Scarlett.
21-12-2007, 07:34 PM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/GTAIV_Logo.jpg
Titles in the GTA. series have traditionally been heavily mission based (fixed missions must be completed to progress through each game), but the freedom to explore and play outside of the set missions in GTA IV will now be more relevant to progress through the game, according to comments by a Rockstar spokesperson: "We're really trying to blur the line between on-[mission] and off-mission. So storyline, and what you do outside [it], and how those two things influence each other."[15]
An Xbox 360 demo of Grand Theft Auto IV published in the May 2007 issue of Game Informer reveals that the storyline begins with Bellic standing inside the taxi depot (which Roman operates in the borough of Broker in a converted industrial garage), working at a cluttered desk in a shabby environment. Bellic walks to a brownstone house in Broker, where he pushes open the door and pulls out his pistol—the living room, however, is not occupied.
He pushes his way through the back door and smashes the window of a red four-door car using his elbow. The broken glass falls onto the street and the seat of the car, as Bellic unlocks it from the inside. He hot-wires the car and sets off to his next destination. The camera angle behind the car is closer to the vehicle than in previous GTA titles, which enables more detail on the car to be seen. After selecting a radio station, Bellic navigates to a section of the BOABO arriving at a dockside. Pigeons can be heard in the sky, and waves can be heard.
Bellic then pulls out his phone, which has options for phone book, messages, organiser and camera on its LCD screen. He selects phone book, and he is then presented with another set of options: City Contact, Docks Friend, and Cab Contact. After a brief conversation, he informs the receiver to meet him at the docks.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Gtaivtrailer.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/GTAIV-explosion.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/GTAIV-trailer3.png
Trailer 1: "Things Will Be Different"
An early screenshot of the game's main protagonist, Niko Bellic, in the first trailer.The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV was released on 29 March 2007 at 22:00 UTC. At the time the trailer was released, Rockstar's servers for the trailer's official website became almost immediately overloaded.[8]
The trailer is 1:03 in length and features the main protagonist Niko Bellic, who has a brief monologue: "Life is complicated; I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different."
The trailer features several New York City landmarks, including locations and structures resembling the Coney Island Cyclone, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the MetLife Building (branded as "GetaLife"). The trailer uses a similar cinematic style to Godfrey Reggio's 1982 documentary film Koyaanisqatsi and used Philip Glass's original music from the film (the opening and closing stanzas of the track "Pruit-Igoe") as well as emulated time-lapsed filming from "The Grid".[9]
Rockstar has stated that all the trailer's footage is in high-definition 720p, generated real-time by the game's RAGE engine, running on "a next-gen gaming console". Microsoft stated this console was an Xbox 360.[10][11]
[edit] Trailer 2: "Looking For That Special Someone"
A screenshot demonstrating the new damage physics in the second trailer.On 28 June 2007 at 17:00 UTC, the second trailer was released. The Trailer is 1:06 in length and begins with an aerial shot of Liberty City before showing Niko in conversation who replies "We're all looking for that special someone". The trailer shows Niko holding on to the backs of vehicles and the skid of a helicopter, displays new gun and explosion effects and demonstrates the increased force of the police. Roman is also partially revealed in the second trailer. El Burro and 8-Ball make cameos as their game art is depicted as graffiti on a building opposite the Bank of Liberty, Vice City motorcycle artwork is also apparent on the wall. Other recurring elements from the GTA series appear in the trailer as well; examples include Binco, Sprunk, 24-Seven, Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell. The song played in the second trailer is "Arm In Arm (Shy Child Remix)" by a New York-based band, The Boggs.[12]
[edit] Trailer 3: "Move Up, Ladies"
Niko's arrival in Liberty City in the third trailer.On December 6, 2007 at 21:00 UTC, the third trailer was released. The trailer is 2:03 in length and begins with Niko arriving in Liberty City, being greeted by Roman, his cousin. Roman insists that they will soon get a mansion, but need to work their way "to the top" first. Niko is seen entering clubs and bars, where he is welcomed by a man who says "Move Up, Ladies". In a later scene, he is asked "So, where are you taking me?" by one woman, and kissed on the cheek by another. Niko begins looking for Roman, who is hiding from gangsters; various combat scenes are shown before Niko and Roman are attacked, captured and interrogated. At the end of the trailer, Niko is threatened by gangsters and is forced to join their gang. The song played in the third trailer is "King Ring," (Король Ринга); by Belarusian rap artist Seryoga.[13]
