Monday - September 30, 2002   <5:19 PM CST>

VC In OPM   <5:19 PM CST - schu>
The latest issue of the Official Playstation Magazine (US) features a cover story on Vice City.  I haven't read the full article yet so if someone wants to email me a nice set of scans I'd really appreciate it.  Here are few bits of new information that I grabbed from Vice City Resource's article summary.  There is lot more over there so it's well worth a look, especially the details on some of VC's characters:

• You're main side kick in the game is Lance Vance (also known as the guy in the lower right corner of the boxart).  Lance will help you with various missions like 8-Ball did in GTA3, but Lance will play a larger role.
• VC will have dirt bikes in addition to the aforementioned scooters, racing bikes, and street bikes.
• The Patriot/Hummer or some similar vehicle will be appearing in VC.  
• Insane and unique stunts have branched out and you'll be able to do them in just about every vehicle in the game, boats, cars, motorcycles, and possibly aircraft as well.
• Stealing a motorcycle can be done the old fashioned way, or you can try shooting or kicking people off bikes for a more impressive effect.
• One of the save locations/safe houses is in a hotel.  OPM thinks it might also be possible to eventually move up to the penthouse in the hotel.
• Jenna Jameson, Dennis Hopper, and Lawrence Taylor have all been officially confirmed on the VC cast list.
• New songs and artists on the VC soundtrack include, "Ghetto Life" by Rick James, "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith, "Two Minutes to Midnight" by Iron Maiden, "99 Luftballons" by Nena, "Bark at the Moon" by Ozzy Osbourne ,and "Get It Girl" by 2 Live Crew.

Thanks to VC Resource, TommyVercetti.com, icpgamer, Terryrugrat10, weirdokid99, and Ronn.

Miami Maps   <5:19 PM CST - schu>
I've heard a few rumors that besides being based on Miami, the VC map also closely resembles the actual layout of Miami.  I'm not sure if there is any truth to this or not, but just for kicks you can check out a map of Miami or take a look at the aerial photo map.  I found another more detailed map here and another more encompassing map here.

Payback   <5:19 PM CST - schu>
Payback is a GTA clone that I mentioned a few weeks ago.  According to S3KT0R, they just announced a GBA version, in addition to the Mac and PC versions already in development.  You can learn more about Payback on their site.

Announcements   <5:19 PM CST - schu>

• Raoul noticed some new VC cheats over on CheatStation, but I'm guessing they are fakes, like the rest of them.
• Mr. Show Live was great fu*king show, if you have $20 burning a hole in your wallet you should really go see it if it's in your area.  I was pretty surprised when they actually mentioned GTA in the final sketch.
• My source has informed me that seven GTA sites were sent exclusive VC shots, but so far only G!, GTA Scraper, VC Resource, and gta-3.com have posted their shots.  I'll mention the other sites after they post their shots.
• I just wanted to put out an early warning that there will be no update on Friday.  I'm leaving town on Thursday for a wedding and I should be back on Monday to resume updates.  I should have an update on Thursday if all goes well.
• I'm not sure what is up with the GameSpot movies.  I can't get them to work using direct links, nor can I get them to work on GameSpot.com.  I guess they're broken for now.  Just for future reference, you can view anything on GameSpot that has a green open padlock symbol next to it.  The movies I have linked are the free movies (#7 and 8 on their site)...
• DJNeuphoria sent word that PC Format magazine (UK) recently mentioned GOURANGA!.

Friday - September 27, 2002   <11:59 PM CST>

Inside VC With IGN   <11:59 PM CST - schu>
Yet another update from IGN.  IGN is both a blessing and a curse, all the new information is great, but just about the time I get caught up on news, IGN releases something new :) .  Anyway, this section of their 8 million part series covers VC's interior locations.  The article is one page long and contains five new shots.  Once again, this is all Insider content.  Here are some of the new features mentioned in the article:

• A few of the interior locations are mentioned, including an airport terminal, hardware stores, laundromats, police stations, a hotel, a nightclub, and bars.
• They mention two names of key locations, The Malibu Club and the Ocean View Hotel.
• Key objects and people can be interacted with in some locations.
• The safe houses (save locations) in Vice City are directly integrated with the game's storyline and will scale up with your success in the game.

Thanks to Taylor, Mi27ke275, and Wags.

Exclusive VC Screenshot   <11:59 PM CST - schu>
According the guy at Rockstar, this is an exclusive VC shot that is only at GOURANGA!.  Well, for the next five minutes anyway, then it will be all over the place :) .  If you do want to grab the shot for your VC site, please mention G! when doing so.

More VC Q&A @ GameSpot   <9:03 PM CST - schu>
GameSpot has released the second article in their VC Q&A series.  This installment covers VC's physics engine and includes four new screenshots.  Here are some notes from the article:

• The physics engine has been updated to handle the wider range of vehicles.
• You'll be able to do new stunts like taking your car up on two wheels.
• VC's boat's have been tweaked and will be much faster and much more responsive, making water travel more fun than it was in GTA3.
• The characters in VC will have a wider range of abilities and will make things like weapon hit detection more accurate.
• The jumping distances in VC will roughly be the same as in GTA3.
• The fastest car can go 131mph (211kph) and the motorcycles are even faster.

Thanks to JL2001 and Terryrugrat10.

New VC Movies @ GameSpot   <7:11 PM CST - schu>
GameSpot has two new VC movies, both of which are free. One of the movies shows off the sniper rifle as Tommy uses it to flatten tires and shoot out a windshield. The other movie shows off the PCJ-600 superbike and shows Tommy doing a reverse wheelie thing.  I've added links to the movies on the forth VC movie page along with six screen shots.  Thanks to Dariusz, weirdokid99, Ronn, Taylor, JL2001, and PS2 Man.

