Grand Theft Auto III Tops iPhone Sales Chart

Every week, we rounds up the top-grossing iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad applications, as current that day in the iTunes App Store. This week's U.S. revenue charts see Grand Theft Auto III and Kick the Buddy earning top iPhone sales, while Battle Nations and The Sims: FreePlay emerge as big sellers on the iPad.

These charts allow end users to see who is making the most money on the App Store that day. It differs significantly from the Top 10 Games chart, which is ranked by sales, and therefore is dominated by lower-priced titles that sell more copies.

Data comes courtesy of Apple's public sales information. All titles in the App Store's "Games" category are considered in chart rankings.

This week's top-grossing iPhone titles are:

1. Grand Theft Auto III ($4.99)
2. Poker by Zynga (Free)
3. DragonVale (Free)
4. Kick the Buddy ($0.99)
5. Infinity Blade II ($6.99)
6. Angry Birds ($0.99)
7. Card Ace: Casino (Free)
8. Tiny Tower (Free)
9. Modern War (Free)
10. Social Girl (Free)

Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III heads the iPhone's revenue charts in its debut week, unseating last week's sales leader Infinity Blade II. Poker by Zynga continues to generate brisk microtransaction sales at second place, as Backflip's DragonVale takes third in today's rankings.

App Store newcomer Kick the Buddy ranks in at fourth place thanks to an especially popular free trial version, while Crowdstar's latest simulation title Social Girl premieres at tenth.

Here are this week’s top-grossing iPad applications:

1. Battle Nations (Free)
2. The Sims: FreePlay (Free)
3. Angry Birds HD ($4.99)
4. DragonVale (Free)
5. Card Ace: Casino HD (Free)
6. Modern War (Free)
7. Grand Theft Auto III ($4.99)
8. Smurfs' Village (Free)
9. Sonic CD ($1.99)
10. Infinity Blade II ($6.99)

Z2Live's war-themed simulation title Battle Nations leads the iPad's top-grossing apps chart for the second week in a row, while last week's second-highest earner Infinity Blade II drops to tenth place in today's rankings.

Grand Theft Auto III only manages to earn seventh place despite a strong showing in this week's iPhone results, meanwhile, as Sega's recently ported platformer Sonic CD claims ninth in its first week of release.

Grand Theft Auto III: 10 Year Anniversary Edition Launch Trailer

One of the greatest games our generation is making its way to your mobile devices. The full console version of Grand Theft Auto III in the palm of your hand. Spend hours listening to Game Radio and shooting pigeons. Available now on select ios devices and Android devices.

Grand Theft Auto 5: Can Previous Titles Tell Us Anything?

Rockstar is going back to its roots – at least in terms of remembering. This is what Rockstar had to say on the GTA 3: The crew was making a lot of procedures up as they go along and they decided that event the NPCs should have dialogue.


This has never been done before at least not in the scale that Rockstar is doing it. “So we decided that the game’s protagonist would not talk, partly to aid people identifying with him, but mostly because we had so many other problems to solve and this did not seem like a major issue. We started to discuss introducing a talking lead character when working on Vice City, but it was a lot of work. While the structure of GTA3 may seem obvious or natural now, and the use of cut scenes made in the game’s engine that look and feel like the game may seem simple and easy, it really was not the case back in 2001 when we had to figure out all of these things for the first time. Oh and in San Andreas, CJ calls Claude a mute because he does not talk and CJ finds this unnerving.”

Rockstar is talking GTA 3 because the tenth anniversary edition of the title has come out for the iOS and Android. The studio is not just focusing its energies on its new game, GTA V, but also pursuing the re-introduction of some of its game to newer platforms. This is a good thing. It was also good to know why Claude was a mute. It makes you think about new protagonists coming up. Who would be the protagonist of GTA 5 and why?

‎GTA 5 Wallpaper #2

New GTA 5 Wallpaper #2

Rumor: GTA 5 Information Leaks out of UK Magazine

Supposed details regarding Grand Theft Auto V have “leaked” from someone claiming to work for a PlayStation-focused magazine based in the UK. The rumored information was posted on GTAForums, and if any of this information is true, which it’s hard to know for sure at this point, expect a few spoilers out of it. Therefore, if you wish to remain clean of mind, body, and spirit, proceed with caution below the break.



According to the forum poster, via NowGamer, the information came to him from co-workers at the magazine which were given a 30-minute look at GTA 5 at Rockstar North a week before the first trailer aired.

“The mag I work for will be running a GTA 5 special in it’s January issue,” claimed the magazine employee. “They saw this footage on Monday of this week before the trailer aired and are currently under a strict embargo but talk flowed out of the office and hence why I am posting here.”

While admitting never to have seen the footage firsthand, the employee said the following information - pulled “as is” from the post – was gleaned from those who were given a look at the game :

