Game: GTA IV

[Sandldan]

Been getting more and more hyped up about this game now

Here's the plot

Niko Bellic is Eastern European, between 28 and 32 years of age 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, women, hot tubs and sports cars. Roman's claims turn out to be lies to hide his own failures, however, and in reality he only owns a small taxi business, which he wants Niko to work for.

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.

Other than just improved graphics and other gameplay parts this one will feature a big multiplayer section. Around 14 different multiplayer modes if i remember correctly. Everything from co-op missions to deathmatch, and everything takes place in the huge city.
Just read a hands on for a few of the multiplayer modes from here (http://kotaku.com/376220/hands-on-with-gta-multiplayer-city-of-chaos)

Quoting the article:

From what I played of it, GTA Race could easily be a standalone game, something that would occupy a gamer's attention for months.

And here's all of the trailers of the game released so far at gametrailers:
http://www.gametrailers.com/game/2924.html


I've already pre ordered this game for the ps3, anyone up for some co-op or deathmatching in the future?

[python862]

At first, I didn't actually think Rockstar would do anything different with the series. I mean, it's the same thing over and over again. Player comes to town. Something big happens which leaves player without cash or weapons, and hated by everyone. Player eventually rises through the ranks of a gangster organization, through missions given him by random NPC. It's almost like the repetetiveness of Metroid. I'm not saying anything bad about Metroid or GTA, but come on, you could do so much better than this.

However, with IV, I believe that for once, since GTA III, Rockstar is actually doing something besides saying, "Oh, let's just recycle the storyline, slap some new character animations, graphics, and weapons on it."

I might check this out once I finally get my PS3 (soon, my precious). And to answer the question you asked, yes.

[Chiodos]

The thing is, the previous GTA games (stationary consol versions) had controll problems. I really do hope they worked THAT out.

[python862]

I've never personally had many problems with the console's controls, it's just the repetition and recycling of storylines that gets me irked. Don't get me wrong, I love to play GTA (it's a pretty good way to relieve stress), and some of the missions are fun (especially one or two in San Andreas), but sometimes (like Final Fantasy), you just need to come up with something new.

[Chiodos]

If you played the latest FF game, the really only new is that their really trying hard to make an mmorpg game for the loner, wich fails remarkly.
What they should focus, instead of drasticly changes, is to make the City very livley, interactive place to just spend x random hours/days in. The contents should also be huge so you'll have plenty of things to choose from. Even trivial stuff can matter.

[Sandldan]

Dont really consider san andreas and vice city to be a part of the "real" serie. Just seen them as some sorts of expansions. Now the fourth game is the one i consider as the true followup from the third. From what i've read they've put a whole lot of detail into this game (30 different kinds of lightposts) , and a whole lot of small details into the gameplay that just feels right.

[python862]

If you played the latest FF game, the really only new is that their really trying hard to make an mmorpg game for the loner, wich fails remarkly.
Which is why I play World of Warcraft for my MMO fix.


What they should focus, instead of drasticly changes, is to make the City very livley, interactive place to just spend x random hours/days in.
What you're describing somewhat sounds like WoW. Lemme tell you what, the cities in that game can get bloated quickly.


Dont really consider san andreas and vice city to be a part of the "real" serie. Just seen them as some sorts of expansions. Now the fourth game is the one i consider as the true followup from the third.
Not all too uncommon, although they have had the Liberty City Stories, which could've also been counted a spin-off of 3 (which it was).


From what i've read they've put a whole lot of detail into this game (30 different kinds of lightposts) , and a whole lot of small details into the gameplay that just feels right.
Good, good. If this game can hold up to what it's hyped to be, then it's sure to be a great addition. The detail they're planning for the game will definitely be possible, especially with the processing power available in the PS3.

[Genma]

Pre-ordered this sucker a few days ago for the 360. I remember I originally planned to buy a 360 just for GTA IV (back when the release date was October), so obviously I'm looking forward to it.

Always loved the GTA franchise, ever since I first played GTA1 on a public computer when I was like... 12. I know people give the controls for III, VC, and SA a hard time, but I never really had a problem. I still play San Andreas periodically, too.

Also wondering what 360's episodic content will be. Hopefully something cool. :D

[Chiodos]

Also wondering what 360's episodic content will be. Hopefully something cool. :D

Pretty sad if, or fun, if those episodic things were to go to an Halo-ish place and gets a 1vs1 deathmatch with Master Chief.

