Tag: rockstar

GTA 5 had an incredible MOD but right now is no more

Take-Two continues to go after GTA 5 mod creators, this time taking down the most popular mod of recent times.

By now, it should come as no surprise that Take-Two is not a fan of mods. Anything that threatens their intellectual property is something they frown upon, and they don’t hesitate to send their lawyers in that direction. This sentiment was echoed by the community this week when a scenario of recreating GTA 5’s map in Fortnite was not publicly released, and now, it has been proven true. Creating mods for GTA 5 can now be considered a risky endeavor.

Just a week ago, a creator named Bloc released a mod called “Sentient Streets.” This mod allowed players to interact with NPCs through their microphone, as over twenty different AI entities enabled real-time responses. Each NPC had a distinct personality and responded with varying tones based on player behavior and the situation. Despite the typical limitations of such mods — where characters don’t contribute much to the narrative beyond making them feel more human — this mod had been gaining popularity over the past few days.

This prompted Take-Two to take action, sending multiple copyright claims to Bloc’s channels on both YouTube and NexusMods. As a result, the creator himself decided to remove the mod and all related content, fearing more drastic actions from Take-Two.

In an update on his YouTube channel, Bloc wrote, “YouTube removed the videos immediately without giving me a chance to explain,” and “at this time, the Nexus Mods version has been taken down due to a DMCA takedown request by Take-Two Interactive.” This led him to take similar action with the GTA5 Mods version, aiming to avoid potential legal issues. After all, the YouTube claim could result in his channel being demonetized for three months.

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In response to all of this, Bloc has understandably expressed his frustration. He stated that “instead of going after small mods, they should focus on creating decent remakes with better pricing policies.” He pointed out how Rockstar Games itself stated in 2022 that “we have always believed in fans’ reasonable creativity and want creators to showcase their passion for our games.” As Bloc rightly highlights, this sentiment doesn’t seem to be reflected in their constant legal attacks against anyone who stands out even a bit in the GTA 5 modding scene.

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Red Dead Redemption’s Return is a disappointment beyond you think

Red Dead Redemption returns to consoles, although it does so in the way we least expected it, and let’s be honest, we least wanted it.

Not long ago, thanks to the Korean rating agency, we learned that the original Red Dead Redemption was making a return. We didn’t know exactly in what form, but we had a clear wish. A remake or remaster for the new generation or a PC version was the ideal scenario, allowing us to relive John Marston’s bittersweet adventure. And our prayers have been answered. But perhaps not by the divine.

Rockstar Games has announced that Red Dead Redemption is coming to Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on August 17. Handling this new conversion is Double Eleven, a studio familiar with the original work: it was founded by former Rockstar developers in 2009.

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The problem lies with Double Eleven Studios, a support studio, which doesn’t exactly have a good track record when it comes to successful console releases. They’re behind technical flops like Fallout 76, Crackdown 3, Rust, and Minecraft Dungeons, which raises concerns that this version might not be the definitive edition of Red Dead Redemption. Adding to this the disastrous state in which Grand Theft Auto Trilogy was released, we have more than justified reasons to fear a potential debacle.

For those unfamiliar with Red Dead Redemption, it’s an open-world game set in the final days of the Wild West. Originally released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on August 17, 2009, it was followed by a highly popular sequel for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on October 26, 2018, and later for PC.

This new version of Red Dead Redemption will cost €49.99 on the Nintendo eShop and PlayStation Store. If you prefer a physical edition of the game, you’ll have to wait until October 13 to get your hands on it. Furthermore, the game will include several new translations, including Latin American Spanish. A positive detail amidst what is, let’s be honest, not exactly the game version we were hoping for.

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Heartbreak for GTA San Andreas Fans as Rockstar Shuts It Down

A group of entrepreneurs decided to open a Cluckin’ Bell and a Burger Shot, the fictional restaurants of ‘GTA: San Andreas’ for a few days. The problem was that neither Rockstar nor Take Two had a clue.