The game world is absolutely massive and will push both Xbox and PS3 to the very limit in terms of what it has accomplished. Yes, the main city is simply Los Santos however is it AT LEAST 4 times bigger than Liberty City in GTA 4 and that is just Los Santos. The surrounding country side, beaches, etc are massive. For instance, we saw the main character (an African/American, early 30′s) travel by car from the center of Los Santos into the wildnerness and it took over 15 minutes. The views were incredible from farmhouses with cattle, huge wind farms, an oil refinery which appeared to be living and breathing with nearly 100 NPCs working on machinery, operating vehicles, lifting and loaded, etc, unlike the gas works in GTA 4 which seemed to only house a few NPC at a time. The forests are more beautiful than those in RDR and featured people camping, young NPC drinking and dancing around campfires, people riding dirt bikes and jumping over logs, streams, etc. The water effects, forna, plants, trees all looked beautiful.
The shooting mechanics have been greatly improved with animations for diving, climbing, rolling and crawling all added for better realism. The re-loading animations for new ammo also look cooler, less static.
There is much more climbable elements in the world such as ladders, overhand climbing, etc.
There are animals in the game from dogs to cattle but at this time it is not confirmed if you will be able to harm the animals. Rockstar were able to get away with it in RDR as it was a true depiction of the world in which the game was set. Allowing dogs/cattle to die in a game sent in current times may cause headaches with PETA. Its unclear if Rockstar were joking here.
There are planes to pilot and they can be crashed into buildings if you choose to do so….
Rockstar have included many, many more interior locations such as a shopping mall, college campus, police station, a huge hospital and there is also a vast underground sewer network which one mission later in the game involves a jet ski chase that culminates in a Fugitive-esque waterfall jump ( there are nods to the ridiculous but awesome Ballad Of Gay Tony missions)
The city is full of NPCs jogging, weight-lifting, hitting on women, being chased on foot by cops, shopping, washing cars, fixing fences, moving home, filling up their cars, etc.

The following is a list of what the employee called the “real juicy info”:

Cars can be upgraded/repaired and it has been considered to have a car have fuel forcing the player to fill her up.
The dating aspect of the game is gone. You still have a cell-phone but only people you will meet in the game will call you to ask you to do a mission or to ask you to do something else before the mission.
Weapons include the usual arsenal you’d aspect but the flamethrowers, remote mines, laxer trip mines and claymores are included. It is possible now to pick up random objects in a street/buidling to use as a weapon. There is also a museam where it is possible to steal old age swords, axes, etc.
It is possible to rupture a fuel line and if you shot at the trail of gasoline it will lead straight back to the car blowing it up.
Mini games such as bowling, darts, etc have all gone. You can play basketball, weight train, arm wrestle, gamble and cage fight, enter triatholons, water races, cannoing, ab-saling, rock climbing, base jumping, ski diving. More to be confirmed.
Character customisation is back but only in terms of clothing, body weight, etc. The player you start off which, much like CJ, can’t be altered by race, age, height, etc.
Rockstar said burglary missions may return but only as part of missions and not on neigbourhood houses.
No children NPC at all. Ever.
There is now an ability to grab people and use as sheilds or in “hostage” situations.
The cops are much, much, much more realistic. If you kill somebody when you know there are no cops around you will not run the risk of a one star as often as you would in GTA4. The cops will use smoke and tear gas, dogs, riot gear and rams to knock down the doors of buildings you are hiding in.
You can enter some buildings and lock doors, push objects in the way to barricade.
You become better at things as the game progresses. If you only ride motorbikes then you will increase your skills, same as individual weapons.
Certain weapons can be customisable and some even home-made.
One mission involves breaking out a very familiar GTA icon from a previous game…
Torrential rain fall and sunshine and even tremors will appear in the game.

Both Future and Imagine Publishing have said the information did not come from employees who work at each respective outlet’s PlayStation Magazines.

Also, yesterday we noticed, like a quite a few others, that someone claiming to be a former Rockstar employee posted a shot of GTA V’s map via Twitter. We took screen grabs just in case they were taken down, and you can look at those below.

It is unknown whether the shot of the map is legitimate, but the Twitter account used – which we also took a grab of yesterday afternoon – was not doctored by any Internet fellas.

GTA 5 was formally announced earlier this week. Platforms and a release date have yet to be confirmed.

The Road to GTA 5: Saying Goodbye to Liberty City

The amazing charm of GTA IV's Liberty City, and how GTA 5's Los Santos is sure to rewrite the rulebook.

It's been well over a year since I stepped foot in Liberty City. For a while there I never wanted to leave; it was a playground unlike any other I'd ever been in. GTA IV's rich, dense world was really something else.

Sure, I played GTA: San Andreas for longer than I care to ponder. Once every bit of provided gameplay had been milked I set about losing days to other tasks. Weeks, perhaps. Who else experimented with how many tow trucks they could hook together, or the smallest gap they could thread the AT-400 through? And the cheats. No game has ever had better ones.

Still, GTA IV was different to its PS2 forebear – and yet I played it for even longer. The generation jump brought with it the ability to craft vivid, more believable worlds. The grittier, more grounded game we ultimately got in GTA IV was married perfectly to its far more realistic and more authentic environment, and I became hopelessly addicted to it.

Gaming moves fast, however, and after a huge amount of time sunk into messing about in Liberty City I eventually needed to move on. Like always, there are other games to play.

The past two months has been heaving with titles worth investing in but after the recent debut trailer for GTA 5 I took some time to revisit GTA IV and the city I spent a significant part of this generation a temporary resident of.

The most amazing thing about Liberty City is that, after all these years, it remains a fascinating place to be. The credibility and character of GTA IV's Liberty City still impresses; it has this remarkable ability to make one feel like a tourist. Emerging back onto an Algonquin sidewalk after all this time it feels like I'm returning to a favourite holiday location. I don't want to run; I want to walk. I want to absorb what's going on around me. I want to read the storefronts. I want to observe the hustle and bustle and admire the simulation of a living, breathing digital metropolis.

I stroll down into the grimy Hematite subway station, on Union Drive West between Hematite and Iron, admiring the painstakingly crafted filth. I take the first train down to Easton and emerge to take in The Triangle, before strolling back north to see Star Junction.

