Lock your doors and your kids, for the first solid details about Grand Theft Auto IV have broken loose! After unleashing the first game trailer a couple of weeks ago, the folks from Rockstar sat down with the Game Informer editors and gave them a more in-depth look at GTA IV. And as the May issue of said magazine is now out in the open, so are the facts contained in their 10-page exclusive preview of Rockstar's highly anticipated sequel. Along with some scans, naturally.

To get this over with faster, you can check out the scans on GTA IV News, although there's not much to get excited about at that quality - the trailer still looks better. And while the same website also offers some brief details about the game, we'll turn our attention over to Planet GTA for the larger scoop.

Their post may still be updated with further details, so for now we'll just pick the most important points from their summary. Here we go!

- Niko Bellic is the main character.

- Multi-player will be included, but no details yet. It will not be MMO.

- The game has been in development since early 2004.

- Variations in the terrain cause the walking animation to change. The physics have also improved and character movements are more realistic.

- Liberty City is the only location in the game.

- There were no planes in the skies of the demo that the magazine editors saw, and it seems that there will not be airplanes in the game. Other forms of air travel should not be ruled out.

- The MetLife building now bears the name Getalife, the Statue of Liberty is now the Statue of Happiness, and DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is called BOABO (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass).

- Within Grand Theft Auto IV, Rockstar North has recreated four of the five boroughs that make up New York City, as well as a section of New Jersey. In the GTA universe, Brooklyn has been transformed to Broker, Manhattan has mutated into Algonquin, Queens is now Dukes, The Bronx is Bohan, and New Jersey has become Alderney.

- It's a smaller geographical mass than San Andreas, but not an inch of this world is wasted or dedicated to vast stretches of country or desert. It's a tightly packed metropolis that captures the eye with its decades of world-class architecture, sun-blocking towers, and extraordinary walks of life.

- Niko Bellic's home is in Eastern Europe, and he likely may never have traveled to Liberty City if it wasn't for his cousin Roman. With life not working out in the homeland, "Bellic turns up in Liberty City because he's been receiving e-mails from his cousin Roman, that read like: 'I live this amazing life, it's the American Dream come true. I have two women. I have four hot tubs. I have fifteen sports cars," Houser elaborates. "And [Bellic] believes it."

- Niko is a "tough character" while Roman is a "friendly buffoon."

- The story unfolds in a number of different ways. R* is giving people more freedom, more choice and more sense of control over their destiny - the structure of the storyline is quite different to previous games.

Additional details reported on GTA IV News are that you will use your cell phone to call contacts; the pedestrians will be a lot more realistic (they can sit down on chairs, smoke, read and more); and most importantly, after the first loading screen, the game will not load again - not even when entering / exiting buildings.

Well, that about sums it up. Too bad you won't be able to fly planes... in a city full of skyscrapers... minus a couple big ones.

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Coming back to work after the Easter holiday, we were somewhat surprised to learn that one of the next-gen consoles seems to have been discontinued for good! Oh, all right, we may be exaggerating "a bit" here: it's not an entire console, just one of the two available models: the 20GB PlayStation 3 - the one that wasn't even released in Europe to begin with last month, and by the looks of it, it never will be. The official story is that there is no official story; but off the record, rumour has it that Sony may not be manufacturing the 20GB model anymore, instead focusing solely on the 60GB PS3. And perhaps that speculated 80GB model.

But assumptions aside, here are the facts, as reported by Joystiq. Last month, Best Buy stopped carrying the 20 GB PS3 model, and even though Sony still claimed to be manufacturing it in mid March, their own SonyStyle stores now admit that they haven't had it in stock either for a month. And they won't be getting any more, either. So, as one spokesperson told Joystiq, "You could maybe go out and find one".

Or maybe not. Because, as it turns out, there are now even more retailers who have stopped selling the 20GB PlayStation 3 - including GameStop & Electronics Boutique. The model is still available on Amazon.com and Toys'R'Us, for instance; but for how long, we dare not predict. When asked by Joystick if the model had been discontinued, that same SonyStyle rep said, "Not officially... but we haven't seen any in a long time".

Truth be told, the puny little 20GB hard drive (not to mention the lack of built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and flash memory card readers) wasn't too popular among buyers. According to Sony's statements from last month, the demand for the 20GB model only stood at 20%, against 80% for the 60GB model. So there's no reason to blame them if they decide to pull the plug on the cheaper model. Not when we have so many other reasons...

