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Grand Theft Auto IV PC Release Full of Bugs

Nathan Grayson — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:26:16 -0600

Welcome to the latest installment of Disappointment Theater -- starring Your Life. Today's guest star: Grand Theft Auto IV! Wrecking one of the year's best games definitely seems like an impossible task, so read on and be astonished.

According to Steam's fuming masses, as well as gaming site Shacknews, GTA IV's creepy crawlies are all over the place. Topping players' lists of things not to be thankful for, however, are missing textures (apparently caused by corrupt graphics drivers) and the ever-popular crashing bug, which can potentially keep you from even loading the game at all.

Fortunately, one intrepid Steam user has tossed together a forum thread outlining all known issues and possible fixes, so as a (highly prestigious) reward we're putting his name on the site. Thanks, Ramzy!

Additionally, while it's not exactly a bug, the majority of wannabe-crime lords are being forced to run their game of choice at low graphical settings -- a complaint to which Rockstar has issued a response:

"Higher settings are provided for future generations of PCs with higher specifications than are currently widely available," claimed the developer.

Rockstar also released a statement promising that it'll unscrew this pooch as quickly as possible.

So, unless you want to pay $50 for a glorified beta test, wait a couple weeks before taking the plunge.

Rockstar Rolls with SecuROM DRM for Grand Theft Auto IV on the PC

Paul Lilly — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:55:40 -0600

Electronic Arts couldn't have predicted the unprecedented backlash from outraged gamers following Spore's release, or at least not the extent that they would take the anti-DRM crusade. Protests ran the gamut from blasting the title with thousands of negative user reviews on Amazon to not just making the game available on warez sites, but actively encouraging consumers to pirate the title. If you thought it might be awhile before SecuROM saddled another high profile release, think again.

Despite all the recent raucous, Rockstar has decided to implement the DRM scheme on GTA IV for the PC. But before you cry foul and grab the pitchforks and torches, Rockstar says its version will be much more user friendly than the one found on EA's Spore.

"You will only need to authenticate the retail disk once per Windows account per machine," Rockstar said in an interview with IGN.com. "Even if you uninstall and re-install the game, it will not have to be re-authenticated."

Should you change two 'major' components (think CPU and videocard) or install GTA IV on different PC under a different Windows account, Rockstar says it might be necessary to re-authenticate the game, but unlike Spore, you can install and uninstall as many times as you want. This also means you can gift your game away once you're finished playing.

"Vocal 'board posters' seem to be most down on the SecuROM feature that limits the number of installations. We recognize that the installation limits have been a major issue, so we have not limited the number of installations for the retail disk version of GTA IV PC."

Despite the increased flexibility over Spore's implementation, the move can be still be seen as controversial as consumers continue to become less tolerant of DRM in any form. But it's not just Rockstar who is being tested, but the gaming community as well. Rockstar is correct in pointing out Spore's installation limit as the biggest aggitator among those who criticized the game's DRM. Without an install limit in place, should the game also find itself the center of a crusade, right or wrong some will inevitably conclude that gamers might simply be looking for an excuse to pirate rather than pony up the asking price.

What are your thoughts on Rockstar's decision outfit GTA IV witha modified version of SecuROM?

Image Credit: Rockstar

Gaming Roundup 8/20/08: Eye Candy

Nathan Grayson — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:08:02 -0500

Gaming, in at least one major way, imitates real life -- and I hate it. Year after year, the game release schedule ebbs and flows with the prototypical real life schedule, and the end result isn't pretty. Spring is simple enough; summer is a time for basking and vacationing. But winter and fall make up for summer with gusto. Papers flutter about as work and/or school top-off on the overwhelming meter, family members get traded amongst households for myriad holiday celebrations, and nothing ever goes according to plan.

Meanwhile, spring showers usually herald games that winter and fall somehow missed, summer deludes us into getting excited about games like Too Human, and fall/winter try to cram as many games as possible into what little free time we have left over thanks to, you know, life. And guess what: everyone's favorite part of the cycle kicks off yet again in only a couple of weeks.

