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Geek Culture
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Culture
'Grand Theft Auto IV' Remaster Reportedly Hitting The Streets Later This Year
Grand Theft Auto VI might have been delayed to May next year, but new rumours suggest that Rockstar Games is gearing up for a remastered port of 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV , and that it could be released as early as this year. The latest rumours come from known Rockstar insider Tez2, who wrote on the GTA forums that someone at the studio had 'hinted' at a GTA 4 port. 'By now it should've gone up a year in development,' the insider added, 'We may end up seeing it drop later this year.' According to Tez2, the port was one of the reasons why Rockstar took down the Liberty City Preservation Project earlier this year, a fan-made mod which would have added a playable version of GTA 4's map into GTA 5 . The insider also hinted that a port of 2012's Max Payne 3 was also in the works, and would release after the GTA 4 remaster, writing that 'If [Rockstar follows] their plan laid out from the pandemic days, they'll do an MP3 port after IV . So that is an opportunity to do a bundle or a Definitive Edition. Max Payne 1 & 2 remakes, and a Max Payne 3 port.' As always, these rumours should be taken with a pinch of salt, although they do make sense considering Grand Theft Auto IV is set in Liberty City, which is also where Grand Theft Auto VI protagonist Lucia Caminos is from, so releasing a port before release not only serves as a good way to tide fans over while they wait, but also introduce some links between the two games. For now, all fans can do is wait for official confirmation from Rockstar on the rumoured remaster. In the meantime, its next mainline entry, Grand Theft Auto VI , is due out on 26 May 2026 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, and has recently received its second trailer alongside more details on its characters and world. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. Grand Theft Auto Grand Theft Auto IV Rockstar Games
Forbes
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
'Video Games Are The Most Exciting Medium For Storytelling'
Sam Lake always wanted to be a novelist. 'Growing up, the strongest emotions I felt came from reading books' he says. The 55-year-old Finnish games developer is yet to publish a novel; instead he says he's funnelled his passion for literature into the video games he's written, which includes 2001's Max Payne and 2023's Alan Wake II. Lake is seated at a desk in front of a large plaque that reads 'federal bureau of control'. It's a nod to a fictional agency in another game he's penned, the 2019 twisted romp, Control. Draped across the background is a set of deep maroon curtains that instantly makes me think of the nightmarish red room in Twin Peaks. It's no coincidence as Lake cites the TV show and its creator, David Lynch as an inspiration. But it's literature that he speaks most enthusiastically about when I sit down with him over Zoom. He names authors like Paul Auster, Thomas Pynchon and Bret Easton Ellis before talking about comic books and hard-boiled crime fiction. 'I can see all of them echoing around in the stories I love writing' he explains. Sam Lake FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder At the age of 12, Lake read The Lord of the Rings for the first time and it kickstarted a binge of J.R.R Tolkien's other works. He then advanced onto tales of Norse mythology and poetry. 'Books were my first love and they've always been a part of a toolbox for me to draw [inspiration] He's not alone as there's an ongoing trend in video games where developers are taking their influences from literature and folklore. Take a look at some of the titles nominated for the best narrative award at BAFTA's upcoming Games Awards ceremony - Black Myth: Wukong adapted the 16th century Chinese novel, Journey to the West while Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is entrenched in Icelandic mythology. Last year's recipient of the award, Baldur's Gate 3 (which pipped Alan Wake II to the gong) takes its world and gameplay mechanics from the pages of a Dungeons and Dragons rulebook. Of course, this isn't a nascent thing, but it's the complexity of the stories in those games that really highlights just how far gaming has come since Pong and Space Invaders. Games are no longer just considered entertainment and they frequently tackle complex subjects, whether that be trauma in The Last of Us or fatherhood in God of War. God of War 2018 is about the relationship between Kratos and his son, Atreus. Across his career which has spanned almost 30 years, Lake has seen a shift in how developers approach storytelling. He uses his own games as an example, labelling 2010's Alan Wake as pulpy and cartoonish compared to its more sophisticated sequel which came out 13 years later. 'The ambition has matured through the years and [gaming] has become a more serious art form' he adds before telling me that the concepts in Alan Wake II wouldn't have been possible a decade earlier. The game follows a troubled writer and an FBI agent and it mixes traditional animation with live-action sequences to tell its mind-bending story. Separately, I spoke with the director of Metaphor: ReFantazio, Katsura Hashino, who says that it is advances in technology that has allowed video games to create more detailed worlds and subsequently, more realistic narrative themes. 'As technology has evolved, games have grown tremendously as a means of expression. We have a greater means to express the subtle nuances of a character's emotions or the ambiguous complexities between good and evil' he explains. Hashino's sprawling role-playing game, which has also been nominated for the best narrative award at Tuesday's Bafta event, tackles social class and anxiety. He says that the interactivity offered by gaming makes a difference to how stories are presented. 'Compared to literature and movies, video games allow players to enter another world. The sense of being fully immersed is unique to games. Playing a game is an intuitive experience. To pull the player into that world completely, I think it is more effective to provide an experience that mirrors real life, as opposed to telling them a story.' he adds. It's a sentiment that Lake previously voiced too. 'Gaming is the most exciting medium to tell a story in, just because there's more freedom to invent. Many older forms of storytelling have a format that isn't challenged. With games, there's room for exploration and innovation' he says.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