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Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Launches On May 16, New Video

T-minus 36 days! Today, Microsoft and Bungie finally started the countdown to the beginning of the Halo 3 multiplayer beta, now officially set to open its doors on May 16. Those lucky enough to claim a spot in the beta will have a rather short-lived joy, however, as the first public testing phase will come to an end on June 7. That's less than a month, for those of you who bought Crackdown or otherwise spent money in order to get into the beta, hoping to keep yourself busy (i.e. fragging) all summer long.

The exact opening and closing times are May 16 at 1 p.m. GMT, and June 7 at 7:59 a.m. GMT, respectively. And if the beta's shortness wasn't bad enough, there are also a couple of mandatory conditions for testing Halo 3: first, you'll need an Xbox 360 console equipped with a hard drive, and second, an Xbox Live Gold membership is also required. If you're all set, here's what Microsoft tells fans to look forward to:

"The multiplayer beta for Halo 3 will give anxious Xbox 360 gamers their first opportunity to get their hands on the new levels, weapons, vehicles and game types, as well as a chance to provide valuable data that Bungie will use in continued development.(...)

When gamers gather online to play the multiplayer beta via Xbox LIVE in May, they will be treated to three richly detailed, action-oriented maps: Snowbound, High Ground and Valhalla, which represent a mixture of large- and medium-scale combat environments and are brand-new to Halo 3. Each map will test gamers' mettle as they are placed behind the controls of new Halo 3 vehicles such as the agile Mongoose all-terrain vehicle, and armed with deadly weapons such as the new and improved Assault Rifle, the ferocious Brute Spiker, the devastating Spartan Laser and the treacherous new Spike Grenades. This is just a taste of what gamers will experience later this fall when Halo 3 goes on sale."

For the rest of us drooling on the sideline, Bungie presents us with a new video that will leave us drooling even more. They titled it "Is Quisnam Protero Damno!", and it's basically a long look at the making of Halo 3's Multiplayer game. In it, "you'll meet the Multiplayer team and watch a level get built from concept to completion. You'll see the care and attention that goes into every aspect, and yes, you'll see a level or two that nobody has ever seen before". Note however that all of the game footage in this vidoc was taken during the Alpha stage and isn't even representative of what you'll see in the Public Beta, let alone the final game. You can get the trailer on Bungie's website, by the way.

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Resident Evil 4 Wii, Umbrella Chronicles Details, Screens And Trailer

What? So now there are two Resident Evil (Biohazard) games headed for the Nintendo Wii?! That's good, right? It has to be... And it almost is, but only until you hear the sort-of-bad news. First of all, the "new" Wii Resident Evil will actually be a remake of Resident Evil 4. And second, Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles will apparently play like an "on-rails" shooter - where you won't be able to move around freely, just to look (and shoot) around, and choose your path through the level at times. So, are you still excited about this?

If you are, even for a little bit, then you'll be glad to hear that Capcom has now opened two websites for these games - one for Resident Evil 4 on Wii, and another one for Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. The latter also has the first trailer from the game, featuring a mix of gameplay and cinematic footage, and confirming earlier reports that the story will bring an end to the Umbrella Corporation.

For even more visual goodies from Umbrella Chronicles, we now have the first screenshots in our local gallery, and you can also check out some scans from the Japanese magazine Famitsu on Cubed3. The article for the Wii version of Resident Evil 4 hints at the possibility of new enemies and/or bosses being included, and that the Wii Classic Controller and Gamecube controller will all be supported. A more solid confirmation comes straight from the game's new website, in that the Wii version will include the extras from the PS2 / PC versions. As such, once you finish the game, you'll be able to play it again with Ada Wong, in the "Separate Ways" (a.k.a. "The Another Order") game mode. Resident Evil 4 will be out in Japan for the Wii on May 31, 2007.

As for Umbrella Chronicles, this should be a great way for newfound fans of the series to revisit all of the previous chapters, with characters such as Chris, Jill, Rebecca, Billy, and Wesker, before the next one (Resident Evil 5) comes out on the PS3 and Xbox 360, probably in late 2008. More details are expected to surface on April 12, at Capcom's "Gamer's Day" press event.

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A flicker of hope is shining from Japan this week, for all of us who would like to have some sort of external storage device for the Wii, other than SD cards. Something to stick in the console's USB port, perhaps? Current USB storage devices don't seem to be compatible with the Wii, unfortunately. And some users - especially those devouring the Virtual Console's classic games catalogue - are already having trouble with the Wii's very limited internal memory, of just 512 MB. But there's still hope, thanks to a Japanese company called eSOL.

