PS3 Fanboy

Coming from a recent interview with Phil Harrison, 1up was curious why Sony was letting exclusive downloadable content for Grand Theft Auto IV slip through their fingers. It seems that, perhaps, the PS3 will get their own content for the upcoming classic sandbox game. Phil responded thus: " ... we have a great relationship with Rockstar and we're actually working closely with them on a number of initiatives, so I do know some things that are going on, but I'm not able to share those with you now." Insert theories here.

If we can think of anything, we'd imagine that Sony is trying to get the content for the 360 version over to the PS3 version either as standard Blu-ray extras on the game disc (so they aren't technically breaking the "exclusive downloadable content" clause or whatever), or that there is some more original material planned for the PS3 version down the road. What are your thoughts?

[Thanks, Ciaran!]

We could blab about the single-player mode of Grand Theft Auto IV, but we've been kept in the dark about the multiplayer options for the game and finally found something. We're going to go ahead and detail them below, so enjoy.

One multiplayer mode will require you to seek out your opponent and eliminate him. How would you find him in such a big city? He's got to get his crime ranking thing up to seven stars, then he'll pop up on your radar. After that, seek him out and destroy him. Like the Terminator.

There are more modes to come, but that's all we were enlightened to for now. As for the single player mode, an in-game internet and cell phone will be integral to the game. Think ... Front Mission 3 with the pseudo-internet. You use the phone to order up more weapons, et cetera, so don't worry about running to a weapon shop while being chased. Call on the run! More details to come, we're sure.

After a pretty killer week for boxed game releases, the PSN is also doing its part to beef up the PlayStation argument. This week we have a game, a demo, a major trailer and some other accompanying fancies. No PS1 games, though. They've all been funneled into the Japanese PSN store. Not that we mind. We've got more than enough to keep us busy. Super Stardust HD is one of those games that popped up a couple of weeks ago yelling "I'm going to be amazing. Buy me." The full release list is as follows.

• Super Stardust HD ($7.99)
• Dynasty Warriors: Gundam demo (free)
• Grand Theft Auto IV trailer (free)
• I know who killed me film trailer (free)
• Superbad film trailer (free)
• License to Wed film trailer (free)
• The Invasion film trailer (free)

Great stuff. Keep it coming, Sony!

We've talked about it before, but now we've got official confirmation about the Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition via a press release. Just as speculated, the game will come in a metal safety deposit box along with a bunch of goodies. We'll list them below.

• Both the 360 and PS3 game case will have unique, or otherwise "special" packaging.
• An art book with some never-before-seen GTAIV production artwork.
• A soundtrack with new material from top artists that are exclusive to this release.
• Fancy Rockstar keychain to protect your keys and ward off evil, supposedly.
• Finally, a limited edition Rockstar duffel bag.

Yes, the speculation seems to have been 100% true on this special edition. Even the price is dead on -- $89.99 for a pre-order in the US. This time, though, we've scored a few screenshots in our gallery below to give you an idea what the items look like. They're pretty sexy.

When you buy Grand Theft Auto IV, do you just want that lousy game disc? Or do you want a bangin' cluster of extras that serve very little purpose other than aesthetic pleasure? We're not saying that isn't a big bonus, but they don't serve much else. The GTAIV special edition has been announced for a pretty penny -- $90, to be American exact. They aren't skimping, though. Along with the $60 game, you get an art book, a soundtrack, and a duffel bag! All of this will be stuffed tight into a metallic "safety deposit box."

We're not done. Along with all that crap, you get a set of keys for the safety deposit box, complete with keychain featuring some logo of the game, we imagine. This is a nice gesture and for the price, considering what you get, it's a steal. No pun intended. Now we've just got to keep our fingers crossed that PS3-loyalists will get some of the episodic content promised "exclusively" to the 360 crowd. Maybe we can get that jammed onto our Blu-ray discs and pay a couple extra bucks? Who knows.

[Via Joystiq]

The UK's Official Xbox Magazine uncovered some more dirt on the upcoming Rockstar flagship title, Grand Theft Auto IV. Why are we referring to an Xbox magazine? Because the details contained are going to apply to the PS3 version as well, we're certain. We'll summarize the findings, as we love to do so greatly (do you appreciate bullet point summaries as much on any other site? Didn't think so!).

• Rockstar claims a 66% completion rate on GTAIV.
• "Liberty City" is bigger than any city they've ever done before (taking into account the loading splits between city areas in older games). The real key is in the level of detail.
• Expect Central Park to make an entrance, but it'll have a fictional name. Let's see ... Middle City Square Recreational Outdoor Facility?
• Manual aiming seems to make a debut, as when Niko pulls a pistol, a little crosshair appears on screen. Let's hope it's a more refined aiming system than, say, 50 Cent Bulletproof. Also, there will be some "ridiculous" weaponry ... expect Bubble Guns and Potato Launchers.
  
• Hand-to-hand combat is getting reworked to feel more natural.
• You can climb outdoor fire escapes! Sometimes, meetings take place in high offices of skyscrapers where it's rumored you can toss people right out the window. Eccentric!
• You might be able to change your camera view in a car to suit your needs (it's still being worked on). Controls will shift, especially control of the radio. Cops will have adjusted reactions, etc.
• Boats are coming back with "really nice" handling.
  

What wasn't covered was the deal with disc storage space. While it's been said that the DVD media format and lack of hard drive in all 360s may hamper some features of the game, we're still unsure if the extra space for Blu-ray is going to be taken full advantage of on the PS3 version of the game. I've got a rant on the tip of my fingers, but I'll digress. It's shaping up to be a fine game. Let's hope it doesn't turn into just a pretty version of the last-gen GTA's.

[Thanks, Jonah!]

This is a great weekend post because sometimes, after a hard week of working and reading news, you just need something to stare at and blankly chortle to yourself. Yes, we said chortle -- what're ya gonna do about it? Whoever put this real-life GTAIV trailer together deserves props, because we all know Liberty City is just a mask to disguise the truth. Enjoy, guys and gals.

"Squealing Pig" can also mean "A police car that has its sirens running, generally chasing a criminal". Then again, maybe it doesn't. I just made it up, but it makes perfect sense. Use the term, spread it around. Anyway, a teaser page for the first GTAIV trailer has popped up: a giant roman numeral "IV" and a countdown beneath it. It's clearly for the time the trailer launches, but what will it behold?

First, we've been told that the game will use the Eurphoria engine which allows realistic facial features or something -- it "simulates the human body and motor nervous system. It means that in-game characters are fully interactive and always react differently to external influences, ultimately leading to a more life-like experience for the player." Great.

Second, we've been informed of episodic content for GTAIV will be released starting in 2008. Which means this game needs to get released soon, so people can get tired of it and then snag up those episodes when they arrive. Throwing it all out there in the span of two or three months can be kind of aggravating. For our wallets.

Begin speculation! What do you expect to see in this game? Any certain time period? Early gangster days? Modern day? Perhaps short-term future? Long term future? Perhaps the world will be taken over by sea otters who like to eat everything off of their bellies. I have no idea what to expect. So, tell me what to expect.

[uh, photo credit goes to www.cartoonstock.com, obviously.]