04.30.08

GTA IV Stats

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 1:54 am by UNSCleric

The PS3 version of GTA IV may be suffering a massive online outage and game-erasing bugs, but the Xbox 360 version is running strong, and the Rockstar Social Club is showing it.

(Updated Thursday @ 2am)

After just over 48 hours with the game, my in-game stats are:

Game Progress:  44.32%
Missions Passed: 63
Missions Failed: 28
Missions Attempted: 90
Replays Used: 27
Current Money: $214,616
Times busted: 1
Times Died: 19
People killed: 562
Saves Made: 1
Playing Time: 21 hours, 23 minutes
Addiction Level: Jonesing Bad
Longest non-stop game: 8 hours, 13 minutes 
Times Cheated: 0
Days Passed: 52
Cars Stolen: 137
Miles on foot: 35
Miles by car: 163
Times got drunk: 2 (on dates)
Bullets fired: 11796
Kills by headshots: 215
Armed kills: 489
Shooting accuracy: 53%
Texts received: 75
Cutscenes watched: 95

Feel free to post yours!

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04.28.08

Grand Theft Auto IV Launch Coverage

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 8:58 pm by UNSCleric

 
Check back for more videos later on.  Click here to view the final two.

12:30am Update: I just got back home with my copy (first one to be handed one) and am uploading two more videos to my YouTube account. 

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Niko Arrives: Tonight

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 1:17 pm by UNSCleric

Right now, Niko’s boat is somewhere out in the Atlantic, finally nearing its destination: Liberty City, USA.  With an ETA of just after midnight on early Tuesday morning, there’s not much time left until he begins his new life, and tries to claim the American dream for himself.  Keep your eye on the clock, the time is near!

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04.27.08

Grand Theft Auto IV Review Scores

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 9:47 pm by UNSCleric

What does the American Dream mean today? For Niko Belic, fresh off the boat from Europe. It’s the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them an a living nightmare for those who don’t

100 - IGN

I could go on and on about why Grand Theft Auto IV is one of the best games we’ve ever seen and why even folks who are easily offended should play it, but that would be pointless. The only thing you need to know is that you have to play this game. Period.

100 - IGN UK

Expectations were so high for Grand Theft Auto IV that one of the biggest surprises is that it’s managed to meet them. That it’s also gone on to confound these is truly a marvel, and the game’s Liberty City is nothing less than one of the greatest videogame worlds yet conceived.

100 - 1UP

None of these little flaws take away from Liberty City’s breathtaking vistas, incredibly varied scenery, and lived-in look (the PS3 version has the slightest visual edge, plus motion-control support — but then it’s missing Achievements and the eventual downloadable episodes exclusive to the 360 game). The city just feels alive.

100 - EuroGamer

Almost everything you do in Liberty City would be good enough to drive its own game, and the best parts would be good enough to outrun the competition, but the reason it works so well is that Rockstar has made a game that requires no patience to play. This, as much as its usual coherency and the best script in the series, is what makes GTA IV the best openworld game yet, and why it will take something miraculous to rob it of game of the year status.

100 - GameSpy

The very nature of the American Dream is the central theme in Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto IV, a gaming masterpiece that is a picture-perfect snapshot of the underworld of today’s big cities. This is not only the finest title of the generation thus far, it is one of the best games of all-time.

100 - Official Xbox Magazine UK

It’s got a world you believe in, a cast you care about and a script stuffed with brilliant moments… Utterly stunning in every resepct. [May 2008, p.79]

100 - Team Xbox

It’s amazing that a sequel that keeps the core gameplay concepts of its prior incarnations can do so much to change itself into something new. Cabs are awesome, as is the cellphones capabilities. But perhaps the biggest innovation is the notion that you can create a game that’s as valid a piece of art as any book or movie. Is this our “Citizen Kane” moment?

100 - Game Informer

I now know how film critics felt after screening “The Godfather.” It’s been days since Grand Theft Auto IV’s credits rolled, yet I can’t seem to construct a coherent thought without my mind wandering off into a daydream about the game. I just want to drop everything in my life so I can play it again. Experience it again. Live it again…Grand Theft Auto IV doesn’t just raise the bar for the storied franchise; it completely changes the landscape of gaming.

100 - GameDaily

Grand Theft Auto IV lives up to its grand expectations by weaving a Hollywood-ready “American Dream” plotline with a finely-tuned game experience — taking the tried-and-true GTA formula and plugging it into a living, breathing version of Liberty City.

100 - GamePro

Considering the fact that it’s been a target of political and media pundits who keep harping on the infamous “Hot Coffee” incident, it’s understandable to think that Rockstar might tone down the adult themes in GTA IV. But thankfully, that didn’t happen. This is a mature game, and a devilishly good one at that.

98 - Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Rockstar have surpassed themselves, delivering unquestionably the definitive GTA and perhaps the greatest videogame of all time. [June 2008]

98 - GameTrailers

Grand Theft Auto IV is the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of video games. It’s a little less brave and intimidating this time around, but it?s also the most refined and polished game in the franchise?s history. This kind of sheen is generally reserved for titles with a much smaller scope.