IGN Again   <4:30 PM CST - schu>
PS2.IGN.com struck again late last night with a new Insider VC article about the Beauty & Filth of Vice City.  The article is a one pager that covers Vice City's diversity and features five new screenshots.  Here are some of the new features mentioned:

• As you know, Vice City is much larger than Liberty City and Rockstar plans to make good use of all this new land.  VC will basically include more of everything GTA3 had (jumps, indoor/outdoor locations, roofs, surprises, waterways, etc).  VC will also have more long straight roads so you can get that new sports car up to speed before you ram it into something :)
• The size and layout of the city will impact the vehicle you choose to get you from point A to point B (crossing the bay in a boat, zipping in out of traffic on a motorcycle, tailing someone in the helicopter, or running down peds in your car).
• Every building in VC will have a rooftop and it sounds like you'll be able to land on any rooftop with enough clearance for the helicopter.
• Just as in the original GTA, you'll be able to take the motorcycle into those hard to reach areas :), and probably up the back stairs to some rooftops.
• VC will include many more boat based missions.
• VC has at least one fully functioning nightclub.
• The guys at Rockstar North visited Miami to get a feel for the city and to make notes on everything from the look and feel of the neighborhoods to how the sunsets look.  All of this has been translated into VC, even down to how the wind blows the palm trees and sand around on the beach.
• There should be enough shortcuts and side streets to make it from one end of Vice City to the other without even using one of the main thoroughfares.
• Some narrow alleyways will be better suited for the motorcycle and will provide their own set of challenges to navigate.
• Some areas will have their own set of security forces to contend with.  Golf clubs, rich people, and wealthy criminals were the main examples.
• Cuban, Haitian, and biker gangs were all mentioned in the article.

Thanks to weirdokid99, NEO, JCronic, Andy, ryan, Howie, Taylor, and Ronn.

New GTA Sites   <4:30 PM CST - schu>

• GTA Island
  www.gta-island.vze.com

  
Announcements   <11:59 PM CST - schu>

• I'm heading out to Madison to see Mr. Show live tomorrow so there probably won't be any updates until Sunday or Monday.
• New screenshots and movies have been added, check the VC Media Index for all the new stuff.
• I'm getting more and more emails saying that the VC cheats are fake, which they probably are.  I guess I'll leave them up there until I can either test them out or check with Rockstar on em...

Thursday - September 26, 2002   <5:00 AM CST>

VC In Australia   <5:00 AM CST - schu>
KANE79 found a post regarding the Australian version of VC.  The post cites the Official Australian Playstation Magazine as saying, "the version scheduled for Australia will only have very slight amendments made."  This was apparently found on page 46 of their latest issue.  My guess is that anything remotely sexual in nature will be altered so that VC can be released in Australia.  I know of at least one online retailer that is selling the American as well as the Australian version of VC.  The American version does cost more, and I think you'll need either a modded PS2 or an American PS2 in order to play the American version.  I'm not sure about that, but I think all the PS2 games are regionally coded to only play on PS2s from the same region.

New GTA Sites   <5:00 AM CST - schu>

• GTA Miami
  gtamia.tripod.com

  
Announcements   <5:00 AM CST - schu>

• Just a quick reminder that if you don't supply me with a return email address and your address isn't included in your email header, then it makes it impossible for me to reply to your email.
• I made a slight correction to the last update, I screwed up JJ HW's name :), sorry about that.
• I added a new NZ retailer to yesterday's list.

Wednesday - September 25, 2002   <4:00 AM CST>

VC AI @ IGN   <4:00 AM CST - schu>
Today's installment of IGN's VC onslaught features artificial intelligence, and is once again available to Insiders only.  The article is a two page interview with Dan Houser and James Worall and basically details the intelligence and variety of VC's denizens. Accompanying the article are five new shots and one short movie.  Here are some of the new features mentioned in the article:

• The police AI has been improved and their actions may actually "surprise" you from time to time.  I take that basically to mean that the techniques they use may catch you off guard from time to time.
• When you're in the mall you'll have to contend to with mall security in addition to the regular police forces.
• Gangs will hang out in groups and will actually carry on conversations with each other.
• Peds will participate in various random activities including, but not limited to, roller skating, sunbathing, diving, going on cruises, taking busses, hailing taxis, jacking cars, going to nightclubs, getting into fights, crashing cars & bikes, running businesses, shopping, eating, mugging people, dancing, talking to each other, etc...
• The peds will react to weather, generally running for cover when it starts to rain.
• The police and security guards will go after law breakers and harass gang members.
• Peds will ride with each other in cars, boats, busses, and on bikes.  If you jack a car quick enough you may find yourself barreling down the street with some reluctant passengers along for the ride.
• There will be more variety in the how peds look, sound, and act in VC.

Thanks to JCronic, Taylor, and Ryan.

More VC Observations   <4:00 AM CST - schu>

• After receiving numerous emails the funnel cloud has been downgraded to a lowly spotlight.  Thanks to roan, JJWW, Rev Ted, misterballs, Ricevoid, shadeone, and Luke.
• Joe spotted a Ford LTD in VC.  Unfortunately that URL won't open properly in a new window, so you'll have to paste it in yourself.
• misterballs thinks the Mustang Boss mentioned in the last set of observations could also be a 70' Chevelle.  I guess it could be either.
• The MP5 vs HK53 debate has begun.  Rev Ted, shadeone, chikkinmann, and Keith are all standing behind the MP5A3 as their match for this gun.

  
Announcements   <4:00 AM CST - schu>

• IGN has opened some of their VC Insider content to the Outsiders.  You can view their article index here.
• KANE79 noticed that the Australian retailers DStore and Topshop have changed their VC release date to November 12th.
• I had a broken link in the last update that was supposed to link to the shot with sailors in a car.  It's been fixed.

