Of all the big, red monsters that are the Acer Predator series of gaming laptops, this might be the biggest and reddest yet. The Predator 17 is a gargantuan top-of-the-line machine that, while sharing a broad design with the Predator 15, makes it look like a whelp.
That said, it also shares the Predator 15's cleverest feature: its expandable, reversible cooling system. This, on top of a speedy sixth-generation Intel Skylake processor, heaps of RAM and a star-bright display, makes the Predator 17 a worthy device – even if it sometimes feels too hefty to handle.
Then again, such an imposing stature is part of the Predator 17's audacious charm. See also the enormous exhaust vents along the back, the frequent flashes of red highlighting, and the multicoloured backlit keyboard complete with a number pad and five customisable macro keys.
Even with its mostly-plastic construction, the Predator 17 feels much more durable and tightly-built than the majority of Acer's mainstream laptops; the screen hardly bends at all, and there are no big gaps around the keyboard base.
Throw in a solid build and pleasant soft-touch finish, and this definitely feels as expensive as the asking price of £1,490 ($2,099 in the US and AU$3,599 in Australia, though both have larger 256GB SSDs).
Fan works
The cooling system is also excellent: those massive exhausts pump out heat with ease, the Blu-Ray drive can be swapped out for an auxiliary FrostCore cooler, and airflow can be temporarily reversed to flush out dust.
The downside to this otherwise admirable system is excess noise. As with the Predator 15, the Predator 17's cacophonous whirring can get pretty distracting, with the fans near-constantly kicking into full speed even outside of games.
Another alternative to the Acer Predator 17, aside from its 15-inch Predator cousin, is the Gigabyte P35X. It measures 17.3 inches, packs a GTX 980M inside and goes for £1,650 ($2,499, AU$3,440) for the top-spec version, which houses the same processor alongside a meatier GTX 980M packing 8GB of GDDR5 RAM.
With double the video memory of the Predator 17, the P35X is more suitable for demanding games with high-resolution textures (such as Fallout 4 and The Witcher 3); on the other hand, it isn't as stylish and costs £160 ($223, or AUS$312) more.
If you're on the hunt for something with a snappier design, the Alienware 17exudes gamer chic but costs a little more and is yet to be upgraded to Intel's Skylake processors. At present, it's offered with Intel's older fourth-generation Haswell chips.
Gigabyte subsidiary Aorus has made a name for itself by launching powerful gaming laptops such as the X7 and X3 Plus, and having caught the eye of hardcore gamers, the firm is now broadening its product line by introducing an array of peripherals.
Getting the ball rolling is the company's first gaming mouse, the Thunder M7, which targets MMO gamers and touts high-end features such as an 8,200 DPI sensor and 16 programmable buttons for a £62 fee. That price tag, however, puts the device up against some stern competition from the likes of Corsair's Vengeance M95, Logitech's G600 and the Razer Naga. It's a fiercely-contested space, with many established players, but with Gigabyte funding at its disposal, Aorus should be up to the challenge.
Design
First impressions are good. The Thunder M7 arrives well-packaged in a soft-texture carry case that LAN gamers are likely to appreciate. It's a nice extra, though the case is a little on the large side and contains nothing other than the mouse itself. Similarly, the rest of the bundle is sparse and includes just an instruction manual and a set of replacement Teflon feet.
The mouse itself catches you off guard when you first take hold of it. Aorus' promotional images make it look like a chunky piece of kit, but in person it's surprisingly small and light.
Measuring 116mm (L) x 70mm (W) x 44mm (H) in size and tipping the scales at 110g, the Thunder M7 can be described as a nimble gaming mouse that's suited to relatively small hands and a claw-style grip.
And the design isn't as ostentatious as we'd feared. The two-tone black-and-grey styling works, the matte finish looks smart while providing reasonable grip, there's a small top window that lets you peer into the mouse, and though plastic is the primary build material, the whole unit feels suitably rigid.
