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| Old
News - August 2002 |
Contents
08-30-02
08-28-02
08-22-02
08-21-02
08-20-02
08-16-02
08-15-02
08-14-02
08-13-02
08-12-02
08-09-02
08-08-02
08-05-02
08-03-02
08-01-02 |
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Friday
- August 30, 2002
<11:55 PM CST> |
<Top> |
GTA
VC Cast
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
I got a few emails on some of the people in the VC cast. Ray
Liotta has been confirmed by almost all the previews, but other
than that, the only other rumored cast member is Jenna Jameson.
Here is a current listing of known and possible cast members.
Gary Busey, while not officially confirmed is in the game.
His voice on the ViceCity.com
crime board is unmistakable. Luis Guzman is a guess that Rock13000
sent in but I don't know his voice well enough to confirm anything.
Thanks
to Rev Ted and Rock13000. I also wanted to say thanks to Mike
who sent in this
link about Lawrence Taylor being in VC.
PSM
Overview
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
I finally got a chance to re-read the PSM
preview and compile a few of the new features they mentioned:
- 50+
interior locations including a banks, shopping malls, coffee houses,
night clubs, bars, discos, and hotels.
- Some
stores will allow you to buy a new outfit so you aren't always
stuck with the same clothes.
- Locales
within Vice City include, downtown area, suburbs, slums, and swampland.
- The
boats in VC are much faster than their counterparts in Liberty
City.
- Not
only do we finally have motorcycles, but you can pop wheelies
on them as well.
- There
are at least two types of motorcycles, including street and racing
bikes. Makes you wonder if they'll be adding dirt bikes
and scooters as well :) .
- Motorcycles
will expand your drive-by options allowing you to shoot in many
different directions, but they don't provide much cover.
- The
Coast Guard and police boats will now pursue you if you try to
make your getaway in a boat.
- There
are many new boats in VC including a Coast Guard cutter, large
sailboats, and lots of different speed boats.
- There
are at least two flyable aircraft in the game including a helicopter
and a small sea-plane.
- Some
weapons can be used from aircraft allowing you to dispense death
from above.
- You
can jump from moving vehicles
- Smoother
more realistic hand to hand fighting system
- VC
will have roughly 80 minutes worth of cut scenes to flesh out
the plot line (compare this to GTA3's 30 minutes).
- VC
promises more character development and more plot integration
with the missions.
- Clothing
ripples in the wind (this was in the GI preview as well)
- The
game engine has been completely rebuilt.
- Peds
can and will shoot over cars, making the new crouching ability
a valuable asset.
- Peds
are more intelligent and pathfinding has been improved.
Check
the Game Informer summary for more VC details.
Make Your Own GTA3 Cars
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
Azz has posted some tutorials on modeling and texturing your very
own GTA3 car, check it out at GTAzz.
Dutch
GTA3 Mod
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
Rafe has released a Dutch GTA3 mod at gta3.clan-servers.org.
The mod had Dutch menus, cars, and billboards. Check
their site for screenshots and information (in Dutch).
More
VC Observations
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
As many of you pointed out, the thing behind the car in this
shot, is actually a golf cart, and not a motorcycle. Now
that we have shots of the motorcycle, I guess it really doesn't
matter :). Thanks to nez1018 and Colin.
You
may notice that some of the vehicles seem to have Liberty City plates
(compare GTA3
/ VC). Makes
me wonder if they'll have cars with plates from different states/cities
on them (San Andreas maybe?). The Rancher
shot and the GPX/CRX
shot seem to have the clearest plates so far, I guess those
are the new VC plates. Thanks to Blue.
Hmm,
I also just noticed that Honda logo seems to reappeared in VC as
well, just look closely at the GPX's wheels. Although, they
also appear on the Rancher,
which I'd peg for a 80's Blazer or Bronco.
You
can get a good look at the new jet trails in this
shot.
New
GTA Sites
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
Announcements
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
- GOURANGA.com
is hosting ICEY's GTA3 Multiedit site, check it out at icey.gouranga.com.
- Azz
and I are using the same GTA3 car database now, just to go to
the GTA3 -> Downloads -> Cars link
to download GTA3 cars or upload your own. Thanks to illspirit
for handling all the GTA3 car reviews.
- The
link to the GTA: Vice City fan site was removed from the New GTA
Sites listing at the author's request. Apparently he is
having some bandwidth problems.
- I
added a list of weapons to the VC info
section. It's obviously not complete, so if you spot a weapon
I missed, please let me know. All the weapons currently
listed were pulled from the previews, screenshots, and some of
the ViceCity.com content.
- I
worked through last night to get a few more sections up and running.
I think I have all the VC movies and screenshots currently
available - all set up in the VC
screenshots section. In addition to the regular shots
I also added the PSM and GI shots. The VC
info section isn't really ready yet, so right now it's just
set up with the prologue and the press release. The VC
reviews section is just about ready as well. If you
spot any previews I don't have linked there, please let me know.
