# Grand Theft Auto IV



## Augie March (May 27, 2007)

*gets excited*


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## Kid_Eternity (May 27, 2007)

*watches Augie get excited*


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## dlx1 (May 27, 2007)

the SA got boaring on 3rd island I never finshed. wounder how big the maps going to be this time.


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## jæd (May 27, 2007)

Augie March said:
			
		

> *gets excited*



Wait until you see the trailer running in HD. On a PS3.


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## Allan (May 27, 2007)

The trouble with SA was th emaps were so big they were full of non-enterable buildings that had no exploration value at all and played no part in the game. There wasn't room to put anything interesting in.


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## jcsd (May 27, 2007)

thedyslexic1 said:
			
		

> the SA got boaring on 3rd island I never finshed. wounder how big the maps going to be this time.



Apparntly it's not quite as big as GTA III - SA. Also looks like entering random buildings could be a way to escape from cops in GTA IV.

There's while load of stuff about it in the latest issue of OX360M


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## Nixon (May 28, 2007)

That looks f-ing brilliant! Haven't seen anything on the new one.When is it coming out?


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## Johnny Canuck3 (May 28, 2007)




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## Pie 1 (May 28, 2007)

Wow Johnny, that's really hilarious. In fact, I think my sides may have just split.


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## Voley (May 28, 2007)

Anyone ever played Saints Row?

Looks like a total rip-off of GTA but pretty cool with it - we've just bought a second hand Xbox off Ebay and this is one of the free games coming with it.


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## The Groke (May 28, 2007)

NVP said:
			
		

> Anyone ever played Saints Row?
> 
> Looks like a total rip-off of GTA but pretty cool with it - we've just bought a second hand Xbox off Ebay and this is one of the free games coming with it.




I found it pretty dull TBH.......mind you, I had already got sick of the GTA games  before I played it - had I not played these to death, I probably would have enjoyed it....it is a solid enough game.

 


GTAIV had really better pull out the stops.

Revamped graphics and a better frame rate just ain't gonna cut it.

The gameplay needs a shot in the arm, and that fucking targeting system better be fixed....they have had enough games to sort it.

So there.

 


Also - none of them ever touched Vice City as far as the soundtrack was concerned....


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## subversplat (May 28, 2007)

I just read the wikipedia article on GTA:IV and I'm noticing a distinct lack of any humour so far. Can't watch the video at the moment as I am on El Shitto Laptopo but will do at some point.

I hope they've not tried to make it more serious


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## Augie March (Jul 12, 2007)

2nd trailer

*gets more excited* 

(loving the music too)


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## Sunray (Jul 12, 2007)

I want to see in game footage....


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## Dandred (Jul 12, 2007)

Augie March said:
			
		

> 2nd trailer
> 
> *gets more excited*
> 
> (loving the music too)



What film is that from??? I watched it but I can't remember 

Two brothers that came to America, one had a camera.......


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## subversplat (Jul 12, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> I want to see in game footage....


That face-on bit looked in game. GTA has always had a reputation of being completly in-game, even the cut scenes.


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## dlx1 (Jul 13, 2007)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ie=UTF8&search-alias=videogames&field-asin=B000RE4Y8I|B000RE4Y8S

It is coming out on Platform: PC right ?


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## Allan (Jul 13, 2007)

thedyslexic1 said:
			
		

> http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ie=UTF8&search-alias=videogames&field-asin=B000RE4Y8I|B000RE4Y8S
> 
> It is coming out on Platform: PC right ?



Wrong.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 13, 2007)

Sunray said:
			
		

> I want to see in game footage....


you know precisely what it'll be there'll be some lovely parts to it some hideious glitches which don't work and are frustrating as hell there'll be some terrible bugs which goes to show that yet again rock star have no intrest in final test before realease developement the idea that there's no loading and it's all streaming wil cause slowdowns akin to being on a 28k modem... 

you'll not put it down for 2 months while you compleate it and you'll then abandon it as a good game just like every single one before... 

in game shots aren't going to change this....


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## Allan (Jul 13, 2007)

The PC version will be better because you can hack it and mouse control is always better than little joystick control.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 13, 2007)

Allan said:
			
		

> The PC version will be better because you can hack it and mouse control is always better than little joystick control.


yeah i mean it's not like any of the modern consoles don't have usb ports or anything is it... 

or that it's been designed to run on state of the art technology which leaves most pc's even dual core ones int he dust in terms of technical abilties or that they will need to spend time and effort rejigging it to work on every ones shitty hardware  yeah i'll be the bomb on a pc's....

a truely idiotic comment allen....


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## Allan (Jul 13, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> yeah i mean it's not like any of the modern consoles don't have usb ports or anything is it...
> 
> or that it's been designed to run on state of the art technology which leaves most pc's even dual core ones int he dust in terms of technical abilties or that they will need to spend time and effort rejigging it to work on every ones shitty hardware  yeah i'll be the bomb on a pc's....
> 
> a truely idiotic comment allen....


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 13, 2007)

Allan said:
			
		

>


  

get a  real console love not some jack of all trades word processor...


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## Paulie Tandoori (Jul 13, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> you know precisely what it'll be there'll be some lovely parts to it some hideious glitches which don't work and are frustrating as hell there'll be some terrible bugs which goes to show that yet again rock star have no intrest in final test before realease developement the idea that there's no loading and it's all streaming wil cause slowdowns akin to being on a 28k modem...
> 
> you'll not put it down for 2 months while you compleate it and you'll then abandon it as a good game just like every single one before...
> 
> in game shots aren't going to change this....



I finished all 3 of the PS2 GTA's. 100% on the second i think, or as near as damn it anyways....


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## Allan (Jul 13, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> get a  real console love not some jack of all trades word processor...



I speeeeeet on your games console, gringo!


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## Kid_Eternity (Jul 13, 2007)

Augie March said:
			
		

> 2nd trailer
> 
> *gets more excited*
> 
> (loving the music too)



*Watches Augie March get more excited*


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 13, 2007)

Allan said:
			
		

> I speeeeeet on your games console, gringo!


hmmm let's see 



> CPU: Cell Processor
> PowerPC-base Core @3.2GHz
> 1 VMX vector unit per core
> 512KB L2 cache
> ...



your pc's specs please....


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## Allan (Jul 13, 2007)

mumble... mumble... "only more to go wrong"... mumble... mumble...


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## stdPikachu (Jul 13, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> your pc's specs please....



What do specs have to do with it? A 3.2GHz Cell is in no way comparable to any sort of CPU used in your run-of-the-mill PC, they're completely different architectures. As are the way the memory and graphics work...

Not to mention that consoles, by and large, don't have to deal with hundreds of abstraction libraries designed to accomodate the millions of possible different hardware configurations.


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## Kid_Eternity (Jul 13, 2007)

Aha the console vs pc debate, as much fun as the mac vs pc, iPod vs everything else, Labour vs Tory ones....


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## Psychonaut (Jul 13, 2007)

PC wins everytime as AFAIK you still need it to d/l all the games for free.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 14, 2007)

stdPikachu said:
			
		

> What do specs have to do with it? A 3.2GHz Cell is in no way comparable to any sort of CPU used in your run-of-the-mill PC, they're completely different architectures. As are the way the memory and graphics work...
> 
> Not to mention that consoles, by and large, don't have to deal with hundreds of abstraction libraries designed to accomodate the millions of possible different hardware configurations.


yup that's my point.

Desgining something for a limtied hardware set is a hell of a lot easier that programs for everymans pc which might have to cope with the shit basi onpboard vga and 128 of ram and there for will have to bulk up on code inorder to work in the largest enviroment (and therefore market place) as possible... console programsers in essence have a captive audence they know the tech specs and can spend time coding to rinse eery little bit extra out of it... and make each line of code count and focaus towards doign what it's supposed to do not being a check and failsafe if something can't run... 

this is why nitendo are so good at games persay is that for ages they stuck with the cartridge system of games and had a slavish adherence to backaward compatiblity they were limited in storage size on the carts and had to rinse them to get good games out for it... and this made them very mcuh focaused on introducing games and consoles which were very focaused and have in effect lead the boards in each outting... people bang on about the xbox vs the ps2 or the 360 vs ps3 but nintendo has once again come up with something which utterly slays them for a fractuion of the cost (not to mention size or wieght) and yet again has turned out trumps... 

a pc's no matter how good the specs will never run a game like a console does it can't to many variables even on emulation it's not going to be as good.... 

ergo allens daft point about a game being better on the pc is in every way wrong...


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 14, 2007)

No console will ever be able to get the same level of graphics as a high end computer. More efficient yes, but not always better.

(Anyone who thinks that CPU is the limiting factor on how good games are should be taken outside and shot btw)


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## jæd (Jul 14, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> No console will ever be able to get the same level of graphics as a high end computer. More efficient yes, but not always better.
> 
> (Anyone who thinks that CPU is the limiting factor on how good games are should be taken outside and shot btw)



Well... Yep, because a desktop computer can have its hardware changed. Which is also the problem gamers face. A mate of mine spent £2000 on new hardware to upgrade his computer to play the latest (should of got a new one) games. And I just bought a PS3...


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## subversplat (Jul 14, 2007)

Yawn...


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## mauvais (Jul 14, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> hmmm let's see
> 
> <stuff>
> 
> your pc's specs please....


I've got a PC better than all of that, with the exception of BluRay. What do I win?


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 14, 2007)

mauvais said:
			
		

> I've got a PC better than all of that, with the exception of BluRay. What do I win?


you have a pc with a better processor than a cell shows the pics????


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 14, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> No console will ever be able to get the same level of graphics as a high end computer. More efficient yes, but not always better.
> 
> (Anyone who thinks that CPU is the limiting factor on how good games are should be taken outside and shot btw)


but people don't play games on a highend computor dot hey people play games on their normal desktop bought from dell or some other shite 'bargin' *cough* from pc world... and that's the point unless you are arguing that no comprimises every have to be made when programming for eveyrmans machine rather than a closed arcitecture... 

and of course the fucking processor isn't the be all and end all you dipstick however int his case it's pretty fuckign important as one of the 8 is working along side the graphics card .... 

either way you've taken a bit of banter and turned it into some kind of geekery with poitn socring... muppet...


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 14, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> but people don't play games on a highend computor dot hey people play games on their normal desktop bought from dell or some other shite 'bargin' *cough* from pc world... and that's the point unless you are arguing that no comprimises every have to be made when programming for eveyrmans machine rather than a closed arcitecture...



Yes they do. It's the only reason you'd spend £1000 on top of the line graphics cards. Did i ask what most people do? No, i don't really care tbh, in many cases they're better off with a console. That's why i said high end. My point was brief, consoles are more efficent but they cannot beat high end machines.



			
				GLC said:
			
		

> and of course the fucking processor isn't the be all and end all you dipstick however int his case it's pretty fuckign important as one of the 8 is working along side the graphics card ....
> 
> either way you've taken a bit of banter and turned it into some kind of geekery with poitn socring... muppet...


Meh. The Cell relies upon games programmers knowing what they're doing and a kick arse compiler. Last time i checked the second was absent and the former is laughable.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 14, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> Yes they do. It's the only reason you'd spend £1000 on top of the line graphics cards. Did i ask what most people do? No, i don't really care tbh, in many cases they're better off with a console. That's why i said high end. My point was brief, consoles are more efficent but they cannot beat high end machines.



fairy nuff it wasn't however what was beign discussed however vaild the point is 




			
				Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> Meh. The Cell relies upon games programmers knowing what they're doing and a kick arse compiler. Last time i checked the second was absent and the former is laughable.


no new techology is put in place is ever going to reach it's zenith in the first few years of it's production otherwise it'd become obsolete instantly...

both will happen. eventually...


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## mauvais (Jul 14, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> you have a pc with a better processor than a cell shows the pics????


Yes. Can you tell me a little about why the PS3's CBEA is better than consumer x86/x64 CPUs?


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 15, 2007)

mauvais said:
			
		

> Yes. Can you tell me a little about why the PS3's CBEA is better than consumer x86/x64 CPUs?


in essence it's a x64 with inbuilt capabilites to do distributed computing.

if you remember the seti program you can download to on to you pc to use you machine while it's not in use by you this is in essence designed to do this type of computing natively. 

This in theroy at least means that you get much more bang for your buck in terms of processing power as things can (assuming that the programming has split off chunks to be sent for seperate processing to the processor) be processed a lot quicker and mroe efficently... 

see this for more info 

http://www.blachford.info/computer/Cell/Cell1_v2.html


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 15, 2007)

In essence it's nothing like it . The Cell's closer to an overclocked G3 with some very fast, very limited, arithmetic units that it can shove tasks onto. They ripped out all the out of order processing silicone. Almost all of the branch prediction is gone too.

The Blachford document is a good primer for the Cell but it is the most optimistic take i've read on the possibilities. If they hadn't gutted the orriginal specification regarding connectivity, if the chip were being used in consumer goods, if there were programs that would benefit the user, it'd be fantastic.

As it is it's nothing but unfulfilled potential. Crap at general computing, crap at tasks that cannot be threaded (that can't change). The design philosophy that's required is completely opposed to computing trends of greater abstraction. To say that it's a better computing chip than a Quad Core 2 is completely unjustified at this point.

[/rant]


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## mauvais (Jul 15, 2007)

There's nothing special with regard to the Cell's distributed computing ability. You can have _any _computers parallel process a shared task like SETI. However unless it's a long term task it's no use - the transmission speeds between even a CPU and a disk are too slow, never mind an external machine.

The only thing of interest about Cell is that it falls in between a general purpose multi-core CPU and something like NVidia's CUDA. CUDA, by the way, has very interesting potential but probably won't be exploited, at least not in this generation.

What that means is that it can't do general purpose computing, like Bob says, but it will do graphics/sound etc better than a PC with no specialised processors. That advantage is lost when you think about the high end GPUs, sound cards, physics cards, etc.

Given the disadvantages, i.e. that you have to write and optimise code for the architecture, and given that in its PS3 implementation it's below the fastest x86/x64 processors anyway (look at its cost), it's not a significant rival. It probably does its job in the PS3 well, but the idea that it competes with high end PCs is nonsense.


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 15, 2007)

The original specification for the cell envisaged every household item having a Cell in it from TV to washing machine,s well as a wireless link. That way if your computer (Cell based) needed more computational ability it'd offload the task to the TV or washing machine. If the programs are suitable for this, if it wasn't part of the "reality check" changes for the version that got produced then it would be very nifty. 

Also the Cell is a great design regarding production, if one of the SPEs is dodgy then you don't have to discard the chip, you burn it out and stick it in a PS3. If three or more are dead then it's a TV, four it's a washing machine and seven it's a toaster. (etc.)

I LIKE the cell, but i don't like sony, nor do i trust them to get software right, ever. This is why i don't think the cell will replace the x86 esque mainstream chips.


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## jæd (Jul 15, 2007)

This is all very interesting but I think it misses the point that a dedicated games console is easier (and cheaper) to set up than a PC. 

Say that GTA IV is available for PS3 and PC from day one. I'm betting it would be cheaper + faster to get a brand-new PS3 to play the game, rather than a brand new PC with the graphics card to play GTA IV...

Playing the latest PC games is for spods... Consoles for the rest of us...!


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## mauvais (Jul 15, 2007)

It'd be cheaper and faster to only wear socks, but I wouldn't want to walk anywhere in them.


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 15, 2007)

jæd said:
			
		

> This is all very interesting but I think it misses the point that a dedicated games console is easier (and cheaper) to set up than a PC.
> 
> Say that GTA IV is available for PS3 and PC from day one. I'm betting it would be cheaper + faster to get a brand-new PS3 to play the game, rather than a brand new PC with the graphics card to play GTA IV...
> 
> Playing the latest PC games is for spods... Consoles for the rest of us...!


Play it, the other way around, but it'd have crap graphics settings. So for the have not's a PS3 would probably be best.

Then again if you've got a relatively recent computer it'd be far cheaper to upgrade it to play GTA IV than buy a PS3. (New CPU ~=100, 2GB RAM ~=£50 new GPU  ~=£150 total is £100 cheaper than a PS3)


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## jæd (Jul 15, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> Play it, the other way around, but it'd have crap graphics settings. So for the have not's a PS3 would probably be best.
> 
> Then again if you've got a relatively recent computer it'd be far cheaper to upgrade it to play GTA IV than buy a PS3. (New CPU ~=100, 2GB RAM ~=£50 new GPU  ~=£150 total is £100 cheaper than a PS3)



So what happens if I want to play GTA V on my PC when it comes out in 2009 ...?


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 15, 2007)

jæd said:
			
		

> So what happens if I want to play GTA V on my PC when it comes out in 2009 ...?


You buy yourself a PS4 or think about upgrading again.


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## Iam (Jul 15, 2007)

mauvais said:
			
		

> It'd be cheaper and faster to only wear socks, but I wouldn't want to walk anywhere in them.



Socks are the devil's work, goddammit!!


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## jæd (Jul 15, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> You buy yourself a PS4 or think about upgrading again.



Sony are planning to support the PS3 for ten years, and based on their support for the PS2 I can see this happening. With a PC I'd have to spend at least £300 every other year to keep at the bleeding edge in order to run the latest games...


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 15, 2007)

jæd said:
			
		

> Sony are planning to support the PS3 for ten years, and based on their support for the PS2 I can see this happening. With a PC I'd have to spend at least £300 every other year to keep at the bleeding edge in order to run the latest games...


So Sony'll support it, the bleeding edge in games will STILL have moved on. Even now you can't play the games on the consoles at full HD resolutions as the GPU isn't powerful enough.

If you were willing to settle for the same mediocre graphics then you'd have no need to upgrade.


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## Sunray (Jul 16, 2007)

One of the reasons for DX10 is that MS have decided that there is now no place for CPU features.  There are no compatibility bits to check.  If the card is DX10 compatible it will support all DX10 features in hardware.   The only way to differentiate the hardware is on performance.

This is going to make games a lot simpler to code for on the PC because if its DX10 it should play it.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 16, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> So Sony'll support it, the bleeding edge in games will STILL have moved on. *Even now you can't play the games on the consoles at full HD resolutions as the GPU isn't powerful enough*.
> 
> If you were willing to settle for the same mediocre graphics then you'd have no need to upgrade.


this is toss mate unless you are sayign that there is a mass produced consumer unit out there which is better than 1080p ... both the 360 and the ps3 (and via a software update nintendo are supposedly releasing) support this and both the 360 and ps3 support upscaling natively now...


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## mauvais (Jul 16, 2007)

Yes, but upscaling isn't full HD resolution, is it?

And yes, a PC that can display at 1900x1200 or higher with smooth frame rates - well, err, that's better isn't it?


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## jæd (Jul 16, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> So Sony'll support it, the bleeding edge in games will STILL have moved on. Even now you can't play the games on the consoles at full HD resolutions as the GPU isn't powerful enough.



Not really... In the next few years people will just start getting more and more out of the PS3 as they learn how to use it better. Any, all the games I've tried have been in nice HD... 




			
				Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> If you were willing to settle for the same mediocre graphics then you'd have no need to upgrade.



Again, not really. The graphics would downgrade with every hot new release until you bought a new graphics card.

My point is that to play current games on a PC you need to spend money maintaining it vs just spending a wodge of cash once...


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 16, 2007)

mauvais said:
			
		

> Yes, but upscaling isn't full HD resolution, is it?
> 
> And yes, a PC that can display at 1900x1200 or higher with smooth frame rates - well, err, that's better isn't it?


erm huh are you mental ....

upscaling isn't for hd output is it?

it's for non hd output which you want to convert to hd output such as your old dvd's or old games and the like the machines themselves natively support 1080p and can also upscale non HD media to this.  the fact it can do this doesn't some how translate as not beign able to output propper HD, in actual fact as the HD res is usually limited by a) the media b) the screen and not the player which is ordinarly of a higher spec than the screen it play's back through...


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 16, 2007)

mauvais said:
			
		

> And yes, a PC that can display at 1900x1200 or higher with smooth frame rates - well, err, that's better isn't it?


as for this name one screen out their on the market at present which is an HD tv whcih can display hier than 1080p which was the question again the limitation is the SCREEN not the machine.

sometime's i really wonder about tech heads...


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 16, 2007)

jæd said:
			
		

> Not really... In the next few years people will just start getting more and more out of the PS3 as they learn how to use it better. Any, all the games I've tried have been in nice HD...
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Oh they'll be nice alright. But they aren't full HD, in terms of computers 720p is fairly low res.

You can't have it both ways, you'll get the same graphics out of your PS3 untill the games makers give up on it, and as such the same graphics out of your computer's GPU untill the games makers give up on it or you upgrade. To claim that the users of the PS3's GPU will become more efficent and computer GPUs less is balls.


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 16, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> as for this name one screen out their on the market at present which is an HD tv whcih can display hier than 1080p which was the question again the limitation is the SCREEN not the machine.
> 
> sometime's i really wonder about tech heads...


1) The PS3 can't output true 1080P games (or not all of them, there's probably some it can hack) so your demand for higher resolutions is crap. It can't manage 1080P when there are TVs that can display them.

2) The Dell 3007 is a 30" LCD with a resolution so high it makes your ears bleed. There are others in the same size and resolution range. If you want the best quality graphics then you would not use a console and a TV. Because that would be utterly stupid.

3) TVs have no need to exceed the HD spec, specifications that computer displays left behind years ago. To demand the TV misses the point entirely.


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 16, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> erm huh are you mental ....
> 
> upscaling isn't for hd output is it?
> 
> it's for non hd output which you want to convert to hd output such as your old dvd's or old games and the like the machines themselves natively support 1080p and can also upscale non HD media to this.  the fact it can do this doesn't some how translate as not beign able to output propper HD, in actual fact as the HD res is usually limited by a) the media b) the screen and not the player which is ordinarly of a higher spec than the screen it play's back through...


I'ts not full HD. It's no different to running a CRT at lower than max resolution. It's a cop out.

You worry about tech heads? Fair enough but it'd be nice if you knew when to cut and run, cos you're trying to defend a position that is indefensible. I don't worry about you, i just despair.


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## jæd (Jul 16, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> To claim that the users of the PS3's GPU will become more efficent and computer GPUs less is balls.



I'm not... Just point out that staying at the bleeding edge of PC gaming means upgrading your computer two years. To do the same with a console means upgrading every eight years or so...

But then its horses for courses init.... My main opinion is that PC games are for spods with lots of cash and lots of time farting around getting the things set-up...


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 16, 2007)

jæd said:
			
		

> I'm not... Just point out that staying at the bleeding edge of PC gaming means upgrading your computer two years. To do the same with a console means upgrading every eight years or so...
> 
> But then its horses for courses init.... My main opinion is that PC games are for spods with lots of cash and lots of time farting around getting the things set-up...


The bleeding edge of console gaming just doesn't bleed very fast


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 16, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> The bleeding edge of console gaming just doesn't bleed very fast


yet...

again i'm at a loos what you are sayign is in esssence it's shit because it's new and there's nothing out for them at present... 

so tell me how this works then enw technology must only ever be released with the most up to date software and everyone must have a full programing knowledge of the technology before it can be released each piece of software must push the endurence envolope as far as the eye can see.... is that truely what you are saying becuase it's certianly the argument you are protraying...


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## Bob_the_lost (Jul 16, 2007)

GarfieldLeChat said:
			
		

> yet...
> 
> again i'm at a loos what you are sayign is in esssence it's shit because it's new and there's nothing out for them at present...
> 
> so tell me how this works then enw technology must only ever be released with the most up to date software and everyone must have a full programing knowledge of the technology before it can be released each piece of software must push the endurence envolope as far as the eye can see.... is that truely what you are saying becuase it's certianly the argument you are protraying...


If that's what you're reading you need to stop and re read it all. As it is it seems you're not reading what i'm writing.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jul 16, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> If that's what you're reading you need to stop and re read it all. As it is it seems you're not reading what i'm writing.


yes i am you are being eleitist and sneering about a piece of technology and seem intent on some sort fo illy waving from what was an innicous commet to allen about his pc beign shit it was a joke... that's all he understood it as such hence his mumble... mumble... "only more to go wrong"... mumble... mumble... 

the picachu and yerself and a few other decide to have some soggy biscuit comeptition about pc vs console...

it's a thread about GTA IV k, not some long dull excercise in technoratti boredom...

and yes that is what you have written or to put it in other words my dads bigger than your dad.... k you get it now....

what you are suggesting is that some console bcuase it hasn't yety been applied or used in the manner you'd like to see that it's a fail....

it's a shit arguement really....


----------



## obanite (Jul 16, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> Meh. The Cell relies upon games programmers knowing what they're doing and a kick arse compiler. Last time i checked the second was absent and the former is laughable.



Don't really see what a kick arse compiler will really be able to do for you with Cell... the way to get performance out of the PS3 is to parallelise your code, then parallelise some more


----------



## Bob_the_lost (Jul 16, 2007)

obanite said:
			
		

> Don't really see what a kick arse compiler will really be able to do for you with Cell... the way to get performance out of the PS3 is to parallelise your code, then parallelise some more


The cell requires the programmer to move data into the SPE's version of RAM. If you get that wrong then nothing will work. If you don't do it well then the SPEs can't function. You could do this by hand, but i don't want to even think about how much time the programmers would spend doing that. A good complier would allow the writers to maintain a high level approach. A bad compiler or badly written program won't transfer the data across in time, leading to pipeline stalls which will hurt the SPEs even more than normal chips.

