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Portables (Games)

Grand Theft Auto for US PSP Launch 75

Posted by Zonk from the pocket-sized-thugs dept.
GamesIndustry.biz is reporting that a version of the popular Grand Theft Auto series (as well as a version of the Midnight Club 3 game) will be released around the date of the US/EU PSP launch. From the article: "Sony's extremely impressive technology has allowed Rockstar Leeds to do more on a handheld machine than we could have ever imagined ... We are very excited for gamers to experience these two genre-defining franchises in a fashion that could have never before been possible on a portable system."
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Grand Theft Auto for US PSP Launch More

Grand Theft Auto for US PSP Launch

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  • DS and PSP (Score:5, Insightful)

    by th1ckasabr1ck ( 752151 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @02:51PM (#11312969)
    "Sony's extremely impressive technology has allowed Rockstar Leeds to do more on a handheld machine than we could have ever imagined."

    I like that quote a lot. People love talking about the innovation of the DS, but in my mind the PSP is just as innovative. The DS is combining PDA gaming with GBA gaming and wireless access. The PSP is shrinking the PS2 into a sleek little handheld. Both of these allow us to do things on that we have never been able to do on handhelds before.

    That being said, I own a DS and have not been extremely impressed. I own Mario 64 and Feel the Magic. Mario is fun, but suffers greatly from the lack of an analog stick. I'll always prefer to play the N64 version because of this. Feel the Magic is a fun game, but extremely short and I felt like I was cheated out of a few bucks when I beat it so quickly. Also, the entire time I'm playing Feel the Magic I'm terrified that I'm going to end up with a scratched touch screen.

    The touch screen may have some cool applications in gaming, but I think the choice to break up the device into two screens was a poor one. In Mario, the bottom screen is honestly more of a distraction than anything, and I almost with I could just shut it off (maybe I can?). I do realize that these are only the launch titles, and launch titles usually suck, but these are my honest early impressions.

    I just sorta picked up the DS because I buy most consoles/handhelds, whatever. After seeing screenshots and videos of the PSP in action, I don't see any way I can possibly NOT own one.

    This honestly did not start out as a DS/PSP thing, I swear!

    • I bought a PS2 to play GTA3. If I were going to buy a handheld, this would be a great reason to do so. Nintendo is the undisputed king of first party games, I fully believe that. However, after you get through that, what do you have?

      The fact of the matter is, Sony has perhaps THE best license in gaming with the GTA series. Those games are good enough so that buying a system solely to play them is worthwhile.

      • Re:DS and PSP (Score:3, Informative)

        by hollismb ( 817357 )
        Except that they come out on other systems later. GTA 3 and Vice City are already out on the Xbox and PC, and San Andreas has already been announced for the Xbox and PC as well. Considering they're superior versions on both platforms, if you have the patience, it bodes well to wait. Like the Xbox versions have custom sountracks, 480p, and widescreen, with better draw distance and framerate. Not knocking the PS2 versions, but those changes do make a difference.
        • Not only have the Xbox and PC versions of San Andreas been announced, but they're supposed to hit by the beginning of summer. Thus, the wait is MUCH shorter than previous iterations (particularly in the case of Xbox). It seems that Sony's stranglehold on the GTA series has loosened a touch.

      • Re:DS and PSP (Score:3, Informative)

        by SetupWeasel ( 54062 )
        Nintendo is the undisputed king of first party games, I fully believe that. However, after you get through that, what do you have?

        Under the circumstances, I'd have to say Resident Evil 4 [metacritic.com]
        • Way to misunderstand the (rhetorical) question. One measly game (that isn't even exlusive to boot) doesn't really refute what the grandparent post said, does it?

      • Re:DS and PSP (Score:1, Informative)

        by Anonymous Coward
        "Nintendo is the undisputed king of first party games, I fully believe that. However, after you get through that, what do you have?"