- As
you probably noticed by now, ViceCity.com
seems to be working normally once again.
|
|
Wednesday
- August 28, 2002
<3:30 AM CST> |
<Top> |
ViceCity.com
Updated
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
As most of you know (or should know), Rockstar's official
VC site has been updated with some new information, plus new
screens and a Vice City trailer that's nothing short of spectacular.
The site seems to be getting hit quite hard so you might have
to try a few times before it loads up properly. For those
of you who can't get the site to load properly, I've posted the
shots from the new site and the links to the Vice City trailer.
VC
Trailer:
Screenshots:
I finally
got the VC site to load up properly so I do realize that there are
more shots than the ones above. There are also movies and audio
snippets hidden throughout the site.
PSM
Vice City Preview
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
The latest issue of PSM
is due out on September 5th with a six page preview of Vice City.
The preview has a lot of the same information that Game Informer
had, but there are a few new things that make it worth the read.
It also has a slightly better collection of screenshots, including
shots of the flyable helicopter and the new motorcycles, along with
a nice collection of of shots featuring some of the boats in VC.
Apparently someone took the liberty of posting scans of the
article, so if you'd like to preview the preview, check over
here. Thanks to HalfAsianJew for the scans and to Dave,
Captain Spork, Lenny, web782, GTA_Thriller, simon, AD$, midtownmad,
Rev Ted, Insane2757, LMSRebel2002, Euclides, Rodrigo, and maglauncher2023
for the emails on this. If you have trouble with the link
you can also try here.
GamesRadar
Previews VC
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
GamesRadar.com released a new Vice City preview yesterday with 26
screenshots. Unfortunately I really don't have time to read
it as I'm still going through email. Check it out right
here. Thanks to Andrew for the tip off.
VC
@ IGN
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
Yet another preview of GTA Vice City is out. Check out all
the details, seven movies, and a bunch of screenshots at PS2.IGN.com.
Thanks to Recoil, Rob_727, LMSRebel2002, and FiReStArTeRo0o.
Yet
Another VC Preview
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
Eric sent in this one at Playstation.com.
Still haven't had time to read any of these :). Too
much damn email.
And
Another...
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
Last one... For today anyway. Gamers.com
has a VC preview up as well and it looks like they have the best
selection of shots yet.
UK
Vice City Release Date
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
I heard back from a reliable source at a UK online retailer, and
it looks like GTA VC will be released in the UK in early November,
probably about a week after the US release. This information
is NOT from Rockstar and is not official, however it is directly
from a UK retailer so it should be fairly accurate.
Announcements
<3:30 AM CST - schu>
- I'm
still not through all the email, but the bulk of it was about
all the above updates. I'm still working on reading through all
the new information, then I'll compile it all in the VC Info section.
Unfortunately I'll be gone all fucking day and part of tomorrow
morning!!! but I should have an update for you on late Thursday
night. Once again I'd like to apologize for halting my near
constant stream of updates.
- I'm
back... finally... Updating from my parents didn't exactly
go as planned, by the time I had their new computer built, I didn't
really have enough time to download 200+ messages on their 56k
connection and then reply to them all. So, rather than split
the mail between here and there, I just decided to wait. I
couldn't have picked a worse time to be away since Vice City news
seems to have picked up about a billion percent. Anyway,
I'll pick my way through the email and try to get an update posted.
|
|
Thursday
- August 22, 2002
<1:00 AM CST> |
<Top> |
PS2
Vice City Release Dates
<1:00 AM CST - schu>
I just wanted to mention these in the news for those of you who
didn't know.
- US
- October 22nd
- UK
- October 22nd
- Australia
- October 25th
I'm
not sure about the UK date, but the retail sites currently list
it as October 22nd (one actually lists November, hopefully their
date is incorrect). If it goes like GTA3's release, the UK
date could be up to a week after the US date. Thanks to Jack
for the Australian date.
VC
Observations
<1:00 AM CST - schu>
The DeLorean comment from last time drew in a few emails, but there
really isn't enough evidence to support it. Scratillion2 commented
that the headlight and windshield position support the theory while
Casey thinks it looks like a Porsche
928. In the end I guess it really doesn't matter.
On
to the next thing that doesn't matter :) ... If trying to
ID that blurry car is didn't piss you off enough, why not try and
figure out what (if anything) is behind the car in this
shot? HuSsLiNWiSeGuY thinks it looks sort of like a guy
on a motorcycle.
Rodrigo
and Mpscarshop both seem to think that the skyscraper on the far
right in this
shot is straight about of GTA3's Staunton Island. Personally
I don't think there is a direct correlation. There are similar
looking buildings on Staunton Island, but I couldn't find an exact
match.
Gunman
wanted to point out that the bridge in this
shot is the same as the one in this
shot, giving you a better perspective on where it's going.
Lastly
we have a gang in this
shot all wearing the same jacket, presumably all with the same
shark picture on the back as well. Onion was thinking that
if they are the Sharks then possibly the Jets might make an appearance
as well (think West Side Story with less dancing and more shooting).