So, my question: as a result of the so-called "most wonderful time of the year," what games do you most regret having missed out on? Are there any games you plan on sacrificing for the greater good this year?

Sadly, if today's Roundup is any indication, don't count on a dam for the annual game flood any time soon. Inside, you'll find a concrete release date for Fallout 3, the first details about the greatly enhanced PC edition of GTA IV, and tons of other news nuggets in between. Give it a read after the break.

GC 2008: Grand Theft Auto IV PC First Impressions

When GTA IV first hit the mean streets, laygamers and press alike scrambled to plant big sloppy kisses right on the game's tuckus. But as with every (highly disturbing) relationship, the honeymoon period could only last so long. Soon, the boisterous praises vanished -- replaced by criticisms of the game's story and gameplay. Now, given the chance to right GTA IV's wrongs, Rockstar isn't touching Niko's ridiculously discordant personality or his finicky sense of what's cover and what's not. Instead, they're adding a camera.

"They've also added a replay editor," reads the preview, "which allows you to view 30-second instant replays and then chop and edit them, add filters, and even combine them into a montage of clips to upload to a Web site of your choice, or to Rockstar's Social Club."

Best news out of Leipzig, in my opinion. Really. I'll take two!

ESA Appoints New, Piracy-Focused General Counsel

Kenneth Doroshow is his name, and he's here to take a bite out of piracy. His credentials include a position at the Recording Industry Association of America, where he of course battled music (sadly not "musical") pirates. More specifically, he headed-up lawsuits against some of the biggest names in illegal music, including LimeWire, Usenet, and AllofMP3.com.

Yeah, this guy knows his stuff.

With any luck, Doroshow will become the canines within the ESA's all-bark-and-no-bite set of pearly whites. And with how hard they seem to be banking on Doroshow, we can only hope he'll come through for them. Lord knows, they need something to swing in their favor.

Warhammer Online Not Crediting All Developers

"Over the years, we've had hundreds of people work on the game, and we thank everyone who helped us bring our Warhammer passion to life, but only current employees that have continued until the end will be credited in the final game," Mythic VP and general manager Mark Jacobs told Shacknews.

If you're so thankful, why can't you toss their names into a seldom-viewed credit screen? It really doesn't seem all that difficult.

And yet it is. Apparently, this a monster lurking in the shadows of the industry -- a huge issue that's rarely discussed. Check out the full article; it's enlightening stuff.

Fallout 3 Release Date Announced: October 28

October 28 in North America and three days later in Europe. According to Bethesda, the launch will be "one of the biggest launches of any game released this year,” falling smack-dab in the middle of all the other biggest launches this year.

First Heavy Rain Trailer and Screenshots Emerge

The graphics are so glorious that they deserve their own Bible, but even so, this showing leaves me cold. "Press X to not die!" should've accidentally pressed O a long time ago. But here we are, with a trailer whose "gameplay" is nothing more than a rapid-fire button-pressing minigame.

10 most unbelievable lines of dialogue from Too Human

Damn comedians.

Gaming Roundup 8/15/08: Soul of Rock

Nathan Grayson — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 21:40:20 -0500

If not for the fact that I was able to actually make physical contact with David Hayter at this year's Capcom E3 press conference, it would've been a total letdown. The whole thing was just a giant shill for Capcom's Lost Planet film, and its reception was nearly as icy cold as the movie/game's setting. But in between cracking big, corporate grins and repeatedly uttering the Japanese equivalent of "So awesome," the Capcom big-wigs dropped a tiny bomb. See, as it turns out, Lost Planet had popped from Capcom's collective womb with a ticket to Hollywood in hand. The game was born to be a film.