        Animetic RPG
        Baten Kaitos DS
        Bleach
        Boktai
        Bomberman DS
        Bust-A-Move series
        Caduceus: Surgical Operation
        Castlevania
        Chobi Island 3
        Disney/Pixar's The Incredibles
        Dragon Ball Z
        Dragon Warrior Monsters series
        Dragon Warrior Slime Morimori series
        Dress
        Dynasty Warriors DS
        Egg Monster Hero
        Everybody's Mah-jongg
        Far East of Eden series
        Final Fantasy III
        Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicle series
        Ganbare
      • The fact of the matter is, Sony has perhaps THE best license in gaming with the GTA series. Those games are good enough so that buying a system solely to play them is worthwhile.

        I'd still the best license is Zelda, but no matter. What about Final Fantasy?
      • In reply to the parent...

        I recieved a ps2 for xmas the first year it was released. After boxing day went out and bout a second controller, memory cards and the dvd remote. But then nothing... All the games sucked there was not a single sony game (new or old) that matched the n64s killer apps like Goldeneye, Zelda, Diddy Kong Racing, that demolition one etc etc.. I tried playing a few old ps1 games like Final Fantasy but of course they were scratched on the second disk or so making it impossible to play.

        So

  • I'm a big Nintendo fan, although I own all of the current generation systems and a DS.

    GTA coming to the PSP could be a huge coup, I mean who wouldn't want to play GTA3 (or something with new content) as a portable.

    Here's the potential disaster in the making, portables are generally marketed towards a younger crowd, although both Nintendo and Sony profess to be targeting an older demographic. What's going to happen then little timmy strolls into his school with a PSP with GTA on it. Hits the media, the
    • I mean who wouldn't want to play GTA3 (or something with new content) as a portable

      Me. I thought the game was boring to begin with.

      Don't generalize if you aren't 100% sure of your data.
    • "I mean who wouldn't want to play GTA3"

      I for one. After playing GTA 1 and 2 for about four-five hours each, I was so bored I gave up. I decided to give GTA: Vice City a whirl. Big mistake. It's the same thing over and over. There's only so much virtual walking, running, and/or driving I can do before I'm bored senseless.
      • Don't play games much, do ya? Almost every game has some aspect of what you just mentioned.
        • Oddly enough, I've been playing video games since '85 when I started playing on my friends Atari. I have completed every Metroid game except the newest one for the DS and the latest one on the GBA, MOH:AA and both expansions for it, I am currently about two levels from the end of HL2, I have been a frequent player of CS:Source (and good ol' CS back in the day)...it would take less time to discuss the games I haven't played. Listen, just because I don't like GTA doesn't mean I'm not a gamer. It's not that

  • Streaming from disc (Score:3, Insightful)

    by clu76 ( 620823 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @03:04PM (#11313160) Homepage
    From the Article: One aspect of the Grand Theft Auto title for the PSP which will be watched carefully by other developers is how the game will handle the streaming of content from disc - something which the GTA titles on PS2 have relied heavily upon to create their seamless environments, but which runs the risk of crippling the battery life of a handheld device.

    Streaming games and battery life is perhaps my largest concern about the PSP. I wonder if GTA:PSP will remain true to the originals by allowing players to explore these large environments at will. Or if Rockstar had to make a fundamental change to the game to keep it from eating up the battery.

    Also curious to know if this is a port, semi-port, or a new game all together.

  • Little bit of irony for my friends (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Blackwulf ( 34848 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @03:06PM (#11313181) Homepage
    My friends blasted me for buying a DS, becuase they have the belief that Nintendo always relies on their franchises way too much and that's why they won't bother with the system. They're not WRONG with what they're saying about there being a lot of Mario/Zelda/Metroid games, but their reasoning for poopooing the DS is because Nintendo seems to rely too much on existing games.

    But they're stoked over the PSP, and Sony can do no wrong. However, every single game title that I've seen them go gaga over has been...existing franchises. (Gran Turismo, Metal Gear, GTA, Midnight Club, Ridge Racer...)

    They don't exactly like it when I point out the irony. ("Why would I want to get a system where I can play an old and tired game with Mario in it where I can get the PSP and play Gran Turismo?")

    • If Someone Ever Blasts You for Buying a DS... (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      You should jump on his head, whack him with a hammer, and then send a flurry of fireballs his way.

