Results tagged “grandtheftauto”

At this week's E3 conference for computer and video games, it was announced that Nintendo DS would be getting a version of Grand Theft Auto. Specifically, it's Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. No other details--aside from it being available this winter--were divulged, much to gamers' disappointment (some are hoping this will pave the way for a GTA title for the Wii). Now, there are many Chinatowns across the country, but we wonder the Triads, turf wars over discount buses, or counterfeit goods will be part of the game play.

Six teenagers, ranging in age from 14 to 18 years old, were arrested yesterday for mugging, attacking, attempting to carjack, and overall menacing in Nassau County. And the police say they were inspired by Grand Theft Auto IV.

Grand Theft Auto gets an '80s redux (heroin for 20 bucks back then seems a little unrealistic, however). If you ever wondered what the game would have looked like on the original NES, this one's for you:

       

     

Coming up on April 29th is the latest Grand Theft Auto extravaganza. The game wreaks havoc on Liberty City, which is essentially a not-quite-gentrified New York City (though it takes place in the current year). The latest leak from the anticipated game is a city map (we spy Roosevelt Island) and a map of the subway system, which has everyone opining. How does the Rockstar Games version of our 722-mile, 468-station subway system with 22 lines hold up?

Cartoons just got a little more real with The Three Thug Mice, an online series set in New York City. The 35 animated shorts follow the tales (and tails!) of three rodent crooks named Vic, Tik and Brik. Described as an "ongoing ghetto saga" set in some of the seedier sectors of the concrete jungle, the trio's home turf is light years away from Disney World. (Though that is the Hotel Chelsea in the background, which isn't so seedy; wonder if that frog jumped after BD Hotels took over management.)

A NY-based nonprofit called Breakthrough launched a video game yesterday called ICED: I Can End Deportation (also a play on the acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department).

Itching to jump back into Liberty City yet? The New GTA IV website has been launched, in preparation for the quickly approaching April release. The previews so far have been somewhat light on details, but the site finally sheds some light into what kind of trouble you can expect to get into while traversing a virtual NYC.

The long delayed Grand Theft Auto IV is finally coming out soon, and it seems the marketing campaign has come off the screen and into the 3rd dimension. Where best to bring the faux Liberty City (based on New York) than to the streets than Williamsburg. Kotaku spotted a Wanted poster on the corner of Lorimer and Grand suggesting one Niko Bellic be shot on sight.

It's been quite some time since we hopped the virtual F train to the virtual Lower East Side (that's VLES, for those in the know), but it seems one NY Times scribe has been making some frequent visits to the online world. In fact, he may even prefer it to its real life counterpart.

There were no imperious bouncers or foul odors to contend with, and no fluids of any kind expectorated on my shoes. Except for a slightly choppy video feed, it was by my standards a pretty successful evening on the town. Despite knowing that its real-life inspiration exists right outside my door, I have spent the last few months making such visits to the Virtual Lower East Side (vles.com), a three-dimensional, Internet-based social network fastidiously modeled on a small but influential swath of Manhattan real estate.
Aptly described as "a mash-up of Facebook and Grand Theft Auto, with a dash of the indie-rock Web site Pitchfork thrown in for good measure," one can attend a show at Bowery Ballroom (pictured), make pixelated friends, and "get into as much after-hours miscreancy as the Web site’s programmers will allow." Creepy!

So if you remember correctly, Grand Theft Auto IV, the New York City crime simulator, was supposed to be in stores by now. But between production delays and the million other great games this season to compete with, they decided to just push it back till next Spring and get it right. But just in case you've you've still got an itch for some Eastern European organized crime this holiday season, here's a brand...

Five cars crashed during a crazy police chase on the West Shore Expressway yesterday afternoon. The whole matter started when the driver of a Toyota Camry was stopped by a Staten Island Highway Patrol officer. The driver took off and exited at Victory Boulevard, hitting a white Ford van. The Camry started to smoke, so the car's passenger got out and, according to the Staten Island Advance, went to call his mom. The passenger ended up waiting at a bus stop, where the police arrested him.

With the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer circulating a good six months before the game's release, NYC officials are giving the thumbs down. The Daily News has comments:

"It's despicable to glamorize violence in games like these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting may be," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.

Well, it looks like those faithful to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto franchise will be able to steal cars in New York City in Grand Theft Auto IV. The newest GTA, which won't be released until mid-October is actually a sequel to GTA III, which took place in a "quasi-NYC". It wasn't enough to have Activision's game True Crime, where you could be a rogue street cop (maybe not so far from the truth), but now you can steal cars beat people up. It's almost like an updated version of Rockstar's own video game version of The Warriors.

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Todd Zuniga, Opium Magazine

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Frank Lantz, Game Designer/Teacher

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