As we've seen with movies like Doom and Resident Evil, and games like Guitar Hero, media convergence is inevitable. United we stand; divided, we make less money. And that just won't do. However, whereas other instances of convergence have taken two (or more) disparate media forms and none-too-subtly mashed them together -- casualties be damned -- Lost Planet, if all goes according to plan, will straddle the line between games and film. Instead of removing what makes the game special -- effectively neutering it with a rusty knife -- Lost Planet: The Movie has the potential to usher in an era of game-themed movies not unlike what we're seeing with comic books right now.

But is that what we want? Last I checked, comic book fans were a tiny niche, nearly fit for a somber, "Don't let these beautiful creatures die" commercial from the World Wildlife Fund. Yeah, I'm not sure comics are the greatest role model. Plus, do we really want cherished characters having their in-game appearances altered just so they can more aptly fit their roles as movie characters (See Nick Fury, among others)?*

So, are you ready for some top-notch game-to-movie conversions, or would you rather our hobby stick to the small screen, interactive and proud?

Today's Roundup features a big-name title that's already being preened for stardom, and wouldn't you know it, Electronic Arts is the, er, preener. Inside, you'll also find Rockstar decrying the hardcore/casual divide, a top-15 list of Olympic proportions, and massive success from a WoW competitor. Hurdle past the break for more.

No Spore demo, but expansions planned

Hot on the heels of the Will Wright's recent comment about a possible Spore TV Show/movie comes word that the 38% god game will almost certainly be seeing expansions. Shocking. More specifically, the flora editor will likely sprout up in an expansion, as it's been pulled from the main game.

Also somewhat disappointing, it seems Maxis has decided Spore may just be popular enough that it doesn't need a demo.

"We're not planning a demo of the game. Just the Creature Creator," executive producer Lucy Bradshaw told Eurogamer. "We've released a number of videos to show off the game."

And for those of you who want a demo of Spore's cell phase, there's always flOw.

Hm, maybe you should just stick with the videos.

Rockstar: Hardcore/casual division 'doesn't make sense to us'

Rockstar's fearless leader has spoken. In his eyes, the hardcore/casual division is akin to dark matter, Lost, and George Lucas' continued success -- it just doesn't make sense.

"Good games will usually sell and be popular, bad games will struggle – of any type or genre or style," Houser said. "But we still believe big, high impact games will help the industry evolve and further surpass the movie industry as the next mass-market story telling medium."

Later, he revealed a very interesting tidbit about his team:

"We don’t believe in focus testing ideas (it’s like asking an audience what album they want to hear – they don’t know until they hear it!) or thinking of a target market or anything like that; it’s an anathema to creativity. We are trying to make commercially viable art, not sell washing powder."

If only such a method could work for the rest of the industry. Generally, games are high risk-low reward projects. If you don't bring out the measuring stick every once in a while, you risk becoming too insular, and your game falls a few inches closer to a big ol' belly flop. Rockstar has money; other devs don't. With any luck, ad-based revenue systems, the casual marketplace (Yes, it exists; just ask PopCap) and -- most of all -- time will allow devs to get a little more experimental. For now, though, Rockstar continues to be a maverick.

Mikami and Suda Talk EA Partnership

"Of course I had a chance to present it to different publishers, but EA was the company that understood the game and understood my approach to it," Suda explained. "That's why I took the chance to work with EA. Also, EA produced Rock Band, so they understand the 'soul of rock.'"

Definitely give the whole interview a read. Suda's awesome. Mikami, uh, well, he's there.

415,000 Age of Conan Users Drive Funcom's $13 Million Q2

Is it too late to revise my "Things that don't make sense" list? AOC came out tepidly moving its arms in a punching motion, got KOed, and somehow managed to retain most of its fans. Really, the game's content is lacking, glitches run rampant, and Funcom even admits (with an odd sense of pride) that they've applied a patch nearly every week sense launch. Are people really that tired of WoW?

Resident Evil 5 Creators: Japan Seeing Benefit Of Shared Tech

Certainly a good thing from a development standpoint. Also, there's some nice commentary from Resident Evil 5 producer Jun Takeuchi. Take this little gem, for instance:

"There are a lot of other Japanese developers who are opposed to [sharing technology]... There's not an advantage, to it, certainly. I think where it comes from is that the developers in one team always want to think that they're the best, and that their way of making the game is the best way to make their game."

