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[BenjaminBirdie]

They are just examples of what I was thinking could be done with GTA4. I'm sure Rockstar could think of some awesome stuff, but at the same time I doubt they would put so much effort into a free bonus and it will end up being T-shirts and that stuff.

other examples of home integration is Warhawk with its briefing room and whatever they said about Resistance (I forgot what it was, I think something to do with radio.)

I do think the one legitimate X-Factor we can't discuss yet is the quality of the narrative. We can all talk about how "More Of The Same" in terms of story isn't impressive, but the storyline and narrative content of GTA4 may just be as fantastic as the early reviews have said. If that's the case, that certainly changes the potential of the DLC significantly.

 

[cjtiger300]

I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what "Home integration" is. All I'm picturing is fake furniture, clothing, and trophies.



And thank you. A lobby is unimpressive. A 2d game, warmer, maybe.

I get a little giddy when I think of what R* could do inside Home. They aren't lazy by any means and I think they would be one of the 3rd party developers to do Home right.

As far as what kind of content, Hell I have no idea. But I know if R* does it, they will do it right. I am also pretty sure that the 360 DLC will be damn good as well for this same reason.

 

[Pimpbaa]

Another thing: if it used the HDD to cache data, how does that work? Wouldn't it need to dedicate a certain chunk of storage for that data, or does the 360 HDD already have a "cache" partition for whatever games to access?

If it's setup anything like the xbox 1, it has dedicated partitions for games to cache data to. Trying to find some info on it at the moment.

 

[zaidr]

Oh man...all of this could go both ways though. Thats what I've been trying to say this whole time.
There could be Home Integration to the level of PS3 1st party developers. But then it shouldn't be unlikely to imagine significant story development / gameplay in the 2 exclusive DLC packs for 360. If one context is taken to the extreme, the other should go along with it.

 

[Tobor]

I do think the one legitimate X-Factor we can't discuss yet is the quality of the narrative. We can all talk about how "More Of The Same" in terms of story isn't impressive, but the storyline and narrative content of GTA4 may just be as fantastic as the early reviews have said. If that's the case, that certainly changes the potential of the DLC significantly.

And this in the end is what I really care about. I'm a content whore.

 

[Truespeed]

I get a little giddy when I think of what R* could do inside Home. They aren't lazy by any means and I think they would be one of the 3rd party developers to do Home right.

As far as what kind of content, Hell I have no idea. But I know if R* does it, they will do it right. I am also pretty sure that the 360 DLC will be damn good as well for this same reason.

Imagine a world in which you can play GTA IV and then return to Home and do the exact same thing to people in your apartment complex. This is the next level of integration - bringing the game home with you and abusing your virtual neighbors.

 

[rollingstart]

I do think the one legitimate X-Factor we can't discuss yet is the quality of the narrative. We can all talk about how "More Of The Same" in terms of story isn't impressive, but the storyline and narrative content of GTA4 may just be as fantastic as the early reviews have said. If that's the case, that certainly changes the potential of the DLC significantly.

I was actually thinking about that.

Like, if Rockstar made the episodes based around Claude after the events of GTA3 where you play as him for a few missions and somehow Niko is your enemy in this situation...that would be badass.

 

[a Master Ninja]

If it's setup anything like the xbox 1, it has dedicated partitions for games to cache data to. Trying to find some info on it at the moment.

You are correct. Ever notice you only have access to 14GB of your 20GB drive? That other space is being used for caching and backwards compatibilty software.

 

[Truespeed]

I was actually thinking about that.

Like, if Rockstar made the episodes based around Claude after the events of GTA3 where you play as him for a few missions and somehow Niko is your enemy in this situation...that would be badass.

That's pretty expansive for DLC. I was thinking more along the lines of getting on a bus and commuting back and forth to my virtual job at Safeway.

 

[zaidr]

I do think the one legitimate X-Factor we can't discuss yet is the quality of the narrative. We can all talk about how "More Of The Same" in terms of story isn't impressive, but the storyline and narrative content of GTA4 may just be as fantastic as the early reviews have said. If that's the case, that certainly changes the potential of the DLC significantly.

I can tell you from playing the first few missions that the narrative is much more involved, and much more introspective in some cases, than the last one. The Immigrant story is used very well, and the slow, methodical start seems to belie a very involving story. I am not going to spoil anything, but should just say that the mission structure is much more organic than the previous games, and its a welcome chang3 (sorry, creeped in there lol).