OR!!..

...a plane ticket to the DOA beaches.......just to see that the girls are NOT there x)!

What I actually DO want to know are the Easter Eggs. Now those petty things can actually be retardly funny.

[python862]

Easter eggs can be pretty cool. I remember a few from when I played Metal Gear Solid for the first time on the Playstation. That was cool, seeing all of the J-Culture posters, the Policenauts posters, and especially the little Yoshi on the counter. Priceless. Before anyone asks, that's the PS version, not the Gamecube version. The Gamecube rendition seriously needs to die (although it looks quite a bit better - Silicon Knights did well with graphics).

Edit (Back on topic): So when is GTA's release date? Do you believe their gonna have it done on time?

[Sandldan]

it will be done on time, already had a few pushbacks and some people have already finished the game. It should be released 29 of april or late april

[Chiodos]

I also wanna know if the blow up a special advocate that says "Video Games kills people!" mission are still on or if they did actually remove it!

I also want them to add a "replay" button or some sort. In San Andreas you just drove like miles on your millions just to fail it and have to drive all the way back..

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z64/Crazerdash/untitled-1.jpg

At around 11:50am Greenwich Mean Time, the PAL version of Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 was ripped and leaked to various torrent sites by a ground called iCON. This would of course enable burning a copy for the home console. Meanwhile, the NTSC version is expected within the next 48 hours. YouTube clips have been popping up online of the game's opening and early missions — but as of posting, many of the clips have been taken down. The retail release is a mere six days away. This isn't the first GTA game leaked as San Andreas was as well. And it was leaked a week before, too.

We haven't verified whether the 6.32 GB file really is the full game, but there are plenty of listings on torrent sites now and we contacted Rockstar for comment.

kotaku.com

OW Hell Yeah Nice work ICON downloading it right now (Newsleecher>speed 2.00MB/s)

If i was you i would download it instead of buying

[Turkish-S]

i got it and am playing it now WOOOOOOOOOOOT... controles are a bit weard. it has been dramaticly changed. other than that.. its GTA and its fucking great.

[sangai]

yah if you get it before street date *like super smash bros, boy that one bit me in the ass* don't play it cause you have to update/ connect to live they lock down your system, i didn't think nintendo would actually do it when i got super smash bros early.

[Turkish-S]

i got banned half a year ago...

[Sandldan]

meh couldnt they have cracked it in like 5 days so i wouldnt have to see all the screenshots and in game videos popping up. Oh well hope you'll buy it to support rockstar and get to join the online section ;p

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

Cant wait for the online mode ICON said that ''wait up to next monday then you can play online if you dont have patience then you get banned''.

[IFHTT]

Cant wait for the online mode ICON said that ''wait up to next monday then you can play online if you dont have patience then you get banned''.

Can you even play backups on Live?

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

Can you even play backups on Live?

YUP, it is possible only you must have an flashed Xbox 360. A program called Ixtreme Firmware 1.2v can flash it than he makes you stealthed if you go online on Xbox Live then you can play without be caught.

[darkshadow]

lol dude, say hello to your ban sometime soon ;)

[python862]

Bah... whoever plays those cracks is retarded. I don't agree with them. It's stealing money away from the developer after they put in all those long hours and worked so hard on it. Of course, this is coming from the person who's aspiring to be a game designer, but what the heck. And for those who get banned because of playing a cracked version online, that's a double LOL. And people wonder why, too. That's just icing on the cake. Argh. I can't wait 'till I get my PS3.

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

lol dude, say hello to your ban sometime soon ;)

Dude if i say that your stealthed then im telling the truth because i also have it

[python862]

Dude if i say that your stealthed then im telling the truth because i also have it
I honestly doubt that it even matters. Microsoft is sure to have found some of these 'stealthers' and shut them down. It's only a matter of time before you're found out and permabanned.

[Sandldan]

YUP, it is possible only you must have an flashed Xbox 360. A program called Ixtreme Firmware 1.2v can flash it than he makes you stealthed if you go online on Xbox Live then you can play without be caught.
Ah did not realize that was possible, always thought you'd be banned directly after modding your xbox

[darkshadow]

Dude if i say that your stealthed then im telling the truth because i also have it

lol wut?
I spoke to rockstar a week ago when i played gta4, and they are so fucking strict about it lol, really it doesnt matter wether you are ninja patched or whatever, say hello to a banned account soon, or at the very least gamerscore reset to zero =D.

