Is the PlayStation 3 better than Xbox 360? as Rockstar say Xbox 360 is limiting GTA IV

Lack of Blu-ray and guaranteed hard drive creating limitations for the next-gen crime opus, acknowledges Rockstar

The Xbox 360's lack of a guaranteed hard disk is creating limitations in Grand Theft Auto IV's development, Rockstar has acknowledged.

During an interview with our partners in crime at Official PlayStation Magazine, Rockstar's creative vice president Dan Houser was asked: "On PS3 you've got a guarantee that every machine is going to have a hard-drive and, with Blu-ray, you've got plenty of storage, whereas on Xbox 360 there's no guarantee of a hard-drive and you're working with the DVD format. Does that create limitations?" To which he replied, "Yep."

He continued, "To be honest with you we haven't solved all those riddles yet." The difficulties aren't limited to working on Microsoft's box, as Houser explains that "both have enormous challenges" and that "both have their own particular pleasures and pains".

Rockstar hasn't said anything about a target SKU between the two consoles, but they're currently demoing the game to press running on an Xbox 360 - so we wouldn't worry too much if you've only got Microsoft's console. Look for more on GTA IV in the next few weeks.

Source: CVG

Rockstar announce Agent exclusive game for PlayStation 3

Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, announce Agent.

Developed by the people behind Grand Theft Auto, Rockstar North, Agent will be available exclusively for the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system.

"We have always enjoyed making action games, and with Agent we are making what we believe will be the ultimate action game," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "Agent is a game we have wanted to make for a long time. The team in Edinburgh is doing an amazing job combining intense action, atmosphere and story in a great period setting to create something that feels quite unique. We cannot wait for people to experience this game."

Agent takes players on a paranoid journey into the world of counter-intelligence, espionage and political assassinations during the height of the Cold War at the end of the 1970s.

Have Rockstar censored Grand Theft Auto IV - The Lost and Damned?

Rockstar has offered Eurogamer no comment on the apparent censoring of Grand Theft Auto IV after the release of The Lost and Damned.

European gamers noticed, after an update was applied, that pools of blood no longer formed under bullet-riddled corpses and red mist no longer sprayed as bullets found their mark. YouTube has a before-and-after video comparison to illustrate all this.

Also, the update appears to have limited the camera angles used when you frolic with prostitutes.

Meanwhile, over in previously censored Australia, the exact opposite has been happening: blood now flows freely and prostitution can be seen clearly.

We suspect there's been some sort of mix up, but neither Rockstar nor Microsoft has held their hands up.

Red Dead Redemption - Xbox 360 and PS 3 video game out in the fall

Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two, is proud to announce that Red Dead Redemption is scheduled for a fall 2009 release on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system. Developed by Rockstar San Diego, as a follow up to the 2004 hit game, Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. The story of former outlaw, John Marston, Red Dead Redemption takes players on a great adventure across the American frontier.

"The team at San Diego have massively exceeded our expectations with the sheer depth of experiences in Red Dead Redemption," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "The seamless combination of breathtaking beauty and intense action, all woven together with strong plotlines in a massive vibrant, rural environment is mind-blowing. We think this game helps to push the limits of what an open-world gaming experience can be."

Utilizing Rockstar's proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), Red Dead Redemption features an open-world environment for players to explore, including frontier towns, rolling prairies teeming with wildlife, and perilous mountain passes - each packed with an endless flow of varied distractions. Along the way, players will experience the heat of gunfights and battles, meet a host of unique characters, struggle against the harshness of one of the world's last remaining wildernesses, and ultimately pick their own precarious path through an epic story about the death of the Wild West and the gunslingers that inhabited it.

Red Dead Redemption will be available in fall 2009 for the Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION 3 consoles.