15 games that put you in the Beijing Sumer Olympics

Tom Chick never fails to entertain. "Chinese anthem" is my favorite. What's yours?

*No, the main character from Spyhunter doesn't count, actually. He could've been The Rock all along for all we know.

Gaming Roundup 8/6/08: Yo-ho, yo-ho

Nathan Grayson — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:07:00 -0500

During my many years of Taekwondo training (no, really) I've seen a fair share of faux-martial artists come and go. Not all of them were masters of the ol' chop-socky, but that doesn't mean they weren't good company. One of those long-since retired combatants was big into games, so naturally, we hit it off. In between feasting on one another's punches and kicks, we talked about all of the latest releases -- mostly on the PC. But, in one major way, we were different: I purchased; he pirated.

Of course, he had a reason. PC games can sometimes be buggy and unreliable -- even going so far as to not run on certain PCs. He raked in torrents as "extended demos," and presumably purchased the games he liked. Even so, I'm not sure if I agreed with his methods. After all, isn't that what regular demos are for? Plus, I never really got the impression that he actually followed through with step two of his little plan.

So, question of the day: Do you pirate games? If so, what's your justification? Do you even call it "pirating"? Don't worry, I'm merely asking as a discussion question -- not to judge anyone.

Today's Roundup contains a few possible methods of diverting cash back into the pockets of those who create games, though I'd wager none of the wannabe saviors really have a concrete idea of how they're going to end the Yarr-ing menace once and for all. On one had, Microsoft sees downloads usurping retail's throne in the near future, which could create an iTunes-like situation for the gaming industry. On the other hand, Turner has decided to toss GameTap to the curb like a box of unwanted kittens (an $18 million box of kittens), so obviously not all is well in the realm of downloadable games. Read about all of that and more after the break.

Microsoft: ‘No question’ downloads will overtake retail

That choice quote sprang from the mouth of David Gosen, Xbox Europe's VP of strategic marketing. He sees convergence, such as sales of movies and music, as a driving force behind the move to digital content delivery, and the success of premium DLC, like Rock Band's weekly tunes, as proof of concept.

Of course, Gosen aims to position Xbox Live and GFW Live as the harbingers of DLC's rise to dominance, but we'll see. Something tells me Valve may be the nameless inventor behind the theory of relativity to Microsoft's Einstein. Hopefully this time, the truth will prevail.

Turner To Sell GameTap

"There is considerable marketplace interest in the GameTap business and brand," said a Turner spokesperson of the pending sale. "We are considering various strategic options, but have reached no final agreement as yet. When there is a resolution, we will announce it."

In other words: "We don't want GameTap anymore. It hurts our pocketbooks." With any luck, GameTap's next owner will put the service on a less rocky path to success, because it's brimming with potential. Also, I just invested $50 in a subscription to the service, and I'm beating Baldur's Gate II, damn it.

Microsoft Tries to Justify Why GFW Live is Free and Xbox Live Isn't

"Tries" is the operative word, here.

"Microsoft's Games for Windows head Kevin Unangst tells Gamasutra that the GFW Live shift was due to the necessity of making multiplayer functionality available for PC gamers -- who, he says, now essentially expect it in any title they play on PC," reads the article.

But, elementary statistics say that 2/3 of gaming consoles also offer free online play, so shouldn't console faithful expect it as well? Logic: hyperbole's greatest enemy.

Rumour: Medal of Honor heads to… 2002 Afghanistan

Call me pretentious, but I dream of the day when gaming is no longer afraid to plunge headfirst into serious issues. Think about it; interactivity -- experiencing something -- is the quickest avenue to understanding it. Hopefully Medal of Honor can do justice to its new subject matter.

Penny Arcade Announces “Fatal1ty” WON'T Be at PAX

Penny Arcade makes press releases fun! This is definitely worth a read if you enjoy smiling and being happy.

