RPG gamers were instantly taken in by what appeared to be the flagship RPG for the Xbox 360. After the game was released in November 2007, it was met with great praise across the board and brought home a large number of awards.

One of the key selling points was that between all three games (Mass Effect is a planned trilogy), DLC would bridge the games together plot-wise. At least, that was the idea, because ten months into the release, Bioware has only released just one DLC mission that does not bridge the story between Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, but rather branches off the main path into something trivial.

Bioware has also been secretive about future DLC, almost to the point where the Bring Down the Sky DLC for Mass Effect will be the first and only downloadable content that gamers see. I was visiting the Mass Effect forums on Bioware’s website and I ran into this statement made by the Community Communications Coordinator, Chris Priestly:

“There may be more DLCs in the future. Currently, we’re keeping our cards close to our chest, so you’ll have to wait and see what we come up with. Stay tuned.”

The choice of words “There may be more DLCs in the future” amuses me. From what we knew, it was a given that there would be multiple DLC packs for Mass Effect, so now it has been downgraded to an uncertain “may be”? Mass Effect is a great game, but it suffers a short playing time as the main storyline can be completed in less than 15 hours, which is short by RPG standards. So while it’s almost a given that DLC is in high demand for Mass Effect, but when will owners ever see more of it?

Each generation of videogames comes with a specific demand from its audience. The 90s was the graphics age and the new millennia brought online multiplayer. Now that online multiplayer has been established, downloadable content will be the next great demand in the next decade. Hopefully developers and publishers will key in on this model and make good use of it. As for Grand Theft Auto IV and Mass Effect, well, we continue to wait.

Rockstar’s Sam Houser counts it an honor to be hated.

In an interview with Develop’s Michael French, Houser opens up and discusses the criticism of Grand Theft Auto and the company in general.

How much of what gets written about Rockstar in the likes of the tabloid press do you read?

I think we probably read most of it – if you turn on a computer this stuff reaches you, usually forwarded by an old friend laughing at you.

Do you pay any attention to it?

No – I think we are both depressed at how boring we really are and how unexciting even the worse fabrications and exaggerations are when you read about them. None of it seems very rock and roll, so we find it a little sad, when there are probably better stories that could be written about both us and the industry/medium. No sharks, groupies or pounds of coke or anything fun at all. We read like angry dorks, which might be true, but is certainly not very exciting.

But still, Rockstar has become an easy target for the press. Does it concern you that the negative and misleading coverage can overshadow the innovations and positive contribution GTA has made back to the videogaming business and medium?

Not really. Most of the people who hate us are people it is truly an honor to be hated by – reactionary creeps with strange agendas – and the Daily Mail. Most people who know about modern pop culture know about GTA and like or dislike it on its own merits.

Source: Developer Mag

Grand Theft Auto IV is coming to PC, Take-Two Interactive confirmed today. GTA IV will be arriving on the PC on November 18th in North America, and on the 21st in Europe.

The announcement isn’t much of a surprise, as we posted earlier.

Hit up rockstargames.com/IV for more info.

Remember the end of Reservoir Dogs when everyone is suspicious of the next guy and they all shoot each other?  Remember the scene in American History X where Edward Norton caps a bunch of dudes with his nazi wrath?  Wouldn’t it be neat to see those scenes remade in Grand Theft Auto 4?  Well, it doesn’t matter what you think because it’s been done anyways.

Some people by the names of Mentok/Burnt Toastt and Ultimate Chance/chance reborn (don’t ask ’cause I don’t know) used the in-game multiplayer to record the video while overdubbing the original movie audio.  The result is akin to any other machinima, really.  That’s why there’s a word for this type of thing.  So anyways, here it is:

Update to source: We have been contacted by the original creators of the video, who explained that Joblo lifted the piece from their YouTube page, and then watermarked it as their own. Apparently Joblo’s media player isn’t the only thing that blows. To rectify the situation, we have decided to link to the original YouTube video instead.