Thanks to colin and Onion.
Announcements
<1:00 AM CST - schu>
- I
have to make a trip back to my hometown so I'll be gone until
Tuesday of next week. I am hoping to check my email and
possibly update from there, but my parent's computer isn't doing
well. I'll be rebuilding their computer while I'm there,
so it really depends on when I finish with it.
- I
added a little bit to yesterday's Lazlow update. Mainly
I just wanted to point out that his reply is ambiguous and he
might just be under and NDA and therefore unable to answer. Guess
we'll have to wait and see.
- I
got a few replies on the possible Canadian banning. Anton
pointed out that if Canada does ban violent video games he'll
just cross the border and visit the stores in Buffalo and he suspects
that anyone living near the border will do the same. He
went on to say that a banning seems unlikely considering its availability
in the US. Let's hope he is right.
|
|
Wednesday
- August 21, 2002
<12:00 AM CST> |
<Top> |
No
GTA For Canada After 2003?
<12:00 AM CST - schu>
The Canadian newspaper, The
Globe and Mail, recently published an article on GTA3 and other
violent video games. The article is well written and actually
does a very good job of telling both sides of the story, but there
is something in the article that is rather disturbing. Here
is the quote in question:
"The
Australian government went as far as to ban the game until certain
sequences were removed, and in Canada video-game publishers and
the Entertainment Software Rating Board agreed in June to ban
extremely violent and explicit games beginning early next year."
I suppose
it really comes down to what the Canadian government considers "extremely
violent and explicit". Thanks to Buckweed and Jeriko
for the email on this.
Lazlow
MIA in Vice City
<12:00 AM CST - schu>
demaxx wrote in a few days ago to tell me that Lazlow wouldn't be
appearing in GTA Vice City, so I did some checking and sure enough,
he wrote back and confirmed it:
From:
schu <schu@gouranga.com>
To: lazlow@lazlow.com
Subject:Vice
Just a quick question... GameInformer recently did a GrandTheftAuto
Vice City preview and they said you'd be doing voice work for
it. Any comment y/n if you'll be in GTA VC?
Thanks,
schu
-=-=-=-=-=-
From:
l a z l o w <lazlow@lazlow.com>
To: schu <schu@gouranga.com>
Subject: Re: Vice
magazines lie schu, just like politicians.
lazlow
This
could also just be Lazlow's way of avoiding the question. If
he is under an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) then he wouldn't be
able to answer the question anyway.
Even
More VC Observations
<12:00 AM CST - schu>
Well, as many of you pointed out, I was wrong about the location
of the bullet
hole in the window. The shattered glass/bullet hole is
actually the driver's side window, not the rear window (I actually
read George's email incorrectly, but that's what 4am updates do
for my accuracy). I'm still hoping to gun a few peds out of
their cars, but after comparing it to this
GTA3 shot, I'm not as hopeful. Thanks to everyone who
wrote in with corrections, including dyar1, GTA_Thriller, Rob, Scratillion2,
and Mozy.
Rev
Ted is thinking that the gun in this
shot is an M60,
and I have to agree that it does look a lot like it (notice the
large sight on top and the support legs that are folded underneath
the barrel). Looking at some other shots, it looks like we
have a shotgun in this
shot and UZI in this
shot.
dyar1
pointed out that the chrome
bumpers on the VC cars looks a lot more convincing than the
ones in GTA3.
Mpscarshop
sent in a few different observations, including the change in the
newspaper
graphics :) . He also pointed out that the car in the
back of this
shot could be a DeLorean. Personally, I can't really see
enough detail to ID it, even after zooming
in and brightening the original scan.
VC
@ Play <12:00 AM CST - schu>
Tony Sutton
is reporting that Play.com
has reduced their Vice City price from £44.99 to £32.99
delivered. Previously Play had the cheapest pre-order prices in
the UK on GTA3. Now if they'll only pay me for constantly
pimping out their site.
Announcements
<12:00 AM CST - schu>
In reply to yesterday's GTA3 GBA post, Rev
Ted sent in this
link. I don't think it's GTA3 related, but it sure looks
a lot like it.
|
|
Tuesday
- August 20, 2002
<4:00 AM CST> |
<Top> |
More
VC Observations
<4:00 AM CST - schu>
Rev Ted
wanted to point out that my cruise
ship isn't really a cruise ship. It actually appears in
the shot with the semi
as well. I must admit that I knew deep down that it wasn't
a cruise ship, but I was hoping ViceCity would allow me to ruin
someone's Carnival cruise.
George
sent in a quick email about this
shot. If you look closely it looks like there is a bullet
hole in the rear window of the police car that Tommy is driving.
This got George thinking that if you can shoot out tires,
then why not through glass? It sure would be nice to finally
be able to snipe people out of their cars.
Insane2757
noted that it looks like there might be a second bridge in this
shot (on the far left). Personally, I'm not really sure
what that is in the distance. After looking at it again I'm
just amazed at how long the main bridge is, sort of leads me to
believe that there will be more water based missions if the islands
are that far apart.
