MCV have today revealed that the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has given GTA IV the 18 rating, similar to almost all the other GTA games. The title is now cleared for release on April 29th in the UK.

Related: BBFC.org.uk

The GTA IV HUD has been revealed in two photos appearing in the latest issue of the Australian edition of ZOO magazine. The photos below show it to be pretty minimal, only the radar seems to show permanently - we imagine wanted stars will only appear when you've actually got some, and weapons will only display when they're being changed. The two semi-circles around the radar are for health and armour. Click the thumbnails below for the full size images.

Thanks to Amunication for posting these.

Three new pieces of GTA IV artwork have been uploaded at GameWallpapers.com. High quality versions are unfortunately only available to registered users (paid membership).

IGN are churning out the GTA articles this weekend, they've now compiled a decent history of GTA article - if you haven't read one of these before then I'd definitely recommend you doing so. It gives a nice overview of how the GTA games came about, and travels through right up to GTA IV. Of course there's no new information in there, but it's still an interesting read.

So if you're feeling nostalgic, give it a read. Also, today marks the one year anniversary of the first GTA IV trailer release, can you believe all that time has passed?

IGN have just posted a huge article on their site, consisting of 11 lengthy pages. The interview with Dan Houser and Rockstar North Art Director Aaron Garbut is "an in-depth look at the story, the creation of Niko, and the monumental task of creating the most realistic city ever seen in a videogame". The article is so big in fact that this is only the first half (we'll see the next piece on Monday).

This part of the interview covers:

the origins of GTA IV's story, what makes Niko the best character Rockstar has ever created, learn about the new dynamic relationship system and find out what went into building Liberty City. On Monday, we'll give you the full scoop on the gameplay additions and improvements.

It doesn't appear that there's any new information covered, but it's interesting to hear directly from the developers, and it gives a good insight into how things are done.

Link: GTA IV: Building a Brave New World

Rockstar have sent us some high quality digital screenshots, which look a lot better than the poor quality screengrabs we got ourselves. These screens were featured in the very quick montage at the end of trailer 4.

On a sidenote, I never posted when I added my trailer 4 screengrabs to the website, you can now see all 70 of those from the final trailer on our GTA IV screengrabs page.

Additionally, we've recently updated our GTA IV multiplayer page, and have added a page ready for listing the Xbox 360 achievements for the game - we imagine these will be revealed to us in the coming weeks, along with more information on the other multiplayer modes. Stay tuned!

Nearly a week ago TGTAP reported that the press had received one of 500 limited edition GTA IV Xbox 360s. Well today it appears one of said 360s found its way onto eBay! With a “Buy It Now!” price of 0, you get the limited edition Xbox 360, the briefcase filled with accessories, 12 months of Xbox Live, and 1,600 Microsoft Points. The Xbox 360 Elite system is number 92 out of the 500 produced.

Neither I, nor TGTAP know if this auction is authentic or not, so buyers beware. Regardless, hopefully a fan does get their hands on it and shares us some pictures of it in action! The auction can be found here.

Thanks Original GTA Master!

Yahoo! Games has a new article up today giving us five reasons (as if we need five) to buy GTA IV. It gives a good overview of the newly announced Amazon MP3 deal, GTA IV’s graphics, and the multiplayer features. Yahoo! notes that you’ll be able to “request an ambulance for an injured citizen,” and that “any weapon in the game can be fired while behind the wheel!”

You can read the article in full here. However I doubt anyone reading this needs any more reasons to pick up GTA IV on April 29!

