The PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV was shown off at the Leipzig Games Convention today by PR man Steve Hahnel. New features are detailed below:

• Much improved visuals, they'll be "polished well beyond what they were on the 360 and PS3".
  
• The number of multiplayer slots may be expanded for the PC version.
  
• The maximum resolution is 2560x1600.
  
• The replay feature has been improved. Players can record 30 second clips and they can now add filters and adjust the camera angle using the replay editor. They can also make a montage of clips and upload them to the R* Social Club for others to view.
  
• Players can finally filter multiplayer games more specifically (e.g. a deathmatches using a particular weapon).
  
• The Xbox 360 controller is compatible with the PC version.
  
• It looks like fingerless gloves have finally been added! Much to the delight of pretty much every player of the game! See this shot
  

10 new screenshots have been released, click the thumbnails below to see the large versions. These have also been added to our new GTA IV PC screenshot gallery.

Related articles: Eurogamer and IGN previews

Developmag have got themselves a very rare interview with Rockstar Games President, Sam Houser. They cover the impact of GTA IV, the direction of the industry and Rockstar's internal ethics and beliefs. Here's a few interesting quotes:

In order to be successful, we are going to have to continue to do what we have always done – make games that we would want to play, and hope there is audience for them.

Most of the people who hate us are people it is truly an honor to be hated by – reactionary creeps with strange agendas – and the Daily Mail. Most people who know about modern pop culture know about GTA and like or dislike it on its own merits.

We don’t want to get too much bigger in terms of teams, because the games need to have the personal touch and production values that are in them, and we can’t do that at a much bigger scale, but we will always look to work closely with excellent people when we come across them.

The problem with academia and prizes and awards and all the things the movie industry has wrapped itself in is that it constrains things too much. 99 per cent of movies are three acts told over two hours with very similar plot structures, camera work and so on. We can rip up the rule book every time we make a game as every aspect of every process gets reconsidered.

Read the full interview at Developmag: Part 1, Part 2

Good news for readers in Japan still waiting to get their hands on Grand Theft Auto IV. A press release from Take2 today announced that the localized Japanese version of the game would be released on 30th October, 2008 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles.

New York, NY – August 15, 2008 – Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), announced today an October 30, 2008 release date for the localized Japanese version of Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system.

Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto IV was released in North America and Europe on April 29, 2008, selling 3.6 million units on the first day of release, and 6 million units in the first week. Critics from across the globe have showered the game in unanimous praise for its immersive storytelling; culturally eclectic soundtrack; an unparalleled level of detail in Liberty City; and sixteen player multiplayer with more than a dozen online modes for endless replayability.

GTA4Mods.com recently managed to score an interview with Coolie Ranx, best known among GTA fans for playing the part of Little Jacob in Grand Theft Auto IV. There's a number of good questions that were asked, and some interesting answers from Ranx.

On how he got the part of Little Jacob:

I'm still wondering about that feat. My audition I thought was horrible. For me it was about the art because I really wanted to do acting. I didn't have a clue what I was auditioning for, all I knew was that it was an acting job. I wanted to do it so bad that I crumbled at the audition and asked to come back again the next day and try it again. They said yes but to be honest the next day wasn't that much better lol. So I'm still wondering what they saw in me.

Read the rest of the Q&A over at GTA4Mods.com

Thanks to Alan for the heads up.

Take 2 announced through a press release today that GTA IV will indeed be released on the PC, arriving on November 18th and 21st in North America and Europe, respectively.

"We are very excited to be releasing the PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "The whole team is dedicated to bringing an amazing gaming experience to the PC. The game looks and plays beautifully on PC and we can't wait for people to play it."

Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, the latest installment in the enormously successful Grand Theft Auto series features a painstakingly detailed and life-like city for players to explore; a rich, immersive narrative experience; an original soundtrack highlighting the cultural eclecticism of Liberty City; and newly expanded multiplayer just for the PC.

Stay tuned to The GTA Place for the latest GTA IV news!

Link: T2 Press Release

Related note: Wondering whether or not your PC will be able to run GTA IV? We've now set up a dedicated topic for asking those sort of questions. Post there to get advice from our PC experts and find out if you need to upgrade.