Tuesday - September 24, 2002   <3:40 AM CST>

VC Observations   <3:40 AM CST - schu>

• Rev Ted and Steve spotted the M16 in the second vice city trailer, seen here.  I added this to the weapons listing in the VC Info section awhile back but it's never been mentioned here.
• Willis is betting that the gun in this shot is actually an HK53 and not an MP5N.
• kylethedistroyer and FiReStArTeRo0o spotted a flat tire on the front of this hearse.
• About a hundred different people spotted the GTA3 guy on the poster in this shot.  Thanks to misterballs, Wags, IndustrialBoie, Jared, and PS2 Man.
• Rhett isn't sure if this shot is a result of bad driving or if the guy on the motorcycle is trying to force the other guy off the road.
• I got a few more car IDs in since the last observation list.  MiStEr_Clean noted that there appears to be a Mustang Boss in the background of this shot and  Danno IDed the grocery-go-getter as a 82-89 Mercury Grand Marquis.
• Ryan and kstewar2 found a funnel cloud in this shot, implying that we might see some pretty rough weather in VC.
• Cmstore spotted what appears to be a dirt ramp on the left bank of the river in this shot (taken from the IGN Helicopter vid).
• Mike found an historical inaccuracy in this shot.  Namely, the logo on the mail box is wrong for the time period.
• WISBIZKIT noted that this shot is better view of the earlier magazine scan showing multiple peds in a car, other than the one you're driving.  In this case they appear to be sailors.  hokaleeky also spotted multiple passengers in this shot and Ps2kemi spotted them in this shot.  I think we have this one covered :) ...

GTA VC Cast   <3:40 AM CST - schu>
I thought I'd go ahead and update the VC Cast listing based on a few new submissions.  Ray Liotta is the only confirmed cast member, the rest are guesses, some more likely than others.  NosferatuVarnae also found something interesting in the National Enquirer of all places.  Apparently they did an interview with Jenna Jameson and she said that she had been offered a part in VC, but there was no mention of whether she actually took it or not.  Another item I keep meaning to mention is the name BJ Smith and how it compares to OJ Simpson.  Over the 80's OJ was very popular and appeared in lots of movies, tv shows, and commercials.  It will be interesting to see if they model BJ on OJ.

• Tommy - Ray Liotta
• Phil Cassidy - Gary Busey
• Ricardo Diaz - Luis Guzman
• BJ Smith - Lawrence Taylor
• Umberto Robina - Dann Trejo
• ? - Jenna Jameson
• Auntie Poulet - Miss Cleo

Thanks to V, Andrew, Rev Ted, and Rock13000.  I also wanted to say thanks to Mike who sent in this link about Lawrence Taylor being in VC.

Vote GTA3!   <3:40 AM CST - schu>
The UK Golden Joystick awards are in full swing and GTA3 has been nominated for a few different awards.  Get over to www.goldenjoystick.co.uk and vote GTA3.  Thanks to Icey and Rob.

VC In Print   <3:40 AM CST - schu>

• GameInformer has a short one page article on Vice City in their September issue.  There isn't much in the new article and most the shots are repeats.  The main thing causing a stir is that they mention a possible VC mission involving a bike, as in bicycle.  As it stands now its just a rumor, but VC rumors have a habit of coming true.  Thanks to Lenny for scan .
• EGM has an article out in the November issue but I haven't read it yet.  It should be out on newsstands sometime soon.

Skin Reviewers Wanted   <3:40 AM CST - schu>
Azz has completed work on our new skin submission system, but there's a problem.  We don't have any reviewers :) .  We are looking for a few people with the following qualifications:

• Experience producing quality skins for GTA3 or other games
• Experience reviewing skins is not necessary but it certainly wouldn't hurt
• The ability to turn out timely, unbiased reviews
• Decent knowledge of English spelling and grammar
• The desire to work for free :)

If you think you qualify and you'd like to apply for the position, just send me an email and we'll get working on the details.  Not everyone will be accepted.  Basically I'll send you a skin, you'll write a short review, and then Azz and I will look them over.

Vice City Map!   <3:40 AM CST - schu>
I'm posting this to prove a point.  The map located here is NOT a map for the upcoming game GTA: Vice City.  It's a map of Vice City in the original GTA.  For someone reason I get this damn map sent to me at least twice a week.  Please spread the word and set these people straight.

Crazy Sh*t   <3:40 AM CST - schu>
Don't ask, just click!  Thanks to Raoul for the link to his creation.  Tom also sent in this link where you can kit out your own car.

New GTA Sites   <3:40 AM CST - schu>

• GTA3 City
  www.gta3city.ht.st

• GTA: Vice City
  www.punkwarz.com

• Death By Theft (alternate URL)
  www.deathbytheft.tk

  
Announcements   <3:40 AM CST - schu>

• ElBazo has some new info over on his site regarding a VC audio CD that should be included with the game.  Check it out at gta.sky-scraper.net.
• I added nine new shots to the GTA VC screenshot pages.  Most the shots are repeats from the magazine scans, but they do look better.
• Duncan sent in this email on the cigarette boats, hearses, and side missions :):

"I think the 'cigarette boat' could in fact be the Cuban Gang boat, as there as a similar picture in the PSM2 mag, out this month. It also had a hearse in there, and a not-so-subtle hint that this could be another side mission... The Cuban Gang definitely have their own boats, which is probably why you can now shoot out of them. And further to your point about 'ghost riding' motorbikes, I have heard that you will be able to stand up on them, cue 'Romeo Must Die' antics on bikes...could be quite handy for hitching a lift on someones bonnet !!!"

• I think I've plugged this before, anyway, Thomas sent in a link to a thread on Neoseeker that's loaded with VC info and shots.  Thomas also mentioned that there is an Australian gaming mag coming out tomorrow with an extensive VC preview.

