Just today, I received (what I thought) was my Xbox 360 back from Microsoft’s repair. I waited for it today after getting a notification from UPS. I excitedly signed the electronic notepad thing that you can never get your real signature down on, and took the package in!

I opened it up, and was surprised at the fact that there was a faceplate on it, as I had removed the faceplate (it’s part of sending a 360 in for repair). I read the document that came with it, and I was even more surprised to find out that I had received an entirely new console! They say they wanted to get me my system earlier, though I have the feeling that they were being a little lazy with repairing my original console. Anyway, at least I got it back a few weeks earlier than I expected, and new warranty, and a firmware update, and a months-worth of free Xbox Live Gold Membership (I’d use it if I could figure out why I can’t get connected to the network!). And I could get back to playing GTA IV, one of my favorite games for the 360, and will now be buying Episodes From Liberty City, which includes the two downloadable episodes for GTA IV (remember, I can’t get connected to live. And I want Vice City FM!).

So, that’s it. I guess I’ll be busy playing GTA IV for tonight. Not much else will be happening this week, other than going to Sears this Friday to pick up my new glasses (those were also finished earlier than I expected! How cool!).

-Tony

Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

GTA Episodes X360

Reviews from Customers

“WOW!!!! All i can say is….. WOW!!!!”
I totally was not expecting a game as cool as this. When i first bought this i knew that these were previous down-loadable episodes, but i definitely was not expecting so much gameplay. All together i’d say the game is either just as long or longer than GTA 4. Lost and the Damned was definitely the shortest but including Ballad of Gay Tony was genius. The missions just kept on coming. Don’t hesitate… buy this! You won’t regret it.

“Awesome – we’re getting back to the heart of GTA”
I, along with many others, was ultimately kind of disappointed with the original GTA IV. The removal of the staple elements of the GTA franchise was not good; the side service missions such as paramedic/fire/taxi, the wee remote control vehicles, the crazy cars along with the mini tracks for go karting, triple stunt points gone, and so on… and of course the loss of the planes. Heck even give me back the dodo R*! It was a big surprise to see all that gone and not a pleasant one. But when playing GTA IV you kind of felt that they had more planned for Liberty City in the future. Maybe that golfing range might be able to be used, that skateboard park might come into play and perhaps we’ll get to ride on the ferris wheel too at some point.

So with the release of TLOD and TBOGT we’re getting somewhere. Now for full disclosure I played The Ballad of Gay Tony through first even though it’s episode two, primarily because I wanted to base jump! And in TBOGT I can see Rockstar finally giving us back some of what they took away. You can indeed now play golf in that floating driving range, you can base jump off specific buildings as a challenge or indeed just buy a parachute and jump off anything you want. Tanks are back too! Rockstar are slowly making LC a more fun sandbox and I hope that continues with the release of more episodes. With regards to these two episodes, well you can’t go wrong. Both are typical GTA fare with varied missions and great story lines. I won’t go into the plots of each – do I need to? There’s some nice cross-over moments in the stories though that will make you smile!

With TBOGT you have specific optional targets to do in each mission such as a time limit or how much damage you take. The nice thing about the way this works are the new very extensive mission checkpoints, something massively lacking from GTA IV. But there’s a penalty for using a checkpoint – if you use a reload then your mission objectives aren’t saved. You can still complete the mission and continue with the story but there’s an actual incentive to replay each one and do better each time. It’s a great game mechanic that satisfies both players who prefer to blast through the game and those who wish to fine tune each play-through. Nice.

It also seems that LC’s code and graphics were fine-tuned somewhat because there’s considerably less little glitches and popups in TBOGT over TLOD and the original. But do install the game to the HD if you buy the disc version regardless of which episode you play.

All in all very satisfied that I got my money’s worth here. I’m now playing through TLOD although I still have some side mission (drug wars) to complete in TBOGT. It took me 18 hours to complete the second episode and I expect about the same for TLOD. So for about a dollar an hour entertainment this hits the mark. If you felt, as I did, that GTA IV was a step in the wrong direction for GTA then I recommend this compilation; GTA is heading back to its roots.

R* should also be commended for not allowing folks to play the episodes without the need for the original GTA disc if you buy the disc version (you’ll need the original if you DL the episodes from XBL). Helpful for those of us who put GTA IV on ebay shortly after completing it!