Garf, i don't give a shit if your feelings are hurt. You brought up tech specs, you opened the door and the conversation moved on. I've no reason to go after you but if you get things wrong then i may tell you so. Don't make it personal.


----------



## obanite (Jul 17, 2007)

Bob_the_lost said:
			
		

> The cell requires the programmer to move data into the SPE's version of RAM. If you get that wrong then nothing will work. If you don't do it well then the SPEs can't function. You could do this by hand, but i don't want to even think about how much time the programmers would spend doing that. A good complier would allow the writers to maintain a high level approach. A bad compiler or badly written program won't transfer the data across in time, leading to pipeline stalls which will hurt the SPEs even more than normal chips.
> 
> Garf, i don't give a shit if your feelings are hurt. You brought up tech specs, you opened the door and the conversation moved on. I've no reason to go after you but if you get things wrong then i may tell you so. Don't make it personal.



That's no different to writing code for vector units on the PS2 though...  the real challenge with making code work quickly on the PS3 is getting CPU intensive stuff threaded and onto the SPU's, it's not really a compiler issue. e.g. here we have skinning on an SPU.


----------



## jæd (Jul 17, 2007)

I always love the way on these threads everyone's an expert on programming Cell CPU's... D:


----------



## stdPikachu (Jul 17, 2007)

obanite said:
			
		

> That's no different to writing code for vector units on the PS2 though...  the real challenge with making code work quickly on the PS3 is getting CPU intensive stuff threaded and onto the SPU's, it's not really a compiler issue. e.g. here we have skinning on an SPU.



It might not be any harder than coding for the EE, but bit-twiddling of individual registers isn't fun in anyone's book; making all that shit happen in a multithreaded model is a fucking nightmare.

Neither is the issue just about getting a particular subroutine running on an SPE, cos I imagine that's impractial. The SPE's are SIMD units and would suck at heavy integer work. Any particular code path/thread is likely to have datasets that need to be worked on by both the PPC core and the SPE's, so you need to work out a way to copy the data into the SPE, wait for it to do its thing and then incorporate it back into the core, all the while having to think about locks, mutexes _and_ making your code run efficiently on an in-order architecture.

And yes, everyone does love to make everyone think they're an expert on low-level assembly  I'm not, but I'm hoping I know enough about the general topic to know when to say "this shit is hard" 


Garf, I don't really give a crap about the PS3 or the games debate in general; I just like talking about techy shit. The PS3 just makes for the most interesting console to talk about cos it's the most "out there" in terms of its hardware (the 3-core CPU inside the Xbox 360 is interesting too, but it's nowhere near as radical as the Cell architecture). All I was doing originally was pointing out that a list of arbitary numbers does not a good console make, I didn't mean to turn this into another thread on the semantics of console design, but it has. I'm not even the sort of person who'd say "I'm not buying a console because the CPU is shit" (heck, I bought an N64 and that had design problems coming out of it's ears), I just find it interesting to talk about.


----------



## taita (Jul 17, 2007)

.


----------



## obanite (Jul 17, 2007)

Jaed, I'm not an expert, but I do work with people who are - one of our xbox/ps3 guys is sat 2 seats behind me and I do sometimes chat with him about what he's up to in the world of optimisation and threading.

stdPikachu, I wouldn't quite go so far as to say it's a fucking nightmare, at least not in games. Skinning is exclusively floating point - it's quarternion/ matrix number crunching. Once it's done, you're copying vertex data straight into the GPU. Likewise with particle systems...

You're correct in that things that need to interact with data from the main thread often are going to be a nightmare - AI for example would just suck because it needs to do a lot of interaction with game level code - but there's plenty of low level engine/graphics stuff that can be put on SPU's without a mega headache. It's not as easy as the 360, but it could be worse.

You're bang on about the PS3 being the most interesting to talk about too. One of our console guys said today that between the 360 and the PS3, he prefers working on the PS3, because despite the 360 being a bit simpler, the Cell is more challenging to him as a programmer.


----------



## stdPikachu (Jul 17, 2007)

obanite said:
			
		

> stdPikachu, I wouldn't quite go so far as to say it's a fucking nightmare, at least not in games. Skinning is exclusively floating point - it's quarternion/ matrix number crunching. Once it's done, you're copying vertex data straight into the GPU. Likewise with particle systems...



Thanks for that, like I said, IANACP and as such it can be difficult to guess at which bit of code is int or fp.




			
				obanite said:
			
		

> You're correct in that things that need to interact with data from the main thread often are going to be a nightmare - AI for example would just suck because it needs to do a lot of interaction with game level code - but there's plenty of low level engine/graphics stuff that can be put on SPU's without a mega headache. It's not as easy as the 360, but it could be worse.



Likewise, I figured there'd be some stuff that'd be well suited to executing on the SPU's but as you say it's by no means simple.

Does anyone have an idea of how much of the silicon/transistor budget is taken up by the branch predictors and OoOE engines? Cell is pretty large at 221mm2 for a 90nm chip with comparatively little cache (compare to a 90nm Athlon64 or a 65nm Core2 at ~150mm2) so it' easy to see why they were left out I suppose, but I believe the Xenon chip in the 360 is less than 100mm2, so a bit more difficult to see why it was left out (especially since traditionally the Xbox was incredibly similar to PC hardware and libs, and thus made porting games a relative doddle).


----------



## Bob_the_lost (Jul 17, 2007)

The PPE is 11.1 % of the surface area and the cache makes up another 10.3% apparently.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_microprocessor_implementations

(Isn't 512Kb of L2 the norm for A64 chips anyway, they briefly went to 1Mb per core but the performance gains were trivial, it's a decent sized cache)


----------



## Jambooboo (Aug 3, 2007)

*Gta4...*

... is delayed until well into next year btw (Easter?).


----------



## Ned Pointsman (Aug 3, 2007)

> We owe it to the game’s millions of fans, to our dedicated development team, and to our shareholders to make sure that Grand Theft Auto IV is a groundbreaking gaming experience that takes maximum advantage of next generation technology.”



I hate that sort of rhetoric, Valve, who couldn't deliver a fucking paper on time do the same thing to the defence of thousands of fanboys who all come out with the same thing, "you want it to be as good as they can make it don't you ?"

YOU FUCKING KNEW THIS WHEN YOU STARTED/ANNOUNCED A RELEASE DATE YOU TWATS, IF YOU SPENT LESS TIME MAKING THE SORT OF POINTLESSLY JUVENILE GAMES BEAVIS WOULD COME UP WITH AND DID SOME PROPER FUCKING WORK, MAYBE, JUST MAYBE YOU COULD RELEASE IT ON TIME.


----------



## Bullys_special (Aug 6, 2007)

Agreed what a bunch of fuk wits. The rockstar north office is at the top of my road i have a good mind to knock on the door and tell em to get their fingers out of their brown boxes and get on with it!


----------



## bluestreak (Aug 7, 2007)

well, i learnt so much about gtaiv from this thread.


----------



## Barking_Mad (Aug 7, 2007)

the problem is that the XBox version is all but done, but the PS3 platform is proving hard to get the game finished on cos it's a pain to programme for and still quite new.

Also Take Two the publishers have a deal that both versions will appear at the same time and not one ahead of the other. So they have to finish the PS3 version.


----------



## Augie March (Dec 27, 2007)

Bump for the third trailer here.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Dec 27, 2007)

Look pretty nice although GTA SA bored me to tears...


----------



## The Groke (Dec 27, 2007)

Barking_Mad said:
			
		

> the problem is that the XBox version is all but done, but the PS3 platform is proving hard to get the game finished on cos it's a pain to programme for and still quite new.
> 
> Also Take Two the publishers have a deal that both versions will appear at the same time and not one ahead of the other. So they have to finish the PS3 version.




My understanding is that they were having issues with both versions:

PS3 for memory (RAM) reasons and the 360 for the limitations on the capacity of the DVD and streaming the data.


----------



## wishface (Dec 27, 2007)

Bullys_special said:
			
		

> Agreed what a bunch of fuk wits. The rockstar north office is at the top of my road i have a good mind to knock on the door and tell em to get their fingers out of their brown boxes and get on with it!


theya re probably too busy knifing prostitutes and shooting coppers in the face.


----------



## Barking_Mad (Jan 29, 2008)

29th April is the release date.

Recent previews: http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=180050

and here: http://xbox360.ign.com/objects/827/827005.html


----------



## wishface (Jan 29, 2008)

Can't they do something original with this format? Another game about stabbing people in the face and murdering prostitutes for the chavs and the idiots who let their underage spawn play them to wank over. More grist for the right wing media.


----------



## The Groke (Jan 29, 2008)

The Daily wishface said:


> Can't they do something original with this format? Another game about stabbing people in the face and murdering prostitutes for the chavs and the idiots who let their underage spawn play them to wank over.







			
				wishface said:
			
		

> More grist for the right wing media.



Oh the irony.....


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> More grist for the right wing media.



I don't see why I should pursue my interests with the permission of the scum media...


----------



## wishface (Jan 29, 2008)

When SA came out all I heard in game shops were kids clamouring their mcDonalds fed overlords to buy them this game while their parents didn't seem to care it was 18 rated. The shops were happy to sell it to the parents and wash their hands of it while the kids in the shops woudl gleefully recant 'this is the game where you can knife coppers'.

I like the GTA games for the most part because I like sandbox games. I liked Saints Row as well, I just don't like that.


----------



## revol68 (Jan 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> When SA came out all I heard in game shops were kids clamouring their mcDonalds fed overlords to buy them this game while their parents didn't seem to care it was 18 rated. The shops were happy to sell it to the parents and wash their hands of it while the kids in the shops woudl gleefully recant 'this is the game where you can knife coppers'.
> 
> I like the GTA games for the most part because I like sandbox games. I liked Saints Row as well, I just don't like that.



god you are such a cunt.


----------



## mwgdrwg (Jan 29, 2008)

Looks amazing, but after Crackdown I'm not sure how I'll be able to cope without jumping along rooftops superhero style.


----------



## The Groke (Jan 29, 2008)

mwgdrwg said:


> Looks amazing, but after Crackdown I'm not sure how I'll be able to cope without jumping along rooftops superhero style.




You must be looking forward to Prototype then


----------



## mwgdrwg (Jan 29, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> You must be looking forward to Prototype then



What's that?


----------



## The Groke (Jan 29, 2008)

mwgdrwg said:


> What's that?



Checkit!



Building leaping, sandbox gameplay by the bucketload.


----------



## TopCat (Jan 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> When SA came out all I heard in game shops were kids clamouring their mcDonalds fed overlords to buy them this game while their parents didn't seem to care it was 18 rated. The shops were happy to sell it to the parents and wash their hands of it while the kids in the shops woudl gleefully recant 'this is the game where you can knife coppers'.
> 
> I like the GTA games for the most part because I like sandbox games. I liked Saints Row as well, I just don't like that.



Knifing cops is a great stress reliever.


----------



## Barking_Mad (Apr 11, 2008)

It's nearly here.........anyone heard about the multiplayer options? Blimey, i think ive wet my pants!

Deathmatch, team death match, a version of capture the flag, GTA racing and a whole heap of other modes, plus the usual stat tracking and so on.......


----------



## subversplat (Apr 11, 2008)

wishface said:


> When SA came out all I heard in game shops were kids clamouring their mcDonalds fed overlords to buy them this game while their parents didn't seem to care it was 18 rated. The shops were happy to sell it to the parents and wash their hands of it while the kids in the shops woudl gleefully recant 'this is the game where you can knife coppers'.
> 
> I like the GTA games for the most part because I like sandbox games. I liked Saints Row as well, I just don't like that.


I did my civic duty and bought a copy of Vice City for some poor lad in Electronics Boutique who wasn't old enough to get served it (he looked about 13 or 14)


----------



## The Groke (Apr 11, 2008)

Barking_Mad said:


> It's nearly here.........anyone heard about the multiplayer options? Blimey, i think ive wet my pants!
> 
> Deathmatch, team death match, a version of capture the flag, GTA racing and a whole heap of other modes, plus the usual stat tracking and so on.......




I have been following all the previews and hype carefully and frankly, it is looking really, _really/i] fucking good at the moment.

Well looking forward to the 29th.

_


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 11, 2008)

Barking_Mad said:


> It's nearly here.........anyone heard about the multiplayer options? Blimey, i think ive wet my pants!
> 
> Deathmatch, team death match, a version of capture the flag, GTA racing and a whole heap of other modes, plus the usual stat tracking and so on.......



SA has been online for some time it's genius too...


----------



## jontz01 (Apr 11, 2008)

Barking_Mad said:


> It's nearly here.........anyone heard about the multiplayer options? Blimey, i think ive wet my pants!
> 
> Deathmatch, team death match, a version of capture the flag, GTA racing and a whole heap of other modes, plus the usual stat tracking and so on.......



It's about bloody time..... Multi theft auto's been going now for years on the PC versions, I always told myself I wouldn't buy the next one unless it was multiplayer....

I'd better make some progress on San Andreas pronto....


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Apr 17, 2008)

Is this out on the PS3?


----------



## Flashman (Apr 17, 2008)

Yep released April 29 on PS3 and 360.

Can't wait for this motherfucker.


----------



## Fiended*** (Apr 20, 2008)

HAHA loving this thread.


----------



## wishface (Apr 20, 2008)

I can't wait for the inevitable disappointment that Game will deliver me when i find they haven't bothered to order enough and won't get anymore in stock for a thousand years.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 21, 2008)

Augie March said:


> *gets excited*



Where is TJ?


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 21, 2008)

Haha, I will be downloading this very shortly. No worries about stick levels for me!


----------



## pk (Apr 21, 2008)

Do you get to beat up prostitutes in this one too?







Can't wait.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 21, 2008)

pk said:


> Do you get to beat up prostitutes in this one too?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You're more circumspect than me. I was going to ask if you can still knife prostitutes, then stomp on their white-panty-clad crotches...


[p.s. for all you militant types out there, you can't really do any of this in the game; this is just a tasteless and ill conceived joke.]


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (Apr 21, 2008)

pps. Out of fairness, you can do any of those things to anyone: cops, residents, shopkeepers, etc, not just prostitutes. so the game actually is promotional of equality.


----------



## dlx1 (Apr 21, 2008)

when the PC released date ! 

fuking Rockstar 



> it's always about 6 months later ... so about 6 months after us


 I don't remember this! Rockstar looks after the special kids 1st


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 21, 2008)

dlx1 said:


> when the PC released date !
> 
> fuking Rockstar



it's always about 6 months later ... so about 6 months after us...


----------



## Augie March (Apr 22, 2008)

TV advert for the 360 version: 
It's just looking really lovely indeed. And plus, a bit of LCD Sounsystem always goes down nicely.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 23, 2008)

Augie March said:


> TV advert for the 360 version:
> 
> It's just looking really lovely indeed. And plus, a bit of LCD Sounsystem always goes down nicely.




Cool as fuck.


----------



## pk (Apr 23, 2008)

As much as I like LCD Soundsystem, that track is a blatant Yello rip-off!


----------



## Martin1 (Apr 23, 2008)

6 days to go...


----------



## Termite Man (Apr 23, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Checkit!
> 
> 
> 
> Building leaping, sandbox gameplay by the bucketload.


That sounds damn good


----------



## Crispy (Apr 23, 2008)

You naughty people with chipped xboxes can go download it off piratebay right now.


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 23, 2008)

Crispy said:


> You naughty people with chipped xboxes can go download it off piratebay right now.



Yay, just got in from work and pressed F5 on my fave games tracker and there it is. Was planning on going round to my brothers to watch the football but I'm not so sure now.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 24, 2008)

yeah i got it now , played it for 10 mins , first impressions , very very nice , maybe we should start a spoiler thread ?, within the first car journey there is a very nice but small touch  wish i didnt need sleep but thank god id already booked the rest of the week off for totally unrelated reasons ( somehow i dont think they are going to happen....)


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 24, 2008)

Aye yeah, I've just been playing it for the past five hours - fortunately I've not got work tomorrow!

Anyway yeah, my first thoughts...

To be honest at first I wasn't overly impressed, either with the graphics or the gameplay. But I'm getting pretty hooked on it, and it does look really polished in parts. Done the opening missions with the cousin - been to the lapdancing club with him and beat some of the security guys up which is cool. Went bowling with the broad, then took her for drinks (your character acts/drives drunk when he's been drinking) and got laid. Since been doing missions for the Vlad guy - there's a cool one where you're chasing this guy across rooftops.

Surprised that I've not had chance to buy a gun yet this far in, but I killed a copper and took his and shot lots of people up. Got the Sentinel car n'all - one of the few cars that actually handles great so far.

When I first got going with it I noticed quite a lot of loading screens - they've either decreased in number/duration or I'm not noticing them so much now though.

There's a lot of gratuitous language in it - I can't remember GTA3 being as sweary.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 24, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> When I first got going with it I noticed quite a lot of loading screens - they've either decreased in number/duration or I'm not noticing them so much now though.



Perhaps uses a caching system for common objects, sounds and textures like Oblivion et al.

I know the PS3 does a pretty large HD install before the game, but I would be happy enough with that if it reduces load times.

I have both the XBox360 and PS3 versions on order from different countries - there has been a bit of a crack-down in the UAE of late on games which are suppose to be banned (not really enforced that rigorously!) and I want to hedge my bets a little in case one of my deliveries get's seized!

Of course, I could always get my XBox chipped I suppose......


----------



## wishface (Apr 24, 2008)

Well, after enquiring in the local game merchants, I find that having not preordered I'm shit out of luck for the foreseeable futue - at least as far as they are concerned. They seem to be saying they are not getting much stock in and can only meet their preorders while not being able to say when they are getting a restock. _Not bad for the biggest fucking release in recent years and for the foreseeable future._

Also I am being told that EVERYONE will need to bring either a passport, driving license or citizens card as (very specific) proof of ID. So even if you are clearly over 18, rules is rules mate. 

I'm not sure I can be arsed with all of that just for a fucking game.


----------



## mauvais (Apr 24, 2008)

Ever thought about just giving up on this miserable life and becoming a nun?


----------



## wishface (Apr 24, 2008)

is that available on the 360?


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 24, 2008)

just read an article that there are gamertags on xbox live already playing the multiplayer much to rockstars dismay , wishface , i got my xbox360 chipped for £40 , cheaper than the game itself plus no worrying about pre-ordering and get most games a few days before the actual release , maybe you should take this route , the only thing is , if you dont get it stealth chipped you may well get banned from live ( ive not tried live yet so it hasnt happened to me )


----------



## wishface (Apr 24, 2008)

I don't think I'm going to risk getting it chipped (wouldn't know where to go anyways). Be better off getting the game at a later date rather than risking bricking my machine.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 24, 2008)

Well I am getting my machine flashed tomorrow.....No hardware modchip needed.


I also have the "backup" downloaded and ready to play.

Man - Usenet is way, way quicker than Bittorret.


----------



## Augie March (Apr 24, 2008)

Quite the large, diverse soundtrack as to be expected: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_soundtrack

Now if there's any song to soundtrack violence, it has to be 'Red, Red Wine' by UB40.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 24, 2008)

Augie March said:


> Quite the large, diverse soundtrack as to be expected: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV_soundtrack
> 
> Now if there's any song to soundtrack violence, it has to be 'Red, Red Wine' by UB40.




Fuck me!

Afrobeat station DJ'd/hosted by Femi Kuti......with Fela tracks on obviously!

. As. Fuck.

*IF99*



 


 IF99 logo


*DJ:* Femi Kuti
*Genre:* Funk & Afrobeat
*Tracklist:*

Fela Kuti - "Sorrow, Tears and Blood"
Fela Kuti - "Zombie"
The O'Jays - "Give the People What They Want"
War - "Galaxy"
George Clinton - "Atomic Dog"


----------



## wishface (Apr 24, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Well I am getting my machine flashed tomorrow.....No hardware modchip needed.
> 
> 
> I also have the "backup" downloaded and ready to play.
> ...


'flashed'?


----------



## The Groke (Apr 24, 2008)

wishface said:


> 'flashed'?




Yup - tis a software only update to the DVD drive which should allow me to play *ahem* backup copies.


----------



## poggy (Apr 24, 2008)

You flash the firmware on the DVD drive


----------



## wishface (Apr 24, 2008)

I wouldn't even know where to begin with any of this. I'm happy to stick to paying silly money for plastic discs from understocked shops staffed by idiots.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 24, 2008)

For thoe of you with the iCON PAL rip - is it already patched and a straightforward clone DVD job or does it need to be patched???


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 24, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> For thoe of you with the iCON PAL rip - is it already patched and a straightforward clone DVD job or does it need to be patched???



It's 100% stealth patched* - any scene release since about Gears Of War has been. There has been two or three so-called 'bad rips' that I know of - one Orange Box scene release was, I can't remember the others...

Check any game that hasn't been verified with a utility called XDVDMulleter - it'll tell you whether it's been patched etc and can also do it for you. So long as you have the latest firmware flash - I think the very latest is ixtreme 1.4 - any non-stealth game won't boot up anyway.

I've somehow still got Live access despite having used non-stealth games before the whole stealth thing was understood/bannings took place.

* E2A:


----------



## The Groke (Apr 24, 2008)

Cheers JB.

All being well I should be up and running tomorrow afternoon.

How is the game? Am I getting all excited over empty hype again?


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 24, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Cheers JB.
> 
> All being well I should be up and running tomorrow afternoon.
> 
> How is the game? Am I getting all excited over empty hype again?



Nah, it's very good. 

Btw what's your setup for burning games? I use a Pioneer 115, Aone non-printable dual layers (I only pay about £3.50 for ten from them - much cheaper than Verbatim etc), and the latest ImgBurn to write the discs. 

With some drives there's some issue with having to manually set the booktype setting or something, but the Pioneers amongst others do it automatically (hence why I don't know much about it). Also when you are burning games using ImgBurn (it's free and gets the best results, so don't use anything else) you need to set the layerbreak to 1913760, burn at 2.4x for best results and pick the .dvd file to burn rather than the .iso file.

Just remembered - you've still got a pc right? I've no idea about burning utilities for the Mac.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 24, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> Nah, it's very good.
> 
> Btw what's your setup for burning games? I use a Pioneer 115, Aone non-printable dual layers (I only pay about £3.50 for ten from them - much cheaper than Verbatim etc), and the latest ImgBurn to write the discs.
> 
> ...




Dunno for 360 - will be burning for the first time tomorrow!

Previously I have used CloneCD on my Macbook running XP under Bootcamp for PS2 DVD games.

We will see what happens when I try the same setup tomorrow for the 360!!

If it doesn't work with XP on the Macbook I have the Missus' laptop to try.

I need dual-layer DVD R+ for these right?


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 24, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Dunno for 360 - will be burning for the first time tomorrow!
> 
> Previously I have used CloneCD on my Macbook running XP under Bootcamp for PS2 DVD games.
> 
> ...



I've used a cracked version of CloneCD before, but I prefer ImgBurn as (a) it's free and (b) I've had better results with it.

You need dual layer DVD R+ - I uses these ones from Microdirect (which is just a 5 minute journey from me on my scooter).

There are a few forums that cover burning 360 games, but most frown upon any post/thread which eludes to piracy hence it usually gets binned - I'm thinking XboxScene, XboxHacker and Maxforums, though the latter is a little more lax on piracy speak.

Afterdawn have any anything goes attitude to piracy/downloads, but I usually get my info from the forums of the Bittorent trackers where I download my games from (Blackcats Games, Revolution TT and Xbox Sky). 

I wouldn't spend a fortune on dual layer DVDs - you can pay a fortune for Verbatim - people swore by them at first but more people seem to be using Aone discs, I did get a couple of bad burns recently from Aones and had thought they had dropped in quality, but I changed my writer (I'd had the old one for years and must have burned thousands of games/movies - both single layer and dual layer with it) and have since had zero problems. I think you can burn the Aones at upto 8x but I burn them at 2.4x just to be on the safe side - takes about 40 minutes all in all.

You wanna get your Wii chipped next! What chip you'd need would depend on when it was bought - earlier Wiis are much easier to chip than newer revisions. IIRC you've had yours for a while, hence a Cyclowis or a WiiKey would be a good solution - they're both firmware upgradable so as to get around an new 'copy protection' brought in by Nintendo (such as the one's they brought in with SUper Mario Galaxy and Brawl).

Btw Virtual Console games have been cracked now n'all. You don't even need a modded system to do it - just a copy of Zelda, and an SD card with relevant files which causes an exploit in Zelda meaning it crashes and allows you to install VC stuff. I've not bothered yet as I've not got a full size SD card, nor can I find the adapter I got with the Micro SD card I got for my DS. Plus I'd rather give it a couple of week to see if there are ways Nintendo can check that there are non-authenticated VC games on a Wii.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 25, 2008)

Funnily enough I have actually ordered a legit copy of this one - Rockstar deserve the cash - But it is being ordered in from outside the UAE and I am not convinced it will get through customs as there has been a bit of a crackdown of late on "banned" games here.

Sill - wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity to play it early either.


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 25, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Funnily enough I have actually ordered a legit copy of this one - Rockstar deserve the cash - But it is being ordered in from outside the UAE and I am not convinced it will get through customs as there has been a bit of a crackdown of late on "banned" games here.
> 
> Sill - wouldn't want to pass up the opportunity to play it early either.



Aye, but now you can get all the games! For free!