GTA
Contests @ Codename: GTA3
<4:00 AM CST - schu>
The people at Codename:
GTA3 are running a contest (for UK residents) to win a GTA3
strategy guide, visit this
link to find out how you can win.. I also noticed that
they posted something on a Vice City contest at GamersClick.
GTA3
GBA
<4:00 AM CST - schu>
News on the GameBoy Advance version of GTA3 has been rather sparse
after it was initially announced awhile back. It still shows
up with an Oct 15th release date on most retail sites, but other
than that I haven't heard anything about it. Hultenius
recently turned up this
link and posted it in the forums.
According to him the article (in Swedish) says that it will
be a 2D game and that Nintendo has confirmed that it is still in
development with a first quarter of 2003 release date.
New
GTA Sites
<4:00 AM CST - schu>
Announcements
<4:00 AM CST - schu>
- BigRed
IMed me a link to a new ViceCity article on GamesRadar.com.
It looks like they put together a feature list based on
the GameInformer article. Still might be worth a read though.
- demaxx
sent me the URL for the VC
SuperSite, looks pretty nice so far and even includes mp3s
of some of the songs the GameInformer article mentioned.
- GTA_Thriller
found a nice compilation of the VC information released so far
over on the NeoSeeker forums. Check here
for the post.
- Dan
(not Houser) wanted me to inform everyone about Mafia. I've
actually mentioned Mafia previously, but for those of you who
aren't familiar with the game, you might want to read IGN's
hands-on article. I'd like to look at the new Mafia
screenshots at IGN, but unfortunately their bullshit insider system
makes their site almost useless to me. Check out the official
Mafia site here.
- The
new VC screenshots from the GI preview have been added to the
VC screenshots section.
- I
wanted to put out a quick request out to my fellow webmasters...
If you decide to use something from my site (especially
if you copy it word for word), please credit gouranga.com along
with a link back
here with whatever you use. I'd prefer that you email me
with a request prior to using anything, but I'm not always that
lucky. This also goes for anyone out there who decides to
copy something off my site and email it to another site. Once
again, I'd rather it just stay here, but I suppose some credit
is better than none at all. If anyone happens to spot chunks
of my news posted on a another site, word for word, with no credit
at all, please let me know so I can check into it. Having
similar news items is one thing, but copying another person's
stuff word for word something completely different (if you're
going to quote another person's work you should always have some
sort of credit listed before or after the quote).
|
|
Friday
- August 16, 2002
<11:55 PM CST> |
<Top> |
VC
Observations
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
I've been looking through the new VC screenshots in GameInformer
and I noticed a few things. First off, there is a blimp in
the upper left corner of this
shot and there is an Ammunation ad in the background of this
shot. You might also want to compare the
van in VC with the A-Team's
van :) . There might be a cruise ship in the background
of this shot,
but I'm not completely sure about that. Thanks to Infernus
and demaxx.
Crazy
Sh*t
<11:55 PM CST - schu>
Don't ask, just
click! That has to be one of the most disturbing links
I've posted yet. Here are a few Lego links as well, try here
and here.
Announcements
<3:40 PM CST - schu>
- The
VC preview links are being bombarded and are reacting rather slow.
I also noticed that GTA Skins had to remove the article
from their site, however salvation has come in the form of elbazo.
Check his excellent
site for the preview. Phar also sent in this
link if you just want to check out the screenshots from the
article.
- I
added the GTA VC links to the nav bar, but other than the reviews
link, there isn't anything there, so don't bother for now. I
also reversed the nav bar order on the no-frames site so VC and
GTA3 appear at the top making it easier to find the newer stuff.
If you find any problems, dead links, etc... please let
me know.
|
|
Thursday
- August 15, 2002
<6:40 PM CST> |
<Top> |
Try
Before You Buy
<6:40 PM CST - schu>
The legality of this
site may be in question, but the convenience sure isn't. Yes
you can read GI's VC preview right
now. Here are a some of the features mentioned in the
article. If you thought VC was going to be a half-assed addon
or just GTA3 with palm trees, then I think you'll find you were
terribly mistaken:
- Nine
Full hours of 80's music featuring 90+ songs licensed from well
known artists (compare this to GTA3's three and a half hours).
Confirmed song tracks include:
Judas
Priest, "You've got another thing coming"
GrandMaster Flash, "The Message"
Laura Branigan, "Self Control"
Kool and the Gang, "Summer Madness"
Flock of Seagulls, "I Ran"
Hall & Oats, "Out of Touch"
Cutting Crew, "I Just Died in Your Arms"
- Possible
commercial release of the sound track.
- Lazlow
will be back
- More
reflective surfaces on the vehicles including real time shadowing
from the environment.
- The
whole of Vice City will be open to players from the start of the
game. Go where you want, when you want.
- Vice
City is not a sequel, nor is it a prequel, and it certainly isn't
an addon. It's just another slice of the GTA "universe".