“One of my favorite games!!”
Im a GTA fanatic I own all their games and this one does not dissappoint. Amozon.com has the best price and with a $5.00 certificate also i cant complain. Great value!!!1

See all detials of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City

Hello everybody, I hope you have all been well.

A very eventful three months has passed since my good mate Sandeep Fed-Exed himself from interstate with a view to settle in Melbourne permanently. Since then he has had a few funny moments with the intricacies of Melburnian culture and found both his footing and an opulent new pad in the inner North. He moved out last week.

But what memorable moments they were! Let me count the ways.

My Best Man has negotiated the perils of Melbourne’s public transport, found himself on the right street but in the wrong suburb, and fallen in love with Melbourne’s weather (“Oh look, overcast and cold again!”).

His sense of direction has been put to good use, as he has also begun to orientate himself with the CBD grid with not much luck (No, Exhibition and Collins aren’t parallel to each other), spends most of his free time cleaning bird shit off his new car (Welcome to Melbourne!) and spends most of his free time wondering why Michele and I eat such ‘good’ food for dinner.

We’ve also put our musical talents to good use and sang our hearts out at home, hijacked cars in Liberty City and looked like a lovely gay couple taking Toby out for a walk in the morning.

With Sandeep just a freeway away, our house is now a little quieter, but for all the right reasons. With Baby soon arriving, we have begun to plan how its new room (previously guest room) would look.

Until then, Michele and I (and Toby!) just have these few months to ourselves . Things will never be the same again with Baby at home, so we’ll take in all the extra sleep and peace in however way we can.

UK charts: το FM 2010 σκοράρει – Gameover.gr

Η γνωστή υπηρεσία Chart-Track ανακοίνωσε τη λίστα με τους 10 δημοφιλέστερους τίτλους για την αγορά του Ηνωμένου Βασιλείου της προηγούμενης εβδομάδας και, αναμφίβολα, για ακόμα μία φορά οι Άγγλοι αποδεικνύουν έμπρακτα την αγάπη τους για το ποδόσφαιρο. Έτσι, το Football Manager 2010 κάνει ντεμπούτο στην πρώτη θέση, ενώ στη δεκάδα παραμένουν τόσο το FIFA 10 όσο και το Pro Evolution Soccer 2010, με τον τίτλο της Konami να υποχωρεί κατά 4 θέσεις. Το Forza 3, από την άλλη, συνεχίζει την πολύ καλή εμπορική του πορεία, ενώ και το Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City κινήθηκε πολύ καλά[next]

 

Noch bevor man überhaupt Gelegenheit hat, Episodes from Liberty City, die für den Handel zusammengefassten Add-Ons zu GTA IV, zu spielen, wird man schon zu Spekulationen über einen möglichen Schauplatz von GTA V gezwungen.

Ursache ist eine kleine Anzeige, die sich im Booket zum Spiel versteckt. “Liberty City – it’s over” ist dort zu lesen. “Next stop…”  – natürlich wird das nur angeteasert. Der fragliche Ort wurde quasi aus dem Poster herausgerissen. Lediglich “The Seagull”, zu deutsch: Die Seemöwe, ist dort noch zu erkennen.

Nun spricht der Begriff für ein Szenario in Wassernähe, ein paar User in verschiedenen Foren halten daher eine Rückkehr nach San Andreas, genauer: dem an San Francisco angelehnten San Fiero, für wahrscheinlich. Ich selber werde aber den Eindruck nicht los, dass es sich bei “The Seagull” um den Namen eines Schiffes handeln könnte, das den zukünftigen GTA-Schauplatz ansteuert. Nico Bellic erreichte Liberty City schließlich auch per Schiff. Damit würde meine Hoffnung, dass das kommende GTA-Sequel in Europa spielt, neue Nahrung bekommen.

Denn wie wunderbar wäre es, wenn europäische Metropolen wie London, Paris, Rom oder meine Wahlheimat Berlin durch den typischen Rockstar-Wolf gedreht würden? Ich jedenfalls könnte es kaum erwarten, durch die GTA-Version des Brandenburger Tors zu cruisen. Das ambitionierte GTA Berlin-Projekt ist ja leider nie wirklich fertig geworden.