You got someone decent flashing your console? It's not hard to do _at all_ - you just need a via 6421 sata card such as this one to connect your pc to the drive with. In the early days you had to flash them in dos, but I think there's been a Windows-based utility with a pretty GUI for a while now for those who prefer that. I've not done it myself as I had no idea of how to do it back when I had my drive flashed, but I've skimmed through a ton of guides on how to do it since and it looks piss easy.  

I could do with reflashing my 360 actually as it has an old firmware on it (5.2 I think) which will boot up non stealth-games, thus not giving me the best protection. I'm not 100% sure how to open the actual console itself though, given most the guides I've seen don't cover it - there's a certain way of doing it that doesn't tear the inside warranty sticker.


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## The Groke (Apr 25, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> Aye, but now you can get all the games! For free!
> 
> You got someone decent flashing your console? .



Recommended via word of mouth, does it from home, charges half the price of a store and does repairs/gurantees his work as well.


We shall see - I don't know the guy personally but I am heading over in about an hour or so....


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## Barking_Mad (Apr 25, 2008)

Play.com have posted my brothers copy out, i hope the postie doesnt nick it!

Apparently Rockstar are monitoring people playing online before the official release date and "slapping peoples wrists".


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## cliche guevara (Apr 25, 2008)

My housemate called me to say that he has his copy. The independant shop he pre-ordered from called him up and said he could go and collect it. While this might look like excellent and exciting news, I'm pissed off, because I'm not going home til Sudnay evening!


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## ruffneck23 (Apr 25, 2008)

after a good few hours of playing , i still loves it , city life is so immersible , its the first time ive played something that actually seems like real life oh and hailing a cab is well


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## Jambooboo (Apr 26, 2008)

IGN have given it 10/10 in both their US and UK reviews. It's even scored 10/10 in each area, which surprises me to be honest as I don't think the graphics are _amazing_. Looks nice yeah, but I had a quick spin of Devil May Cry 4 for the first time today and thought that looked much prettier.


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## Crispy (Apr 26, 2008)

Yeah, but games like DMC can be tightly controlled in terms of what's on screen. GTA looks really good for an engine that's throwing a whole city around.


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## Crispy (Apr 26, 2008)

I'm reading that IGN review. Christ videogame journalism has low writing standards >_< Every other word is right out of the thesaurus.


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## wishface (Apr 26, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> IGN have given it 10/10 in both their US and UK reviews. It's even scored 10/10 in each area, which surprises me to be honest as I don't think the graphics are _amazing_. Looks nice yeah, but I had a quick spin of Devil May Cry 4 for the first time today and thought that looked much prettier.


you expect objective reviews of this game? :Eek:


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## Augie March (Apr 26, 2008)

Crispy said:


> I'm reading that IGN review. Christ videogame journalism has low writing standards >_< Every other word is right out of the thesaurus.



I rarely read videogame reviews now, I'm not sure which ones to trust as I've heard a stories about them being nothing more than glorified adverts, especially if a magazine has been given an 'exclusive' review of the game.

I miss the golden days of Your Sinclair, Amiga Power and of course the sheer brilliance of Digitiser on teletext...


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## Boris Sprinkler (Apr 26, 2008)

wishface said:


> Well, after enquiring in the local game merchants, I find that having not preordered I'm shit out of luck for the foreseeable futue - at least as far as they are concerned. They seem to be saying they are not getting much stock in and can only meet their preorders while not being able to say when they are getting a restock. _Not bad for the biggest fucking release in recent years and for the foreseeable future._
> 
> Also I am being told that EVERYONE will need to bring either a passport, driving license or citizens card as (very specific) proof of ID. So even if you are clearly over 18, rules is rules mate.
> 
> I'm not sure I can be arsed with all of that just for a fucking game.



I just got laughed out of a video game shop for trying to buy a preorder copy. "You should have been here a month ago" . So i just went and ordered it off Amazon for cheaper. Dicks.


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## Crispy (Apr 26, 2008)

all that preorder stuff is a waste of time. there will be enough stock. I'm just going to go to woolies over the road first thing on tuesday. should be in and out in 5 minutes.


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## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 26, 2008)

Barking_Mad said:


> Play.com have posted my brothers copy out, i hope the postie doesnt nick it!
> 
> Apparently Rockstar are monitoring people playing online before the official release date and "slapping peoples wrists".



fcuking play i ordered mine in march ffs and it's only sayng posted yesterday which means there's fuck all hope of it turing up before the release date, begining to wonder if i can claim the chas back from them if it turns up after the release date on the gorunds of them taking it as a preorder.... and then going and grabbing a copy on tue... 

still there's always monday i gues...


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## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 26, 2008)

Crispy said:


> all that preorder stuff is a waste of time. there will be enough stock. I'm just going to go to woolies over the road first thing on tuesday. should be in and out in 5 minutes.



doubt woolies will have this though...

http://www.play.com//ProductOutline.aspx?title=3423266&r=PS3


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## wishface (Apr 26, 2008)

Crispy said:


> all that preorder stuff is a waste of time. there will be enough stock. I'm just going to go to woolies over the road first thing on tuesday. should be in and out in 5 minutes.


You'd think. Unfortunatey game retailers are nigh useless.


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## Augie March (Apr 26, 2008)

Christian conservative lawyer (and campaigner against violence in video games), Jack Thompson, is not believed to have a pre-ordered copy... 



> On 25 April 2008, it was reported in the Metro that Jack Thompson had written a letter to the mother of Strauss Zelnick, Director of Take-Two Interactive. In the letter, which strongly criticised the game, Zelnick and his mother, Thompson called Grand Theft Auto a "murder simulator". He went on to say that "The pornography and violence that your son traffics in is the kind of stuff that most mothers would be ashamed to see their son putting into the hands of other mothers' children". Thompson then question's Strauss Zelnick's upbringing and says that his mother should be "ashamed of herself" and that she "spared the rod and spoiled the child. That would explain why he has brought you, by the way he presently acts, to shame." He finishes by saying "Happy Mothers' 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." Neither Take-Two interactive nor Rockstar Games have made any comment regarding the matter.
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Theft_Auto_IV#cite_note-81



Society is doomed.


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## ruffneck23 (Apr 26, 2008)

the graphics arent the best but they are really good for how much is going on and all the little touches , like how pretty much every wondering peoples look different . I especially like how the bin vans have blokes hanging on the back and the.......


oh il let you lot find out for yourselves on tuesday . a;so all those who couldnt pre-order get down to tescos or asda quick sharp on tuesady morning as they tend to have loads of stock and it wont be inundated by gamers ;-)


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## spitfire (Apr 26, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> doubt woolies will have this though...
> 
> http://www.play.com//ProductOutline.aspx?title=3423266&r=PS3



I ordered this from HMV a month ago


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## loud 1 (Apr 26, 2008)

in game live streaming here!
http://www.justin.tv/jimmy_the_bum


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## cliche guevara (Apr 26, 2008)

Augie March said:


> Christian conservative lawyer (and campaigner against violence in video games), Jack Thompson, is not believed to have a pre-ordered copy...


He sounds like a spiteful and malicious cunt.


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## Kid_Eternity (Apr 26, 2008)

Augie March said:


> I rarely read videogame reviews now, I'm not sure which ones to trust as I've heard a stories about them being nothing more than glorified adverts, especially if a magazine has been given an 'exclusive' review of the game.
> 
> I miss the golden days of Your Sinclair, Amiga Power and of course the sheer brilliance of Digitiser on teletext...



Yeah I miss Digitiser...the depressing news is Mr Biffo doesn't do his Edge column anymore either...


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## Jambooboo (Apr 27, 2008)

Played a bit more and have got a gun given to me by this ganja-dealing, Jamaican dude (the game is full of stereotypes!) I've been protecting. Done a mission where I had to take this house by stealth alongside him, and another on the streets where some rival drug gangs tried to make a run for it and so I got in a car and plowed them over.



One thing that is better in this one is that it is a lot easier to evade the police. Instead of having to collect them stupid things to decrease your wanted rating as in previous games, you can actual lose them by driving good and getting out of their line of sight.


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## wishface (Apr 27, 2008)

Well, looks like I won't be getting this (boo hoo), thanks to the magazine i'd written an article for shafting me, grand theft will be the only way i can get grand theft! 

Just thought i'd share.


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## The Groke (Apr 27, 2008)

*Some musings on the game*

So having played a  fair lick over the weekend and at nearly 9 hours and 13.8% in to the  game....some thoughts (apologies for poor or confusing writing, but I am at work  and just trying to get some musings in print quickly before a meeting...!)  


It really is very,  _very_ good.

Oddly, much more of  a slow burner than I was anticipating. To be blunt, I was a little disappointed  with the first 2 hours or so of playtime and a little underwhelmed - especially  (inevitably?) following all of the hype.

Then:  

Having driven to one of the  local Metro stations to whack a guy (late night, raining - city lights  reflecting off the road - most beautiful and perhaps when the game looks its  best) I was involved in a confrontation which quickly escalated into a fierce  and unexpected fire-fight on the platform as the target and his accomplice  became aware of my intentions.

Commuters on the  platform screamed and ran for cover and one poor girl was caught in the  crossfire, but I managed to take one guy down before my target jumped off the  platform - in front of a moving train, missing him by inches - and was away  running over the tracks and across to the other platform.

I followed in hot  pursuit, over the tracks, dodging the train, pushing commuters out of the way,  trying to get a clear shot.

As we reached the  street I saw him break into a car and start to hot-wire it.

Too slow - I sprayed  the car with bullets, glass flew everywhere and blood sprayed over the  windscreen as the guy slumped dead onto the steering wheel - horn blaring as his  head hit it.

Pulling the guy's  corpse from the car ("You won't be needing this now!" quips Nico) I finished the  hot-wire and fled the scene as the sirens and flashing lights in the  distance indicated an imminent appearance by the cops.

As I sped off down  an ally, sending cardboard boxes (and one unfortunate tramp) flying, I received  a call on my mobile from the guy who ordered the hit.....only to find out some  disturbing news about the guy I just disposed of......

I was hooked from  about here on.


It seems to take a  while to really appreciate the insane level of detail and love that went in to  making the game. The word that keeps coming up in reviews is "dense" and it is  indeed apposite. The game world is beautifully rich and detailed and the artwork  without peer in this sort of game. The city really is a masterpiece and  completely believable. Just exploring is a real treat, either on foot or by  vehicle - more so than in any previous GTA game and I have thus far only  actually had access to about a third of the total map!

Once the game gets  past it's (IMHO) slow start, some really interesting new characters get  introduced and much of the games appeal and humour comes from interaction with  these people, either on a business or social level.

Um...what  else?

The mini games and  social interactions are pretty good fun - especially the shows and the drinking  (driving pissed is.....interesting. And lethal).

The graphics? The  more I play, the more I am blown away. Ok, so of course they are not "perfect"  whatever that means, and yes there are some frame rate dips and texture pop in  as well as a few artefacts on shadows and other effects on occasions, but  honestly, you won't care one bit. As I said the art and level of detail is  phenomenal and the more you play the more you will appreciate  it.

The characters are  well modelled, beautifully animated and are capable of convincing expression and  emotions, both visually and due to the high quality voice acting. I actually  thought the script was a little clunky early on, but as more characters  have come into play, the cut scenes, story and interactions are becoming  increasingly more impressive and fun to watch and are really well  done.


Controls are the  best GTA controls yet, though some improvement could still be made before  "perfection" I reckon.

Fist-fights still  feel a little sluggish and sadly you never feel like the "badass" Nico is  supposed to be as it seems to take way to many hits to put someone down. Still  pretty good though.

The cars feel a  little odd and unwieldy to start with (possibly due to the more advanced physics  at work), but I soon got used to them and they are great fun to drive and all of  them handle differently and appropriately - no complaints here at all.  

Shooting and aiming  has been improved beyond belief from previous GTA games and is very nearly spot  on. You have the option of an autoaim lock on (with limited free movement) or  true free aim (which I recommend) and combined with the cover system, firefights  are great fun. 

Occasionally you  will be thwarted by the cover system not doing exactly what you want, or find  yourself frustrated by a moment of slow movement in an intense battle, but this  will be rare and on the whole the controls work great.

The Euphoria physics  system is a treat and far more subtle than I was expecting - indeed it may take  you a while before you really notice all of the work that it is doing,  though running people over has elicited a genuine wince from me on more than a  few occasions..!

Soundtrack?

Well it is GTA  innit? If you can't find _something_ you like here, you are probably deaf.  

So  yeah.

It rocks - really  hard.

I could say a hell  of a lot more but I wanted to keep this spoiler free.


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## The Groke (Apr 27, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> Played a bit more and have got a gun given to me by this ganja-dealing, Jamaican dude (the game is full of stereotypes!) I've been protecting. Done a mission where I had to take this house by stealth alongside him, and another on the streets where some rival drug gangs tried to make a run for it and so I got in a car and plowed them over.



Little Jacob is great: "bludclart!" etc





Jambooboo said:


> One thing that is better in this one is that it is a lot easier to evade the police. Instead of having to collect them stupid things to decrease your wanted rating as in previous games, you can actual lose them by driving good and getting out of their line of sight.



Yep - this works really well!

Have been in some wicked 2-3 star chases which have involved running through buildings, jumping across rooftops, changing cars etc. Way better and more logical than the previous system.


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## Boris Sprinkler (Apr 27, 2008)

Can't wait. Just hoping I have it delivered before next weekend, since the Mrs is off out on Saturday evening and I won't be expected to entertain. I don't usually get excited over these types of things.

 *Fingers crossed Amazon pull their fingers out of their arses.


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## The Groke (Apr 27, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Soundtrack?
> 
> Well it is GTA  innit? If you can't find _something_ you like here, you are probably deaf.
> 
> .



heh - I forgot:

It starting playing Philips Glass's music from Koyanasqatsi last night.


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## ruffneck23 (Apr 27, 2008)

innit wicked Swarf  , ive just spent the last few hours playing and was going to give a simliar post to yours ( but thankfully you did it for me ) I ended up in a lapdancing bar for a bit i must admit i felt like a pervert.....

you are right it is a slow burner but it just gets better and better , soo much to do and its so immersive Rockstar have done us proud , this is one game i will go and buy even tho i have it downloaded , they deserve every bit of cash and praise that they get , hurry tuesday , i want everyone else to enjoy it glory .

wishface , find a 24hr tescos / asda store that sells games , and go at midnight on monday , you really wnt be sorry WIN


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## The Groke (Apr 27, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> this is one game i will go and buy even tho i have it downloaded , they deserve every bit of cash and praise that they get ,



I completely agree with this, hence I have an import PS3 copy on order from Play-Asia (it is banned here in Dubai)


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## wishface (Apr 27, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> innit wicked Swarf  , ive just spent the last few hours playing and was going to give a simliar post to yours ( but thankfully you did it for me ) I ended up in a lapdancing bar for a bit i must admit i felt like a pervert.....
> 
> you are right it is a slow burner but it just gets better and better , soo much to do and its so immersive Rockstar have done us proud , this is one game i will go and buy even tho i have it downloaded , they deserve every bit of cash and praise that they get , hurry tuesday , i want everyone else to enjoy it glory .
> 
> wishface , find a 24hr tescos / asda store that sells games , and go at midnight on monday , you really wnt be sorry WIN


Thing with this midnight opening thing is that I can't get anywhere at midnight. Our bus service wasn't intended for early release of video games!

Furthermore given the game costs £45 (at least!) and that Tescoes don't know if they are going to be stocking it, I'm not sure waht I can do. I really want the game, but my options are limited. Small villages aren't known for their video game stores and I really don't have much money (no thanks to being screwed over).

Let's hear from some people who don't like the game


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## ruffneck23 (Apr 27, 2008)

wishface said:


> Let's hear from some people who don't like the game




**waits for the tumbleweed**


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## J@ffa (Apr 27, 2008)

Does anyone know if the special edition is available in shops, or online only?


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## The Groke (Apr 27, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> I completely agree with this, hence I have an import PS3 copy on order from Play-Asia (it is banned here in Dubai)




ha!

So my local friendly games retailer gives me a courtesy call today to tell me he has got some copies in and is holding it for me.

Just picked up, so I now have 2 copies, 1 legit, before the majority of folk elsewhere have a copy and in a country where it is supposedly banned too...


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## wishface (Apr 27, 2008)

Boris Sprinkler said:


> I just got laughed out of a video game shop for trying to buy a preorder copy. "You should have been here a month ago" . So i just went and ordered it off Amazon for cheaper. Dicks.


Yes but when do you think Amazon will have any in stock to send you a copy.


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## The Groke (Apr 27, 2008)

*So now I have played both versions....which is better?*

Well well....


My order from a local vendor came in and I have ended up with a legit copy of the game on PS3 and a burn of the 360 version.

I was always going to pay for it when I could as I do believe Rockstar deserve to make a mint and keep making these games....but that is beside the point.

Which is better - PS3 or XBox?

Well....


The PS3 does have slightly faster loading times thanks to the initial install - still, not as different as you might expect.

I think the dual shock is better for driving as far as steering accuracy and reaction is concerned but worse for acceleration and braking - due to the position of my hands on the shoulder buttons I find the XBox controller slightly more confortable. Still I think this will be a personal preference for most people.

Sound @ 5:1 through my system sounds the same - no discernable difference here....

So down to graphics then eh?

Well, contrary to other reviews and opinions I have read, I noticed an immediate and jarring difference between the systems upon booting up the PS3 copy for the first time...namely really noticeable aliasing around a lot of in game objects - especially on thin lines such as telephone wires and highlights such as chrome details on cars and signs on shops.

It really was very noticable for me - especially running the two at the same time into the same TV and switching between them. I would suggest that comments I have read about "The PS3 version looking sharper and cleaner" are based on this lack of quality anti-aliasing work and IMO the game looks worse for it.

Don't get me wrong, aliasing is still noticable on the 360 version, but it is dealt with in a better way and certainly looks much less jaggy and distracting when it does occasionally become apparant.

I also think that the colours are more washed out and the lighting doesn't seem quite as effective on the Playstation, but unlike the aliasing issue, this is more likely to be once again based on personal preference.

On the plus side for the PS3, the occasional texture glitches and artifacts that I see in the XBox version, especially in object shadows in areas such as under bridges and metro tracks, don't seem to be present in the PS3 version - the shadows do seem to render a little better and more consistantly.

The minor framerate issues in the game seem to be present on both systems equally and for both systems it really isn't that annoying.

I will go back and give the PS3 version another chance, but my first impressions regarding the two is that the Xbox version looks nicer IMO.

In terms of what version I would go for if I had the choice but only needed one copy?

Xbox has it at the moment.


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## wishface (Apr 27, 2008)

I quite literally hate you all.


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## Augie March (Apr 27, 2008)

Am I right in hearing that Iggy Pop is the DJ for the classic rock radio station?


----------



## Dillinger4 (Apr 27, 2008)

I am so close to buying myself an Xbox for this.


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## wishface (Apr 27, 2008)

to be honest, there's piss all else worth playing on the 360 (well, CoD4).


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## Dillinger4 (Apr 27, 2008)

CoD is the only other thing I could think of as well.

I am not really that interested in Halo or anything. 

I am wondering if it will come out on PC...

I could just get a controller for my PC and stuff.

... And a new PC.


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## Augie March (Apr 27, 2008)

wishface said:


> to be honest, there's piss all else worth playing on the 360 (well, CoD4).



Mass Effect


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## Dillinger4 (Apr 27, 2008)

The last console I bought was a dreamcast.


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## The Groke (Apr 27, 2008)

Augie March said:


> Am I right in hearing that Iggy Pop is the DJ for the classic rock radio station?




yes he is.

Juliette Lewis is another one of the DJ's as is Fema Kuti and Karl Lagerfeld.


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## Augie March (Apr 27, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> yes he is.
> 
> Juliette Lewis is another one of the DJ's as is Fema Kuti and Karl Lagerfeld.



Good lord. 

I can see myself doing what I did with other GTA games and just sit there listening to the radio stations for hours on end.


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## wishface (Apr 27, 2008)

Augie March said:


> Mass Effect


I played that, in the end it was rather dull.


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## Jambooboo (Apr 27, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> So having played a  fair lick over the weekend and at nearly 9 hours and 13.8% in to the  game.... *snip*






Swarfega said:


> Well well....
> 
> 
> My order from a local vendor came in and I have ended up with a legit copy of the game on PS3 and a burn of the 360 version.
> ...



You should be in games journalism!  

The loading times don't seem to be bugging me anymore, but the noise my 360 makes is. I've a quite early 360 with a Samsung drive in it, which makes a right racket compared to the newer Hitachi's and Benq's. And GTA4 seems to really tax the drive.

I'm thinking of flogging my Premium and getting a new Elite - probably about £80-£100 difference I'd have to make up, but it would be worth it for a quieter machine (and HDMI and other gubbins).


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## ruffneck23 (Apr 27, 2008)

Dillinger4 said:


> I am so close to buying myself an Xbox for this.




go for it , this title well makes it worth it imo , as for other games , dark sector is great , as is gpr 4 , gears of war  , i loved mass effect too  , depends what u like


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## Dillinger4 (Apr 27, 2008)

I have not had a console for AGES. I play all my games on PC. 

I am thinking I should get my life in order before I allow myself distractions.


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## ruffneck23 (Apr 27, 2008)

Dillinger4 said:


> I have not had a console for AGES. I play all my games on PC.
> 
> I am thinking I should get my life in order before I allow myself distractions.



you mean theres a life outside liberty city ?


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## XR75 (Apr 28, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> W
> 
> So down to graphics then eh?
> 
> ...



The thing is that there are plenty of conflicting repots about it and with all the shills and fanboys out there why should we believe one side any more than the other.


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## The Groke (Apr 28, 2008)

XR75 said:


> The thing is that there are plenty of conflicting repots about it and with all the shills and fanboys out there why should we believe one side any more than the other.




Um....You shouldn't

Nor do I care if you do.

Nor indeed should _you_ care if you only own one of the two aforementioned consoles or if you have already made your mind up as to which format - if any - you are going to buy.



I don't have an agenda here; I own all three current gen consoles and like them all for different reasons.

If you are in the position of choice, I would echo what many of the magazines have said when considering which format to get:

1) Consider which version most of your friends are likely to get - assuming you are intending to play online.

2) Consider which version will allow you to use your favourite controller

If neither of the above help, then yeah - think about the subtle differences in Graphics and your personal preference and maybe try to see both running before making a decision on this - relatively minor - factor.

Having tested a little more, I am happy to add one more thing into the PS3's favour (and again to echo what other reviews have said) in as much as there does seem to be less tesxture pop-in when compared to the 360; especially for things such as trees and grass/shrub/flower textures as well as the occasional bulding detail texture.

On the negative side again, I have noticed some fairly obvious aliasing issues in the cut scenes on PS3 too - round the edges of eyeglasses on characters and on other straight-line details.

So yeah.

I have both.

The one I am choosing to play at the moment is the 360 version.

I think it looks nicer and I find the controller more comfortable to use for long periods.

When I am done and assuming I replay the game and indeed when I move on to try multiplayer, I will do so on the PS3.


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## wishface (Apr 28, 2008)

Well I'm going to force my finances and try and get this tomorrow. Somehow. Somewhere. Someone must have it in stock for a price that won't make the baby jesus cry.


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## Boris Sprinkler (Apr 28, 2008)

Amazon are doing it for under £40


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 28, 2008)

blockbuster are selling it for £39.99


----------



## Kanda (Apr 28, 2008)

Amazon have sold out of pre-orders. Next shipment will be May 1st.


----------



## wishface (Apr 28, 2008)

i live nowhere near blockbuster and don't trust amazon to have any (ie enough) in stock


----------



## wishface (Apr 28, 2008)

Huzzah (for those who care )!

Gamestation in Weston super Mud let me put my name down to keep on back for tomorrow. Not technically a preorder but barring fate I have one 'behind the counter' like for me to collect.


----------



## TopCat (Apr 28, 2008)

This is tempting me to buy a PS3 and a fuck off plasma screen.


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (Apr 28, 2008)

Kanda said:


> Amazon have sold out of pre-orders. Next shipment will be May 1st.



Ordered mine on Saturday no problem. Gonna have to wait a while until it gets delivered anyway.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 28, 2008)

wishface said:


> Huzzah (for those who care )!
> 
> Gamestation in Weston super Mud let me put my name down to keep on back for tomorrow. Not technically a preorder but barring fate I have one 'behind the counter' like for me to collect.



congrats


----------



## Boris Sprinkler (Apr 28, 2008)

woo. Just got an email from Amazon, stating mine has dispatched.


----------



## Badgers (Apr 28, 2008)

Played this GTA thing once and it was interesting. 

Just don't have time for games this huge, much prefer pac-man and stuff


----------



## keybored (Apr 29, 2008)

Boris Sprinkler said:


> woo. Just got an email from Amazon, stating mine has dispatched.



You'll be getting it before me then


----------



## cliche guevara (Apr 29, 2008)

I sure hope none of you were queueing at midnight for this.


----------



## quimcunx (Apr 29, 2008)

Grand Theft Auto is from Dundee.    Probably the biggest thing since Desperate Dan...     Perhaps they'll put up some statue to it in the city square, as they have with him.


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 29, 2008)

Just nipped to the local 24hr Asda and there was a right hullabaloo at customer services. I asked this dude what the shizzle was, and it were folk 'queuing' for their copy of GTA4. 

If they were giving the shit away then fair enough, but folk excitedly handing over fifty quids worth of hard-earned notes at a 'midnight launch' for a videogame is IMO a sad indictment of society. 