- The
main characters name is Tommy (read the article for the game's
setup).
- Your
character finally speaks!
- There
will be around 8000 individual voice overs (compared to GTA3's
2000)
- 20
top Hollywood stars will fill out the cast. The only person
mentioned by name was Ray Liotta (Goodfellas).
- Vice
City will be double the size of Liberty City both inside and out.
Yes you heard right, there will be many, many more multileveled
interior environments for you explore. Missions will send
to both outdoor and indoor locations.
- Vice
City will include even more peds on the streets with more lifelike
behavior.
- Gangs
are more intelligent and will cause trouble all over the city
so you won't be the only one the police will be hunting down.
- Graphical
enhancements include higher framerate, higher resolution textures,
more complex vehicle and ped models with better skins, and a new
radiosity lighting system to make the neon look just right.
- New
targeting system to make finding and shooting enemies even easier.
It will highlight targets based on "priority and not
on proximity". The new system also includes a new crosshair
system that shows you both the exact target and the bullet spray
radius. The crosshair will also change color to indicate
the enemies threat level.
- Vice
City will include 40 weapons (compared to GTA3's 15), including
new hand to hand weapons like the machete.
- New
maneuvers like crouching will help you make use of cover.
- A
new camera system will lock the camera over your shoulder to make
both interior and exterior combat easier.
- A
new HUD will show more information including your elevation above
ground (think large buildings with multiple floors).
-
VC will include more complex missions that include a greater variety
of objectives. These new missions will ask more of you by
melding vehicle, outdoor and indoor combat all into one mission.
- New
side missions including pizza delivery :) .
- The
vehicle count has also been raised to 120 from GTA3's paltry selection
of only 50. Many of the vehicles are inspired by 80's
sports cars and yes, they have confirmed that motorcycles will
be in ViceCity.
- You
will be able to shoot out tires which will drastically affect
the vehicle physics.
- More
boats have been added with rumors pointing to the possible inclusion
of cigarette boats and maybe even jet skis. Water based
action has been revamped as well with an all new physics system
for boats.
Thanks
to demaxx, Mike, Roeland, Jack, dElAvA, and Nick for the link. Oh,
and I should also thank H3LLuSiN8 & Tom8501 for posting the
article.
I've also just heard that ElBazo
has the article posted in his VC Previews section as well.
I just
got word that GTACenter
also has some scans posted from a few more magazines. Check
their update today for details.
|
|
Wednesday
- August 14, 2002
<10:15 PM CST> |
<Top> |
DeLoreans
In Vice City?
<10:15 PM CST - schu>
Well it definitely goes along with the 80's theme. Matt Dailey
was visiting his local Babbages when he found something very interesting
in the free GameStop ad/magazine. Here is what he sent in:
"I
have some very cool news to share with everyone. Well it started
this morning with me taking a trip down to my local Babbages to
pick up NFL2K3. I saw this free magazine Babbages/Gamestop/etc.
put out. It was mostly prices for upcoming games. but I flipped
to the back and it was a Gamestop promotional ad for Vice City.
What was exciting was it was a contest to win a new DeLorean,
from GTA: Vice City. I was stoked, being a big Back to the Future
fan and all. Anyways the ad is attached to this email (below)."
Announcements
<10:15 PM CST - schu>
- Insane2757
wanted everyone to know that you can get a free
issue of PSM on their site. The problem is that the
shipping time is 6-8 weeks, so it probably wont be the ViceCity
issue, but it might be worth a shot.
- WinAmp
3 has been released for all you WinAmp fans.
|
|
Tuesday
- August 13, 2002
<8:15 PM CST> |
<Top> |
More
Vice City Print Previews!
<8:15 PM CST - schu>
Just a few updates on the upcoming preview in PSM2 and a few other
upcoming VC previews. macbrayne and Phil sent word that the Official
Playstation2 Magazine (UK) will be featuring a GTA Vice Preview
next month. I also heard back from Rockstar and they informed
me that both GameInformer and PSM will be running GTA VC previews
here in the US next month.
Upcoming
GTA VC Print Previews
Phil
was also kind enough to transcribe the current PSM2 article for
me, which I have posted in the G!
forum. Basically it's just a collection of ideas that
people sent in, it is NOT a list of actual features. I don't
think they are accepting ideas any more so I wouldn't bother sending
them an email. It looks like they already have the ideas and
have already sent them in to Rockstar.
New
GTA Sites
<8:15 PM CST - schu>
Announcements
<8:15 PM CST - schu>
- I
went through and weeded out the Links
section. If you find your link was removed and you want
it put back in, just let me know. The only links I removed
were the dead ones. One sad side note to this is that the
German GTA site La Famila disappeared somewhere along the line.
For those of you who didn't know, La Famila was one of the
few GTA sites around back in 1997 when I first started GOURANGA!.
Back then before GOURANGA! the only GTA sites I could find
were La Famila and GTA UK Style. Some other long-time GTA
sites that seem to have disappeared include Road-Killers Rendez-Vous
and Section: 487.
