Rockstar founder Sam Houser recently chatted about the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 4 release, and the GTA franchise in general. Although the idea of a GTA MMO has certainly been tossed around a few times before, hearing one of the founders of Rockstar Games make such a strong statement on the matter is, well.. compelling. The actual quote from Mr. Houser is:

"A subscription-based Grand Theft Auto-type game.. is very, very doable and is a very, very compelling proposition.. the combination of what we're doing with multiplayer and what we're doing with the [downloadable X360] episodes is the start of us putting our toes in this water and seeing how our audience.. adapts to online."

Not exactly a huge shocker, but in case you thought the guys at Rockstar Games were not interested in making lots of money, there you go. They like money and chances are they would like more of yours.

It is also probably worth noting here that the folks who made Crackdown, which include Grand Theft Auto creator Dave Jones, are actually already working on something similar: the APB property, which they just recently dropped even more cash on. More on Grand Theft Auto, the 1UP interview, and thanks Kotaku.

Advertisements for Rockstar North's upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) will be pulled from city buses despite no explicit or otherwise inappropriate material in the ads, GamePolitics reports.

Chicago's local Fox News affiliate questioned the posting of ads for Grand Theft Auto IV on buses and buildings of the Chicago Transit Authority in the wake of a rash of shooting incidents in the city. Shortly thereafter, CTA president Rob Huberman told Fox News that the ads would be removed.

The ads include no overtly violent, sexual or otherwise graphic materials that would normally prohibit advertisements from running on city buses.

The report notes that GTA ads had been criticized previously in Chicago and other urban areas. In 2004, Governor Rod Blagojevich spoke out against transit ads for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Two years later, Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston forced the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to pull ads for GTA Vice City Stories.

Grand Theft Auto IV ships for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 29.

In case you were still on the fence about buying Grand Theft Auto IV because you thought one city just wasn't enough fun to explore, you may just have to reconsider.

A recent CVG print article taking a look at GTA IV has some exciting news regarding Rockstar's plans for future downloadable content. Here is the quote via Gamervision:

"Of course to call games as vastly ambitious as Vice City or San Andreas mere 'expansion packs' seems childish, but nevertheless, the downloadable content coming for the Xbox 360 version of [GTA IV] has repositioned those games in just this way.

"[GTA IV's expansions] are to GTA IV what Vice City or San Andreas were GTA III. Yes, Rockstar is clearly hinting at new downloadable cities; and the chances of them being London, Vice City or SA again are slim to none. So that's new as in brand new. GTA IV's Liberty City is the beginning. Think about that and be excited."

Considering that Grand Theft Auto IV is already expected to bust through $400 million in sales before a single expansion is released, publisher Take-Two can surely see the profit train on the horizon.

Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) publisher Take-Two Interactive is expecting the title to achieve $400 million in sales during its first week at retail, if the word of Variety's sources are to be believed.

Developed by Take-Two subsidiary Rockstar North, the crime-filled and multiplayer-enabled open-world title is slated to launch on April 29.

Assuming those unnamed sources are correct, the company further believes it will sell over six million units of the game. Given that Grand Theft Auto IV is arriving on two platforms across multiple territories worldwide, that isn't such a far-fetched figure.

Such a strong performance would dethrone Bungie's Halo 3 (X360) from its spot at the top of the record books. In the week after its September 25 launch, the much anticipated shooter set a new record for a video game launch by bringing in over $300 million in sales.

In that same time span, 2.7 million gamers played Halo 3 online and logged a total of 40 million hours in the title. This led to Hollywood blaming Halo 3 for poor ticket sales, with some predicting a similar fate for the films hitting theaters after GTA 4.

Following the release of new singleplayer screenshots, Rockstar has unloaded a fresh batch of multiplayer images from its upcoming heavyweight title Grand Theft Auto IV.

The company also released a set of official descriptions for several multiplayer modes from the Team and Race categories. The Cooperative and Competitive modes have yet to be revealed in full, though many were detailed earlier in the week.

Grand Theft Auto IV will support up to 16 players in online multiplayer when it is released on April 29.

