Grand theft auto 5 screenshots

GTA 5 release date, trailer, cheats, news and rumours all rolled up into one: What's in store for the upcoming Xbox 360, Sony PS3 & PC title?

Update: New rumours suggest that the GTA V release date will be announced at Gamescom 2012. Plus; two new screenshots have been revealed.

With Grand Theft Auto 5 now confirmed thanks to the GTA V trailer which was released a few months ago we look at all the news, trailers and rumours surrounding the upcoming Rockstar title.

Grand Theft Auto 5 news

Update: According to fresh rumours, we could be seeing a GTA 5 release date announcement at the Gamescom trade fair, which is held annually in Cologne, Germany.

The rumour mill went wild after a Gamescom 2012 promotional video, which was released online earlier this month, showed a brief clip of the game.

The game's publisher, Take-Two, is also included on the list of exhibitors, so the chances of a big announcement being made is extremely likely, although never gaurenteed.

Previously, developer Rockstar offered a tantalising insight into Grand Theft Auto 5 with a spokesperson for the company telling eager gamers more is to come "in a few months time."

That was a few months ago.

"Right now, we are very hard at work on the game and are excited as well to show and tell you more as development progresses," an unnamed representative for the company said.

"Expect that we'll be talking much more about GTAV starting at some point in a few months' time."

What we do know for certain is that GTA 5 will be arriving on the PS3 after Sony’s PlayStation 3 site put up an official GTA V web page.

Elsewhere the map for GTA V has been 'leaked' via a person claiming to be an employee of Rockstar who was leaving in two weeks, the map shows Los Santos along with desirable Vinewood area known for being a fictional interpretation of Hollywood.

GTA 5: Screenshots

Update: Earlier this month, Rockstar treated GTA fans to an early glimpse of its upcoming title with the release of two new screenshots.

The pics show a man sitting alone on a pier, admiring the beautiful scenery around him, while another is of a helicopter hovering above the city (San Andreas).

Games blogs went crazy over the snaps, with many fanboys taking to online forums to discuss the much-mooted title. Pics below. Enjoy.

Grand Theft Auto 5 release date

As yet there has been no official confirmation on a Grand Theft Auto 5 release date however analysts believe that Rockstar is following a 6 month schedule which will see an E3 2012 launch.

IndustryGamers spoke to financial analysts who believe this schedule will result in a release before the end of 2012.

"We believe Rockstar Games is modeling a 4 to 6 month marketing window for their upcoming GTA Vrelease, suggesting a Summer '12 launch period,"

If Zavvi is to be believed then the GTA 5 release date will be much later with the site stating an exact release date of 23 November which would put it in line to be Christmas no.1.

With the gaming world looking toward Rockstar for a confirmed GTA V UK release date, a developer on the title has suggested the game's release has been pushed back from a previously tipped October arrival to a new December launch.

Mass Effect 3

Those who have pre-ordered Mass Effect 3 from Game and Gamestation will either have to wait until April or find somewhere else to get their fix

Game and Gamestation will not be stocking Mass Effect 3 when it's released. Game have claimed that this is a 'supply issue' however a source talking to CVG believes it is a credit issue with EA Games.

Game has responded to the claims confirming that the game would not be making it into stores however they have revealed no further information regarding speculation that the two gaming chains will not be stocking any EA Games in March.

 

According to a leaked internal memo found by IGN the gaming company was unable to come to a suitable agreement with EA Games regarding credit terms.

"We committed to only stocking products on which we could get the right credit terms, regardless of the title or the supplier. We will not stock products if the terms are not right for our business - we will not sacrifice long-term credit requirements for short-term sales opportunities."

For those who have pre-ordered Mass Effect 3 via Game the shop will apparently be offering a £5 reward card or elite points instead.

If Game is indeed not stocking any EA Games in March that will mean both SSX and FIFA Street will not be available either, both set to be two huge titles for the publishing company.

Assasin's Creed 3 Review!

Three years in the making, Assasin's Creed 3 is not just the biggest game in the series yet, but the most ambitious with hundreds of new features

Update: We've added two new trailers to our Assassin's Creed 3 preview. Check them out (below)

Assassin's Creed 3 is one of the largest games that Ubisoft has ever made, ever since Assassin's Creed 2 was completed the game has been under development. To place it in context, just one of the maps in Assassin's Creed 3 is 1.5x the size of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, that's right, the entire game.

Ezio's time is at an end however, paving the way for a new Assassin and ultimately a new period of history to explore. Assassin's Creed 3 will see a half Native American and half British Assassin known as Connor fight his way through the American Revolution.

Powered by Ubisoft's custom-built game engine Anvil Next Assassin's Creed 3 is unique in that it's able to create dynamic and living landscapes and then populate them with armies, townsfolk or wildlife on a scale that hasn't yet been seen.

Focusing around three main areas, the Frontier, Boston and New York the game features a dynamic weather system that is able to create random weather systems and also features a seasonal system that will see the entire game reproduced in snow for winter and then crystal clear greenery for summer.