[edit] Box art unveiling
On November 28, 2007 a video was released, labelled "Official Box Art Unveiling", on the official GTA IV website. The video shows several artists painting the cover art on a wall at a secluded warehouse location. [14]
[edit] WKTT Talk Radio
On 13 July 2007, a Liberty City radio station dubbed "WKTT Talk Radio - We know the truth" was released. The teaser site mentions that people can do their part for the War on Terror by calling in and ranting. The phone number listed can be called allowing the caller to leave a voice mail message of their thoughts on what is wrong with their health, the world, America, or themselves personally. Callers are asked to first read the Terms and Conditions before calling which allow Rockstar to use the voice mail message in GTA IV.
GTA IV takes place in a redesigned Liberty City consisting of five boroughs based on four of the boroughs of New York City (Staten Island is not included), as well as parts of New Jersey. Broker is the GTA IV equivalent of Brooklyn, Manhattan is now called Algonquin, Queens is now Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan, and New Jersey is Alderney (after the Channel Island of the same name).Screenshots also show that the Brighton Beach area is renamed as "Hove Beach" from Brighton and Hove, the English city from which the area gets its name.[citation needed] The total area of the map is smaller than Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but the new rendition of Liberty City will be more detailed, and larger than any previous individual city in the GTA series.[16] Additionally, according to the Official PlayStation 2 Magazine (UK edition), "to get from one side of the new and improved Liberty City to the other will take you at least an hour." Rockstar has stated that it is the biggest single city in a GTA game yet, and although smaller than San Andreas, it is comparable to it in terms of scope when "the level of verticality of the city, the number of buildings you can go into, and the level of detail in those buildings" are taken into account.[15] Furthermore, developers are still deciding whether bridges will be used to cordon off certain areas, by way of blocking access to cross them.[1] However, eventually the player will be able to lead Niko Bellic to explore Roosevelt Island and cross the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges.
The GTA IV equivalent of the Statue of Liberty is called the "Statue of Happiness", Times Square is called "Star Junction" and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is known as "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass).
Another building called "Twitchins", the GTA version of Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Factory, is in the game. Dan Houser has also confirmed that an area resembling Central Park will be in the game.
Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV.A Staten Island-esque area will not be featured in the game for the reason that Rockstar believes it would not be fun to play there; Dan Houser also states that there would not be any "dead spots" or "irrelevant space" within Liberty City such as the wide open deserts in San Andreas.
Pedestrians are much more intelligent, realistic and diverse, using mobile phones, cash machines, eating snacks, drinking soda, reading newspapers, scratching their nose, coughing and interacting with each other through laughter and threatening remarks. Homeless people will be seen in alleyways rubbing their hands over a flaming barrel, sitting against walls, asking for spare change and other expected actions.[citation needed] Pedestrians and traffic flow will also be different depending on the time of day.
It has been announced that some meetings in the game will take place high in the office buildings of skyscrapers which will subsequently allow Niko to throw people off the buildings. However, Niko will not be able to access all the buildings in the game.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Taxibepot.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b5/GTAIV_Broker.jpg
Nikolai "Niko" Bellic is Eastern European, in his mid-thirties and has come to Liberty City to pursue the "American Dream". Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed in multiple e-mails to Niko that he was living a fabulous life, with a mansion, two women, four hot tubs and fifteen sports cars; but he was in fact telling lies to hide his own failures, and in fact, has set up a small taxi business, for which he has plans of a job for Niko.
Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City to begin with, and is one of his major connections in the first part of the game. Niko is a tough character, whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him. He desperately needs Niko's support, hence the reason he deceived Niko into travelling to Liberty City. They are constantly bickering. It is later revealed that Niko has also been avoiding other, as yet undisclosed, problems at home.
According to Dan Houser, "virtually none of the characters from the previous games are returning, as a lot of them are dead anyway".
The May 2007 issue of Game Informer reveals that after the initial load sequence, no such occurrences persist when entering/exiting buildings or crossing islands. The extent of the loadtime-free expectation in the game has also been commented on, when a Rockstar spokesperson claimed: "You can basically play the game from beginning to end without a single load screen."[15]
The player will not be able to fly aeroplanes[18], unlike some previous installments of the Grand Theft Auto series. Helicopters, however, will be flyable onto any building rooftop. There is also a confirmed airport.[17]
Details are also revealed that demonstrate how variations in the terrain cause the way the character walks to change. The way the player moves is controlled by a physics engine instead of purely pre-written animations, therefore enabling character movements to be more realistic. Rockstar Games announced that Euphoria by NaturalMotion would be used in future Rockstar titles in a press release that accompanied the second trailer, confirming that Euphoria would indeed be used in the game.[19]
The player will also be able to perform a variety of new actions such as climbing telephone poles and fire escapes, pushing people who bump into him and calling women for dates.[20] When selecting the mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the mobile screen pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here," etc.
Bellic's outfit can be changed throughout the game; however, it will not be possible to customize his physique or hairstyle as in San Andreas.[15]
Stealing a parked car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now it involves Niko approaching the car unnoticed, breaking the glass with his elbow, before hot-wiring it—only then can he use it. Also, there will be several animation variations to sneaking up to a car and breaking it. The way Niko enters the car would look different each time depending where and how he is in relation to the car. Because of the NaturalMotion system used in the game, the way the character will approach the car will be completely random. The trunks of cars will also be utilized by the player, though specific details are unknown. Furthermore, players will be able to choose from four different camera views while in a car according to their needs. The player will also be able to control vehicles such as boats and helicopters.
The player also has the option of hailing a cab at any time, in order to travel to any address in the city. When riding in the cab as a paying passenger, the player has the option of viewing the journey from the inside, or skipping it to immediately arrive at the destination.
The Police AI and star wanted levels now operate differently. When the police are in search of Niko, the player will now have to avoid a certain radius marked on the map in which the police will be looking for him. The size of this radius will increase with the player's wanted level (the more stars, the bigger the radius) and also re-centers itself on Niko's location if he is spotted by the police. Instead of utilizing the 'Pay'N'Spray' as in previous games, Niko can now more realistically disguise himself by clandestinely changing vehicles in empty areas such as parking garages, a feature seen in the video game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. Additionally, pedestrians can now report crimes such as car-jacking.[21][22]
The gunfight system has been reworked to feel natural by utilizing a cover system similar to that of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the reason being that the combat system in previous games were awkward and cumbersome. [23]
It has been revealed that every street in the game will have a name for the reason that some missions will require the player to go to a specific address.[24]
In addition to the mobile phone, Rockstar has revealed that the player will also make use of the Internet as a means of communication. Although the exact details of the role of the Internet in the game are being kept under wraps, it has been revealed in a GamesTM Magazine article that Niko can access the web from various cyber cafes (one of which is called "TW@") in order to upload his resume for prospective employers.[21]
Multiplayer in the game has been confirmed. However, it will not be an MMO, as Houser had previously suggested when citing Everquest as a source of inspiration.[citation needed] Multiplayer will be accessible from Niko's mobile phone[25] and will allow up to 16 players, with a possibility of open-ended gameplay and exploring the whole city
Titles in the GTA. series have traditionally been heavily mission based (fixed missions must be completed to progress through each game), but the freedom to explore and play outside of the set missions in GTA IV will now be more relevant to progress through the game, according to comments by a Rockstar spokesperson: "We're really trying to blur the line between on-[mission] and off-mission. So storyline, and what you do outside [it], and how those two things influence each other."[15]
An Xbox 360 demo of Grand Theft Auto IV published in the May 2007 issue of Game Informer reveals that the storyline begins with Bellic standing inside the taxi depot (which Roman operates in the borough of Broker in a converted industrial garage), working at a cluttered desk in a shabby environment. Bellic walks to a brownstone house in Broker, where he pushes open the door and pulls out his pistol—the living room, however, is not occupied.
