Rockstar's open world shooter Grand Theft Auto IV clocked in at number one on the charts in Xbox Live online activity, Xbox Live director of programming Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb's revealed on his blog.

For the week starting April 28, the title beat out Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare and Bungie's Halo 3, which clocked in at second and third, respectively. Rankings are based on the number of unique users playing online while connected to Xbox Live.

GTA 4's top ranking knocks Call of Duty 4 off of a solid three-month streak at number one in online activity. The last game to supplant Call of Duty 4 was Halo 3 back in early January, shortly after the holiday blitz of new users hit Microsoft's online gaming service.

Following the Chicago Transit Authority's decision to stop carrying advertisements for Grand Theft Auto IV, publisher Take-Two Interactive has sued the CTA.

In the suit, Take-Two claims the CTA's unexplained removal of the ads violates its free speech and contractual rights. Reuters reports the company is seeking a settlement of at least $300,000 along with the reinstatement of the materials.

"The CTA has refused to discuss with us its outrageous decision to pull advertising," Take-Two told GameSpot, "while running ads for other forms of popular entertainment with similar content, including mature-themed TV shows and R-rated movies,"

The $300,000 advertising campaign, which included banners on city buses and bus stops, was scheduled to run for six weeks. Within the first week, local news affiliate Fox News questioned the CTA's decision to advertise the controversial game, with the ads removed shortly thereafter. At the time, the CTA said that Take-Two would not be charged for the campaign.

The ads include no overtly violent, sexual or otherwise graphic materials that would traditionally prohibit advertisements from running in public. The situation resembles that of past non-explicit GTA ads that still managed to spark months of controversy.

Contrary to speculation that the release of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV would harm the Iron Man box office take, the film pulled roughly $104M in weekend ticket sales, Variety reports.

Industry figureheads and analysts alike had been raising questions as to Rockstar's open-world action title's effect on Iron Man's performance as early as March, suggesting that the title would steal the spotlight from the comic book adaptation.

But with a relatively stellar opening weekend, it appears that the release of GTA IV last week has had little effect on Iron Man's sales. Sales data for the film's multiplatform game adaptation, however, has not yet been made available. Variety's Ben Fritz suspects that the game will have a more realized effect on home video sales and TV ratings than big screen features.

Last fall, several Hollywood executives blamed the arrival of Bungie's Halo 3 (X360) for a 27% drop in ticket sales and the lackluster performance of The Heartbreak Kid, causing some to fear the repercussions of Grand Theft Auto IV's release.

The North American version of SCS Software's bus driving sim Bus Driver (PC) has gone gold and entered the manufacturing process, publisher Meridian4 has announced.

With the title due out at some unspecified point this month, the publisher took the time to size up the mammoth competition that has everyone else holding back:

GTA IV stand aside because here comes Bus Driver! Can you drive buses in GTA IV...oh you can? But does it reward you for picking up and dropping off passengers according to a schedule...I didn't think so. One point to Bus Driver!

Though Bus Driver does not allow players to squash, splatter, or run over pedestrians a la Grand Theft Auto IV, it should be noted that improper braking or vehicular collisions can result in passenger injury and, subsequently, a lower score. ... Read more

We're a little late, but here's the weekend bump of the Grand Theft Auto IV discussion thread.

I just made it to the last mission, and boy howdy, it's tough. But approaching the end, I have a newfound respect for Rockstar's ability to put together a story. The epic saga of one Niko Bellic, as far as I'm concerned, is the best in the series.

I don't want it to end, but hey, everything does. And when it's over, I can still hop online for high-octane shenanigans with the rest of the Shacknews staff. So as we careen into the weekend, how are you all finding the game? Any crazy finds, big spills, accidental explosions into chunky kibble? Report in the comments.

Sony Computer Entertainment has issued a response to numerous reports of technical maladies in Grand Theft Auto IV which describe system freezes across both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game.

Yes, we are aware of what the message boards and a few of the industry blogs are saying about a 'freezing' issue with GTA IV on a limited number of PS3s.

Although we have seen an extremely low volume of contacts to our customer service department regarding such an issue, we want to ensure that every consumer has a great experience on our console and with GTA IV. All parties involved are working to isolate the problem for those few units and identify a solution.

No official statement has yet arrived from developer Rockstar or parent company Take-Two Interactive.

In addition to system freezes, reports of internet multiplayer connectivity issues have also surfaced, in which players attempting to start the title's multiplayer component were met with an error message reading "Cannot connect to game provider."

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV broke a record by moving 609,000 copies during its first day of release in the UK, according to MCV.

The previous one-day UK record had been held by Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which saw 501,000 copies sold in a 24-hour period.

Sales of Grand Theft Auto IV were closely split between platforms in the territory, with 335,000 Xbox 360 copies sold as compared to 274,000 for the PlayStation 3.

