Grand Theft Auto 4 April 29th PS3 & X-Box 360

GTA 4, The Adult Crime Game Kids Love

Get ready: There's a new Grand Theft Auto game about to roll out this week, and we're probably in for a burst of discussion about violent video play.

I've never found it likely that bloody video games cause bad behavior in kids, but then again, I'd also never pass any of my old copies of the games to a child. So I'm a little unsure about how to react to a recent study showing that the game is more popular than any other among 12- to 14-year-old boys.

"GTA IV" is almost inevitably going to be one of the biggest game releases in a year that is already looking like a prosperous one for the industry. Market research firm NPD said that Americans expect to spend less on entertainment this year, yet they're also going to spend more than ever on video games. Video game sales jumped 57 percent in March, compared with the same month last year, according to the firm.

The Grand Theft Auto franchise is practically an industry unto itself. Electronic Arts has attempted a hostile takeover of the game's publisher this year with an offer valued at $2 billion. One analyst has even speculated that the new game could dampen opening weekend ticket sales for "Iron Man," the comic-book-inspired action movie starring Robert Downey Jr. The film premieres a few days after the game's release.

Like its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto IV is rated "M" (for "Mature"), and stores are only allowed to sell it to folks ages 17 and up. The game industry's ratings board has even spelled out the types of content that could make parents squirm. The game, to be released Tuesday for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, hits all the hot buttons: It contains "blood," "intense violence," "partial nudity," "strong language," "strong sexual content" and "use of drugs and alcohol."

The game's developer, Rockstar, has mostly kept quiet about the storylines of its latest game, set in Liberty City, a satirical version of New York City. Previous installments of the best-selling games have all followed the paths of young strivers who go from rags to riches, building careers as gangster kingpins. On the way, there tend to be a few zillion explosions, flattened pedestrians and rival gangs that need to get squeezed out.

If YOU want to get the rest of this story and check out a slide show from the game, go to Mike Musgrove - The Adult Crime Game Kids Love - washingtonpost.com . Can not tell a lie, I will be playing this as soon as I get a free moment. Hey, got to get the tension out somewhere, might as well be on this video game as opposed to being on YOU.


LOL

Game On,

Bobby Sharpe Amazon.com: Dragon: Book of Shang: Books: Bobby Sharpe Dragon, Book of Shang

Question That Needs An Answer

Say hello to my furrie friend

Just wanted to start this post Labor Day week off by wishing everyone a great fall season. Hope your summer was inspiring, productive and, fun. Now it is time to get down to reality and move forward.

Question

While sitting at the breakfast table this past Sunday morning with my wife Mary engaging in a little worldly conversation, this question came to mind. "How come our 17 year old son can go to war, and possibly get killed, in Iraq or Afghanistan, but, he can not get a job as a game tester for video war games etc at Electronic Arts video game company"? He has to be 18 to be a game tester, but, can play real life war games with real weapons and consequences at 17! Excuse me, but, "what kind of American, democratic, political, moralistic, ignorant bullsh_t is that"?

I really would like an intelligent answer to this question. YOU can leave a comment or email me at reggae8@aol.com. Now is a good time to use your "OPYN MINDZ".

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Sony PS 3 Price Drop/Spielberg And Ea Video Games

New PlayStation to Go on Sale in August

Sony Corp. (SNE) (SNE) slashed the price of its current PlayStation 3 by $100, or 16.7 percent, and introduced a high-capacity model in an effort to spur sales of the struggling video game console. Starting Monday, the current 60 gigabyte model will cost $499, down from $599.

The Japanese electronics maker also said it is introducing a new version of the PlayStation 3 with a bigger hard drive for storing downloaded content such as video games and high-definition movies.

The new PS3 increases the system's storage capacity to 80 gigabytes from 60 gigabytes and also includes a retail copy of the online racing title "MotorStorm," a company spokesman said. It will be priced at $599.

The larger capacity machine won't be available in the United States and Canada until August.

Sony should be releasing 100 new video games during the current fiscal year, including 15 titles that are exclusive to the PS3 such as the hack-and-slash action title "Heavenly Sword."

Video Games by Spielberg, EA Detailed
By MATT SLAGLE

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) (ERTS) are releasing a few tidbits about their ongoing collaboration to make three video games, but most details - including the game's titles - remain a secret.

Code-named "LMNO" and "PQRS," the first two games to come from the exclusive relationship will be previewed at this week's E3 Media & Business Summit, which starts Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif.

The "LMNO" game is being created for the Sony Corp. (SNE)'s PlayStation 3, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Xbox 360 and PCs. It will be a "contemporary action adventure" where the player partners with a female character who evolves over time depending on how she interacts with others in the game, said Neil Young, general manager of EA's Los Angeles studio.

"PQRS," which is being developed for Nintendo Co.'s Wii, will have gamers wielding the wireless remote to manipulate blocks in various ways.

Young said to expect much more than a computerized version of Jenga when it's released, sometime in the current fiscal year.

"Of course just playing with blocks does not a game make," he said Monday. "Now imagine there are up to 50 different properties that can be associated with them. They can explode or form a chemical reaction."

Young said Spielberg, known for his roster of films such as "Saving Private Ryan,""Schindler's List,""Raiders of the Lost Ark," and "E.T.," got the idea for the block game after a round of Wii tennis with Nintendo game legend Shigeru Miyamoto during last year's E3.

"He came away just kind of blown away by the visceral nature of the machine," Young said.
Spielberg wasn't available for an interview, but in a prepared statement said he was "a gamer" and has always been intrigued by game development.

"I am truly enjoying the creative collaboration and we hope that gamers will be as excited as we are about what we can bring to the medium through our shared vision," Spielberg said.

There were no details on a third title under Spielberg's long-term exclusive arrangement to develop the games for EA.

Financial terms of the deal announced in 2005 haven't been disclosed. Redwood City, Calif.-based EA, the world's largest game maker with blockbusters such as "Madden NFL" and "The Sims," said it will own the intellectual property behind the Spielberg games and publish them.

Well, here is the latest tech news for all of YOU gamers out there. I am glad Sony dropped the price on the PS 3, however, I am going to wait a bit until they get more games I am interested in. Plus, some more blu-ray dvd's.

If Spielbergs games are as good as some of his movies, they should be a hit.

Peace And Good Gaming,

Bobby Sharpe www.myspace.com/akuasharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Animalz"