General gaming news

[CaptainN]

Sweet jesus I never made this game out to be second coming of Jesus. I said I was personally excitied for it JUST ME. I also didn't say that because it was made by the same people that made Genji that it should be good. YOU yourself said there was no information on the game so I was just giving you some background info about the game coming soon not something coming in 2-3 years. Yes, I am glad I own a PS3, my bad.

[Kazen]

He's just anti ps3 lol, I dont see the big deal, all the systems are good.

[Mysterio]

We'll save room for Deejay on the PS3 bandwagon after he's done playing the seventeenth sequel to Mario Party.

[Kaylia]

We'll save room for Deejay on the PS3 bandwagon after he's done playing the seventeenth sequel to Mario Party.

Deejay is a fanboy, but you don't sound much better atm. >_>


All 3 system are going to have enough worthwhile game in a couple of years, doesnt matter if they are 1st party or 3rd party, as long they are good game

[Pyro]

How in the holy hell was I oogling

Right Here:

And Folk Souls AKA (Monster Kingdom) This game looks so bad ass dunno about anyone else but I love my PS3 :D

anger

Why in the world did you feel the need to rip on him for just voicing his opinion? Last I checked thats what the Internet was for. I don't see peopel shitting all over your face for voicing your opinion on a topic. People are saying you're a Nintendo fanboy, but damn I thought you were a Microsoft fanboy since I've never seen a Nintendo fanboy get this much sand in their vagina over the PS3.

[Semitry]

I don't see how deejay is a fanboy. For the most part, most of his posts are backed with logic. But then I believe anyone favoring a PS3 at this point in time is a PS3 fanboy because I see absolutely no reason what so ever at the moment to claim a 50% higher priced machine with inferior graphics, less games and a year late is superior so maybe I am a bit biased towards deejay. Anyways, the reason for my post. Q&A for GTA4.

Last week, Game Informer invited GTA fans to ask questions about their recent experience at R*. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner, the only journalist so far to have seen Grand Theft Auto IV in action, promised to answer as many of your questions as he can. The answers are in...

(Interesting points: There are no airplanes in GTA IV, but flying remains a big part of the game. This means you will be able to fly helicopters. Niko can also climb telephone poles, it seems.)

1. Kobe Asks: I heard that you can’t fly in Liberty City anymore. What is up with that?! Flying is one of my favorite parts of this series!

This is incorrect. There are no airplanes in the game, but flying is still there. One means of this is the helicopter. As Dan pointed out, this is just one city and a plane really doesn’t fit into that very well for gameplay. Flying is still very much a large part of the game.

2.Did you see any female pedestrians? Are there any good looking chicks?

Sigh.... Truth be told, I’m curious why anyone would want to know this. Is this really one of the top questions? If my memory serves me correctly, I don’t recall myself thinking “man, that chick is banging” or “I find myself strangely attracted to this game”, but I can confirm that there are female pedestrians in the game. There’s a ton of ‘em, too. They shop. They talk. They even wear clothing.

3.Did you see some indication of seasons (winter, summer, spring...)?

Sadly, the demo that Rockstar presented was only about 15 minutes in length. Time of day definitely progresses, but whether it progresses throughout an entire calendar year remains to be seen.

4.How is the AI? Are the enemies smarter? Can they find cover?

This is another area that Rockstar is keeping under wraps at the moment. I can, however, tell you that I saw a truck driver swerve onto the sidewalk right in front of where we were walking. This strange little incident also took the Rockstar representatives by surprise. It almost looked like the driver was drunk, but then again, he could have just been in a hurry too.

5.Is it possible to climb on a ladder?

I didn’t see Niko climb a ladder, per se, but I did see him ascend a telephone pole to get a bird’s eye view of Liberty City. He didn’t climb up it like a gorilla, however. He simply pulled himself up on the series of rungs on the pole. This feat was actually quite impressive. You could clearly see his weight transfer from side to side as he moved up the pole.

6.Can you speak with other pedestrians on the street?

Niko seemed to have other things on his mind than talk with pedestrians. The people we passed, however, were very vocal.

7.Chester Asks: What was the first mission in the game, and what was you first word when you saw this new game?

I didn’t get to see the first mission in the game, but if I had to guess, I would imagine it would have something to do with the taxi stand that Niko’s cousin runs. As for my first word…I can’t print it here, but I did follow it up with “Oh my God!”

8.Matt Asks: Did it seem to you like Liberty City was an authentically sized city? A problem that I had with San Andreas was that you could drive to a coast in two minutes. Do you think it will be different this time?