Yahoo has a new article up providing some additional details on Rockstar's Social Club that was revealed earlier today. Registering on the site will give you access to a service whereby you can download songs you hear in-game using Niko's cell phone. Yahoo's description of it:

Advertised throughout Liberty City, the cheekily-named "ZiT" technology is built into the game's mobile phone interface system. As players cruise around the world listening to the in-game radio, they can at any point 'mark' a song by opening their phone and dialing the number ZIT-555-0100. Gamers will then receive a text message with the song and artist names, and if they're registered at the forthcoming Rockstar Games Social Club community site, they'll find an e-mail waiting in their inbox with a direct link to a custom playlist on Amazon.com. All songs tagged "ZiT" will be stored here, available for preview and purchase at Amazon's going rate of $.89-$.99 per track. Best of all, those MP3s are free of the Digital Rights Management (DRM) limitations imposed on files downloaded through Apple's iTunes store and thus can be imported into any computer or digital device with no constraints.

Many of you may be thinking something along the lines of "well this is stupid, I'll just download the songs I want from iTunes or BitTorrent" - well, you will be hard pushed to actually find what you're looking for...

None of those tracks, however, are accessible outside the game, and that's where GTA IV's model really takes off. Rockstar has boldly proclaimed that GTA IV's soundtrack is "the biggest in the history of entertainment," and with over 200 tracks, we're not prone to argue. In addition to high-profile tunes from popular artists, the developers are aiming for music geeks by handpicking rare, hard-to-find songs such as Electrick Funk's 12-inch treasure "On A Journey" and Elton John's "Street Kids" off his relatively unheralded Rock of the Westies. Some artists have even contributed brand new songs written exclusively for the game, including "Vagabond (Liberty City Mix)" by the Greenskeepers and "War is Necessary" from iconic rapper Nas.

So it's actually a pretty good deal, provided you live in America - you're getting DRM free songs, legally, for less than a dollar a piece - the fact it's all integrated into the game itself is excellent.

Thanks to Charger for this interesting piece.

Rockstar have just released the final trailer "Good Lord, What Are You Doing?" aka "Everyone's A Rat" on the official website. Check it out and let us know what you think of it. If you're having trouble getting on the official site then be patient as we'll have some alternate links up shortly. I've embedded the video below so you don't have to leave the site. The trailer is also now available on both the Xbox Live Marketplace, and the PlayStation Network.

In addition to this, a number of fansites were sent an exclusive screenshot by Rockstar, here's the one TheGTAPlace have been sent:

Thanks Rockstar!

To coincide the release of Rockstar Games’ GTA IV, they’ll also be opening up a site called Rockstar Social Club on the very same day. Rockstar Social Club will allow you to view your online statistics, have performance-based competitions, and awards all on the site. Registration begins on April 15 using your Xbox Live Gamertag or PSN ID (they’re starting registration early so we don’t all register on the day GTA IV’s released). Below are a few details:

• “LCPD Police Blotter -- A virtual map and tracker of single-player criminal activity logged in Liberty City from the aggregated data of millions of connected players - showing the most dangerous areas of town, most commonly used weapons and more.”
  
• “The Story Gang -- This special single-player leaderboard recognizes players who complete Niko Bellic’s main story arc of Grand Theft Auto IV - The leaderboard ranks players according to the total amount of playing time it’s taken to complete the story, as well as a historical rank by who has completed it first. Members of this club will receive special online widgets and merit badges marking all of their in-game accomplishments.”
  
• “The 100% Club -- Watch to see who will be the first to complete 100% of the game. The first ten people to be identified on the Social Club as reaching 100% will be sent an ultra-rare commemorative ‘key to the city’ to mark their accomplishment. In the future, the 100% Club will then carry a historical leaderboard showing rankings of who has completed 100% of a game in the shortest span of playing hours.”
  
• “The Hall of Fame -- This area will dynamically recognize those singularly elite players who have reached the top of the hill on various statistical leaderboards, and will also contain a personal awards display of special in-game landmarks and successes in Social Club competitions.”
  
• “The Liberty City Marathon -- A ranking of special physical milestones achieved in the game - from the amount of miles walked, driven, or swam - to the number of bullets fired and stunt-jumps jumped. There will be additional special marathon-based competitions in the future from this area as well.”
  

Special competitions, leaderboards and challenges will be given “regularly in the weeks and months following the game’s release.”