A man crossing the road ahead of me is clipped by a cab; he drags the cabbie out and a fight breaks out. There aren't any cops nearby but, while I could call some on my cell phone, the scuffle is over quickly. The taxi driver loses and limps off. I move the cab to the kerb and the traffic starts moving again.

I hail the next empty taxi I see and take it to Funland out at Firefly Island. The cab ride is long but I'm seeing this city at a pace I've never taken the time to do so before. The workmanship on every block is just something else. After all that time I spent here years ago I'm still seeing stuff I never noticed before. A piece of unique graffiti here. A quirky sign there.

It's a deliberately imperfect world; built from the ground-up and then aged, weathered and even vandalised to look like it's evolved over more than a century. The taxi crawls across the patchy bitumen, wallowing over hasty road repairs, past just enough hints of debris and decay to give the whole place a genuine lived-in feel.

If this trip back to Liberty did anything it encouraged me to be even more enthusiastic about seeing the full breadth of the new Los Santos Rockstar North is shaping now for GTA V.

The GTA 5 trailer may have only been just over a minute long but the signs are exceedingly good. The precise traits that made the GTA IV rendition of Liberty City feel so real and not only back, they're clearly amplified. The GTA V trailer hints at a city even more thick with detail and nuance than ever before.

What is GTA V's reimagined Los Santos likely to do to what we expect from virtual urban worlds? Like Liberty City, Los Santos 2.0 will be a character unto itself – but it's likely to rewrite the rulebook entirely.

Why Was Grand Theft Auto III's Star Silent?

After celebrating Grand Theft Auto III's 10-year anniversary with the release of an iOS and Android port, Rockstar is now answering a variety of questions fans have about the game. Among those are the obligatory questions about its protagonist, Claude, and the rationale behind him never uttering a word.

Every Grand Theft Auto game since 3 -- the first to bring the series into 3D -- has featured a star who could speak. Why was Claude made to do a crowbar-free Gordon Freeman impression?

"It may now seem obvious that people should all talk in games, but this was not necessarily the case in 2001, certainly not in an open world game," reads an answer on Rockstar's website. "We were making up a lot of procedures as we went along, and we decided that the NPCs (Non Playable Characters) should talk and we would have to figure out how to make them talk (using motion captured cutscenes, something that had never really been done before, at least not on the scale we were doing it).

"So we decided that the game's protagonist would not talk, partly to aid people identifying with him, but mostly because we had so many other problems to solve and this did not seem like a major issue. We started to discuss introducing a talking lead character when working on Vice City, but it was a lot of work. While the structure of GTA3 may seem obvious or natural now, and the use of cutscenes made in the game's engine that look and feel like the game may seem simple and easy, it really was not the case back in 2001 when we had to figure out all of these things for the first time. Oh and in San Andreas, CJ calls Claude a mute because he does not talk and CJ finds this unnerving."

Several people submitted questions regarding an old trailer, embedded above, showing Claude demand, "Get out of the car!" while hijacking someone's vehicle. This is not a sign that Claude was, once upon a time, intended to speak; it turns out this isn't real. Rockstar suspects "the voices were added at a later date by someone online as at no point did we plan for Claude to have a voice or even design how a speaking protagonist would be implemented until Vice City."

As for the way he was designed, there was not any single character or person who served as the inspiration for him. "We just liked the idea of a strong, silent killer, who would be juxtaposed with all of these neurotic and verbose mobsters in an amusing way," another answer reads. "He seems stronger and in control, while they seem weaker and frantic."

Rockstar wasn't willing to share any information on his background beyond what we know (he's "a bank robber with a noisy and psychotic girlfriend"), but it was noted he isn't dead and his "surname may or may not be Speed." Claude Speed is the name of Grand Theft Auto 2's protagonist, whom some believe to be the same character as GTA III's Claude.

Rockstar also shared some concept art revealing earlier versions of the design for Claude, which can be seen on the next page.

As for Darkel, a character never seen in the game but referred to in its manual and seen on Rockstar's website, he was described simply as "a crazy bum who gave you some crazy missions." These missions were slowly cut out "because they just weren't as good as the rest of the game, and tonally they were a little odd." Rumors of one of these missions involving blowing up a school bus full of children aren't true ("although that is a funny rumor!"). Series fans eager to eventually see these Darkel missions released aren't likely to ever get their hands on them as Rockstar North is busy working on new stuff.

Rockstar plans to answer more questions next week, so if there's anything you've been dying to know for a decade, submit a question and maybe you'll get an answer. If it's GTA2 that intrigues you, the design documents released earlier this year might be right up your alley.

The iOS and Android versions of Grand Theft Auto III are now available for $5. Only a select number of devices are capable of running the game; you can see which ones here. Those that can run it are unfortunately saddled with touchscreen controls which you may or may not find acceptable, though the novelty of having GTA 3 on your phone or tablet may be enough to justify looking past the imperfect controls.

GTA 5 Trailer Recreated in GTA IV (Video)

Remember when the GTA 5 trailer was remade in San Andreas? Now it's been done with Grand Theft Auto 4 as well. Courtesy of Youtube userbeanmike206, check out what the Grand Theft Auto V announcement trailer looks like when reproduced using the GTA IV game engine.

As expected, draw distances, animation, lighting and textures all look significantly better in the GTA V trailer; it's a valiant and entertaining effort, don't you think?