      That'll teach 'em.
    • To be completely fair, those series do appear on other consoles. The Metal Gear games, for instance, have appeared on all of the current consoles if I'm not mistaken, and GTA has been ported to the Xbox and PC.

      That still doesn't change the fact that they're exclusives for Sony for a decent period of time and that they're being used in the same manner that Nintendo has used their characters, though. :)

    • They don't exactly like it when I point out the irony. ("Why would I want to get a system where I can play an old and tired game with Mario in it where I can get the PSP and play Gran Turismo?")

      Probably because your friends recognize that the Mario game will just be a port of some very old game (witness every Mario GBA sidescroller, or Mario 64 DS). But AFAIK most of the PSP games are either completely new versions (such as in the case of GTA, Metal Gear, Ridge Racer, Wipeout) or similar to games that are j

  • I don't see it (Score:3, Insightful)

    by fm6 ( 162816 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @03:22PM (#11313399) Homepage Journal
    Assuming that they're talking about the 3D games (the only GTA games most of us have even seen), it's difficult to see how this could work on a portable. First, the processing power needed to render that pocket universe is immense. (On a medium-power PC, you have to turn the rendering distance way down, or else it lags horribly trying to render buildings you can't even see.) But what really makes me skeptical is the difficulty of playing this kind of game on a very small screen. There's an incredible amount of detail, and I just don't see any way of scaling it down.

    • Re:I don't see it (Score:4, Insightful)

      by hollismb ( 817357 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @03:30PM (#11313504) Homepage
      I don't see how your points are a factor. Considering the PSP's specs, it's perfectly capable of handling a large scale 3D environment in a game. There's plenty of capacity on one of those UMDs to support it, and the screen size has an adequate amount of resolution to show acceptable detail in a 3D world. It's not how big a screen is, remember, it's how close you are to it. Lastly, your point about rendering building and framerates on the PC don't really apply due to the unfixed nature of the PC. I'm sure they'd optimize it just fine for the fixed-system PSP, much like was done on the PS2 and Xbox versions.

      • Re:I don't see it (Score:5, Interesting)

        by SetupWeasel ( 54062 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @03:36PM (#11313619) Homepage
        The problem is data streaming and how that can cut down battery life. GTA has been used as an example of the type of game that will tax the PSP's battery the most because of its graphics and constant disc access.

        I'm going to guess that this will either be a game much different to its PS2 brother or very load time heavy.
        • I would expect a good amount of data homogenization (i.e. treating the towns as tile-based maps rather than 3D models as in the PS2 version) would probably contribute to keeping down the streaming.

    • First, the processing power needed to render that pocket universe is immense.

      You're aware the PC versions are ports and the games originally ran on the PS2, right? The console the PSP is approximately the same as, in terms of specs?

      But what really makes me skeptical is the difficulty of playing this kind of game on a very small screen. There's an incredible amount of detail, and I just don't see any way of scaling it down.

      Maybe we're playing different games here. GTA:SA has pretty crappy graph

    • I just don't see any way of scaling it down. Which is why you don't work for Rockstar.

  • Double Standard (Score:5, Insightful)

    by NanoGator ( 522640 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @03:33PM (#11313557) Homepage Journal
    Gee, whenever Nintendo releases a sequal to a franchise, it's bad, but it's great news for Sony!

    • Re:Double Standard (Score:3, Informative)

      by arkanes ( 521690 )
      In Sony's defense, the GTA franchise is a style of play and execution, not simply a character. Nintendo has worked it's franchises into the ground by re-using the characters in totally non-franchise related games. When they release GTA Tennis then we can talk.

      • Re:Double Standard (Score:3, Insightful)

        by NanoGator ( 522640 )
        "Nintendo has worked it's franchises into the ground by re-using the characters in totally non-franchise related games."

        So? Why is this bad? If the game's fun, the game's fun.

        "When they release GTA Tennis then we can talk."

        Actually, that sounds like fun. Imagine being a poor sport in that game. ;)

        You know damn well that if Rockstar got lazy and just churned out GTA 5 6 and 7 with slightly different maps (i.e. Sonic the Hedgehog) you'd be bitching about it, too.