Eine weitere Möglichkeit wäre die Rückkehr nach Vice City, diesmal vielleicht im 70er-Jahre-Stil. Sollte es dem Spiel auch nur ansatzweise so gut gelingen, für diese Dekade eine ähnliche Homage auf die Beine zu stellen, wie es bei Vice City mit den 80ern der Fall war, wäre dies ebenfalls für jeden Franchise-Fan ein Grund zu großer Freude. Unten findet ihr ein Bild des erwähnten Flyers aus dem Booklet von Episodes from Liberty City. Dort ist übrigens auch der Hinweis: “Opens march everywhere” zu lesen. Erste Infos könnten also im Frühjahr folgen.

Via Kotaku

GTA4.Net noticed this “ad” in the Episodes from Liberty City instruction manual that, reading between the lines (or around the torn out part, anyway) seems to tease where the series is headed next. And maybe when.

The ad, apparently for a fake movie, declares “Liberty City, It’s Over!” implying, naturally, that we’re all done here. “Next stop,” it says, and that portion appears to be torn out, except for the word “Seagull.” I think it looks like the name of a hotel, but who knows.

To the left of that is “Opens March Everywhere,” and your guess is as good as mine as to what that means. But Rockstar knows what it’s doing here, it’s getting people to talk, and we’ve taken the bait.

You may think that playing Grand Theft Auto 4 online is a good way of bonding with people; but think again, as this horrifying tale of humanity laid bare will change your outlook of online play forever.

After a hard day of fighting with your co-workers, there’s nothing better than a cup of tea, a fish-finger sandwich and a rage reducing blast of Grand Theft Auto 4. Not that I go on there to kill pedestrians aimlessly, well……not every night. No, after a day of feeling isolated and alone, working against a horde of backstabbing, two faced co-workers, I like to play one of the online co-op missions GTA4 has to offer. Nothing makes you feel more loved and appreciated than working towards a common goal (usually involving mass killing) with a group of like minded people. Sharing the load, watching each others backs, helping out in times of need; this is what a co-op mission is all about, and why it’s the perfect antidote to a bad day.

But sometimes, even in the computer-generated world where you’d imagine you’d be safe from harm, the real world can creep up from behind and bite your innocent bum, usually when you least expect it. Let me explain, with my emotionally charged tale of passion and woe.

To set the scene, I was playing GTA4 online, taking part in a cooperative mission called, Hangman’s Noose. In this particular mission, you and your team have to transport a Mafia boss safely from the Airport, to a safe house on the other side of Liberty City. All the while, you’ll be hunted down by the local police and S.W.A.T. teams, as they try and stop you and your precious cargo from evading their grasp.

The first stage of the mission takes place on the airport landing strip. Before the Mafia boss can safely leave his plane, you’ll need to secure the area and get hold of a vehicle to escort him off the premises. So, as a team, four of us stood guard around the plane while the fifth went to get a vehicle; a nearby helicopter. Now the fun starts, and the bonding between us online players begins.

From the distance, a never ending swarm of heavily armed S.W.A.T. teams approach, ready for a fight. On one’s own, this would be an almost inescapable foe, but as a team of brothers-in-arms, standing shoulder to shoulder and prepared to die in sake of each other, this puny army is no match. We fire as one, gunning down wave after wave of enemy, protecting each other as an unbreakable team. At one point, a member of our team was caught unawares from behind by an enemy S.W.A.T., and before he had time to turn and shoot, be was knocked to the floor and staring death in the face. But in our team, no man is left behind, and just before the S.W.A.T. pulled the trigger, condemning my brother to a hero’s death (until he could re-spawn anyway) I took aim, and with one shot, took my enemy down. As my team mate got up, he said to me over the radio two words I’ll never forget, ‘Thanks mate’. I single tear rolled down my cheek; I’d never felt so close to anyone in my life. But this was no time for tears, we still had a mission to accomplish, and by god we were going to complete it.

By now we were running low on ammo, and the almost unstoppable river of enemies just kept on ploughing towards us. But we did not back away, we stood our ground and kept firing; all for one and one for all. Just then our fifth team-mate came back from his mission, and flew into the heart of the battle with his helicopter, shouting ‘Get on, now!’ One by one we boarded the helicopter with our precious Mafia boss, as the rest of us continued to empty the last of our ammo, doing everything in our power to protect each other. I said I’d go last, and although my health was almost gone, I would rather die than allow my team mates to fall to a similar fate. As the last man climbed aboard our ride to freedom, I knew our mission would soon be at an end, and I’d be able to join my new found friends in warm celebration. But as I turned around to leap aboard the helicopter, it was gone.