Midnight Club: Los Angeles Official World Championship Series Begins

Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, announce that eligible gamers across the globe will now have the chance to battle for supremacy in the Midnight Club: Los Angeles Official World Championship Series. Hosted on the Rockstar Games Social Club, tournaments will take place monthly during 2009 and feature prizes such as Rockstar Games gift certificates and rewards from Rockstar Games partners, including a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle and a year of free pizza from Pizza Hut.

The Rockstar Social Club is the central hub for all tournaments, as well as Rate My Ride, the unlockable Audi R8, and numerous community features for Midnight Club: Los Angeles. Details on all Rockstar Social Club events are available here...

From now until February 6th, players of Midnight Club: Los Angeles on both the PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system can sign up for the very first tournament, the Rockstar Games Starter Cup, via the Rockstar Social Club for a chance at a $500 Rockstar Warehouse grand prize shopping spree. Worldwide time trials followed by head-to-head championship races will determine the ultimate grand prize winner. The Rockstar Games Starter Cup winner will be crowned in the finals on February 13th. Time trials will kick off in the scenic Midnight Club: Los Angeles race Sand and Surf, with the final battle taking place across a series of different courses.

For more information, log on here.

Contests are void in certain countries and where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Eligibility limited by age and location of players. See http://socialclub.rockstargames.com/events/ for complete official rules and eligibility details.

RockStar 09 open for entries

Major Major are likely to remember the day they filled in the application form for RockStar 08. Since winning the competition back in September they've supported Franz Ferdinand and the Ting Tings in front of 4,000 people at the legendary Pilton Equinox Party, spent time recording at Peter Gabriel's renowned Real World Studios and seen their name up in lights as the first confirmed act for Glastonbury 2009.

Next year RockStar 09 will offer these incredible opportunities to another group of unsigned artists and bands. They'll pit themselves against each other in a bid to impress some of the most influential people in the music industry. Of course, they'll hope to emulate last year's talented four-piece from Liverpool.

Conor Clarke, Major Major's front man, said: “It's amazing to be the first band confirmed for Glastonbury next year. The RockStar gigs were immense and the competition has, put simply, changed our lives - there's absolutely no question of that.”

RockStar 09 is open to any and all unsigned bands/performers and will take place in the legendary village of Pilton, the home of the festival and the spiritual home of many of the greatest music legends.
It all kicks off after 24 bands have been selected by an experienced panel of judges to take part in the live heats.

These heats will take place over four shows in May 2009 (15th & 16th and 29th & 30th May) at Pilton Working Men's Club where the bands will compete to try and impress the judges to get through to the live final on the 1st of August 2009.

The RockStar 09 winner will be the first confirmed act for Glastonbury 2010. They'll also get to spend valuable recording time at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios, as well as play a full set at Michael Eavis' Pilton Equinox party on 19th September 2009 where several thousand dedicated music fans party the night away at his home, Worthy Farm.

A spokesperson for Real World studios added: “We are eager to hear and see some of the undiscovered rock talent the UK has to offer in 2009. We were thrilled to be so heavily involved in RockStar 08, the standard of the finalists was phenomenal, and this year? …Well, let's just say we're all very excited!”

The competition is open to all, bands, solo artists, young and old, the only criteria is to be unsigned. Entries must be in before the closing date on 1st of March 2009.
To enter bands and artists must download and complete the entry form, available at http://www.rockstarbands.co.uk/5/09news.html and send a clear recording, of no less than 2 tracks, of themselves/their band playing to:

RockStar 08, PO Box 4249, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8UU.
Further information and terms and conditions can also be found on the PDF form or you can email info@rockstarbands.com with any additional questions.

Rockstars livin' on a prayer for a set at Glastonbury 09

Six unsigned bands face-off in the Rockstar 08 final at the Pilton Party for the ultimate prize.

The chance to play a set at Glastonbury ‘09 is now a life-changing performance away for each of the six bands left in this year’s Rockstar talent search competition.