He pushes his way through the back door and smashes the window of a red four-door car using his elbow. The broken glass falls onto the street and the seat of the car, as Bellic unlocks it from the inside. He hot-wires the car and sets off to his next destination. The camera angle behind the car is closer to the vehicle than in previous GTA titles, which enables more detail on the car to be seen. After selecting a radio station, Bellic navigates to a section of the BOABO arriving at a dockside. Pigeons can be heard in the sky, and waves can be heard.
Bellic then pulls out his phone, which has options for phone book, messages, organiser and camera on its LCD screen. He selects phone book, and he is then presented with another set of options: City Contact, Docks Friend, and Cab Contact. After a brief conversation, he informs the receiver to meet him at the docks.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e7/Gtaivtrailer.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c2/GTAIV-explosion.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/13/GTAIV-trailer3.png
Trailer 1: "Things Will Be Different"
An early screenshot of the game's main protagonist, Niko Bellic, in the first trailer.The first trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV was released on 29 March 2007 at 22:00 UTC. At the time the trailer was released, Rockstar's servers for the trailer's official website became almost immediately overloaded.[8]
The trailer is 1:03 in length and features the main protagonist Niko Bellic, who has a brief monologue: "Life is complicated; I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different."
The trailer features several New York City landmarks, including locations and structures resembling the Coney Island Cyclone, Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building and the MetLife Building (branded as "GetaLife"). The trailer uses a similar cinematic style to Godfrey Reggio's 1982 documentary film Koyaanisqatsi and used Philip Glass's original music from the film (the opening and closing stanzas of the track "Pruit-Igoe") as well as emulated time-lapsed filming from "The Grid".[9]
Rockstar has stated that all the trailer's footage is in high-definition 720p, generated real-time by the game's RAGE engine, running on "a next-gen gaming console". Microsoft stated this console was an Xbox 360.[10][11]
[edit] Trailer 2: "Looking For That Special Someone"
A screenshot demonstrating the new damage physics in the second trailer.On 28 June 2007 at 17:00 UTC, the second trailer was released. The Trailer is 1:06 in length and begins with an aerial shot of Liberty City before showing Niko in conversation who replies "We're all looking for that special someone". The trailer shows Niko holding on to the backs of vehicles and the skid of a helicopter, displays new gun and explosion effects and demonstrates the increased force of the police. Roman is also partially revealed in the second trailer. El Burro and 8-Ball make cameos as their game art is depicted as graffiti on a building opposite the Bank of Liberty, Vice City motorcycle artwork is also apparent on the wall. Other recurring elements from the GTA series appear in the trailer as well; examples include Binco, Sprunk, 24-Seven, Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell. The song played in the second trailer is "Arm In Arm (Shy Child Remix)" by a New York-based band, The Boggs.[12]
[edit] Trailer 3: "Move Up, Ladies"
Niko's arrival in Liberty City in the third trailer.On December 6, 2007 at 21:00 UTC, the third trailer was released. The trailer is 2:03 in length and begins with Niko arriving in Liberty City, being greeted by Roman, his cousin. Roman insists that they will soon get a mansion, but need to work their way "to the top" first. Niko is seen entering clubs and bars, where he is welcomed by a man who says "Move Up, Ladies". In a later scene, he is asked "So, where are you taking me?" by one woman, and kissed on the cheek by another. Niko begins looking for Roman, who is hiding from gangsters; various combat scenes are shown before Niko and Roman are attacked, captured and interrogated. At the end of the trailer, Niko is threatened by gangsters and is forced to join their gang. The song played in the third trailer is "King Ring," (Король Ринга); by Belarusian rap artist Seryoga.[13]
[edit] Box art unveiling
On November 28, 2007 a video was released, labelled "Official Box Art Unveiling", on the official GTA IV website. The video shows several artists painting the cover art on a wall at a secluded warehouse location. [14]
[edit] WKTT Talk Radio
On 13 July 2007, a Liberty City radio station dubbed "WKTT Talk Radio - We know the truth" was released. The teaser site mentions that people can do their part for the War on Terror by calling in and ranting. The phone number listed can be called allowing the caller to leave a voice mail message of their thoughts on what is wrong with their health, the world, America, or themselves personally. Callers are asked to first read the Terms and Conditions before calling which allow Rockstar to use the voice mail message in GTA IV.
