Jul 10, 2011

The Past is Present in this San Andreas/GTA IV Mod

Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

We've seen a teaser of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City imported into Grand Theft Auto IV's visual and physics engine, RAGE. Another mod team is hard at work on the same conversion for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

At work since December, the team hopes to release a public beta this fall. Above is about 20 minutes of footage from what they've built so far, beginning at the Bone County Airport and plane graveyard, flying over San Fierro and the Gant Bridge, touring Las Venturas at night, plunging from atop Mount Chiliad, and much more.

Vehicle conversions and many other details still need work, but if you are intimately familiar with the San Andreas map, this is a mesmerizing trip down memory lane.

The mod's official site is here, and you can read much more about its work in progress, with more videos and screenshots in this thread on GTA Forums (begins at the most recent post.)

Jul 7, 2011

Take-Two registers Rockstar Films

Eurogamer

Take-Two has registered a trademark for Rockstar Films, suggesting movies based on Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead Redemption may be in the works.

And L.A. Noire?

Rockstar Films was registered as a trademark on 21st December 2010 for:

"Animated motion picture films featuring entertainment, namely, action, adventure, dramatic, comedic, children's and documentary themes; pre-recorded video discs and other pre-recorded digital and electronic media in the field of live action programs, motion pictures, or animation featuring entertainment, namely, action, adventure, dramatic, comedic, children's and documentary themes."

According to SystemLink Alt, which spotted the trademark, Take-Two owns URLs RockstarFilms.com and RockstarFilms.net.

In 2008 Rockstar denied reports it almost gave the go-ahead to a Grand Theft Auto film in 2009, saying the company was "not interested" in bringing the series to the big screen.

According to Variety, a deal to develop a GTA movie was "virtually in place with one of the six major studios". "Eminem was quite possibly going to star," apparently. The deal supposedly fell through at the last minute after Take-Two failed to agree terms with the studio.

Video:

Jul 5, 2011

A Beautiful New Perspective on Grand Theft Auto's Liberty City

Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

Thanks to PC mods, people can still impress us with the beauty of 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV. Lighting and weather effects can go a long, long way in making Rockstar Games' crime epic very, very pretty. It's even prettier as a postcard.

The screenshot-snapping artistry that is Dead End Thrills—previously featured on Kotaku—recently refocused its virtual lens on Grand Theft Auto IV from breathtaking new angles. And with the help of some visual mods and creative tweaks, it makes for a lovely set of pixelated postcards from Liberty City.

If you're looking for a new wallpaper or just want to see GTAIV's city as never before, head over to Dead End Thrills.

Archive for Grand Theft Auto [Dead End Thrills via Rockstar]

Jul 4, 2011

Grand Theft Auto IV Looks Amazing All Over Again

Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

We've seen some nice mods for the PC versions of Grand Theft Auto games before, but boy, this new series of GTAIV tweaks take the cake.

What's most impressive is that it's a complete overhaul of the game's visuals: there's not just new textures and models, but depth of field, new lighting and weather effects as well.

[via Edge]

Jul 4, 2011

GTA IV mod makes incredible graphical overhaul

Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

Parts of the above trailer for the ICEnhancer 1.2 GTA IV mod look as though they could come from a GTA V. The fan made update, spotted by RPS, builds on a selection of GTA IV mods, like RealityIV and DKT70 road textures, and then adds updated shaders to make this three year old game look as though it could be coming out next year. Improved lighting, weather effects, depth of field and more combine to transform GTA IV into the video you see above. GTA IV isn't well optimised under the best of circumstances, it might take a hefty PC to run this one, but we can't wait to try it out.

For another way to see Liberty City as you've never seen it before, check out Dead End Thrills where friend of PC Gamer Duncan Harris uses a series of mods and texture packs to create photorealistic images of the mean streets of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Jul 4, 2011

The GTFO GTA Graphics Mod

Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer - contact@rockpapershotgun.com (Alec Meer)

Today is a bad day not to already have sixteen gigabytes of Grand Theft Auto IV already installed on your hard drive. Why? Because if, like me, you don’t you’re going to have to wait half a day to download it before you can look at the following incredi-mod yourself. Can it possibly live up to this wonderful, beautiful video? I want to know – but I’m only 5 per cent into the download. And even when it’s finished it probably won’t run anyway. Noooo!
Watch this video watch it watch it watch it…

Jun 28, 2011

Grand Theft Auto IV Really Is a Giant Toybox

Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer

Reader forsinain42 has put together this beautiful tilt-shift video showing a day in the life of Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City.

Adorable, no? Also makes you appreciate the technical work that went into the game, as it focuses on the things that you may never even realise were even in Liberty City if all you do is drive fast cars and shoot people.

Jun 21, 2011

Take-Two: $40 iPad games possible

Eurogamer

Grand Theft Auto publisher Take-Two can see a future where it could viably sell full $40 games on tablets.

Whereas iPad games currently sell for only marginally more than the pocket change demanded for smartphone titles, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick believes that meatier games could be profitable on the format at a much higher price point.

"I don't see why not," he told Forbes. "Tablets are ubiquitous. And tablets are a great game platform. And it's the right sized screen. And you use the tablet to have an engaging experience.

"So if all of that's true, I don't see why we wouldn't be able to sell a robust product for the same price point. The reason the price point is currently lower for an iPhone app is it is used for five minutes, and not for a hundred hours."

However, Zelnick was less enthusiastic about the smartphone market for big-budget titles.

"We tried Chinatown Wars for the iPhone, and we're thrilled that we did it, and it was creatively successful. At the price point for which we can sell on the iPhone, it is not going to be economically meaningful.

"At the end of the day, we are interested in creating economic value, and what we intend to do is make something and sell it to millions and millions of people, and sell it at a high price.

"You don't want to spend lots and lots of money to make something you are going to sell to a small amount of people at a low price."

Jun 20, 2011

GTAV "pretty likely" for 2012 report

Eurogamer

It is "pretty likely" that Grand Theft Auto V will launch next year, according to a new report.

Development on the game is "well under way", according to GameSpot.

The finishing touches are being applied, including mini-games. The game's scale is "vast". "It's the big one," said GameSpot's source.

Rockstar is yet to announce the game we all know is on the way. But where is it set?

In March a private Take-Two casting call advertised for an actor to portray James Pedeaston - a character from Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Video: