6 New Chinatown Wars Screenshots

I have found 6 new Chinatown Wars screenshots floating around the web. Nothing groundbreaking but it's something to look at none the less.

Check out the Chinatown Wars gallery for all 6 screenshots.

Chinatown Wars Online Narcotics Trafficking

Earlier today we reported that Nintendo Power had published a quote by Rockstar Leeds' president Gordon Hall. He referrs to the narcotics trafficking as "standalone" and explains that it will be tied in with the Social Club. This sounds an awful lot like an interactive narcotics market, much alike that of Drug Lord.

If this is in fact true then how will it tie in with the GTA gameplay?

Chinatown Wars "Bigger" than PSP GTA Games

Nintendo Power is has published new information on Chinatown Wars. Rockstar Leeds President, Gordon Hall explains;

Chinatown Wars is much bigger than anything we have ever done before [in terms of scope]: more odd jobs, deeper missions, and more moments of over-the-top action. We have a huge interaction with the Rockstar Social Club, a massive [narcotics trafficking] game that would stand alone on its own. The list goes on and on; this thing is huge. We are very proud of all of the PSP games we have made, especially the two GTA games, but this game is far bigger.

I for one loved GTA on the PSP and I am interested to see whether Chinatown Wars can live up to the above statement, especially since they are claiming it will be bigger than the PSP environments despite the obvious hardware limitations.

GameStop.com - If you Preorder, you're a Cheater

As far as preorder incentives go this is one of the most bizarre I've ever seen. If you preorder the game with GameStop you'll receive $10,000 in-game cash and immediate access to every single in-game weapon.

This seems perculiar earning money and "unlocking" new weapons are one of the main aspects of playing through the game. While they're at it they should include a 100% save-game and list of spoilers...
 

Chinatown Wars DS Boxart

In Rockstar's latest newsletter they have provided a picture of what appears to be the Chinatown Wars DS boxart.

Chinatown Wars Delayed Until March

Rockstar games have released the following statement detailing that Chinatown Wars will be delayed until 17th and 20th of March 2009 in North America and Europe, respectively.

Critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto franchise makes its DS debut this March

New York, NY – December 15, 2008 - Rockstar Games, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO), is proud to announce the release date for Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, the latest entry into the genre-defining Grand Theft Auto series. Developed by Rockstar Leeds, in conjunction with series creators Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be available for the Nintendo DS™ on March 17 and 20, 2009 in North America and Europe, respectively.

"Rockstar Leeds have once again created a game that far exceeds our standard for deep and innovative entertainment," said Sam Houser, Founder of Rockstar Games. "We are incredibly excited to share this enormous and uncompromising Grand Theft Auto experience with DS fans."

Edge Magazine commented, "How does Rockstar follow Grand Theft Auto IV? By rebuilding Liberty City from the ground up on DS - and not compromising its vision one iota."

Nintendo Power added, "...it's undeniable that Chinatown Wars is doing something no other DS game has come close to: creating that living, breathing world the Grand Theft Auto games are known for."

For more information about Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars, please visit: www.rockstargames.com/chinatownwars.

Gordon Hall and 1UP talk Chinatown Wars

1UP have an excellent interview with Rockstar Leeds' Gordon Hall where they discuss the upcoming Chinatown Wars;

1UP: Why has the wanted system been changed from the one in GTA4 -- escaping the police radius -- into one about disabling the police cars?

GH: We've tried to make this game a much more arcadey experience. We wanted to have nearly all of the gameplay play out onscreen in a visceral way. Taking the cops out in any way you can fit this goal perfectly. It feels really cool to ram another car into a tree, or if you're good enough, force it over a ramp and into the sea. While playing, some of the guys here have managed to bail out of their car whilst jumping a ramp, having the car blow up a police helicopter in midair -- these are the kind of moments game designers and players alike love.

Head on over to 1UP for the full interview.

More Chinatown Wars Information

NintendoEverything has new details from the same Spanish magazine that brought us the Chinatown Wars map. They have released a short list of features that we can expect to see in Chinatown Wars;

• Camera can swivel 360 degrees
• Expect a similar GTA environment with cars roaming, peds on the sidewalks etc...
• We'll have access to the gps/radar on the touch screen and it will update your position as expected.
• We also have a PDA that will provide a detailed map and mission goals.
• As in GTAIV you'll be able to point a location on the map and the GPS will indicate the fastest, legal, way there with yellow or blue arrows.
• New important spots are added to the map when discovered, the magazine points out gas stations has one of them.
• You'll be seeing the live action on the top screen while you have in the lower screens elements like gps, pda, radio stations, access to the people on the map, or using Motolov cocktails and grenades.
• Drugs have a big importance in the game.
• Drug system can be compared to Drugwars.
• You will have to control your drug stock as you buy and sell them in different neighborhoods.
• We have access to a map that points out who needs what and for how much.
• You can catch a taxi, to order the driver to stop, whistle into the microphone.

 

Chinatown Wars Expected Feb - April, GTA IV DLC end of Jan

Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick (Speaking at the BMO Capital Market Conference) supplied proposed release dates for both Chinatown Wars and the ever delayed GTA IV DLC.

Chinatown Wars is expected sometime between February and April 09 pushing the release into Take-Two second fiscal quarter, whereas the long-awaited GTA IV DLC is expected in late January.

Chinatown Wars screens & EDGE Preview

A few weeks ago we posted screens from EDGE magazine's preview of Chinatown Wars. The article has now been posted online, along with higher quality digital images (Rather than the scanned images).

To check out all of the screenshots check out the Chinatown Wars media page.