The plan was perfect: taking advantage of San Diego Comic-Con, one of the places with the highest number of attendees in the world this weekend (and undoubtedly with the most video game players in its ranks), a group of entrepreneurs decided to open a Cluckin’ Bell and a Burger Shot, the fictional restaurants from ‘GTA: San Andreas,’ for a few days. The problem was that neither Rockstar nor Take Two had any idea… And for whatever reason, they didn’t take it well.

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Failin’ Bell

The situation isn’t new: last year, the same organizers opened a Cluckin’ Bell before Rockstar’s legal services noticed. It was meticulously crafted, filled with references to GTA, but it lasted only as long as the five days of the convention, and no one found out who was behind it. This year, unfortunately for gamers, they noticed very quickly.

The restaurant Smokin J’s BBQ and Boyworldwide, a fashion brand from Las Vegas, had teamed up again after a small national tour to give another nod to ‘GTA: San Andreas’ and, at the same time, make more money during a weekend when everything in San Diego, from the shabbiest taco stand to the themed ‘Sonic’ restaurant, cashes in big time. After receiving a cease and desist order, they had no choice but to shut down.

Well, in fact, they will: next weekend, they will open the Cluckin’ Bell with a different name, “Don’t Cluckin’ Tell,” presumably to try to cover the expenses of the pop-up that never was. Although it hurts all of us, the truth is that Rockstar‘s position is understandable: nobody likes others to profit from their work, after all.

The good part? They’ve given them a golden idea to promote ‘GTA VI,’ if the studio wants to take advantage of it. They just need to bring out all the merchandise they have, a couple of Cluckin’ Bell aprons, and embrace the fans. And this time, without the need to shut it down prematurely.

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Could we see the passage of time from ‘Red dead redemption 2’ in ‘GTA VI’?

We can’t stop thinking, patiently, how Rockstar will have improved its open world ten years later

It is the most anticipated game of the decade. After the success of ‘GTA V’, the second best-selling video game in history (only behind ‘Minecraft’), we can’t stop thinking, while we are filled with patience, about how Rockstar will have improved its open world ten years later. Especially after the giant leap they took with ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’, which can serve as an indicator of the future of ‘Grand Theft Auto’.

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The evolution of safe houses

There are as many ‘GTA’ players as there are copies sold. There are those who just want to complete the missions and the story, those who go straight to the online mode to get into mischief, those who use it as a way to vent their anger and, of course, those who even relax by driving back and forth with the occasional shootout. The more possibilities there are to enjoy a video game, the better.

Don’t you remember Franklin’s house in ‘GTA V’? Always so lonely, so empty, so un-homey, so, deep down, unreal, at least compared to the Var Den Linde clan camps in ‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ that could grow and be customized. Sure, there will always be those who make the joke that ‘GTA’ can become ‘The Sims’ of crime, but if one day you don’t feel like shooting and committing robberies, you will surely appreciate the possibility of turning your adult game into ‘Animal crossing’ for a moment.

After all, in ‘GTA Online’ there are already some scenarios that feel alive and change over time. It is another option: if we cannot personalize our house, at least see how the passage of the missions has made it change together with us. Being able to start in a seedy slum and end up in a mansion, but always have it be our home, without having to move. At this stage of generation, it is the least we can ask.

One of the most beautiful things about Rockstar’s Western game was to see how, little by little, the houses that were initially just scaffolding ended up being built, we will be able to go through and see setbacks in the meantime, including some constructions that will remain unfinished. Why not take it to ‘GTA VI’? Businesses that open and close, places that are demolished and rebuilt, blood that does not come out of the asphalt… The passage of time reflected not only in safe houses, but in life itself.

