The problems with”GTA Online” may be getting played out to a meme like level, but it doesn’t change the fact that the first week or so with the game was rough. While the connection problems and various glitch annoyances may have been the face of the issue, the growing reports of players losing their characters and in game assets entirely quickly became the most troubling news to come from the whole incident. It’s also one that Rockstar didn’t seem to have an answer to as the reports grew and grew.

Now, however, it appears a solution is available, as Rockstar has announced that it will be giving everyone who played the game since launch $500,000. That’s in-game cash of course, though with the sales numbers for the game, they could probably swing that in real currency as well.

The funds will be available to any players who’ve accessed “GTA Online” in the month of October, and will be distributed in two deposits of $250,000 to players bank accounts when a patch is released in early November. While this may not restore the level progress of some players who lost their original characters, all things considered this is about as generous of a compromise as could be expected, and should set up most users nicely.

Oh, and if you’re debating whether or not to buy that luxury apartment or the luxury sports car with your recent influx of cash, I say hold off until the in-game stock market is working, and invest in real estate which will be on the rise after everyone starts buying places to live with their winnings. That’s how the 1% would do it.

It’s lately been all quiet in the gaming world, as we all live through the calm before the storm that is the final days before Tuesday’s bombshell release of “GTA V.” While the industry lays low in fear of opposing the gaming juggernaut, we all look to the sky and wait patiently for the arrival of what could very well be the greatest game of this generation.

Unfortunately for those who chose to download the game through PS3’s store, the wait may be slightly longer than anticipated.

Sony had initially announced that those who download the game through their store would be able to pre-load it starting today, and access it immediately at the stroke of midnight on Tuesday. However, they’ve recently retracted that statement saying that you’ll have to wait until Monday to install the game.

It may not sound like a huge deal, but when you take into account the HUGE filesize of this game, and the fact that gamers no longer have the weekend to let it install. Not to mention that since the hype for this game is at critical mass, any announcement of a delay of any time is sure to cause an internet explosion of an unprecedented degree.

No explanation of the move has been provided, though it is likely related to the high profile leaks that occurred through PS3 earlier this month.

Ultimately those who per-ordered should be able to have the game installed in time for its launch. However, should anything go wrong with that process just a day before, you can expect to hear the cries of anguish from any point on the globe.

“GTA V” watch continues, with the official “GTA V” trailer, Rockstar has been teasing available for your viewing pleasure above.

Interestingly there isn’t much in the way of new reveals here (the trailer itself only clocks in at about a minute long), but eagle eyed gamers will spot a handheld minigun (being held by a man in what appears to be a heavy armor suit), as well as some pretty incredible storm effects in action for the first time. While not necessarily reveals, the bigger takeaways from this release are some tasty story tidbits (it’s becoming very clear that this is going to be the “GTA” series most involved story yet), as well as snippets of more of the game’s heists, at least one of which appears to involve that submarine shown in a few screenshots.

No it’s not exactly anything that set the world on fire like the “GTA Online” reveal, but as “GTA V’s” release date nears, its becoming clearer and clearer that we are all due for something very special, that may just be taking the game of the year crown in a year with more potential contenders than the iron throne of Westeros.

Full disclosure here, as this list of leaked GTA V songs are “unconfirmed” and were all snagged through a recent PSN update which apparently gave away the majority of the game’s tracks.

It’s a big list complete with some station names, DJ reveals (series regular Lazlow returns, because dude apparently can’t hold a job), and of course a crapload of songs that run a gamut that includes  big names (N.W.A, Queen, Johnny Cash…umm…Britney Spears), one hit wonders, and some painfully bad obligatory choices (pretty much the entire Pop station).

While it doesn’t feel like a complete list (there’s not near enough radio stations), it is a list that gives the impression that the series will follow the “GTA IV” route of cutting down on big names and instantly recognizable tracks, to instead offer up more of a variety of genres with bands you may not necessarily be familiar with immediately.

Or maybe I’m just really out of touch with modern music.

In either case, it’s looking like “Vice City” will remain king of “GTA” soundtracks with its incredible variety of 80s’ classics. That’s not really a dig at this music selection, but more of a personal preference as the nature of “GTA’s” chaotic gameplay doesn’t really allow me to focus on the music much while driving and therefore makes the whole “discovering new music angle” kind of a moot point. This could be alleviated if Rockstar allows you to listen to music outside of vehicles this time around, but so far there is no word on cribbing that feature from “Saint’s Row.”

Still it’s going to take more than Fergie to derail the “GTA V” hype train, and if this is a slice of the real track list, there are certainly more hits than misses, meaning the “GTA V” hype train keeps rolling, now blasting some pretty sweet tunes as it chugs along to its September 17^th release date.