I looked up; it had taken off without me. Maybe my team mates, in all the confusion and gunfire, had just forgotten me? So I shouted ‘Wait for me!’, but they continued to climb. I heard a team mate shout in desperation ‘There’s still a man down there!’, but yet they did not stop. Then I heard something that I will never forget. A voice so chilling and evil that I can’t help but shiver at even the slightest recollection of it. A girl, no older than eight, came on the radio and giggled, ‘Just leave it, forget about him’. My heart stopped. What had just happened? My friends, my brothers, had just abandoned me. I was alone.

I stood and watched as the men I had stood shoulder to shoulder with, who I had put my life on the line for, flew away and left me for dead. What made it doubly worse was that I could hear them laughing over the radio. As there cackles echoed though my bleeding soul, a bullet struck me, knocking me to the ground and ending my misery. With my last breath, I whispered ‘Whhhhyyyyyy?’ into the radio, but there was no response, only more laughter and teasing.

Till this day, I haven’t been able to even look at a copy of GTA4, and my trust in my fellow man has been shattered. Let this tragic tale be a lesson to you, that even in the world of online computer games, people are still bastards. I will have my revenge!

for more news and reviews get your free subscription of Phonica Magazine UK online here!

Още един трейлър от предстоящата Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, която излиза след 11 дни за Xbox 360.

Източник: Rockstar Games (e-mail)

Rockstar Games is pulling out all the stops for Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, the last installment in the Grand Theft Auto IV saga. As the latest trailer demonstrates, this action-packed episode is going to be big, bright and balls-through-the-wall nutty. The episode focuses heavily on Liberty City’s nightlife, as “Gay” Tony Prince is one of the city’s most famous (and now desperate) club owners. This means that players will be spending a lot of time at the three new clubs that will be available in the game: Bahama (how it’s spelled in the game) Mamas, Maisonette 9 and Hercules.

In addition to just being cool places to hang out, there will be several mini-games and even a club management feature to keep you busy as well. You’ll be able to show off your moves on the dance floor, and as Rockstar explains, “The better your moves are, the more points you’ll score with the ladies.” Whether this will result in any horizontal dancing isn’t clear, but given the over-the-top tone of the game, I wouldn’t be surprised if it showed up in there somewhere (Luke Warm Coffee?)

You can also head over to Maisonette 9 and spray crowds with magnums of champagne before chugging the rest of the bottle, in a clearly responsible way, of course. Once you’ve had your fun, it’s time for business. One of Luis Lopez’s many hats is that of manager, which means you’ll be able to pick up shifts at Tony’s clubs and experience the thrills and spills of dealing with “club security and unruly club patrons, as well as tending to the many needs of the Liberty City party-going elite.” There aren’t any details on how the management mode will playout gameplay-wise just yet, but I have a feeling that I’ll be doing drug runs and disposing of someone else’s dead hookers for a change.

GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony is shaping up to be one hell of a wild and out of control ride. Oct. 29 needs to be here sooner.

So what is the club scene like in Liberty City? Well, a little like this:

Rockstar have put together a new trailer for the soon-to-be released GTAIV extension, The Ballad of Gay Tony with some surprising deeds for the ‘main man’ Luis. As part of his routine of making the clubs tick over smoothly, Luis will have to actually rid said establishments of drug dealers and perverts – is this the beginning of a new moral GTA game? No. Luis will also be able to impress a young lady with his moves on the dance floor (replicated by a mini game) with his reward being some lovin’ in the toilets. Ahhh, that’s more like the GTA we know and love! The trailer is cleverly designed to look like a trashy celebrity TV show and reveals even more of what you can expect when The Ballad of Gay Tony is released in a couple of weeks on disc and through Xbox Live.

Ya tenemos fecha para el Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City. Se trata de la recopilación de las dos DLC que han salido en exclusiva para Xbox360, la reciente “The Ballad of Gay Tony” y el primer episodio “The Lost and Damned”. Según nos informa Rockstar no será necesario tener el juego original, es decir, que no hace falta tener el GTA IV para poder jugar a esta recopilación.