GTA IV takes place in a redesigned Liberty City consisting of five boroughs based on four of the boroughs of New York City (Staten Island is not included), as well as parts of New Jersey. Broker is the GTA IV equivalent of Brooklyn, Manhattan is now called Algonquin, Queens is now Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan, and New Jersey is Alderney (after the Channel Island of the same name).Screenshots also show that the Brighton Beach area is renamed as "Hove Beach" from Brighton and Hove, the English city from which the area gets its name.[citation needed] The total area of the map is smaller than Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, but the new rendition of Liberty City will be more detailed, and larger than any previous individual city in the GTA series.[16] Additionally, according to the Official PlayStation 2 Magazine (UK edition), "to get from one side of the new and improved Liberty City to the other will take you at least an hour." Rockstar has stated that it is the biggest single city in a GTA game yet, and although smaller than San Andreas, it is comparable to it in terms of scope when "the level of verticality of the city, the number of buildings you can go into, and the level of detail in those buildings" are taken into account.[15] Furthermore, developers are still deciding whether bridges will be used to cordon off certain areas, by way of blocking access to cross them.[1] However, eventually the player will be able to lead Niko Bellic to explore Roosevelt Island and cross the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges.
The GTA IV equivalent of the Statue of Liberty is called the "Statue of Happiness", Times Square is called "Star Junction" and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is known as "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass).
Another building called "Twitchins", the GTA version of Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Factory, is in the game. Dan Houser has also confirmed that an area resembling Central Park will be in the game.
Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV.A Staten Island-esque area will not be featured in the game for the reason that Rockstar believes it would not be fun to play there; Dan Houser also states that there would not be any "dead spots" or "irrelevant space" within Liberty City such as the wide open deserts in San Andreas.
Pedestrians are much more intelligent, realistic and diverse, using mobile phones, cash machines, eating snacks, drinking soda, reading newspapers, scratching their nose, coughing and interacting with each other through laughter and threatening remarks. Homeless people will be seen in alleyways rubbing their hands over a flaming barrel, sitting against walls, asking for spare change and other expected actions.[citation needed] Pedestrians and traffic flow will also be different depending on the time of day.
It has been announced that some meetings in the game will take place high in the office buildings of skyscrapers which will subsequently allow Niko to throw people off the buildings. However, Niko will not be able to access all the buildings in the game.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ce/Taxibepot.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b5/GTAIV_Broker.jpg
Nikolai "Niko" Bellic is Eastern European, in his mid-thirties and has come to Liberty City to pursue the "American Dream". Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who claimed in multiple e-mails to Niko that he was living a fabulous life, with a mansion, two women, four hot tubs and fifteen sports cars; but he was in fact telling lies to hide his own failures, and in fact, has set up a small taxi business, for which he has plans of a job for Niko.