This is, however, a gaming mouse first and foremost, and for Aorus that means plenty of LED illumination. A pair of 'headlights' are positioned up front, the scroll wheel is backlit, and if you really pay attention, you can just about make out a backlit Aorus logo on the inside - it's there, but central placement makes it difficult to see from the left-sided window.
Fortunately, for those who are put off by unwanted LEDs, they can be disabled via software - though do be aware each light needs to be turned off manually, as there's currently no all-encompassing override.
Gaming Hardware
Let's talk numbers. The Thunder M7 touts a whopping 16 buttons, these include the usual left- and right-clickers, a clickable scroll wheel, a single button on the right of the mouse that's used to switch between profiles, two small buttons on top to toggle DPI settings, two buttons integrated into the edge of the left-clicker, and finally six more buttons positioned just above the thumb rest.
That's actually 14 by our count, though Aorus classes forward and backward scroll as two further buttons. Both functions are programmable, granted, but it's a little naughty nonetheless - this is, strictly speaking, a 14-button mouse.
Usability and Software
Joining the high button count is an ultra-precise 8,200 DPI sensor, the Avago A9800. Overkill for most gamers? Perhaps, but Aorus' implementation is good - the sensor is partnered with a pair of on-the-fly DPI adjustment buttons that toggle between 800, 1,600, 3,200 and 5,600 modes, and four on-device LEDs make it easy to see exactly where you're at. Not only is this useful for gaming, but on a high-resolution monitor (4K, for example), the heightened DPI can be a godsend when moving around the desktop.
The Thunder M7 looks smarter than anticipated and it has the underlying hardware to suit MMO gamers, but what's it actually like to use? Well, quite good, actually. The mouse does feel comfortable if used with a claw grip - it's too short and stout to be held any other way - and the concave thumb rest on the left is perfectly placed.
The ring finger rests nicely on the right-hand side, and all buttons are easy to navigate. We were worried about button overload, but in use we've been able to hit the right buttons with reasonable speed - there's enough definition between them to be able to do so, though it would have been nice for the left-sided cluster to have been backlit. Nitpicking somewhat, we'd also prefer the DPI toggle switches to be closer to the scrollwheel - they're just a tad too far back for our liking.
Aorus' rubberised scroll wheel is notched and offers good resistance, though it doesn't support horizontal scrolling, so that's something to bear in mind.
Of course, making the most of the hardware entails loading-up the accompanying software utility. This is entirely optional - the Thunder M7 will happily function as a plug-and-play device - but the lightweight (12.7MB) 'Macro Engine' utility is needed to customise the peripheral's more advanced features.
From within the software, users can re-map all the available buttons and five profiles are available, so you can easily configure unique settings for different games. What's handy is that the profiles are colour-coded and the M7's onboard LEDs reflect the profile currently in use. As you'd expect, there's also a comprehensive macro-recording facility, as well as an option to customise the DPI presets, with per-axis control.
Aorus has almost all the MMO basics covered, but playing it safe the manufacturer has created a very specific solution. The Thunder M7 works really well as a mouse for right-handed MMO gamers with small hands who have a preference for the claw grip. If you want something bigger, an ambidextrous design or perhaps a heavier weight, Aorus doesn't yet have an option, though we suspect it won't be long until size and weight-adjustment mechanisms make their way into the company's expanding product line.
Summary
Aorus is the latest PC hardware manufacturer to enter the burgeoning gaming peripheral market and does so with a premium mouse aimed squarely at MMO gamers. Priced at around the £62 mark, the Thunder M7 faces-off against established competition by touting more than a dozen programmable buttons, dynamic DPI switching and colour-coded profiles backed by a serviceable software utility.
The array of functions all work well, but with no size- or weight-adjustment options, the Thunder M7's appeal is limited to a very specific gamer. Need a lightweight gaming mouse with a high-quality sensor, numerous buttons and a form factor suited to claw-grip use? Then the Thunder M7 should be on your radar.
