OMEN
01-25-2008, 09:30 AM
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Anti-hero ... eastern European immigrant Niko is the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV / IGN
THE latest instalment of the controversial Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most popular game franchises ever made, will finally be released in April.
GTA IV, which was originally slated for release last year, is expected to be one of the top-selling games of 2008 and is likely to revive debate over the series' depictions of sex and violence.
The game will be released worldwide on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles on April 29. After the date was announced, publisher Take-Two Interactive's share price rose by more than 10 per cent.
Previous games in the GTA series have attracted widespread criticism for depicting violence and encouraging irresponsible driving. All of the games follow a similar plot based on gang warfare and carjacking.
Most famously, the fifth title in the series GTA: San Andreas was reclassified as Adults Only in the US and taken off shelves in Australia after it was revealed that a software modification could be used to unlock interactive sex scenes in the game.
The developer, Rockstar Games, released an updated version without the scenes shortly after the discovery, known as the "Hot Coffee" controversy.
The events of GTA IV take place in a fictional city based heavily on New York and follow the arrival of an eastern European immigrant who becomes involved in the city's underworld.
Technological improvements to the game allowing for lifelike character movement and detailed graphics will make it the most realistic in the series.
GTA IV will be rated MA15+ when it is released here. There is no R18+ rating for videogames in Australia, despite the rising average age of gamers.
Previous games in the series have been censored to allow their release in Australia, including GTA III which originally failed to achieve an MA15+ rating in part because players were able to visit and kill prostitutes.
Earlier this month Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia CEO Ron Curry said the average age of gamers in Australia had risen to 28.
GTA IV - Preview and Trailer (http://au.ps3.ign.com/articles/847/847029p1.html)
News AU
Anti-hero ... eastern European immigrant Niko is the protagonist of Grand Theft Auto IV / IGN
THE latest instalment of the controversial Grand Theft Auto series, one of the most popular game franchises ever made, will finally be released in April.
GTA IV, which was originally slated for release last year, is expected to be one of the top-selling games of 2008 and is likely to revive debate over the series' depictions of sex and violence.
The game will be released worldwide on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles on April 29. After the date was announced, publisher Take-Two Interactive's share price rose by more than 10 per cent.
Previous games in the GTA series have attracted widespread criticism for depicting violence and encouraging irresponsible driving. All of the games follow a similar plot based on gang warfare and carjacking.
Most famously, the fifth title in the series GTA: San Andreas was reclassified as Adults Only in the US and taken off shelves in Australia after it was revealed that a software modification could be used to unlock interactive sex scenes in the game.
The developer, Rockstar Games, released an updated version without the scenes shortly after the discovery, known as the "Hot Coffee" controversy.
The events of GTA IV take place in a fictional city based heavily on New York and follow the arrival of an eastern European immigrant who becomes involved in the city's underworld.
Technological improvements to the game allowing for lifelike character movement and detailed graphics will make it the most realistic in the series.
GTA IV will be rated MA15+ when it is released here. There is no R18+ rating for videogames in Australia, despite the rising average age of gamers.
Previous games in the series have been censored to allow their release in Australia, including GTA III which originally failed to achieve an MA15+ rating in part because players were able to visit and kill prostitutes.
Earlier this month Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia CEO Ron Curry said the average age of gamers in Australia had risen to 28.
GTA IV - Preview and Trailer (http://au.ps3.ign.com/articles/847/847029p1.html)
News AU