Can't get enough of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories goodies? Well, today's your lucky day, as we've got another load of GTA:VCS screenshots for you.

In this game, you get to play as Victor Vance, a 28 year-old US Marine, Lance Vance's brother. Get to swim, ride jet skis, fly helicopters and much more. Players could also expect more life-like animations as well as all new vehicles and weapons. This game by Rockstar will be released on October 17 in the US, and October 20 in Europe.

Now, where were we? Oh yeah, screenshots. So without further ado, here they are!

More info about Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories have emerged as the latest issue of Games magazine went on sale on stands recently. The latest issue came with some new info and screens, some of which we already featured here at QJ. Here are some of the small details divulged in the magazine:

• The game features a new rocket launcher
• Improved physics, prettier skylines, and far more dynamic lighting
• The sea plane returns to Vice City
• Time-contextual NPC behaviour (party-goers at night, bums at 5am etc.)
• Phil Cassidy can be seen during a loading screen, thus meaning he's back!
• When playing the game, they flew over Diaz's Mansion, the mall, and the Malibu Club
• Character models is sharper than that of GTA: Vice City
• Pop up is minimal, although still very apparent
• As said before, missions will no longer be ''point-to-point A-to-B'' drives
• Jet ski's handle completely different to the boats of the GTA series
• Water is more realistic, and is something that R* wants to take advantage off

 

Also the magazine also mentioned that the only confirmed cast member is Philip Michael Thomas - the voice of Lance Vance. Now Here are more of the game's screens and scans, click on the thumbnails for a better look.

 

 

On a more personal note, we would like to thank Adriaan for the heads-up!

Here's a friendly reminder: GTA:VCS is out October 17 in the USA and October 20 in Europe.

And as the release date comes closer, there are more and more PS2-diehards wondering if it will also be released for the PS2.  Sorry, GTA:VCS is coming out only for the PSP. But come on! Yes, the PS2 fans have a point: a big game deserves to be on a "bigger" platform like a PS2. But the PSP makes it GTA-on-the-go! And the story, gameplay, and mood have not been sacrificed -- they've only been made portable (just as portable as the Vice City toys)!

If you're a GTA fan and still don't have a PSP, you better start saving up. As more trailers, scans, and screen shots come out closer to the release date, you might just cave in and get a PSP!

I mentioned mood. Yes, the GTA games just ooze mood and atmosphere, and with this one... well, I just have to say that it's a visually good-looking game. I mean, the colors and style of this GTA installment just make every scene look so humid and sweaty. Hahaha! I wonder if the timing of the development and release of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories has anything to do with that movie "Miami Vice" coming out (almost as if you have to put on sunblock to play the thing or else you'll get skin cancer).

While we're waiting for the first "official trailer" of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (it might not be released for a couple of weeks - just wait for it), here are a few screenshots to get you through this tough time of waiting.

Click on the thumbnails for the bigger (clearer) versions.

Sure, you have heard that GTA: Vice City Stories for the PSP, the latest in the ever-popular series by Rockstar Games, is coming soon, but have you heard about the limited edition figurines? If not, then you will be pleased to know that Rockstar Games, in conjunction with Medicom Toy Corporation, will release a limited set (only 3000) of Kubricks this fall 2006.

The line has been in development for two years now, and each figure (including Tommy Vercetti, Lance Vance, Ricardo Diaz, Candi Suxx, and Ken Rosenberg) has been lavishly detailed on their real-life game counterparts.

The sets will be sold exclusively through Toy Tokyo and Rockstar Games, and is available now for pre-order for US$34.99

More information has emerged today on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the 'next generation' GTA title for the PSP in development by publisher Rockstar Games. 2 whole new screenshots along information on the cars and the control system has been revealed in a preview published in the UK Official Playstation Magazine. Now not all of this is completely new, as some of it would have been covered in Gamepro's preview, but some the new info awaits after the jump!