The Good
Precise 8,200 DPI sensor
14 dedicated buttons
Comfortable for claw-grip use
Dynamic DPI switching with LED status
Two-tone styling looks unique
Bundled carry case
The Bad
No weight adjustment, might be too light for some small profile not ideal for users with big hands
Wheel doesn't support horizontal scrolling
I’ve long be intrigued about the potential of virtual reality, and as such, I’ve been dying to try the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive. Sadly, I’ve yet to have the opportunity to try either.
I humbly settled on Google Cardboard, which is a nice novelty, but a less than ideal experience. For all that Google Cardboard lacked, it made it clear that VR is more than just a passing fad, and that it features some serious potential.
Google Cardboard, for all of its merits, doesn’t do the idea of VR justice. Fortunately, you don’t have to spend ~$1500 to enjoy a proper VR experience. Samsung’s Gear VR, an idea brought to reality via a partnership with VR pioneer Oculus, is a legitimate VR experience that makes me downright excited about the future of this technology.
Gear VR is far from perfect, but it’s a huge upgrade over Google Cardboard, and cheap enough to where the masses can both experience and validate it.
Compatibility
The Samsung Gear VR works with the following Samsung devices:
Galaxy S7
S7 edge
Note5
Galaxy S6
S6 edge
If you don’t already own one of these devices, then the cost of entry goes up significantly. I wouldn’t recommend buying a brand new Galaxy device just to try the Gear VR, but if you already own any of the aforementioned devices, then the Gear VR’s $99 asking price is worthy of your consideration.
If you’re determined to try the Samsung Gear VR, and you don’t already own an eligible device, your best option may be to try to find a used Galaxy S6. I’ve seen the Galaxy S6 going for less than $400 in good condihttps://teenstechno.blogspot.com/tion on Amazon, and you’ll probably be able to find something cheaper on a site like Craigslist.
Fortunately, I have a Galaxy S7 in my possession, so all I needed to do was purchase the Gear VR and I was ready to go.
Installing
Before you can get started, you’ll have to install the needed software to your Samsung phone. You’ll be prompted to install the necessary apps, including the Oculus app, upon connecting your device to the Gear VR for the first time.
You’ll also be required to sign up with an Oculus account, which I found to be a bit tedious. I ended up having to complete the sign-up on my Mac, because it didn’t want to cooperate when trying to do so from the phone. Once you’re all signed up, you can link a credit card in order to purchase apps and games.
From there, it’s just a matter of connecting the phone back to the Gear VR via the notches on the end of the headset. The headset includes a micro USB port for the phone to slide into, which allows the device to interface with the Gear VR.
The hardware
I’ve yet to be able to play with an Oculus Rift or an HTC Vive, but I imagine that the quality of those two devices far exceeds the build quality of the Gear VR. For one thing, those units are self-contained units with their own built in screens.
The Samsung Gear VR, for as nice as it is, feels as if you’re jerry-rigging it together every time you connect your smartphone. With that noted, it’s still a hundred times nicer than the nicest Google Cardboard experience available, and a whole lot cheaper than the Vive or the Rift.
On top of the Gear VR is a focal adjustment for adjusting the focus of the display. On the right side is a touch pad with a back button for navigating throughout the interface. Right in front of the touch pad, you’ll find a pair of volume buttons for adjusting the volume of the Galaxy device connected to the Gear VR.
I found all of the buttons easy to interface with. I especially like the touch sensitive buttons, as they are responsive, and provide necessary input control to navigate through various menus. The touch sensitive buttons can also be used as face button while playing games, although buying a third-party controller for the Gear VR is highly recommended if you want to do any sort of real gaming.
Of course, the majority of the actual “hardware” experience is determined by the smartphone itself. All of the compatible devices should be powerful enough to drive many of the apps and games available on the Gear VR sufficiently. It’s obviously best if you can use the latest and greatest Samsung phone, but any of the compatible devices should work well enough.
The software
To put it bluntly, many of the apps and games that are compatible with the Gear VR are nothing more that tech demos. Still, there are a few gems to be found. Here are a few of the titles that I can recommend based off of hands-on experience or word of mouth:
Smash Hit
Lands End
Minecraft Gear VR Edition (haven’t played, still waiting on controller)
Perfect Moon VR Edition (haven’t played, still waiting on controller)
Samsung Milk (Six Flags Rollercoasters)
Keep in mind that I’ve only been able to test the Gear VR and its software for less than 24 hours, so my opinions and recommendations regarding software are subject to change. If you have any app recommendations, please drop us a line in the comment section.
Comfort
The VR experience is as personal as it gets, because you’re literally strapping a piece of hardware to your face. As such, the experience has to be comfortable for it to work.
As a glasses wearer, I found the Gear VR to be bearable, but it’s not something I’d want to keep strapped to my head for more than a few minutes at a time. The eye cups, for as much padding as they provide, still proved to be fatigue-inducing when used for more than 10 minutes. Perhaps it’s because I’m not used to the feeling of a headset being strapped on my face, but I found the experience to be mildly uncomfortable. I definitely think that the comfort level goes up when you don’t wear glasses, but since I don’t currently wear contacts, I don’t have a choice.
The straps — the are two of them, one that goes horizontally and one that connects vertically — don’t feature enough adjustment options for my taste. I ended up removing the vertical strap, and just going with the main horizontal strap, because the dual strap setup felt too tight and restrictive.
I understand that there is only so much that Samsung can provide for just $99, so I don’t want to be overly critical when it comes to fit and comfort. Still, you need to know that this isn’t a device that most people will want to wear for extended sessions.
Graphics and Sound
The first thing that you’re going to notice is that, yes, there is pixelation. In some of the more immersive games, it’s easy to look past the pixelation, but it’s definitely there and it’s obvious.
As far as sound is concerned, you’re going to want to use a pair of headphones instead of relying on the sound coming out of the Galaxy device’s speaker. Having headphones lends heavily to the immersive experience.
On several of the games that I played, such as Smash Hit, and Lands End, I noticed occasional frame rate dips and graphical glitches, but those issues can be overlooked when you see how immersive the experience is as a whole.
An Immersive experience
It’s easy to pick out the Gear VR’s flaws, but flaws are minimized when you get to experience truly immersive gameplay. There’s simply nothing quite like it, and no words can help one to understand how it feels if you’ve never tried modern VR before.
The head tracking provided by the Gear VR, combined with the isolated sense that you get from the headset’s snug fit, makes the experience so much better than Google Cardboard. Using the Gear VR makes it feel like you’ve stepped into another location, and while I was always cognizant that I was a part of a simulation, I’ve never felt so close to being there.
This is not a perfect device, not in the least, but I don’t think anyone ever claimed that it was. What it is, is the first real step towards mass market virtual reality that actually works. The software is a mixed bag, but some titles, such as the already mentioned Lands End, highlight the potential of the medium.
VR is still in its infancy, but even so, it’s easy to see the incredible potential here. If you already own a compatible Galaxy device, then I believe the $99 Samsung Gear VR is worth the price of admission for a glimpse of the future.
As I stated at the outset, I wanted to provide you with some quick first impressions of my first 24 hours with the Samsung Gear VR. I’ll be back with more in-depth nuanced analysis of specific features in the future.
The game is played from either a first-person or third-person view and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. Players control the three lead protagonists throughout single-player and switch between them both during and outside of missions. The story is centred on the heist sequences, and many missions involve shooting and driving gameplay. A "wanted" system governs the aggression of law enforcement response to players who commit crimes. Grand Theft Auto Online, the online multiplayer mode, lets up to 30 players explore the open world and engage in cooperative or competitive game matches.
Development began soon after Grand Theft Auto IV's release and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. The development team drew influence from many of their previous projects such as Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3, and designed the game around three lead protagonists to innovate on the core structure of its predecessors. Much of the development work constituted the open world's creation, and several team members conducted field research around California to capture footage for the design team. The game's soundtrack features an original score composed by a team of producers who collaborated over several years.