Friday - September 20, 2002   <10:15 PM CST>

The Helicopters of VC   <10:15 PM CST - schu>
PS2.IGN.com has ANOTHER new article.  This time it's a short one pager and has four new shots and one new movie.  The movie is rather short but is well worth watching just to see the city from up above (pay close attention to the nice water effects).  Here are some new details on the helicopters:

• VC will have more than one helicopter which will all perform differently.  IGN is guessing that the police helicopter might even be armed.
• The helicopters are not generally easy to obtain
• The helicopter has it own set of controls in VC which are easy to use yet difficult to master.  Along with new controls the helicopters have their own set of physics and I'd imagine they would be harder to pilot in rough weather.
• Your enemies down on the ground will shoot at you and if you take enough damage you can be blown right out of the sky.
• IGN guesses that we might see missions where someone else is piloting the helicopter while you're shooting out of it.

 
GameSpot's VC Q&A   <10:15 PM CST - schu>
GameSpot has a new, FREE, Q&A article up.  It mainly covers VC's game engine and it details a lot new effects and how they made them possible.  Here are a few details:

• One of the main new features of VC is occlusion volumes.  Basically occlusion volumes don't draw objects that are hidden from the players view, freeing up the engine to handle more detailed scenes with more peds and vehicles on the screen.
• The level of detail has doubled.  Almost all the objects have twice as many polys and textures.  In general, everything is more detailed and the scenes are more smooth and realistic.
• New in-game effects include "heat haze from the roads, flamethrowers, explosions, lots of aquatic life in the ocean, birds, flies, and a much better day-night cycle with lots of neon casting light everywhere."
• All the cars have been redesigned in an 80's style.
• Even with all this new detail the engine will still draw up to 2.5km (a little over 1.5 miles) into the distance at all times.
• There are 110 different pedestrian models on the street and around 50 story characters.
• They even took the time to recreate the explosions so cars will now explode from the gas tank out :).

Thanks to JL2001 and Travie Yak.

The Cars & Boats of VC   <5:33 AM CST - schu>
Blah, blah, PS2.IGN.com, blah, blah, fu*king Insider bullshit, blah blah blah.  Sorry, didn't feel like typing the same damn update again today.  Anyway, IGNs new article includes about 17 new shots and one new movie featuring the Squallo (the Cigarette Boat I mentioned a few days ago).  Here's the new stuff:

• GTA VC currently includes a little over one hundred different vehicles
• Vehicle handling has been tweaked and the vehicles performance will spread out over a much larger range.  Basically what that means is that the best cars and boats in VC will run laps around their counterparts in GTA3 and you'll notice more difference between the low-end and high-end vehicles.
• The more flat tires your car has the more difficult its handling will become
• Not only can you smash out vehicle windows, but you can even saw doors off using the chainsaw :)
• Jumping out of a moving vehicle will injure you.
• Canals and rivers will offer even more access to Vice City by boat.
• The weather will effect boat handling.
• You can do drivebys while in a boat.

Thanks to Jake, Death By Theft, and Ryan.

Site Updates   <5:33 AM CST - schu>

• If you are having trouble playing the VC movies QuickTime you are left with two choices.  Either you can download and install the latest version of QT and see if that solves your problem, or you can check out TommyVercetti.com where you can download converted MPEG versions of most of the movies.
• My VC screenshot pages pissed me off enough to completely revamp them.  I removed all the magazine scans and placed them on their own set of pages, then I rebuilt all the screenshot pages and added around 30 shots and swaped out about 15 shots in the process.  Please keep the new third movie page to yourself, I'd rather not have to go through the trouble of removing it.  If you find any link problems with the shots or otherwise, please let me know.
• I'm still catching up on email and I hope to have some more VC observations posted this weekend if all goes well.  I just need to take a break before my brain explodes. 

Thursday - September 19, 2002   <4:45 AM CST>

The Motorcycles of VC   <4:45 AM CST - schu>
PS2.IGN.com posted a new article on the motorcycles of VC.  Once again the article has been released to IGN Insiders first and hopefully opened up to everyone else in a few days.  The article is rather short and really only has two bits of new information (see below).  The best part of the article is of course the six new screenshots and two new movies.  One movie covers the Freeway and the other covers the PCJ-600.  Both are great movies with some pretty good footage, but the PCJ-600 is the best by far.  I'm not sure what is up with IGN though.  Sometimes when I check the media page the new screens and movies are there, while other times I check they aren't (and yes I am logged to an insider account).

• Some jumps can only be performed by bikes.  If you remember back this was also true in the original GTA :)
• You can and will fly off your bike if you hit something too hard.  The damage you take depends on just how fast you were moving and how far you flew.
• Some bikes will allow you to carry a passenger.

Thanks to Ryan.

Rockstar DIY T-Shirts   <4:45 AM CST - schu>
I was looking around RockstarGames.com when I came across this.  If you have an inkjet printer and some transfers you can make you own R* T-shirt.

VC DJs   <4:45 AM CST - schu>
Tuckster and Insane2757 both sent in an update to the VC DJ list.  Here is the current listing:

Station ID / Music Type / DJ

• Vrock / Rock / Lazlow "Rebel Rouser Hell Raiser In Chief"
• Fever 105 / Soul / 'Lady Killer'
• Flash FM / Pop / Toni
• Emotion 98.3 / Emotive Anthems / Fernando
• Wave 103 / New Wave / Adam First
• Wildstyle Pirate Radio / Hip Hop-Electro / Super Rocky Mr. Magic
• Radio Espantoso / Jazz-Latin / Espezito El Furo?

Strange Happenings 2.0   <4:45 AM CST - schu>
You can grab Insane2757's Strange Happenings 2.0 file right here.  It is in RTF format and covers a lot of the weird things people have encountered in GTA3.

New GTA Sites   <4:45 AM CST - schu>

• CarJackers of ViceCity (Alternate URL)
  http://www.geocities.com/gtamasta2002/

  
Announcements   <4:45 AM CST - schu>

• I have revamped the GTA VC movie pages grouping the trailers, vehicle videos, and weapon videos together.  More screenshots of each of the trailers have been added, and last but not least, I cropped off all the black borders and I tweaked the contrast of each of the screenshots so they look a little better.  What I just explained in two sentences took me the better part of a night.  But it does look a lot better now :).  Take a look.
• I'll hopefully have another set of VC observations in the next update.  I've been meaning to post one but I keep getting side tracked by all the new stuff.