Like what our Gramps used to say, "When you're way up, there's nowhere to go but down; and those below have a knack for aiming at those who are on top." Such is the case with Rockstar. After achieving unprecedented success with its Grand Theft Auto franchise, it has been receiving blows from all directions in the form of lawsuits. It's sometimes hard to imagine how they still find time to develop games with all these distractions.

Well, Rockstar may have just gotten a huge break as a US district judge ruled on their favor regarding the complaint filed by a Los Angeles strip club. The complaint says that Rockstar Games breached copyright by designing a similar-looking virtual strip club for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

April of last year, The Play Pen club owner E.S.S. Entertainment filed a lawsuit against GTA creator Rockstar. The suit accused the said game developers of trademark infringement; a strip club in the game carried the name The Pig Pen and allegedly has a similar logo, awning, and 'Totally nude' advertising slogan.

While Rockstar admitted that their artist produced most of the game scenes inspired with photographs of actual spots on Los Angeles, including the Play Pen, they argued that they "changed the names, building designs and overall look and feel of the locations... To make them fit the virtual, cartoon-style world of San Andreas and the series' irreverent tone." To further cement their defense, Rockstar likened their situation with that of MCA Records who also got the "not guilty" verdict after being accused of the same violation with the song Barbie Girl. They got cleared with the judge saying trademark rights "do not entitle the owner to quash an unauthorised use of the mark by another who is communicating ideas or expressing points of view."

After reviewing all the evidences, Judge Margaret Morrow sided with Rockstar ruling that their "use of the Play Pen trade dress and trademark bears some artistic relevance to the game, and does not explicitly mislead consumers as to the source or content of the game."

That could finally settle the issues surrounding GTA: San Andreas, especially that it came after the ruling by FTC over the Hot Coffee scandal. Well Rockstar may have just weathered a storm but things aren't likely to stay this good for long with the controversy magnet company set to release another game - the alleged violent, school-based Bully,  before the end of the year. Let the stone hurling begin.

I bet you guys have been waiting for news about the eagerly anticipated Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, and why not? The first game on the PSP was one of the best-selling titles, and knowing Rockstar, it would be foolish to expect anything but greatness. Well, we've got some news and info which you guys might be happy to look at. All these details were published in Gamepro, an Australian gaming mag. Firstly, here are the screenshots I'm talking about.

• You'll be playing as Victor Vance - Lance's brother.
• Victor, and his brother Lance, will be playing a big part in Vice City Stories. He's seen in the opening scene of GTA: Vice City, as he get killed by a SWAT team.
• The game takes place in 1984 - two years before GTA: Vice City
• Victor is a 28 year-old US Marine
• Players can now take on the water of Vice City With jet ski's!
• The animations are more life-like and is a ''step-up from previous titles in the series''
• A multiplayer feature similar to the PSP version of LCS is in the game
• VCS is ''much, much bigger than Vice City''
• Some landmarks are half-built or yet to be refurbished to their state circa 1986
• There's new or altered locations and buildings
• All new vehicles and weapons
• You can fly helicopters!
• Radio stations from Vice City make a return
• New weather effects that could include hurricanes
• You can swim in the game!
• Bikes handle better than before
• There's also no more seamless exterior-to-interior gameplay as seen in LCS (There'll be a slight loading time)
• A new addition in Vice City is the chunder-wheel, which you can ride in first-person view!
• Binoculars is in the game
• LCS is ''rookie first-gen PSP title compared to VCS''
• Draw distance is great and is said to be better than Vice City on PS2
• Trip skips make a return (If you die or get busted a taxi will take you back to the location where you received the mission from)
• New animations which give both the lead characters and pedestrians a whole new degree of humanity
• Far richer color palette that brings sunsets to all new levels of beauty, and realism
• Increased density of pedestrians, cars and objects
• Reduction in clumping (where groups of the same model type appear together)
• Far more interiors that its predecessors
• So far there's no word on character and vehicle customization, as well as wall climbing.