Like the rest of you I’ve been following every morsel of information that has come from the many previews of that “GTA:V” demo, and like many of you, I’ve started to form my own impressions based on what has been shown so far.

While my overall impression is that I really need to start scheduling some serious free time come September, more specifically I’ve noticed at least five things from all of those previews that really excite me…and at least one that does not.

Five things I’m Excited For…

The Fun is Back

“GTA:IV” had a lot of things going for it, but one aspect that irked me the longer I played is how much Rockstar veered from the wild, anything goes, comically deranged world of previous “Grand Theft Auto” games and instead aimed for something more grounded, and serious.

“GTA:V” looks to be a glorious return to those old ways, but also has clearly retained an aspect or two from its immediate predecessor. So while the trailers show things like deranged rednecks highjacking helicopters in flannel, cars chasing planes while pulling off insane maneuvers, and the glorious return of miniguns, it also takes a moment to reflect on the serious motivations that drive each of the three main characters, and to show that Rockstar is crafting a world every bit as jaw dropping as “GTA: IV’s” Liberty City.

In other words, it’s looks the way “GTA” should. A wildly fun game that’s not afraid to get serious.

Improved Combat

One thing that I saw mentioned in several previews is that the combat is smoother than ever, with some comparing it to “Max Payne 3.”

“GTA’s” combat has been steadily improving over the years, but it still feels clunky for a game where there is a lot of it. It’s good to know that Rockstar looks to be making a concentrated effort to provide full coverage to the series Achilles heel, especially in a game that is already adding ambition to the system thanks to the three man system.

Which actually segues nicely to…

The Three Man Band

The subject of who will be the next main character in “Grand Theft Auto” is always a hot one, as it usually sets the tone for the rest of the game.

When Rockstar first announced that there would be three main characters who can all be controlled at any time, it was hard not to think of it as gimmicky, and a bit of a reach. The more that’s revealed about it though, the easier it is to see that this is indeed the most exciting change to come to the series, possibly ever.

From unique but intersecting plot lines, to the ability for characters to “do their own thing” while not being under control, to the amazing way that combat and heist scenarios make use of every character individually, this sounds like the first “Grand Theft Auto” in a while that is going to have people re-thinking how they play the series.

Money Matters

In a misstep so big I still question if it was an error by the designers, money in “GTA:IV” was more or less useless. It didn’t take long to acquire enough dough to keep you rolling in suits and guns for the rest of your days, and even though money was always brought up as a plot point (more on that later) you always ended up with too much of it, and nothing to do about it.

Rockstar must have been aware of this, as they have confirmed that “GTA:V” will require you to have a constant cash flow in order to purchase all of the clothing, vehicles, and (most importantly) properties the title has to offer.

That means that no longer will you be able to buy a $3000 suit you already own just because the store is closer than your closet, and I for one am excited to start earning with purpose again.

A Driven Story

If I sound like I’m hating on “GTA:IV” here, it’s because I am. While by no means a bad game, it is by far the most overrated game of this console generation, and a big part of that is due to a meandering story that dragged on and on without any real focus, or compelling reasons to keep pushing ahead besides the satisfaction of beating it.

“GTA: V” seems to be resolving this by focusing the majority of its story on a series of high profile heists. The mission highlight of “GTA:IV” is, of course, the brilliant bank job in three leaf clover, and it’s clear that Rockstar thought so too, as this time many missions will revolve around prepping for, or executing, heists as part of your three man crew.

It’s not a guarantee for a greater plot, but it sounds a lot more promising than working for a series of cardboard cutout thugs with vague notions of revenge and some superfluous cash being your only driving force.

…And the One I’m Not

You Can’t Shoot the Paparazzi

What?

See during the IGN rundown of the demo it was brought up that there is a side mission where you escort a spoiled starlet and try to escape the paparazzi. When the questions was brought up if you could just kill them instead of escaping them, the answer was a surprising “no” as that causes you to fail.

I understand that Rockstar is aiming for a much more cinematic experience than before, but I’m really bummed out that in something so minor as a simple side mission, the game will limit your options for the benefits of that goal.

Games like “The Walking Dead” show that choice can be a huge benefit to storytelling, while titles like “Saint’s Row The Third” exemplify how creating a truly open world lends so much more to sandbox games. I just hope that in a game that promises to be the series biggest and boldest yet, there aren’t a series of similar limits that keep it from reaching that lofty height.

I feel like the most consistently underrated element of video game design is level design. Whether you call them levels, segments, missions, or whatever, the parts of our favorite video games that make up our favorite video games deserve the proper recognition, and it’s the purpose of this column to make sure they get that.