2025 Game Developers Choice Awards Honors Iconic Writer/Director Sam Lake With Lifetime Achievement Award and Innovative Designer Lucas Pope With Pioneer Award
SAN FRANCISCO, February 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Organizers of the 25th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), the premier accolades for peer recognition in the digital games industry, have revealed the recipients of two of the award show's most prestigious awards. This year, the international game development community will honor Sam Lake, writer for games such as Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Lucas Pope, the renowned mentor, designer and developer who has worked at major game companies for over 20 years in the industry, will be recognized with the Pioneer Award for his outstanding contributions to the industry. The Pioneer Award is given to key individuals who elevate video games and the industry as a whole, including 2023's recipient Mabel Addis, the first female game designer, and other industry icons including Jordan Mechner, Gabe Newell, Alexey Pajitnov and many others. Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Sam Lake is a respected writer and director in the video game industry, acting as a key creative force in dreaming up Remedy's acclaimed games and stories in Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break and Control; the protagonist of the Max Payne series was famously designed with his likeness in mind. Lake is renowned for his deep, layered storytelling and ability to meld together different mediums to create unique interactive experiences. Most recently, he was the co-director and lead writer of Alan Wake 2, which won over 200 industry awards—including Best Game Direction and Best Narrative at The Game Awards, along with Best Visual Art at the 2024 Game Developers Choice Awards. Lake was also a BAFTA nominee for Narrative and Performer in a Supporting Role in Alan Wake 2. In 2023 and 2024, Lake was included in the Variety500 list of the most influential people shaping the global media industry and received The Develop:Star Award for Best Creative Lead and Gamesbeat Visionary Award. He also recently received the prestigious Andrew Yoon Legend Award at the New York Game Awards in January 2025. Lucas Pope, recipient of this year's Pioneer Award, is an independent game developer experimenting with the interactions of mechanics, narrative, and art. Starting with hobbyist development on the Mac Plus, he found his interests in music, engineering, art, and problem-solving perfectly reflected in the toil of creating games. Stumbling through 30 years of indie, serious, AAA and mobile titles, he has tried to make things that others don't, exploring new genres and new ways of telling interesting stories. He is most well known as the creator of Papers, Please and Return of the Obra Dinn, both of which are known for their innovative approach to storytelling and immersive gameplay. Papers, Please was highly lauded across the board, winning the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at the Independent Games Festival (IGF) along with several trophies at the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014, along with a BAFTA Games Award for Best Strategy and Simulation Game. Return of the Obra Dinn was also heavily praised by critics, again winning Pope the Seumas McNally Grand Prize at IGF Awards, along with several trophies from the Game Developers Choice Awards, Peabody Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards and BAFTA Games Awards. "The Game Developers Choice Awards has a proud legacy of shining the spotlight on figures who make gaming the most gripping and evocative method of storytelling," said Stephenie Hawkins, GDC's Event Director. "We're excited to recognize Sam Lake and Lucas Pope for their commitment to pushing the boundaries of the medium through transcendent narrative structures, complex moral questions and evocative gameplay." The 25th annual GDCA awards ceremony will take place during the 2025 Game Developers Conference (GDC) on Wednesday, March 19, and will be held immediately after the Independent Game Festival (IGF) awards. Recipients of the Lifetime Achievement and Pioneer Award were chosen by this year's Game Developers Choice Editorial Committee, following suggestions from the International Choice Awards Network (ICAN). All GDC 2025 pass-holders will be able to watch both award ceremonies in person at San Francisco's Moscone Convention Center. The GDCA and IGF award shows will also be live-streamed on the official GDC Twitch channel. For more information about the 25th annual Game Developers Choice Awards, visit: For more details on the Game Developers Conference, please visit the GDC's official website, or subscribe to regular updates via Facebook, X or Bluesky. Official photos are available via the Official GDC Flickr account: About GDC The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world's largest professional game industry event with market-defining content for programmers, artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers, and others involved in the development of interactive games and immersive experiences. GDC brings together the global game development community year-round through events and digital media, including the GDC Vault, Independent Games Festival, and the Game Developers Choice Awards. GDC is organized by Informa PLC, a leading B2B information services group and the largest B2B Events organizer in the world. 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