Of course Ubisoft has saved its big guns for Connor and his ability to interact with the world, Anvil Next means that our new Assassin is capable of thousands of animations, all seamless, organic and totally in sync with the dynamic landscape around him.

Assassin's Creed 3: Features

New to Assassin's Creed is a bartering system, the introduction of wild animals and hunting means that Connor is able to sell pelts or possibly even use them to upgrade his weapons and clothing.

In keeping with the time period, armour has disappeared, instead Connor is blessed with a truly impressive arsenal consisting of a Tomahawk, dual-pistols, new and improved hidden blade, sword, bow and arrow and rope dart.

The last of these being the most visually impressive: Connor positioned on a branch can fire the rope dart at an enemy, then, throwing himself off the branch uses his own weight to lift the target high off the ground strangling them.

Stalking is a new form of hiding, and is key to interacting with the Frontier, by hiding in shrubbery and long grass Connor is able to hide himself. You'll also be able to use a new-and-improved cover system that allows for peering around corners, placing your back to the wall and more.

Assassin's Creed 3: Gameplay

The two gameplay demos we saw had Connor firstly fighting his way through a British outpost in the Frontier while the second mission had him traversing the rooftops of Boston.

Positioned as the most 'RPG'-style Assassin's Creed yet, Assasin's Creed 3 lets your pick and choose your side missions, with small towns, villages and outposts giving you the opportunity to potentially ignore the main storyline for as long as you want, building up your arsenal or indeed just gaining more funds.

In this instance we see Connor is after a British commander, by performing a small side-mission he's able to get the whereabouts of the target and heads on his way.

Heavy snow has you bogged down at times so during the winter it would seem the trees are the quickest way to travel, looking around we were able to see a British convoy in the distance while British troops went about their business on patrol, highlighting further the abilities of Anvil to allow NPC's their own backstories.

After dispatching several enemies at the front we see him move around the back of the camp, climb over the walls and in one swift move create a huge diversion by destroying their ammunition stores. This complete, Ubisoft then showcases what Connor is truly capable of.

While Ezio's style was more theatrical Connors is one of pure power, sprinting through the camp we watch him seamlessly take out a guard, steal a musket and then proceed to dispatch three more enemies without slowing down even slightly, finally throwing himself at the target.

This raw and ruthless style of combat is taken a step further in the Boston mission when we watch him use a decoy to attract a guard, finally bursting from around a corner and unleashing a volley of deadly blows.

Finally at the end of the mission we see Connor needs to access a restricted area. He calls what appears to be some reinforcements in the form of four British soldiers who surround him and give the other British soldiers the impression that Connor has been taken prisoner.

Let through the checkpoint, his compadres scatter leaving Connor to mop up all those unfortunate enough to be within a 5m radius of him and his target.

Assassin's Creed 3: Verdict:

It's hard to put into words just how much of a leap forward this game is from the previous Assassin's Creed titles. While still following the same principles that make up an AC game this feels like Ubisoft has created a next-generation game and by some form of wizardy, actually managed to persuade an Xbox 360 and PS3 to run it without spontaneously melting.

All that remains to be seen is if Ubisoft has created a storyline that can truly match the scale of the game environment and the characters it's created. Here's hoping it has.

Apple iphone5

Apple iPhone 5: Price

The 16GB iPhone 4S lines up in retailers with a hefty £499 price tag. Prices continue up all the way to £699 for the 64GB edition.

Ahead of the iPhone 4S successor’s announcement, it is believed that the sixth-gen model will simply replace the iPhone 4s in terms of price points and range of models with any 128GB storage option likely to hit the £799 price mark.

Apple iPhone 5: Name

Following the March launch of the new iPad, eports have suggested that Apple is to cease the numbered naming convention of its pocket blowers and move the market leading iPhone range in line with its Mac offerings which see multiple product overhauls occur whilst maintaining the same base name.

“About two weeks ago we got a tip from a reliable source that Apple was going to call the iPhone 5 the new “iPhone,” according to Apple blog 9to5Mac.

 “That seemed a little nuts at the time but what a difference a Keynote makes. Apple chopped the suffix off if the iPad as part of a branding makeover that will likely expand.

The report added: “Just like iMac is not called iMac 1,2,3 it looks like Apple won’t be doing the numbering on iOS devices (though it never did with the iPod touch).”

Apple iPhone 5: Display

Update: Apple has reportedly begun manufacturing on its rumoured iPhone 5 handsets. Reports suggest Sony has been working on display components for the Californian company’s next-gen smartphone since February – and will ramp up production on the panels at the end of this month.

According to AppleInsider, the consumer electronics manufacturer is working in conjunction with other firms, such as Toshiba Mobile Display and LG Display Co, to roll out enough panels for the heavily rumoured device, expected to launch later this year.

Stone Wu, a senior analyst at IHS Displaybank, said: “Even for those companies that start mass production in May, they can only reach an average yield of 65 to 70 per cent at present.”

Although there has been no official word on the iPhone 5’s screen size, rumours suggest growing competition and market pressures will see Apple introduce a new plus 4-inch model.