[animus]

Microsoft could care less about resetting gamer scores, they'll ban you as soon as your account is found to be flashed.

Good thing mine hasn't been banned yet.

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

It they found out that some xbox players are playing online with stealth mode.
Then there is maybe a new flash program out and that means that for Microsoft its more difficult to detect stealthed players.
So if Microsoft founds a way to detect stealthed players then there is already an new flash program out thats more difficult to detect

[darkshadow]

Thats not what i was talking about? i didnt even mention microsoft or flashing.

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

About what where you talking about.....Banning?

[Sandldan]

Gotta say i couldnt be more hyped after reading all the reviews that's popping up.

a metascore of currently 100/100 aint too shabby? (http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/grandtheftauto4)

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

8.0 out of 10!!! Dude GTA IV is a insane game and they give a 8.0 GTA IV is 9.5 worth.

[Sandldan]

8.0 out of 10!!! Dude GTA IV is a insane game and they give a 8.0 GTA IV is 9.5 worth.
well that's what some of the users gave it, so cant base too much on that

[python862]

Well, tonight's the night! Lines here are starting up at 10pm and ending at who-knows-when. I'm going to laugh when someone gets shot tonight. It would just be so fitting to those idiots on Capitol Hill who say 'Videogames are the source of everything wrong in American culture.'

[IFHTT]

REPUBLICAN SPACE RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh my god... this game is so awesome.

[Assertn]

Well, I suppose I'm far too uninformed to have much of an opinion on GTA 4...and I'm sure the multiplayer aspect adds a lot to it, but I'm familiar with GTA 3, and, I have to say, I don't think I could narrow my opinion on it quite as accurately as this strip does:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/4/28/

It really is true, the total freedom does become paralyzing.

It's like running a stick across a picket fence, you don't consciously decide you're going to go run a stick across a picket fence today...you just find yourself in a situation where you have nothing better to do, and you happen to be standing next to a fence and there's a stick on the ground. My gaming preference differs in that I like to focus onto specific tasks that I can accomplish in between actual freelance work, as opposed to running around in a giant sandbox.

[Abdula]

I understand what you're saying and I'm actually the same way, thats probably why I wasn't into GTA 3 or Vice City but SA was different trying to get 100% completion in that game kept me occupied for a long long time, I actually did it twice. So I don't think I'll have that issue with GTA 4 when I get around to it.

[RyougaZell]

6 million units in 5 days...

http://vgchartz.com/news/news.php?id=1126

Wow... just wow...

Aprox 3.5million for Xbox360, and 2.5million for PS3.

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

Lawyer Jack Thompson sees danger in the sexually contents of GTA IV and requires that the game shops Sony and Microsoft must be tackled by the government.


Thats bullshit because there is also Sex in movies why arent the guys who make that kind of movies tackled by the government?

[python862]

Because it's a much easier target. Videogames have (supposedly) only recently become violent and/or unacceptable, so now the idiots say that the games have got to get back to the wholesome family values. I don't know about any of you, but I don't see that happening without a shitstorm of protest...

[Genma]

Well, yeah, there'd be protest. But honestly in the end it wouldn't matter, because video games are still a form of freedom of speech.

Still, I wouldn't mind them making a law or something that made it impossible for little kids to play it. I'm seriously sick of hearing 6-12 year olds in multiplayer with their squeaky voices and stuff.

Just today I played with a kid that was no way older than 8, and every time he died he'd be like, "Oi... awww... you bloody c**nt..." I was shocked.

[Sandldan]

Well there's always something the society is blaming for violence or "todays youth" many of the past things are now fully accepted, seems like gaming is the current scapegoat. But Jack Thompson is just a bit too much, he's been banned from several courts and his license had been revoked.

Here's a letter he sent to the rockstar boss's... mom...


Mrs. Zelnick
Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two Chairman's Mother
New York, New York Via e-mails to intermediaries

Re: Your Son, Strauss Zelnick

Dear Mrs. Zelnick:

Your son, as you may know (or maybe you don't know), is Chairman of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., whose most popular video games are the Grand Theft Auto murder simulator games banned in some countries but sold to children here.