En cuanto al precio no se sabe nada, pero se rumorea que pude rondar los 39,99€. Y la fecha de salida está confirmada para el día 29 de octubre.

Os dejo el video del nuevo juego tras el salto.

Aquí os dejo el video traducido al español:

http://www.3djuegos.com/juegos/play-video/6499/13594/gta-iv-episodes-from-liberty-city/

Γνωρίστε τρεις ακόμα χαρακτήρες του GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony | Game 2.0

H Rockstar έδωσε στη δημοσιότητα δύο νέα trailers του πολυαναμενόμενου GTA IV: The Ballad of Gay Tony, στα οποία βλέπουμε τρεις ακόμα χαρακτήρες του τίτλου.

Ο λόγος για τους Yusuf Amir, Armando Torres και Henrique Bardas[next]

Rockstars Games пуснаха видео на още един герой от GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony, която излиза за Xbox360 и PS3 на 29-ти октомври – след малко повече от месец. Запознайте се с Юсуф, който явно ще бъде някакъв луд арабин, фен на Busta Rhymes

by XboxOZ360

©2009 Grant Smythe – OXCGN

With this iteration of the GTA series a little more than a a month off, the news is starting to pick up even more. Today Rockstar have officially launched their Ballard Of Gay Tony website which will be updated over the next several weeks as the release gets closer, and be the main hub for the game upon release.

But right here today you have the chance to meet up with Liberty City’s biggest land owner, and head “Gangstar”, Yusuf Amir, who by the way, simply loves the Arab Money. A song he just enjoys signing in the game, as well as wander around in his briefs with a somewhat odd placement for a moniker. You just have to see it to know what I’m talking about.

Check the brand new video out and see how he’ll be included in the upcoming release.

• Meet Yusuf Amir – Loves the Arab Money

You might also want to check out the weapons that will be available to you in this game, here’s some images with our hero using them, as well as a visual look at the list. “The Exclusive Features: Weapons page showcases all the new high-powered weaponry you’ll get to play with in both the single player and multiplayer modes – including the Advanced MG (pictured above), the Explosive Shotgun, Sticky Bombs and many more.”

The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime. As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (a.k.a. “Gay Tony”), players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price.

Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony completes an epic story and gameplay arc that intersects with the storylines of Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned.

With new missions, weapons, vehicles, soundtrack updates and multiplayer content that showcase the over-the-top nature of life at the center of the city, on the other side of the velvet rope where everyone and everything is accessible and available for a price.

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, the highly-anticipated second episode of Grand Theft Auto IV downloadable content for Xbox 360® will be available worldwide October 29, 2009 on disc with The Lost and Damned as part of Episodes from Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto IV not required to play) or as a download exclusively on Xbox LIVE® (Grand Theft Auto IV required).

Areas to be covered on the new website include:

• Missions
All-new storyline missions that provide an over-the-top experience from start to finish. Replay missions for the first time ever in a console Grand Theft Auto game.
• Weapons
New high-powered weapons including Sticky Bombs and an Advanced Sniper Rifle, plus new powerful assault shotguns and machine guns.
• Vehicles
A fleet of new vehicles, including lavish new cars and a collection of specialty vehicles including an attack helicopter and a N.O.O.S.E. APC.
• Nightlife
Play as Luis Lopez, personal bodyguard, confidant, business partner and friend to Liberty City’s night life impresario, Anthony “Gay Tony” Prince. Drink, dance, and take part in Club Management jobs at Prince’s clubs: Maisonette 9 and Hercules.
• Multiplayer
The fan-favorite modes from Grand Theft Auto IV, made better than ever now with new locations and packed full of new weapons and vehicles.
• Media
Brand new TV programming for when Luis feels like staying in, and new internet content to browse while at Tw@ Café.
• Soundtracks
Brand new radio shows and music added to the Liberty City radio dial.
• Plus Side Missions
A full range of new side-missions, mini-games and Xbox 360 Achievements.

So make sure you stay tuned at OXCGN for more information on Liberty City, and the residents of the infamous city that has captured the world by storm.

©2009 Grant Smythe – OXCGN

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