I bet some of the sad bastards have booked today off work to play it - shoulda just downloaded it last week like me!


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 29, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> Just nipped to the local 24hr Asda and there was a right hullabaloo at customer services. I asked this dude what the shizzle was, and it were folk 'queuing' for their copy of GTA4.
> 
> If they were giving the shit away then fair enough, but folk excitedly handing over fifty quids worth of hard-earned notes at a 'midnight launch' for a videogame is IMO a sad indictment of society.
> 
> I bet some of the sad bastards have booked today off work to play it - shoulda just downloaded it last week like me!



lol


----------



## The Groke (Apr 29, 2008)

keypulse said:


> You'll be getting it before me then




Jebus!

I have recently switched to usenet for stuff like this and yes, whilst I do pay a subscription each month, it is well worth it IMHO.

Even in Dubai, with my shitty connection, I kicked off the GTA iso - all 7Gb of it - when I got up in the morning and it had done well before I got home from work that day.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 29, 2008)

using usenet and a 20mb connection it took me just over an hour


----------



## keybored (Apr 29, 2008)

See, I've used newsgroups for donkey's* but I've never got my head round binaries... possibly because the free services I've always used haven't carried binary groups, and back when I had a Telewest account I was only really interested in music anyway (which Napster was fine for).

So what service is recommended? (please dont say 'usenext').






*_years._Not .mpegs


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 29, 2008)

i use easynews and flashget


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

GTA4 is now sitting on my desk. It's teasing me. The day can't go fast enough.


----------



## mwgdrwg (Apr 29, 2008)

Crispy said:


> GTA4 is now sitting on my desk. It's teasing me. The day can't go fast enough.



Haha, same here. Just picked up a copy....and I'm stuck in fucking work all day 

If you fancy some multiplayer mayhem I will probably see you online at some point Crispy, I think you are still on my frineds list.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

For sure. Anyone else playing GTA4 on xbox this evening should add Crispy75 to their friends and we'll go on a rampage


----------



## Dravinian (Apr 29, 2008)

All you guys are talking about GTA IV on Xbox right?

It ain't out on PC or available anywhere on PC yet right?


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

Nope. PC version hasn't been announced or admitted to at all.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 29, 2008)

usually takes between 6 months and a year for the pc launch...


----------



## cliche guevara (Apr 29, 2008)

Do you have to modify your xbox to accept home-burnt games? How do you go about it?


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Game ON!

But fuck me the loading times are crazy!


----------



## Pieface (Apr 29, 2008)

I fancy the swarthy man in the advert.

I don't care about the game, however.


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Ive just tried the multiplayer tutorial and its still loading after over five minutes back into the game. This can't be right surely!


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 29, 2008)

this'll be why the ps3 has all the content loaded to the disk then ... rather than the xbox streaming issue... as for the servers then of course it's the launch day duh!!! of course the servers are going to be taxed to buggery...


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

no i wasn't online, the multiplayer tutorial is just you and some bots in a sample of what the online game is like. (I presume).

I had to switch it off, it's been sat there 'loading...' for ten minutes to no effect.

I hope this isn't the norm because I haven't had loading times like this since the days of the commodore 64!


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

Sounds like you have an issue there, loading should not take that long!


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

typical.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> Game ON!
> 
> But fuck me the loading times are crazy!



the loading times get less as you get into the game , however for the first couple of hours there are a few , stay with it!! not too sure about your multiplayer issue tho.....


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

the in-game (ie singlepayer) load times seemed fine, though I have only played one sitting and ended whren i switched it off after watching it load back in from the aforementioned tutorial. Perhaps it's just a one off thing.


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

BTW how else do you save in the safehouse? I've forgotten. I know you can lie on the bed, but what was the other method?


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 29, 2008)

there isnt as far as i know , however after each completed mission it automatically saves for you so you dont have to keep on going back to the safe house ( a much needed change ) how you liking it so far ?


----------



## half_eaten_arm (Apr 29, 2008)

anyone know if they are selling gta4 with xbox 360 for £160 in hmv, and if so is it one with a hard drive?

some guy from work just announced it but i dont belive him


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

half_eaten_arm said:


> anyone know if they are selling gta4 with xbox 360 for £160 in hmv, and if so is it one with a hard drive?


I can't believe it would be at that price. Woollies were doing "Buy an XBOX360 and get GTA free" when I went in. That would mean you could get the 'core' model for £160 including GTA. The 'pro' (includes HD) model costs £200.


----------



## TopCat (Apr 29, 2008)

Whats the difference practically?


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

TopCat said:


> Whats the difference practically?


Caching of data speeds up most games' loading times.
It is required for playing original Xbox games.
Playing online multiplayer without one can be a limited experience. Some games reuqire it for online play.
Downloading demos/games off Live! is very very limited with a memory card.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 29, 2008)

TopCat said:


> Whats the difference practically?


xbox live and that you need an hdd if you want to play the machine and save stuff of any import...

also the hdd costs a bomb seperately...


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> xbox live and that you need an hdd if you want to play the machine and save stuff of any import...
> 
> also the hdd costs a bomb seperately...


Yeah. The 'core' machine is a completely false economy. Get the pro unless you're completely broke.


----------



## half_eaten_arm (Apr 29, 2008)

whats the premium then, is that worth the cost of £199.99 on play for that and gta4


----------



## poului (Apr 29, 2008)

*7u8909-lp*

I am so fucking jealous.


Especially seeing as it'll be an age before I can play it on my PC.


----------



## pogofish (Apr 29, 2008)

Is this the game that went on sale at midnight last night?

I went over to my local ASDA at about 10:30pm for some milk & the place was like goth/matrix-fan convention.

Which was a nice change from the usual ned-fest!


----------



## TopCat (Apr 29, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Yeah. The 'core' machine is a completely false economy. Get the pro unless you're completely broke.



O, Crispy i respect you sooo....

Xbox or PS3?

Choose for me, _with a chart_ please.


----------



## keybored (Apr 29, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> There's a lot of gratuitous language in it - I can't remember GTA3 being as sweary.



Can it better Saint's Row though? I heard a least a couple of cunts in that 



cliche guevara said:


> Do you have to modify your xbox to accept home-burnt games? How do you go about it?



Box.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 29, 2008)

keypulse said:


> Can it better Saint's Row though? I heard a least a couple of cunts in that
> 
> 
> 
> Box.



Heard my first "cunt" earlier......From Ricky Gervais doing standup on the in-game telly in my apartment.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> no i wasn't online, the multiplayer tutorial is just you and some bots in a sample of what the online game is like. (I presume).
> 
> I had to switch it off, it's been sat there 'loading...' for ten minutes to no effect.
> 
> I hope this isn't the norm because I haven't had loading times like this since the days of the commodore 64!



Sounds like something is amiss to me.

In both the PS3 and XBox versions there is a lengthy load when you first turn it on and in the case of the PS3, it does a one-of install (which takes about 5-6 minutes) the very first time you play.

Other than that, once you are in the game, you are in and you only get brief load times when you are about to start a mission or a major cut-scene.


----------



## keybored (Apr 29, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Heard my first "cunt" earlier......From Ricky Gervais doing standup on the in-game telly in my apartment.




Yeah I'd heard rumours he got a cameo... and they let him do the 'c' word? That's fantastic


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Just played Deathmatch online, pretty fucking funny 

My live tag is my nick here if anyone wants me to bust a cap, quite literally, up they ass.


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Sounds like something is amiss to me.
> 
> In both the PS3 and XBox versions there is a lengthy load when you first turn it on and in the case of the PS3, it does a one-of install (which takes about 5-6 minutes) the very first time you play.
> 
> Other than that, once you are in the game, you are in and you only get brief load times when you are about to start a mission or a major cut-scene.



I think it was just a one off; these things happen: games freeze, crash and shit. Be stupid I guess to think GTA4 was immune just because it's gta.


----------



## Dan U (Apr 29, 2008)

at the fourth attempt i found a shop in Angel with a copy on XBOX

Game sold out while i was in the queue!


----------



## Badgers (Apr 29, 2008)

The children?


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

Badgers said:


> The children?


I'm sure somebody's thinking of them.


----------



## mwgdrwg (Apr 29, 2008)

*stares at box, runs finger gently over the embossed lettering proudly stating that this...is grand theft auto iv*



is it home time yet?


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

not for another 2.5 hours


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Dan U said:


> at the fourth attempt i found a shop in Angel with a copy on XBOX
> 
> Game sold out while i was in the queue!


Yet the ps3 copy is still in stock big time!


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

The Social Club is online. Link your gamertag or PSN ID and get your stats tracked and compared with other players. Crime heat-maps and all sorts 

http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

mwgdrwg said:


> *stares at box, runs finger gently over the embossed lettering proudly stating that this...is grand theft auto iv*
> 
> 
> 
> is it home time yet?


Yes son, yes it is.


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Crispy said:


> The Social Club is online. Link your gamertag or PSN ID and get your stats tracked and compared with other players. Crime heat-maps and all sorts
> 
> http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/


wtf is a crime heat map?


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> wtf is a crime heat map?


Shows where the most crime happens, innit. Haven't looked myself, but it'll probably glow red then white in areas of high crime.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 29, 2008)

i thought a crime heat map was the latest wheeze from the Tory's? we're fucking sunk if they're making policies based on computer games.....


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 29, 2008)

Whoops, real life mimicing art....

_A man was stabbed in front of a queue of people waiting to buy the latest edition of a computer game. Up to 100 people witnessed the knife attack outside the Gamestation store in Croydon, ahead of Monday's midnight release of Grand Theft Auto IV. 

Police said the 23-year-old victim was walking past the queue when he was stabbed several times by a hooded man who appeared to be waiting in line_ 

BBC news


----------



## TopCat (Apr 29, 2008)

Croydon is pretty safe on the whole.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> Yet the ps3 copy is still in stock big time!



not round victoria we've got a load of techies here who are well pissed off that they didn't preorder now... nothing


----------



## bouncer_the_dog (Apr 29, 2008)

so has anyone played it yet? Any different from San Andreas? New controls etc?  Ill be getting it after I get a PS3 which at this rate is never


----------



## tommers (Apr 29, 2008)

is it actually any different to GTA3?  I haven't really read anything about it but the adverts on the radio feature the same ridiculously accented fake mexican that all the other games do.


----------



## exleper (Apr 29, 2008)

my housemate has been playing it all day. the graphics are pretty crisp, they look incredible, especially the blur effect when you speed up.  the city scape looks pretty similar to previous gtas, although obviously a lot more impressive, and similar sorts of missions.  there doesnt seem to be any loading times, which is nice.  nifty features include having to elbow a window and hotwire a parked car in order to steal it, and the ability to use slow motion in the cinematic view.  and theyve got philip glass and dubstep on the radio stations.  looks gooood.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 29, 2008)

bouncer_the_dog said:


> so has anyone played it yet? Any different from San Andreas? New controls etc?  Ill be getting it after I get a PS3 which at this rate is never



ive been playing it for the last week , it is GTA but so so so much more......


----------



## tommers (Apr 29, 2008)

exleper said:


> my housemate has been playing it all day. the graphics are pretty crisp, they look incredible, especially the blur effect when you speed up.  the city scape looks pretty similar to previous gtas, although obviously a lot more impressive, and similar sorts of missions.  there doesnt seem to be any loading times, which is nice.  nifty features include having to elbow a window and hotwire a parked car in order to steal it, and the ability to use slow motion in the cinematic view.  and theyve got philip glass and dubstep on the radio stations.  looks gooood.



oh.  you have to elbow windows.  and it has nice graphics.

anything else?  what's this multiplayer thing about?


----------



## Balbi (Apr 29, 2008)

This is Rizzy posting...

GTA4 was my baby! I QA tested it for a while, although I still wont be able to play it for real for ages seeing as I have neither an Xbox or a PS3. 

It is amazing though. The whole game. I'm just pleased I can talk about it now!


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

exleper said:


> my housemate has been playing it all day. the graphics are pretty crisp, they look incredible, especially the blur effect when you speed up.  the city scape looks pretty similar to previous gtas, although obviously a lot more impressive, and similar sorts of missions.  there doesnt seem to be any loading times, which is nice.  nifty features include having to elbow a window and hotwire a parked car in order to steal it, and the ability to use slow motion in the cinematic view.  and theyve got philip glass and dubstep on the radio stations.  looks gooood.


Are you sure Philip Glass is in it?


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Balbi said:


> This is Rizzy posting...
> 
> GTA4 was my baby! I QA tested it for a while, although I still wont be able to play it for real for ages seeing as I have neither an Xbox or a PS3.
> 
> It is amazing though. The whole game. I'm just pleased I can talk about it now!


can you tell me where the co op element is? It says on the box you can play co op but i can't find how.


----------



## dlx1 (Apr 29, 2008)

Xbox / PS3  fuckers 

I'm not jealous on PC there going to be more weapons and the maps are bigger


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

dlx1 said:


> Xbox / PS3  fuckers
> 
> I'm not jealous on PC there going to be more weapons and the maps are bigger


how can they be bigger? live you have the whole city.


----------



## tommers (Apr 29, 2008)

dlx1 said:


> Xbox / PS3  fuckers
> 
> I'm not jealous on PC there going to be more weapons and the maps are bigger




woohoo!  more weapons!  bigger maps!

is there actually anything new in this game apart from having a slightly different way to nick cars?

GTA3 came out in 2001.  As far as I can see they've released four versions of the same game since.

And people keep buying them cos of the funny voiced mexican gangster.

Honestly.  I want to know the original bits.  What's different?  Can somebody please tell me?

Cos GTA3 was a genuinely jaw dropping bit of innovation.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> Are you sure Philip Glass is in it?


Yep. Theme from Koyaanisquatsi.

Just getting into the game now. It's awesome


----------



## The Groke (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> Are you sure Philip Glass is in it?




Yes - on the "Journey" station



and - ARGH!


 Motherfuck!


I am stuck on the mission "Snow Storm" and it is really starting to annoy me now.


----------



## Augie March (Apr 29, 2008)

Only an hour and a bit to go til I finally get to play it.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 29, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> I am stuck on the mission "Snow Storm" and it is really starting to annoy me now.



Heh - Done it now.



That was one _hard_ fought mission....worth it for the story revalations after though!


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Apr 29, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Heh - Done it now.
> 
> 
> 
> That was one _hard_ fought mission....worth it for the story revalations after though!



You see this is why I don't play games anymore. I liked Vice City but because I am not an ubergamer I am not good enough and don't really love doing the sa,me thing over and over again enough to get anywhere in the game. 

The learning curves are always too high for me. I want a game like this that is easy all the way though. Haven't really bothered with any games since. 

Oh hang on I think I bought that Warriors one. Again, too hard, so I gave up after one day.


----------



## Agent Sparrow (Apr 29, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Yep. Theme from Koyaanisquatsi.
> 
> Just getting into the game now. It's awesome



I've been widowed. 

Better open the wine then.


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> You see this is why I don't play games anymore. I liked Vice City but because I am not an ubergamer I am not good enough and don't really love doing the sa,me thing over and over again enough to get anywhere in the game.
> 
> The learning curves are always too high for me. I want a game like this that is easy all the way though. Haven't really bothered with any games since.
> 
> Oh hang on I think I bought that Warriors one. Again, too hard, so I gave up after one day.


GTA has always had some really stupid missions. The remote controlled plane from San Andreas was absolutely horrific.


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

tommers said:


> woohoo!  more weapons!  bigger maps!
> 
> is there actually anything new in this game apart from having a slightly different way to nick cars?
> 
> ...


Well you can go to an internet cafe and download ringtones for your in game phone. You can go to a cabaret and watch some really fucked up acts. You can take your bird to an irish pub, get fucking caned and lose your car (and fall over) before getting some.

All of which I have just done.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 29, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> You see this is why I don't play games anymore. I liked Vice City but because I am not an ubergamer I am not good enough and don't really love doing the sa,me thing over and over again enough to get anywhere in the game.
> 
> The learning curves are always too high for me. I want a game like this that is easy all the way though. Haven't really bothered with any games since.
> 
> Oh hang on I think I bought that Warriors one. Again, too hard, so I gave up after one day.



This one was a bit of an un-called for difficulty spike it is true.

None of the missions immediately before or after where anywhere near as tough.


----------



## Orangesanlemons (Apr 29, 2008)

Why did I read this thread?
And why did I assume I could resist this game?

Off I toddle to get a PS3 tomorrow then, just like they want me to. 
Oh well, fuck it.


----------



## tommers (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> Well you can go to an internet cafe and download ringtones for your in game phone. You can go to a cabaret and watch some really fucked up acts. You can take your bird to an irish pub, get fucking caned and lose your car (and fall over) before getting some.
> 
> All of which I have just done.



woot!!!


----------



## wishface (Apr 29, 2008)

Orangesanlemons said:


> Why did I read this thread?
> And why did I assume I could resist this game?
> 
> Off I toddle to get a PS3 tomorrow then, just like they want me to.
> Oh well, fuck it.


a 360, surely?


----------



## TopCat (Apr 29, 2008)

Agent Sparrow said:


> I've been widowed.
> 
> Better open the wine then.



In my day they were known as quake widows.


----------



## Orangesanlemons (Apr 29, 2008)

wishface said:


> a 360, surely?



Not for me. It sounds like there's little difference between the two versions, just don't fancy buying anything made by Gates' mob. Blame Windows ME.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Apr 29, 2008)

Agent Sparrow said:


> I've been widowed.
> 
> Better open the wine then.



You want to recommend some sort of online game; that way, you can go and kill him and teabag him if he's getting too absorbed.


----------



## fishfinger (Apr 29, 2008)

GTA 4 plagued with bugs

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/04/29/gta-iv-plagued-bugs


I only posted this 'coz I'm a PC owner, jealous of you console kids


----------



## TopCat (Apr 29, 2008)

FridgeMagnet said:


> You want to recommend some sort of online game; that way, you can go and kill him and teabag him if he's getting too absorbed.



That's rude isn't it?


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 29, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Yep. Theme from Koyaanisquatsi.
> 
> Just getting into the game now. It's awesome





Agent Sparrow said:


> I've been widowed.
> 
> Better open the wine then.


cheors!!!


----------



## Agent Sparrow (Apr 29, 2008)

Tbf I am being consulted on important decisions. 

Like just now - "do I kill him?" 

We agreed he should. In celebration he tried to jump between buildings, missed and fell, and shot himself in the face. 

I did wonder whether to get jealous of the woman he dated earlier on. Still, could be worse. Could be World of Warcraft.

P.S. I am uncertain to what teabagging is.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Apr 29, 2008)

I'm not even going to explain teabagging, I will leave you to do your own research


----------



## TopCat (Apr 29, 2008)

Agent Sparrow said:


> Tbf I am being consulted on important decisions.
> 
> Like just now - "do I kill him?"
> 
> ...



Forgive me and forget about the joke, it was potty mouthed and unworthy.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 29, 2008)

Agent Sparrow said:


> Tbf I am being consulted on important decisions.
> 
> *Like just now - "do I kill him?"
> 
> ...


as cypress hill say (prolly at some point on the soundtrack tbh) 'what goes around, comes around' 

joint game playing is cool ioo, some useful tips never go amiss when you're concentrating on driving at high speeds with the feds on your tail, nahwotimean....


----------



## Agent Sparrow (Apr 29, 2008)

Crispy has just explained to me what "teabagging" is. 

I am very disappointed in you all.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

Haha, this game is great fun. I'm about to go take Roman bowling. Then I think we'll get pissed and maybe I'll start a fight


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 29, 2008)

*wishes i had a ps3 & gta*


----------



## marksims68 (Apr 29, 2008)

It is brilliant, but it crashes my PS3 a heck of a lot.  For instance I had nicked a car and was speeding down the road when the game hanged, then after reloading I got my mobile phone out and it crashed, it even crashed on me when I was walking!

For me that does not bode well...........

Sod it, back to Liberty City, I'm gonna shag Michelle.........


----------



## Crispy (Apr 29, 2008)

In bad news however, I found that apon taking Guitar Hero 3 out of the xbox earlier today, it had a great big circular scratch in it. - The xbox must have been kicked or knocked when we had people over for it on the weekend 

People who aren't playing GTA4, take this as some small comfort.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Apr 30, 2008)

tommers said:


> woohoo!  more weapons!  bigger maps!
> 
> is there actually anything new in this game apart from having a slightly different way to nick cars?
> 
> ...



oh dear mate , just play it , you will see


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 30, 2008)

Agent Sparrow said:


> Crispy has just explained to me what "teabagging" is.
> 
> I am very disappointed in you all.


have they all gone to bed now? can i explain that i too don't know what 'teabagging' is???


----------



## Jambooboo (Apr 30, 2008)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> can i explain that i too don't know what 'teabagging' is???



Wikipedia definition.

.

LOL I found  while on Youtube.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 30, 2008)

marksims68 said:


> It is brilliant, but it crashes my PS3 a heck of a lot.  For instance I had nicked a car and was speeding down the road when the game hanged, then after reloading I got my mobile phone out and it crashed, it even crashed on me when I was walking!
> 
> .





fishfinger said:


> GTA 4 plagued with bugs
> 
> http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/04/29/gta-iv-plagued-bugs
> 
> ...




Hm - My 360 downloaded/dodgy copy hasn't crashed once, nor has it displayed ay obvious glitches and I have 16+ hourse of gametime.

Given the scope and nature of the game, a few bugs are inevitable and acceptable IMHO.

Mind you, I have not played my PS3 copy long enough to see if that is more or less stable than the XBox version.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 30, 2008)

If you have an original 60GB PS3, then there are issues. I think wiping the save and cache for the game then re-installing fixes it. Check the internets.


----------



## The Groke (Apr 30, 2008)

Crispy said:


> If you have an original 60GB PS3, then there are issues. I think wiping the save and cache for the game then re-installing fixes it. Check the internets.



Mine seems peachy.




Game is really toughing up now - still, I have had some amazing pursuits. Checking my stats, it would appear that my longest was a white-knuckle, 7 minute long, epic escape. Doesn't sound like much I know, but try playing it......I was exhausted by the end

Playing Fela Kuti's Zombie all the while, just made it that much more special.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 30, 2008)

Ah, the feeling of getting away from the cops is so good. I ended a good one last night by diving out of the door of the car as it was moving, rolling down the wooded bank and ending up crouched in some trees and bushes in the rain, watching the police lights go past. Then I walked down through the park and the rain stopped and the moon came out. It was beautiful


----------



## Boycey (Apr 30, 2008)

teabagging defined, not pictured though you filthy filthy people.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Apr 30, 2008)

i wish i'd not asked about teabagging now...erk!!!


----------



## keybored (Apr 30, 2008)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> i wish i'd not asked about teabagging now...erk!!!



Perhaps you meant to ask about wolfbagging?


ETA Though probably not technically possible in Halo.


----------



## wishface (Apr 30, 2008)

...and perhaps you shouldn't.


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Apr 30, 2008)

Jambooboo said:


> Wikipedia definition.
> 
> .
> 
> LOL I found  while on Youtube.


----------



## subversplat (Apr 30, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> You see this is why I don't play games anymore. I liked Vice City but because I am not an ubergamer I am not good enough and don't really love doing the sa,me thing over and over again enough to get anywhere in the game.
> 
> The learning curves are always too high for me. I want a game like this that is easy all the way though. Haven't really bothered with any games since.
> 
> Oh hang on I think I bought that Warriors one. Again, too hard, so I gave up after one day.


Cheats were made for people like you. Embrace the GameFAQs


----------



## FridgeMagnet (Apr 30, 2008)

One of the things I liked about GTA:SA was that you didn't actually have to do the missions _or_ cheat. In the end I was just spending my time driving cars off cliffs, sniping at the police in the middle of the countryside, chatting up women and buying clothes.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 30, 2008)

plenty of that in this one too. in fact that's all I've been doing 

I don't cheat, so it was nice to find that there's 3 grenades directly underneath the big steel globe in the park in Dukes


----------



## Agent Sparrow (Apr 30, 2008)

He's apparently shagged a GFA floosie now.


----------



## wishface (Apr 30, 2008)

I've yet to actually pay to use the toll bridge. Everytime I try some cunt shunts me through forcing me to break the law!

fucking american drivers.


----------



## Crispy (Apr 30, 2008)

wishface said:


> I've yet to actually pay to use the toll bridge. Everytime I try some cunt shunts me through forcing me to break the law!
> 
> fucking american drivers.


I pulled a wheelie through it on a motorbike at full speed and then had an epic chase with the cops. Changed car twice, then ended up ditching the last one in the river, rolling out the door at the last minute, then swimming under the docks to evade the cops.

Love this game


----------



## wtfftw (May 1, 2008)

Agent Sparrow said:


> He's apparently shagged a GFA floosie now.



I'd be a GTA widow if I wasn't into watching. 


I'm exceedingly pleased that there's a winning eurovision tune on a radio station.  
Oh and that the internet cafe is called tw@ and a taxi advertised WTF.


----------



## The Groke (May 1, 2008)

Crispy said:


> I pulled a wheelie through it on a motorbike at full speed and then had an epic chase with the cops. Changed car twice, then ended up ditching the last one in the river, rolling out the door at the last minute, then swimming under the docks to evade the cops.
> 
> Love this game




Yep - most pleasing is that the new system allows you to escape purely on foot if you have a low star rating - vaulting across gardens and parking lots etc, then across rooftops....

Man - I still really struggled on that "Snow Storm" mission though - definately been the hardest so far.