Your son last week was reported to have said the following about Grand Theft Auto IV, due to be released Tuesday, April 29: "We've already received numerous [GTA IV] reviews, and to a one, they are perfect scores. My mom couldn't write better reviews..." Taking your son's thought, I would encourage you either to play this game or have an adroit video gamer play it for you. Some of the latter gamers are on death row, so try to find one out in the civilian population who hasn't killed someone yet.

What you will see in your son's game, if this iteration of GTA is anything like its predecessors, is incredible interactive violence aimed at police officers (whom you can shoot in the head and see the blood spray), innocent bystanders (whom you can run over with your car just for the heck of it), and of course the plentiful female prostitutes you can have sex with and then filet with a knife or stomp with your feet in order to get your money back. Experts note that the recent plethora of cop killings is caused in part by your darling son's entrepreneurial energy. There are three policemen dead in Alabama because of Grand Theft Auto. I was on 60 Minutes about it. I hope Strauss has provided you with a flat screen tv to see the grief of the bereaved families that fills the screen.

The pornography and violence that your son trafficks in is the kind of stuff that most mothers would be ashamed to see their son putting into the hands of other mothers' children, but, hey, your son Strauss has recently assured the world that he is "a Boy Scout, everybody knows that." I'd love to see the merit badges that Scout Troop handed out. Is there a Ted Bundy merit badge? If so, your loving son deserves one now. It should be red and green, for obvious reasons.

With Passover having just come and gone, it is appropriate to note the following from the Old Testament, Proverbs 22:6:

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Mrs. Zelnick, did you train up your son, Strauss, to make millions of dollars by pushing Mature-rated video games to children? Any kid can go right to little Strauss' corporate web site and buy GTA IV with no age verification. Strauss is even marketing the new Grand Theft Auto IV on World Wrestling Entertainment tv shows seen by millions of kids. If you trained up Strauss to do this, then shame on you.

But maybe the explanation for your son's corporate sociopathy is to be found in Old Testament Proverb 29:15:

"The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

Maybe you, Mrs. Zelnick, were so taken by your handsome son that you spared the rod and spoiled the child. That would explain why he has brought you, by the way he presently acts, "to shame."

There's another mother you would do well to talk to. Mrs. Crump in Alabama had a son who was a police officer. He's now dead because a teenaged boy unwittingly trained himself to kill him on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. She has a grief she carries every day that only a mother can know.There are other such mothers in the heartland of America whose inhabitants your son simply sees as commercial targets.

Your son, this very moment, is doing everything he possibly can to sell as many copies of GTA IV to teen boys in the United States, a country in which your son claims you raised him to be "a Boy Scout." More like the Hitler Youth, I would say. Happy Mother's day, Mrs. Zelnick, which this year is May 11, two weeks after your son unleashes porn and violence upon other mothers' boys. I'm sure you're very proud.

Sincerely,
Jack Thompson

He should not be taken seriously, unfortunately tv stations such as fox news does


But he still shows his support to rockstar ;o
http://img361.imageshack.us/img361/4749/gtajackxi0.jpg

[python862]

That's bullshit and everyone knows it. If Thompson seriously thinks that Rockstar and Take-Two are peddling this game to children, he's got to be seriously mentally challenged. The ESRB (among other organizations and committees) wouldn't allow the company to sell the games if they were meant for that. You can't just walk into a Wal-Mart and say, "Give me GTA IV," unless you have ID or A PARENT there to authorize it. It has nothing to do with Rockstar or TT; they only make the damn games. If Thompson was so worried about it, he'd be contacting all the parents in America and beyond, telling them to make a wiser choice about what their sons or daughters are playing. I agree, ten-year-olds shouldn't even think about playing this game, but as long as there are pushable parents, there will be little kids getting every single violent game there is. On another note, it's not VGs that are teaching our kids to go out and shoot the towns up, it's the parents not moderating what the hell their kids are doing.

Organizations that try to stop the violence have no idea what they're doing either. They keep going to the VG-selling stores and protesting, when the real decision rests in the hands of the children's parents. I guess what this whole schpiel is trying to say is that the fault is the parents'. If they kept better track of their children, cared more, looked after them, and most importantly TAUGHT their children right from wrong, problems like this wouldn't even exist. As it is now, we have people only having children for the frickin' welfare benefits. And then they give the children EVERYTHING they want. I'm not going to say it's only African-Americans either; there are plenty enough white people - and Chinese, Japanese, etc. - who do the same thing. What is the world coming to?