And since the recently released “GTA V” screens have got me reminiscing about the last time the “GTA” series paid a visit to the west coast, I’ve decided to start with my favorite entry in the “Grand Theft Auto” series for this column, by looking back at the best missions from “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.”

10. Drive-By

One of the great thrills of the GTA series is how it allows you to live out all of those great crime fantasies that film and possibly literature has instilled in you. In “GTA: III” is was planting a bomb on a car mob style. In “GTA: Vice City” it was intercepting a coke deal with a speed boat like Crocket and Tubbs on “Miami Vice.”

Since “San Andreas” was inspired by the west coast gangta films, like “Boys in the Hood,” one of the great thrills is living out inner-ghetto turf wars, and any good inner-ghetto turf war needs a drive-by. Drive-by’s are so common in “GTA” that there is a feature on the control for it, but here is the only place where you get to roll up on enemy gangs with your friends and rain ammunition on them while listening to N.W.A. just like most of us modern suburbanites figured happened all the time in the early 90’s. It’s as simple as a mission in “GTA gets,” but it’s so satisfying.

9. Fender Ketchup

So you’re working for the Triads and the Italian mafia has been messing with their operations in the “San Andreas” equivalent of Las Vegas, Las Venturas. One of the thugs have been caught, and to make him talk your friends decide to strap him onto a car which you are to drive at top speed until he gets scared enough to figuratively spill his guts ( or not and literally do so).

Driving around in a convertible at night on the Venturas strip is always a fun experience, but doing so in the most reckless way at your disposal so that a mob thug will rat his gang out makes it all the sweeter. Much like Drive-By this is one of those missions that takes a simple gangland pleasure and lets you run wild with it.

8. Amphibious Assault

When most non-stealth games try to have stealth sections, they tend to suck almost without exception. Of course, this being “GTA,” it’s not like other games and therefore enjoys the distinct advantage of defying normal conventions.

Of course to be fair, this isn’t a strict stealth mission as you are tasked with infiltrating a boat, planting a bug, and making your way off, but are free to kill at will as long as you do it quietly. However, the atmosphere the mission sets is just perfect, and the approach to the boat itself is very dramatic. The “GTA” series has always had an incredible sense of scale, and the ship makes for this perfectly ominous opposing figure in the distance, that makes this mission feel like a true accomplishment for having finished.

7. Deconstruction

This mission is the perfect example of why “GTA: San Andreas” stands above the rest of the series in terms of mission quality. The idea is simple, as your sister has been getting hit on by some nearby construction workers, and you’ve got to teach them a lesson. But rather than beat some up, or do a good old fashion drive by, for reasons unknown you instead must destroy portable toilets spread throughout the constructions site. While you’re doing this, the workers are pouring out and attempting to stop you with construction equipment and shovels.

The highlight comes when it’s time to take out the foreman, who has retreated into a porta-potty of his own. You grab a bulldozer, knock him into a pit, and pour some concrete over him. sealing his fate. The whole mission takes under five minutes, but the pure insanity of it stays with you long after.

6. Body Harvest

So your Willie Nelson influenced friend The Truth needs a combine harvester for his weed crop, and it turns out the only one available is in use by a group of survivalist in the middle of nowhere. So naturally, he asks you to go out to their camp and commandeer it.

Now, I don’t hate hippies. Hell, I admire their ability to not work and still be able to procure recreational drugs. But stealing a full size combine harvester and running over a gang of them who charge your spinning blades with nothing more than pitchforks is just too entertaining to try to feel guilty about. If “GTA V” wants to be sell 2 billion copies, instead the usual 1 billion, then they simply have to recreate this mission in HD glory. In fact, Rockstar, make sure that you never release another “GTA” without a drivable harvester again.

5. Freefall

As is usual in the “GTA” world, there comes a point in the game where you owe the mafia some favors. In this case, a crew out of Liberty City is coming in to kill the local boss, and he needs you to deal with it. How you may ask? Well first you may think that you can wait for them to arrive and take them out. But no, that won’t do at all. Maybe then you can grab a rocket launcher and simply blow them out of the sky? No, no, no, that’s not good enough.

Instead you are to grab a plane of your own and intercept their flight, only to board their plane while in air, take out the entire crew while on board,  and land the jet safely. Try not to feel like a stone cold bad ass afterwards.

4. A Home in the Hills

So main character Carl Johnson has finally made a little niche for himself, and it’s time to start paying back the people that got him there. One of those is rapper Mad Dogg who needs to take his mansion in the hills back from the people who’ve seized it from him.