Rockstar Games have just sent us 3 unwatermarked versions of screenshots we saw in the last few weeks from EvilAvatar and MTV. Our gallery has been updated.

Thanks R*!

Just a heads-up, the fourth GTA IV trailer titled “‘Good lord, what are you doing?’ AKA ‘Everyone’s a rat’” will be released tonight at 10PM GMT, or 6PM EST. You’ll find the trailer on Rockstar’s official GTA IV site, and shortly after on the Xbox Live Marketplace and the PlayStation Store (just as the previous ones).

CVG reports saying it’ll be the final trailer before the worldwide release of the game on April 29th, 2008, so we have no idea of what to expect from Rockstar! As always, TheGTAPlace will keep you posted, and once its released, we’ll have it up for your viewing pleasure (if you don’t want to attempt to get into Rockstar’s website which will obviously be hammered).

US publication Official Xbox Magazine has a new GTA IV multiplayer preview in its latest issue. The preview shows two new pieces of artwork, and 8 new screenshots. Not much of the information inside is new but here's some points worth mentioning:

• Jeronimo Barrera, a senior developer at Rockstar, says it takes testers playing 4 hours a day "a good 2 weeks to get through the whole single-player game."
  
• Rockstar's Steve Hahnel says the ambition of GTA IV is the reason the game was delayed. Multiplayer was one of the main reasons for the delay, with network code and components needing to be written and maintained etc. Gameplay needed to be balanced, and "an authentic Liberty City had to be created for 16 players to explore and destroy simultaneously."
  
• In multiplayer the host also gets to configure options such as the weather, vehicles, spawn locations, friendly fire, and even decide if auto-aim can be used.
  
• Voice chat options can also be tweaked, the options are:
  
  • Everyone hears you.
    
  • Only players on the same team hear each other.
    
  • Proximity chat (only players close by can hear you).
    

  [*] Health, armour and monetary pick-ups are available during multiplayer. The cash determines your online rank - from 0 to 10. Killing people and stealing their money boosts your online credibility.

  [*] You can use the entirety of Liberty City during multiplayer, but if you die you will respawn in the area that the host has set.

  [*] You can apparently skim rockets across the ground if aimed correctly.

  [*] Shooting and driving simultaneously is allegedly quite difficult.

Source: Mongoose 360 at GTAForums.

Dutch gaming website XboxWorld.nl has posted the first images of GTA IV's multiplayer modes in a new preview on their website. Additionally, they posted a number of digital versions of screenshots that recently appeared in various magazines. There are 20 normal single player screenshots and 9 multiplayer screenshots, a selection of which are shown below. The rest you can see in our gallery.

UPDATE: It appears the article has been pulled, along with all the screenshots. XboxWorld may have posted this a little sooner than R* would have liked.

Source: XboxWorld.nl

Thanks Charger for the heads-up.

Barrett Phillips (no relation to me), has created an amazing tribute video to GTA San Andreas. The video pieces together some fantastic footage of the state itself and some of things you can get up to. It is professionally made and definitely worth checking it out. Watch below.

Link: High Res Download [via PlanetGTA]

PLAY Magazine, a UK gaming magazine recently got their hands on GTA IV’s multiplayer, they feature an eight-page long preview of it in their latest issue. The magazine sadly doesn’t give us anything we haven’t seen before in terms of screenshots, but it does have a few new minor details on said multiplayer:

• Multiplayer is accessed via Niko’s mobile phone, and from there you’re given the option to select game types, invite friends, etc.
  
• As we’ve heard, you’re allowed to customize your online character, but as you play more you unlock more options (as would be expected).
  
• PLAY Magazine witnessed an ordinary pedestrian spray paint graffiti on the wall of a store; they no longer only walk around and randomly mutter phrases.
  
• PLAY Magazine was allowed to play 8 of the 15 multiplayer modes in GTA IV.
  
• Not every game mode supports up to 16 players.
  

Full details of what we currently know about the modes can be found on our GTAIV Multiplayer page.