      • Re:Double Standard (Score:1, Insightful)

        by Anonymous Coward
        Define "worked it's [sic] franchises into the ground" a little more clearly. Specifically, I want to clarify the modifier "into the ground."

        If you mean to imply that a Mario-branded Kart/Tennis/Golf game would sell better than the same Tennis game with no Mario branding, then clearly we are in agreement, and we can progress from there, keeping one other thing in mind: that the gameplay of the Kart/Tennis/Golf game is at its core quite good. The quality and the branding certainly do nothing to hurt sales
    • On another note, wasn't this the same site AND the same editor that posted about Halo on the Gizmondo, a rumor Bungie themselves debunked? Plus, he submitted it himself, and submitted a 4 month old Nintendo is dying article himself but a few days or weeks back.

      Looks like I might need to go to preferences->homepage [slashdot.org] and uncheck the Zonk box soon.
    • Except Sony doesn't make Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar Games [rockstargames.com] does.
      • "Except Sony doesn't make Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar Games does."

        I said it was great news for Sony, not that GTA was made by Sony. DS vs. PSP, not developer vs. developer.

    • Re:Double Standard (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      ....but it's great news for Sony!

      Ah, but you need to complete your thought:

      ...until Sonly releases a sequal to Grand Theft Auto that requires a bongo and hand clapping to play, it's bad.

  • Just what we need... (Score:3, Funny)

    by techstar25 ( 556988 ) <(moc.liamg) (ta) (52ratshcet)> on Monday January 10, 2005 @04:48PM (#11314582) Journal
    Now we can run around in a city while we play a game where we run around in a city. Or better yet we can actually drive, while playing a game pretending to drive!
  • Yes GTA will probably tax the PSP, but it would be cool if they use the Wi-Fi and add a multiplayer dimension to the game. It has been available on the PC version and GTA:SA already.

  • Idea here... (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Gothic_Walrus ( 692125 ) on Monday January 10, 2005 @07:17PM (#11316185) Journal
    It's a stupid idea, but it's worth considering...

    The article said nothing about the game being in 3D, and there aren't any screenshots of the game yet.

    Isn't is possible that the GTA game is going to be top-down like the first two and the recent GBA game were?

    That would definitely help to increase the battery life, with no need for streaming the cities or for intense 3D graphics... :)

    • Isn't is possible that the GTA game is going to be top-down like the first two and the recent GBA game were?

      That would be deadly. People expect 2D from the Gameboy Advance, but they won't be expecting it from the PSP. Whatever the strengths of the top-down games, there's such a public perception of the GTA games being 3D these days that, were Rockstar to go the top-down only route, people would probably see it as a tremendous failing of the system. It would be the PSP's version of Zelda cel shading (an
      • but nah, if GTA was a system seller for me I'd have gotten a PS2

        I often feel the need to go on violent rampages and steal cars on the way home from work, y'know I just can't wait until I get home. Sometimes it's gotten so bad that I've jacked someone because the train takes so long...
      • It would be the PSP's version of Zelda cel shading (and would be just as nonsensical).

        The Wind Waker's graphics are not universally seen as a mistake.

        • Re:Idea here... (Score:3, Insightful)

          by MilenCent ( 219397 )
          And indeed, I really liked Wind Waker's look, I thought it worked really well. Even better, the gameplay was just brilliant and really brought that feeling of exploration back to the series.

          But the fact remains, the look of the game became something of a rallying cry for idiots. "Celda! Celda!" And there are a lot of idiots.
          • So what you are saying is the word "nonsensical" applies to the people griping about the cell shading or a 2D PSP GTA, and not the games themselves.

            Sorry, I read it wrong then. ^_^
    • Isn't is possible that the GTA game is going to be top-down like the first two and the recent GBA game were?

      No, the article had a quote from the developers saying PSPs advanced hardware is allowing them to do things they've never done on a portable. They've done 2D on a portable. The game will be 3D.

  • Now, if the price is what it was rumored to be at CES, ($150) , and if it can, as rumored, recieve TV broadcasts, now with GTA, this will be a handheld not to miss.

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