Extensively marketed and widely anticipated, the game broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history, earning US $800 million in its first day and US $1 billion in its first three days. It received widespread critical acclaim, with praise directed at its multiple protagonist design, open world, presentation and gameplay. It caused controversies related to its depiction of women and a mission featuring torture during a hostage interrogation. Considered one of seventh generation console gaming's most significant titles, it won year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications. It has shipped over 65 million copies and is one of the best-selling video games of all time.
Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto V is an action-adventure game played from either a first-person or third-person view. Players complete missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. Outside of missions, players may freely roam the open world. Composed of the San Andreas open countryside area and the fictional city of Los Santos, the world is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series. It may be fully explored after the game's beginning without restriction, although story progress unlocks more gameplay content.
Players may take cover behind objects during firefights to avoid taking damage from enemies.
Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the world.[f] To accommodate the map's size, the game introduces vehicle types absent in its predecessor Grand Theft Auto IV, such asfixed-wing aircraft. Auto-aim and a cover system may be used as assistance against enemies in combat. Should players take damage, their health meter will gradually regenerate to its halfway point. Players respawn at hospitals when their health depletes. If players commit crimes while playing, law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in thehead-up display (HUD).[ Stars displayed on the meter indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum five-star level, police helicopters and SWAT teams swarm to lethally dispatch players). Law enforcement officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The meter enters a cooldown mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight (as displayed on the mini-map).
The single-player mode lets players control three characters: Michael De Santa, Trevor Philips and Franklin Clinton—criminals whose stories interconnect as they complete missions. Some missions are completed with only one character and others feature two or three. Throughout single-player, players may switch between the protagonists at will by means of a directional compass on the HUD. The game may switch between characters automatically in single-player missions to complete certain objectives. A character's compass avatar will flash red if he is in danger and needs help, and flash white if he has a strategic advantage. Though players complete missions as any of the three protagonists, the more difficult heist missions require aid from AI-controlled accomplices with unique skill sets like computer hacking and driving. If an accomplice survives a successful heist, they take a cut from the cash reward and may be available for later missions with improvements to their unique skills. Differentiation in heist mission strategies is encouraged; in a holdup mission, players may either stealthily subdue civilians with an incapacitating agent or conspicuously storm the venue with guns drawn.
Each character has a set of eight skills that represent their ability in certain areas such as shooting and driving. Though skills improve through play, each character has a skill with expertise by default (i.e. Trevor's flying skill). The eighth "special" skill determines the effectiveness in performing an ability that is unique to each respective character. Michael enters bullet time in combat, Franklin slows down time while driving, and Trevor deals twice as much damage to enemies while taking half as much in combat. A meter on each character's HUD depletes when an ability is being used and regenerates when players perform skilful actions (for example, drifting in vehicles as Franklin or pulling off headshotsas Michael).
While free roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as scuba diving underwater or BASE jumping via parachute. Each character has asmartphone for contacting friends, starting activities and accessing an in-game Internet. The Internet lets players trade in stocks via a stock market. Players may purchase properties such as homes and businesses, upgrade the weapons and vehicles in each character's arsenal, and customise their appearance by purchasing outfits, haircuts, tattoos and jewellery.
Plot
Nine years after a botched robbery in Ludendorff, North Yankton, former bank robber Michael Townley lives under witness protection with his family in Los Santos, San Andreas, under the alias Michael De Santa. He meets and befriends gangbanger Franklin Clinton when the latter attempts to fraudulently repossess his son's car on behalf of a corrupt Armenian car salesman. When Michael discovers his wife Amanda has been sleeping with her tennis coach, he chases the coach to a mansion and destroys it out of anger. The mansion's owner turns out to be the girlfriend of Mexican drug lord Martin Madrazo, who demands compensation under the threat of further violence. Michael goes back into a life of crime to obtain the money and enlists Franklin as an accomplice. Together, they perform a jewellery shop heist to help pay the debt. Michael's sole surviving partner in the Ludendorff robbery, Trevor Philips, hears of the jewellery heist and realises that it was Michael's handiwork. The two reunite after Trevor tracks Michael down in Los Santos.