----------



## Agent Sparrow (May 1, 2008)

drag0n said:


> I'd be a GTA widow if I wasn't into watching.



Tbh, I quite often watch him indoors play computer games. I can't really see the same appeal for this one.  He does assure me it might get more exciting for observers as it progresses.


----------



## Balbi (May 1, 2008)

Rizzy posting....



wishface said:


> can you tell me where the co op element is? It says on the box you can play co op but i can't find how.



The multiplayer? You access it through the mobile phone. You can't play the actual game co op unfortunately.


As for it being bug-ridden, hell, we testers tried, but at the end of it it was up to the big guys upstairs! If anyone reports any waived bugs I've had, I'll be laughing.

Has anyone gotten stupidly drunk in it yet and not been able to walk?


----------



## The Groke (May 1, 2008)

Balbi said:


> Has anyone gotten stupidly drunk in it yet and not been able to walk?



Frequently - driving in that state is a nightmare.


What is even worse, is being drunk IRL, then getting drunk in the game.


*voms*


----------



## Barking_Mad (May 1, 2008)

My brother's copy from Play.com still hasn't arrived - despite them telling him it was posted last week.

i've told him ill kill them in the face with a bomb.


----------



## Crispy (May 1, 2008)

Oooooh, haven't got drunk yet.
Anyone unlocked Algonquin yet? I'm itching to get into the big city.


----------



## Barking_Mad (May 1, 2008)

Balbi said:


> Rizzy posting....
> 
> 
> 
> ...




List of bugs here: http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=335298


----------



## The Groke (May 1, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Oooooh, haven't got drunk yet.
> Anyone unlocked Algonquin yet? I'm itching to get into the big city.




Yup!

It's all good.....lots of Neon and masses of detail.

I am about 20 hours of gameplay in and clocking just under 30% complete.

Still haven't unlocked the 3rd island yet though.



Barking_Mad said:


> List of bugs here: http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=335298




Happy to say that I have not come across anything buggy yet.


----------



## The Groke (May 1, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Oooooh, haven't got drunk yet.
> Anyone unlocked Algonquin yet? I'm itching to get into the big city.



Ask Roman, Michelle or any other of you friends out for a drink on the phone.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 1, 2008)

has anyone else shot someones car up then see them dive out  and tumble down the road whilst on fire ?


----------



## Kanda (May 1, 2008)

So.. do I buy this for Xbox or PS3?


----------



## Crispy (May 1, 2008)

Kanda said:


> So.. do I buy this for Xbox or PS3?


Xbox. There's exclusive downloadable content (hinted, rumoured and expected to be episodic story-based stuff) coming in the autumn. MS payed $50m for it, so it's got to be halfway decent.


----------



## agricola (May 1, 2008)

Bought it yesterday, delighted by it especially the little things like the trains, the way police respond to calls, and darts.


----------



## J@ffa (May 1, 2008)

Anyone know if anywhere has been restocked for this? I should've preordered, I know, but I'd like to play it over the weekend so yah. Tips 'n' tricks welcome. I'm in London at the minute, so I've nothing against travelling about a bit. I do need to vote though, so can't go on too many goose chases!


----------



## Crispy (May 1, 2008)

It should be available all over the place. Try large supermarkets/woollies/argos.


----------



## J@ffa (May 1, 2008)

Crispy said:


> It should be available all over the place. Try large supermarkets/woollies/argos.



Both the Game and HMV branches near me are sold out, as are their counterparts on Oxford Street. Gonna try the supermarket/regular high street approach, but I know the nearest Sainsburys to me is sold out. There's a bigger one further out though, will try there after Woolies/Argos.


----------



## Kanda (May 1, 2008)

Spent over 2 hours driving all over the shop trying to get a copy on either format tonight. No joy.


----------



## Stobart Stopper (May 1, 2008)

J@ffa said:


> Anyone know if anywhere has been restocked for this? I should've preordered, I know, but I'd like to play it over the weekend so yah. Tips 'n' tricks welcome. I'm in London at the minute, so I've nothing against travelling about a bit. I do need to vote though, so can't go on too many goose chases!


I was in Debden yesterday, (near Loughton) and Woolworths had loads of copies left.
X-Box and PS3.


----------



## Barking_Mad (May 1, 2008)

My brother had a "order posted" message from Play.com on the 25th/26th April yet it's still not arrived. Presuming its not been stolen en route, play are taking the piss.


----------



## mwgdrwg (May 1, 2008)

Cruising on a bike in the fog and rain, listening to The Journey. Best bit so far!


----------



## Crispy (May 1, 2008)

gotta get round to multiplayer at some point!


----------



## exosculate (May 1, 2008)

When is this coming out on pc? And what power does it require?

Anyone have a clue?


----------



## Crispy (May 1, 2008)

It's not even been admitted to. I'd say at least 6 months before you even know about it. Definitely won't be out this year.


----------



## Sunray (May 1, 2008)

Does anyone know of a deal like play have that isn't at play?

I thought Play's offer of 190 for the 20Gb Console and GTA IV was pretty decent.  After being asked to jump through hoops I've given up at the point where the fax machine number they gave me was wrong.


----------



## keybored (May 2, 2008)

Got this tonight and it's fantastic... the drink driving is _exactly_ like real life


----------



## keybored (May 2, 2008)

Why did that strange man with the red eyes just give me $100


----------



## J@ffa (May 2, 2008)

Still haven't been able to find a copy. Anyone got a place I could head for? Tried Argos, Woolworths, Zavvi— all sold out .


----------



## subversplat (May 2, 2008)

http://www.google.co.uk/products?q="gta+iv"&btnG=Search+Products&show=dd&scoring=p ?


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 2, 2008)

Barking_Mad said:


> My brother had a "order posted" message from Play.com on the 25th/26th April yet it's still not arrived. Presuming its not been stolen en route, play are taking the piss.



mine took a fucking age but it did arrive on wednesday...

play are shite for brains why they cna't offer a paid for post service for these it's the last time i'm buying any preorder with them they are such shite it's twice i have preordered the game only to have it turn up the day after or later than the release date.  It's simply not good enough we order these things to ensure we have them on release date.

Play=Fail.


----------



## Firky (May 2, 2008)

keypulse said:


> Got this tonight and it's fantastic... the drink driving is _exactly_ like real life



Yeah 

Had it a couple of weeks and must admit I aint played it as much as I thought I would have. Still loving Mario Kart


----------



## Kanda (May 2, 2008)

Got it! 

HMV Covent Garden on Xbox360


----------



## wtfftw (May 2, 2008)

Agent Sparrow said:


> Tbh, I quite often watch him indoors play computer games. I can't really see the same appeal for this one.  He does assure me it might get more exciting for observers as it progresses.



I spend most of my time peering over a book or my DS at whatever the manshape has on. 

I quite like watching this one. There's nice variety and massive crashes. I like the little things like getting drunk or jacking a nice car.


----------



## keybored (May 2, 2008)

drag0n said:


> I like the little things like getting drunk or jacking a nice car.



See if you can grab the controls when Niko is drunk. It actually makes you feel half-cut after a while (I might be sat far to close to my screen though).


----------



## keybored (May 2, 2008)

firky said:


> Yeah
> 
> Had it a couple of weeks and must admit I aint played it as much as I thought I would have. Still loving Mario Kart



WB


----------



## Utopia (May 2, 2008)

Just bought GTA IV and a PS3 and Burnout Paradise from HMV as a bundle for £319.99......its all sitting underneath my desk waiting........


----------



## wtfftw (May 2, 2008)

keypulse said:


> See if you can grab the controls when Niko is drunk. It actually makes you feel half-cut after a while (I might be sat far to close to my screen though).


Just watching makes me feel sick enough. DUI then ups the ante. I'm definitely a spectator.


----------



## keybored (May 2, 2008)

drag0n said:


> Just watching makes me feel sick enough. DUI then ups the ante. I'm definitely a spectator.



It's so realistic I rang my sponsor at 2am


----------



## hendo (May 2, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Xbox. There's exclusive downloadable content (hinted, rumoured and expected to be episodic story-based stuff) coming in the autumn. MS payed $50m for it, so it's got to be halfway decent.



So think what you'll be paying for it. 
I think this idea of paid for extras is really bad news, but there again, it's no different from the 'expansion' edition you buy for M:TW is it?


----------



## wishface (May 2, 2008)

NOthing new there. XBL is vastly overpriced all round. It's something that hopefully will change if and when Sony get their shit together. Some of the prices for DLC are stupid and the whole points thing is gay. Why not just let people pay directly?


----------



## Sunray (May 2, 2008)

wishface said:


> NOthing new there. XBL is vastly overpriced all round. It's something that hopefully will change if and when Sony get their shit together. Some of the prices for DLC are stupid and the whole points thing is gay. Why not just let people pay directly?



The points thing is to lower their credit/debit card bill. All those little transactions would cost them a packet.

What a bunch of stupid cunts Take Two are, struggling along, moaning about how cash strapped they are yet when they finally get a block buster of immense proportions on their hands they don't make enough disks!

You'd think Microsoft would have been on the ball and offered some help, take it from me that MS are especially good at making DVD's.


----------



## wishface (May 3, 2008)

Sunray said:


> The points thing is to lower their credit/debit card bill. All those little transactions would cost them a packet.



Good point. 

Not that they couldn't afford it 

Still would be nice to see more competition from Sony to force the issue. I'm dreading the cost of GTA's DLC.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 4, 2008)

for those ps3 owners with crashes out there this might help

http://uk.gamespot.com/news/6190279.html

my guess is the info bar is causing the problems turn that off.


Although that said it's fine on my profile but crashes on my flat mates profile so it might be worth having in effect a second profile which might not go mental...


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (May 4, 2008)

We just got it two days ago, for the PS3. It's a beautiful game, reminds me of the Regionalism Art school, the colours, the angles, etc.

I like the cars, too.


----------



## keybored (May 4, 2008)

Johnny Canuck2 said:


> We just got it two days ago, for the PS3. It's a beautiful game, reminds me of the Regionalism Art school, the colours, the angles, etc.
> 
> I like the cars, too.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (May 4, 2008)

keypulse said:


>



I bring what I bring to my gameplaying.


----------



## hendo (May 4, 2008)

GTA IV hangs when loading up on me PS3! Maximum unhappiness. And the list of fixes sounds basically like trying everything short of turning the thing off.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 4, 2008)

hendo said:


> GTA IV hangs when loading up on me PS3! Maximum unhappiness. And the list of fixes sounds basically like trying everything short of turning the thing off.



ok the thing which will stop this is you need to sign out of the PSN when you load the game if you want multiplayer then sign into the network when in game via the mobile phone. this should solve all your problems...


----------



## hendo (May 4, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> ok the thing which will stop this is you need to sign out of the PSN when you load the game if you want multiplayer then sign into the network when in game via the mobile phone. this should solve all your problems...


 
Cheers Garf, I'll try this when I get home from work tonight. I had visions of taking the whole thing back to the shop, but other games play fine so its got to be a code issue.


----------



## Woollyredhat (May 4, 2008)

The cabbies are really starting to piss me off.

I'm thinking that Romans cab driver wasn't so bad after all, there always was that mute button


----------



## keybored (May 4, 2008)

Anyone heard that "Harry the Hamster - The Musical" ad yet?

♫What is that condom for?♫


----------



## hendo (May 4, 2008)

It's not just me with this freezing problem, loads of people have it. Which is sort of comforting, in a way.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 4, 2008)

hendo said:


> It's not just me with this freezing problem, loads of people have it. Which is sort of comforting, in a way.



yeah it's odd on mine one it has got the freezing problem which is a child account in my account the master one then it's fine.


----------



## agricola (May 4, 2008)

brucie = win
the cab driver's conversation about tourists = win x 2


----------



## wishface (May 4, 2008)

"i'ver never heard of DNA, _and I'm an accountant!_"


----------



## hendo (May 4, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> yeah it's odd on mine one it has got the freezing problem which is a child account in my account the master one then it's fine.



Disabling the PS3's net connection fixed the issue. Thanks again Garf, more clarity on this forum than on all the specialist sites, Rockstar's included.

How incredible that the game was released in this state. Then again, maybe when you consider that the internet connection of modern consoles allows manufacturers to patch games like they do PC ones maybe I shouldn't be stunned that they're now treating console players like PC gamers - as unpaid beta testers. 

Reading the other forums it becomes clear the 360 has issues too, but my hunch is they're different ones - the PS-3s freeze happens when it tries to load but the 360's crash seems to happen in play.


----------



## Woollyredhat (May 4, 2008)

If anyone is already bored of GTA IV you can expect to see GTA VI soon apparently!

http://www.gamesradar.com/xbox360/g.../a-20070419123151778088/g-2006051014323586065


----------



## al (May 6, 2008)

So how long does it take before you get over to Alonquin? I'm just about to do the Elizabeta mission in Bohan and I'm itching to check out the rest of the city...


----------



## bouncer_the_dog (May 6, 2008)

I have rsolved to get a basic Xbox 360 + GTA - so thats around £250 right? Wheraas a PS3 and GTA is £350? Whats the best deal? Does the 360 copy the game to its hard drive or is that just the Ps3? Maybe I should just wait until I can afford a Ps3....


----------



## Crispy (May 6, 2008)

al said:


> So how long does it take before you get over to Alonquin? I'm just about to do the Elizabeta mission in Bohan and I'm itching to check out the rest of the city...


Not long now. Once you meet Playboy X (elizabetha introduces you) and do his 1st mission then you're there.

Bouncer: Most places are doing a 200-210 bundle with the game. Argos will do you the console, GTA4 and Halo 3 for 230.
http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5679223/Trail/searchtext>XBOX+360.htm (click special offers)

There's no real difference between the two versions. The 360 one runs at a slightly higher resolution, and there have been quite a few reports of the PS3 version crashing. I'd get the 360.


----------



## al (May 6, 2008)

bouncer_the_dog said:


> I have rsolved to get a basic Xbox 360 + GTA - so thats around £250 right? Wheraas a PS3 and GTA is £350? Whats the best deal? Does the 360 copy the game to its hard drive or is that just the Ps3? Maybe I should just wait until I can afford a Ps3....



If you go to Woolworths you can get a basic arcade 360 with GTA for free - £160 all in....


----------



## bouncer_the_dog (May 6, 2008)

al said:


> If you go to Woolworths you can get a basic arcade 360 with GTA for free - £160 all in....



I think Im gonna need that Hard Drive...


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 6, 2008)

the 360 version is great plus you get the addtional 10hrs downloadable content coming in the autumn , which would make me go with that one.


----------



## Kanda (May 6, 2008)

Not had one crash on the 360 version. (I have 360 & PS3 so this is just informative, not bias)


----------



## Crispy (May 6, 2008)

bouncer_the_dog said:


> I think Im gonna need that Hard Drive...


For SURE. Speeds up loading times, and you'll want it for the DLC.


----------



## bouncer_the_dog (May 6, 2008)

My next question is I don't have an HD TV but I do have a massive CRT monitor which can do 1200x1600 resolution - I can get the 360 to work with that? The only thing I can't wrk out is where to send the sound does the 360 have a headphone jack on it?


----------



## Crispy (May 6, 2008)

bouncer_the_dog said:


> My next question is I don't have an HD TV but I do have a massive CRT monitor which can do 1200x1600 resolution - I can get the 360 to work with that? The only thing I can't wrk out is where to send the sound does the 360 have a headphone jack on it?


You would want the VGA cable

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Xbox-360-VGA-AV-Cable/dp/B000AYYADE

It has phono stereo out, so either get a daongle to convert that to a headphone socket, or plug it straight into a stereo.

Personally, I'd play it on your regular telly if it's a bigger screen.


----------



## bouncer_the_dog (May 6, 2008)

Crispy said:


> You would want the VGA cable
> 
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/Xbox-360-VGA-AV-Cable/dp/B000AYYADE
> 
> ...



hmm... all I have to do now is sneak it past the GF


----------



## The Groke (May 6, 2008)

Crispy said:


> You would want the VGA cable.



interestingly enough, I use the VGA cable over the component for my 32" HD Samsung TV and the text and mobile phone is much, much sharper and more readable with VGA....


----------



## Crispy (May 6, 2008)

Most likely it is. Do you have the screen resolution set to your TV's native LCD resolution?


----------



## The Groke (May 6, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Most likely it is. Do you have the screen resolution set to your TV's native LCD resolution?



As close as it will go, yes - it is about 6 pixels out I think!


----------



## Crispy (May 6, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> As close as it will go, yes - it is about 6 pixels out I think!


1360 instead of 1366 wide? That's the common one.


----------



## The Groke (May 6, 2008)

Crispy said:


> 1360 instead of 1366 wide? That's the common one.



Yup!



Starting to get tough now - I am a little irked that the driving is singificantly harder on the XBox than the PS3, as in every other respect I prefer the 360 version!

It is _much_ easier to tear round corners and hold a handbreak turn at speed without spinning out on the PS3 and now some of the really tough driving-based challenges are coming in I am start to swear at the screen a bit more...




Still, on one memorable failure, I took a corner too fast, hit another car, rolled mine 360 degrees sideways and ended up absolutely perfectly parked and irrevocably wedged between two posts that were _exactly_ the same width apart as the length of my car....I had to abandon that one




Still love it like.


----------



## The Groke (May 6, 2008)

Crispy said:


> 1360 instead of 1366 wide? That's the common one.



Yup!



Starting to get tough now - I am a little irked that the driving is significantly harder on the XBox than the PS3, as in every other respect I prefer the 360 version!

It is _much_ easier to tear round corners and hold a handbrake turn at speed without spinning out on the PS3 and now some of the really tough driving-based challenges are coming in I am start to swear at the screen a bit more...




Still, on one memorable failure, I took a corner too fast, hit another car, rolled mine 360 degrees sideways and ended up absolutely perfectly parked and irrevocably wedged between two posts that were _exactly_ the same width apart as the length of my car....I had to abandon that one




Still love it like.


----------



## Crispy (May 6, 2008)

Ah, I love just scraping through. I evaded 3 stars in one of those rusty clapped-out cars. It was smoking, the doors and bonnet had come off, and there were 2 cop cars nudging me from behind. I made it onto a bridge, clipped a passing car, which spun out and took the cops out, letting me sputter all the way over the bridge to safety 

EDIT: Weird that the handling should be so different. I wonder why that is?


----------



## Barking_Mad (May 6, 2008)

played it for the first time the other night on the xbox, great fun


----------



## wishface (May 6, 2008)

Some of the vigilante missions are quite tough.


----------



## Sunray (May 6, 2008)

*Waits for argos to come into stock*


----------



## Dillinger4 (May 6, 2008)

I am still deliberating whether to get it....


----------



## softybabe (May 6, 2008)

Sunray said:


> *Waits for argos to come into stock*



just reserved a copy for pickup at Argos 'morrow...r u anywhere near South London?


----------



## The Groke (May 7, 2008)

The more I play, the more I am amazed at the amount of detail in Liberty City.

I was running from a 3 star wanted last night and vaulted over a fence, only to tumble about 30 foot down an embankment....

Whilst then hiding from the cops and the helicopter under the bridge, I got distracted by a whole bunch of graffiti that was sprayed there.....so distracted that I got arrested a minute later still looking at it.




I don't think I have ever seen a city this well realised in a game before - something that seems so real and organic - even the "dead" areas aren't dead, the bits of wasteland, the disused warehouses, they all seem so _right_.

Still got the 3rd Island to go as well.

Just a couple of missions left for Packie and Dwayne on the other two....


----------



## keybored (May 7, 2008)

I just spared Dwayne's ex. I was expecting 240 Adam for that.


----------



## The Groke (May 7, 2008)

keypulse said:


> I just spared Dwayne's ex. I was expecting 240 Adam for that.



heh - me too.


----------



## The Groke (May 7, 2008)

I nearly made myself sick last night after drinking a few large RL G&Ts and then engaging in an in-game drunken police escape with Jacob

I knew I should have got a Taxi


----------



## wishface (May 7, 2008)

very prominent framerate drops when racing in SP. Bummer.


----------



## keybored (May 7, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> I nearly made myself sick last night after drinking a few large RL G&Ts and then engaging in an in-game drunken police escape with Jacob



I haven't got pissed up with Jacob yet, I'm quite content kicking his arse around the pool table whenever we go out 

I got mullered with Roman last night though and found it hard work just getting a taxi. Then Roman collapsed so I left him on the pavement. When I did eventually manage to get a cab to stop I was just opening the door and Roman appeared from nowhere, fly-tackling me to the floor 
So I just dropped the controls and made a cuppa. They were sober enough to drive when I got back


----------



## Crispy (May 7, 2008)

Next time I'm getting a taxi, I'm going to be so tempted to yell "YELLOW CAR!" and "MR MAN!"


----------



## wishface (May 7, 2008)

Just completed the Snow Storm mission. 

What a mess, and not in a good way. This game ain't perfect by any means after that. What a shame.


----------



## Crispy (May 7, 2008)

You reckon? That was my most exhilerating mission yet!
Don't read on if you haven't done the mission, but I'll just say be prepared (ie. tooled up) for this one...

First I checked out the location on the map, saw that it was in an effective dead end, so nicked a decent fast car for the getaway. I loaded up on guns and ammo and headed on down. Saw the immense number of red dots and almost bricked it 

Used my sniper rifle to pick off as many as possible, then fought a cautious, step-by-step route to the back of the building. The fight back out was hectic as hell. Lots of running from cover to vover (I love the contextual animations for getting from cover to cover - esp. the 'knee-slide' one to low cover), then a manic sprint out the front door to my car. I made it nearly to the edge of the wanted zone before I knacked it too much and it started to burn, so I bailed out and legged it up an alley. I heard the explosion behind me, then the wanted level dropped away and I called the job in to Elizibetha. Felt so awesome


----------



## wishface (May 7, 2008)

the problem is the layout of the environment. It completely cripples the cover system which makes getting out much harder than it needs to be. Getting in isn't so tough, it's dealing with the cops afterward as they come around and you can't really see where they are.

I've also found Brucie's ability to be totally fucking useless. I got him to airlift me out of trouble, but the police chopper just followed me. 

I'm also not entirely sure of the point of the vigilante side missions since you get nothing for them. Not even an achievement for taking down all the most wanted criminals. 

GTA4 is certainly a great game, the best on the 360 (although that' snot helped by the fact everythign else bar cod4 is utter bollocks), but it's not without its problems. It's not as innovative as San Andreas at all, and I've not really seen much of a story. Also having to take your pals out to dinner every so often just to keep them sweet is really pointless. There are also nowhere near enough side missions (so far at least). The city is incredible but actually is rather empty. There isn't a huge amount to interact with at all, really.


----------



## Dandred (May 7, 2008)

wishface said:


> the problem is the layout of the environment. It completely cripples the cover system which makes getting out much harder than it needs to be. Getting in isn't so tough, it's dealing with the cops afterward as they come around and you can't really see where they are.
> 
> I've also found Brucie's ability to be totally fucking useless. I got him to airlift me out of trouble, but the police chopper just followed me.
> 
> ...



Interesting post, best it's not the balls one yet. I will keep a look out for more like this before PC version eventually comes out.  

Thanks for the realistic POV.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 7, 2008)

anyone done the ' three leafed clover mission ?  its the


----------



## wishface (May 7, 2008)

It is a good game indeed. But to ignore the flaws and praise the good parts to the point whcih the 'official' reviews have done is doing everyone a disservice. When i see any game getting perfect tens across the board i'm always suspish.


----------



## Crispy (May 7, 2008)

I think it deserves the 10s despite its flaws (flawed controls, interface niggles, popin, slowdown). 10 doesn't mean perfect, just best in class.


----------



## wishface (May 7, 2008)

I disagree, to me a review of 10 out of 10 is used as an indication of perfection. 

It's a great game, but it ain't without its flaws.


----------



## keybored (May 7, 2008)

They're going to have to put the benchmark up to 11 really.


----------



## Crispy (May 7, 2008)

but there's no such thing as a perfect game

do you think 5-star movies are completely faultless?


----------



## keybored (May 7, 2008)

Crispy said:


> but there's no such thing as a perfect game
> 
> do you think 5-star movies are completely faultless?



No. I was being flip and taking the opportunity to get a Spinal Tap reference into the thread.


----------



## Crispy (May 7, 2008)

Not you, wishface!

I went to mation's house and her cooker hobs go up to 11 
So does the volume on the bbc iplayer.


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

Crispy said:


> but there's no such thing as a perfect game
> 
> do you think 5-star movies are completely faultless?


Of course there's no such thing as the perfect game; that's why these sorts of reviews are bollocks to begin with.

But then I never expected a proper review of this game.


----------



## Dravinian (May 8, 2008)

The graphics in this game on the PS3 version I played for a few minutes, it was just incredible.

I didn't really get a chance to play, and it was a PS3 so had gam controllers, instead of mouse and keyboard, so I was plainly just rubbish.  But just driving around running people over, when he breaks the window to a car to steal it.

I was so impressed and I was expecting a lot. Of course this is just graphics, but no time to really get into the game.


----------



## Johnny Canuck3 (May 8, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Next time I'm getting a taxi, I'm going to be so tempted to yell "YELLOW CAR!" and "MR MAN!"



You play GTA4?

So it's not all just cerebrality with you?

I don't know if I'm gladdened or saddened by this news.