After all, there are few things better than turning on your console and feeling like you’re part of the game. There’s no need for everything to revolve around you: the fact that each non-playable character has his or her own separate story makes it more interesting, more beautiful, more engaging, more unique. It would be strange if, after the attention to detail of ‘Red dead redemption 2’, its big sister didn’t follow in its footsteps. Fortunately, there’s less and less time left to check it out…

‘GTA VI’ tiene mucho que aprender de ‘Saints Row’ si quiere seguir siendo relevante

Puede que una década después de la última entrega los jugones quieran probar otras cosas.

Podemos estar esperando ‘Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’, ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ o ‘Spider-man 2’ como agua de mayo, pero todos sabemos cuál es el juego que va a copar más titulares desde el momento en que se anuncie de forma oficial: ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’. Después de que su quinta parte vendiera 175 millones de copias dando un beneficio de 6.000 millones de dólares a Rockstar, parece que la productora está mimando cada detalle para que nadie se quede con las ganas. Y sin embargo… puede que una década después de la última entrega los jugones quieran probar otras cosas.

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El mejor Grand Theft Auto hasta la fecha

El locurón

Dos años después de que ‘San Andreas’ revolucionara la industria, ‘Saints Row’ se lanzó a la venta como un simple clon. Una copia a mano alzada y no con papel cebolla, pero copia al fin y al cabo. Sin embargo, introducía un tema que ‘GTA’ abandonaría en sus siguientes entregas: la pertenencia a una banda. Mientras que la saga de Rockstar trataba la historia de un lobo solitario metido en un mundo criminal (por gusto o por salvar el pellejo), la de THQ tenía otro enfoque.

A partir de ‘Saints Row 3’ las cosas cambiaron sobremanera. Y es que, de repente, explotó la locura, la comedia, las situaciones inverosímiles, el ambiente más festivo. Mientras que en ‘GTA V’ veíamos una historia de crimen y venganza oscura y sin redención (que no le importó a nadie), en ‘Saints Row IV’ tu personaje, el mismo que en los juegos anteriores, conseguía superpoderes, se convertía en el presidente de los Estados Unidos y tenía que parar un ataque alien. Lo mismito, vamos.

Y por si te quedabas corto, ‘Saint Row: Gat out of hell’, su DLC, te permitía jugar con dos miembros de la banda mientras trataban de rescatar a su jefe del Infierno después de que Satán le secuestrara. Y ojo, nadie está diciendo que ‘GTA’ tenga que convertirse en un absurdo repleto de locuras dejando de lado su ADN, pero, para ser sinceros, a lo largo de ‘GTA Online’ también ha cambiado lo suficiente como para preguntarnos… Realmente, ¿qué es ‘GTA’?

¿Tiene personalidad propia ‘GTA’?

Aún poco sabemos de ‘GTA VI’, pero ante la recepción del modo historia de la quinta parte (espectacular en lo jugable, increíble en lo gráfico, decepcionante en lo narrativo), que, de hecho, ni siquiera ha lanzado un DLC, es posible que el equipo esté mirando más lo que hace la comunidad en el modo online para ajustar uno de los juegos más esperados de la década hasta el límite.

Dicho de otra manera: ni tan serio y apocado como viene siendo habitual, ni tan cómico y loco como en ‘Saints Row’. La idea de volver a jugar como un lobo solitario, teniendo la posibilidad de unirse a una banda, se hace ya repetitiva: al fin y al cabo, en el juego de Deep Silver la pertenencia a un grupo sirve para ver una evolución real y unos personajes que evolucionan juego a juego, creando conexión con el espectador. Si en un ‘GTA’ no funcionan, no hay nada que te haga volver a ellos.

Quizá no hay que abandonar la historia del criminal solitario que se enfrenta a los peces gordos, pero sí darle más profundidad, permitir que el jugador haga locuras si es lo que quiere… O darle la oportunidad de tener más contacto con otros personajes secundarios. ‘GTA’ pavimentó el camino para el triunfo de ‘Saints Row’, pero ahora puede que cambien las tornas: Rockstar ha creado dos juegos totalmente diferentes en uno mismo, y volver a la sobriedad de su historia cuando han acostumbrado al público a la sinvergonzonería del modo online puede ser una pastilla difícil de tragar.