Source:UltimateChance (via: JoBlo.com)

Liberty City continues to be a unique setting in the world of games—a foul-mouthed, violent, and consistently cruel parody of American city life. In the latest iteration of Grand Theft Auto, we also learn that Liberty City’s geographic location is right in the middle of the Uncanny Valley.

GTA 4’s look, when it pulls everything together successfully, is an eerily realistic virtual world. Pedestrians hold entire conversations on their cellphones, which you can eavesdrop on. An interconnected media including radio, television, and internet will reflect the changes you create by committing crimes. And your friendly companions call you to take them out to location-specific minigames like bowling, pool, and darts.

The main problem with a game so sprawlingly complex, with dozens of choices available at every turn, is when the seams begin to show in the game’s execution. In this sense, GTA4 still feels like a work-in-progress. There are some issues with clipping, like the way you can peer through the character models if the camera swings too close, or strange AI quirks, like how none of your dates in the game will react too negatively to carjacking and vehicular manslaughter.

In a perfect virtual world, these hundreds of technical glitches and lapses in artificial intelligence should be invisible, but unfortunately they’re as much a part of Liberty City as the dynamically changing weather. Why should we forgive lame oversights, like a nearly impossible-to-read cellphone screen (which also serves as the game’s multiplayer menu), or the game’s less-than-ideal framerate?

Here’s why: Because it’s too damn fun, warts and all. I have hardly ever laughed as loudly as I did when playing GTA Race, one of the game’s multiplayer modes, sabotaging other racers when I had lost all chances of winning (call it the “Hillary Clinton strategy”). There’s nothing quite like blocking a racetrack with a city bus and causing a massive pileup, then blowing it all to hell with a rocket launcher, to feel like a true bastard.

The “dicking around” quotient in the game’s multiplayer, and to a lesser extent, in the non-story single player, is still GTA’s most entertaining quality. When you’re not specifically on a mission, or are just trying to just get from point A to point B, the environment is still a random element where you might speed on the freeway, smash into oncoming traffic, and flip your car onto a nearby roof. If the simple act of running errands around town was this volatile in real life, I’d never leave the house.

The driving mechanics are a type of genius reserved for racing games like Gran Turismo and Forza. Although I’m not usually a big racing fan, after playing dozens and dozens of white-knuckle matchups I have to say that I now understand the appeal of these racing games, but I can’t see myself playing any other game for that same kick. GTA4 has pedestrians, mailboxes, dumpsters, and of course other cars that will make any race through town a unique and endlessly enjoyable experience.

The destructive physics in this game apply to everything from your car’s handling to the velocity of a screaming body as it bounces off your hood. Lampposts and other debris respond appropriately to being knocked around by a vehicle, and your car’s windows, lights, and wheels will all break away if you treat your ride too rough. And this is all before you even introduce the game’s weapons.

GTA 4 doesn’t really take any risks with the arsenal—you’ve got melee weapons, pistols, shotguns, machine guns, assault rifles, and a few explosives. This is probably one of the departments where downloadable content could make a difference. New weapons like a grenade launcher or taser might have added a new dimension to the online deathmatch and story-mode shootouts in the game, so this really feels like the bare minimum when it comes to weapon selection.

Fortunately, the new cover system even makes pistol and machine gun combat great. I found the controls to be largely effective, with a great blind-fire system and the ability to aim at your target before popping out of cover. Sometimes the cover system doesn’t lock you onto the right place, or you’ll find some areas where cover should work but doesn’t, but we’ll just file those under G for glitches.

For all the random races, shootouts, and exploration in the game, the real thrust of GTA 4 is in the story. Niko Bellic is a charming European immigrant, who reveals himself to us, the player, at the same time he introduces himself to the game’s non-playable characters. Details of Niko’s past, like the way he survived a war and betrayal back home, pepper his dialogue with the seedy criminals who so often need Niko to drive them across town.

