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Jan
24
24
Rockstar announces GTA IV release date
Posted by daveIt has been confirmed that GTA IV for the XBOX 360® and Playstation 3® will be released on April 29, 2008. If you’ve been following the GTA franchise you’d dare not miss out on their new title. Below is a quote from the Wikipedia article defining the differences from the previous titles to the new one. A very interesting read..
- After the initial load sequence, no such occurrences persist when entering/exiting buildings or crossing islands. The extent of the no-load-time expectation in the game has also been commented on; a Rockstar spokesperson claimed, “you can basically play the game from beginning to end without a single load screen.”
- Details revealed 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 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.
- Stealing a parked car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now, it involves Niko approaching the car, breaking the glass, and hotwiring it; only then can he use it. There will be several animation variations to sneaking up to a car and breaking its window. 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 engine 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.
- Police artificial intelligence 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 has to 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 carjacking.
- 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 remarks. Homeless people will be seen in alleys rubbing their hands over a flaming barrel, sitting against walls, asking for spare change, and other expected actions. The flow of pedestrians and traffic will be different depending on the time of day.
Microsoft flipped the official “go live” switch on its Windows Live Web site, moving it out of beta into the marketing limelight. The site itself doesn’t appear much different to the users who have been testing it for the past couple of years, but the software giant is now ready to make a major push to attract newcomers to take advantage of its bundle of software and services.