Great question. In terms of scale, it definitely feels more like a realistic city. It feels you are traversing New York City. As you’ve seen in the trailer, there are a number of ways to traverse this massive area.

9.We didn't see any boats in the trailer, what can you tell us about them?

Dan wouldn’t go into specifics on this one, but the only type of vehicle he said that wouldn’t be in the game was the airplane. So this should point to boats still being a part of the GTA experience.

10.What can you say about the graphics quality? Can you compare the trailer to the game, is the trailers quality better or worse?

Rockstar is still putting polish on the graphics. The demo I saw was definitely a step up from the trailer…which is kind of ridiculous given how great it looked already.

11.Can you buy properties like you could in Vice City?

Again, no specifics were given, but Dan did say that this isn’t a game of real estate, or from rags to riches. I wouldn’t be surprised if you eventually do find new places to call home, but it sounds to me like properties might be handled in a different way – perhaps tied to moments in the story.

12.Will there be girlfriends like in San Andreas? If yes, can you marry them?

What is with you people and your woman-related questions. Yes, there are girlfriends. I forgot to ask if you could marry them.

13.Zhooles Asks: Unusual vehicles. Will be there any and if will, name them please.

Rockstar wouldn’t reveal anything in the demo, but strange vehicles are very much a part of the GTA experience. Dan said that much of the game revolves around Niko. I have a feeling that the choice of the vehicles does as well.

14.Aaron Hall Asks: Rockstar have said that the cars in GTA IV will have all new physics to them and the camera will be closer to allow a better driving perspective of cruising Liberty city and seeing more detail on the cars.Could you please elaborate on the experience of driving best as possible and what’s new to the experience? Thanks.

From what I was shown, the only new element was breaking the window of the car to get in. The animation for this was awesome, and something I wish I had seen more than once. The car I saw was newer in make – which was evidenced in both the beautiful crimson sheen and suspension that handled pot holes and variances in the road with ease. Now, I only saw one car, but it really did have that new car look to it. It’ll be interesting to see how Rockstar handles the shocks and struts for other vehicles in the game.

If I had to give a comparison, I would say that the new camera angle positioning is more like Midnight Club now. It’s closer, allowing the player to see more of the minute detailing on the car, and also lower, allowing you to see more of the horizon and verticality of the city.

15.Alex Sheridan Asks: As far as the surrounding area of Liberty City goes, what can we expect to see in things such as countryside relative to San Andreas?

From what I am told, you will not see countryside like you did in San Andreas. I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if the expanded content that Rockstar is planning through Xbox Live will offer new areas to explore. I can definitely see them adding a fifth borough to Liberty City, but outside of this, anything is possible.

16.Have you seen members of any mobs in the game? If yes, which? Is new Liberty City a detailed copy of NY, or just is looking like it? Are there houses enterable without loading?

I didn’t see any mob members, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Rockstar didn’t reveal everything to me. There’s still a lot of the game that remains blanketed in mystery. It is GTA, however, so I would be shocked if a mob or two or three weren’t involved. As for your second question, Liberty City is modeled after New York City, but it isn’t a copy, per se. As Dan pointed out in the magazine, the real world isn’t fun. You can’t just throw in the city and expect gameplay to emerge from that. There are certainly recognizable parts to it, but the gameplay comes first.

17.Sacha Asks: Will characters from earlier GTAs appear in the game?

Rockstar wouldn’t say outright, but from the smile that Dan Houser gave me, I would say there’s a good possibility of crossover.

18.Bobby Swansom Asks: Will the player have to go to the gym and eat right as in GTA:SA?

It doesn’t sound like Niko is the sort of person who does a lot of working out to staying in shape. From this, don’t expect him to have to work out to stay slim. As for eating, I doubt we’ll see him doing that, either. The one thing I am not sure of is whether or not he can get haircuts or buy clothing.

19. J Asks: Is it true that there's no load time?

I didn’t see one load in the entire demo, and this included visiting two interiors at different points on the map.

20.Marcus Asks: What was the phone like?

The graphic for the phone wasn’t finished just yet, so I won’t go into the detail on that, but it seemed that the interface was very simple in design and easy to use. Truth be told, it looked like a real cell phone. We just have to see if it drops as many calls as a real phone.

21.Brenny Asks: Is it still the same three cars over and over again like previous games we've seen?

I’m not sure which GTA you’ve played, but I have always had more than three cars to choose from. There’s a good chance you’ll see more taxi cabs than usual, but if anything, there should be plenty of rides to choose from.