My only complaint here is that Niko is a blank slate to us until he opens his mouth. It would have been nice to reveal more about his character in more subtle ways. One example where this works is when Niko responds to others through email. His responses are often pithy, funny, and revealing. More instances of private characterization, like when Niko writes to his mother to tell her that he is doing well in America, would have helped strengthen the game’s emotional impact.

At times GTA 4 can feel like it is an artifact from the future, where every game we play will have utterly integrated physics, AI, visuals, sound design, and open-world freedom. If only every game could have four years of development time and tens of millions of dollars in production values.

A few regular bugs and gameplay conventions will require your suspension of disbelief, but that is part of the irrational fun that is the GTA universe. Of course it’s absurd, from a story point of view, that you can replay any mission without consequence. I must have killed the same cheating girlfriend about twenty times before completing the finale of one mission.

The cellphone text messages asking you if you want to replay a mission seem like something out of the films It’s A Wonderful Life or Bruce Almighty, a convention from any other impossible fantasy world. It slightly diminishes GTA 4’s claim to realism, but it’s no more unusual than extra lives or save points in any other game.

This is a great jumping-off point for the next generation of the GTA series. GTA 4, like its predecessors, is a fantastic, gritty crime drama with absurd flights of fancy. If the storyline, setting, and feature set keep expanding exponentially, you can be sure this is a series that isn’t going away any time soon.

Tonight is the night. After so long, at the stroke of midnight, neurotic, pixel-crime loving consumers will be heard around the world as they stand outside one of the 260 GAME stores and one of the zillion GameStops that will be hosting a midnight launch for Grand Theft Auto IV.

As averse as I am to the purpose that Metacritic serves, I couldn’t help but give the GTA IV Metacritic page a once over, with unsurprising results. As of the time of writing, it was maintaining a strong 99 out of 100 universal acclaim, putting it among the highest rated of all games, making the genius BioShock take a backseat and shoving aside the cumulative quality of The Orange Box.

Is that the straw that broke the camel’s back, making you want it now?

Tell us, readers. What responsibilities will you not-so-painfully be ridding yourself of to be one of those zombie-like consumers tonight? Skipping school? Has some “thing” been going around your workplace lately? I doubt it’s a coincidence the amount of absences that will be seen internationally.

Or, like me, are you having to tough it out through the week, praying for the end of the week to arrive quickly so you can do nothing but just sit in front of your screen and soak up every bit of Liberty City?

Fill us in — something to read may make the wait shorter.

But what about us kiddos that are under 17? Those of us that would have to hop on our bikes, see if the cashier forgets to ID us, complete the transaction, and then pedal like the devil was chasing us home?

What They Play and the MTV Multiplayer blog have spoken to several minors (anonymous and otherwise) who plan to get their hands on a copy Grand Theft Auto 4. Read on for some of their best schemes to beat the ESRB.

As humans, we can’t help but want what is seemingly unattainable– it acts as motivation, especially when it smells of forbidden fruit (or at least that’s what news channels, activists, and overzealous parents make it out to be).

However, I’ll admit that I may be a little biased as I’ve played through all 3 recent GTAs and shot many a pixel-based fool in the face, and have yet to go on a murderous rampage. Although I am clearly preaching to the choir and straying way off point.

As kids we’re industrious; if we want something, we’re gonna get it! And it holds true for video games as well as anything. A few choice quotes that are up at What They Play vary from nice, clean, and semi-wholesome – although, keep in mind that age and identity both remain anonymous for fear of these brave young upstanding may get busted.

“I am mature and my parents know that I know that this is just a video game. I know not to follow any of the actions in the game. They’ll buy it for me.” It then transitions to, “My dad will get me M-rated games, but my mom won’t.”

Then it quickly degenerates into something along the lines of, “My mom has 1-click ordering enabled on Amazon, so I’ll use that.” From there the attitude becomes something much more sinister, such as, “Since my mom and dad divorced, it’s pretty easy to convince one of them to buy whatever we want.” I feel bad for that particular young soul.