GTA V trailer in GTA IV:

GTA 5: Rockstar Responds To Speculation, 'Internet Lunacy'

GTA 5 has already enjoyed more than its fair share of speculation and rumour-mongering, with the launch of the debut trailer only confirming the bare minimum details - money, Los Santos, present day, massive.

Given Rockstar's reluctance to share details until it's ready, numerous claims have been made about the next Grand Theft Auto V - none more so than an alleged Journalistic leak.

In reponse to those rumours, Rockstar issued a statement to NowGamer which reads:

“We do not comment on rumors, speculation and general internet lunacy. We do appreciate seeing the passion gaming fans have shown toward Grand Theft Auto V and we look forward to sharing more information with everyone soon.”

Nothing much there then, but good to know that Rockstar keeps up to date with all the gossip and feedback generated by the game. Has a single trailer ever caused this much fuss?

The identity of GTA 5's lead actor is the latest rumour surrounding the game.

source NowGamer

GTA 5: Main Character Rumors Continue To Swirl

Grand Theft Auto 5 continues to baffle and excite fans because of the little confirmed information put out there by Rockstar Games. Some speculations at least have been debunked but many questions are still left unanswered.

One of the main questions is, ‘who is the main character?’ There are a lot of names from previous titles that have been mentioned but still continue to float around indecisively. Some of the names are pretty familiar. They are Niko Bellic, Vercetti, Claude, CJ or Catalina. It seems also that none of them will turn out to GTA 5’s main character. According to Addict Game, PSM3 has already said that none of the mentioned names is the new game’s main character. Visit Addict Game to check out some of the character pictures. They are pretty interesting. There is a fat homeless guy who could not be Niko Bellic given the build, but why is the guy wearing Bellic’s clothes? PSM3 said that the fat man actually looks like Packy McReary, a character from GTA 4. The guy who is donning some tattoos and has been running away from the police is apparently CJ from GTA SA. There are also speculations that the main character will be Albert the Silva. Others, however, prefer it to be Vercetti or Claude.

There is nothing definite out there yet but you could visit Addict Game if you want to know just as much as they know there. For now, I wouldn’t say anyone aside from those within Rockstar Games really know anything. But in a way, it is exciting.

GTA 5: Why Rockstar Loves Los Angeles

Thanks to the Grand Theft Auto series, Los Santos becomes a world that has become almost too real. It has become a virtually enhanced version of real-life Los Angeles. Rockstar Game itself has its headquarters cradled in Manhattan. New York has already become the inspiration for other Rockstar games, such as the Max Payne series and GTA 4’s Liberty City. The studio, however, has managed to form a strong relationship with Los Angeles.

Grand Theft Auto 5 is actually the fifth time within two generations that Rockstar has used Los Angeles, this time in the guise of Los Santos, as a game backdrop. Remember the recent L.A. Noire. Then, there was Midnight Club – Los Angeles. Staying within the GTA franchise, you can remember GTA – San Andreas. In 2003’s Midnight Club 2, Rockstar revisited Los Angeles giving enough landmarks and atmosphere to make it clear to players where they were. Somehow though, it was Rockstar’s version of Los Angeles – Los Santos – that made players really focus on the city’s atmosphere.

Los Santos is a stunning and vast world. It has proven how technology has come so far now. Now, the games are filling in the gaps that used to be our turn to fill with our own imaginations. The result is quite admirable.

Even Rockstar North’s first try at giving Los Santos life was already impressive. It showcases not just a place with landmarks but it showed the socio-economic spectrum. You get to see the Richman’s mansions and Ganton’s infamous Grove Street where the dilapidated houses are. The place is not just there. It managed to come alive. Because of this, Los Angeles has also become Rockstar Games’ home away from New York.

GTA 5 Exclusivity Rumor and VGA Reveal

Since the GTA V trailer we’ve seen numerous rumors and apparent news leak, and some of the ideas suggested have been pretty amazing, which include potential features in Grand Theft Auto 5 like being able to build a business empire with hitmen, thugs and more or simpler ideas like houses that you can enter.

Most of the GTA V rumors are pretty weak and not confirmed by any source or Dev team, although some rumors are more believable than others. In the last couple of days we’ve seen two new rumors appear on a number of websites, which include the possibility of a reveal at Spike TV’s Video Game Awards tonight and talk of the PS3 getting an exclusive with GTA 5.

While it would be pretty cool to see some sort of new trailer at the 2011 Spike TV VGA, one of the sources claiming this rumor can be found here, and they created this viewpoint from a tweet by Geoff Keighley, which only said gamers wouldn’t believe the “PS3 Exclusive“. Following this tweet, he said “Amazing top-secret rehearsals tonight at VGAs,” continuing “Some very special things in the works.”

We have no doubt that the VGAs will be special tonight, and you can expect some reveals, although for that to be GTA 5 and even the chance of a PS3 exclusive seems very far-fetched. What do our readers think?

Those of you excited about what the next GTA 5 game could bring, you might want to look at the history of GTA weapons here, things that could make the game suck here, and a debate on the Grand Theft Auto V story and getting the balance right here।

GTA 5 Story Balancing: Serious and Fun

There has been a lot of talk regarding the main character, setting and how big GTA 5 will be, but another important aspect is to balance the story correctly. It’s all very well having a game that is both serious and fun, but Rockstar knows it will be a fine balancing act to get things right – just hope they do not go over the top either way.

The story of Niko Bellic was incredible, we had the serous side of things mixed in with some humor, but for some there needed to be some more of those fun moments. How good is it to be very serious in certain campaigns, but then have a laugh a little later? You can see in games like Saints Row where the fun side is over the top, so Rockstar needs to look at this as a fine example of overdoing it.