Tuesday - September 17, 2002   <11:45 PM CST>

ViceCity.com Updated   <11:45 PM CST - schu>
As promised, ViceCity.com has been updated. This update includes the best game trailer ever created, five new screenshots, seven new cars, four new weapons, three new tools, lots of new criminal profiles, and radio samples of all stations mentioned in IGN's update.  I'm busy adding the movies and screenshots which should be up soon.  I also just read that RockstarWarehouse has VC T-shirts for sale.  Thanks to Ryan, FiReStArTeRo0o, and Insane2757.

IGN Strikes Again   <11:45 PM CST - schu>

Introducing Tommy Vercetti
PS2.IGN.com strikes again, this time with an expose' on Tommy Vercetti.   The article features five new screenshots, all of Tommy Vercetti in various indoor environments.  IGN also added two new shots showing radio logos for VRock and Flash.  The only catch is that the article is for Insiders only (for now anyway).

ViceCity Codes
I heard from a few different people that IGN had two GTA VC codes up for awhile but now they seem to have been removed.  Thanks to sk8monster, you can still see the codes right here.  He sent them in before they were removed:

• Swimming Gear and Dive Under Water
  R2,R2,L1,CIRCLE,LEFT,RIGHT,UP,R2
• Unlock Mustang and Viper
  R2,CIRCLE,TRIANGLE,L1,L2,LEFT,DOWN,RIGHT

GTA Retrospective
IGN also has a new article on history of GTA, basically it tracks GTA3's roots back the original GTA.  The retrospective is ok, but honestly it could have been more complete and accurate.  They didn't even mention San Andreas being in the GTA1 and worst of all they didn't even give the GTA community a measly sentence. Granted, this mainly covers the PS version of GTA.  On the PC side of things you can track GTA's longevity directly to a well established and inventive fan community, which I'm sure didn't hurt sales either.

Sell Your Soul To IGN
IGN is hosting a new game giveaway.  Basically you don't have to enter, you just have to be a member of IGN and you're in.  The registration is free, so it's not only for Insiders.

Take2 Takes A Hit
Take2 has established offices in Amsterdam to gain a better foothold on marketing, sales, and distribution in the Benelux region (Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg).

Thanks to sk8monster, Ryan, JackDaniels913, and Insane2757.

VC DJs & Radio Stations   <2:24 AM CST - schu>
PS2.IGN.com posted an update today listing a selection of radio stations and DJs for ViceCity.

Station ID / Music Type / DJ

• Vrock / Rock/ Lazlow
• Fever 105 / Soul/ To Be Announced
• Flash FM / Pop / Toni
• Emotion 98.3 / Emotive Anthems / Fernando
• Wave 103 / New Wave/ To Be Announced
• Wildstyle Pirate Radio / Hip Hop/Electro/ To Be Announced
• Radio Espantoso / Jazz/Latin / To Be Announced

As you can see, Lazlow will be returning, and just as he mentioned in GTA3, he used to work for a rock station :).  Toni will also be retuning and so will Fernando.  IGN also mentioned that ViceCity.com would be updated tonight sometime, so keep checking it.  Thanks to kstewar2, Blake, and ryan.

GTA Compilation   <2:24 AM CST - schu>
Awhile back the GTA Compilation started appearing on retail sites and now GameStop has some details on it.  Basically the compilation is GTA, GTA: London, and GTA2 all in one package for the Playstation (no word on a PC version).  charles sent in this link, where you can order just the compilation or you can check out their package deals.

PayBack   <2:24 AM CST - schu>
zakk sent word that a friend of his is working on porting a game called Payback to Windows and Linux.  Payback basically looks like the original GTA in 3D.  I don't know much about it, but you want to find out more, check out the official site.

New GTA Sites   <2:24 AM CST - schu>

• GTAGames.tk
  www.gtagames.tk

• GTA Vice City - Australia & Worldwide
  www.vicecityau.tk

  
Announcements   <11:45 PM CST - schu>

• GTAHQ has added a VC soundtrack to their site with samples of the confirmed music in VC.  Check it out...
• Bramus sent in an email on a disturbing Windows XP exploit.  Micro$oft has apparently downplayed the exploit and snuck a fix into SP1 without telling anyone.  There is a very, very simple way to fix it without having to download SP1, but I can't recall exactly how it works.  Anyway, check out this link, this link, or this informative TechTV movie for more details.
• As you can see ViceCity.com was updated.  I'm working on adding movie links, new shots, and new information to G! right now.

Monday - September 16, 2002   <4:45 PM CST>

Cigarette Boats & Ferraris   <4:45 PM CST - schu>
A few people wrote in asking about the cigarette boats mentioned in many of the Vice City previews.  In replying to the emails I ended up finding some stuff on cigarette boats and also some of the other vehicles used in Miami Vice and in Vice City..

The term Cigarette Boat was originally a brand name and later became more of a general term to describe a very long, thin racing boat, hence its comparison to a cigarette.  According to Miami-Vice.org, the Cigarette Boat used in Miami Vice was actually a Chris Craft Stinger and later in the series they used a Wellcraft 38 Scarab KV.  Miami-Vice.org has a decent section on all the vehicles in Miami Vice, but this site has more than you ever wanted to know about the Ferraris used in Miami Vice.  Last, but not least, here are the VC versions of the Ferrari Daytona Spyder and a very poor image of the VC cigarette boat (you can get a better view of it in the VC trailer movie).  Now I'm left wondering how many of the other vehicles were modeled on their counterparts in Miami Vice.