The best part of this mission is the beginning, which has you on a cargo plane loaded with Triad hit men who are there to help you claim your friend’s old property. You actually then get to fly above the home, parachute out, and land on the roof of the crib where you must clear the landing pad for your buddies, and sweep through the mansion eliminating the gang that occupies it.

What I love about this level is that so often in the “GTA” series, it’s you against the masses. Here, it’s you and the masses against some poor schmucks who don’t have a prayer. The turning of the tables gives this mission a uniquely enjoyable feel that’s not present in many others, the parachute assault opening helps cement that legacy even further.

3. Black Project

As much as I loved “GTA:IV,” I hate how it abandoned the lunatic nature of the series up until that point in favor of something more grittier and real. That wackiness is never on greater display then in Black Project, where your old friend The Truth needs you to steal a government invention for him known only as the “Black Project.”

So here you are, forced to attack a highly guarded military base all by your lonesome to steal their most valued prize. Along the way you’ll encounter hilarious references that cover everything from the alien cover up to “Half-Life” , all while mowing down the highest trained and best equipped fighting personnel in the game. At the end of the day you find out the Black Project is in fact a code word for a jetpack, which you get to fly out of the base and into the desert sunset to meet your stoned friend atop a cliff, and escape in his van.

I don’t want the “GTA” series to continue to get more realistic, and this mission is exactly why.

2. End of the Line

The “GTA” series has never really saved the best for last in terms of missions, but in “San Andreas,” they came pretty damn close. The set up is beautiful, as the entire city is in the midst of a riot that causes even random pedestrians to attack on site. The one upside of the riot is you’ll need a SWAT assault vehicle for this mission, and there’s plenty around. As soon as you snag one, you’ve just got to break down the gates to your former best friend’s crack palace and fight off legions of gang members, Russian mobsters, and unskilled laborers armed to the teeth. Manage to survive, and kill your well protected ex homie, and you still get betrayed yet again by disgraced cop officer Frank Tenpenny.

What’s worse is he takes out the generator forcing you to don night vision goggles and hunt him down. After putting out a fire blocking your path, you are free to pursue Tenpenny who’s snagged a fire truck as a getaway vehicle. Now, your brother gets the great idea to grab hold of the fire ladder, so you’ve got to catch him in your car before he slips. Of course before you can finally claim your vengeance, you’ve got to fight off gang members on motorcycles, and good old fashioned police officers. Then, and only then, can you finally take down the officer that’s been making your life hell since the beginning of the game and get your revenge .

Yeah, it’s a little intense.

1. Breaking the Bank at Caligula’s + The Setup

So technically this is a few separate missions, but they all combine for the most brilliant mission in the game, and possibly the series. Your job is to rob a casino, but rather than just snatch and grab, you need to complete several  tasks first to set the job up. These range from getting comfy with an S&M obsessed casino employee to gain their access card, rigging a dam to kill the power the night of the robbery, stealing the blueprints to the casino itself, and procuring police motorcycles to use during the robbery.

It then all culminates in the mother of casino jobs which has you operating a fork lift, entering disguised as an employee, shooting your way to the roof, and best of all making a daring base jump escape from the top of the casino, so that you can steal a police helicopter and make your ultimate getaway.

The bank job mission in “GTA: IV” gets all of the love, but it’s got nothing on this gem. The anticipation of the various little tasks needed to get to the job itself is overwhelming, and the heist is beautifully designed. You don’t get enough heist levels in video games in general, and you get even fewer that  benefit from the effort put into this one. The best missions in “Grand Theft Auto” have multiple, interesting parts to them, and this is the greatest example of that formula. It’ a clear number one.

…we must raise an even bigger question: has the Grand Theft Auto franchise peaked? Given the strength of GTA IV in 2008, the question may seem misplaced, but our concern is that the very highly rated new GTA content for Xbox as well as PSP and DS did not perform up to expectations in 2009. Now, we very clearly understand that these do not represent ‘true’ new GTA titles. However, the fact is that these were compelling titles, attractively priced, and reasonably well-promoted, yet they fell relatively flat. We do not mean to pour salt on an open wound, but this does raise questions about the strength of TTWO’s crown jewel. It is an issue we will monitor closely (we also note that we expect increased competition in the open-world action genre in 2010 and beyond).

He goes on to consider the underwhelming financial report, raising questions about whether or not Take Two can turn a profit without a GTA release. Sure, Rockstar has some strong titles, like Borderlands and Bioshock, but those aren’t the kind of games people are spending as much time in as GTA, making it more likely that you’ll see second hand buyers over the seemingly ubiquitous purchasing of a GTA title.

Source: Industry Gamers