RockStar 08 swaps one famous Pilton venue for another, as the Working Men’s Club heats give way to the finals on Friday September 5th at the Pilton Village Party, held at Michael Eavis’ Home Farm. A big year for Scouting for Girls continues, as they play live at the event in front of 1200 music fans.

Finalists 13D (Reading), Dead Like Harry (Sheffield), Major Major (Liverpool), Sound of Guns (Liverpool), local(‘ish) group Urusen (Bath) and The Velcros (Hertfordshire) will all face each other in a ‘battle of the bands’ encounter on the night, for a chance to win a dream prize. The winning band, will play live sets at the Pilton Equinox Party on 19th September, followed by a once in a lifetime performance on stage at the biggest UK festival, Glastonbury 09. Prior to that, the winners will also spend time recording at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Recording Studios.

The Pilton Party doors will open at 6.00pm, with all the rockstar hopefuls making their appearances from 7.00pm onwards. UK’s number one band, Scouting for Girls, are scheduled to hit the stage around 10.30pm for their own live performance.

Headliners Scouting for Girls - Roy Stride, Greg Churchouse and Peter Ellard - might just find there’s a whiff of deja vu about the whole competition. A Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition gave them their first ever gig in 2005. Their debut single, It's Not About You became the highest-charting limited edition EP in history; followed by their debut album reaching number one earlier this year, which later went platinum.

RockStar 08 certainly has the potential to do something similar for the eventual winner of Friday’s final.

Crime could pay for Grand Theft Auto IV

CONTROVERSIAL video game Grand Theft Auto IV has been nominated for a top award at the Edinburgh Interactive Entertainment Festival.
The game, created by Edinburgh-based company Rockstar North, is the latest in the long-running franchise which sees gamers given the chance to run around lavishly-created virtual cities carrying out all manner of criminal activities.

This latest instalment has earned a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours.

In its first day on release the game sold 3.6 million copies and earned more than £150 million.

At the Edinburgh awards, established to recognise innovation and design in video games, it will be up against the revolutionary Wii Fit, the incredibly popular Rock Band game and best-selling Halo 3.

The winner of the Edge Award will be announced on Monday, August 11

Source: The Scotsman

Rock band adds special Crüefest pack featuring Mötley Crüe, Papa Roach and Trapt to catalog of downloadable content

Also available is a free track from Vesuvius, featured in the upcoming Rainn Wilson comedy, the rocker.

To celebrate Crüefest, one of this summer’s hottest concert packages, MTV Games and Harmonix announced today that a special collection of tracks from some of the tour’s heaviest hitters has been added to the Rock Band™ catalog of downloadable content. Songs from mega-platinum legends Mötley Crüe (“Down At The Whisky”), Grammy nominees Papa Roach (“Time Is Running Out”) and hard rockers Trapt (“Who’s Going Home With You Tonight”) will be available for a limited time at a special price of 99¢ per track or 80 Microsoft Points from Xbox LIVE® Marketplace for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The tracks will be available July 1st, coinciding with the same day launch of the Crüefest in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Rock Band is also teaming up with Crüefest for the length of the tour, with Rock Band competitions taking place in every market. Fans and players can hit the Rock Band Second Stage Experience and compete for the chance to play the game onstage as opening acts of the headliners, win backstage passes to the Rock Band VIP area, score a meet and greet with all the artists on the tour and play Rock Band backstage with Crüefest artists.

Also available for download is “Promised Land” from fictitious hair metal band Vesuvius, featured in the upcoming Fox comedy The Rocker, featuring Rainn Wilson. In the film, Wilson plays Robert "Fish" Fishman, the drummer for ‘80s hair band Vesuvius. He lives the rock n' roll dream...until he gets kicked out of the group. Twenty years later, the desperate rocker joins his nephew's band, "A.D.D.," finally reclaiming the rock-god throne he's always thought he deserved—while taking his much younger bandmates along for the ride of their lives.