While I was working on this I found out a few more bits of random information.  The person who runs MiamiVice.com claims to have consulted with Rockstar early on in ViceCity's development and another completely unrelated fact is that the Miami Vice movie is in production.

GameSpot Video Preview   <4:45 PM CST - schu>
The GameSpot VC video preview is available to everyone at the moment.  I watched the eight minute preview, but it really doesn't have anything the text preview doesn't. All the video clips are the same ones from ViceCity.com so there is nothing new in the way of video footage.  Here are all the things that sounded new to me:

• According to the video preview, VC will be broken up into three sections, just like GTA3 was.  I listened to that section (starting at 1:48) of the video preview twice and I'm fairly certain that's what he meant.
• You'll be able to "ghost ride" (whatever the f*ck that means) a motorcycle.  Basically it sounds like you launch the motorcycle forward, then it keeps moving without you on it until it rams into something or loses momentum.  Don't quote me on that because I don't know what I'm talking about.  Perhaps someone can give me a better definition of ghost riding.  (**UPDATE** - A few people wrote in and basically confirmed my rough definition, you basically get the bike, or motorcycle in this case, moving, then you jump off.  The motorcycle then continues on it's own with no one riding it, hence the phrase "ghost riding".  MLG707 actually had a pretty good use for this.  Simply load up your bike with a bomb, jump off before you reach your target, and trigger it.  Thanks to Joy, kstewar2, MLG707, Handsome Walrus,

Announcements   <4:45 PM CST - schu>

• I added 27 screenshots from a few different previews to the VC Screenshots section.  Most are repeats from the print previews, but there are one or two new shots in there.
• Gamers.com has expanded their VC screenshot collection, but they are still all old shots from various print and online previews.  Insane2757 also reported in that VC is now #1 at Gamers.com.

Friday - September 13, 2002   <3:45 AM CST>

GameSpot Previews VC   <3:45 AM CST - schu>
GameSpot has posted what is probably the best Vice City preview so far. The preview is three pages long, has sixteen screenshots, and loads of new information.  Most of the screenshots are repeats from the print previews, but if you've been looking at scans of all those articles then these shots are definitely worth checking out for the detail level alone.  I've listed all the new information below:

• Features change as a game goes through development and Vice City is no exception.  Gamespot is reporting that Rockstar recently announced that the not all of Vice City will be open from the start.  They didn't elaborate much, basically certain areas of VC will remain locked until you accomplish certain goals.
• Motorcycles will play a prominent role in VC and the animations look very lifelike thanks to new motion-captured animation.
• You'll be able to pop wheelies and even stand on the bike while it's moving.
• Melee weapons will damage cars now.  I'm not sure about you, but I immediately thought back to that level in Final Fight :)
• The police will use spike strips to pop your tires and slow you down.  This of course opens up the possibility that we might see armored cars with tires that cannot be punctured.
• Music types include heavy metal, rap, soul, pop, new wave, power ballads, and talk radio.
• Lazlow is NOT a confirmed member of the VC cast.
• Frankie Goes To Hollywood has been added to the list of confirmed bands in VC.
• The environment streaming technique has been greatly improved to reduce pop-up and to extend the distance you can see, all with no drop in frame rate.
• "The game features fewer flat-shaded objects and more fully textured surfaces than GTAIII, including the pattern on Tommy's Hawaiian shirt, among others."
• Tommy will change his costume many times over the course of the game.  I believe this is in addition to any clothing changes you may make on your own.
• Fish and other various animals will be included in VC.  Rockstar isn't saying yet if you can do any grenade fishing :)
• If you have access to the helicopter in VC you'll be able to fly it around and even land on top of skyscrapers, perfect for sniping.
• The police will now rappel out of helicopters.  Not really a new piece of information, but before this we only had a screenshot of it.
• The weapon count in VC may come in short of the 40 weapons previously mentioned.  So far Rockstar will only say that VC will include all of GTA3's weapons plus a decent number of new weapons.
• "The weapons in Vice City work on a class-based system, so you'll be able to hold only one melee weapon at a time. So if you really want that chain saw, you may have to give up a bat or a knife to wield it."
• The hand to hand combos are much more complex, but they still happen automatically and you still only mash one button to fight.

Raoul brought up a good point...  You better read the preview within a week because after that it might become locked/Gamespot Complete content.  Check out the updates on the GameInformer, PSM, and PSM2 print previews that I posted previously.

Thanks to Dave, José, FiReStArTeRo0o, LBhacker3k, and Raoul.

IGN's New VC Preview   <3:45 AM CST - schu>
PS2.IGN.com has released their VC preview but unfortunately you have to be an Insider to view it.  I'm guessing it will go public in a few days, if not by tomorrow, so keep an eye out.  I have an insider ID I'm borrowing and I can tell you that it is well written but has very little in the way of new information, especially compared to GameSpot's.  On top of that it really only has about five new shots, all of which aren't full size.  For some reason they chose to jam them in with the article but not to include full size versions on their media page.  I wasn't going to mention the new information until the preview went public, but since I really only found three new items, I figured, what the hell:

• Gangs mentioned include a biker gang and a Cuban gang.
• IGN is reporting that new weapon count is 30.
• So far the Lazlow issue seems to bounce back and forth.  IGN is saying that Lazlow will indeed make an appearance in VC.

Thanks to peterjmag and FiReStArTeRo0o.

GTA3 Mission Assembler Released   <7:20 PM CST - schu>
Dan sent word that the GTA3 Mission Assembler has been released over on Game-Editing.net.  Check their latest update for all the details.

New VC Article   <3:45 AM CST - schu>
Thing'e sent in a link to an article on CNN.com that reports on the success of GTA3 and impending release of Vice City.  Hultenius also sent in another link to the same article on Reuters, and if that's not enough, the same article was spotted by barkeep over on MSNBC.