The game has also become the fastest selling Xbox 360 title in the UK, beating Halo 3's first-day sales of 266,000.

Rockstar North president Leslie Benzies revealed in an interview that the recently released Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) had a budget of roughly $100 million, marking the title as the most costly development of any game to date.

GTA IV's massive budget pins the title above the previous front-runner Shenmue, released for the Dreamcast in 2000 and costing an unprecedented $70 million to produce.

"It's like making a theatre production, a few movies and an album all to fit into one package," Benzies told the Times Online.

Benzies also noted that about 1,000 people pitched in on the game's development. Beyond the expected tasks of programming and design, Rockstar also set up time-lapse cameras on New York rooftops to capture the correct intensity of the rain, and took over 100,000 photographs on location to piece together Liberty City.

"We're constantly competing against ourselves," says Benzies. "If something isn't exactly right, it comes out of the game or gets fixed."

Riding the wave of controversy, Mothers Against Drunk Driving marks the latest organization to protest yesterday's release of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360).

Specifically, the group takes issue with "a game module where players have to drive drunk" as "drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime...not a game."

Though Shacknews is certainly understanding of MADD's concerns, the staff has yet to experience a mission where drunk driving is mandatory. In fact, the game recommends that players make use of a taxi once drunk.

Due to this content, MADD is calling on the Electronic Software Ratings Board to re-rate the game as an Adults Only title, as well as asking developer Rockstar to "consider a stop in distribution."

Grand Theft Auto IV is not the first title in the series to feature drunk driving. In 2002's GTA: Vice City (PC, PS2, Xbox), a mission from Phil Cassidy called "Boomshine Saigon" required players to drive to the hospital while drunk, causing blurred vision and loose driving controls.

Following yesterday's launch of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360), the Shacknews staff and many are finding it difficult to play the online multiplayer of the PlayStation 3 version.

Following reports from many readers that PS3 multiplayer access was sporadic, Shacknews attempted to play online and was presented with an error message that read "Cannot connect to game provider."

Shacknews can confirm that the PS3 edition was playable online in the hours following the game's midnight launch. It is believed that the servers are struggling due to high demand, similar to the problems that afflicted Xbox Live this past winter.

In Shacknews' experience, the connectivity difficulties do not affect the Xbox 360 iteration, which continues to have a functioning multiplayer component. As with the freezing issues that surfaced yesterday, developer and publisher Rockstar has yet to make any official comment.

Update: The Shacknews staff can now assert that it has experienced several lockups on multiple Xbox 360 consoles while trying to exit the game's multiplayer component.

Original Story: As is the case with many anticipated launches, reports are spreading across the internet that Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) players are experiencing system freezes across both editions, with its introductory sequence said to be especially prone to lockups.

Judging from the reports, it seems that the 60GB model of the PlayStation 3 is most affected by the issue, with NeoGAF poster Marty Chin offering his observation that "trying the same disc on another model often results in it working."

While developer Rockstar has yet to make any official statement regarding the issue, a support representative told Kotaku that the company is well aware of the complaints and working on a fix, though it is not yet sure what is causing the problems.

Though the Shacknews staff and our readers have put multiple hours into both versions, we have yet to experience any system freezes or notice any claims of such problems in our dedicated chat thread, though complaints are beginning to surface in this article's comments.

Don't worry, I'll keep this short, because I'm sure you want to get back to Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) as much as I do and the last thing I wanted to do was write yet another piece on the game.

On launch days like today, we're supposed to put the years of advance coverage and hoopla behind us and focus on more pressing issues, like the discovery of some game-stopping glitch, or debating the minuscule difference between multiple versions.

But after playing Grand Theft Auto IV, and becoming so engrossed in merely exploring Liberty City that I completely lost track of time, I feel the need to praise developer and publisher Rockstar for keeping such a ridiculously huge game mostly under wraps.

"What the hell are you talking about?" you may be wondering. "This has to be one of the most highly-promoted game launches ever. Even Blockbuster opened... Read more

Proving that not all UPS drivers are bad folk, the local delivery man just dropped off a package from Rockstar Games containing some additional promotional materials for today's release of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360).

Nestled underneath the packing tape and the bubble wrap were the two goodies pictured left: a Statue of Happiness replica and a Liberty City Police Department shirt. Sure, the shirt may not be the most unique piece of swag ever, but since the Statue of Happiness made me chuckle, it felt appropriate to share.

They join the boxload of amusingly suggestive items that arrived earlier this month, which included an oddly shaped foam hand, a Liberty City Swingers ball cap, and a mouse pad for the TW@ internet cafe.

So, I hear tell that there's some new game coming out that, apparently, folks are kinda stoked about. Being that there's likely going to be quite a bit of talk about said game, we figure we'd put together a chatty thread dedicated to tonight's midnight release of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV.