The personal lives of the protagonists begin to spiral out of control. Michael's family leaves him, and his attempts to make something of himself bring him into conflict with Devin Weston, a self-made billionaire venture capitalist and corporate raider who develops a grudge against him. Weston vows revenge after his lawyer dies in an accident that Michael is blamed for. Franklin rescues his friend Lamar Davis from gangster and former friend Harold "Stretch" Joseph, who repeatedly attempts to kill Lamar to prove himself to his brethren. Trevor's reckless efforts to consolidate his control over various black markets in Blaine County see him waging war against the San Andreas chapter of The Lost outlaw motorcycle club, a number of Latin American street gangs, rival meth dealers, government-sponsored mercenaries and Triad kingpin Wei Cheng.
Federal Investigation Bureau (FIB) government agents Dave Norton and Steve Haines contact Michael and demand that he perform a series of operations with Franklin and Trevor to undermine a rival agency, the International Affairs Agency (IAA).[Under Haines' direction, they attack an armoured convoy carrying funds intended for the IAA and raid a bank containing the payroll for all corrupt police and public officials in Los Santos. As Haines comes under increasing scrutiny for his methods, he forces Franklin and Michael to infiltrate the FIB headquarters and erase any evidence being used against him from their servers. Michael takes the opportunity to wipe any data on his own activities, destroying Haines' leverage over him. The trio start planning their most daring feat ever: raiding the Union Depository's gold bullion reserve.
Michael makes amends with his family and they start living together again after returning to Los Santos. Meanwhile, Trevor discovers that a former Ludendorff heist accomplice, Brad Snider, was not in prison as he was led to believe, but killed during the heist and buried in the grave marked for Michael. Trevor's feelings of betrayal cause friction within the group and threaten to undermine their Union Depository plans. When Michael and Norton, both of whom are betrayed by Haines, are caught in a Mexican standoff between the FIB, IAA and private security firm Merryweather, Trevor aids in their escape, holding that only he has the right to kill Michael. Despite not forgiving Michael, Trevor still wants to perform the Union Depository heist; the duo agree to part ways afterwards.
The Union Depository heist is completed successfully, but Franklin is approached by two parties separately who demand that he kill Trevor or Michael. Haines and Norton contend that Trevor is a liability, and Weston wants retribution for Michael's betrayal. Franklin has three choices: kill Michael, kill Trevor or kill neither and face their enemies together. Should Franklin kill either Michael or Trevor, he ceases contact with the survivor and returns to his old life. Should he kill neither, the trio withstand an onslaught from the FIB and Merryweather before going on to kill Haines, Stretch, Cheng and Weston. Michael and Trevor reconcile, and the three cease working together but remain friends.
Development
Rockstar North began to develop Grand Theft Auto V in 2009, following Grand Theft Auto IV's release. Development was conducted by a team of more than 1,000 people, including Rockstar North's core team and staff from parent company Rockstar Games's studios around the world. The proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) was overhauled for the game to improve its draw distance rendering capabilities. The Euphoria and Bullet software handle additional animation and rendering tasks. Having become familiar with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 hardware over time, Rockstar found they were able to push the consoles' graphical capabilities further than in previous games. Analyst estimations place the game's combined development and marketing budget at more than £170 million (US $265 million), which would make it the most expensive game ever made at that time.
The open world was modelled on Southern California and Los Angeles, and its design and in-game render constituted much of the game's early work. Key members of the game world production team took field research trips throughout the region and documented their research with photo and video footage. Google Maps projections of Los Angeles were used by the team to help design Los Santos's road networks. To reflect and reproduce Los Angeles's demographic spread, the developers studied census data and watched documentaries about the city.[ The team considered creating the open world the most technically demanding aspect of the game's production.