VC Observations   <3:45 AM CST - schu>
If you hadn't noticed, all the past installments of this ongoing article are linked at the top of the news under the headlines.  Here are a few more observations:

Rev Ted cleared up my confusion concerning the Ruger's stock (see the last set of observations).  Apparently you can outfit them with folding stocks.

Ted also had a comment on the "call girl" (also in the last set of observations).  He mainly pointed out that the car is trashed beyond belief and very well might be your car.  Her pose might be because she is either curious or just tired from running :) , so maybe she isn't a call girl after all.  Someone also wrote in on this and said both women are most likely just looking at the car itself since they probably automatically crane their heads toward a point of reference whenever they get close enough.

Soter is wagering that VC's sniper rifle is a Heckler & Koch G3.  He sent in a few links to pictures of the G3 for comparison ( 1 , 2 , 3 ) .  You may recall that a few days ago Gary commented that he thought it was an H&K PSG1.  Regardless I think we can all agree that it's a semi-automatic rifle as opposed to the bolt action rifle in GTA3.  GameSpot confirmed that all of GTA3's weapons will be in VC, but I'm wondering if they mean all of GTA3 weapon types or the actual weapons will be in VC.  What I'm getting at is VC might have two sniper rifles, both a bold action and a semi-auto.

I'd rather not get into the vehicle debate thing, but Andy commented that the car in this shot appears to be based on a 1969 - 1973 Ferrari Daytona 365 Spyder.

NYPD In GTA3   <3:45 AM CST - schu>
Lynn informed me that ADR has posted an NYPD police car for GTA3 over on Driven To Destruction.  

New GTA Sites   <3:45 AM CST - schu>

• Russian GTA3 Site
  www.fleim.h1.ru

  
Announcements   <3:45 AM CST - schu>

• In my rush to get yesterday's update done I made a minor error.  Sam Houser, not Dan Houser will be doing the voice work for the owner of AmmuNation in VC.  Thanks to Phayze for spotting the error.
• I was listening to TheWorld (a PRI radio program) and they did a short piece on Mafia and the reaction in Italy.  You can listen to it here -> (Real Audio / MP3 ).  I heard another completely unrelated story on All Things Considered.  It has nothing to do with GTA3 or any game really, it's just an interesting story.
• Thalarion spotted a GTA type movie called Getaway In Stockholm.  Actually I think someone pointed this out awhile back.  Anyway, you can check out the trailer on the movie site.

Wednesday - September 11, 2002   <3:00 AM CST>

PSM2 Scans   <3:00 AM CST - schu>
Hultenius sent in a link to scans of the PSM2 article.  The article itself was scanned and is hosted by ChuckN73 (I just hope he doesn't mind me using this link).  Here is all the new information:

• ViceCity features some of Miami's more well known landmarks, like the News Cafe, the Starlite Hotel, the Clevelander, and Little Havana.
• 60+ interior locations
• New weapon confirmations include the sledge hammer and flamethrower.  A full list of confirmed weapons can be found in the VC Info section.
• Crouching offers better stability and more accurate aiming with larger weapons
• The vehicle damage models have been improved
• We finally have breakable glass so people can be shot while driving or riding in cars.  Just be careful when it's used against you.
• Peds will actually do things on their own, rather than just shuffle along.  They will rollerblade, read papers, sunbathe, jog, sit around, ask for change, argue, flirt, fight, and swear (ok, so they did that in GTA3 as well)...
• The owner of AmmuNation will be played by Rockstar's own Sam Houser.
• The PSM2 article confirms that you won't be able to swim.
• There are no children or dogs in the game.
• ViceCity has its own airport.

Check out the updates on the GameInformer and PSM print previews that I posted in August.

VC Movie Help   <3:00 AM CST - schu>
Yesterday I mentioned that some people were having trouble watching the VC movies.  mike has converted the movies over to MPEG format and posted them on his site at www.tommyvercetti.com.  So, if you can't watch the QuickTime version of the movies, try his MPEG versions.

Tuesday - September 10, 2002   <2:30 AM CST>

More VC Observations   <2:30 AM CST - schu>
Solid Snake sent in this interesting bit of information.  "Although Tommy is a new character, Sonny Forelli, Tommy's boss, is one of the Forelli Brothers who are rivals of the Leone Crime Family! Pretty cool huh!"

Many of you have pointed this out, so I might as well mention it.  The presiding rumor is that Jenna Jameson will be playing a porn star (big surprise there) and that judging by the names on KentPaul, she will probably be CandySuxx.

Andy noted that the there are multiple passengers in the taxi in this shot showing another example of people using taxis without you driving them.  I didn't notice it until now, but it looks like you can carry passengers on motorcycles as well :).

Ryan thinks the woman in white looks a lot like she is propositioning the driver of that beat up car.  Perhaps VC will have more than one type of ho, there is GTA3's garden variety nickel ho, but in this case she looks more like an upscale call girl.

Rhett mentioned that in this shot it looks like you may be pointing your gun at the guy in the car (suggesting breakable windows).  My alternate suggestion is that there may be someone behind the car.  Notice that he is crouching down to take cover and also notice that there are two police cars near by, just my $.02.

Gary sent in a few weapon IDs.  Gary's pegging the sniper rifle as a H&K PSG1.  Gary was thinking the Ruger might possibly the Ruger Mini-14 or Mini-30.  But this alternate view appears to have a weird looking stock.

Insane's Strange Happenings   <2:30 AM CST - schu>
Insane2757 is currently accepting last minute submissions for his list of GTA3's strange happenings.  The submission window a little short, like 1 day short :) so send em in quick.  If you have any glitches, weird tips, or just generally strange GTA3 stuff to send in, pop an email over to insane2757@yahoo.com, just make sure you get it in today.  To keep Insane sane, please read the current file so you don't send in any duplicate information.