- Bramus!
wrote in with a quick warning on using MailWasher (see yesterday's
announcements). Basically he wanted to make sure people
understand that MailWasher is NOT a replacement for a good anti-virus
solution. It does identify some viruses, but not all of them.
Speaking of virus scanners, if you aren't running one, please
do everyone a favor and at least scan your computer at Trend
Micro or even better, download GriSoft's
FREE virus scanner.
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Monday
- August 12, 2002
<9:30 PM CST> |
<Top> |
VC
In PSM2
<9:30 PM CST - schu>
Philip sent in a scan of the ViceCity ad in PSM2, take
a look. I've also heard from a few PSM2 readers confirming
that the next issue will have some sort of VC preview. Dan
sent in an email on the player idea submissions, saying that they
will be submitting ideas to Rockstar but only the "sane"
ones :) . I'm not sure how you go about submitting these ideas
however. I guess you could try the contact page on GamesRadar
if you want to give it a shot. Until then I'll work on getting
a specific email address for submissions.
More
ViceCity Fakes
<9:30 PM CST - schu>
It seems like more and more of these things are surfacing. So
far every one of the shots I've seen so far is fake. From
what I hear the next batch of VC shots will probably be from print
previews, along with the montly updates on KentPaul.com
of course. Rockstar and Take2 are very very careful about
which media gets posted, when it's posted and where it's posted.
MC
Hawking & GTA3
<9:30 PM CST - schu>
zombi found an interesting update over on MCHawking.com.
Apparently MC Hawking has a new work of musical art about
GTA3 and it's only available on the PC Gamer cd (not sure if it's
UK or US PCG though). They are working on getting the new
track posted on MCHawking.com for those of you who don't have a
PC or don't want to pay to get that issue. Quake is the only
other game title that the Hawkman has ever rapped about.
GTA3
PC Still In Top 10
<9:30 PM CST - schu>
The PC version of GTA3 is still holding its own in the charts coming
in at #8 in sales. Check IGN
for the full chart. I can't find a PS2 chart so I'm not sure
how it's doing there, the May
chart showed it coming in at #3.
Announcements
<9:30 PM CST - schu>
- If
you use the Google toolbar you may want to uninstall it and download
the newest version. They recently found some security bugs
in older versions of the toolbar. Read more about it at
TechTV.
If you don't have it already, I highly recommend it. It's
great for quick site and internet searches.
- Azz
recently got me hooked on a great email program called MailWasher.
It basically checks your mail but leaves it on the server.
Then you can delete emails that are viruses, bounce emails
that are spam, and then download all the rest of your email with
your regular email client. Sometime later this month they
plan on supporting Hotmail accounts and AOL accounts shortly after
that.
- NVidia
recently release version 30.82s of their Detonator drivers.
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Friday
- August 9, 2002
<4:00 PM CST> |
<Top> |
Vice
City Fakes
<4:00 PM CST - schu>
There are a few fake ViceCity screenshots floating around. Two
are modified GTA3 shots and a third is even more pathetic. They
actually took a 3D shot of the original GTA1 Vice City map using
Junction25 and tried to pass it off as as a map shot from GTA VC.
The only GTA VC screenshots released so far have originated
from KentPaul.com.
Upcoming
VC Print Preview
<4:00 PM CST - schu>
Phil was reading the latest issue of PSM2
(UK) when he came across a teaser for next month's issue. Apparently
they are going to run a big GTA:VC preview next month with new images
and details. Phil went on to say that they may be submitting
some reader submitted ideas to Rockstar for review. I don't
have a copy of PSM2 so I can't confirm or deny this.
New
GTA Sites
<4:00 PM CST - schu>
Site Updates
<4:00 PM CST - schu>
- I
removed the password and I added some furniture to the Habbo
Hotel room so it's not quite as stark, but I will still be
adding an actual java/irc chat room after I figure out the IRC
details. Until then, enjoy a drink from the minibar. I
dropped in last night and spoke with drs_johnny and Hultenius
for awhile. I have to admit it's sort of neat but I think
most people would probably prefer just a standard chat room.
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Thursday
- August 8, 2002
<6:00 PM CST> |
<Top> |
20%
Off GTA3 PC
<6:00 PM CST - schu>
I was just looking at the BestBuy
ad when I saw that they are running a 20% off sale on selected
PC titles, including GTA3
PC. I guess if it retails for $49 then the sale price
would be $39. On top of that, they are also offering free
shipping.
New
GTA3 Utils
<2:11 AM CST - schu>
Dan has released a few new GTA3 utils over at Game-Editing.net.
The new utilities include an img/dir editor and a dff viewer.
Rockstar
Vancouver
<2:11 AM CST - schu>
Take-Two has purchased Canadian developer Barking Dog Studios and
integrated them into the Rockstar family under the Rockstar Vancouver
name. Rockstar Canada has been renamed Rockstar Toronto to
make things a little less confusing. Now I'm just trying to
figure out if they'll rename Rockstar North to Rockstar Scotland
or maybe Rockstar Deep-Fried
Mars Bar. Visit IGN
for more on this story.