[RyougaZell]

The kids can just turn on the TV and watch all that without playing GTA.
But yes... parents buying M rated games for their 10 year old children are idiotic.

[Chiodos]

Shit someone is angry!

Rockstar where supposed to put a random mission in the beginning of the game to blow up a some certain anti-game violance advocate. Wich they did remove of course..

And another question, I read in this thread about some Xbox 360 stuff they just put in that version and such.. anyone knows..what it is?..

And aslo, I am fawking curious about The Easter Eggs!

...no, seriously xD!

And of top of it all..... Boxes? What Boxes? WHERE :' ( !??!?!??...

DAMN SHIT MOTHA ACHIEVEMT THAT I CAN'T GET!!!!!11111....

[python862]

AHA! I have actually found solid evidence that videogames DO NOT cause violence in kids! My 'research' (http://www.qj.net/Study-Violent-games-don-t-alter-normal-kids/pg/49/aid/88522)

[KrayZ33]

do you guys seriously discuss if games trigger violence?

well they do on 8 or 10 years old.. but once you reach a certain age they won't have an effect anymore.
and btw its funny to read in all those magazines : "a new statistic proved that video games do*" or "do not...... *blablabla*"

I mean, come on? what the fuck? every statistic proves something different?! the first one says something like "hey video games make people violent!" the second one says "there is no way that video games have an effect on people" and then the next again "the statistic shows cleary that video games are making you agressive" -> one week later "The university of *researching useless things* made a statistic which has proven that computer games do not make oneself agressive" etc.. its just too funny!

Doesn't that prove that there is no rule of generality with computer games and that the reason for being agressive is somewhere else and not (only) in video games or brutal movies? maybe because in every ghetto there are people fighting on the street and insulting each other? just because those people happen to have a xbox at home or a TV doesn't mean that games or movies are the cause for their aggressivity, maybe its because they have problems which nobody cares about? but nooooo that would be too much to handle for the state, so they search for a scapegoat.... and what do we have here.. every second child or young adult in modern countries has a PC or console at home... yet the mayoritie of the older people don't know anything about computers... thats just perfect lets explain to them that the games and movies are at fault! those old people will surely agree on that, since they never played a game themself and look how normal they behave!
It must be the game!

and btw... american people (or maybe just the parents or so :P) are funny... their movies and games are full of gore, bloodchat and violence but *oh my god* its always a disaster if people spot a nipple in one of those movies or even games... this is too ridicilous and cracks me up everytime

isn't this just wrong? they try to forbid some really small sex scenes in games/movies (whatever) but allow in the very same game people to cut of each others heads?
and there i thought we live in an ge of Enlightenment... those kids start to have sex when they get 14 or 15 so whats wrong with sex in games which is rated for people who have reached 18(? how did it get rated in america? i think because it has some naked-pixel-body in it it should be rated 18 there)

and btw whoever can't differ reality from virtuality is alrdy fucked up, the video game is just the thing to bring this matter to a head. Because if he needs to escape from reality into virtuality, then there is already something very wrong there and thats where those "games make people violent"-guys have to look at and work on because THATS the real problem. It's always society and not one single game, but thats not what people like to hear is it?

I can agree if people allow games only for people who reached 18 years, but why do they try to forbid it even for them?
It's like they tell me to stop drinking alcohol... it makes me violent sometimes (no it doesn't but it does have that effect on other people sometimes) and so on.
so tell me who is at fault, the alcohol addict, the alcohol... or the problems which actually made the man an addict?

if we transfer it to our example here its obviously the alcohol isn't it? "bad alcohol! don't do that!" its just makes me angry that those "politicans" try to take always the easiest route for solving a problem, it doesn't matter if its right or wrong as long as it doesn't make problems and is easy to solve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I guess I got too much into it.

[Buffalobiian]

When you think about it, back 20 odd years ago, the R rating was applied to anything that had moderate sex scenes, violence and coarse language. Now they've pretty much dropped everything except for the sex part, and it's reserved for the most explicit ones.

Regarding Krayz's post about 18-rated scenes and stuff, what's American Pie and GTA:IV rated in the US? I heard the latter was rated 18 there, but 15 here.

[Ryllharu]

American Pie is rated R (age 17, or less with an adult) while GTA4 is rated M (17, or bought by an adult) so in this case it works out that sex is okay and then hyperviolence is depending on who's buying. Typically as KraZ33 pointed out, the reverse is true.