----------



## Crispy (May 8, 2008)

I watch action movies too


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 8, 2008)

i was wondering around yesterday after taking Kate out and found this huge park  with massive fountains and a huge globe like sculpture , and 2 girls practicing tai chi on the grass ,couldnt believe my eyes ,  there seems to be so much more to discover than i thought , oh and driving over one of the bridges at night in the fog was truly jaw dropping


----------



## The Groke (May 8, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> 2 girls practicing tai chi on the grass




Did you resist the urge to shoot them in the face with an RPG?


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 8, 2008)

wishface said:


> the problem is the layout of the environment. It completely cripples the cover system which makes getting out much harder than it needs to be. Getting in isn't so tough, it's dealing with the cops afterward as they come around and you can't really see where they are.



bad work man and all that i'm afraid here the mission is flawed in that some of the collision dection is terrible and the everyone pile in and block the door is a nightmare however with a little intelligent latteral thinking shooting your way in then grabbing a motor bike from the car park or near by and then riding it to the back room and your away... no need to curse the ground the programmers walk on or anything.  

if your shit at aiming or a bit gun ho and ham fisted then yes it's difficult if you are precise and accurate and actually enguage with the game inside of it's mechanic instead of insisting the preprogrammed game behaves as you beleive it should then it's fine...

GTA has never, ever, ever bug tested sufficently, ever.   It's the way it is the collision detection has always been a little 'blockey' in terms of it being large very square pixel areas of collision detection, it's popular as rass to and actualy really difficult to make convincing collision detection on such a scale to there will of course always be areas which in effect glitch... 

Again this is part of the game, and you have to roll with it...



wishface said:


> I've also found Brucie's ability to be totally fucking useless. I got him to airlift me out of trouble, but the police chopper just followed me.



Yes i'm looking forward to shooting him so very dead...



wishface said:


> I'm also not entirely sure of the point of the vigilante side missions since you get nothing for them. Not even an achievement for taking down all the most wanted criminals.



one word more fun...



wishface said:


> GTA4 is certainly a great game, the best on the 360 (although that' snot helped by the fact everythign else bar cod4 is utter bollocks), but it's not without its problems. It's not as innovative as San Andreas at all, and I've not really seen much of a story. Also having to take your pals out to dinner every so often just to keep them sweet is really pointless. There are also nowhere near enough side missions (so far at least). The city is incredible but actually is rather empty. There isn't a huge amount to interact with at all, really.



I think actually you are talking out of a asshat here SA was actually in comparision very poorly programed with limited evolutions of the GTA 3 engine which clearly showed the overly flawed GTA3 engine up, hence the scale back in games after that.  It was too big for what it was, the mechanics of flying were terrible the mechanics of remebering what you were driving due to the memory lag of having to draw the rest of the surronding features the collision detection was appauling and allowed for some really, really stupid things to happen, the aim system which hadn't been improved for a significant time since the launch of GTA 3 was fuckign awrful and so on and so on you are infact merely looking at this through rose tinted glasses ... 

replay SA now see how it grabs you after playing this you'll find it less involving than you remeber... I know i did because i wanted to do a visual graphical comparision between the two beause i wasn't convinced the graphics had improved greatly (the weather systesm etc cell shading lights etc all have improved the 'smoothness' (pixeliseation) also improved greatly.  however because it's all in the same vein your eyes and in this case you memory are fillign in blanks which were never there. 

bit like being impressed with an early digital camera photo and thengoing back to it with the benifit of todays better camera technology and comparing it to more advances. 

The script is up on all previous version with decent charchter actors and the lip synch etc hand grab is all but perfect (bar climing ladders which it still falls down on in terms of generic basic animation/collision detection) you don't have to take you pals out to dinner every so often you can acutally set your mobile to do not disturb exploring the city in the phone menu.  There's pigeons to kill side missions to run.  As for the we don't get anything for the vigilanty missions well no they aren't thigns like the ill conceived pizza missions and things like this however there is a much better dynamic of involvement with the missions the police chases now using th eold need for speed evade technique (much better than the poxy stars) the cars now feel significantly differerent when you drive them instead of the 4x4 car model and the fast car model and the slow car model and the truck model which was then reskinned a few thousands times to make differnt cars... 

helecopter flying with six axis is actually easier and intuitive as is bowling and pool etc all great mini games... 

I really think you are being overly harsh about it's fobiles in terms of failings which clearly are utterly outweighed by it's good points...

though i'm definately getting it on xbox as well in the autum when the content comes out but til then i'm very happy with it...

for those with PS3 issues glitches and crashes the patch has now dropped meanign this works perfectly.

Perhaps their should be an accompaning thread for this one which organises online meet ups for our ps3 and xbox gtas to go and raise merry hell kicking ass in mafia business....


----------



## Crispy (May 8, 2008)

I'd love to get online, but I'm having too much fun in the SP game!
Plus, Sparrow would kill me. I waste enough time on it already


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

I recommend Multiplayer to everyone, but be warned - playing with americans is expecially bad in this game. They all think they are Dr fucking Dre or something and all of them behave like total turds. I'd love to see a UK only server for XBL because, frankly, every american ive encountered online is a giant cunt.

But it is good online.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 8, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> Did you resist the urge to shoot them in the face with an RPG?




ummm , i did ' execute ' one of them with my pistol.....


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

> bad work man and all that i'm afraid here the mission is flawed in that some of the collision dection is terrible and the everyone pile in and block the door is a nightmare however with a little intelligent latteral thinking shooting your way in then grabbing a motor bike from the car park or near by and then riding it to the back room and your away... no need to curse the ground the programmers walk on or anything.



Once you're out it isn't too bad. It's the building and the cover mechanism. GtA has always been something of a jack fo all trades and a master of none, technically. The cover mechanism is fine in simple situations. Where the environment is more complex, it fails. This is the case with the game and has always been so - with pretty much very aspect. What makes GTA great is that it's more than the sum of its parts.



> if your shit at aiming or a bit gun ho and ham fisted then yes it's difficult if you are precise and accurate and actually enguage with the game inside of it's mechanic instead of insisting the preprogrammed game behaves as you beleive it should then it's fine...



Aiming isn't difficult, providing the computer will target properly. Sometimes it won't switch targets properly and so a guy who's right next to you can hit you with impunity while you piss around trying to hit him. 



> Again this is part of the game, and you have to roll with it...



I expected better from the next gen version. But really GTA4 is just a pretty version of GTA3 with a few funky new features. But very few. 




> one word more fun...



That's all well and good, but I find it difficult to motivate myself to do the same things over and over for no real reward. 



> I think actually you are talking out of a asshat here SA was actually in comparision very poorly programed with limited evolutions of the GTA 3 engine which clearly showed the overly flawed GTA3 engine up, hence the scale back in games after that.  It was too big for what it was, the mechanics of flying were terrible the mechanics of remebering what you were driving due to the memory lag of having to draw the rest of the surronding features the collision detection was appauling and allowed for some really, really stupid things to happen, the aim system which hadn't been improved for a significant time since the launch of GTA 3 was fuckign awrful and so on and so on you are infact merely looking at this through rose tinted glasses ...



Broadly I would agree. ALl I am saying is that SA had more innovation and GTA4 has very little relative. Your clothing options are extremely limited really (there's three clothing shops in Algonquin and two are exactly the same). YOu can't change your appearance at all and there are very very few side missions. This strikes me as strange. By comparison Saints Row got a kicking for being a GTA clone but has a lot of really fun elements and some really good ideas that GTA could have emulated: proper vehicle storage, buying food for use later, the side missions were really fun. 



> The script is up on all previous version with decent charchter actors and the lip synch etc hand grab is all but perfect (bar climing ladders which it still falls down on in terms of generic basic animation/collision detection) you don't have to take you pals out to dinner every so often you can acutally set your mobile to do not disturb exploring the city in the phone menu.



Yes but there isn't much to explore in the city. That's the problem. Very little of it is actually interactive. In Saints Row for instance the shops had a day/night cycle. Enter a shop at night and you are breaking in allowing you to rob the safe. Here the shops just stay open 24/7. 

The city is fantastic, but it isn't this massive next gen playground full of stuff to do at all.



> There's pigeons to kill side missions to run.



The pigeon thing doesn't interest me at all, it's stupid. There' sno way you are going to find 200 pigeons in tiny corners of the city nor do i care to try.



> As for the we don't get anything for the vigilanty missions well no they aren't thigns like the ill conceived pizza missions and things like this however there is a much better dynamic of involvement with the missions the police chases now using th eold need for speed evade technique (much better than the poxy stars) the cars now feel significantly differerent when you drive them instead of the 4x4 car model and the fast car model and the slow car model and the truck model which was then reskinned a few thousands times to make differnt cars...



I agree the police chase method is much better. But the fact remains there are much fewer side missions.



> helecopter flying with six axis is actually easier and intuitive as is bowling and pool etc all great mini games...



The mini games are fun in their own right, but omitting them from the free roam mode was a huge mistake.



> I really think you are being overly harsh about it's fobiles in terms of failings which clearly are utterly outweighed by it's good points...



I haven't said it's a bad game, far from it. I'm just surprised at the lack of interactivity with the city.



> though i'm definately getting it on xbox as well in the autum when the content comes out but til then i'm very happy with it...



I'd wait to see the quality of that content before buying if i were you; most XBL content is vastly overpriced, and this will be no exception, for very little.



> for those with PS3 issues glitches and crashes the patch has now dropped meanign this works perfectly.



I'd like to think the 360 will get a patch. There are some issues that need fixing IMO. I do think driving needs to be re examined because vehicle handling really is out of kilter; cars spin out way too easily - even when you are used to it.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 8, 2008)

Crispy said:


> I'd love to get online, but I'm having too much fun in the SP game!
> Plus, Sparrow would kill me. I waste enough time on it already



i beleive theirs a new drug out at the moment fom america which allows you to play on line for nearly 12 hours solid without a peep from your partner as they will be perfectly ok with it.... you can get it here... either that or give her her own save or get her her own machine...


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 8, 2008)

wishface said:


> I recommend Multiplayer to everyone, but be warned - playing with americans is expecially bad in this game. They all think they are Dr fucking Dre or something and all of them behave like total turds. I'd love to see a UK only server for XBL because, frankly, every american ive encountered online is a giant cunt.
> 
> But it is good online.



that's the joy of the ps3 over the eggsbox actually tbh the price point keeps the netrat kids from beign their pwning people with cheats and taking wank...

and the XMB is due for drop on update 2.40 a little birdy from sony tells me which isn't too far away (maybe june time; HOME maybe by august) meaning that then the ps3 will finally have a comparitive system to eggsbox live in terms of online capacity...


----------



## Crispy (May 8, 2008)

wishface said:


> Aiming isn't difficult, providing the computer will target properly. Sometimes it won't switch targets properly and so a guy who's right next to you can hit you with impunity while you piss around trying to hit him.



Auto-aim is for pussies


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Auto-aim is for pussies


online, yes. I haven't bothered switching it off in SP and in any case you can free aim as well, which is the best way to advance through an area filled with mobs.


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> that's the joy of the ps3 over the eggsbox actually tbh the price point keeps the netrat kids from beign their pwning people with cheats and taking wank...
> 
> and the XMB is due for drop on update 2.40 a little birdy from sony tells me which isn't too far away (maybe june time; HOME maybe by august) meaning that then the ps3 will finally have a comparitive system to eggsbox live in terms of online capacity...


I'm tempted to try and swap my 360 for a ps3, if i can. Depending on whether anything decent comes out once i complete GTA i might see what I can do; there is fuck all of any quality on the 360 and none of the people I know who own one seem to want to go online (miserable fuckers).


----------



## The Groke (May 8, 2008)

wishface said:


> I'd like to think the 360 will get a patch. There are some issues that need fixing IMO. I do think driving needs to be re examined because vehicle handling really is out of kilter; cars spin out way too easily - even when you are used to it.




Agreed - as I have said previously in the thread, the PS3 driving is far more forgiving and usable than the 360 - bafflingly so IMHO.



Crispy said:


> Auto-aim is for pussies




It certainly is - turning that off in SP was the first thing I did!



Oh - and while we are on the subject:

The RPG in this is just fucking ace. Love it.

Blowing up vehicles with it just never gets old.

Also: rolling grenades under cars stuck in traffic FTW - the fire and explosions spread really quite convincingly.


----------



## Barking_Mad (May 8, 2008)

wishface said:


> I'm tempted to try and swap my 360 for a ps3, if i can. Depending on whether anything decent comes out once i complete GTA i might see what I can do; there is fuck all of any quality on the 360 and none of the people I know who own one seem to want to go online (miserable fuckers).



if you think there's nothing of quality on the xbox (not sure why!) then getting a ps3 isn't going to help and won't anytime soon.


----------



## wtfftw (May 8, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> anyone done the ' three leafed clover mission ?  its the



I watched the manshape do that the other night.


----------



## poului (May 8, 2008)

*t7oul9u7[o'*

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/...n-bouts-of-frenzied-masturbation-20080429909/


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 8, 2008)

*pt1*



wishface said:


> Once you're out it isn't too bad. It's the building and the cover mechanism. GtA has always been something of a jack fo all trades and a master of none, technically. The cover mechanism is fine in simple situations. Where the environment is more complex, it fails. This is the case with the game and has always been so - with pretty much very aspect. What makes GTA great is that it's more than the sum of its parts.



yeah but as i siad the collision detection has always been bad in areas of GTA particularlly i think as i said they are limtiing the pixel size of the collsion and building it out of generic blocks if you have or have seen the wireframes of the city you'd see they are actually still quite locked into boxes and blocks rather than graduated curves and angles etc multipart angles to allow for formation of curves however they are still essentailly blocks which means when the render is over laid with a texture map although the illusion is that they fence or wall breaks away in fact the underlying frame work or wire frame is in essence still their and therefore will still act as a wall or an imparment to the avatar. 

There's no real way round this unless we want to wait till 2050 for much better processors GFX cards and consoles with more power than chenobyl going up to render all the fragmented wireframes which would allow curves or more accurate collision detection. 

sadly this is shown up as an area of large faults in the building as they have tried to make the visual render as intresting as possible and convincing but sadly this also means that you eyes are being mislead into the reality of the lay out.  however you can compensate for this by being aware of it...



wishface said:


> Aiming isn't difficult, providing the computer will target properly. Sometimes it won't switch targets properly and so a guy who's right next to you can hit you with impunity while you piss around trying to hit him.



again issues of collision detection if you step backwards though you can nearly always get the ijet who are closer.

the fade in whihc previouslty meant you'd hit seemingly invisable cars or objects has gone the slow redraw and framw rate issues in SA which are stunningly bad aren't in this one it does slow down if you cause a few car pile up and it has to draw new things or if you are going at a terrific lick down the high way but no more than burnout or other drivng games 





wishface said:


> I expected better from the next gen version. But really GTA4 is just a pretty version of GTA3 with a few funky new features. But very few.


I don't know why.

Next gen is about the hardware not really about the game mechanic behind it.  of course it theroetically allows a number of newer options to be intigrated; better graphics, larger content, installed game data verses constant streaming from disk lowering load times etc 

but the games themselves will only progress in terms of feature set in as an when the gaming community demand it and of course as they get to grips with the prgramming issues for the disperate underlying operating systems.

the benifits are of course that in theroy there is an improvement to load times and developement will increase.

look at any new piece of hardware to come into the market smart phones etc when they are alunched there are clunky aspects to them then as their popularity increases along with the user base and the programmers are more used to the system then apps come along modifications and updates come along and the system is refined sudden their usablity increases.  

it seems a very unrealistic expectation to think that where all other areas of computer hardware developement has this teething period of usually 3 years sometimes 4 before it's bedded in that these latest consoles wouldn't be any different. 

as i have said to countless people you only have to look at the ps2 and all it's associated launch problems to know what you'll expect in terms of technological developement vs game dev (this applying really to all consoles xbox or ps3 xbox360 wii).

I'd dispute that the GTA4 engine is merely a souped up version of the GTA3 engine.  That's simply not true.  It's a gound up rebuild and development otherwise it'd not have been delayed as they could have merely tweaked the old code to make it run on the ps3 and they wouldn't have delayed the launch as a result... 

That isn't to say that lazy coding practice might not have crept in or that rockstar aren't reusing code of aspects of the game or merely that an economic or time factor allowed the bug testing to fall by the way side.

I mean when was the last time you heard of the old sega type reliablity test of the machine being left on running a game for 200 hours plus in order to check for bugs ( the theory being that if it killed itself when effectively being unplayed then it was going to swandive in real use...) 



wishface said:


> That's all well and good, but I find it difficult to motivate myself to do the same things over and over for no real reward.



ok.... yet your playing a game where this is in essence a given ... shoot shoot nick car run shoot shoot some more police chase save rinse and repeat.... 



wishface said:


> Broadly I would agree. ALl I am saying is that SA had more innovation and GTA4 has very little relative. Your clothing options are extremely limited really (there's three clothing shops in Algonquin and two are exactly the same). You can't change your appearance at all and there are very very few side missions. This strikes me as strange. By comparison Saints Row got a kicking for being a GTA clone but has a lot of really fun elements and some really good ideas that GTA could have emulated: proper vehicle storage, buying food for use later, the side missions were really fun.



there are quite a few side missions it's up to you to find them ... it's a big place and it strikes me from the pigeon comment that maybe the whole runnign around exploring the sandbox type game isn't really your type of thing, it is in essence the ideal of the game... 

the clothing options are limited in single player however they are ever increasing as your wealth increases online. 

as for vehicle storage how many cars can you drive you mioght have a favourate but what happnes when that catches fire get jammed insom where is trashed or as i kept doign last night you take the precise wrong turn and end up in the bloody sea .... 

why the hell would you buy food this isn't a shopping simulator it's a petty crime and grand larceny game... 

and if i may saints row was utterly atrocious regardless of the good game mechanics it had with in it dimond covered shit is still shit... 



wishface said:


> Yes but there isn't much to explore in the city. That's the problem. Very little of it is actually interactive. In Saints Row for instance the shops had a day/night cycle. Enter a shop at night and you are breaking in allowing you to rob the safe. Here the shops just stay open 24/7.



this i was disappointed in however again i can see why it was written out of the game.  and tbh there's enough their to mean that it becomes less important and again it sounds like you haven't explored as much as you might as there are quite a few buildings with interiors which don't show up on the mapas key areas or sprit /mission areas... again it's about the exploreing of the sand box.

admitly one asepct which is worse and yet better is the open building door mechanism but you have the choice of the old code veronica ressie type 'glowing' key issues or you have the as they have done in this game the limited doesn't look much different to every other bloody door take a stab in the dark.... it's worse because you can spend fooking ages trying to get into a building although i like the doors have exit ont hem now if they are leading you outside rather than the old situation of running round in circles not being able to get out... 

the other aspect which is worse instead of better is the Chevrons for missions starts rather than the circles it's harder to spot them find them etc when going at a good turn of speed... cos they are the same colour as the road surface near enough... 



wishface said:


> The city is fantastic, but it isn't this massive next gen playground full of stuff to do at all.



then go online play 12 v 12 and say the same thing... really you are tlaking about 50% of the game the other 50% being 



wishface said:


> The pigeon thing doesn't interest me at all, it's stupid. There' sno way you are going to find 200 pigeons in tiny corners of the city nor do i care to try.


not if you're not that into the game but again the idea is it's a sandbox you explore the limits of it if that's not what you want to do then again you've missed a fundemenatl part of the games dynamic IMO




wishface said:


> I agree the police chase method is much better. But the fact remains there are much fewer side missions.



and yet this isn't relvant because some of those missions are actually an integral part of the online games.... 

if you're not playing it online then you are only playing 50% of the game and are missing out on some of the best asepcts of it to my mind... 



wishface said:


> The mini games are fun in their own right, but omitting them from the free roam mode was a huge mistake.



you have the option to tunr off your phone and explore and this gives you both the option to do the side missions and free roam....


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 8, 2008)

*pt2*



wishface said:


> I haven't said it's a bad game, far from it. I'm just surprised at the lack of interactivity with the city.



again online is where it's at in many ways i think this will proably be the last GTA with a solo play option... it may well become like warhawk which is all about the online play...



wishface said:


> I'd wait to see the quality of that content before buying if i were you; most XBL content is vastly overpriced, and this will be no exception, for very little.



ditto if they decide to patch it no doubt... i don't doubt however that by autum i'll be able to pick up a second hand copy for about £15 to £20... hell i'll bet game have proably got copies being returned now which have been compleated... 



wishface said:


> I'd like to think the 360 will get a patch. There are some issues that need fixing IMO. I do think driving needs to be re examined because vehicle handling really is out of kilter; cars spin out way too easily - even when you are used to it.



cars are fine really, they are different to the previous ones in that you cannot break and steer in the same time it's one or the other unless you are drviing the porsche or ferrari or aston martin copies in which case they are spot on but again i'm not having an issue with the driving, i was saying last night actually how 'realistic' the drvingin model is with the breaking/steering inablity and the manner in which the cars react in accidents... this is acutally head and shoulders above other drivign games particularlly things like the sterile annodine GT prolouge (POS game with no emtional attachment at all) or even the current class leader Burnout which is a little too cartoon in it's handleing...

again though if you are used to burnout then this will be a blessed relief in terms of driving experince....


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 8, 2008)

Barking_Mad said:


> if you think there's nothing of quality on the xbox (not sure why!) then getting a ps3 isn't going to help and won't anytime soon.



it's true actually tbh i play my box more than my ps3 and both more than the wii...  i love the wii but hell have they ever decided that they aren't going to release anything but kiddie games on it.... or contrived varients of other games oh nintendo and sony when will you learn ignore your european gamers at your peril...


----------



## Ranbay (May 8, 2008)

not read the whole thread, been playing this loads...

few cool things, 

burning out your tyres is Awesome !! 
driving over fire so they catch on fire then blow is also AWESOME
trying to ride a bike with onlt one front tyre is also awesome.

Carry on


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

Barking_Mad said:


> if you think there's nothing of quality on the xbox (not sure why!) then getting a ps3 isn't going to help and won't anytime soon.


Maybe not, all I know is that I've been deeply disappointed with 99% of everything I've played on the 360.


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

> sadly this is shown up as an area of large faults in the building as they have tried to make the visual render as intresting as possible and convincing but sadly this also means that you eyes are being mislead into the reality of the lay out.  however you can compensate for this by being aware of it...



Walk the path, Neo.




> I'd dispute that the GTA4 engine is merely a souped up version of the GTA3 engine.  That's simply not true.  It's a gound up rebuild and development otherwise it'd not have been delayed as they could have merely tweaked the old code to make it run on the ps3 and they wouldn't have delayed the launch as a result...



I wasn't really referring to the engine, but the game itself. Most of hte innovations from the past two games have been abandoned completely.



> ok.... yet your playing a game where this is in essence a given ... shoot shoot nick car run shoot shoot some more police chase save rinse and repeat....



Thats fine bt give me a context, a motive and a reward. At least with the old crazxy taxi style minigame approach, you were playing a little game. Here you drive a person to his destination - for very little $. That's it! No minigame, nothing. After a while it just becomes pointless since even the money is not worth it. Jacobs missions are ok, Brucies street races would be more fun if they were remotely challenging. I seem to recall the races in SA required you to have a specific car and were a lot harder. Here I turn up in a supercar and outrace a bunch of idiots in pickups!



> there are quite a few side missions it's up to you to find them ... it's a big place and it strikes me from the pigeon comment that maybe the whole runnign around exploring the sandbox type game isn't really your type of thing, it is in essence the ideal of the game...



It is my thing, but trying to find 199 small needles in a large haystack is not fun IMO. That's just tedious crap. I've never liked the find x objects on the map objectives in games; it's just simplistic and lazy. Give me some motive to do it at least.

If there are other side missions then fine, let me find them. If all there is is some meager racing, dropping of drugs and shooting crooks then that's not a whole lot, especially compared to past games. Saints Row had tons of side missions and they were all pretty engaging: the insurance scam ones were hilarious. You could even borrow money from loan sharks who'd harass you if you didn't pay them back! Here, you...can't. You can use the ATMs to see how much money you have (wtf for, just press down!), but that's it.



> the clothing options are limited in single player however they are ever increasing as your wealth increases online.



Yes, I know. Unfortunately the amount of money needed to unlock subsequent levels as you play online becomes stupid. Currently I need $20000+ to rank up online, considering I'm lucky if i get $1000 a match and don't play more than a few matches a day it's going to take a fucking long time (Saints Row was, disappointingly, the same).



> as for vehicle storage how many cars can you drive you mioght have a favourate but what happnes when that catches fire get jammed insom where is trashed or as i kept doign last night you take the precise wrong turn and end up in the bloody sea ....



It respawns in the garage. Simple enough. 



> why the hell would you buy food this isn't a shopping simulator it's a petty crime and grand larceny game...



food heals you. Why do you think you can buy hotdogs from street vendors and burgers from fast food joints?



> and if i may saints row was utterly atrocious regardless of the good game mechanics it had with in it dimond covered shit is still shit...



I thought it was a good game with a lot of good ideas actually, unfairly compared to GTA. Whether or not you liked it is immaterial.



> this i was disappointed in however again i can see why it was written out of the game.  and tbh there's enough their to mean that it becomes less important and again it sounds like you haven't explored as much as you might as there are quite a few buildings with interiors which don't show up on the mapas key areas or sprit /mission areas... again it's about the exploreing of the sand box.



I know there are buildings you can go in, you just can't do fuck all in them.



> the other aspect which is worse instead of better is the Chevrons for missions starts rather than the circles it's harder to spot them find them etc when going at a good turn of speed... cos they are the same colour as the road surface near enough...