Roman is the only person Niko knows in Liberty City to begin with, and is one of his major connections in the first part of the game. Niko is a tough character, whereas Roman is friendly. Roman is heavily in debt and a lot of people are after him. He desperately needs Niko's support, hence the reason he deceived Niko into travelling to Liberty City. They are constantly bickering. It is later revealed that Niko has also been avoiding other, as yet undisclosed, problems at home.
According to Dan Houser, "virtually none of the characters from the previous games are returning, as a lot of them are dead anyway".
The May 2007 issue of Game Informer reveals that after the initial load sequence, no such occurrences persist when entering/exiting buildings or crossing islands. The extent of the loadtime-free expectation in the game has also been commented on, when a Rockstar spokesperson claimed: "You can basically play the game from beginning to end without a single load screen."[15]
The player will not be able to fly aeroplanes[18], unlike some previous installments of the Grand Theft Auto series. Helicopters, however, will be flyable onto any building rooftop. There is also a confirmed airport.[17]
Details are also revealed that demonstrate how variations in the terrain cause the way the character walks to change. The way the player moves is controlled by a physics engine instead of purely pre-written animations, therefore enabling character movements to be more realistic. Rockstar Games announced that Euphoria by NaturalMotion would be used in future Rockstar titles in a press release that accompanied the second trailer, confirming that Euphoria would indeed be used in the game.[19]
The player will also be able to perform a variety of new actions such as climbing telephone poles and fire escapes, pushing people who bump into him and calling women for dates.[20] When selecting the mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the mobile screen pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here," etc.
Bellic's outfit can be changed throughout the game; however, it will not be possible to customize his physique or hairstyle as in San Andreas.[15]
Stealing a parked car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now it involves Niko approaching the car unnoticed, breaking the glass with his elbow, before hot-wiring it—only then can he use it. Also, there will be several animation variations to sneaking up to a car and breaking it. The way Niko enters the car would look different each time depending where and how he is in relation to the car. Because of the NaturalMotion system used in the game, the way the character will approach the car will be completely random. The trunks of cars will also be utilized by the player, though specific details are unknown. Furthermore, players will be able to choose from four different camera views while in a car according to their needs. The player will also be able to control vehicles such as boats and helicopters.
The player also has the option of hailing a cab at any time, in order to travel to any address in the city. When riding in the cab as a paying passenger, the player has the option of viewing the journey from the inside, or skipping it to immediately arrive at the destination.
The Police AI and star wanted levels now operate differently. When the police are in search of Niko, the player will now have to avoid a certain radius marked on the map in which the police will be looking for him. The size of this radius will increase with the player's wanted level (the more stars, the bigger the radius) and also re-centers itself on Niko's location if he is spotted by the police. Instead of utilizing the 'Pay'N'Spray' as in previous games, Niko can now more realistically disguise himself by clandestinely changing vehicles in empty areas such as parking garages, a feature seen in the video game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. Additionally, pedestrians can now report crimes such as car-jacking.[21][22]
The gunfight system has been reworked to feel natural by utilizing a cover system similar to that of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, the reason being that the combat system in previous games were awkward and cumbersome. [23]
It has been revealed that every street in the game will have a name for the reason that some missions will require the player to go to a specific address.[24]
In addition to the mobile phone, Rockstar has revealed that the player will also make use of the Internet as a means of communication. Although the exact details of the role of the Internet in the game are being kept under wraps, it has been revealed in a GamesTM Magazine article that Niko can access the web from various cyber cafes (one of which is called "TW@") in order to upload his resume for prospective employers.[21]
Multiplayer in the game has been confirmed. However, it will not be an MMO, as Houser had previously suggested when citing Everquest as a source of inspiration.[citation needed] Multiplayer will be accessible from Niko's mobile phone[25] and will allow up to 16 players, with a possibility of open-ended gameplay and exploring the whole city