22.Gary S Writes: How are the graphics and how far is the draw distance in the game?

The visuals are tremendous and easily some of the best I have seen. What’s scary about this statement is that Rockstar North is still improving upon the visuals. There’s little question that it will be one of the best looking games come this holiday. As for the draw distance, I didn’t see one building, car, streetlamp, or pedestrian pop up. The framerate was also incredibly smooth and the lighting really couldn’t have been much better.

23.Isaac "Sculay" Hussain Asks: Will there be a Xbox 360 Demo?

Rockstar hasn’t announced anything yet, but I have a feeling most people will pick this game up whether they play it in advance or not.

24.A Canadian Asks: I just wanted to know when GTA IV for Xbox 360 will be in stores in Quebec, Canada.

Nope. Rockstar specifically told me that Quebec is the one location on earth that won’t be getting GTA IV. Actually, I have no idea. Call your store to find out.

25.Matthew James Asks: Compared to previous GTA titles, how big is GTA IV?

I already talked a lot about the city, so I will answer this question like it is being asked about the length of the game itself. I asked Dan this, and he said it should be comparable to all the other GTA games, but they don’t know exactly how long it is since the game is still in development. In other words, you’ll still be able to vest hundreds of hours. The multiplayer component, which is still a mystery, could greatly expand the time you spend with it too.

If true regarding the no load time, woo!!

[Mysterio]

We'll save room for Deejay on the PS3 bandwagon after he's done playing the seventeenth sequel to Mario Party.

Deejay is a fanboy, but you don't sound much better atm. >_>


All 3 system are going to have enough worthwhile game in a couple of years, doesnt matter if they are 1st party or 3rd party, as long they are good game

I'm totally a PS3 Fanboy. Never denied it. In fact I don't recall ever trying to mislead anyone that I wasn't lol.

I despise the Wii, I have always touted it as a gimmick and an impulse buy, and I still stand by that. It's nothing but a Gamecube with a new controller.

I like the 360, it just doesn't have any games that I like enough to warrant purchasing it.

Nintendo has always relied heavily on the First Party titles, and I personally grew out of them back in the 90's. So take my responses with a grain of sand in regards to the Wii, as they are just my biased opinions.

[Po]

It's funny to me that you care so much to despise it. It takes a lot of effort way beyond just not being interested in the machine to actually despise something, so it's pretty funny, but weird at the same time.

With that said, I respect you're feelings, though I don't understand them. And by 'growing out of' those first party games, which doesn't make any sense, you are missing out on ~5-7 of the best titles every generation. SSBB I think will be the strongest of this one.

Your loss.

[CaptainN]

I don't see how deejay is a fanboy. For the most part, most of his posts are backed with logic. But then I believe anyone favoring a PS3 at this point in time is a PS3 fanboy because I see absolutely no reason what so ever at the moment to claim a 50% higher priced machine with inferior graphics, less games and a year late is superior so maybe I am a bit biased towards deejay. Anyways, the reason for my post. Q&A for GTA4.

Maybe I actually enjoy the games the 1st party PS3 games and blue ray movies? But hell I know that's a sin during this generation of gaming, but shit I'm crazy like that

Edit: Nintendo does have some good titles, I personally wouldn't give them 5-7 best titles each generation, but SSBB will be good or at least I hope.

[Alina]

Sigma isn't a remake. The graphics are high res, the models have a higher polygon count, and there are some new effects, but they still look the "same" as they did in NG/NGB.

Sure, there's some extra content (Rachel as playable character), but the core game is essentially the same.

I never got NG for XBox though, so I'd like to play it... but I'm not buying a PS3 til MGS4, and that's still a big maybe.

[Mysterio]

It's funny to me that you care so much to despise it. It takes a lot of effort way beyond just not being interested in the machine to actually despise something, so it's pretty funny, but weird at the same time.

With that said, I respect you're feelings, though I don't understand them. And by 'growing out of' those first party games, which doesn't make any sense, you are missing out on ~5-7 of the best titles every generation. SSBB I think will be the strongest of this one.

Your loss.

Reason I care enough to despise it, is because of people like Deejay.

I wouldn't have to care if he didn't try to shit all over the PS3 everyday.

And thats the truth, lol

I respect the Nintendo guys and what they've done for gaming and the demograph they try to target, and that demopragh doesn't include me.

[Mysterio]

Sigma isn't a remake. The graphics are high res, the models have a higher polygon count, and there are some new effects, but they still look the "same" as they did in NG/NGB.