I agree.



> then go online play 12 v 12 and say the same thing... really you are tlaking about 50% of the game the other 50% being



the city is no more interactive online than it is offline. Less so. And I'm not talking about the multiplayer aspect either.



> not if you're not that into the game but again the idea is it's a sandbox you explore the limits of it if that's not what you want to do then again you've missed a fundemenatl part of the games dynamic IMO



So name one thing I have missed from not exploring then?



> and yet this isn't relvant because some of those missions are actually an integral part of the online games....
> 
> if you're not playing it online then you are only playing 50% of the game and are missing out on some of the best asepcts of it to my mind...



I don't know what you mean here. None of the single player missions have anything to do with the online portion of the game, as I understand it.


----------



## Crispy (May 8, 2008)

Thing is, the list of exclusives (on either platform) is really pretty short. The multiplatform titles are identical, or slightly better on one platform or the other (usually, the 360 so far). I guess if one of the exclusives is on your "must must play at any costs" list, then that should swing you. Otherwise, be happy with what you've got, it won't get any better.


----------



## jæd (May 8, 2008)

Amazon said:
			
		

> Items dispatched on 8 May 2008:
> Delivery estimate: 9 May 2008
> 1 package via Royal Mail
> 
> ...



YAAAAY....!


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

> again online is where it's at in many ways i think this will proably be the last GTA with a solo play option... it may well become like warhawk which is all about the online play...



No bloody chance! Online is fun, but not without it's issues (and idiots). No way will this sustain in the long run.



> ditto if they decide to patch it no doubt... i don't doubt however that by autum i'll be able to pick up a second hand copy for about £15 to £20... hell i'll bet game have proably got copies being returned now which have been compleated...



for which they will charge abotu two quid less preowned than for the game new.



> cars are fine really, they are different to the previous ones in that you cannot break and steer in the same time it's one or the other unless you are drviing the porsche or ferrari or aston martin copies in which case they are spot on but again i'm not having an issue with the driving, i was saying last night actually how 'realistic' the drvingin model is with the breaking/steering inablity and the manner in which the cars react in accidents... this is acutally head and shoulders above other drivign games particularlly things like the sterile annodine GT prolouge (POS game with no emtional attachment at all) or even the current class leader Burnout which is a little too cartoon in it's handleing...



This has nothing to do with Burnout. The vehicle handling in this is not realistic and is hampered by being overly sharp. Turning on the bike is extremely awkward since the bike will automatically 'flip' the opposite way once you come out of a turn. Cars spin out all the time regardless. It's too much.


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

well if the ps3 is no better then there you go.


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## Crispy (May 8, 2008)

The driving just requires practice. You can't throw the car into a perfect right hand turn from full speed, but slowing down first, being light with the handbrake and not cramming the accelerator down as you skid all make a difference.


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## ruffneck23 (May 8, 2008)

Crispy said:


> The driving just requires practice. You can't throw the car into a perfect right hand turn from full speed, but slowing down first, being light with the handbrake and not cramming the accelerator down as you skid all make a difference.



hmmm just like real driving then ?


----------



## Crispy (May 8, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> hmmm just like real driving then ?


Whaddayaknow?


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

Um, Carmen's ability...does nothing!

Call her up, half dead and pissing blood and she belats on about pressing the wound and...nothing! I'm dying bitch, fucking help me, stop talking about yourself in the third person!

WTF?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 8, 2008)

are u ever happy?


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

what does that have to do with the price of fish?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 8, 2008)

dunno , just seems like ur not very happy in general , with a load of inconsequencial rage towards the world from what i can tell from seeing u on here

maybe get a haobby ? girlfriend perhaps ?


----------



## wishface (May 8, 2008)

You can tell rage from an internet post? Impressive. And telling me to 'get a girlfriend' too? GO YOU!


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 8, 2008)

tell you anything have i ? 

haw haw i think youre great !!


----------



## agricola (May 8, 2008)

As an aside, is Michelle getting on everyone elses tits or is it just me?  Compliments for my just-off-the-boat peasant clothes, condemnation for the very sharp and very expensive suit.  I know they have striven for realism with GTA IV but a gf who does your head in is a step too far IMHO.


----------



## wishface (May 9, 2008)

She does evolve, but unfortunately she is also relly pointless until that point. I don't know why they thought that continually having to take her out and continually having some puerile sex moment would be fun (for anyone over 13) woudl be fun.


----------



## al (May 9, 2008)

agricola said:


> As an aside, is Michelle getting on everyone elses tits or is it just me?  Compliments for my just-off-the-boat peasant clothes, condemnation for the very sharp and very expensive suit.  I know they have striven for realism with GTA IV but a gf who does your head in is a step too far IMHO.




I completely ignore her now - she dissed the suit!

will there be any recriminations or is there the chance to get a new model?


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 9, 2008)

you will see her again.........


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## XR75 (May 9, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> dunno , just seems like ur not very happy in general , with a load of inconsequencial rage towards the world from what i can tell from seeing u on here



Or dissatisfied with the meagre upgrades in gameplay.


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## ruffneck23 (May 9, 2008)

i wasnt but just talking about this thread !


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## wishface (May 9, 2008)

XR75 said:


> Or dissatisfied with the meagre upgrades in gameplay.



occams razor ftw!


----------



## jcsd (May 9, 2008)

My opinions are, after a few single player missions: 

In terms of realism this GTA is light years ahead of the other GTAs

Having played GTA III, GTA:VC, GTA:SA, GTA:LCS and Saints Row to death, there's not a great deal new under the sun in terms of gameplay. But I've yet to get very far on SP or try MP.

The targetting system is crap. Always has been since GTA III though (not that GTA II had a targetting system).

Overall defintely worth playing, one of the best games on any platform at the mont, but not sure if it will be one of the classics of the series like GTA III or GTA:VC.


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## Crispy (May 10, 2008)

Turn the targetting off and use free aim. Feels much more like a real shooter, although it's annoying when you're too close to an object.


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## wishface (May 10, 2008)

I kept free aim on in SP; i have no desire to get frustrated by missions because I couldn't see where the guy shooting me was. So many missions when it all kicks off it's very hard to actually see your target so free aim saves me from going mental as the restart mission option is really fiucking useless (hint: take me back to the start of hte mission, not the fucking cutscene).

As for realism; well, the cops just suddenly stop chasing you and your wanted level ends if you compelte a mission. This is really jarring when you are belting down the freeway openly shooting other cars with three police cars on your tail. To have them suddenly just stop as if you vanished into thin air isn't what I'd call realistic.

It's this lack of attention to detail that bothers me. It's a next gen game ffs. 

And, having read a few discussions about DLC and whatnot, I'm starting to get concerned that there's a lot of stuff that should have been in the game, and may well be on the disc, that has been reserved for DLC. THis means that a £45 game beomes a £55+ game.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 10, 2008)

wishface said:


> She does evolve, but unfortunately she is also relly pointless until that point. I don't know why they thought that continually having to take her out and continually having some puerile sex moment would be fun (for anyone over 13) woudl be fun.



cos it's hilariously bad... 

the bitch. 

fucking can't wait to cap her...

grrrrrrrr all that effort too....


still haven't done the next mission on that and am snubbing her phone calls ...

but she still won't take the hint...


----------



## wishface (May 10, 2008)

Carmen deserves death more. She is beyond fucking irritating. I can think of a thousand ways to ice her ass and all of them would  not be enough - and her ability doesn't work. Anyone who talks about themslves in the third person shoudl be killed.


----------



## DotCommunist (May 12, 2008)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/may/12/games



> The one thing everyone knows about Grand Theft Auto is that you can kill prostitutes in it. That's because it's a "sandbox" game in which you can kill anyone you like. Or you can not kill them. Or you can simply drive around slowly, obeying the traffic lights. If you break the law and the in-game police spot you, they'll hunt you down and nab you. Murdering innocent people is neither a) encouraged, b) free of consequence, or c) any more realistic than a Tex Avery cartoon. Nonetheless, Keith Vaz MP is probably standing on his roof screaming for a ban right now, confidently telling the world's press that Grand Theft Auto IV is a dedicated, ultra-realistic prostitute-murdering simulator aimed exclusively at easily corruptible three-year-olds.
> He means well, possibly. But he's ignorant. The irony is that every time I read some dumb anti-gaming proclamation by Vaz and co, I get so angry I have to fire up GTA IV and shoot 29 pedestrians in the face just to vent the frustration they've caused. Thank God these games exist, or I would be taking it out on real people.



many lols


----------



## wishface (May 12, 2008)

Anyone else dating Kiki? She's fucked up!


----------



## wtfftw (May 12, 2008)

wishface said:


> And, having read a few discussions about DLC and whatnot, I'm starting to get concerned that there's a lot of stuff that should have been in the game, and may well be on the disc, that has been reserved for DLC. THis means that a £45 game beomes a £55+ game.



I'm hardly a gamer (DS is as far as I go) but I'm visibly narked D) at all this DLC stuff. How long have games been doing this? free updates and extras would be fine obviously.


----------



## wishface (May 13, 2008)

Seems to be a common practise for the 360; that's all I know. M$ charge for everything - even a teeny tiny little avatar for your 360 profile. Some stuff eventually becomes free, but only a long way down the road. What will be the case for GTA is anyone's guess but seeing as the supposed DLC initially is supposed to be a 10 hour story expansion of some kind, it won't be cheap. Depending on the depth of that content it may be worth it as an expansion. Personally I'm not overly bothered about more story per se, i'd rather see more content to the city especially for online gameplay (some of which really needs patching).


----------



## al (May 16, 2008)

I did a complete, ramp-to-ramp backflip on a voodoo bike the other day.

That made me so happy, I'm going to have to try for the double on a pcj at some time...


----------



## Crispy (May 16, 2008)

3 leaf clover is fun 
3rd island here I come! (I think I can steal a helicopter now)


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 16, 2008)

motherfucking bank mission 4 days god dammit why are packies group so fucking stupid...  GET IN THE MOTHER FUCKING CAR YOU FUCKING TWATS


----------



## Crispy (May 16, 2008)

try finally escaping the 5 stars in a smoking SUV with burst tyres, then nudging a kerb, bursting into flame and having those guys mince around the car so they can be exploded while I run away >_<


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 17, 2008)

Crispy said:


> try finally escaping the 5 stars in a smoking SUV with burst tyres, then nudging a kerb, bursting into flame and having those guys mince around the car so they can be exploded while I run away >_<



yup tried that that bastards gah gta has always done this the fucking charchter missions where they tag along are like trying to push a wanton elephant in a direction he doesn't want to go...

for god's sake rockstar please i know you've spent lots of time making the pretty animations of the avartars getting in and out of the cars but jesus christ can you not just make the story charachters follow directly the actions of the avatar even if that means we forsake prettiness and they magically appear inside the car after we get in ... 

also as the game gets towards the end of the final island is anyone else experinceing longer load times as the data loaded seems to be considerably more.   And either i have been playing in too louch a manner or after the 4 th island the collision detection seems to get considerably worse.

however online aside from the cut outs in comms is still good allthough the lag is sometime horrific...


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

Online needs serious patching. Racing is dominated by luck and stupidity (though i guess you can't patch either). They have provided a lobby system where the host can be voted out by the other players (something the stupid americans seem to have started doing for kicks), despite actually being the, um, host. I also resent having to acquire a fuckton of cash in order to unlock some clothing options for my avatar. I've always hated this sort of thing, the cash requirements are unbelievably high (i need $150k for level 5!) and the rewards unbelievably low. I just don't see the point of this at all. 

In all seriousness though I just wish there was more to do beyond the main missions. They really have taken all the stuff from previous games out (presumably to make way for the online component). This for me is a real shame. I also seriously hope that next time around they ditch the Sims element; wetnursing my 'fwiends' and my 'girlfriend' is so utterly shit that I can only assume they did it for a laugh. I cannot believe anyone in development actually thought having to constatnly nursemaid these people was fun. It isn't. At all.

Really GTA4 is much the same as GTA3 but with better graphics. It lacks the innovativeness of SA (and the content as well as the epic, crazy storyline) and has all the same problems that every GTA game ever had: camera, glitches, driving, aiming (to a lesser extent admittedly), etc. They are all here, which is odd really.


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> motherfucking bank mission 4 days god dammit why are packies group so fucking stupid...  GET IN THE MOTHER FUCKING CAR YOU FUCKING TWATS


they also have a tendency to take up positions in cover so you can't.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 17, 2008)

wishface said:


> Online needs serious patching. Racing is dominated by luck and stupidity (though i guess you can't patch either). They have provided a lobby system where the host can be voted out by the other players (something the stupid americans seem to have started doing for kicks), despite actually being the, um, host. I also resent having to acquire a fuckton of cash in order to unlock some clothing options for my avatar. I've always hated this sort of thing, the cash requirements are unbelievably high (i need $150k for level 5!) and the rewards unbelievably low. I just don't see the point of this at all.
> 
> In all seriousness though I just wish there was more to do beyond the main missions. They really have taken all the stuff from previous games out (presumably to make way for the online component). This for me is a real shame. I also seriously hope that next time around they ditch the Sims element; wetnursing my 'fwiends' and my 'girlfriend' is so utterly shit that I can only assume they did it for a laugh. I cannot believe anyone in development actually thought having to constatnly nursemaid these people was fun. It isn't. At all.
> 
> Really GTA4 is much the same as GTA3 but with better graphics. It lacks the innovativeness of SA (and the content as well as the epic, crazy storyline) and has all the same problems that every GTA game ever had: camera, glitches, driving, aiming (to a lesser extent admittedly), etc. They are all here, which is odd really.


at the risk of sounding like a broken record are you sure you get the game.

either that or the eggsbox version is full of holes which aren't there in the ps3 verison. 

i guess i'll find out when the DLC comes through as i'll get it then for the box. 

team mafia business is the way forward online in order to stump up cash 10 mins a lot of fun and around $1500 for your efforts no hassle no buggering around we did a 30 mins mafia the other day and earned a ton of cash.

Perhaps it's cos i'm in a clan so we have suffient numbers to ensure balanced teams and we have the organiseation to be able to have a sniper a bag man a driver a pilot etc that makes online a joy.

again whilst changing clothes is an instresting side line i'm not really intrested in a simulation shopping game so it's not bothered me that the shopping options aren't fantastic. 

as for the other things than the main sotry missions there's loads you just need to look.  

anyone got to the top of brooklyn bridge yet


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

> at the risk of sounding like a broken record are you sure you get the game.
> 
> either that or the eggsbox version is full of holes which aren't there in the ps3 verison.



well if you are talking about the ps3 version then you aren't really going to be able to comment on what i said.



> team mafia business is the way forward online in order to stump up cash 10 mins a lot of fun and around $1500 for your efforts no hassle no buggering around we did a 30 mins mafia the other day and earned a ton of cash.



Hangmans NOOSE nets $4k in 2 minutes. Either way I have no desire to do the same thing over and over and over just to rank up. That's what people are doing. It's a shame really they couldn't come up with something more user friendly. I don't care about ranks per se, only the clothing options.



> Perhaps it's cos i'm in a clan so we have suffient numbers to ensure balanced teams and we have the organiseation to be able to have a sniper a bag man a driver a pilot etc that makes online a joy.



Perhaps it is. I'm getting sick of playing with random american bigots and screaming children.



> as for the other things than the main sotry missions there's loads you just need to look.


such as?


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 17, 2008)

wishface said:


> well if you are talking about the ps3 version then you aren't really going to be able to comment on what i said.


yes i am this isn't a platform exclusive thread. thanks all the same it's about the game and the game bar some minor insignificant differences is the same. 



wishface said:


> Hangmans NOOSE nets $4k in 2 minutes. Either way I have no desire to do the same thing over and over and over just to rank up. That's what people are doing. It's a shame really they couldn't come up with something more user friendly. I don't care about ranks per se, only the clothing options.


right so you want a shopping game not a cops and robbers game fine but this isn't a shopping game, you weren't ever going to be overwhelmed. 

again you seem to be missing the point of the game entirely.  do you understand all online gaming can be reduced to you do this you do that then you do it again.  that really isn't what is jkey it's the fun you have whilst doing those things 





wishface said:


> Perhaps it is. I'm getting sick of playing with random american bigots and screaming children.


joy of the eggsbox.

i think in many ways sony did something unexpected with their price points but it essentially meant that more adults than children bought the ps3 due to the sheer cost of it meaning there's significantly fewer whining brats on coms and you can always mute them.



wishface said:


> such as?



killing pigeons getting cars for brucie races findding the hidden weapons climbing most of the buildings not to mention the free roam buiggering around and sillyness which means that when ever it loads up you can entirely dictate the pace of your game whether it's to go do the story missions of whether it's to see ho high your wanted level can get and then seeing if you can get an fbi car back to your safehouse and save up before bing exicuted ....  you can go bowling any time play snooker etc etc it's not the games fault if you can't be arsed to do any of these things.

tbh mate you'd be better off with another game why not take it back and swap it for something you like, and can play.


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

> right so you want a shopping game not a cops and robbers game fine but this isn't a shopping game, you weren't ever going to be overwhelmed.



Shopping game? wtf?

Side missions = shopping how?

What I want is the same breadth of content that SA had, or that Saints Row had (and that game also had multiplayer, which wasn't bad at all, if buggy).



> again you seem to be missing the point of the game entirely.  do you understand all online gaming can be reduced to you do this you do that then you do it again.  that really isn't what is jkey it's the fun you have whilst doing those things



Missing the point of the game, how? 

I didn't say playing Hangmans NOOSe endlessly was fun, i said that's how you level up quickly and thats what people are doing. If you think i spend my time doing that misswion 20 times an hour then you are quite wrong.



> joy of the eggsbox.
> 
> i think in many ways sony did something unexpected with their price points but it essentially meant that more adults than children bought the ps3 due to the sheer cost of it meaning there's significantly fewer whining brats on coms and you can always mute them.



Believe me I DO mute them (you can't once youre in the game though). I have no desire to spend my time listening to some redneck fuck talk about how all black people are shit because one of them raped his sister, or how british peopel shouldn't play american games like GTA (insert rolleyes here).

The game also has a lobby system wherein these idiots can and do vote out the host just because!

Joy indeed. 



> tbh mate you'd be better off with another game why not take it back and swap it for something you like, and can play.



I do like the game. I just don't understand why they took out so much from the previous game and i hope they patch online gaming (racing is just luck based right now given the lag and the fact that when the pack hits the first turn you will be shunted and smashed right off the map).


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 17, 2008)

wishface said:


> Shopping game? wtf?
> 
> Side missions = shopping how?



read it again. 



wishface said:


> What I want is the same breadth of content that SA had, or that Saints Row had (and that game also had multiplayer, which wasn't bad at all, if buggy).



saints row was one of the most awful games in the history of gaming coming only a close second to the movie spin off games... 

besides which it's like saying it's not COD4 for all the relevance it has...



wishface said:


> Missing the point of the game, how?



i dunno as an old skool gamer i tend to play the game within it's limits as it was designed flaws and all i don't seek to berate the manufactures coders or programmers for it, and there are flaws in the game play but a decent gamer learns to use this within the parameters of the game as they are as much an integril part of it as anything else.

time in time out on this thread you are ralling against the game because it hasn't lived up to your expectations of what it should be rarely have we seen a post praising what it does well or how you are coping with the game dynamic. 

It's like someone's told you to watch some art house polish movie and you understand nothing of it aren't intrested in it but feel obligated to continue watching because everyone else is or some other equally spurious reason. 

you don't seem to be enjoying playing a game then it's proably best if you stop and play something you do enjoy, rather than continuing to waste time and energy with some thing you don't like. 



wishface said:


> I didn't say playing Hangmans NOOSe endlessly was fun, i said that's how you level up quickly and thats what people are doing. If you think i spend my time doing that misswion 20 times an hour then you are quite wrong.



if your time is such a commodity and you are racing to get to the end of the game and compleate it then again i'm not sure you get the concept of it as a form of entertainment you certainly aren't coming accorss as being entertained by it.  Again replay value is excellent in the online stakes and you are missing out not playing with people who clearly you aren't having fun with.





wishface said:


> Believe me I DO mute them (you can't once youre in the game though). I have no desire to spend my time listening to some redneck fuck talk about how all black people are shit because one of them raped his sister, or how british peopel shouldn't play american games like GTA (insert rolleyes here).



you can do it in game bring up the phone scroll down to players select mute  and volia muted. 



wishface said:


> The game also has a lobby system wherein these idiots can and do vote out the host just because!



yes but as it takes all players in the lobby to cast a vote perhaps there is a single common denominator here 




wishface said:


> I do like the game. I just don't understand why they took out so much from the previous game and i hope they patch online gaming (racing is just luck based right now given the lag and the fact that when the pack hits the first turn you will be shunted and smashed right off the map).



again it's a problem with playing with people who aren't you mates i guess... 

there's enoguh urbs with a box who i'm sure would play online with you which might introduce you to a whole new experince of the game playing with people you know or are friends with.

LDR and i spent nearly an hour in a private party recently shooting shit out of each other no game mode nothing just pissing around really cos it was fun.  something you seemed to have distilled out of your game play exeperince. 


tbh honest your constant carping about it only seems to highlight you aren't enjoying your experince at all. hence the get another game comment.


----------



## Crispy (May 17, 2008)

calm down.

I played a bit of online with wishface the other day it was good fun


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 17, 2008)

Crispy said:


> calm down.
> 
> I played a bit of online with wishface the other day it was good fun



were they moaning then ....

i'm not mad it's jsut facey doesn't seem to be enjoying the game like they have been set this as a detention or summit


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> were they moaning then ....
> 
> i'm not mad it's jsut facey doesn't seem to be enjoying the game like they have been set this as a detention or summit


No, they could have done more with it rather than take stuff out. For instance, if one less radio station or TV show, lapdance or comedy show means more actual playable content than = win. The cabaret skits re amusing but i can't play them. What would have been better would have been more actual playable content. It just strikes me as odd they have taken so much out, and really when you look at it, that's what they have done.


----------



## Crispy (May 17, 2008)

Well, the content for this gen of consoles does take a lot more time and money. Also, what with getting to grips with a new engine etc. - I suspect the GTA4 sequels will expand on the gameplay, much like the GTA3 sequels did.


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

> saints row was one of the most awful games in the history of gaming coming only a close second to the movie spin off games...



pffft. 

I liked it, and I think it got a raw deal as everyone couldn't get past the gta comparisons (which are stupid). It has a lot of depth and the multiplayer held up well (pimp my ride is a fun mode). Th side missions were well thought out and the city was about the right size. The fact that the game differentiated between day and night more than cosmetically was also well done and added something to the game. And TBH while GTA is a good game, it could have done worse than learn from SR. I'm very curious to see what they do with the sequel. 

However i have no idea what it's like on the ps3.



> besides which it's like saying it's not COD4 for all the relevance it has...



I think it's very relevant.



> i dunno as an old skool gamer i tend to play the game within it's limits as it was designed flaws and all i don't seek to berate the manufactures coders or programmers for it, and there are flaws in the game play but a decent gamer learns to use this within the parameters of the game as they are as much an integril part of it as anything else.



No one is berating the manufacturers. But i do think that erally Rockstar have kinda rested on their laurels a bit; i mean anythign with gta on the box is a guaranteed sell so its an easy thing to do.



> if your time is such a commodity and you are racing to get to the end of the game and compleate it then again i'm not sure you get the concept of it as a form of entertainment you certainly aren't coming accorss as being entertained by it.  Again replay value is excellent in the online stakes and you are missing out not playing with people who clearly you aren't having fun with.



I'm not in a rush to complete it at all, that's kinda the point.



> you can do it in game bring up the phone scroll down to players select mute  and volia muted.



only if you know who is speaking. the game doesn't highlight the user as he talks, like with CoD for instance.



> yes but as it takes all players in the lobby to cast a vote perhaps there is a single common denominator here



The host shouldn't be bootable at all; if he's a dick then leave. It's the host prerogative to set a game he wants to play and not be booted out because everyone else is whinging that they aren't getting their way (ie playing the same old game over and over).

It's also very hard to setup a game outside of party mode since you are automatically put into existing games and only create your own where none exist.


----------



## tommers (May 17, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Well, the content for this gen of consoles does take a lot more time and money. Also, what with getting to grips with a new engine etc. - I suspect the GTA4 sequels will expand on the gameplay, much like the GTA3 sequels did.



you mean they'll release the same game four times again?


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

that's why i mention Saints Row, because it does have content and it's next gen. 

A game with the best of both worlds would have been the best. But I think GTA eschewed too much in favour of the graphical content. Yes it's amazing that people throw litter as they walk or randomly make cellphone calls or whatever, but does it really add to the game experience?

It's like San Andreas, the siuze of the map didn't contribute to the gameplay. Liberty City is much smaller and better for it.  It's what you do with it. For instance, what's the point of having two Perseus clothing shops in Algonquin. They are both the same?


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

Crispy said:


> calm down.
> 
> I played a bit of online with wishface the other day it was good fun



damn cops!


----------



## dlx1 (May 17, 2008)

> rumor
> PC version of the game will be launched in Europe in October 2008.


----------



## hendo (May 17, 2008)

tommers said:


> you mean they'll release the same game four times again?



This would be the fourth time it's worked for them!


----------



## The Groke (May 17, 2008)

wishface said:


> that's why i mention Saints Row, because it does have content and it's next gen.