New
GTA Sites
<2:11 AM CST - schu>
Site Updates
<2:11 AM CST - schu>
- I
got bored and made a Habbo
Hotel chat room. Just make a Habbo and search for the
GOURANGA! room. There are other rooms named gouranga, but
mine has an ! at the end. The password is gme.
My name is schu-G!, someone else already
had schu. Who knows I might even put some furniture in there.
- Strangely
ironic that I should go out to my car and find out that it had
been broken into. I guess it's good they didn't actually
steal the car itself, but now I'm down 24 cds and I need a new
passenger side lock. Although I guess I'll have to be carjacked
if I really want to get into this.
- The
news has dropped off a bit, but that's pretty typical of the GTA
release lifecycle. I'd imagine we'll start seeing some GTA
Vice previews within a month or so to get the scene rolling again.
That along with KentPaul updates and new GTA3 editing/mod
updates should keep us moving along.
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Monday
- August 5, 2002
<5:00 AM CST> |
<Top> |
Announcements
<5:00 AM CST - schu>
Just a few quick announcements/requests..
- If
you are having trouble running GTA3 for PC, the first resource
you should check is Take2's
support site. They have many common problems listed
there along with tips on improving GTA3's performance. If
all else fails you can send them an email.
- ATI
recently updated their Catalyst video drivers to version 2.2.
If you're running an ATI video card they are definitely
worth checking out. Hopefully this indicates that ATI has
finally gotten their driver act together.
- If
you run a website, please host your images and files on your own
server. Most of the larger GTA sites pay for their hosting
and have certain bandwidth limits and are charged for any use
over that limit. So please do us all a favor and host your
own files unless you receive prior permission.
- Next
up... Please, please, please, please scan your computer
for viruses and run some sort of active virus scanner. I
probably get 40-50 messages a day that are infected with the Klez
virus. Some of these messages have my return address on
them :). Why is this? Klez and other viruses use the
addresses of people you've received email from and they stick
that address in the FROM field of their emails. Then they
grab another address and send a message out with an infected attachment.
That way they can propagate and you never know exactly where
the messages are really coming from. Apparently a lot of
people have my address floating around on their computers :) ...
The following links should help keep you virus free and
thereby will help me maintain my slender grip on reality:
New GTA Sites
<5:00 AM CST - schu>
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|
Saturday
- August 3, 2002
<3:20 AM CST> |
<Top> |
GTA3
Support
<3:20 AM CST - schu>
Joe8629 sent in the following correspondence from Take2. I'm
guessing this is the standard form mail they send out about sluggish
gameplay and possible solutions. Some of them are quite reasonable,
but I really think some of their ideas are a bit of a stretch. If
your system bogs down when using a USB mouse, then I think sluggish
GTA3 gameplay is the least of your worries :) :
The
following information has been found to help some sluggish gameplay
on most computers.
Make
sure your system exceeds all not just most of the recommended
requirements. If you have an Intel Celeron or an AMD Duron you
will not see high end framerates. Due to the reduced cache on
those processors you will have some sluggish framerates in game.
For
Better Game Performance:
- VIDEO
Turn down 'DRAW DISTANCE'
Turn off 'TRAILS'
Lower selected 'RESOLUTION'
- AUDIO
Turn off 'DYNAMIC ACOUSTIC MODELLING'
Use 'MSS FAST 2D' or 'DIRECT SOUND HARDWARE' or 'DIRECT SOUND
SOFTWARE'
Sound Providers.
- DEFRAGMENT
game after it has been run once.
- Turn
off in the video card drivers 'ANTI-ALIASING'
- Shutdown
all background applications (inside Win9X close everything except
'Explorer' and 'Systray' (I recommend the program 'End It All'
for Win9X use); inside Windows2000 and XP close everything except
'Explorer')
- Make
sure you are using the latest motherboard / chipset / IDE / AGP
drivers appropriate to your system
- Make
sure all your Hard disks and CD drives have DMA mode enabled
- Use
the latest graphic card drivers
- Use
the latest sound card drivers
- Any
usb mice force feedback or usb intellimouse will produce sluggish
gameplay. Use a non USB mouse to help increase frame rate in the
game.
- Integrated
Ramdac or No Ramdac listed video cards tend to run slower on XP
then Internal Ramdac video cards. (Still Researching this)
- Background
programs running during gameplay (You should have at least 85%
system resources free).
-
Set desktop display to 800 x 600 or 1024 x 768 & 16 Bit high
color mode. (Do not use 24 or 32 true color mode in Windows XP,
game play will be choppy)
- Add
more memory, use a fixed swap file, make sure the hard disk that
the game is played from is on a different IDE channel to the CD
drive that the games audio disc is played from.
- A
video card that is not listed in the readme file (in the game
directory) as a fully complaint card, the game will run sluggish.
