Thanks to reader James it has emerged that Swiss retailer hitparade is listing a PC version of GTA IV as being released in October 2008. As previously reported citydisc is listing a PC version of GTA IV as being released on the 31st October of this year.

So yesterday I had my last exam for my second year of university. Wahooo! I am now free from education until September or October, so plenty of time for blogging :D

I have ordered some new components to sort out my PC, they will be arriving next week. Expect some blogging on that next week!

Now to enjoy the FA Cup.

C’mon City!

Following up from yesterdays news regarding a German retailer listing GTA IV for the PC the game listing on CityDisc has been changed.

The release date is now for 30th October and this has appeared in German for what I assume is the product description.

Das Spiel GTA 4 für PC ist vom Publisher Take 2 noch nicht bestätigt.

Releasedatum noch offen!!

Which translated on Babel Fish comes out with this.

The play GTA 4 for PC is not yet confirmed of the Publisher Take 2. Release date still openly!!

Which when translated again into proper English by yours truly comes out with something like this.

The release date for GTA 4 for PC has not yet been confirmed by the Publisher, Take 2. The release date is not guaranteed and is open to change.

As of writing this I have not had any response from Rockstar or Take 2 regarding this issue.

Is it possible, is it really possible that we may one day see a Gran Turismo game on the PC? According to Polyphony Digital boss Kazunori Yamauchi it may just be! In an interview with German site derStandard Kazunori had this to say:

Frage: Gibt es eine Chance, dass Gran Turismo auf einer anderen Plattform erscheint?

Kazunori Yamauchi: Es ist sehr sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass GT auf einer anderen Konsole herauskommt. Aber vielleicht kommt es auf den PC. Vor allem am chinesischen Markt könnten wir so die Verbreitung fördern.

Which according to Develop Mag means that it is very unlikely to see a Gran Turismo game on any console other than a Sony one, it is possible it may come to the PC. China is touted as a likely target for the game.

Being a lover of the GT games back in the day on my PSX/PS2 this is great news! GT5 looks gorgeous on the PS3 and for it to come to the PC would be utterly fantastic!

The Senior Producer behind Battlefield Heroes the upcoming Play 4 Free game from DICE and EA has weighed in with his thoughts on the recent debate surrounding the PC and the grave. Ben Cousins has some strong feelings on this issue and he is adamant that the PC is not dying, in fact he is of the school of thought that thinks the PC is leading a new major stage of growth for video gaming.

“If you look at the amount of PCs that are out there, we’re talking hundreds and hundreds of millions; if you look at the amount of PS3s and 360s, we’re talking tens of millions, barely. So, absolutely, people think that the PC is dying, but that’s a crazy idea…

it really feels like, to me, that we’re on the cusp of another expansive period of growth, between the DS and the Wii audiences, and there’s also an opportunity on the PC now.

PCs are everywhere — there are hundreds of thousands of internet cafes in India, and this is a poor country that soon will have a completely global, online connected world, for which games will be completely different.”

Read his extremely detailed interview with Gamasutra right here.

A ‘Call of Duty 4 Variety Map Pack’ has been dated for release on the 360 and the PS3 in April. For those who want this DLC on the consoles they will £6.80. However us PC fans are having to wait a bit for a release date and to find out whether we will be paying for these new maps.

Right now plans for the PC version are unannounced but we are working to bring PC users the same content in the future, however logistics are being worked out on how to make that happen.

That is what Infinity Ward’s Robert Bowling has said over on his blog.

What does he mean ‘logistics’ are being worked out? The only way I see it is that Infinity Ward are wondering whether we should be paying for these new maps or not. Of course if we are to get them for free then the 360 and PS3 gamers are going to be wondering why they had to pay for what we get for free. Conversely if we have to pay for these new maps then there is sure to be a backlash against Infinity Ward for charging us for what we normally are able to get for free.

I guess we shall have to wait until we hear more on this issue, but I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that we too will have to pay for the privilege to play these new maps.

It seems that the company once most closely associated with the PC, id Software, have realized that the console market is where the money is nowadays. Steve Nix of id has revealed that the company can no longer afford to ignore the ever increasing console market for FPS games. However, they are still determined to support the PC.

“So you still have PC players, and some players are just console guys, but have players moved over? Absolutely. We love PC gaming, and we continue to support PC gaming - but you can’t ignore the market realities and the size of the console market these days.”

The PC-Console and the ‘PC is dying’ debate seems to be hotting up by the day now, can we expect to see Gabe and Co. at Valve turn around next and abandon the PC, well no, but the trend is there among many developers.

GamesIndustry.biz

Great news for everyone waiting for Mass Effect on the PC, it is not a port of the 360 version…it is a conversion! At least that is the word that emerges from a Eurogamer interview.

The first thing to establish about Mass Effect on PC is that it’s not a port. “This is a conversion,” explained BioWare demonstrator Chris Priestly. “BioWare hates ports.”

Which really is great news for all us PC gamers who have yet to play Mass Effect. This conversion is also set to feature a new inventory system along with higher resolution gaming, and maybe some other stuff.

Go read that damn interview!

Sony Online Entertainment President John Smedley has talked with GameDaily here about the state of the PC gaming industry to add to a debate that seems to be getting ever more intense as the weeks go on.

Smedley is decidedly of the view that the PC is a strong platform and the growth of the MOG is a key factor in this. He is also critical of the NPD for not covering MOG subscriptions and digital distribution methods.

“It’s ridiculous and foolish to say that PC gaming [is in decline]. I’ve seen some of the dumbest quotes out there about the business [falling apart]. It’s just not true. The simple truth is the online business is picking up in a huge way. If you’re able to add in – and NPD is beginning to track this stuff – the digital sales and regular sales and subscription money and all that stuff, the PC gaming industry is at its strongest point in its history period.”

Read the rest of the article here.

In a very frank interview with Gamasutra Valve’s Doug Lombardi takes the time to talk about the success of AudioSurf, continued indie game support, Steamworks and on how he views the PC market as overtaking the console market.

Recalls Lombardi, “I can remember this story coming around in the mid ’90s… and then 3D accelerator came out, and Carmack released that patch for GL Quake, and everybody shut up, because all of a sudden PlayStation looked like crap. There’s a big shift about to come in the post-GPU space… all of a sudden PC will leapfrog what’s going on on the consoles, in many other ways besides graphics.”

In fact, continues Lombardi, the question mark might be floating squarely in the console’s future, as their prices continue climbing and more post-purchase purchases are becoming necessary. “How much longer will that story still have credibility?” He posits.

“Somebody go back and look at next-gen console install base numbers since launch time, and compare it to PSone and PS2. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if we saw these guys stuttering out at 25,000 — nobody’s going to get to 100 million, which we saw from Sony on the last 2 [console generations]. I don’t think anybody’s even thinking of this.”

This is a very in-depth interview and it presents a fantastic insight into how Doug views the PC gaming market and the future of the console industry. Check it out here.