A couple of days ago, they announced that Nintendo has selected two of their middleware products - the "PrFILE2" FAT file system, and the "PrUSB/Host" USB host stack - for managing and transferring data and files with external media.

"In particular", eSOL states, "PrFILE2 provides file management functions which read and write data of theSD memory card, as well as other media. PrUSB/Host functions are used in Wii, to provide USB host functions."

eSOL provides more details about the two systems in their communique, but the best part is the one we marked below, from the PrUSB/Host specification:

"PrUSB/Host is a USB host stack compliant to USB1.1 and 2.0 (Full Speed/High Speed) specifications to implement USB host functions in an embedded system. By embedding PrUSB/Host, direct communication with USB devices is supported without using PC. Optional Mass Storage class driver enables using USB flash memory, other mass storage device and digital camera as the external storage."

To put it bluntly, eSOL's technology paves the way for additional Wii peripherals, and in particular more spatious USB storage devices. Let's hope that Nintendo is also on the same wavelength...

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For the last couple of weeks, Pandemic kept teasing us with a ticking timer set to explode on the Saboteur website - dedicated to their upcoming World War II stealth shooter revealed last month (story). The countdown reached zero last night and, sure enough, the site exploded with a whole bunch of pictures: screenshots, artworks, "inspirational" photos, you name it. But what the deflagration failed to unearth, however, are more solid details about the game.

The newsletter we got this morning from Pandemic's community manager, Lazlowe, simply states the following:

"Pandemic Studios is proud to announce our latest project: Saboteur. We will be rolling out more information on the game in the coming months and it all starts with the new website.

We're very excited about this project and can't wait to tell you more about it. See the April issue of Game Informer magazine for the first public preview and look for a video interview with the Producer and Lead Designer of Saboteur on GameSpot soon!"

So until the time comes, we only have these first screenshots to go by. Looks like Saboteur will play from a third-person perspective, with a gameplay / atmosphere along the lines of Splinter Cell and Thief, and plenty of black & white scenery.

As previously reported, Saboteur will have you play the role of a saboteur in the French resistance during World War II, and it could be released in 2008. On what platforms? That, we can't say for sure just yet.

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Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East Announced

Where did this come from, all of a sudden?! Ah well, we were probably too busy speculating on the newly announced Company of Heroes expansion, to notice that Ubisoft were preparing a follow-up of their own, to another one of last year's most popular strategy games: Heroes of Might and Magic V. The fifth chapter may not have been what most HOMM fans were hoping for, but it was successful enough to deserve not just one continuation (Hammers of Fate), but two. And no more.

Today, the Might and Magic website revealed the final chapter in the Heroes V saga, titled Heroes of Might and Magic V: Tribes of the East, and planned for release in Autumn 2007 as a stand-alone product developed once again by Nival.

The interesting thing about it is that it will borrow some elements - namely races - from Dark Messiah of Might and Magic, the other M&M title release last year. As such, the main addition in Tribes of the East will be the brutal Orc faction, with its Orcs, Goblins, Cyclops and the famed Pao Kai's units. "Savage, fiercely proud and resolutely independent, the Orcs put the "might" in Might & Magic", says Ubi. And like the playful chaps that we are, we nod in approval, and continue quoting some more features listed in the announcement:

- New Campaign: Experience the dramatic conclusion of the usurper Biara’s reign. Discovering the demonic influence that corrupts the Haven knights, the savage clans of the Orc will take up arms to eradicate the Inferno threat. Characters from Dark Messiah of Might & Magic will also appear to bring an unexpected twist to this multi-layered plot. In addition, Tribes of the East will feature 10 multiplayer and five single-player maps.

- New Upgrade Level: Every creature in the Heroes V universe will get a an alternative upgrade level, increasing the total number of creatures in the Heroes of Might & Magic V line to over 170! These powerful new abilities are sure to become an integral part of your combat tactics.

- Extra Content: Expand your arsenal and gameplay with new spells, artifacts, buildings and innovative features such as the combo-based Artifact Power Link and Battle Rage, the unique racial ability of the Orcs.

Sounds solid enough, if you ask me. And here are the first screenshots (so much for exotically coloured landscapes and units, it seems).

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24 Years Later, Bruno Bonnell Leaves Atari / Infogrames

After spending half his life as the big boss of Infogrames - a company he founded 24 years ago in France, Bruno Bonnell has suddenly left the group this month. Prior to his departure, Bonnell was the Chairman, CEO and Director of Infogrames Entertainment, and he also held top positions within the Atari group (a part of the Infogrames corporation). The news comes just days after the company successfully completed the implementation of a global debt restructuring plan over the last years, after it went through some rather tough financial times (which we're not sure are over just yet...).