But the far stranger thing about the US ratings system is NC-17. Movies that are "granted" or more aptly cursed by this rating tend to apply most often to the fairer sex enjoying...well, sex. There's a pretty good documentary about the ratings board and all the bullshit that goes with it. Remember that no advertising of any kind is allowed for movies "graced" with this rating.
This Film is Not Yet Rated (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493459/)

-------------------------------
All in all, I'm loving GTA4. Even the less thrilling "date night" parts with all your friends to maintain the connections. There's a lot of really funny or good dialogue during those parts, and the characters really get filled out compared to the "GTA3" set of games. It's nice and relaxing some of the time.

But my favorite part is tracking down all the crackheads or other random street people for the random missions they give.

The city really feels like a city this time.

[python862]

KrayZ, you sorta flip-flopped in your argument. It does in 8-10 year-olds, but no other demographic? It doesn't at all! The point of videogames, as you alluded to, is to escape from every day reality. You go on to say that there's some problem with that. I don't think so. The way I think is that people need an escape from the everyday ordinary 9 to 5 bullshit that they are constantly having to go through. Here's an example; why do you post on a forum site? To get away from your normal friends and talk with someone hundreds, or possibly thousands of miles away. It's the same philosophy with games - especially online games. Prime example: MMOs like WoW and Guild Wars.

As what Ryllharu said, all of the GTA games have been rated M, which is for 17+. This falls into what I said earlier; the parents are buying these games for their children without second thought. I know mine will, but I also make sure that they know my own capacity. They know I'm shy - or "introverted" - but at the same time they know I won't go out killing. The parents hardly monitor the state of their children. I know, I'm starting to rant, so I'm going to wrap up this post with this: no, games DO NOT create violent children, yes, most parents are simply retarded, and no, games should not be censored for what second-rate politicians think or do.

[Ryllharu]

Like python said, the problem with violent video games from the original Mortal Kombat up to GTA4 has always been parents having no idea what they're buying for their little kid.

Ask any game store clerk how many times he/she has had a mother getting all riled up because little Johnny wanted "Mario for Xbox 3" and the store doesn't carry it. Its the same parents who walk in and buy "Immortal Bloodrender VI" without a second thought.

It those kind of parents that have no idea what they are buying, what the kids are playing, and whether or not it is appropriate for their child's age group. Simply because they do not play with their own children. Whenever I end up with offspring, I will be sure that I'm either playing along side them, or watching what they are playing. And I won't be playing my own games that I would deem inappropriate for them in front of them.

It's called parenting, and no one does it.

------------------------------------

Just had a good bout of multiplayer with a friend or two and a bunch of people from Great Britain I think. Lots of fun after you get used to it.

[Chiodos]

A small note, in the game...IF you read some of the new on the net and read news that had something about someone dies, the text mention "....it could be a violent person caused by videgames!" or something like that.

I kinda loled at it after reading what you guys posted.

And still, w00t boxes??

[KrayZ33]

KrayZ, you sorta flip-flopped in your argument. It does in 8-10 year-olds, but no other demographic? I


remember the news: "sand ninja - kid got burried alive"



The point of videogames, as you alluded to, is to escape from every day reality. You go on to say that there's some problem with that. I don't think so. The way I think is that people need an escape from the everyday ordinary 9 to 5 bullshit that they are constantly having to go through.


actually I meant "video games are a nice way to relax after a hard day " etc
I don't see *gaming* as *escaping from real life*
It's a hobby, like playing baseball or so... and ya there are days were I'm really agressive and play shooter-games...
you know there are days were you wish to kick a football so hard that it flies to the moon because you are angry.. but would you kick someone that hard into the ass just because he annoyed you? no, most likely not and I would never shoot at someone just because I killed a pixel-monster with a gun.

and I still stand behind the fact that
whoever can't differ reality from virtuality is alrdy fucked up, the video game is just the thing to bring this matter to a head

I think it's the same with drugs... those who need them to "escape" are alrdy fucked up, they take drugs because they can't take reality anymore, because its too painfull to live for them or something like that

and those who make their game into a second reality or play brutal video because they want to see people dead and transfer these scenes into their real life, have the same problems as the drug addict.

so I say, there is the possibility that people think "I will kill the people at school like in Counterstrike" but that isn't the real problem, the problem in the first place is, that he acutally wants to see these people dead so badly or that he gets those feelings in the first place...

because it doesn't matter if he kills them with a gun or with a kitchen knife. If these feelings exist, then it will happen anyways, the means he uses however are simply irrelevant.

another funny thing is that politican try to forbid games with guns or weapons, but allow every citizen to carry a gun @ home etc.