Stay tuned for more information on GTA IV’s multiplayer, and the rest of the game as we come closer and closer to the game’s release!

As promised in the 'Updates' section, the GTA IV website received a substantial update today. In addition to the two new radio stations and new screenshots available, Rockstar has also revealed a series of special events called "Grand Theft Auto IV: Music Events"

In honor of the release of Grand Theft Auto IV this April 29th, and its epic in-game soundtrack inspired by the diverse sounds of New York City -- Rockstar will be presenting and recommending this series of special music events in the New York metro area happening throughout the spring. Check back here frequently for up-to-date info as each event draws nearer as well as for info on more events to be announced.

20 screenshots were added to the site, and some (but not all) are brand new.

See the updated Grand Theft Auto IV site here and check out the Music Events site here

Microsoft sent out 500 limited edition GTA IV Xbox 360s to the press today, making us all jealous in the process. These Xbox 360s will not be for sale and are solely for building hype for the game (as if there isn’t any?), so we sadly won’t be seeing these in any stores, ever. However, for those still interested, MS took some Xbox 360 Elite systems, slapped some nice glossy black paint on them, tacked on the official GTA IV boxart, and threw the logo onto the faceplate. Also received was a “briefcase full of peripherals,” containing everything from an Xbox Live Vision camera, to an Xbox 360 headset. Below are four pictures taken of the system and peripherals (images taken courtesy of Complex.com):

Before anyone asks, no, TheGTAPlace did not receive any such console.

With only nearly a month to go before we’re all holding our copies of GTA IV, the game has today finally received its rating from the ESRB. GTA IV will be rated “M for Mature” in the United States, for “Partial nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs and alcohol, blood, and intense violence.” This obviously means the game is just about compete, and that the chances of a last minute delay are getting smaller! The game should also receive its rating from other groups around the world soon, so stay tuned!

News comes in today of Best Buy handing out exclusive free GTA IV posters with the pre-order of either the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 version of GTA IV. Pre-ordering the special edition of the game (on either console) also makes you eligible for the poster. Its unknown if the deal is also held in-store, or if its just online at Best Buy’s website. The posters feature Niko, in an artwork the majority of us have already seen. But a free poster’s a free poster, right? Click the below links to see the offer details:

Free Best Buy Exclusive GTA IV Poster (Xbox 360)

Free Best Buy Exclusive GTA IV Poster (PlayStation 3)

Relatively unknown gaming website EvilAvatar.com have managed to procure an exclusive screenshot of GTA IV. The screenshot depicts Niko riding a Sanchez through a subway tunnel, dangerously close to a train.

Link: EvilAvatar.com GTAIV Preview

The latest edition of German magazine Maniac contains a preview of GTA IV which unfortunately for us covers pretty much all the info recently revealed by other magazines. There is however one new detail, the confirmation of another radio station - Beat 102.7.

We'll probably get more info on this when Rockstar update the official site on March 20th.

Thanks to GTA-Xtreme.de for the info.

Rockstar have updated the Updates section of the official GTA IV website, giving the dates of the next site update and a brand new trailer.

20TH MARCH

• Music Section Update.
  
• Screenshots Section Update.
  
• Downloads Section Update.
  

27TH MARCH

• New Trailer: "Good Lord, What Are You Doing?" aka "Everyone's a Rat"
  

PSM Spain has an exciting new article in it's latest issue, with 20 new screenshots and a decent amount of information on GTA IV's multiplayer modes. Here's a quick summary of the new info, and below that, a list of the multiplayer modes.

• There are 15 multiplayer game modes in GTA IV. PSM played 7 of them. The rules of each game are set by the host.
  
• There is support for up to 16 players.
  
• Your online character is fully customizable. You can alter his race, sex, hair, clothing etc.
  
• In Race and GTA Race, the host gets to decide the vehicles you can use, number of laps etc. You're able to shoot and throw molotovs from the window, and also steal opponents' cars.
  