Sure, there's some extra content (Rachel as playable character), but the core game is essentially the same.

I never got NG for XBox though, so I'd like to play it... but I'm not buying a PS3 til MGS4, and that's still a big maybe.

Well the Team Ninja guys and everyone in the media are calling it a remake.

And after you said it "wasn't" a remake you went on basically outlining how extensive of a remake it is! lol


EDIT: Sorry for the double post lmao

[Po]

I'm thinking it was a typo.

[Kaylia]

Sigma isn't a remake. The graphics are high res, the models have a higher polygon count, and there are some new effects, but they still look the "same" as they did in NG/NGB.

Sure, there's some extra content (Rachel as playable character), but the core game is essentially the same.

I never got NG for XBox though, so I'd like to play it... but I'm not buying a PS3 til MGS4, and that's still a big maybe.

Well the Team Ninja guys and everyone in the media are calling it a remake.

And after you said it "wasn't" a remake you went on basically outlining how extensive of a remake it is! lol

I think he meant it's closer to a ps3 port than a remake.

[Mysterio]

I think he meant it's closer to a ps3 port than a remake.

Oh that could be, lol

Regardless it's a hot looking port. Can give first impressions on Friday morning.

[Elcura]

About Eternal Sonata: It looks great, but honestly I've seen some great cel-shading in my time (PS2/GC etc) and this didn't really impress me beyond what I'm used too, maybe I was expecting more from next gen cell-shading but it looks a little...average to me. The VA is pretty average too, bareable though. Gameplay looks pretty slow and akward but also simple so I like that, overworld looks pretty typical JRPG as well.

I dunno why people are so excited this is coming out on 360, maybe because PS3 has lost so many exclusives the fans feel like it's some kinda justice?

[Deejay]

I don't see how deejay is a fanboy. For the most part, most of his posts are backed with logic. But then I believe anyone favoring a PS3 at this point in time is a PS3 fanboy because I see absolutely no reason what so ever at the moment to claim a 50% higher priced machine with inferior graphics, less games and a year late is superior so maybe I am a bit biased towards deejay. Anyways, the reason for my post. Q&A for GTA4.

Maybe I actually enjoy the games the 1st party PS3 games and blue ray movies? But hell I know that's a sin during this generation of gaming, but shit I'm crazy like that

Edit: Nintendo does have some good titles, I personally wouldn't give them 5-7 best titles each generation, but SSBB will be good or at least I hope.

For the record, I am a Microsoft Fanboy if anything. I own a Wii but I disliked Paper Mario and have about 10 hours play time in Zelda. Havent touched it in months.

Honestly, its not that i dislike Sony themselves, but moreso their hypocritical fanboys who believe that their system is on some completely different level of awesomeness. Last generation the PS2 won because of their sick libraby of games and great exclusives. Those same people that touted that graphics mean shit are now saying that the PS3's saving grace is its omg amazing graphical power. Just because i'm not afraid to call them out on this all of a sudden turns me into a Sony hater? lol.

Reason I care enough to despise it, is because of people like Deejay.

I wouldn't have to care if he didn't try to shit all over the PS3 everyday.

Show me one post that I have made that isnt true? Better yet show me one post bashing Sony that isnt in respone to a rediculous claim made by a Sony drone. You act like I go out of my way to bash PS3 when I don't. I just dislike people posting that PS3 is more superiour than the rest as if its some sort of fact, when that couldnt be any farther from the truth.

lol the funniest part is that the only reason why you think im a Wii fanboy Mysterio is because i hurt your feelings about nintendo having way better exclusives. Which is completely lawl at this point when FF:13 is no longer PS3 onri. And theeeeeeen you turn around and say that Nintendo sucks because of their huge amount of sequels. Dude, what Metal Gear are we on now? That's not even counting their remakes.

[GRT]

Show me one post that I have made that isnt true?

Which is completely lawl at this point when FF:13 is no longer PS3 onri.

[Pro]

Show me one post that I have made that isnt true?

Too lazy to dig it up, but where you said that FF7 wasn't a system seller (read: PS1)

[Semitry]

Show me one post that I have made that isnt true?

Too lazy to dig it up, but where you said that FF7 wasn't a system seller (read: PS1)

OH and Pro. I assumed you were another person who swore by the holy bible that is FF7. I didnt mean to come off so strong. Yes you could call it a system seller but I for one believe it was the last game of the FF series that really sold playstations all by itself.

Not that I agree with Deejay that FF in general isn't a system seller btw!