There are many more quotes to be had at What They Play, all anonymous as opposed the examination that the MTV Multiplayer did, in which they picked 3 individuals within the age range of 15-17 and did a more thorough examination of all their cases. The first one is a schmuck that no longer even picks up a controller. What a loser.

Source: MTV Multiplayer and What They Play

In an effort to get people even more excited (is it even possible at this point?) for the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360, Microsoft is promoting the “Grand Theft Auto IV sweepstakes presented by Xbox Live.”

It’s not uncommon to see a company trying to promote its product by giving away a few goodies, stirring the fan base like a nest of angry hornets, but what makes this one a bit different are the prizes being awarded. It seems someone doesn’t quite understand the idea that 6th place is supposed to be better than 8th place.

Confused? I’m not surprised. Below is a rundown of the 20,000 prizes available.

On or about April 23, lucky winners will be chosen from all entries to receive the following prizes:
• Four Grand Prizes: Four winners will score a four-day/three-night trip for two to New York City.
• One Hundred First Prizes: Custom Xbox 360 Elite console
• Two Thousand Second Prizes: A Rockstar baseball bat
• Five Thousand Third Prizes: 500 Microsoft Points
• Three Thousand Fourth Prizes: 1000 Microsoft Points
• Two Thousand Fifth Prizes: 1600 Microsoft Points
• Five Thousand Sixth Prizes: One-month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription
• Three Thousand Seventh Prizes: Three-month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription
• Two Thousand Eighth Prizes: One-year Xbox LIVE Gold subscription

Now, I’m not sure why third place prizes consist of 500 Microsoft points and fourth place gets double that amount, much less why fifth place gets 1600 Microsoft points.

I’m even less sure why a one-year Xbox LIVE Gold subscription is valued lower than a one month subscription, but maybe the people who designed the contests were having too much fun with the Rockstar baseball bats.

Which brings me to my next point: Why baseball bats? I mean, yeah, it’s awesome. I’ll give them that. But they’re just asking for trouble from Jack Thompson when he finds out they’re giving away 2000 Rockstar baseball bats. It’s just poor planning on their part. But at least they’re not giving out Uzis.

If you want to get your hands on some of the loot, just head on over to the site, you have until April 14. All you need is a valid gamer tag to enter, so why wouldn’t you try and win a baseball bat to act out your favorite scenes from the GTA universe?

UPDATE: The contest page is currently down, meaning this sweepstakes might be suspended until somebody figures out a prize system that actually makes sense.

Source: GTA4 Contest Page

You may recall Jeronimo Barrera, Vice President of Product Development at Rockstar, saying:

“It’s really no surprise to anybody that the PS3 was definitely a contributing factor to [the delay].”

Although, with the extra development time granted between the October 2007 release date and the recently announced April 29th, 2008 ship date, it appears that they have really pulled it together, and now go as far as to say that both versions are identical (sans the 360 exclusive DLC).

“Now, we’re neck and neck. That’s not an issue anymore. But back then that was something we were taking into account.” said by Barrera.

He further clarified that PS3 owners out there, all 9.43 million, can rest easy knowing that you’re not going to be receiving a crippled version of their favorite game from last-gen.

Source: GameIndustry.biz

The game has been rated a 15+. That is, no-one under the age of 15 can play the game without adult supervision. The game is said to include strong violence, strong coarse language, drug and sexual references.

Expected a higher rating? I mean this is the highly controversial Grand Theft Auto. It’s also set in a faux New York, and has more realistic characters. However, if a game is rated higher than 15+ in Oz, then the game cannot be sold. The game would be banned.

This was the case with Grand Theft Auto III; pulled off of Australian shelves for three months. Moreover, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas were edited especially for Australia audiences.

So can we expect a tamer GTA experience? We don’t think so. Rockstar have just been conscious of the ratings boards, especially after the Manhunt 2 debacle.

Does this mean the game is now finished? Not necessarily. Often developers provide unfinished games to be rated, or even provide a “mix tape” of the typical content way before the end of development.

Via Neogaf