If it were not so damn easy to get weapons, then school massacres etc. wouldn't happen in the first place.

[python862]

You bring up good points, but there's this:


and those who make their game into a second reality or play brutal video because they want to see people dead and transfer these scenes into their real life, have the same problems as the drug addict.

People don't often want to translate in-game violence to real-world violence. They make these games a 'second reality' so that they can do certain things that laws and morals would consider highly wrong in the actual world we live in. It's mostly just the people stuffed up their own ass that get the two so confused that they end up actually killing people. And even then, it's not the videogames that caused the violence - if they confuse the two mediums (life and videogames) then that pretty much constitutes a mental problem, whether it be retardation or what have you.

[itadakimasu]

the game is pretty fun. I made the mistake of getting drunk w\ my favorite 'boss' little jacob... went to the bar not knowing i'd come out drunk... for some reason the police were chasing me and it was an intense and very difficult chase driving drunk.

i have about 15 - 16 hours in and still only around 25% completion. Can somebody tell me why when i join a game on xbox live, after it ends its then as if i'm hosting the game... i ddont get it.

[Chiodos]

I don't really get it, when your joining a game online then it is as if your hosting a game? W00t?

What really annoys me is when you disconnect you return to the singel player mode instead of a black screen online lobby. It really, really annoys me...

[itadakimasu]

I still don't know what an online lobby looks like... and that reminds me that i bought DOA 4 last week on ebay and it still hasn't arrived.. what gives?

Anyhow. Im possibly about to quit playing because I'm stuck w\ 2 shitty missions that I can't pass. and then every time I call little jacob to deliver some drugs its timed and i am always late.

One cool thing i found, i saw this weird shape on the radar like a stick figure... so i went to it, and it was badman and me and him went and shot up some drug dealers together, that was pretty cool to just find a random charactor chilling on the street, then he jumps in my car and we goto whack some poeple.

[Animeniax]

This is one of the best games ever. Definitely the best GTA game ever. They fixed so many of the things in the previous games that made them less fun than they could have been. There's so much you can do in this game. It's a little weird, kind of like any RPG where you're living someone else's life, even dating and bowling and playing pool. But beyond that it's a great game. I've never spent as much time playing a game as I am with this one. I spent most of my rare day off the other day playing this game. It's a blast.

[itadakimasu]

They did fix alot of lame stuff from the previous ones like water = instant death.

The cars are definately alot more sturdy than they were in gta 3, you can catch fire by getting out of your burning car (sucks!)

I sold mine today w\ my 2 week old xbox because im going to buy the ps3 on thursday but maybe i will buy the ps3 version eventually. idk.

[Animeniax]

Yeah, you can swim now. I haven't tried just wading to see if you sink to your death, but you can swim to land. It autosaves after every successful interaction with another character. Load times are still a pain, and camera control is wonky at times too. You can take taxis or a car service everywhere, and with GPS, you don't have to learn the maps to get around. I used to waste so much time trying to find a location.

I didn't play GTA:SA, so I don't know if these changes were already added.

[python862]

Yeah, San Andreas had the swimming and the whole statistics thing. Gawd, I can't wait until I get my PS3. Only then will I be able to appreciate what this game is.

[Buffalobiian]

I want this game on my "future" PS3 too. I just hope I can get it cheap(PS3) after exams but before the financial year ends.

[Zachiru-Hirosaki]

i dont understand why microsoft ban ppl when they are playing a online game that they download it somewhere.
They pay 60 dollars per year so whats the problem.
Because they have a illigal game is that the problem?

[Buffalobiian]

i dont understand why microsoft ban ppl when they are playing a online game that they download it somewhere.
They pay 60 dollars per year so whats the problem.
Because they have a illigal game is that the problem?

Well, yeah.

[python862]

Microsoft would rather you pay for both the game and the online play. The fact that it's an illegal thing to download the game is just a bonus for them, being that they can press charges.

[darkshadow]

Uhm, console makers get royalties per game sold, so by bootleggin 360 games, you are screwing ms out of money, plus its illegal, ofcourse they are going to ban you idiot.