Eh, montemos una banda

El camino que se abre delante de Rockstar no es fácil de seguir y está repleto de bifurcaciones para entender qué es realmente su saga estrella una década después de su última aparición. Incluso franquicias míticas como ‘Zelda’ se han ido adaptando poco a poco a los gustos de la gente para encontrar un nuevo ADN (de mazmorreo a mundo abierto) y la repetición constante, por muy espectacular que sea, solo va a dar lugar a, tarde o temprano, el abandono de los gamers.

Todo lo que sube no tiene por qué bajar, pero Rockstar necesita, quizá, echar un vistazo a esos mal llamados “clones” y ver si lo que proponen tiene sentido más allá de los coches, las pistolas, los tiroteos y todo lo que hace a ‘GTA’ la franquicia millonaria que es. Es un ejercicio de abandono del ego, pero puede dar lugar a aquello con lo que todos los desarrolladores de videojuegos sueñan: una nueva entrega que sepa a lo mismo de siempre pero tenga las suficientes novedades como para querer volver a pasar por caja otra vez. Y otra. Y otra más.

Could ‘GTA VI’ Learn from ‘Saints Row’ to Revolutionize the Open-World Genre?

A decade after the last installment, gamers may want to try other things.

We may be waiting for ‘Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom’, ‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ or ‘Spider-man 2’ as if we were waiting for May, but we all know which game is going to make headlines from the moment it is officially announced: ‘Grand Theft Auto VI’. After its fifth part sold 175 million copies giving a profit of 6 billion dollars to Rockstar, it seems that the producer is pampering every detail so that no one is left wanting. And yet… a decade after the last installment, gamers may want to try something else.

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The belt

Two years after ‘San Andreas’ revolutionized the industry, ‘Saints Row’ was released as a simple clone. A freehand copy and not with onion paper, but a copy nonetheless. However, it introduced a theme that ‘GTA’ would abandon in its following installments: gang membership. While Rockstar’s saga dealt with the story of a lone wolf in a criminal world (for fun or to save his skin), THQ’s had another approach.

From ‘Saints Row 3’ onwards, things changed a lot. Suddenly, madness, comedy, implausible situations, and a more festive atmosphere exploded. While in ‘GTA V’ we saw a story of dark crime and revenge without redemption (which nobody cared about), in ‘Saints Row IV’ your character, the same as in the previous games, got superpowers, became the president of the United States and had to stop an alien attack. The same thing, come on.

And if that wasn’t enough, ‘Saint Row: Gat out of hell’, its DLC, allowed you to play with two members of the gang as they tried to rescue their boss from Hell after Satan kidnapped him. And mind you, no one is saying that ‘GTA’ has to become an absurdity full of craziness leaving aside its DNA, but, to be honest, over the course of ‘GTA Online‘ it has also changed enough to ask ourselves… Really, what is ‘GTA’?

Does ‘GTA’ have its own personality?

We still know little about ‘GTA VI’, but given the reception of the story mode of the fifth part (spectacular in gameplay, incredible in graphics, disappointing in narrative), which, in fact, has not even released a DLC, it is possible that the team is looking more at what the community does in the online mode to adjust one of the most anticipated games of the decade to the limit.

In other words: neither as serious and demure as usual, nor as comical and crazy as in ‘Saints Row’. The idea of returning to play as a lone wolf, having the possibility of joining a gang, is already repetitive: after all, in Deep Silver’s game, belonging to a group serves to see a real evolution and characters that evolve game by game, creating a connection with the viewer. If they don’t work in a ‘GTA‘, there’s nothing to bring you back to them.