However, according to GameBandits the developer has been asked to look at some aspects of Saints Row, as there is no shortage of laugh out loud moments. It’s now time to bring the franchise up to date, we have seen them step up to the plate with games like Red Dead Redemption, so we know they can do it. The most recent Grand Theft Auto games have been getting a little too serious, and this could have a negative effect, as the market has now changed.

There were a huge number of campaigns in the previous game, and the percentage of those finished were low, as players would much rather explore. It now starts to make sense to be able to do more side missions, or even visit a fair and play some mini games. There are other possibilities as well, but they need to be fun.

What should Rockstar do to make GTA 5 fun?

GTA 5 Development Time and Fine Details

Over the last few weeks we’ve heard some interesting takes on what GTA 5 should be, which included our readers debating the story and how fun or serious it should be. The idea of Sony’s PS3 getting an exclusive for just a few months got a welcome from some gamers, and complete anger from others.

One factor that seems to reappear is finding balance in GTA 5, it seems that most of us agree the PS3 and Xbox 360 are more than capable of achieving more than we need in the next Grand Theft Auto game, although there is one thing stopping all the features we want being added, and this is time.

Development for GTA IV is said to have started in 2004, although the game didn’t release until 2008. While we don’t know the extent of work carried out over those 4 years, you can count on that time helping the game be much more than an annual release, seen in many franchises these days.

So what can we expect with GTA 5 and the development time? It has been confirmed that development is well under way, and we’ve all seen the trailer that showed us a few things and opened many questions like the chance of mini games.

We expect the development time to be much shorter for this game, although how much should Rockstar balance the time spent on development for fine details, which includes getting the large map inline with real world alleys and streets it portrays, and the wanted finer features like more houses to enter and smaller items you can interact with in-game?

While we hate going back to Skyrim, you’ve got to admire the little things found in that game. Whether you find food ingredients pointless in Skyrim or not, you got to love it for just being there allowing you to cook, and lessons can be learned here for Grand Theft Auto V.

We love the little things, although what fine details do you think need to be added to the next GTA V game? Would you wait longer to get more features and little things that make the game more lifelike? This could be the ability to enhance autos by adding rims, audio and upgrading the engine to making the GTA 5 world more open to interaction.

It’s not what is possible but more about development time available, and the fine details that should be included and those that cannot thanks to the lack of time.

GTA 5: A PS3 Exclusive?!

From the very moment the Grand Theft Auto V trailer was released, there were lots of rumors that accompany the game. For awhile then, we thought that the instalment was just a product of a combination of a good imagination and loads of wishful thinking. Well, GTA 5 was proven but lots of things are still unclear.

So now we check on the game after Spike TV’s Video Game Awards has already been aired. Before the VGAs, there were lots of rumors that involved every aspect of the game. Some of the rumors were pretty weak and ended up getting debunked so fast before other gamers could even have heard of them. There were those that lingered because they were more logical. Lately, there were some new rumors that had appeared on video gaming blog sites. One of such rumors is that GTA 5 will be released as a PS3 exclusive.

Not a whole lot of people believe that GTA 5 will be released as a PS3 exclusive. VGAs host Geoff Keighley did not help through his tweets that do not really reveal anything: “Amazing top-secret rehearsals tonight at VGAs” and “some very special things in the works”. The tweets are pretty general. The question that was really playing back then was if the VGAs will be extra special in the case of GTA 5.

GTA 5 Most Searched Game of 2012

Christmas evening: the presents have been shared and you're left wondering how on earth you're going to fit in all of these AAA games without either losing your job or missing sleep for the next six months. There's always that rogue thought though, 2011 is almost over and soon 2012 will come around and with it all those new games that we've been watching for years. These games are going to be fun but THOSE games are going to be more than fun, they're going to be more exciting, better looking and...more expensive. Forget that last one...

Botchweed have been taking a sneak peak as to what people have been searching for on Google, a list of games that people are either looking forward to or are hoping are released next year (guess which one I added that qualifier for).

In first place, Grand Theft Auto V; this isn't exactly surprising. Not only will GTA 5 have an absolutely huge launch, but there simply isn't enough information at this point to keep everybody happy. The trailer released a few weeks ago may well be the very definition of teaser. Rockstar will continue to be happy, in second place is Max Payne 3, the long awaited continuation to the series and a game presumed dead until relatively recently.

Halo 4 is in third place, a game that had to appear somewhere. This is in the face of worries about the slow sales on Halo Anniversary, a game that some people expected to be as big a system seller as Halo 3. In fact, that doesn't seem to have happened and, for whatever reason, the sales seem to have actually been rather underwhelming for a title like Halo.

Fourth place is taken by Half Life 3, perhaps thanks to those t-shirts recently seen being worn by a Valve employee at a developer's conference. Finally, the majority of people had given up on seeing another Half-Life sequel in their lifetime and they go ahead and pull something like this out of the hat.

Fifth place goes to Mass Effect 3 and who can be surprised considering the amount of advertising Commander Shepherd does?

Of course, this isn't a fantastic indicator of which games are going to be bought the most or even which games people are looking forward to (although they're all big hitters). Instead, see this as the top five games people want more information on - I can definitely see why.

Grand Theft Auto III Heading to iOS, Android Devices

In the 10 years since the debut of "Grand Theft Auto III," several video games have upped the ante in the naughty category - including some other "Grand Theft Auto" games.

