GTA V Update: You Have To Love Rockstar’s Marketing Department…

Posted on August 13, 2013 by geelw

They have quite possibly the easiest gig in the gaming business AND they know the game they’re representing is going to blow people away based on the insanely high quality of the work. I’ve been sold on Grand Theft Auto V as soon as I heard it was in development, but these new gallery and very funny Los Santos Visitor’s Guide (aka the game’s official site), the ridiculously packed screenshot gallery and desktop ready wallpapers plus all the other stuff the community is up to means I really don’t need to do much except post something on the game and let you all run out to the store or drop a pre-order in online.

Hey, I’m NOT lazy! Well, not THAT lazy. I’m merely saving up my energy for the inevitable long “vacation” I’ll be taking in Los Santos myself. Playing a new GTA game is very much like stepping off a plane into the biggest and most exceptionally special amusement park ever created. Of course, the best thing is being able to explore at will and do stuff outside the guided tour (i.e, raise all sorts of hell or just poke around for secrets and in-jokes), so I need to be tanned rested and ready because I’m sure not seeing any REAL sunlight for some time. Rockstar is dropping more cool news about the game on Thursday – I’ll be back with a quick post on that (of course)…

Grand Theft Auto V Gameplay Trailer: Fall’s Officially A Bust For Productivity In America…

Posted on July 9, 2013 by geelw

It’s always amazing for me to see how Rockstar continues to push the envelope with each new GTA game and Grand Theft Auto V is no exception. September 17 will be a REALLY awful day for productivity across the US and a few other spots this game shows up in, so expect to not see or hear from a lot of folks you probably think aren’t gamers who suddenly disappear for a few days only to pop up for air looking tired as hell but smiling a bit too broadly. For you non-gaming readers, just watch the trailer and let that narrator guide you through why this new GTA is so impressive and important. I don’t play online, but that ending made me grin a bit more at what’s coming in the next trailer. It’s too bad all those time machine plans I see for sale online are trash, or I’d be putting one of those things together just to keep winding time backwards in order to complete the game in a day. As it is now, I’m gathering I’ll be spending a few hundred hours exploring every nook and cranny outside the story mode (as that’s where the game’s bigger secrets will most likely lie)…

Oh, You Kids! GTA V on the Xbox 360 Requires An Installation/Play Disc Swap. Oh, The Horror!

Posted on July 3, 2013 by geelw

Yes, there’s another (not really) big-deal barn-burner on some internet boards about the Xbox 360 version of Rockstar’s upcoming guaranteed blockbuster Grand Theft Auto V coming on two discs (the PS3 version is on one Blu-Ray) and requiring a mandatory 8GB install (just like the PS3 version). Of course, anyone who’s played a retail PC game anytime in the past decade or so is used to games coming on multiple discs and yes, there have been a few Xbox 360 games this generation that had separate data install and play discs. So, I’m clearly not seeing the problem here about a ONE TIME disc change. Of course, if you got conned into buying that lower priced 360 with the measly 4GB HDD and you’ve not yet gotten around to buying an external drive yet, you may want to hop to that before the game ships out. Go on now, shoo!

Oh, by the way: don’t get mad at Sony for thinking ahead on the Blu-Ray thing at all. Blame Microsoft for diving into HD-DVD feet first and then ditching the format (even for games!) when it failed to catch on with anyone but early adopters and those who weren’t going to buy a PS3 or other new movie player because they had no intentions of re-purchasing chunks of their collections. Oh, by the way… that game in the photos that’s NOT looking like GTA V? That’s PHANTASM for the Japanese Sega Saturn. It’s a port of the 1995 Sierra On-Line PC game Phantasmagoria and as you can see,came on EIGHT discs (one more than the PC version). You can get it on gog.com (it’s on sale for half price for the next day or so!) if you’d like to try it out. It’s flawed, but well made and a bit creepy where it counts. Anyway,let me get my grumpy old ass back into the 21st century before my lumbago pills wear off…

Grand Theft Auto V: Meet The Boys of Late Summer (You’ll Be With Them For A While)…

Posted on April 30, 2013 by geelw

MFT-

Say “Hi!” to Franklin, Michael and Trevor, the three playable leads in Rockstar Games’ upcoming soon to be blockbuster, Grand Theft Auto V. Some of us GTA fans play these for the stories and wild characters and I can very safely say that this wild bunch will be the best trio of anti-heroes to date. For me, a new Rockstar game isn’t about violence or raising all types of hell, but sinking into the world and characters the team has created and getting a big smile going when everything clicks into place as each new chapter plays out.

As i haven’t played this yet, I’m not about to dissect these videos at all save to say that amazing engine being used makes the game look incredibly realistic and hopefully we’ll see some of these cinematic sequences flow into gameplay that’s just as thrilling. As for “favorite” character of these three miscreants, again, it’s hard to say without touching a controller, but I’d have to say Trevor’s arc might be the most “fun” to play given his intro video and personality:

That said, I don’t need to go into all sorts of analysis about the GTA series, as since the third game that pulled in millions of new players and all sorts of awards, Rockstar has been consistently upping the quality of the writing and visuals. All I know is these games are instant classics for solo players like me, as each game is best when you’re getting those bits of well-scripted exposition before setting out on missions to advance the story for a while before just taking off to wander around and find a nice spot to check out some stunning vista before hopping back into the mayhem.