• In Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch, the host gets to decide the number of pedestrians, amount of traffic, police (on or off), and type of weapons
  
• In Cops N Crooks, one team are cops, the other, crooks. Cops must stop the crooks from escaping. They can monitor the locations of the crooks on their GPS. Crooks don't know where the cops are.
  
• In Mafia Work and Team Mafia Work, you play as one of Kenny Petrovic's mafia henchmen. You must complete hits ordered by the boss (via the cellphone) before your opponents can.
  
• Hangman's NOOSE features co-op play. You and a friend will be able to escort a mobster, while being pursued by a SWAT team.
  

The available multiplayer modes:

1. Hangman's NOOSE
   
2. Car Jack City
   
3. Bomb da Base
   
4. Bomb da Base II
   
5. Mafia Work
   
6. Team Mafia Work
   
7. Deathmatch
   
8. Team Deathmatch
   
9. Turf War
   
10. Cops N Crooks
    
11. Race
    
12. GTA Race
    
13. Deal Breaker
    
14. Free Mode
    
15. Car Jack City
    

Big thanks to nevermikel for all this information.

EA has made an appeal to Take Two's shareholders, offering them per share to force the merger through without the consent of the company's board. Previously, Take Two's board repeatedly rejected takeover offers from EA, including one for per share, which totals billion USD, a premium over the current value of .83 per share which values the company at roughly .2b. The company has to issue a recommendation to its shareholders within ten working days. EA's CEO John Riccitiello encourages Shareholders to take advantage of the offer:

"This is a great opportunity for Take-Two shareholders. We believe Take-Two investors will see our tender offer as the best way to maximize the value of their investment in Take-Two. This tender offer provides a clear process to complete the proposed transaction. For EA shareholders, the combination would add additional intellectual properties to our already strong portfolio and welcome Take-Two's talented creative teams to the great development organization we've built at EA."

Take-Two previously commented that the offer undervalued the company and its assets, and it is obvious that the long-awaited much-hyped launch of GTA IV next month is worth a lot to the company. Take Two also said that other parties had approached it regarding a merger, but that it hadn’t entered into any negotiations with other companies about a deal.

Our members discussed EA's previous offer with a resounding rejection of the takeover. It was felt that if Take Two was merged into EA, the Rockstar Games studios should remain separate (rather than be directly merged into EA) or turn independent. Voice your thoughts in our forums.

MTV.com has a brand new exclusive preview of GTAIV up on their website. There's also two exclusive screenshots on their site.

• Totilo spent two hours playing the game.
  
• An in-game text message was replied to by the editor.
  
• Totilo said that he thought the Statue of Happiness looked a lot like Hillary Clinton.
  
• "Extra guns and health packs don't float a few inches above the ground, waiting to be walked through. They lie on flat surfaces, waiting to be picked up. A Rockstar rep told MTV News that the developers didn't even want those found items to glow, as they do now, because that's not realistic. But a concession was made so players could more easily identify what they could and should try to grab in this world."
  
• "GTA IV felt less like a video game because there is no "Mission Complete" graphical flourish as there had been in old games, just a brief instrumental riff to indicate a job's successful finish. Icons in the upper-right corner of the screen still display the player's equipped weapon and money, but they are reduced in size, subdued to blacks, grays and whites, doing as little as possible to distract the player's eyes."
  
• "We took a helicopter for a joyride, in this case, in the PS3 build, traversing the city with haste, thrusting with the R2 button, rudder-turning with L1 and R1. The scenery was viewable from an optional in-cockpit, first-person view, the densely detailed Liberty City rolling by so quickly underneath that it's little wonder that the private jets parked at the game's airport are not usable. They'd be too fast for this game's amount of real estate. Mostly we used the helicopter to land on skyscrapers and in busy intersections, the rotor blades magically hurting no one — not the least of whom Niko, despite what would probably be classified as hard landings."
  

Thanks to Jordan for the news.

KING magazine has confirmed that New York DJ and hip-hop artist Green Lantern will be heard on GTA IV's radio stations.