These rumours have been backed up by a selection of industry analysts that have suggested Apple will be forced into the screen size overhaul as competition from rival handsets, such as the Samsung Galaxy S3, intensify.

Speaking with T3, industry specialist Daniel Ashdown from tech analysis company Juniper Research suggested Apple may opt for a larger screen for the iPhone 5.

He said: "It will be particularly interesting to see what the size of the display will be given that it has not changed thus far since the iPhone was launched with a 3.5-inch screen.

"Competitors have increased their devices to up to 4.3". We would be surprised if they [Apple] didn't break from tradition this time and increase the size of the next model."

Contrary to these claims, other reports have suggested Apple will retain its 3.5-inch iPhone display for future handsets as a larger screen could disturb the iOS platform’s offering of apps.

iPhone 5 release date rumours

IPhone 5 release date rumours intensify following announcement by Sharp boss who claims that shipment of iPhone 5 displays will kick off this month
Rumours surrounding the iPhone 5’s release datehave intensified after Sharp president, Takashi Okuda, accidentally let slip that shipment of displays destined for the upcoming handset will kick off this month.

"Shipments will start in August," he said during his company’s quarterly earnings call in Tokyo yesterday. However, he declined to give a specific date on when it will land, according to Reuters.

His comments further fuel reports that Apple is gearing up to launch its highly-anticipated iPhone 5 later in September.

Sharp was identified as an Apple supplier by the Californian firm last year, however, it’s believed the workload of manufacturing the displays is split between Sharp and two other companies – LG Display Co Ltd and Japan Display Inc.

The phone will reportedly be announced on September 12, alongside the rumoured iPad Mini, and subsequently released on September 21.

It means both devices will land in time for the pre-Christmas rush.

Cream Sandwich Xperia

The Ice Cream Sandwich update for the Xperia range has been a long time coming, with many wondering why it wasn't on the smartphones at date of release

Sony has apparently confirmed that the Sony Xperia P Ice Cream Sandwich update will start to take place from 19th-25th August with the mid-range handset being the first of the Xperia range to get the new OS.

Announced via the Sony India Facebook page the company revealed that it would be bringing the update, interestingly, to the Xperia P, its mid-range handset instead of the flagship Sony Xperia S.

Sony isn't the only handset that has been slow off the blocks getting Ice Cream Sandwich to its current range with HTC and Motorola both struggling to issue full ICS updates to their range.

Samsung in stark contrast is already working on bringin Android Jelly Bean the latest version of Android which was given its debut on the Google Nexus 7 tablet by Asus.

There has been no confirmation that the dates given by Sony will correspond to that of Europe or indeed if Europe will even get the update however as soon as we know we'll let you know.

iPhone 5 release date

New iPhone 5 release date could see the device shift up to 250m units when it finally lands, reportedly in September, according to Asymco

Apple could expect to shift 250m units of theiPhone 5, according to figures collected by data tracker Asymco.

The figures were compiled off the back of a statement by Apple’s senior president Phil Schiller, who recently confessed that “each new generation [of the iPhone] sold approximately equal to all previous generations combined.”

Using this information, the firm was able to calculate how many units previous iterations of the iPhone had sold following their individual releases - giving them the figure of 170m units.

However, the iPhone 5 could end up shifting 200m units in two years, and a further 50m once other factors, such as price cuts, kick in - this would bump total sales to 250m units if Apple plays its cards right.

In comparison, Samsung hopes to shift 50m Galaxy S3 handsets this year.

Asymco's Horace Dediu said: “The 3G easily outsold the original iPhone. In fact, it sold nearly four times as many.

“The 3GS also handily beat the 3G+original total by a factor of 1.6. The 4 also beat the 3GS+3G+original. As the 4 may continue to sell into the future, the beat will only grow larger.”

“The 4S is only half way through beating  the 4+3GS+3G+original - assuming the current quarter’s sales roughly equal the last quarter’s,” he continued.

“The total for 4S will reach two thirds of the sum of the previous generations (around 100 million) by the end of September.”

iPhone 5: Rumours

As expected, we’ve seen a strong batch of iPhone 5 rumours circulate around the web, although Apple is keeping hush about everything until the blower’s official launch date, expected to be in September.

According to reports last week, the Californian firm is expected to launch the phone, alongside the mooted iPad Mini, on September 12, and subsequently release both devices on September 21 – a mere nine days later.

It terms of its name, rumour has it the iPhone 5 could be called the ‘new iPhone’, keeping it in line with the third-generation iPad 3, which landed under the newiPad moniker.

In terms of specs, we could possibly be seeing a gorgeous 4-inch screen on the rumoured device, along with a sleek metal back and a 19-pin connector. It is also expected to be slimmer and longer.

“The new iPhone will indeed be longer and thinner than the iPhone 4 and 4S,” iLounge editor Jeremy Horwitz said.

“Approximate measurements are 125mm by 58.5mm by 7.4mm—a 10mm jump in height, nearly 2mm reduction in thickness, and virtually identical width.”