But the original open-world gangster-action game is doing a second drive-by with the December 15 release of "Grand Theft Auto 3: 10 Year Anniversary Edition."

The game will be available for download on Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and on Android tablets and smartphones. It will cost $4.99.

Publisher Rockstar Games sells "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars" in Apple's App Store, but this is the first game in the series to be released on Google's Android platform. The Apple version works on all iPads, the latest iPod Touch and the iPhone 4 and 4S. Rockstar has posted a list of supported Android devices as well.

From the first batch of screen shots released by the publisher, the game looks similar on the two mobile platforms. Instead of using a controller like on the original PlayStation 2 game, players will tap on-screen buttons to switch between weapons.

Rockstar plans to release more details and a trailer video to coincide with the game's release next week, the company said. A spokesman didn't immediately respond to a question about whether the anniversary game would have different missions from the original.

The "Grand Theft Auto" series has sold more than 114 million copies worldwide since it debuted in 1997. In November, Rockstar released a trailer for "Grand Theft Auto 5," which is in development.

The holiday season has been active with anniversary games. Microsoft released "Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary," Sega put out "Sonic Generations" and Konami had "Metal Gear Solid HD Collection."

GTA 5: City Size, Seasons, Gangs, Locations In Latest Rumours

GTA 5 details haven't been elaborated on since Rockstar brought the internet to a halt with the game's reveal trailer - but the latest wave of rumours make some hugely specific claims about GTA 5's content.

We've listed many of the claims, which were originally posted on - then deleted from - the GTAforums. Treat them purely as RUMOUR for now.

Hit the link to see more recent GTA 5 rumours, or browse the current crop below:

- GTA 5's environment will be landlocked on some sides, with climbable mountain ranges and bordered by the pacific ocean to the south and west.

- Los Santos is the only 'major' city in the game, and is bigger than the whole of GTA IV's Liberty City. The game also includes smaller cities/towns.

- The surronding environment will range from snow-topped peaks to forests, beaches and deserts.

- GTA 5's progression is structured in a way that's entirely new for the franchise.

- The narrative focusses on a war between rival Mexican drug cartels.

- Gangs will make a return with African-American, Korean, Japanese and Russian mobs all featured - but not the Italian mafia.

- All planes in the trailer, bar passenger jets, can be piloted.

- Mini-games will include bowling, going to the shooting range

- The seasons will change, with the campaign taking place across a year.

- Weapons, player appearance, vehicles, and the type of vehcile that spawns at your safehouse can be customised.

- The protagonist is called Ray, is 53-year-old divorcee and has two young children who appear in cutscenes in the game.

- Hidden packages will be '100 crazy Sasquatches' place around the environment.

- Players will be penned in the playing environment by a 'never-ending mountain-range' when trying to circumnavigate it by sea, or an infinitely-long desert.

- The southeast part of the map is the Mexican-US border - skip the border and you'll get the top 'wanted' rating and be on your way to the desert.

- There will be dogs in the game.

GTA 5 Trailer: Industry Verdict & Reaction

Some of the industry's top games journalists have given their reaction to the GTA 5 trailer and the overiding verdict is that it's great.

Ryan King, Editor of Play magazine was impressed with the colourfulness of the game, "I'm glad GTA V looks more vibrant, colourful and fun than the slightly dour and grittier GTA IV did."

While games™'s Ashley Day remarked, "It certainly looks like Rockstar's satirical edge remains sharp." He questioned the amount of player choice that the game would allow, "It's about time GTA properly integrated player choice, and consequence, into its stories."

Meanwhile, Dan Howdle of 360 magazine said it, "looks terrific," and that, "Rockstar is pushing current gen tech, pushing the scope of the GTA franchise, and pushing all of my buttons."

See below for the full reactions.



I'm thrilled to see GTA return to Los Santos. I loved how Rockstar North re-envisioned New York in GTA IV's Liberty City, so can't wait to see how they approach their fictionalised version of LA.
Chris McMahon, Games Editor, X360 magazine

A really impressive trailer that shows that Rockstar is pushing its story and setting in directions few games have even attempted. Recession-based L.A.? Yes, please. Technically, to me at least, it doesn't look too different from GTA IV, but it's what Rockstar can do with the characters and themes that's piquing my interest.
David Lynch, Senior Staff Writer, 360 magazine

I think this looks simply terrific. Rockstar is pushing current gen tech, pushing the scope of the GTA franchise, and pushing all of my buttons. Oorah.
Dan Howdle, Deputy Editor, 360 magazine

Initially I was disappointed to see it was returning to Los Santos, if only because I loved Vice City and was left slightly cold by San Andreas. Thematically, it just didn't hit the spot for me like the Eighties garishness of Vice City did. Even so, I'm glad GTA V looks more vibrant, colourful and fun than the slightly dour and grittier GTA IV did. That was my main concern before the trailer and the emphasis looks like it'll shift back to the humour and ridiculousness that arguably made the series to begin with.
Ryan King, Editor, Play magazine

I was surprised at just how good it looks, it's one of those 'squint and it could be real almost' moments. Nearly. Mostly though, I'm impressed by the direction and apparent themes – the recession, money, the homeless and the rich living side by side. L.A. (or Los Santos in this case) is the perfect setting for the subject matter.
Nick Jones, Editor in Chief, NowGamer

It certainly looks like Rockstar's satirical edge remains sharp but I'm intrigued to see if the gameplay has evolved at all. It's about time GTA properly integrated player choice, and consequence, into its stories.
Ashley Day, Deputy Editor, games™

