Hasta La Gadget!

Rockstar announced Grand Theft Auto V back in October 2011, but there’s still a long way to go until the final version of the game is ready. The company has released two new screenshots today that should give you an idea of the generic visual aesthetic and setting of the game. The game doesn’t look like a radical departure from 2008’s Grand Theft Auto IV, but does seem to have undergone a graphical polish to bring it up to date with modern titles.

When asked how the game was coming along, Rockstar responded, “We are very busy working on the game! Everything is going well, but the game is a huge project. We should have more information and some new assets for you soon.” Rockstar’s games often encounter long stretches of time before new information is released, something one user questioned the company about.

Rockstar responded with the following: “We are sorry if you find this frustrating, but please understand, we don’t do this because we ‘don’t care about our fans’ ‘don’t respect our fans’ ‘hate GTA fans etc’ – precisely the opposite! We do it because we want to make sure we only release 100 per cent correct information, and because we want to keep plenty back for the actual game release so there are still lots of surprises when you play it.” The company finished by saying that there wasn’t much more to show than the trailer that was released back in November.

Grand Theft Auto V is set in the fictional Los Santos area of San Andreas. The game will take cues from modern day Los Angeles, and while not much information surrounding the game has been released, Rockstar has confirmed that GTA5 will feature a “Crews” multiplayer implementation. That feature is also found in Max Payne 3, with Crews created in one game able to be carried across to the other.

[via NowGamer]

Rockstar teases Grand Theft Auto V with two new screenshots is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Samsung is hoping that Smart TVs will take off, Rovio is on a quest for total screen domination… why not pair the two together? Rovio and Samsung have announced a partnership that will see Angry Birds making the jump to the ES7000, ES8000, and ES9000 Smart TVs. The redesigned game will take advantage of the motion sensors found in the televisions. Angry Birds also leverages the new Smart TV SDK, allowing the app to run natively on the television without the need for an additional set-top box or console.

The South Korean company says it has been working with Rovio on the game ever since it first unveiled its Smart TV platform back at CES. Rovio has tweaked the game to play nice with the TVs motion controls, and will be releasing it onto Samsung’s TV app store for all to enjoy. Rovio is also working with Samsung on a series of animated shorts that will also be available on the TV via on-demand.

At this rate, Rovio will have the popular franchise on just about every screen know to man. Yesterday, the company teased the Angry Birds Trilogy, a compilation of Angry Birds, Angry Birds Rio, and Angry Birds Seasons that would be released on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo 3DS. Rovio will revamp the game with high-definition graphics and animated backgrounds, along with new cinematics and additional content.

[via CNET]

Rovio brings Angry Birds to Samsung’s Smart TVs is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Yesterday, Rovio announced that its latest game, Amazing Alex, would finally launch for iOS and Android devices. True to its word, the game is now available on both respective app stores. On iOS, the game costs $0.99 (and £0.69) while a $0.99 and free version is available for Android. The game sees you manipulating physics along with different objects in order to solve puzzles.

Rovio says there are around 100 levels and 35 objects that can be utilized in order to complete the game. It’s not an original game though: the company purchased the intellectual property rights to Casey’s Contraptions back in May, so some of the levels and settings may be familiar to players of the old game. Rovio has added in some new levels and content, however.

The game will also be coming to Windows Phone in the future, but there’s no word on exactly when. If you’re interested in seeing Rovio’s latest effort, then head over to this link to grab the iOS version and go here for the paid Android app. The free version is also available right here.

[via The Next Web]

Rovio launches Amazing Alex for iOS and Android is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Rovio has announced that it will be bringing the Angry Birds Trilogy to the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and the Nintendo 3DS. The company dropped some hints previously that it would be bringing the popular games from mobile devices to consoles, and now Rovio has said it will bring upgraded versions of the games to three consoles. There’s no word on when the Trilogy will be officially released, but the company is current working on enhancing the games.

Rovio’s Executive Vice President of Games, Petri Järvilehto, says the team reworked all the games for HDTVs and consoles: “There are new cinematics, extras and other entertaining content. In addition all of the existing material has been uprezzed and re-treated for the high-resolution and big screen.” Backgrounds have also been animated, and there are several lighting modes as well.

Angry Birds, Angry Birds Season, and Angry Birds Rio will be sold on one disc (or cartridge in the 3DS’ case), although there’s no mention of Angry Birds Space, or if the Trilogy will include the extra free levels found on iOS and Android. The company says that there are those with consoles perfectly content with a “casual” gaming experience, and that’s exactly who Rovio is targeting with this release.

The games will also support Kinect, PlayStation Move, and StreetPass. There’s no firm release date, but Rovio says it should be available to purchase in time for the all important holiday season.

[via IGN]

Angry Birds Trilogy coming to Xbox 360, PS3, and 3DS is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Many may have thought that the Wii Fit was a silly idea, but that didn’t stop it making ridiculous amounts of money for Nintendo. Why not apply the same principle to the Kinect? Kinect PlayFit has been officially revealed today, and will be made available as a free download for any Xbox Live members in the US. PlayFit will be making its way outside the US too, although international gamers will have to wait until next week.

Kinect PlayFit essentially acts as a fitness dashboard. The app will keep track of any calories you burn while playing games like Kinect Star Wars and Dance Central 2. Over time you’ll be able to check out your stats, as well as leaderboards and ranks from across the world using Xbox Live. Microsoft is saying it’s the first fitness app of its kind due to its ability to track stats over multiple games.

So, what are you waiting for? KInect PlayFit launches today in the US, and next week in international territories. Get downloading, and make sure to burn those calories to the theme of I’m Han Solo.

[via Major Nelson]

Xbox Kinect PlayFit launches today in the US is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.