A fundamental design goal from the outset was to innovate on the series's core structure by giving players control of three lead protagonists instead of one. The idea was first raised during Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas's development, but contemporaneous hardware restrictions made it infeasible. Having developed two Grand Theft Auto IVepisodic expansion packs featuring new protagonists in 2009, the team wanted to base Grand Theft Auto V around three simultaneously controlled protagonists. The team viewed it as a spiritual successor to many of their previous games (such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Red Dead Redemption and Max Payne 3), and designed it to improve upon their gameplay mechanics. They sought to improve the action gameplay by refining the shooting mechanics and cover system, and reworked the driving mechanics to correctGrand Theft Auto IV's difficult vehicle controls.
After an audition process, Ned Luke, Shawn Fonteno and Steven Ogg were selected to portray Michael, Franklin and Trevor, respectively.[48] Their performances were mostly recorded using motion capture technology,[49] but dialogue for scenes with characters seated in vehicles was recorded in studios instead.[50] The game is the first in its series to feature an original score, composed by a team of producers collaborating with each other over several years.[51]Licensed music provided by an in-game radio is also used.[52]The team licensed more than 241 tracks shared between fifteen radio stations, with an additional two stations providing talk radio. Some of the tracks were written specifically for the game, such as rapper and producer Flying Lotus's original work composed for the FlyLo FM radio station he hosts.
The game was first announced by Rockstar Games on 25 October 2011. They released its debut trailer one week later, with an official press release acknowledging its setting. Journalists noted that the announcement ignited widespread anticipation within the gaming industry, which they owed to the cultural significance of the series.The game missed its original projected Q2 2013 release date, pushed back to 17 September to allow for further polishing. To spur pre-order game sales, Rockstar collaborated with several retail outlets to make a special edition with extra in-game features.[61] They ran a viral marketing strategy with a website for a fictional religious cult, "The Epsilon Program", that offered users the chance to feature in game as members of the cult.
A comparison of the PlayStation 4(left) and PlayStation 3 (right) versions of the game. The enhanced re-release features greater draw distances and higher-resolution textures than the original versions.
A re-release of the game was announced for Microsoft Windows (PC), PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at E3 2014. This enhanced version features an increased draw distance, finer texture details, denser traffic, upgraded weather effects, and new wildlife and vegetation. It includes a new on-foot first-person view option, which required the development team to overhaul the animation system to accommodate first-person gameplay. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions were released on 18 November 2014. The PC version, initially scheduled for simultaneous release with the console versions,[63] was delayed until 14 April 2015. According to Rockstar, it required extra development time for "polish". The PC version is capable of 60 frames per second gameplay at 4K resolution, and the Rockstar Editor lets players capture and edit gameplay videos.
Commercial performence
Sales
Within 24 hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto V generated more than $800 million in worldwide revenue, equating to approximately 11.21 million copies sold for Take Two.The numbers nearly doubled analysts' expectations for the title. Three days after release, the game had surpassed one billion dollars in sales, making it the fastest selling entertainment product in history. Six weeks after its release, Rockstar had shipped nearly 29 million copies of the game to retailers, exceeding the lifetime figures of Grand Theft Auto IV.On 7 October 2013, the game became the best-selling digital release on PlayStation Store for PlayStation 3, breaking the previous record set by The Last of Us, though numerical sales figures were not disclosed. It broke seven Guinness World Records on 8 October: best-selling video game in 24 hours, best-selling action-adventure video game in 24 hours, highest grossing video game in 24 hours, fastest entertainment property to gross $1 billion, fastest video game to gross $1 billion, highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours, and most viewed trailer for an action-adventure video game.A digital version was released on 18 October for the Xbox 360, which went on to become the highest grossing day-one and week-one release on Xbox Live. As of May 2014, the game has generated over $1.98 billion in revenue. As of August 2014, the game has sold-in over 34 million units to retailers for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. As of 31 December 2014, the game has shipped 45 million copies to retailers, including 10 million copies of the re-released version for eighth-generation consoles. As of 18 May 2016, the game has shipped over 65 million copies across all platforms.