Each of the Crüefest tracks will be available for 99¢ per track (80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) or $2.99 (240 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the entire collection of tracks. “Promised Land” will be available for free.

Release date: Tuesday, July 1, 2008 (Xbox LIVE Marketplace)
Thursday, July 3, 2008 (PLAYSTATION Store)

Tracks: Crüefest Pack:

“Down At The Whisky” – Mötley Crüe
“Time Is Running Out” – Papa Roach
“Who’s Going Home With You Tonight” – Trapt

“Promised Land” - Vesuvius

(All tracks utilize the original master recordings)

Price: Crüefest Pack:
$2.99 (240 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) for the entire collection of tracks or
99¢ (80 Microsoft Points for Xbox 360) per track

“Promised Land” – Free!

Locations: Xbox LIVE Marketplace for Xbox 360 and PLAYSTATION Network

- Dates for Rock Band game tracks are tentative and subject to change -

Rockstar 08 to offer unsigned talent a chance to record an album

Organisers of the first annual rockstar competition supported by michael eavis, peter gabriel's real world studios and scouting for girls have made entering the competition a must for budding musical talent by also offering the opportunity to win a recording session to produce a debut album.

RockStar 08, the national live music competition to discover the UK brightest unsigned musical talent, today announced a staggering bonus for the winner of the competition – a further chance to win an additional two weeks to record a debut album in Real World Studios.

The competition, which is open to any unsigned band or artist, has already been dubbed a must enter competition for any budding musician, with the prize offering a live set at Glastonbury 2009 festival, and a live set at Michael Eavis’ own famed Pilton Party and a two day recording session at the world famous Real World Studios. But now organisers have upped the stakes by offering the winner of this competition the chance to also qualify for a further two week recording session to record a debut album.

Real World Studios boasts a line up of huge bands and artists who have recorded there, including Massive Attack, Goldfrapp, Manic Street Preachers, New Order, Paul Simon, Stereophonics and Robbie Williams.

Budding music stars and bands hoping for their big break need to visit the official website (www.rockstarbands.co.uk), download and complete the entry form and return it to the competition return address before June 19th 2008 to ensure their entry is received and ready to be judged.

RockStar 08 open to everyone, young old, groups or soloists, with the only stipulation being that any entrant must be unsigned and ready to lay everything on the line in the pursuit for ultimate victory.

BradyGames Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series Guide on sale

Strategy guide publisher, BradyGames unleashes its most ambitious game guide to date – the official strategy guide to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV

Official strategy guide expert, BradyGames, has launched its highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series guide – the only official guide to the year’s biggest game, out now for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Created in conjunction with developer Rockstar Games, Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series guide weighs in at 288 pages, features an exclusive double-sided foldout map and poster, and goes on sale with an RRP of £12.99.

Liberty City is a living, breathing metropolis full-to-bursting with thrilling places to check out, characters to meet, lucrative opportunities to discover, and secrets to unearth—and Brady’s guide is the only official and comprehensive source of information that will help gamers take advantage of everything that the most anticipated game of the year has to offer, including detailed instructions for completing 100% of the game and chalking up all 50 Xbox 360 Achievements. Packed full of over 1000 screenshots and illustrations, BradyGames’ Grand Theft Auto IV Signature Series guide provides players with game-play basics, a full single-player walkthrough, complete vehicle and weapon listings, 30+ pages of maps and exclusive multiplayer strategy.

Contents include:

- Comprehensive guide to completing 100% of the game, featuring coverage of all Missions—including Vigilante, Car Thefts, and Most Wanted—plus Friendships, Random Characters, and more!

- Detailed maps pinpointing locations for weapon, armour, and health pick-ups

- Locations of every “Hidden Package” and Unique Stunt Jump in the game, complete with descriptions and screenshots showing their exact locations

- Detailed descriptions and battle-tested tactics for each Multiplayer mode

- Maps, walkthroughs and strategy for all main story missions

- Pick-ups, collectibles, and places of interest—everything you need and everywhere you need to be in a dedicated section

Whether gamers need a little nudge to get them through a particularly tough mission or fully illustrated guidance on achieving 100% completion—and winning renown on the recently announced online leaderboard, Rockstar Social Club—this invaluable tome is the best and only source available anywhere.

Brian Saliba from BradyGames UK, said: “The game is sure to set new industry standards for immersive gameplay and multiplayer entertainment. And while all kinds of tips and advice will be popping up online in the coming weeks, this book is the only guide that was developed in conjunction with Rockstar—and it is the only guide anywhere that will be available from day one, for gamers looking to win Rockstar Social Club fame.”

Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto IV Now Available Worldwide

The first next generation iteration of the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto franchise available in stores today

Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto IV Now Available Worldwide

The first next generation iteration of the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto franchise available in stores today

Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, is proud to announce that the eagerly anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system including the special edition package is now available worldwide.

"This release marks a major milestone for the series and for Rockstar Games," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "Grand Theft Auto IV delivers on the vision we had when we began work on the game more than three years ago. Rockstar North has created an amazing interactive entertainment experience. We hope it will resonate with our audience around the world for years to come."

Developed by series creator Rockstar North and set in Liberty City, the latest installment in the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto series features a painstakingly detailed and life like city for players to explore; a rich, immersive narrative experience; an original soundtrack highlighting the cultural eclecticism of Liberty City; and sixteen player multiplayer with more than a dozen online modes.

"We worked hard to deliver a true high definition experience" said Series Producer and Rockstar North President, Leslie Benzies. "We are very proud of all of the innovations in the game and hope fans love it."

IGN.com scored the game a perfect 10 and writes, "GTA IV gives us characters and a world with a level of depth previously unseen in gaming and elevates its story from a mere shoot-em-up to an Oscar-caliber drama. Every facet of Rockstar's new masterpiece is worthy of applause."

Game Informer scored the game a perfect 10 and writes, "Grand Theft Auto IV doesn't just raise the bar for the storied franchise, it completely changes the landscape of gaming. Once you play it, you won't look at video games the same way again."

New York Times writes the game "sets a new standard for what is possible in interactive arts".

Grand Theft Auto IV Available Today for Xbox 360 and Exclusive Episodes Available Starting Autumn 2008

The day has finally arrived; today “Grand Theft Auto IV” is available on the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft.

Play “Grand Theft Auto IV” multiplayer online with your friends starting today over the Xbox LIVE online entertainment network. Starting this autumn, Xbox 360 owners will also have access to exclusive “Grand Theft Auto IV” episodes that will provide hours of additional game play.

Developed by Rockstar Games, “Grand Theft Auto IV” is a powerful crime epic set in modern-day Liberty City, a world with an unparalleled combination of scale, depth and detail.

Midnight Club: Los Angeles on the Xbox 360 along with Midnight Club: LA Remix for the PSP

Rockstar Games announces release date for Midnight Club: Los Angeles on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PLAYSTATION®3 computerentertainment system along with Midnight Club: LA Remix for the PSP®

Open-world street racing series debuts on next generation consoles September 9th and 12th for North America and Europe respectively

Rockstar Games is proud to announce the fourth installment of its critically-acclaimed and genre-defining Midnight Club franchise, Midnight Club: Los Angeles, is set for release on September 9th in North America and September 12th in Europe. Developed by series creator Rockstar San Diego, Midnight Club: Los Angeles will give gamers the unprecedented freedom to race through a hyper-realistic LA.

"From the beginning, Midnight Club has been about street racing in a open-world," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "With our team at Rockstar San Diego we have developed a game that we feel once again pushes the boundaries and expectations of what a racing game can be."

Whether driving by the beach or beating the competition by cutting through a parking garage at 200 mph, Midnight Club: Los Angeles provides a seamless, breathtaking environment for everyone who loves to compete. With no load times, no tracks, and no rules, the game allows players to race who they want, when they want, and where they want in an unbelievable recreation of Los Angeles.

"People are going to be blown away when they see how true-to-life Los Angeles looks in this game," said Jay Panek, Midnight Club Producer Rockstar San Diego. "We've added some great twists and turns that let players experience the authentic vibe and feel of the city at blistering speeds that you simply couldn't get away with in real life."

A racing game is nothing without the great cars and Midnight Club: Los Angeles allows extensive customization of vehicles for both performance and appearance. Players can now fully personalize their officially licensed imports, tuners, classic muscle cars and motorcycles both inside and out with a dizzying array of licensed rims, spoilers, interior gauges, tires and more.

Also scheduled for release on September 9th, Midnight Club: LA Remix for the PSP® system will provide another incredible portable racing experience. Developed by Rockstar London, the game will take full advantage of the hardware to deliver the unrivaled sense of speed and style that the best-selling Midnight Club series is known for.

Grand Theft Auto IV Booked - Official Strategy Guide

Leading official strategy guide publisher, BradyGames hitches a ride with Rockstar Games to produce Grand Theft Auto IV Official Strategy Guide – the only publication to guarantee you won't miss a thing in Liberty City

Official strategy guide expert, BradyGames today announces it has been working exclusively with Rockstar Games on the Grand Theft Auto IV Official Strategy Guide – the ultimate accessory to the year’s most highly anticipated game. Published by Dorling Kindersley, for PAL regions, the guide, which is the only choice for gamers looking to discover everything Liberty City has to offer, will be released the same day as the game on 29th April 2008, with an RRP of £12.99.

Like Liberty City itself, BradyGames’ Grand Theft Auto IV Official Guide is vast, weighing-in at 288 pages + 10-page foldout and has been written by two of the videogames industry’s most highly respected guide authors, Tim Bogenn and Rick Barbain, in direct collaboration with Rockstar Games for PlayStation®3 and Xbox 360™. Everything from game basics, tips and weapons to vehicle missions, new multiplayer options, secrets and a full walkthrough are covered in lush detail, providing gamers with the only word on the Liberty City streets they’ll ever need to extort the most out of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Today also sees the launch of ‘Rockstar Social Club’ – an online leaderboard and community hub where GTA players will be able to measure their gameplay against their peers and compare various awards. Rockstar will be giving away very limited supplies of awards to players who achieve certain milestones first. The Official Guide is the only place you’ll find a complete list of how to attain all of the game’s Achievement Points and the associated bragging rights that go with knowing you’ve completed some of the game’s most gruelling tests before anyone else.

Beautifully crafted and illustrated, readers of this, the official companion guide to the world’s most anticipated game, can benefit from the hundreds of hours of play both authors have invested in covering every square foot of gameplay; no stone, cardboard box or back street ‘trash can’ has been left unturned to guarantee players get the utmost from a game featuring an unprecedented number of stories to tell, opportunities to take advantage of, secrets to discover, and rewards to stockpile.

Gary June, CEO, Dorling Kindersley, said: “The Grand Theft Auto series is a phenomenon and enjoys a following unlike any other game series. It’s perhaps unsurprising, then, that anticipation for Grand Theft Auto IV has been gathering apace for a long, long time. It’s easily the most anticipated game of 2008 and we are delighted to be working once again with Rockstar Games on the official guide.”

Rockstar 08 - Music Legends hunt for a superstar contest

Supported by Glastonbury’s founder, Michael Eavis, Peter Gabriel’s unique Real World studios, and the music industry’s hottest new band Scouting for Girls, RockStar 08 aims to find the next biggest UK rock band.

This year, for the first year, RockStar 08 will offer an opportunity for the best new talent in the UK to pit themselves against each other and impress some of the most influential people in the music industry in the hopes of winning an enviable prize.

The competition will take place in the legendary village of Pilton, the home of Glastonbury and the spiritual home of many of the UK’s greatest music legends.

The competition will kick off after 24 bands have been selected by an experienced panel of judges to take part in live heats. These heats will take place over four shows in August 2008 (1st & 2nd and 22nd & 23rd August) at Pilton Working Men’s Club where the bands will try and impress the judges to get through to the live final on 5th September 2008.

The live final will take place at the famous Pilton Party in front of 1500 regular party goers. Five bands will then battle it out to be crowned "RockStar 08". The party will be topped-off with a set by one of the UK’s hottest bands at the moment, Scouting for Girls, who are no strangers to Pilton.

The winner of this coveted title will receive an amazing prize, including a two day recording session at Real World studios, an amazing set at Michael Eavis’ Autumn Equinox party on 23rd September 2008, where over 4000 dedicated music fans party the night away at his home, Worthy Farm and the winning band will get a chance to play a live set at next year’s Glastonbury Festival.

Michael Eavis said of the competition, “This competition will allow us to gather some of the UK’s new rock talent and ultimately find one of the next big things in the world of music. Glastonbury is all about amazing talent we hope RockStar 08 will find a Glastonbury headliner of the future.”

A spokesperson for Real World studios added, “We are eager to hear and see some of the undiscovered live rock talent the UK has to offer at the moment through this competition. We were thrilled to be asked to be involved and look forward to being part of discovering the next Stadium filler!”

The competition is open to all, bands, solo artists, young, and old, the only criteria is to be unsigned. The judges are looking for undiscovered live rock talent who will become the next big thing.

Entries must be in before the closing date of 27th May 2008.

To enter bands and artists must download and follow the entry form, available at www.rockstarbands.co.uk and send a clear recording, of no less than 2 tracks, of themselves/their band playing to RockStar 08, PO Box 4249, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 8UU.

Rockstar wins Manhunt 2 film censor battle

The makers of a video game which was outlawed for being "sadistic, brutal and bleak" have finally had the ban lifted after an extended legal battle.

Horror title Manhunt 2, made by the successful British games developer Rockstar, has been granted a certificate after a nine-month fight with the British Board of Film Classification.

Last June the BBFC refused to grant a rating to the game, effectively making it the first to be banned in the UK for a decade.

The game – in which players take the role of a patient who escapes from an asylum – was accused of unremitting and gratuitous violence, with BBFC director David Cooke saying that Manhunt 2 could not be given had been rejected because of its "sustained and cumulative casual sadism".

The game's makers rejected those accusations, and said that the game was no more violent than many mainstream horror films. However, when a modified version of the game - with some of the more gruesome sequences removed - was again rejected, the matter became subject to a legal game of cat and mouse.

It eventually ended at the high court, where the BBFC's decision was overturned and the UK's censorship arbitration body, the video appeals committee (VAC), granted the certificate.

An edited version of the game will now be released with an 18 rating.

"We are pleased that the VAC has reaffirmed its decision recognising that Manhunt 2 is well within the bounds established by other 18+ rated entertainment," Rockstar said in a statement.

Lawrence Abramson, a partner at Harbottle & Lewis who represented Rockstar in the case, said that the entire censorship system needed to be rethought to take account of the video games industry.

"The system works in films, but the gameplaying experience is different," he told the Guardian.

The BBFC refused to comment.

Source: The Guardian

Rockstar wins Manhunt 2 film censor battle

The makers of a video game which was outlawed for being "sadistic, brutal and bleak" have finally had the ban lifted after an extended legal battle.

Horror title Manhunt 2, made by the successful British games developer Rockstar, has been granted a certificate after a nine-month fight with the British Board of Film Classification.

Last June the BBFC refused to grant a rating to the game, effectively making it the first to be banned in the UK for a decade.

The game – in which players take the role of a patient who escapes from an asylum – was accused of unremitting and gratuitous violence, with BBFC director David Cooke saying that Manhunt 2 could not be given had been rejected because of its "sustained and cumulative casual sadism".