We sat down and it ended up like a whole radio show. This particular show, there's a little bit of a budget involved. It's not the normal licensed-out music. When you jump in the car, you're going to be able to hear a whole Green Lantern radio show filled with nothing but exclusive music I produced for the game.

He also mentioned that music from Styles P, Uncle Murda and Maino's song "Getaway Driver" are included in the game.

Thanks to PlanetGTA for the heads up.

Rockstar have sent out hidden package #4 to GTA webmasters, it contains a t-shirt and these 2 screenshots:

Take-Two today posted their financial results, revealing a net loss of million for their first fiscal quarter of 2008 (ended January 31st, 2008), compared to last year’s loss of .5 million. .5 million more was lost in comparison to last year sadly. Net revenue on the other hand was 0.4 million, which is a decrease from last year’s 7.3 million. Contributors to this year’s revenue were BioShock, the 2K Sports franchises, and of course, the Grand Theft Auto series.

Obviously, Take-Two went on to predict next quarter’s results would be much improved, since quite possibly their biggest game, GTA IV, will be released. One can’t help but wonder how these results will factor into the possible EA buyout, however don’t expect it to have much effect just yet, since Take-Two has gone on to say they’ll wait until after the release of GTA IV before any “talks” with EA.

Rockstar Games has given us some nice high resolution images of the real life artworks around New York, by way of a new post in their GTA IV RSS feed. The four locations (if you want to see them yourself) are:

• Williamsburg - Bedford & N5th
  
• Harlem - 112th Street & 1st Ave
  
• Lower East Side - 2nd St. & Ave A
  
• SoHo - Lafayette btw Spring & Prince Street
  

..and the corresponding images (from left to right)

Thanks to Original GTA Master for the heads up.

The latest issue of Edge Magazine has a 16-page article on the Grand Theft Auto series, much of it discussing GTA IV. There are also about 6 new screenshots, and an exclusive interview with Sam Houser. Some of the noteworthy points:

• Strip joints and comedy clubs are in the game, in a way that is "enough to make your head spin."
  
• You can see planes flying through the airport, and if you look closely you'll even see the pilots. Driving alongside one earned the test a 4-star wanted level.
  
• Niko managed to get this response from a cop he encountered: "I'm a cop... and you're a dickhead!"
  
• Houser wasn't able to elaborate much on the subject of multiplayer, however, he did say that is was possible to get together online just to chill out in-game: "I'll meet you in a car and we'll hang and just drive and listen to music, chilling in the car, with your 3D model sat next to me," he says.
  
• Newer cars' paint jobs will look a lot nicer than older cars, which will look rusted and bland.
  
• Bullet holes and dirt are permanent markings on cars.
  
• Structural damage is possible, the magazine talks about "ripping chunks out of the plaster with gunfire."
  

Thanks to noxiousd for the info.

Rockstar have updated the official GTA IV site again with new screenshots and music info amongst other things.

• 21 new screenshots have been added
  
• It turns out there are 18 radio stations after all, not 14. Only 2 of the 18 radio station pages can currently be accessed
  

Check out the Official GTAIV site

A new, very small, piece of artwork has surfaced on the official Australian Xbox 360 website. The art features a women with barely any clothing on peeking into a convertible in the classy style only Rockstar Games can provide! Hopefully a larger version will surface in the next set of magazine previews, until then this version will have to do.

Thanks GTA Series Fan!

Our sponsor site UGO.com was another site that got a hands-on preview last week. While there isn't any new information in the article, it's worth a read if you missed anything last week or if you have a few minutes spare to keep your GTAIV hype levels up.

The article discusses the realism Euphoria has added to the game, how vehicle handling has changed and the new combat system. It also describes a couple of the missions they got to play, which you may have already read. If the hands-on is not something you want to read again, then they also have a nice retrospective article on the GTA series which is something you might be interested in.