95 - Computer and Video Games

Coming back to our original conundrum, GTA IV has its flaws as a game, like the sometimes problematic auto-aim shooting or the massive difficulty jump when you get to the final ten missions. But as an all-round experience it’s truly, hype aside, a standout experience of gaming in 2008.

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04.23.08

Gigantic Grand Theft Auto IV Ads

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 1:26 pm by UNSCleric

In New York and Los Angeles, the following murals are now part of the skyline.  The two below were actually hand painted.

FIVE.  MORE.  DAYS.

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04.20.08

Xbox 360 Exclusive GTA IV DLC

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 10:30 pm by UNSCleric

We’ve known since E3 2006 that Grand Theft Auto IV would have two large-scale expansions exclusive to the Xbox 360, but now that we’re just over a week away from the release, more hints and rumors are starting to come out.  With Microsoft’s huge advertising blitz about to hit most likely tomorrow on TV’s worldwide, confirmation of this “rumor” could come very soon.  I believe the DLC will be of this scale as well.

1UP.com, Kotaku.com, X3F.com, etc. have all reported this as well.

“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 IV has repositioned those games in just this way.

“[GTA IV’s expansions] are to GTA IV what Vice City or San Andreas were to GTA3. 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.”

The possibility that the GTA IV equivalent to Vice City could be as simple and direct as a download-only bolt-on to the original game isn’t so far-fetched as to be unbelievable. This is Rockstar that we’re talking about.

Remember, Microsoft paid $50 million dollars for these two episodes of content.

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04.18.08

Want the new Call of Duty 4 Maps for free?

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 9:52 pm by UNSCleric

Go to gameoftheyear.callofduty.com, and enter this code: QVDE-L7LX-4VGT-MQXG-7607.

This will generate a code to place in your Xbox, and will get the Variety Map Pack FREE, a 800pt ($10) value!

Thanks to fellow Xbox Ambassador, Silentassasin5k for giving me a code to give away to my readers!

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March 2008 Hardware/Software Sales

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 2:53 am by UNSCleric

Here is a full list of the hardware sales:

1. Nintendo Wii - 721,000
2. Nintendo DS - 698,000
3. PlayStation Portable - 297,000
4. Xbox 360 - 262,000
5. PlayStation 3 - 257,000
6. PlayStation 2 - 216,000

On the software side, the PS3 just barely manages to have one game break the top 10, and it’s a multi-platform game that sold much better on the Xbox 360.  Here’s the list:

1. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) - 2.7 million
2. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (Xbox 360) - 752.3K
3. Army of Two (Xbox 360) - 606.1K
4. Wii Play w/ remote (Wii) - 409.8K
5. God of War: Chains of Olympus (PSP) - 340.5K
6. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (PSP) - 301.6K
7. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (Wii) - 264.1K
8. Major League Baseball 2K8 (Xbox 360) - 237.1K
9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360) - 237K
10. Army of Two (PS3) - 224.9K

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Upcoming Xbox LIVE Maintenance

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 2:44 am by UNSCleric

In what has to be preperation for the soon to arrive Grand Theft Auto IV & the Xbox 360’s Spring Update, Xbox Live will be down for 8 hours this Monday morning.

On Monday April 21st from 0200-1000 PT Xbox Live will be offline for maintenance. As a result, the ‘My Xbox’ section of Xbox.com will be unavailable, and the Xbox forums will be in read only mode (you won’t be able to post.) The remainder of Xbox.com will be available.

Find out what time the maintenance will begin in your time zone

This is for maintenance, there are no new features on your that will appear on your Xbox 360 console or Xbox.com when the service comes back online. This is server maintenance only

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Mortal Kombat vs. DC Comics

Posted in Xbox 360 News at 12:51 am by UNSCleric

I saw the rumors about this earlier today and thought nothing of it, but now it’s been confirmed.

The next Mortal Kombat title will indeed feature DC comics characters. Officially titled Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe the game was confirmed at Midway’s Las Vegas event, and included a single piece of teaser art featuring a certain dark winter’s knight and a more traditional MK frozen fighter. Not much is known at this time.

I’m not a big fan of comics or superhero movies, besides the new Batman movies with Christian Bale, but I’ve always been a fan of Mortal Kombat ever since the first one came out, and this is certainly an interesting title to keep an eye on.

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04.17.08

Legendary Weekend for Halo 3

Posted in Xbox 360 News, Halo at 10:18 pm by UNSCleric

Earlier today a special Double XP 12-man playlist dedicated to the new Legendary Map Pack for Halo 3 went live.  It’s a 12-man, ranked, free-for-all playlist entitled Legendary Brawl.

Legendary Brawl started today at 2pm PDT and ends 2am Monday morning. To play, you’ll need both the Heroic and Legendary map packs.

Seems like this is the closest thing we’ll be getting to a Big Team game on Avalanche any time soon when it comes to Matchmaking. 

I’m personally very excited for this playlist, because in my first 7 or 8 games with the new maps, I lost every single one, until one fateful game early this morning, where I was left all by myself in the pre-game lobby as all three of my teammates quit out, making the game a 4 on 1 Slayer game on Ghost Town.  I ended up winning my first game on the new maps, alone, and outnumbered, 17 kills to 15.

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