After disabling the choice to purchase Grand Theft Auto IV in January, Rockstar now say 2008’s open-world homicide simulator will return to sale in March with a number of modifications. Microsoft’s terrible Games For Windows Live technogubbins is being eliminated as a result of it triggered the difficulty within the first place, and that’s nice information. It appears some of us can even obtain the expansions or base game at no cost too. Unfortunately, Rockstar are additionally eradicating GTA IV’s multiplayer mode and can briefly disable a number of radio stations. A combined crimebag.
Rockstar now say on the Steam page that Grand Theft Auto IV will once more be that can be purchased from March 19th. At that time, the unique game and its standalone expansions, Episodes From Liberty City, will solely be out there within the one Complete Edition. GTA IV on Steam will probably be upgraded to the Complete Edition and obtain the EFLC content material. EFLC, alternatively, will probably be outright faraway from house owners’ Steam libraries and changed with the Complete Edition so that they’ll have to obtain the lot. But principally evidently should you personal both, congrats, you’ll come to personal each. There will probably be different modifications.
Good information: Games For Windows Live will probably be gone. This terrible vintage system is from a darkish time when Microsoft tried to muscle again into PC gaming, and triggered infinite issues and frustrations. When Rockstar pulled Grand Theft Auto IV from sale on Steam, they defined it was as a result of they may not generate GFWL keys for brand spanking new gamers. Seeing because the game’s authentication and social stuff relied upon GFWL, that was an actual drawback.
Bad information: Rockstar are eradicating GTA IV’s multiplayer mode. It’s definitely not widespread lately, however that’s nonetheless an choice being eliminated. Booo. Leaderboards are going too, that are a characteristic I actually didn’t realize it had so okay certain?
Concerning information: the RamJam FM, Self-Actualization FM, and Vice City FM from EFLC “will be temporarily unavailable” after the changeover. Rockstar say it’s short-term however it’s laborious to belief the songs will return once they do have a historical past of eradicating songs from GTA games. They removed 17 songs from San Andreas in 2014 and in 2018 cut 50-odd songs from GTA IV whereas including 11 new ones. This may solely be short-term however ah, I’ll consider it after I see it.
I’m glad to see GFWL ripped from one other game. What a multitude that was. Back in 2008, they have been centered on Xbox and weren’t releasing many PC games however certain did have some wrongheaded concepts about awkwardly forcing components of the Xbox ecosystem on PC in a means that largely caused technical problems and frustration. What rubbish. Valve’s Steamworks did kill it however not quickly sufficient. It’s bizarre to distinction then with Microsoft’s present efforts. After years of indifference to PC gaming, they’re now bringing all their Xbox games to Windows 10, they offer quick access to these and extra within the remarkably low-cost Xbox Game Pass, they usually’re typically doing proper by us. Thicrosoft.
In different present information, Dan Houser, a co-founder of Rockstar and co-writer of GTA IV (amongst many different large Rockstar games), is leaving the company after 21 years.
Disclosure: Like any Edinburgh resident, I’ve inevitably discovered myself with a number of friends who work at Rockstar. Those individuals are in every single place, you recognize, and never all of them determine themselves with t-shirts from the corporate swagstash.