So what content do you actually _want_ in GTA IV that isn't in it then?


----------



## The Groke (May 17, 2008)

wishface said:


> Anyone else dating Kiki? She's fucked up!



No I dumped her.....didn't seem to be going anywhere really.

Kept dating Carmen as her ability was pretty useful and she did appreciate being taken to a lap dancing club....



GarfieldLeChat said:


> motherfucking bank mission 4 days god dammit why are packies group so fucking stupid...  GET IN THE MOTHER FUCKING CAR YOU FUCKING TWATS





Crispy said:


> try finally escaping the 5 stars in a smoking SUV with burst tyres, then nudging a kerb, bursting into flame and having those guys mince around the car so they can be exploded while I run away >_<



You see it is weird how everyone seems to have different experiences and suffers on different missions - I guess that really is the sandbox element at work....!

I was all for throwing my controller through the screen the 5th time I attempted Snow Storm and then, expecting the worst on the 3 Leaf Clover (bank job) mission, I got through first time without really much of a struggle....


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 17, 2008)

that's the point though isn't it it's a game with it's sandbox in place it's up to you how you find it or develope it (obviously with in the context of the game) which is why i really don't understand facey's problem with the game...

no one will have played through the game like anyone else so if you're finding the game dull, it has to be the way it's being played.


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> So what content do you actually _want_ in GTA IV that isn't in it then?


more side missions like the delivery burglary pimp crazy taxi (not roman's shitty taxi missions) from before, then you can have the insurance scam missions from saints row. 

i would also remove the fucking dating/friends element. It just sucks balls. big BIG balls.

make use of the city, not leave it empty.

and give us something to do with all the money we earn in SP. Other than guns, what can you do with it? I've brought all the clothes and I still have over 250k!


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

Swarfega said:


> No I dumped her.....didn't seem to be going anywhere really.
> 
> Kept dating Carmen as her ability was pretty useful and she did appreciate being taken to a lap dancing club....



I did the opposite, although Kiki's ability seems to work randomly. SOmetimes she can help, other times tough shit. 

Carmen's ability OTOH did nothing at all, ever. So i told her to fuck off; her constant use of the third person winds me up more than Kiki's horrific obsessiveness (it's funny at first, but after a while the constant text messages are just annoying).


----------



## wishface (May 17, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> that's the point though isn't it it's a game with it's sandbox in place it's up to you how you find it or develope it (obviously with in the context of the game) which is why i really don't understand facey's problem with the game...
> 
> no one will have played through the game like anyone else so if you're finding the game dull, it has to be the way it's being played.


well come on that's not entirely true is it; there's only so much you can do in any game. They all have limits. Once you've accomplished stuff there ain't much point doing it again. I've done all Brucies street races (which are absurdly easy) so i cn't see any reason to do them again. I have no interest in repeating them 20 times just go get an achievement, and I don't need the money. That to me is a limit right there. Maybe if the races were more challenging, but they are just a joke - show up in a Banshee and you can't lose.


----------



## T & P (May 18, 2008)

I was going to start a new thread to ask the following question, but come to think of it I probably can have it answered here (sorry for the slight derail). 

I'm relatively new to gaming, only having bought my first console earlier this year. Having heard so much about GTA IV I'm tempted to buy it and see what all the fuss is about. My question was, will I be missing on too much if I start playing IV directly? Should I play the first three instalments of the game first? I'm not a meticulous gamer and so long as I get a general idea of what's going on I'm happy, but I wouldn't want to buy this and then find out I've no clue what's going on.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (May 18, 2008)

You can buy this without playing the earlier versions.


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 18, 2008)

ARGGGHHH !!! red ring of death  , a bit of advice needed reallly , as my machine is well out of warranty ( plus its modded ) has anyone ever heard of an external place in s.london that can fix it rather then getting told ot f off from M$? if it comes to it il just get a new unmodded box , however id like to find a cheaper option.....

help please


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 18, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> ARGGGHHH !!! red ring of death  , a bit of advice needed reallly , as my machine is well out of warranty ( plus its modded ) has anyone ever heard of an external place in s.london that can fix it rather then getting told ot f off from M$? if it comes to it il just get a new unmodded box , however id like to find a cheaper option.....
> 
> help please



i can fix it.

in fact so can you pm me you email addy i'll send you a 10 step or so pdf with info on how to sort it.

it's no where near as bad as you think but it'll take about 4 hours to sort, oh and buy some thermal paste from a computer shop and some screws (4 of them) ...


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 18, 2008)

pm on its way , nice one


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 18, 2008)

to anyone who get's the red ring please get the following from B&Q and you will be preparred to repair it yourself if your machine can't go back to the shop under the 3 year warrenty. 

If you can replace it via the place you bought it then you should however if not pm me you email addy and i'll send you the instructions.

Item 
T8 Torx Screwdriver 1 cost £3.00 
T10 Torx Screwdriver 1 £3.00 
5mm Flat washers (B&Q avf-064968) 1 £1.30 
5mm x0.8x10 machine screws (B&Q avf-069918) 1 £1.30 
Arctic Silver Thermal Compound 1 £4.50 
Thin Terminal Screwdriver 1 £1.00 
Wooden Skewer or similar (must be THIN) 1 £0.50 

total cost should be around £17.60


----------



## wishface (May 18, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> ARGGGHHH !!! red ring of death  , a bit of advice needed reallly , as my machine is well out of warranty ( plus its modded ) has anyone ever heard of an external place in s.london that can fix it rather then getting told ot f off from M$? if it comes to it il just get a new unmodded box , however id like to find a cheaper option.....
> 
> help please


do you got a proof of purchase?

EDIT: if modded, then sorry i can't help.


----------



## wishface (May 18, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> to anyone who get's the red ring please get the following from B&Q and you will be preparred to repair it yourself if your machine can't go back to the shop under the 3 year warrenty.
> 
> If you can replace it via the place you bought it then you should however if not pm me you email addy and i'll send you the instructions.
> 
> ...


what the fuckety what the fuck?


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 18, 2008)

wishface said:


> what the fuckety what the fuck?



to solve the red ring of death you simply need to reseat the heat sink on top of the cpu the machine shuts down to prevent heat damge to the cpu when the little pastic washers warp under the heat generated on the heat sink and cpu it lifts off the cpu this then has no heat sink it over heats the warning senor kicks in and shuts down the egg'sbox giving the infamous red rings of death (now with this info the red rings of fuckt hats 4 hours worth of repairs i'm not getting back in my life...)

all you need do is take apart the machine and reseat the heat sink using the thermal paste and of course the screws to keep it in place and stuff it all back in there and volia job done. working 360 again. it's that simple. 

it's and aside really from thsi thread but i guess it's helpful to have this info on this thread for you 360 owners out there who don't know this and have modded your console etc, so couldn't get it repaired via warrenty or conversely for your refference as you might need it in future...


----------



## ruffneck23 (May 18, 2008)

cool im off to b&q n maplins in a bit


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 18, 2008)

ruffneck23 said:


> cool im off to b&q n maplins in a bit



good good   worse case senario bring it round to mine and i'll sort it... but i'm in norf east lundun.


----------



## Crispy (May 18, 2008)

Your machine is not out of MS's 3 year warranty for the red ring problem. They will fix it for you, for free, including shipping. Go on www.xobox.co.uk and go through the support section.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 18, 2008)

Crispy said:


> Your machine is not out of MS's 3 year warranty for the red ring problem. They will fix it for you, for free, including shipping. Go on www.xobox.co.uk and go through the support section.



read again it's chipped it's well out of warrenty...


----------



## Crispy (May 18, 2008)

oh, chipped  that invalidates the warranty, but if it _wasn't_ chipped, it would still be covered.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 18, 2008)

Crispy said:


> oh, chipped  that invalidates the warranty, but if it _wasn't_ chipped, it would still be covered.



yup

hence the alternative option for those naughty peoples who might other wise have an expensive paper weight.  

It should be noted however that neither myself nor urban75 nor crispy condon the practice of illegally modifying your games console in any manner.  and indeed doing so might invalidate your warrenty and could also be a violation of local laws.


----------



## keybored (May 18, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> Wooden Skewer or similar (must be THIN) 1 £0.50



^I think I saw a laptop on Ebay fixed with one of these once.


----------



## keybored (May 18, 2008)

Crispy said:


> oh, chipped  that invalidates the warranty, but if it _wasn't_ chipped, it would still be covered.



"Chipped" isn't really the right description for a modded X-box as there is no chip involved, just a firmware flash on the DVD drive.
Even if modified, if you kept the orig.bin file you can flash the DVD drive back to its pre-modded state.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 19, 2008)

keypulse said:


> ^I think I saw a laptop on Ebay fixed with one of these once.



was it a bargin 

it's for spreading the thermal paste in this case rather than holding the thing together...


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (May 19, 2008)

keypulse said:


> "Chipped" isn't really the right description for a modded X-box as there is no chip involved, just a firmware flash on the DVD drive.
> Even if modified, if you kept the orig.bin file you can flash the DVD drive back to its pre-modded state.



well you could if the red rings didn't stop your machine from beign killed off...


----------



## keybored (May 19, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> well you could if the red rings didn't stop your machine from beign killed off...



Red rings or not you can. Even if the 360 was totally bricked and no power was getting to the drive you can hook up the drive to the PC's power supply (it's better to do this anyway to avoid noise on the SATA cable during the flashing procedure).


----------



## mk12 (Jun 1, 2008)

wishface said:


> and give us something to do with all the money we earn in SP. Other than guns, what can you do with it? I've brought all the clothes and I still have over 250k!



I do think this is a good idea. Why can't they give you access to estate agents, where you can buy a nice house. Or buy a nice car? Or buy a bar/restaurant which you run which brings in a constant stream of money?


----------



## wishface (Jun 1, 2008)

It would be so easy to include something like that, and then you can deal with rival gangs trying to muscle in.

I completed the story with the game at 83% completion and got very bored so I traded it in. (sorry Crispy )

Once the story's done, there really isn't much left to compel.


----------



## Flashman (Jun 1, 2008)

"Revenge" took me fucking ages. Anyone do "Deal" and what was that like? Think I've got a save somewhere I'll do it one day. Currently doing the Assassin missions then I'm off looking for the Rat Air Force, which will take a while.

Still got all the GTA games doubt I'll ever trade them in, nice to revisit sometimes especially Vice Citeh.


----------



## Crispy (Jun 1, 2008)

No need to apologise. We got rock band and gta hasn't had a look in since


----------



## hendo (Jun 3, 2008)

The bloke from Wired describes why I love this game.


----------



## Utopia (Jun 4, 2008)

hendo said:


> The bloke from Wired describes why I love this game.



Right on brother 

Anyone shot any pigeons yet!, very satisfying indeed


----------



## Gromit (Jun 4, 2008)

I love the dry humour in the game such as when Niko says such thing like "I'm fucking touched" when invited to be on the visitor list if Packi ever goes to prison.


----------



## keybored (Jun 4, 2008)

Marius said:


> I love the dry humour in the game such as when Niko says such thing like "I'm fucking touched" when invited to be on the visitor list if Packi ever goes to prison.



After trying unsuccessfully to hail 4 cabs a few days ago he was heard to mumble "I see my invisibility pills are working well today".


----------



## loud 1 (Jun 4, 2008)

found the glitch yet?
http://videotutorialspot.info/2008/...v-gta-4-glitches-swing-set-skydiver-tutorial/


----------



## keybored (Jun 4, 2008)

I just mounted the pavement at speed in an Infernus and scattered some pedestrians.
As one dived out of my way I'm sure he shouted "CHEESY VAGINA!"


----------



## dlx1 (Jun 6, 2008)

it gone up at Yalp.com £249.98 Xbox & game was looking at buying soon.


----------



## poului (Jun 6, 2008)

*6ryfcj86yu*

Coming out on PC this October, fingers crossed.


----------



## Utopia (Jun 27, 2008)

Anyone had a mess around with the helicopter yet?, got chased by Apache's last night.

And try doing laps of happiness island with the range rover thats hidden behind one of the warehouse type buildings, great fun just ploughing into tourists!


----------



## Gromit (Jun 27, 2008)

Utopia said:


> Anyone had a mess around with the helicopter yet?, got chased by Apache's last night.
> 
> And try doing laps of happiness island with the range rover thats hidden behind one of the warehouse type buildings, great fun just ploughing into tourists!


 
Yeah i've found a few helicopter pads and sometimes nick a chopper to get to missions.

Considered taking one on a date but wasn't sure how well that would be recieved.

I've had one go on multiplayer and was disappointed that the entire game was played on foot. Please tell me that there are driving multiplayer games?


----------



## dlx1 (Sep 8, 2008)

were you up to ? 
Have you finished?
You board of it ?

Only mission I had problem passing three atemps on *Three Leaf Clover*

It getting boarding now Drive some were shot someone drive back to somewhere.

GTA SA had better missions & tunes

Not played online yet

edit: No:1 is other one pissing me off (Street racing)


----------



## tommers (Sep 8, 2008)

I bought it a few months ago.  I was right the first time.  It's GTA3 with nice graphics.  Well done to Rockstar though, they've released the same game 4 different times now (I might have missed one, mind.)

It's still fun to pop into and do a little bit here and there, but nothing new really.

Good work if you can get it.


----------



## Flashman (Sep 11, 2008)

Yeah but some folks like playing the same game dressed up. How many war games are there, fucking millions, I can't fathom why people buy those but they are popular.

Anyway fair dos.

Nothing will top Vice City for me in the GTA stakes.


----------



## tommers (Sep 11, 2008)

Flashman said:


> Yeah but some folks like playing the same game dressed up.




What people get up to in their own homes is nothing to do with me.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Sep 11, 2008)

tommers said:


>



"The dead do not dress up for games"


----------



## Iam (Sep 11, 2008)

That has to be his sister, right?


----------



## TopCat (Nov 9, 2008)

Well I just got the PS3 and GTA for 300 squids that I cannot justify spending however I look at it. I have not got far, just nicked a scooter and I'm parked up listening to Femi Kuiti with my head ringing with the base that will keep me up all night oh yes. Where are any weapons?


----------



## Sunray (Dec 21, 2008)

Its interesting, but you can easily get bored if the mission is miles from the start, is there a way to skip to the beginning of the mission again like San Andreas?


----------



## ruffneck23 (Dec 21, 2008)

yep , hail a cab then skip the journey


----------



## Sunray (Dec 22, 2008)

10 times I tried to kill some dud in the station and every time I opened fire I got 3 stars instantly.  Then for no reason it didn't do it and I shot him before he even got into his car.

Crashing quite a few times for me, is that common?


----------



## Dead Cat Bounce (Dec 22, 2008)

Its crashed three times for me today on the 360 which is really started to piss me off.



Sunray said:


> 10 times I tried to kill some dud in the station and every time I opened fire I got 3 stars instantly.  Then for no reason it didn't do it and I shot him before he even got into his car.
> 
> Crashing quite a few times for me, is that common?


----------



## Sunray (Dec 23, 2008)

I'm really starting to get pissed off with the crashing.  I don't think I can get much more than about 30 min play time without it hanging.

Sometime I can hear the dash board pop up menu appear so its still running, just the graphics have died.


----------



## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 23, 2008)

Haven't had a problem with any crashing so far (touch wood), other than my car on occasion.


----------



## Dead Cat Bounce (Dec 23, 2008)

Looks like my problem with the crashing is down to the power brick getting too hot.

I opened a window in the front room and balanced the power brick on the window ledge and not a single crash in three hours constant play.


----------



## Sunray (Dec 23, 2008)

I really cant play it any more.  Just got right to the end of a mission and ta-da!

I wonder if its my XBox


----------



## internetstalker (Dec 24, 2008)

just got this game today

been busted it, it seems pretty good TBH

Never played one of the series (i mean owned and played properly)

digging it


----------



## Sunray (Dec 24, 2008)

Its been boring me.  I've been systematically hunting for hidden shit and not finding it that my interest hasn't exactly been maintained.

I want a Kill frenzy, I want to blow up a few cars in the petrol station and the petrol station to go bang.  I've tried that a couple of time and nothing happens.

I managed to cross the bridge even though there are road blocks.  You instantly get 6 stars and its not as hard as you'd think as long as you stay in a car. Not much on the street so you can drive really fast. 

That attack helicopter is the main problem.  Without a rocket launcher I can't take it on.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 19, 2009)

Just started this on the Xbox360, quite fun so far (for some reason more appealing that San Andreas), fucking about doing wheelies on bikes and smacking random strangers about is as good as it was back in the PSOne days!


----------



## internetstalker (Jan 20, 2009)

Sunray said:


> Its been boring me.  I've been systematically hunting for hidden shit and not finding it that my interest hasn't exactly been maintained.
> 
> I want a Kill frenzy, I want to blow up a few cars in the petrol station and the petrol station to go bang.  I've tried that a couple of time and nothing happens.
> 
> ...



check out some cheats to get the rocket launcher

I'm gonna unlock all the islands before I do any cheats yet


ATM I've unlocked the middle island and just had the choice of killing Dwayne or Playboy X

I killed Playboy X and have just got his Cribb


----------



## tommers (Jan 20, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Just started this on the Xbox360, quite fun so far (for some reason more appealing that San Andreas), fucking about doing wheelies on bikes and smacking random strangers about is as good as it was back in the PSOne days!



That's because it's exactly the same.


----------



## Kid_Eternity (Jan 20, 2009)

tommers said:


> That's because it's exactly the same.



Dunno SA didn't really do it for me though...


----------



## Crispy (Jan 20, 2009)

You can take down the chopper with a sniper rifle if you kill the pilot


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jan 20, 2009)

internetstalker said:


> check out some cheats to get the rocket launcher
> 
> I'm gonna unlock all the islands before I do any cheats yet
> 
> ...



dwayne will soon do your head in with his depressing rantings , god that man is high maintanence


----------



## Crispy (Jan 20, 2009)

Having to babysit my 'friends' made me stop playing this game


----------



## Dandred (Jan 20, 2009)

Should I buy this on PC? My rig is pretty okish.........

I heard that mainly it was the downloaded versions that had problems.....


Got some birthday money I can spend on Friday.


----------



## ruffneck23 (Jan 20, 2009)

whats ur rig like ? there have been extreme performance problems with all but pretty hardcore machines


----------



## Dandred (Jan 20, 2009)

ruffneck23 said:


> whats ur rig like ? there have been extreme performance problems with all but pretty hardcore machines



It was top draw about 18 months ago.

Qx9650 overclocked to 3.8 ghz
8800GTX sli
4G ram.

I'm still using xp service pack 2, would I have to upgrade to service pack 3?


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## ruffneck23 (Jan 20, 2009)

um not sure bout your xp service packs as Im using vista.

But you should run it like a dream.

I have a q6600 , 4gb ram and an 8800gt and it runs ok ( with an evalation copy  )


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## kained&able (Jan 29, 2009)

if i spawn a car using the phone do i fuck up the chance of getting to 100% completed or anything?


dave


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## internetstalker (Jan 29, 2009)

kained&able said:


> if i spawn a car using the phone do i fuck up the chance of getting to 100% completed or anything?
> 
> 
> dave



no but if you use the health or weopens cheats some of the acheivments become locked


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## kained&able (Jan 29, 2009)

woo hoo!  now i just have to find that jump again.

dave


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## Kid_Eternity (Jan 29, 2009)

Started this and found it a bit boring...there seems to be significant slow down in places on the 360 version and music is crap. Vice City and SA had far better music...


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## Voley (Mar 3, 2009)

Just got the 'Lost And Damned' expansion for this. It's fucking great. Had two collossal shootouts with another biker gang and the police already and I'm only three missions in. 

The new grenade launcher is a lot of fun.


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## Gromit (Mar 3, 2009)

I promised to write a review of L&D on another thread and haven't got around to it yet. 

It's good that it breaths extra life into GTAIV. 
I do have the odd gripe with it here and there.


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## Daniel (Mar 3, 2009)

Lost and Damned is very good IMO.

I love the bikes and the gang wars with my sawn off 

The handling of the bikes is a lot better, and the new super bikes look sexy.


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## Kid_Eternity (Mar 3, 2009)

In what way is it better than GTA4? I keep giving it a go but it just bores me. Online play is the only reason I still have the game...


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## povmcdov (Mar 10, 2009)

I got vanilla GTA 4 for the PC a couple of weeks ago.

Its very good although the whole windows live signup thing didnt go very smoothly at all. The signup website wouldnt load on my PC despite trying using explorer and firefox. I finally signed up at my brothers house and its been plain sailing since then except for having to redo a weeks worth of play on my online account. If i'd been more savvy I'd have just moved the savegame files but its too late now.

I just unlocked the last island after doing that bankjob, which took me about 6 attempts to complete, mostly due to reckless use of grenades.

Multiplayer seems a bit poor though as there are poeple going round crashing servers all the time by spawning objects all over the place. I played last night for a while on a server with good people though and being driven round in a bus with 3 other people causing mayhem was pretty fun.

My username is vertex79 if there are any private matches going.


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## Final (Mar 10, 2009)

Kid_Eternity said:


> Started this and found it a bit boring...there seems to be significant slow down in places on the 360 version and music is crap. Vice City and SA had far better music...



I started this on 360 last week.  Agree 100% about the music, but not experienced any slowdown so far (49% completion).


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## DG55 (Mar 18, 2009)

Yeah I noticed slowdown. 

What is with the music?! It was so good in vice city and san andreas - I expected at least the same standard again.

I just don't get it, at first I thought that maybe it just happened not to be the kind of music I was into, but probably not.


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## Kid_Eternity (Mar 19, 2009)

I think I'm gonna trade or ebay my copy, just haven't been bothered to pick it up after the initial novelty...


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## The Groke (Mar 19, 2009)

DG55 said:


> Yeah I noticed slowdown.
> 
> What is with the music?! It was so good in vice city and san andreas - I expected at least the same standard again.
> 
> I just don't get it, at first I thought that maybe it just happened not to be the kind of music I was into, but probably not.




It grew on me, but yeah - it is patchy compared to previous efforts.

I don't think anything could top Vice City though.


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## Final (Mar 19, 2009)

I've just finished it o xbox.  I did VC and SA on PC so not 100% sure if I'm comparing like for like, but it felt a lot easier.

My first thoughts were that it was because I didn't have auto-aim on the PC, then I thought it was just harder to put in marathon sessions when you had  keyboard / mouse to navigate.

Might or might not be either of those, but what I came down to deciding was the biggest killer was the GPS - when you moved to a new island / area / safehouse in older GTA then you had to spend a good while learning the new roads, find out where the alleyway shortcuts came out in case you were being chased by police etc etc.

Now you just follow the line on the mini-map and don't have to pay much attention to the scenery / landmarks at all.

Hopefully GTA V will be set in a pre-GPS era.


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## Boycey (Mar 19, 2009)

so you followed all the road signs and major routes recommended by the gps? 

didn't think you'd get that far that way, sure it pulled me out of trouble a few times and made the game flow better but it didn't affect it the way you describe for me.


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## Final (Mar 19, 2009)

Boycey said:


> so you followed all the road signs and major routes recommended by the gps?
> 
> didn't think you'd get that far that way, sure it pulled me out of trouble a few times and made the game flow better but it didn't affect it the way you describe for me.



Yep, I was waiting until the GPS = FAIL before I tried to learn an area, but ended up clocking all the storyline missions just fine by following the line on the map.

Only time I had to work out a route for myself was the Little Jacob delivery sub-missions.

I guess the longer routes recommended by GPS were counter balanced by not losing time dodging / crashing into oncoming traffic.


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## internetstalker (Apr 27, 2009)

sweet, finished this game the other day. only took me 4 months 

very much enjoyed it, it's me first time playing a gta game in its entirety

still got a few acheivments & TLATD to play

but a good game


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## revol68 (Apr 27, 2009)

mmm I;m about to have a major back down. I just started layinGTA 4 n the PC and Im loving it, no more horrendous pop up or laggy character control, the city actually looks amazing and is totally immersive.

The Xbox just wasn't up to doing justice to GTA IV with it's shitty draw distance and lag.


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## internetstalker (Apr 27, 2009)

revol68 said:


> mmm I;m about to have a major back down. I just started layinGTA 4 n the PC and Im loving it, no more horrendous pop up or laggy character control, the city actually looks amazing and is totally immersive.
> 
> The Xbox just wasn't up to doing justice to GTA IV with it's shitty draw distance and lag.



dunno, looks good on my tv!

lag was rarely noticable IMO


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## Crispy (Apr 27, 2009)

Game looks fantastic. Gameplay gets old quickly. Especially babysitting my 'friends'


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## internetstalker (Apr 27, 2009)

Crispy said:


> Game looks fantastic. Gameplay gets old quickly. *Especially babysitting my 'friends'*



innit!

2 things you can do:

1) once they've rung ring em back and cancels plans. (this can do your ead in tho)


2) turn the phone off so they don't ring you (never tried it, but read you can do it)


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## revol68 (Apr 27, 2009)

yeah the pestering of mates is annoying.

also they could they be any less subtle in hinting that Michelle is a snitchin bitch, still I like her indie look so she isn't dumped yet.

I tried to get a date with the hott 19 year old goth biatch off the internet dating service but she kocked me back, is there anyway of affecting this, or is it just ike real life and you just have to suck it up?


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## Rosemary Jest (Nov 3, 2017)

Just started playing The Ballad of Gay Tony again on the Xbone, what an ace game


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## D'wards (Dec 21, 2017)

Has anyone done the doomsday heist yet?


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