Today's announcement bares the following farewell message from Bonnell:

"It is with understandable emotions, but also reassured about its future, that I leave Infogrames after 24 years spent to build this group with the support of all its teams. Together, we have been able to show its strength and capacity to innovate, even in the worst situations. Time for business developers has logically come, after the entrepreneurial period. It's now time for Infogrames to conquer and progress on a market as promising as interactive entertainment business."

In the following period, Infogrames will launch "new dynamics of change for the group", with Patrick Leleu as the company's new Chairman and CEO. Even though Leleu was only appointed yesterday, he was already a director of Infogrames since January 2007. And prior to joining the French group, he used to be the CEO of Bouygues Telecom (between 1994 and 2001), and then Chairman and CEO of cable network operator Noos (between 2001 and 2005).

As the new big boss of Infogrames, Patrick Leleu's first statement was rather brief:

"I want to thank the Board to put its trust in me. I am convinced that Infogrames holds the assets, talents and teams to get back into the industrial competition and recover its dynamics of growth."

Those of you still hoping to play the next chapter in the Alone in the Dark horror adventure series (or any of Atari's other franchises) would better pray that this guy doesn't screw up!

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Implacable as ever, the adventure genre takes another small step this week, with the announcement of a new game called Prominence. It's still too early to tell whether it's a step forward, backward, or plain sideways, but from the little we know so far, Prominence will be a point-and-click adventure played from a first-person perspective, and placed in a science-fiction setting. The game's developer is an American studio called Digital Media Workshop, and as far as we can tell, this seems to be their first game project.

The action will be set within a multi-level, high-tech (and pre-rendered) facility in a futuristic universe. From what the official website tells us, we can expect "challenging puzzles and an enthralling story", that will quickly turn into a mystery revealed through physical clues, audio recordings, data archives, and a damaged central computer system in need of repairs. In other words, yet another lifeless game environment... or is it?

Maybe not so lifeless, since the game promises to feature an ensemble of character voices supplied by professional actors. Sound wise, the devs also plan to take advantage of their experience in producing music (which they have been doing for over a decade), in order to bring the world of Prominence to life through powerful environmental soundscapes and a cinematic score.

More interesting, however, is that the story will be branching into two very different paths at one point during the game, based on the player's choice. "Each path", they say, "will lead not only to a different ending, but will have different obstacles to overcome and unique environments to explore". Some of the puzzles will also have more than one solution, so this might just turn out to be one of those rare adventure games that you will feel like playing all over again. That is, assuming it will keep you hooked longed enough to finish it at least once.

Digital Media Workshop only has a couple of artworks to show for at this time, but it plans to have the final version of Prominence ready for release in 2008.

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Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts - Expansion, Not Sequel

Last month, the Games for Windows magazine set us on fire with a teasing bit hinting at a follow-up to Relic's distinguished Company of Heroes strategy game. And yesterday it was revealed (via a diminutive cover of said magazine) that the new game will be titled Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts. But we still didn't know for sure if it would be an actual sequel, or just an expansion pack. Well, today we have the official communique from THQ, so we can finally say it out loud: it's NOT a squel. It's a new, standalone chapter all right, but it sounds more like an expansion than anything else (see the marked text below).

"Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts allows players to fight as the tenacious British 2nd Army during the heroic World War II liberation of Caen, France, and command the German Panzer Elite as they struggle to repel the largest airborne invasion in history. Players can battle online in exciting new multiplayer modes with these two all-new armies and utilize full compatibility with the original Company of Heroes for a total of four playable armies."

The new chapter will be released in Autumn 2007 according to THQ, powered by an enhanced Essence Engine and with support for DirectX 10. Here's a bit more about it from Relic's Tarrnie Williams:

"In Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts players will experience fast-paced dynamic tactics like never before, in two of the most brutal World War II campaigns ever fought", said Tarrnie Williams, general manager, Relic Entertainment. "With two intensely cinematic campaigns, significant upgrades to the Essence Engine, mission persistence, improved vehicle AI and weather effects that directly impact the battlefield, we're delivering yet again on our commitment to leading the way in strategic gaming with the best, most innovative titles available."

We still don't know how exactly the new multiplayer modes will play like, but we sure got plenty of time to find out. For now, you can check out the first two screenshots in the newly opened gallery here on Playfuls.

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