Skin & Win   <2:30 AM CST - schu>
Weeks ago Rockstar announced the winners of their GTA3 skin competition.  I've been meaning to post this for awhile now but I kept forgetting.  Anyway, you can view the list of winners right here.  In other contest news...  I never did hear who won the Make You Famous contest.  I guess that's still being decided.

New GTA Sites   <2:30 AM CST - schu>

• Hit The Brakes
  www.hitthebrakes.net

• GTA4 Ideas by IdeoPraxist
  www.boomspeed.com/ideopraxist

  
Announcements   <2:30 AM CST - schu>

• I added the bit about VC Soundtrack later in the day yesterday, so if you haven't read it yet, you might want to check out the press release.
• I just realized that yesterday's update was the 600th update since I made the move to gouranga.com.  So that doesn't even include the updates I did from Nov 1997 - July 1999 :)
• Some people have been having trouble watching the GTA VC movies.  Typically I suggest downloading the movies to your desktop and playing them from there.  Just RIGHT click on any of the movie links and choose Save Target As...  After the movie downloads, try playing the downloaded copy.  If it still doesn't work, you may need to upgrade or reinstall Quicktime.  You can do this by either choosing the Upgrade Check option in the Quicktime/Windows control panel, or you can just download the QT6 installer from Apple.
• Insane2757 noticed that GTA: Vice City is currently the top game over at GameSpot.  It's also coming in at numba 2 at NeoSeeker.
• Something else I've been meaning to mention...  The Midnight Club 2 website went live awhile back.  The main reason I mention it is because the trailer is pretty good.  Might not be worth the wait if you're on dialup, but definitely worth checking out if you have a broadband connection.

Monday - September 9, 2002   <10:20 AM CST>

VC SoundTrack Press Release   <10:20 AM CST - schu>
The R* webmaster sent me the press release about the VC sound track.  Rather than post the entire thing here I decided to link to Take2's press release page, right here.  The VC soundtrack will be released as seven separate albums, all available on October 29th on the Sony/Epic label (big surprise there).

KentPaul Updated   <4:00 AM CST - schu>
As predicted, KentPaul was updated while I was out of town.  Most of you know this by now and have seen the new shots.  I searched around and found all the new shots without the annoying white borders.  They have all been added to the VC Media Index.  Insane2757 sent me a short list on what sections were updated:

• What's New*
• Food*
• Buy American!*
• Computer games
• Cars
• Social Problems

* = very minor update

Thanks to NEO, Ryan, Rev Ted, kylethedistroyer, Slicey, Dave, Samir, dElAvA, tolagarFriS, Insane2757, Ollie, Nitsuj34, Willis, John, Tuckster, AWagner, and George.

VC Release Date Change   <4:00 AM CST - schu>
Rockstar has changed the release date for Vice City from October 22nd to October 29th.  According to GameSpot, the date change was made so more copies would be available on the the release date.  I haven't heard anything about the possibility that pre-order copies may arrive before the 29th.  I would imagine that the release date may vary from vendor to vendor based on when they get their shipment.  Thanks to Jen, Rev Ted, Vice City Baby, dElAvA, Ryan, tolagarFriS, JackDaniels913, Flamingnun, and Andrew.

GTA - Crime Online   <4:00 AM CST - schu>
As you may or may not know, the current prevailing rumor is that the next title in the GTA series will be an online game.  In the past it's been called GTA4, GTA Online, and GTA: Online Crime World.  Gta_player2001 recently spotted a small update in the UK mag P2 (Sept issue) that brings it up again.  Here is the quote:

NEWS ON THE 5TH GTA
The next installment in the popular series or as Rockstar like to call it 'the GTA universe' will go by the name of GTA: Crime Online excited anyone?

You might be wondering the same thing Gta_player2001 is.  How dependable can their update be if they don't even know how many games are in the GTA series :) ?  GTA:Crime Online would actually be the sixth game.  Rockstar has still never commented directly on when or if they will release an online title.

Mafia   <4:00 AM CST - schu>
Another piece of old news that I keep forgetting to mention.  Mafia for the PC has been released and has been getting some very good reviews (IGN / Gamespot) .  The game is basically like GTA3 set in the 1930's.  I played the game for a short while the other day and it looks very impressive both in graphics and gameplay.  I also recently read that Mafia will also be coming to both the PS2 and the XBox in March 2003.  One word of warning, from what I've heard you will have to have a pretty hefty machine to run it.

Greece F's Up   <4:00 AM CST - schu>
Apparently Greece's parliament is vying for the lofty title of "world's most idiotic government" (currently held by the US government :) ).  The Greek parliament actually passed a law that makes it illegal to play games on ANY electronic device.  The law was intended to make online gambling illegal, but instead it ended up banning all forms of electronic gaming.  Anyone caught breaking this law is subject to fines of $4,980 to $74,650 and imprisonment from one to twelve months.  You can read the full article on CNet.  If you wish to support the Greek gaming community you might want to visit Gameland.gr.  Thanks to Insane2757 and GTA3.com for the update.

New GTA Sites   <4:00 AM CST - schu>

• Vice City Resource (URL Update)
  www.gta-vc.com

• CarJackers of ViceCity
  www.gtavc.shorturl.com

Wednesday - September 4, 2002   <4:30 AM CST>

VC Weapons and Observations   <4:30 AM CST - schu>
I got a few comments on the latest shots so I thought I'd go ahead and post them.

Rev Ted and Rich have both identified the shotgun as as SPAS-12 shotgun.  Compare the real and VC versions for yourself.

Jonas IDed the knife featured in this shot to be a kukri knife.

Ted further confirmed that the pistol in this shot is the same model from GTA3, an M-1911.  All the weapons listed so far are in the VC Info section if anyone is interested.

Forelli_Boy pointed out that the new license plates actually look like the old NY plates with blue numbers and a red Statue of Liberty.  If they are going to make the VC plates like the real Florida plates they're going to have make them look something like this.

dElAVA noted that in some of the VC videos if you look closely you'll see birds flying together in flocks.<