 

[cjtiger300]

Oh man...all of this could go both ways though. Thats what I've been trying to say this whole time.
There could be Home Integration to the level of PS3 1st party developers. But then it shouldn't be unlikely to imagine significant story development / gameplay in the 2 exclusive DLC packs for 360. If one context is taken to the extreme, the other should go along with it.

Exactly. When R* (North even more so) puts in name on something they usually go all out! One example of that is Hot Coffee. Dan Houser was more pissed about how bad and incomplete it looked than what was in the content. I thought that was very telling about him and R*. They were more upset about it looking like crap. Forget that we are going to have to pay our lawyers a kings ransom to get us out of this.

 

[zaidr]

That's pretty expansive for DLC. I was thinking more along the lines of getting on a bus and commuting back and forth to my virtual job at Safeway.

Just like the main character from Oblivion chopped wood for 6 hours in Shivering Isles, right?

 

[Truespeed]

Just like the main character from Oblivion chopped wood for 6 hours in Shivering Isles, right?

You need to take a lot of blue pills to chop wood for 6 hours - or so the commercials say.

 

[Evlar]

I expect the GTA4 DLC to be exclusive in the same sense almost everything else by third parties has been exclusive this generation.

 

[a Master Ninja]

I expect the GTA4 DLC to be exclusive in the same sense almost everything else by third parties has been exclusive this generation.

You're fooling yourself if you think Microsoft would pay $50 million (or whatever it really was) for only timed exclusivity, particularly with a title as important as GTA4.

Microsoft moneyhats tend to keep 360 exclusives...well, exclusive. Dead Rising, Bioshock, several Namco titles, Gears, Mass Effect, Mistwalker RPGs, and upcoming games like NG2, etc. Whether Microsoft actually makes a deal to publish the game themselves or just gives them lots of marketing dollars, when Microsoft cuts a check to ensure exclusivity they mean business. There is a chance the content could show up on PCs at some point, though.

 

[BobTheFork]

You're fooling yourself if you think Microsoft would pay $50 million (or whatever it really was) for only timed exclusivity, particularly with a title as important as GTA4.

Microsoft moneyhats tend to keep 360 exclusives...well, exclusive. Dead Rising, Bioshock, several Namco titles, Gears, Mass Effect, Mistwalker RPGs, and upcoming games like NG2, etc. Whether Microsoft actually makes a deal to publish the game themselves or just gives them lots of marketing dollars, when Microsoft cuts a check to ensure exclusivity they mean business. There is a chance the content could show up on PCs at some point, though.

50 million is not more money than R* could make selling DLC to ps3 owners. The ps2 Exclusive GTA games made it to xbox somehow, its very reasonable to assume the same will happen again, in time.

 

[Evlar]

You're fooling yourself if you think Microsoft would pay $50 million (or whatever it really was) for only timed exclusivity, particularly with a title as important as GTA4.

Microsoft moneyhats tend to keep 360 exclusives...well, exclusive. Dead Rising, Bioshock, several Namco titles, Gears, Mass Effect, Mistwalker RPGs, and upcoming games like NG2, etc. Whether Microsoft actually makes a deal to publish the game themselves or just gives them lots of marketing dollars, when Microsoft cuts a check to ensure exclusivity they mean business. There is a chance the content could show up on PCs at some point, though.

Well, we'll see... Rumors are flying that at least one of those sure-fire exclusives will be on PS3 by the end of the year, and another is now controlled by EA. Further, I keep getting told that MS didn't pay $50 million for DLC, they simply loaned R* money interest-free, and they are certainly not publishing this game. I'm unclear what legal claim they have to this DLC.

 

[SRG01]

Well, we'll see... Rumors are flying that at least one of those sure-fire exclusives will be on PS3 by the end of the year, and another is now controlled by EA. Further, I keep getting told that MS didn't pay $50 million for DLC, they simply loaned R* money interest-free, and they are certainly not publishing this game. I'm unclear what legal claim they have to this DLC.

Contractual obligations. That, and possibly returning the $50 million + damages on the event that they violate the exclusivity agreement. It's almost a certainty that there would be some sort of breach of contract clause somewhere in their agreement.

 

[CowboyAstronaut]

50 million is not more money than R* could make selling DLC to ps3 owners. The ps2 Exclusive GTA games made it to xbox somehow, its very reasonable to assume the same will happen again, in time.

