With every passing trailer, Rockstar’s next installment in the lucrative Grand Theft Auto franchise looks better and better. This brand spankin’ new clip clocks in at a lengthy 3:53 and is organized by playable protagonist. There’s rich but miserable Michael, caught up in the hood Franklin, and hillbilly Trevor. GTA V releases for Xbox 360 and PS3 on September 17; preorder today.
Here it is, the first look at Rockstar’s latest project, Grand Theft Auto V. We’ve all been anticipating this since the video game developer hinted at its arrival in the form of an image. Check it out above, then read on.
In an official press release, it is confirmed that Grand Theft Auto V is currently in full development and Rockstar North– GTA series creator–is leading the charge. The game will take place in the fictional “city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created.” Rockstar is keeping mum about the game’s plot. The PR only goes so far in saying this: “A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present-day Southern California.” Rockstar Games founder Sam Houser adds, “Grand Theft Auto V is another radical reinvention of the Grand Theft Auto universe. We are incredibly excited to share our new vision with our fans.”
After watching the trailer there are a couple things we can speculate. First, it would make sense that the narrator is the protagonist of the game and what we know is that he is a father in pursuit of a better life; he wants to be “a good guy for once, a family man.” Now even though the trailer features one narrator, it does jump around between various characters. Whether or not this means the game will have players jumping in and out of the shoes of more than one character is still up in the air. But it’s certainly fun to speculate. Mission-based gameplay is expected, while multiplayer co-op is on every one’s wish list. A release date has not been set, but I’d say it’s safe to assume a holiday 2012 launch. Once again, stay tuned.
Today Rockstar Games uploaded this image to their official website. The next Grand Theft Auto is coming, and we’ll be able to preview the all-new open-world game in the successful, long-running franchise on November 2; according to that image a trailer will drop that day. Stay tuned.
Rockstar is currently developing “a dark and violent detective thriller” video game set in the 1940s called L.A. Noire. In addition to using motion-capture suits, the developers are utilizing a new kind of facial capture technology called MotionScan. The suits capture character movements, and the MotionScan data “provides an unprecedented level of realism, detail, and emotion” to their facial expressions and reactions. The game actors sit in a room surrounded by many cameras; they are dressed up for the part and speak their lines aloud as the cameras captured their facial movements from every angle imaginable. All of this gets converted digitally and the result is a high resolution 3D model of the actor’s head. Said result is impressively realistic and promises to make it easier to discern when an in-game character is lying; a major theme of the game is to detect when people are lying. L.A. Noire is due out for Xbox 360 and PS3 next year. For now, take a look at how the MotionScan tech creates the 3D models in the video above; this will certainly change the way games are made in the foreseeable future.
Did you catch Fringe‘s John Noble make an appearance in the clip? Get a closer look at the man and his 3D composite after the break.
A few months ago Intel created an ad campaign highlighting who they deem are “rockstars.” One of these commericals highlighted Ajay Bhatt, the co-inventor of the USB port. After some investigating, the crew at The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien found out that the Bhatt in the Intel commercial was not Bhatt but an look-alike actor. So, Conan decided to sit down with Bhatt in what turns out to be an informative and obviously comical interview. The clip shows the original Intel ad…and at the end of the clip, Conan reveals a new one, this time featuring Bhatt himself. Worth the watch, enjoy!