It is now time for the professionals to try and out-jaded each other. Also: I thought it looked nice. No idea 'til I've played it though.
Ian Dransfield, Senior Staff Writer, Play magazine

I'm more intrigued by the GTA 5 trailer than the previous one, and I think that has a lot to do with the colourful tone. The images of recession and collapse suggest that this is going to stick with the mature angle of GTA 4, but the colour and vibrancy on show looks stunning. The music is classy and fits the tone of the trailer and the franchise perfectly, so yeah, I'm very keen to see what Rockstar has to show us next. Just please, please don't let it be mobile phones!
Dave Cook, Games Editor, NowGamer

I don't know what is my favourite bit is! It's such a well presented trailer - with so many hidden bits of info - it's quite hard to really focus on one aspect of it. Visually it looks outstanding, such as the way the biplane travels over the crops with its dust blowing behind it. Or the lighting effects from the sunrise or the cracks in the overpass.

I like the idea of tackling the financial crisis - and the binary opposites between rich and poor are constant throughout the trailer - but my favourite bit was probably the pest control heist. That looks like such a spectacular mission, and I'm already looking forward to it. GTA 5 can't be released soon enough...
Adam Barnes, Staff Writer, NowGamer

Such is the deep recession of quality and innovation in the modern games market, if Rockstar released 2004's San Andreas today it would rightly be considered progressive.

It could well be that GTA 5 is nothing more than an HD remake of the PS2 classic with a few boom-and-bust-coloured bells and whistles duct-taped to a new character roster, but – depressingly, admittedly – that's all it would take to cast a shadow over the rest of the generation's me-too junk.

The big question for me, though, isn't whether or not Rockstar can beat the rest – that's a done deal – but whether or not it can resist its growing addiction to restrictive narratives and overbearing mechanics. If it stays clean, I expect this to be the best game on the current formats.
Aaron Asadi, Editor in Chief, Play magazine

I look forward to reviewing this in 10 years time.
Darran Jones, Editor, Retro Gamer

GTA 5 Map Leaked [Rumor]

Having info leaked for new games is basically the status quo anymore, so it comes as no surprise that another GTA 5 article was on its way. As always, you can never know if things are completely valid or not, but it doesn’t mean this won’t hype us up even more for the eventual release of the game.

According to Heyimcool on a reddit thread, these photos are completely legitimate, as his father works for Rockstar. Obviously we won’t know that for sure until official information is released. These maps are looking rather colorful, and the image of the possible future protagonist makes it look as though you’ll get to be an outstanding member of society. Wouldn’t your mother be proud.

It looks as though these images are still in the works though, so no being nit-picky. People seem a bit flustered about leaked information, as they’d rather just get the game as a whole, but I think it builds anticipation. Speculate!

Report: GTA 5 Lead Actor Discovered?

Ned Luke could be the lead in Rockstar's next Grand Theft Auto game.

The internet's best detectives may have tracked down the principal voice actor in Grand Theft Auto V.

The GTA V IMDb page lists actor Ned Luke as playing the role of Albert De Silva. Pictures of the actor, who has also appeared in Law & Order, show a strong likeness with the character glimpsed in the GTA V trailer. The spot was made by an eagle-eyed contributor to GTAForums.

GTA V's Protagonist

Actor Ned Luke

A recent tweet by actor Jimmy Taenaka has lent credence to this rumour; it said "my fellow thespian Ned Luke is the lead voice and profile in the upcoming game by Rockstar Grand Theft Auto 5! Way to go Ned! Wholly Molly!"

He followed it up with, "Grand Theft Auto V trailer with Ned Luke our homey as the LEAD!"

But it seems someone may have had a word. Again on Twitter, he said, "@RockstarGames #GTAV looks awesome! it's not official but I know that voice and look #NedLuke He is bigger & badder than Statham... lookout."

The casting of Ned Luke as Albert De Silva would put an end to the ongoing theory that Tommy Vercetti would be GTA 5's protagonist.

Rockstar Games Confirm GTA VI Is In Full Development

Rockstar Games have today launched the Official GTA VI Website (or at least the splash page). Along with the website launch was a press release...

Below is a quote from Rockstar Games:

We are very proud to officially announce that Grand Theft Auto VI is in full development.

Developed by series creator Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.

A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto VI focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present day Southern California.

Rockstar Founder Sam Houser also added in a Take-Two Press Release:

"Grand Theft Auto VI is another radical reinvention of the Grand Theft Auto universe,"
"We are incredibly excited to share our new vision with our fans."

GTA VI Real-World Comparisons

How well does Grand Theft Auto VI compare with the real world? At our forums, there is a thread titled "Laying out Grand Theft Auto VI", where members such as Tibatonk are attempting to compare buildings shown in the trailer with their real-life equivalents, and draw up a map based on their findings. We have been working hard over the past few days to compile a list of all the visual comparisons in GTA 6, and this is what we have managed to come up with.

'Leaked' pre-E3 games list mentions GTA VI

A 'leaked' pre-E3 games list has been circulating the web this month - a full month before the E3 expo is due to be held in Los Angeles. The list states that "Grand Theft Auto VI" is among the games set to be shown.

(UPDATE) The list was untrue and Rockstar Games did not attend the expo, citing "time restrictions" for their decision.

Grand Theft Auto VI Rumoured to be in Testing Stages

An editor from technology site TheBitBag.com supposedly overheard a Rockstar Games tester discussing his work. After talking about how much time Red Dead Redemption was taking up, the individual concerned mentioned that he was currently testing GTA VI. The validity of the report is uncertain. However, the suggestion that GTA VI is currently in the testing stages is not unreasonable.