Official descriptions of the Team and Race modes follow.

Team Deathmatch (2-8 Teams)
Players work as a team to rub out other teams for money--and the crew with the most cash at the end of the round wins. Take the other crew down. Remember to loot the cash dropped by deceased players. That's the way to get ahead.

Team Mafiya Work (2-8 Teams)
You're a member of a crew doing contract work for the mafiya--including such plum gigs as escorting wanted men, picking up MacGuffins and stealing... Read more

Rockstar today sent along a new batch of screenshots from Grand Theft Auto IV (X360, PS3), highlighting some of the various ways to dispose of a body in Liberty City.

Check them out in preparation of the title's April 29 release.

There are also two new videos, one for the Liberty City Gun Club, and another for the character Playboy X.

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... Read more

Several new details concerning the multiplayer modes in Rockstar North's upcoming opus Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) have been revealed, shedding light on the array of online carnage to be enjoyed in the open-world title.

Similar to Criterion Games' Burnout Paradise (PS3, X360), the game seamlessly integrates online multiplayer with the single-player campaign through use of the in-game cell phone.

"After players earn the cell phone in the single-player game, which takes about five minutes, if they want they can jump online and never even play the single-player again," Rockstar development VP Geronimo Barrera told GameTap. "Online is a serious time sucker. You're going to have to be really careful if you're married."

Once players are online, they can engage in matches up to 16 players in a variety of configurations. The game supports the standard-issue team deathmatch mode which can be customized for team balance, traffic, police presence, and ... Read more

Rockstar Games just sent over a number of promotional goodies for the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360). And while we here at Shacknews do not typically cover the receipt of swag such as shirts and stickers, there's something about Rockstar's offerings that make this a little different.

Perhaps it's the odd shape of foam hand, meant to wave on the Liberty City Swingers. Maybe it's the baseball cap and jersey, both of which read "Swingers" in fancy cursive letters. The vanity license plate and accompanying pin may have something to do with it as well, both proclaiming Liberty City as the "worst place in America." And let's not forget about the mouse pad for the TW@ internet cafe.

Grand Theft Auto IV hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 29. For more on the game, check out the totally sweet shots of its multiplayer component.

More than a dozen screenshots detailing the multiplayer exploits of Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) have made their way onto the internet, providing gamers with a look at the various situations allowed within the confines of a 16-person online GTA match.

"Holy crap, look at these," this editor exclaimed to no one in particular when the shots arrived. "You can pilot a freakin' helicopter!"

Apart from the helicopter and its vertical teammate transport, other highlights include the ability to participate in drive-bys and the option to play as a girl.

Due out April 29, Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV features support for up to 16 online players across 15 different gameplay modes, all taking place within the same city map as the single-player game.

Rockstar Games and Amazon have created a new digital music distribution model which allows customers to purchase tracks heard on Grand Theft Auto IV's radio stations, Yahoo reports.

The technology, dubbed "ZiT", is built into the game's mobile phone interface. Songs heard while players are listening to the in-game radio can be marked by dialing a specific number, after which they'll receive a text message with the song and artist name.

If the player is a member of the Rockstar Social Club, a custom playlist of the marked songs will be made available on Amazon.com, available for preview or purchase at $0.89 to $0.99 per song.

"Music has long played an integral part of the game playing experience," said EMI Music VP Ronn Werre. "We think giving players the ability to identify and buy their favorite tracks from Grand Theft Auto IV's popular radio stations is a great new music discovery tool for fans and an innovative new revenue stream for artists."

Video games as a venue for digital music downloads has already proven a lucrative avenue for the music business, with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 editions of Harmonix's Rock Band (PS3, X360) selling well over six million downloadable songs for use in the game.

A new trailer for Rockstar's upcoming Grand Theft Auto 4 is now available, offering about a minute of cinematic in-game footage from the highly anticipated action game sequel. Grand Theft Auto 4 will be released April 29 on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

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Rockstar today announced the Rockstar Social Club, a website that will be tied to Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) when it is released on April 29.