Grand Theft Auto 4 Confirmed for PC

Crazy. The rumor's spread so far that even Rockstar is buying into it.

Gaming Roundup 7/2/08: All PC, Most of the Time

Nathan Grayson — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:33:42 -0500

Today's Gaming Roundup isn't afraid to ask questions. Why do gamers hate color? Why is World of Warcraft so big? And why, in almighty God's name, is Star Wars Galaxies getting a trading card game? The Roundup asks, and it also answers -- all just a hop, skip, and jump (past the break) away.

Diablo III Producer Justifies Controversial Art Direction: ‘Color Is Your Friend’

While many gamers are licking their chops at the prospect of inserting Sword A into Monster B in Diablo III, a rapidly expanding bunch is waging war against another force: color. A hip, new Internet petition wants nothing more than for Diablo III to drop its lush vistas and bright colors -- to raise a brown, gray, and white flag in surrender. To revert to old-school Diablo style. But Diablo III lead producer Keith Lee stands by his game. "A great analogy is like in ‘Lord of the Rings’ — not everything is dark," he says. "It allows you to see what a creepy dungeon can be like but if everything is dark it doesn’t allow you to have a lot of contrast.” So, do you like Diablo III's fresh, whimsical art style, or are you wrong?

Did a prank reveal plans for GTA IV PC?

Apparently, a crafty blogger was able to force Rockstar's hand by using a simple bluff. He claims that he contacted a Rockstar customer service rep and told the hapless drone that he'd downloaded a PC version of GTA IV, prompting a panicked response. "The PC version of GTA IV has not even been announced for release and is still in development," was the gist of it. Now, it's more or less a given that Take-Two employees are slaving away at a PC port of GTA IV as we speak, so we didn't really need this blogger to let us in on that juicy tidbit. Plus, the blogger could've fabricated the whole story anyway, rendering it moot. Regardless, the back-and-forth is actually fairly amusing; hit the link if you'd like to read it.

Star Wars Galaxies online trading card game announced

Things that are wrong with this story: 1) Star Wars Galaxies has successfully existed for five years, and 2) everything else. The card game will be made available to SWG subscribers and will contain 250 digital trading cards. Some cards will even unlock special items within SWG! Now, all of this raises a question: How much longer until Bioware releases their Knights of the Old Republic MMO and puts an end to SWG's crazed mumblings? Seriously, we can't cringe much harder, here.

American McGee Gives Gamers Free Grimm

This pretty cool. See, American McGee's new weekly episodic title is taking a more television-like approach to game sales. Each episode will be available for free on its launch day (like television!), and then will be sold for actual money every day after. It'll be interesting to see how the whole experiment pans out.

Alpha Protocol Aims Ambitiously For RPG, FPS Fans

Obsidian, the chaps who previously developed Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Neverwinter Nights 2, recently held a conference call to discuss their upcoming spy RPG. Think James Bond, but with moral choices that go beyond shaken or stirred.

Azeroth: “The Size of Newcastle”

Newcastle, here I come!

Only 2,676 Gamers Apparently Offended by GTA Hot Coffee Scandal

Paul Lilly — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:29:24 -0500

With all the crowing over Rockstar's hidden sexual content unlocked through the now infamous Hot Coffee mod, you'd have thought it was Vivid Entertainment and not Take-Two Interactive who published Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. As it turns out, most gamers weren't so offended after all, and it appears the lawyers were the ones looking to cash in more than anyone else.

The issue came to a head when it was discovered Rockstar included a hidden mini-game allowing gamers to consummate the main character's relationship with different in-game girlfriends, and do so in a variety of explicit sexual positions. The content proved to be too much in a game originally labeled as Mature by the ESRB (San Andreas was later given an Adults Only rating), ultimately resulting in a class action lawsuit and settlement agreement. But despite the well publicized controversy and status as a top selling software title, less than 3 thousand people chose to participate in the settlement, prompting Seth R. Lesser, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, to admit being "disappointed."

Image Credit: Spong.com