All the screenshots and scans after the jump!

Rockstar Leeds have just released the box art for their second PSP GTA title Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. Now usually a bit of box art wouldn't be that interesting, but Vice City Stories is the PSP sequel to the best selling PSP title in the world, GTA: Liberty City Stories. One thing I picked up straight away is the helicopter on the box art that could be hinting at the ability to fly helicopters in this, GTA's second outing on the PSP. After all, Vice City was the first GTA title to have flyable helicopters in, and we all know how Rockstar love a bit of irony.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories will be available exclusively for the PSP in North America on October 17th, 2006 and Europe on October 20th, 2006 for a recommended price of $49.99. In this title we can expect the best of the best in free roaming gameplay and if it's anything like its older brother, Vice City for the PS2, the storyline and missions will blow your heads socks off. The glorious Vice City in mobile format will grace your hands in just a few months time - if you can wait that long. Our advice on this title? Pre-order it whilst you can. Click on the thumbnail for the full hi-res image!

Visit: [Vice City Stories Website]

Digg it!

The Federal Trade Commission decided against imposing fines or taking other punitive actions against Take Two Interactive and Rockstar games after an exhaustive investigation into the "hot coffee" mod led to a settlement agreement between the FTC and Take Two instead of further charges.

The new agreement requires the two companies to "establish, implement and maintain a comprehensive system reasonably designed to ensure that all content in an electronic game is considered and reviewed in preparing submissions to a rating authority."

The agreement also states that Rockstar and Take Two must clearly disclose all pertinent ratings information about a game on the outside of the game's packaging. In the event that Rockstar or Take Two fails to meet the conditions they agreed to in the settlement with the FTC, they will be fined $11,000 per incident.

Maybe this situation has something to do with Rockstar Games' decision to release a ping- pong (or table tennis) game instead of yet another mega-popular violent shoot 'em up! All jokes aside, both sides seem to want to claim victory in the case and both sides seem ready to move on with their lives.

The ruling was followed by a 30 day period where politicians and the public alike voiced their disapproval about the agreement. Now that the debate is over and the settlement has been ratified, it is unlikely that Rockstar or Take Two will ever face any further prosecution over the hot coffee issue.

Rockstar Games and its parent company Take-Two Interactive are taking turns getting the heat from the Federal Trade Commission, Roger Hill, the New York County District Attorney, and the unhappy investors club. In light of the "Hot Coffee" scandal, grand jury subpoenas, Rockstar Vienna and Indie Built closure, and a stock free-fall, Rockstar Games employees are quickly jumping ship. Though this is not an unusual occurrence, especially when the videogame industry is in a difficult console transition stage, it becomes apparent that Rockstar employees just had enough of the controversies surrounding Rockstar Games. Of course, one might argue that the employee exodus may just be an effect of a massive cost-cutting measures by Take-Two. Who's buying that? Apparently, Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities does:

Whether or not there is really an employee exodus is hard to say since we're not privy to everything that goes on at the company. It could be viewed as employees jumping off a "sinking ship," but it's also possible that much of this stems from cost cutting measures in a tough year.

"Part of this is actually good, because if it shows you that they're getting more financial discipline by eliminating redundant positions... To me marketing should be more central and not pushed out to the individual studio. You want an overall marketing strategy to brand all Rockstar product... so maybe this is just better discipline.

Over the past six to 12 months, 10 people have left Rockstar: VP of Development, (2) Director of Marketing, Director of Development, Director of PR, Sr. PR Manager, Sr. Product Mgr, Sr. Web Designer, PR Manager, and PR.

What does this tell us? There may be some internal discord within Rockstar that are kept hidden in the public eye. But as GameDaily Biz puts it, "is it merely a coincidence that these people have left when there's been so much turmoil at Rockstar and Take-Two? Certainly, when Jamie King (a Rockstar co-founder), two different directors of marketing, and others all leave within the same period that the parent company's stock is in a freefall, it smells fishy."