Other than standard leaderboards, the Social Club will feature the LCPD Police Blotter, a virtual map that will track crime data aggregated from the single-player events of every online-enabled player. The dynamic tracker will allow users to check out the "most dangerous areas of town, most commonly used weapons and more."

The Story Gang will keep track of who has completed the main story arc first. There will also be a 100% Club, wherein the first ten people to complete 100% of the game will be denoted with a special "key to the city."

The Liberty City Marathon will rank players based on specific achievements, such as miles walked, number of bullets fired, and stunts performed.

Rockstar plans to hold various challenges and events post-release, with a Hall of Fame awarding players with trophies.

A series of snapshots supposedly picturing the map insert for Rockstar North's upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) have appeared online, apparently showing off the full New York-inspired city map and revealing several new details. The photos first appeared in a now-removed Webshots gallery, and were subsequently rehosted by Kotaku. Rockstar Games has yet to comment on the legitimacy of the images.

Grand Theft Auto IV is slated for an April 29 release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Developer Rockstar Games has updated the official site for Grand Theft Auto 4 once more, unleashing a torrent of 20 new, artful screenshots, some depicting bloodied clothes. Packing support for up to 16 online players, Grand Theft Auto IV assaults PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 29.

Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) will support up to 16 online players across 15 different modes, according to the latest edition of Spain's official PlayStation magazine, PlayStation.RevistaOficial.

Though Rockstar had previously confirmed rumors of online multiplayer, it had yet to specify any other details.

The various modes encompass a number of team and solo-based game types, including Cops'N Crooks, Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Race, all set within the same maps as the single-player game. Prior to hopping online, players will be able to customize the sex, race, hair, and clothes of their virtual avatar.

Each mode will present hosting players with a number of relevant game-altering options, such as the ability to toggle police involvement, traffic density, and weapon selection. Cops'N Crooks pits a team of cops against a team of robbers, while the Mafia Work game types has players racing to complete various assassination missions.

Grand Theft Auto IV arrives on PS3 and Xbox 360 on April 29. A list of the known game types follows:... Read more

The April 29 release of Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) may cause some problems for Paramount and Marvel's Iron Man film, Next Generation reports.

According to Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey, the highly anticipated game "could dampen the potential from Iron Man's theatrical release."

The movie, which stars Robert Downey Jr. (pictured left), is slated to arrive on May 2, a scant three days after GTA4.

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 eventual arrival.

"The audience on this game is the 18-to-34 demographic, similar to what you'd see in cinemas," Hickey noted at the time.

Rockstar Games has updated the official Grand Theft Auto IV website once again, bringing 15 new screenshots to the general public. Packing online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto IV hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on Tuesday, April 29.

Rockstar Games has once again updated its Grand Theft Auto IV website, adding several new screens of Rockstar North's upcoming criminal life simulator.

Alongside dangerous bridge-based exploits, the screens depict a bloody shootout, a visit to Burger Shot, and a friendly dusk-time chat.

Complete with online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto IV hits PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on Tuesday, April 29.

Courtesy of a Grand Theft Auto 4 website update, two new movies from Rockstar North's highly anticipated action game sequel are now available. You can stream them below.

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The crime-filled open world of Rockstar North's Grand Theft Auto IV will sport online multiplayer on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 when it arrives April 29, the developer has confirmed with Shacknews.

"Grand Theft Auto IV will support multiplayer on the Xbox 360 AND Playstation 3," a Rockstar representative told Shacknews.

The official word on multiplayer comes about as clarification to statements made by Microsoft executive Don Mattrick on the latest Major Nelson podcast, which insinuated that multiplayer would be exclusive to the Xbox 360 edition. "That's something that's unique to 360," Mattrick stated after mentioning the game's online modes and content.

Rockstar was quick to respond, informing media outlets that both editions will have multiplayer. It is likely that Mattrick was referring to the Xbox 360 version's exclusive downloadable content.

While Rockstar had briefly mentioned the possibility of online multiplayer during a Grand Theft Auto IV blowout in magazine Game Informer, the developer had remained tight-lipped on the feature ever since. No further details, such as multiplayer modes and player counts, are currently available, though rumors have been circulating.