Unlike previous GTA heroes, Niko feels and moves like a real human being. He doesn't control like a remote control car, stopping and starting on a dime. He's got momentum, he's got force, so running down the streets or ducking behind cover from gunfire feels more realistic than ever. And he's not the only one.

The cars in GTA have also gotten a revamp on the control front. It definitely takes some getting used to, but the cars in GTA don't all have infinitely small turning radii or racing suspension. Some are real clunkers, while others zoom along at a nice clip. Cop cars, for example, pick up speed nicely and are able ram with the best of them, whereas an ice cream truck has a little less piss and vinegar.

EGM Live has released a podcast today talking about GTA IV. They say some very good things about the game in it.

• "My God. I was just blown away."
  
• When discussing worries some people had about the PS3 version, the editors stated this: "I think we can all say the PS3 version is pretty damn good."
  
• "I was standing in the Times Square equivalent firing rockets everywhere and like pouring rain and things exploding and the [framerate] doesn't slow down."
  
• They discussed how real the rain looks and how it doesn't look fake at all. "It's not just a bunch of drops falling in a pattern. It feel like weather."
  
• They discussed how different each area looked in the game and how "each district of the city felt so different."
  
• When asked if they felt like this new Liberty City feels like the old one from Grand Theft Auto III, the editor said that one part reminded him of the starting point from the old game known as the Red Light District. He called it Hepburn Heights, but he may have made a mistake. Overall though, he said it felt new and not like the old game.
  
• "Every square inch [of Liberty City] feels different" than other parts of the city.
  
• They explained that the framerate isn't "silky-smooth" but it's not noticably bad.
  
• The editors talked about using molotov cocktails.
  
• The editors believe that the controls will be the "biggest sticky point" in terms of what reviewers will complain about when the game is reviewed in April. "The shooting is good but it won't redefine it."
  
• The editors talked about how they used a Hummer which is most likely a Patriot.
  
• One of the EGM players crashed into an edge of a bridge and flew out of the windshield 30 feet down and died.
  
• "I picked up a cellphone and I called 911 and a cop comes to answer the call. He gets out and talks to people." Then he stole the cop car and pulled up the police database where you can search by name or search by picture. They searched by name and cycled through hundreds of dossier pictures and profiles. They find two results and get the addresses and carry out the mission.
  
• "I actually was really surprised how much I liked Niko right away."
  
• "The writing in this game is so freakin' good, top notch and believable."
  
• They discussed how much they know they will care about the stories and characters in the game and how important that is.
  

Go to EGM Live to listen to the podcast.

Thanks to Jordan at PlanetGTA for the list.

Microsoft recently announced that they were having a GTA IV sweepstakes contest, and it is easier than ever to join it. All you need to do is enter your gamertag and be over the age of 18. Sadly this is open to U.S. residents only. Prizes include:

• 4 Grand Prizes: Four winners will score a four-day/three-night trip for two to New York City to attend the Xbox LIVE Gold Grand Theft Auto IV Launch Party.
  
• 100 First Prizes: Custom Xbox 360 Elite console
  
• 2,000 Second Prizes: A Rockstar baseball bat
  
• 5,000 Third Prizes: 500 Microsoft Points
  
• 3,000 Fourth Prizes: 1000 Microsoft Points
  
• 2,000 Fifth Prizes: 1600 Microsoft Points
  
• 5,000 Sixth Prizes: One-month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription
  
• 3,000 Seventh Prizes: Three-month Xbox LIVE Gold subscription
  
• 2,000 Eighth Prizes: One-year Xbox LIVE Gold subscription
  

GTA IV Sweepstakes

A French gaming site called Jeuxactu has recently played a five hour preview of GTA IV. They have written their own preview and have included a few details worth mentioning here.

• It took 5 years and 300 people to develop GTA IV.
  
• The smallest details have been taken into account, from non-working bulbs to newspapers flying in the wind.
  
• Peds live their lives like any other human. Law Enforcement Agencies will be checking papers, a businessman is walking faster than other peds, a woman is making a phone call in a phone booth, and so on.
  