Did you go to the midnight release parties? Beat a fellow patron to death for a collector's edition copy? Tell your stories, talk up the game and nerd out in the comments. And let's keep the GTA 4 discussion here to avoid flooding tonight's Evening Reading.

Don't forget, we also offer a slew of previous GTA 4 coverage, which includes:

• Video Teaser of GTA 4's Animation Technology
• Details on the 16-person Online Multiplayer Modes
• Rumors of Entirely New Cities as DLC
• Pictures of Suggestive GTA 4 Swag
• The Player-tracking Social Club Website
• Tons of Gameplay Details
• Rockstar Discussing a Possible GTA MMO

Also, we are pleased to announce that twitch_trigger has won our GTA-themed contest with his clever twist on a cocky resignation letter. Congratulations, twitch.

Three UPS employees have been fired for stealing copies of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) from shipment boxes destined for retail stores.

A source at the company revealed to Ars Technica that copies of the highly anticipated open world shooter were lifted by three employees, who were later fired in the same 24-hour period. The tipster noted that such theft is not typical.

"When we have a [big name release], we communicate it to operations and security teams. We have security in place at the facilities, and we make sure they understand to keep an eye out for things to exit the building," the source claimed. "We had tips from people inside, and some of them were discovered at intermediate hubs... it's easy to spot: flaps torn, some boxes are re-taped."

The source added that the thieves stole single copies for personal use, rather than entire boxes for pre-release sale at hefty markups. Finding those ... Read more

More speculation is pouring in that tomorrow's release of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) could dampen this Friday's arrival of the Iron Man film and its accompanying game, though not everyone is convinced.

"There's a big reset happening now," Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello told the Financial Times. "I don't think I've ever heard of [Hollywood being afraid of a game] before."

Last fall, some Hollywood executives blamed Bungie's Halo 3 (X360) for a 27% drop in ticket sales, causing a bit of Grand Theft Auto IV paranoia in Tinsel Town.

Earlier this month, a report surfaced that GTA 4 publisher Take-Two expects sales of $400 million in the game's first week on store shelves. The best of estimates have the Robert Downey Jr.-starring Iron Man flick pulling in a scant $100 million during its opening weekend at the box office.

However, not everyone believes that Grand Theft Auto IV is such a bad... Read more

When it arrives next Tuesday, Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) will be the first retail game to feature NaturalMotion's euphoria animation technology.

In advance of the title's release, NaturalMotion sent over a video demonstrating how the real-time animations of the euphoria engine differ from other solutions, such as ragdoll physics.

The euphoria technology is also being utilized the physics-intensive PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of LucasArt's Star Wars: The Force Unleashed as well as NaturalMotion's own football game Backbreaker (PS3, X360).

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With the Tuesday release of Grand Theft Auto IV looming, video gamers are already coming up with creative ways to ditch their day jobs for an impromptu vacation in Rockstar's Liberty City.

One Shacknews community member took the challenge quite literally, asking his employer for time off with this rather blunt excuse: "Spending a couple days in Liberty City with my cousin Niko Bellic."

As seen in the company books (left), the unwitting--or perhaps understanding--employer approved the virtual vacation in an instant, freeing paroxym up for a day of casual cruising and random violence.

Is your employer as forgiving, or will you be taking more extreme measures to avoid a long day at the office? Share your most creative excuse--or most improbable plan--to escape work on Tuesday in the comments below.

Picture, text, song--all are viable mediums to illustrate your future slacking. We'll choose our favorite answer, the winner receiving a PlayStation 3 copy of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Update: Movies removed at the request of publisher Take-Two Interactive. Shacknews apologizes for the inconvenience. But hey, why not try to win a copy of Grand Theft Auto IV while you're here?

We also offer our slew of previous GTA4 coverage, which includes:

• Details on the 16-person Online Multiplayer Modes
• Rumors of Entirely New Cities as DLC
• Pictures of Suggestive GTA 4 Swag
• The Player-tracking Social Club Website
• Tons of Gameplay Details
• Rockstar Discussing a Possible GTA MMO

Plus a metric ton of media along with the four official trailers:

Protesting the release of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) on April 29, outspoken game critic Jack Thompson (pictured left) has written a letter addressed to the mother of Take-Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick.

Take-Two Interactive owns Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar and is publishing the upcoming title. The letter was delivered to Strauss Zelnick's lawyer, per a past settlement that only allows Thompson to communicate with Take-Two via counsel.

Thompson's meandering letter compares Strauss to a Hitler Youth, quotes scripture, accuses him of causing the death of three Alabama police officers, questions if the Boy Scouts ever awarded him a Ted Bundy merit badge, and wishes the chairman's mom a happy Mother's Day.

The complete, unedited letter follows:... Read more