I thought people getting the ps3 version of GTA4 weren't remotely interested in the DLC.

Not trying to be a smartass, but that's the general impression I've been getting.

 

[cjtiger300]

I thought people getting the ps3 version of GTA4 weren't remotely interested in the DLC.

Not trying to be a smartass, but that's the general impression I've been getting.

If the content is compelling PS3 owners will buy it.

 

[fse]

I thought people getting the ps3 version of GTA4 weren't remotely interested in the DLC.

Not trying to be a smartass, but that's the general impression I've been getting.

:lol

 

[Deleted member 30609]

I thought people getting the ps3 version of GTA4 weren't remotely interested in the DLC.

Not trying to be a smartass, but that's the general impression I've been getting.

Some people who own both consoles and are picking up the PS3 version (like myself) will wait and see whether the DLC is any good. If it is, easy to sell and rebuy a used 360 copy.

 

[Loudninja]

If the content is compelling PS3 owners will buy it.

Not me.

 

[Yoboman]

The PS3 will not be getting any kind of universal soundtrack support in future firmwares, as Microsoft owns the patent for it. (thanks navanman for the link...another here.) Sony themselves have stated that the means to support custom music is there if the devs want to implement it (as we've seen in SSHD and others). So, no custom tracks for the PS3 ever.

Err, no.

 

[fse]

Err, no.

Isn't it to the devs if they want to. I think he is trying to say it won't have custom soundtracks for all ps3 games.

 

[Death Dealer]

Well, we'll see... Rumors are flying that at least one of those sure-fire exclusives will be on PS3 by the end of the year, and another is now controlled by EA. Further, I keep getting told that MS didn't pay $50 million for DLC, they simply loaned R* money interest-free, and they are certainly not publishing this game. I'm unclear what legal claim they have to this DLC.

This.

Contractual obligations. That, and possibly returning the $50 million + damages on the event that they violate the exclusivity agreement. It's almost a certainty that there would be some sort of breach of contract clause somewhere in their agreement.

The exact terms of the contract are confidential. No one aside from Rockstar, Take Two, and Microsoft executives know anything for certain about what exact rights MS has to the DLC.

 

[a Master Ninja]

Well, we'll see... Rumors are flying that at least one of those sure-fire exclusives will be on PS3 by the end of the year, and another is now controlled by EA. Further, I keep getting told that MS didn't pay $50 million for DLC, they simply loaned R* money interest-free, and they are certainly not publishing this game. I'm unclear what legal claim they have to this DLC.

As for Bioshock: On one hand, a PS3 version was pretty far along in development until Microsoft signed an exclusivity deal that killed it. September would be more than a year after the 360 version was released, so if the details of the contract was one year exclusivity it would be perfect timing. On the other hand, more often than not Quaterman is full of shit. There is a chance that Bioshock will make it to the PS3, but will PS3 owners pay attention to it? Would it be "old news" (even thought it was considered GOTY 2007 material) with the onslaught of other new high profile FPS games hitting the system?

As for Mass Effect: We know the entire trilogy is supposed to be released on the 360, but we don't know any details on Microsoft's publishing rights. I'd assume they are locked in to publish the entire trilogy, but I suppose it is possible that they wanted to gage how well the first game sold and then the EA acquisition made it difficult to hammer out a new publishing deal for the sequels.

Back to GTA: Time will tell with the DLC, of course, but seeing as they've been waving their dicks since Spring 2006 over it I'm still skeptical it's only timed exclusivity.

 

[Yoboman]

Isn't it to the devs if they want to. I think he is trying to say it won't have custom soundtracks for all ps3 games.

You can't patent an idea. Saying PS3 will never have custom soundtracks like that is a load of unfounded bullshit

 

[PuppetMaster]

Has there been any confirmation about Trophys for Home yet for the PS3 version?

 

[MobiusPigeon]

home isnt coming out til 2009 at the earliest so....

 

[Kill Your Masters]

I thought people getting the ps3 version of GTA4 weren't remotely interested in the DLC.

Not trying to be a smartass, but that's the general impression I've been getting.

They could make more money with DLC-trophies I guess.

Trophies > Content.

 

[bishoptl]

home isnt coming out til 2009 at the earliest so....

Oh? And you know this how, exactly?

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Oh? And you know this how, exactly?

Psychic powers.

 

[Wollan]

home isnt coming out til 2009 at the earliest so....