Maybe we shouldn’t abandon the story of the lone criminal taking on the big shots, but we should give it more depth, allow the player to do crazy things if that’s what he wants… Or give him the opportunity to have more contact with other secondary characters. GTA’ paved the way for the triumph of ‘Saints Row’, but now the tables may turn: Rockstar has created two totally different games in one, and returning to the sobriety of its story when they have accustomed the public to the shamelessness of the online mode can be a hard pill to swallow.

Hey, let’s start a band

The road ahead for Rockstar is not easy to follow and is full of bifurcations to understand what its flagship saga really is a decade after its last appearance. Even mythical franchises like ‘Zelda‘ have gradually adapted to people’s tastes to find a new DNA (from dungeon crawling to open world) and constant repetition, no matter how spectacular, is only going to result in, sooner or later, abandonment by gamers.

Everything that goes up doesn’t have to come down, but Rockstar needs, perhaps, to take a look at those misnamed “clones” and see if what they propose makes sense beyond the cars, guns, shootouts and everything that makes ‘GTA’ the million-dollar franchise that it is. It’s an exercise in ego abandonment, but it may lead to what all game developers dream of: a new installment that tastes like the same old thing but has enough new features to make you want to go back to checkout again. And another one. And another one.

GTA Online is finally getting a casino

Gambling minigames are coming to Grand Theft Auto Online!

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Grand Theft Auto Online players have been clamoring for a casino ever since the game hit shelves several years ago. The empty casino building, present in the game since launch, has been taunting players with the promises of high stakes gambling for some time. Now, it appears that the vacant casino is finally about to come to life, with Rockstar teasing the addition of a glitzy and glamorous gambling paradise in a forthcoming update to GTA Online.

GTA Online is finally getting a casino

gta online gambling casino update
Image courtesy Rockstar

In late June, Rockstar took to Twitter to tease the forthcoming Diamond Casino & Resort. According to Rockstar, the casino will be “a brand-new luxury destination and the largest mass entertainment complex of its kind in Southern San Andreas.”

Aside from this tantalizing teaser, Rockstar hasn’t offered much in the way of specifics when it comes to gameplay or actual features. That said, Rockstar is no stranger to gambling minigames. Red Dead Redemption players will know that classic casino staples like Blackjack, Poker, and a variety of dice games are all present in the single-player campaign.

gta online casino teaser
Image courtesy Rockstar

In addition, Red Dead Online recently introduced multiplayer poker tables to the game world. It seems like a safe bet that players will see similar games in Grand Theft Auto’s casino as well. Rockstar has also teased something called “spinning the Lucky Wheel.” While we don’t know exactly what this entails, it seems to indicate a suitably high stakes roulette game. We’re envisioning vast sums of money, cars, and even property as potential prizes.

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Aside from the standard slate of casino games, some data miners have reportedly found hints in the game files that indicate horse racing may also be added in the casino update. That would make sense, as the casino just so happens to be located next to a fully equipped horse racing track. In addition to betting, Rockstar has stated that the casino will include high-end luxury shopping and hotel rooms, valet parking, as well as a selection of bars and lounges. Rockstar seems on track to bring a taste of Vegas directly to the world of GTA Online.

Despite the announcement, much about the casino still remains uncertain. Rockstar has yet to announce an official release date for the update but has stated the casino will open before the summer is over. That’s still quite a large window, as summer doesn’t officially end until Sept. 23. Despite the lack of a release date, data miners have again delved into the game files to find that updates will be slowly rolling out over time:

Interested players should stop by the in-game casino from time to time to watch the progress on the construction as the building nears opening. Based on these hints, it seems likely that the appearance of the building itself will be receiving a massive overhaul.

We also have yet to receive news about any other content included with the update, such as outfits, vehicles, and other casino-themed items. Knowing Rockstar, however, these items will doubtless be coming out alongside the release of the full update. If Rockstar follows the pattern, players can also expect to see cash rewards and other in-game bonuses in the lead-up to the casino’s launch.

GTA Online players can check back with Softonic for more casino news as it gets revealed, as well as other updates on GTA Online and the forthcoming GTA 6.

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