GTA 6 Release Date Likely To Be Mid-to-Late 2014

Rockstar Games today announced Max Payne 4 will be launched in March, 2014. So? I hear you say... Well, it's unlikely that GTA 6 will be launched within a few months of Max Payne 4. With the advertising and marketing Rockstar tend to do for their games for months either side of their launch, it seems unlikely that two big games would be marketed simultaneously. Therefore we're probably looking at either late 2013, or mid-to-late 2014 for Grand Theft Auto VI's launch.

Is it likely that GTA 6 could be announced and launched in the next 3 months? Probably not. Which would mean we'd probably be looking at summer 2012 or later for the launch of arguably the most anticipated game since GTA VI.

Jim Reilly Says GTA VI Coming 2013 / 2014

An interesting tweet from IGN's News Director Jim Reilly offers some hope for all you eager Grand Theft Auto VI fans that we can expect GTA VI to release some time in 2013 (next year)!

"With Grand Theft Auto VI and BioShock Infinite coming in 2013, now's the time to buy some Take-Two stock."


Likely good advice to investors anyway with Rockstar's line up, but definitely a ray of hope that a next GTA will be coming out and not too far away either.

Jim had previously tweeted from the Game Developers Conference in early March that he "Heard some interesting things about the next Grand Theft Auto last night." That tweet was later deleted leading to more speculation of a cover-up. Of course he didn't elaborate or answer anything related to it later.

Could GTA 6 Appear At E3 2013?

The world famous E3 Expo takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Centre from June 7th - 9th this year - interestingly the same place it was hosted around the time when GTA San Andreas was announced. Take-Two Interactive Software will be there and can be found at booth.

We've heard no details so far of which Rockstar games, if any, will be displayed at E3, but we hold high hopes that GTA 6 is one of the games on their list. It's more likely that some of their other upcoming games like Max Payne 4 and Agent may be seen before we hear anything about GTA 6, but the possibility is there that we could be less than a month away from confirmation of a new Grand Theft Auto game.

What do you think? Will we see GTA VI at E3? Will it be announced before the event and steal the show like they did with San Andreas? Or will it be later in the year when we get news of GTA 6?

GTA VI Will Sell 18m Units, Costs $80m Already

Time for a weekend GTA 6 news blurp...

Michael Pachter, an analyst for Wedbush Securities, has been spitting out some interesting things again. This time he is reported to have said that Grand Theft Auto VI will sell at least 18 million units and possibly up to 24 million - knocking Grand Theft Auto IV off the top spot. No exact timeline for these numbers but GTA VI has sold over 20 million units after 3 years. Pachter went on to say that Take-Two has probably already dumped $80 million into the unannounced game - a figure that revolves around the assumption that GTA VI is well into development.

In addition to GTA VI, Pachter believes Max Payne 3 will cost about $80 million and sell approximately 3 million copies. Not at the level of the GTA series but a good sell for Rockstar Games who are gearing up to market the nearly forgotten title.

Possible GTA 6 Character Details Leaked

Rumors are circulating that Take 2 have put out a private casting call, presumably looking for voice artists for the new Grand Theft Auto game (which we presume to be GTA 6).

In it are a number of character profiles, one of which in particular stands out... A character listed by the name of James Pedeaston. Although not a major character, and probably not one you'll remember, James has been present in previous GTA games, notably Grand Theft Auto VI. He was on the "WCTR" radio station talking about his desire to make love to young tribal boys.

A quote from Grand Theft Wiki gives more details on James:

James Pedeaston is a child molester wanted in Malaysia and is being investigated by the FBI. He hosted The Wild Traveler show on WCTR in 1992, although it is apparently syndicated to nine other stations (not heard in-game). He enjoys traveling the world and logging some of his most ‘exotic’ encounters in his travelogue, some of which he accidentally reads on-air to the disgust of the listeners. His favourite memory seems to be a relationship with a boy named Avrindar in Sri Lanka. His show appears to be so reviled by his listeners that at one point, he receives few calls which are not supportive. For example, a caller tells him to stop droning on about other countries and focus on talking about where he lives. At one point he received a phone call from a suicidal man in Verdant Bluffs who wanted to go to hell. Pedeaston replies with “Me too! Buy me a refrigerator magnet when you get there”. In GTA VI, he was arrested by the Indonesian police after being suspected of child molesting in Bali, Indonesia in 2003.

Here is a screenshot of the casting call in question, which was posted today and can be viewed at ActorsPages.org (although bear in mind the website no longer (?) displays Take 2 as the production company).

The end date for applications is the end of April this year, which could still point to a game release before the end of the year. Whether these characters will be radio personalities or actual characters in the game remains to be seen, but if this information is correct it provides us with some useful clues towards the game's location (Hollywood - LA once again) and time setting (modern day - or close to it).

Welcome Grand Theft Auto VI - GTA 6 fansite!

Welcome to GTA6Game.blogspot.com! First dedicated Grand Theft Auto VI fansite.

GTA6Game.blogspot.com is a fansite dedicated specifically to GTA 6, with rumors, speculation and fake screenshots to keep you entertained until Rockstar decide to spill the beans on their newest GTA VI game. We've got plenty of content at the minute, but it's all speculation because we currently know nothing about the new GTA, however I'm sure there's enough to keep you busy on GTA6Game.blogspot.com until the info finally arrives.