The game's makers rejected those accusations, and said that the game was no more violent than many mainstream horror films. However, when a modified version of the game - with some of the more gruesome sequences removed - was again rejected, the matter became subject to a legal game of cat and mouse.

It eventually ended at the high court, where the BBFC's decision was overturned and the UK's censorship arbitration body, the video appeals committee (VAC), granted the certificate.

An edited version of the game will now be released with an 18 rating.

"We are pleased that the VAC has reaffirmed its decision recognising that Manhunt 2 is well within the bounds established by other 18+ rated entertainment," Rockstar said in a statement.

Lawrence Abramson, a partner at Harbottle & Lewis who represented Rockstar in the case, said that the entire censorship system needed to be rethought to take account of the video games industry.

"The system works in films, but the gameplaying experience is different," he told the Guardian.

The BBFC refused to comment.

Source: The Guardian

Xbox 360 and Wii versions of Bully: Scholarship Edition by Rockstar released in March

The Xbox 360 and Wii versions of Bully - Canis Canem Edit on PS2 in Europe - will be released here on 7th March and Rockstar has specified what we can expect over and above its original release.

Details on IGN point to eight new missions, four new classes (biology, geography, maths and music), new items and clothing, new two-player offline mini-games and unlockable Achievements on Xbox 360. Whether all that applies to both Wii and 360 isn't immediately clear.

What should be clear is that even an unchanged game would be welcomed by fans of the more recent platforms. Canis Canem Edit won plaudits upon release, including a very favourable review from some handsome idiot, and Bully: Scholarship Edition - as it's known on 360 and Wii - is highly anticipated as a result.

The game sees young Jimmy Hopkins arriving at the dodgy Bullworth Academy, where Rockstar Vancouver applies the old Grand Theft Auto free-roaming formula to a school-day structure with impressive results. There's lots of humour and typically impressive scripting and content to explore as Jimmy navigates the competing cliques and interests of his school-mates and masters.

Look out for our take on the new versions closer to release.

Source: Eurogamer

ROCKSTAR GAMES DIRECT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD OF ALL THEIR GAMES ON IGN'S DIRECT2DRIVE

Partnership Includes the Groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto Series, and Marks the First Time Rockstar's Games Will be Offered Digitally

Direct2Drive, IGN Entertainment’s digital retail store, today announced that it will exclusively premiere Rockstar Games’ entire catalog of AAA titles for digital download on Direct2Drive (http://www.direct2drive.com). Available immediately, consumers can browse through and - for the first time ever - digitally download all of Rockstar Games PC titles including: the entire Grand Theft Auto series, Max Payne, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, Manhunt, Midnight Club: Street Racing II and Wild Metal.

Rockstar Games was founded in 1998 to create the most innovative and progressive interactive entertainment. Rockstar Games has continued to be an innovator in the gaming industry and the driving force behind many of today’s most popular series including Grand Theft Auto, Midnight Club and the recent smash, Bully.



“Rockstar Games has one of the most celebrated collections of AAA titles available to gamers today and we’re proud to add the Grand Theft Auto series and the entire Rockstar catalog to our world-class library of content,” said Sutton Trout, VP of digital content for IGN Entertainment. “By providing our customers with the ability to easily download these popular titles immediately, Direct2Drive continues to solidify its spot as the gaming industry’s premiere digital retail store.”

“We are excited to be opening our archives,” said Rowan Hajaj, Head of Finance and Corporate Development of Rockstar Games. “For the first time, fans will have the chance to explore our catalog of original, groundbreaking PC titles at the press of a button.”

Since launching in October 2004, Direct2Drive has allowed gamers to conveniently purchase and download the latest premium games from the world’s top publishers. Consumers can download titles from Rockstar Games today at http://www.direct2drive.com/zones/rockstar.