Mark your calendars for September 17, 2013 and even if you’re not planning to buy or play this one, I can bet that you’ll notice a LOT of people not showing up at work that day (or rest of the week) in some places. They’ll be on a little vacation in the same busy, crazy world being whipped up for them by a team that’s the best at what they do…

GTA V “Cash & Carry” Artwork: More Teasing From Rockstar…

Posted on April 17, 2013 by geelw

Cash and Carry by Land

Oh, I really have nothing to say here but enjoy the artwork. I love how Rockstar’s artists tell these little stories in every image and while open to interpretation, you KNOW that somewhere in that massive fictional version of California, someone is looking at a recently emptied safe formerly full of ill-gotten games and yelling for the cops or their “boys” to go on the hunt for the thieves. Well, good luck with that. September 17, 2013 is the release date, by the way…

Cash and Carry by Sea

Grand Theft Auto V Cover: Meet The New Neighbors (You’ll Be Seeing A Lot Of Them Soon)…

Posted on April 2, 2013 by geelw

GTA_V_Cover And here you go, your time-eater for the month of September (and beyond for some). September 17, 2013 is the big day, so expect some “sick” people at home with the GTA flu (TM) for a few days. Hilariously, there’s actually been some needless ire out there in Internet-land that Rockstar Games’ last two GTA games have been “too serious” when despite the open world shenanigans that can be pretty funny (well, in a slapstick-y gory way) that deeper, story driven narrative has been part of the franchise since the first games back on the PC and older consoles.

Granted, the games were more intentionally cartoon like in their character designs, but the evolution in visuals has been a natural thing thanks to Rockstar wanting to go in that direction as means to pull off more mature storytelling. THAT said, the game, like GTV IV, should be hilariously funny in terms of the assorted in jokes in everything from car names to radio spots that pop up as you’re driving around. The more of a “sophisticated” gamer you are, the more of these amusing references you’ll appreciate, I say. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go polish my pipe and air out my smoking jacket. With my pinky out.

New Grand Theft Auto V Screenshots: A More Complete Vacation Package Deal…

Posted on March 28, 2013 by geelw

GTA_V_Packs

V-76-1280 It may LOOK as if I’m not following Grand Theft Auto V around like a very talented stalker dear reader… but that’s quite misleading. I just haven’t written a lot about it because I just KNOW that it’s going to be one of those games that doesn’t require a ton of words written before its actually PLAYED in order to enjoy everything it will offer. Given Rockstar Games‘ dedication to each new installment of the series, it’s been clear from the first reveal that GTA V will be the deepest and best game in the long-running franchise. Anyway, a few more screens to get YOU talking are below. Me, I’m just smiling and thinking about how I’m going to manage my time when I fire this game up for the first of many times. The series is well known for sucking all too many hours from the day once you get in, start peeling back its layers and finding hidden secrets galore. Skydiving AND Scuba in the same game? And a few types of flying machines to go with the ton of cars, bikes and other fine rides? September 17 will be a perfect day for a good chunk of the country to call in sick, I predict.

Of course, if you’re REALLY smart, midnight crush launches aren’t your thing and you’d have already pre-ordered the game directly from the always awesome Rockstar Warehouse online shop, which has a cool GTA V-themed bonus T-Shirt you won’t see elsewhere. Hmmm… someone give these guys the James Bond license and let’s see what happens if they make a wholly original product, I say…

GTA San Andreas: “Introduction” – One of the Best 20 Minute Game Movies You’ll Ever See.

Posted on December 11, 2012 by geelw

Grab a 40 (or some eggnog), pull up a chair and sit down to one of the most impressive bits of storytelling from a ten-year old video game. To some of the less respectful gamers out there Grand Theft Auto San: Andreas may be ancient “by today’s standards” (and it’s now available on PSN and Xbox Live), but Rockstar Studios created a game for the ages (whether you like the M-rated content or not). I know I put maybe 70 or so hours into the game when it was initially released on the PS2… but I still didn’t see the ending. Not for lack of trying, mind you – the memory card with my saves on it went missing and I certainly wasn’t pleased with having to restart the game from the beginning. Not that I would have minded much at all – it’s just that I had a ton of other games to review and I’ve never gotten back into San Andreas after all this time.

Well, it sure looks as if I have the chance now, hmmmm? As for y-o-u, well now, are you going to get THIS game for your favorite player, or will it be another Chia Pet or Clapper this year? C’mon, do the right thing and get this one as a gift for that (over 18, of course) gamer on your list.

GTA V Trailer: Rockstar Proves (Yet Again) Single Player Games Aren’t Dead…

Posted on November 14, 2012 by geelw

One thing you’re always going to get from Rockstar Games when it comes to their open world experiences is a damn fine story and some of the most memorable characters in gaming. Even if Grand Theft Auto V comes to retail packed with DLC and other online content, for many (if not most) who play it, it’s all going to be about the story and storytelling the company is well known for. So, yeah – Spring 2013 is certainly going to be quite busy with people calling off dead from work for a few days so they can dink around in the fictional Los Angeles and the surrounding area Rockstar North is working so hard on. I say if you’ve got a console or PC that can run this game in your home (and you’re of age to buy M-rated games, of course). You should be putting money down on this one as soon as possible.

Games I Finally Got Around To Completing #1: Red Dead Redemption

Posted on November 12, 2012 by geelw

Well, THAT took a while, but it’s finally done, Undead Nightmare expansion (which I actually completed before the main game’s story)and all. Hey, I did say I like to take my time with games, so here’s a good example of this procrastination. Part of this was due to having so many open world games to go through, me going through them in order of least impressive to most (RDD is still stellar visually and highly replayable) and the fact that yup, I’m pretty awful at poker and there’s a LOT of it to play throughout the game. RDD’s poker games were giving me trouble because I hated to do the save/reload thing and wanted to always try and win fair and square without any cheating. Fortunately, I wised up (hey, it’s a game about the Old West – who the heck was a 100% honest poker player back then? Even the oldest Western films have poker cheats!) and decided to seek a bit of help from a few helpful sources from a friend who’s a pretty decent player to a nice and helpful site that showed me a few tricks I was too stubborn to pull off…