(IE: all voodoo 3, 4 & 5 video cards do not official support
DirectX 8.1 which the game requires).
- XP
users must have the (Q306676) MS Patch installed. Download it
from
here... http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q306676
-
Using old, beta or 3rd party drivers instead of official drivers
for your cards will cause sluggish game play.
-
Monitor set should be set to plug & play. (If your monitor
is listed as default, standard or unknown, they will have slow
refresh rates).
- Remove
any joysticks or gamepads that are connected to the computer that
you are not using in GTA 3.
- Scan
disk & Defrag your hard drive before you install GTA 3 PC.
When GTA3 is run for the first time, a 'Texture Dictionary' is
created that is appropriate to your video card. This file can
be between 100 to 300 megabytes in size. Performance is helped
by this file being non-fragmented, so if you are going to defragment
your hard drive to help GTA3 performance, then it is suggested
to do this after running GTA3 at least once so the 'Texture Dictionary'
can be defragmented also.
-
Sound Provider:
The sound API selected inside Grand Theft Auto III options can
effect game performance - try alternative sound providers to achieve
better results. Try Software, MSS Fast, RSX, Direct Sound Hardware,
Direct Sound Software.
- Screen
Resolution:
Selecting lower Screen Resolutions in Grand Theft Auto III display
setup will allow faster gameplay on lower end machines. Also using
16 bit color, instead of 32 bit color, will help in these circumstances.
-
Please note: That the use of any cheat codes, 3rd party mods,
editors, no-cd patches or trainers are not supported by tech support
and can effect the way the game plays normally. You should uninstall
any of these 3rd party programs and reinstall the game. If you
saved a game with any of these mods installed they will need to
be deleted as well.
-
To receive email notifications on new game information or possible
patches or updates, you can go to our website and register here:
http://www.take2games.com/register
GTA3 Stuntpark
<3:20 AM CST - schu>
ODIE sent in a download link to his GTA3
stuntpark mod (611k). The
installation procedure is a little complex but after that it was
fun to mess around with. I really didn't think I'd like the
half-pipe that much, but it is a lot of fun to launch a car straight
up into the air with the city in the background. My main problems
with the mod are its complex installation, the close proximity of
the stunt park to large bodies of water, and some clipping problems
with the loop. It would also be nice to see some cars modded
to take advantage of it. I don't think it will become a permanent
fixture on my hard drive or anything, but it's worth messing around
with. Before you try it out, make sure you read the instructions
included with the mod and make sure you backup any files you change.
New
GTA Sites
<3:20 AM CST - schu>
Crazy Sh*t
<3:20 AM CST - schu>
Don't ask, just
click! Thanks to junglist9000 for the link.
Site
Updates
<3:20 AM CST - schu>
If you get a chance you should check out the Guerrilla News Network,
they have some pretty cool stuff in the media section. My
favorites are the S-11
Redux, The
EBN Lost Tapes, When
the Smoke Clears, and Countdown.
|
|
Thursday
- August 1, 2002
<11:00 PM CST> |
<Top> |
KentPaul
Updated
<10:00 PM CST - schu>
Rockstar's Vice City site, KentPaul.com
has been updated. There are two new postcards and two new
shots (one postcard and one shot are actually the same). I
haven't had a chance to read through it yet so I'm not sure what
all has been updated.
Here are the new shots:
The
main thing you might notice is that the character models look a
lot better than the ones in GTA3, it will be interesting to see
what other improvements they've made. If you read the site
carefully you may notice that they mention names of people and places
that may be in the game, along with other bits of information. Personally
I can't wait to do a drive-by in a golf cart.
GTA2
Demo
<11:00 PM CST - schu>
The GTA2 demo disappeared there for awhile as many of the original
download sites put the demo on their list of member's only content.
I spoke to Rockstar about this and they have posted the demo
up on their GTA2.com
site. The Gigex downloader version is no longer available
and hasn't been for some time. I've updated the GTA2 Demo
download page to reflect this change.
GTA2
Multiplayer GameFinder
<11:00 PM CST - schu>
Some of you may recall that there once was a utility call the GTA2
Multiplayer Game Finder. Anyone running the program could
post and find GTA2 multiplayer games. That utility is long
gone, but its author is not. Oz is moving forward with his
creation, but rather than making it a downloadable program, he is
moving over to a strictly web based affair. You can check out
the current test page for his creation right
here.
Moby
& His GTA3 Addiction
<11:00 PM CST - schu>
Scott (notd.net)
was reading Moby's latest tour diary update when he came across
his latest
entry detailing his addiction to GTA3 :) ...
Insane's
IRC Channel
<11:00 PM CST - schu>
Insane2757 has taken it upon himself to open his own IRC chat room.
The channel should be live today and is on #GTASC on chat.PlanetZ.net.
You'll need some sort of IRC
client to access the room. You can find more about his
chat room here.
New
GTA Sites
<11:00 PM CST - schu>
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