Open Beta is in practicality the actual release. Everyone can use it.
Like Gmail it has a Beta sticker applied.

 

[CounterSeal]

About time someone made a thread about this! I'm one of the few who have both a 360 and PS3, but are having trouble deciding which version to buy...

I know lots of people with PS3s, and lots of people with 360s, I've gone through all the factors in my head several times... Tuesday is fast aproaching. I currently have the PS3 version pre-ordered, so I've been leaning towards that anyways. Bah.

 

[DrXym]

You can't patent an idea. Saying PS3 will never have custom soundtracks like that is a load of unfounded bullshit

You can patent an idea (specifically an invention), hence patents.

But I don't see how anyone can state custom soundtracks won't appear ever. Sony could cross-licence patents to MS - I'm sure they have enough of their own to make it happen if they wanted. They can change the TRCs so games must support it.

Personally I think its such a minor feature and only suitable for certain games that I would be comfortable for devs to choose if they wish to support it or not.

 

[MobiusPigeon]

Oh? And you know this how, exactly?

the beta doesnt start until the end of this year from what i've read.

 

[Tarin02543]

From a guy in the GTA thread on the UK forum giving impressions.


http://forums.evo-web.co.uk/showthread.php?t=39763&page=71

That's strange, on one of those grainy youtube videos you could clearly see a whole bridge popping up when Nico exited a warehouse (360).

 

[Son of Godzilla]

Does anyone actually believe that situations are truly duplicable in an open ended environment such as this? Not to mention how truly random this game has become, even down to it's unpredictable animation system. It's possible to make generalizations sure, but I doubt anyone's had enough time to get adequate sample sizes on both consoles.

Comparisons this early really are kinda dumb, especially given that both systems obviously are going to utilize the cache, making performance intrinsically tied to how and how much you play.

Spoiler

How's that for spin?

 

[Yoboman]

You can patent an idea (specifically an invention), hence patents.

But I don't see how anyone can state custom soundtracks won't appear ever. Sony could cross-licence patents to MS - I'm sure they have enough of their own to make it happen if they wanted. They can change the TRCs so games must support it.

Personally I think its such a minor feature and only suitable for certain games that I would be comfortable for devs to choose if they wish to support it or not.

You patent the implementation of an idea, but you can't patent the concept itself. All Sony needs to do is work around the details of it

 

[Doc Evils]

That's strange, on one of those grainy youtube videos you could clearly see a whole bridge popping up when Nico exited a warehouse (360).

 

[Haunted]

Now that does look like a console GTA to me.

 

[justjohn]

the beta doesnt start until the end of this year from what i've read.

so you dont really know shit, yet from that post seemed like you were the one actually developing it.

 

[borghe]

I expect the GTA4 DLC to be exclusive in the same sense almost everything else by third parties has been exclusive this generation.

really needs to be restated for emphasis. Hell, even the first party PUBLISHED stuff is still going over to other consoles (Bioshock confirmed, Gears rumored).

And let's not forget that MS didn't "pay" for exclusitivity. They effectively gave R* an interest free lone. That should be enough to guarantee them timed exclusive, but hardly sounds like enough to leave money on the table for PS3 at $30(?) a pop.

Now that does look like a console GTA to me.

probably 360 version. (probably the version I'll be getting for multi player only)

 

[Francias Castiglione]

Weird, I've been past there a large number of times and that has not happened once. Although I'm sure that GIF won't stop it being used as proof that it happens every time anyway.

 

[pubba]

That pop-in during the gif above looks terrible.

It's probably from a pirated version that some moron burned on bad media. I can't believe Rockstar would let the game ship with graphics like that...

 

[Creamium]

Weird, I've been past there a large number of times and that has not happened once. Although I'm sure that GIF won't stop it being used as proof that it happens every time anyway.

that gif's from a pirated copy.

 

[borghe]

that gif's from a pirated copy.

what does that have to do with anything? all of the pirated copies are ripped from retail copies.

 

[Haunted]

I sure hope they improve the streaming for the PC version. Gears did a good job with that in comparison to the console version.

 

[Lakitu]

Ok, this is a weird question... but how is the driving mechanic in GTA 4? I know most of the time I just drive around other cars, but it really annoys me that in the past games, the traffic was SO SLOW? Literally moving at 10mph, it was unrealistic. If it were moving like that in real life, I'd probably pull my hair out. Have they improved that in this one?