• They talk about Liberty City being as big as San Andreas.
  
• Bodybuilding will no longer be in the game and you won't be able to make money by buying businesses anymore.
  
• If you commit a very serious crime, the army will be against you. You'll see heavily armed soldiers.
  
• By keeping good relationships, Niko may have some clues for future missions.
  
• According to the website, it'll take 60 to 70 hours to complete the game.
  
• Italians, Puerto Ricans, Russians, Jamaicans, Chinese Triad and Mafia are some of GTAIV's gangs.
  
• It might take more than one try to start a car or a motorbike.
  

Thanks to GTAGaming.

You may remember a big "IV" mural on a large building in New York City earlier in 2007. Well, Rockstar has decided to change that to a big Niko wanted poster that was previously posted.

You may remember the old one as well:

There is a lot of changes going around New York City, as you may have read earlier there was a painting found of Niko found on a wall. I definitely expect to see more GTA IV related paintings around New York City.

IGN's Australian department have, using their hands-on preview, published a wonderfully detailed article on 10 things you have to do in Liberty City when you pick up the game in 57 days time. Now there are a number of quotes I'd like to post from the article, but that would defeat the object of this post linking to it, so I'll just post a couple.

Squeezing off a shotgun round at the driver caused blood to splatter across the inside of the windscreen (which was now riddled with tiny bullet holes) as the driver's body was knocked violently back in his seat before slumping forward with his head resting on the steering wheel, causing the car's horn to constantly blare away. The intensity and detail we witnessed in this split-second of gameplay left us utterly gob-smacked, and even a little guilty about whacking the poor guy - at least we put his car to good use. He would have wanted that.

Cap someone in the leg, for example, and you'll see their limb flung back as their body loses balance and topples over. Shoot them in the face and their head will snap back with great force, before their body crumples lifelessly to the ground. Euphoria makes all of the typical GTA sandbox-style antics you're used to seem fresh again.

It's also confirmed in the article that you can actually blindfire rocket launchers, a feature I presumed would just be for normal guns.

Read the whole thing over at IGN - if it doesn't make you more excited about this game I don't know what will. Also, feel free to comment on this post and add your own ideas to the list of 'things to do when you get GTA4'.

LiveJournal user 3rdrate has found something a little more interesting than the faux wanted posters you may have seen around New York, he's stumbled across a large artwork of Niko painted on a door in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the corner of North 5th St. & Bedford Ave to be precise.

In addition to the artwork. 3rdrate seems to believe that the wanted posters for different characters are in different areas of NYC, i.e. Niko's are up in Brooklyn, Elizabeta's would be in the Bronx, etc. If this is the case, let us know if you find any others.

Thanks PlanetGTA

EGM subscribers have recently received their April issue of the magazine, and in it is a nice lengthy preview of Grand Theft Auto IV, along with three new screenshots. New details are below:

• Niko Bellic was apparently inspired by a favourite driver from Rockstar Games' car service
  
• The total number of radio stations is actually 14 (not 18 as we've previously reported)
  
• Car engines may stall after taking a lot of damage, requiring you to escape on foot
  
• Lazlow is finally confirmed to be returning on the radio (something we long expected)
  
• Emergency units respond in real time, this is useful for procuring an emergency vehicle - call them to report something, then head over to the station while they're all attending the scene
  
• Niko is an old soldier who spent time in third-world prisons
  
• On the subject of multiplayer, Sam Houser said "I just like running up to a bunch of players with the grenade cooking in my hands and taking them all out with me." - nothing more was mentioned other than we can expect some 'standard' multiplayer modes, as well as some new ones.
  
• You can resist arrest when getting busted by tapping A/X. You'll attain an additional wanted star, though.
  
• The PS3 version of GTA4 will use the Sixaxis controller's motion-sensing abilities "in a way that makes sense," is all Houser will say.
  

Thanks to CosmosTheMouse for magazine scans.