In the United Kingdom, the game became the all time fastest-selling, selling more than 2.25 million copies in five days. This broke the record set by Call of Duty: Black Ops at two million copies over the same period. It broke the day one record by selling 1.57 million copies and generating £65 million. In two weeks, the game sold more than 2.6 million copies and generated £90 million, which accounted for 52% of games sold September 2013. After three weeks on sale, it beat Grand Theft Auto IV's lifetime sales in the United Kingdom. In its fourth week, it became the fastest-selling title to break the three million barrier in the UK, thus overtaking Black Ops II's lifetime sales. In November 2014, the game became the best-selling game of all time in the UK, overtaking Black Ops. The game was similarly successful in North America: it was the best selling game in September, representing over 50% of software sales and boosting overall software sales by 52% compared to September 2012.
Various in-game elements were recognised with awards. Two characters, Trevor Philips and Lamar Davis, received numerous nominations for Best Character, and Lamar won the award from Giant Bomb. The music received awards from Spike VGX,Hardcore Gamer and The Daily Telegraph.Grand Theft Auto Online won Best Multiplayer from GameTrailers and BAFTA, and Best Xbox 360 Multiplayer from IGN.Online was also nominated for Biggest Disappointment by Game Revolutionand Hardcore Gamer.Grand Theft Auto V won Best Technical Achievement in the Telegraph Video Game Awards,and Best Technology at the 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The graphical and artistic design received awards from IGN,The Daily Telegraph and BAFTA, and a nomination at the Game Developers Choice Awards.
The game received numerous other awards. It was awarded the title of Most Immersive Game at the Inside Gaming Awards. The general public voted for the game to receive the User Choice Award at the PlayStation Awards 2013 and the Community Choice award from Destructoid. The game received the Platinum Award at the PlayStation Awards, and was named the Best British Game from BAFTA. At IGN's Best of 2013 Awards, it received multiple wins, including Best Xbox 360 Graphics, Best Xbox 360 Sound, and Best Action Game on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3and overall.
Developed in tandem with the single-player mode, the online multiplayer mode Grand Theft Auto Online was conceived as a separate experience to be played in a continually evolving world. Up to 30 players freely roam across the game world and enter lobbies to complete jobs (story-driven competitive and cooperative modes). The Content Creator toolset lets players create their own parameters for custom jobs, like racetracks and deathmatch weapon spawn points. Players may band together in organised player teams called crews to complete jobs together. Rockstar Games Social Club extends crews formed in Max Payne 3's multiplayer mode to that of Grand Theft Auto Online. Players may create their own crews and join up to five total. Crews win multiplayer matches to earn experience points and climb online leaderboards.
Grand Theft Auto Online launched on 1 October 2013, two weeks after Grand Theft Auto V's release. Many players reported connection difficulties and game freezes during load screens. Rockstar released a technical patch on 5 October in an effort to resolve the issues, but problems persisted the second week following launch as some players reported their character progress as having disappeared. Another technical patch was released on 10 October combating the issues and Rockstar offered a GTA $500,000 (in-game currency) stimulus to the accounts of all players connected to Online since launch as recompense. Because of the widespread technical issues present at launch, many reviewers bemoaned their experience with Grand Theft Auto Online, but generally recognised the open-ended exploration and dynamic content as its strength.
Post-release content is continually added to Grand Theft Auto Online through free title updates. Some updates add new game modes and features, and others feature themed gameplay content, such as the Independence Day Special update that added patriotic-themed content on 1 July 2014. The widely anticipated Online Heists update launched on 10 March 2015 and suffered some initial technical difficulties due to the increased user load. Shortly after the game's PC release, some players reported being banned from Grand Theft Auto Online for using field of view and cosmetic mods in single-player. Rockstar stated in their official blog that nobody had been banned fromOnline for using single-players mods, but that recent updates to the PC version had the "unintentional effect" of making such mods unplayable. They stated that mods are unauthorised and may cause unforeseen technical problems and instabilities.
