Coming up on April 29th is the latest Grand Theft Auto extravaganza. The game wreaks havoc on Liberty City, which is essentially a not-quite-gentrified New York City (though it takes place in the current year). The latest leak from the anticipated game is a city map (we spy Roosevelt Island) and a map of the subway system, which has everyone opining. How does the Rockstar Games version of our 722-mile, 468-station subway system with 22......

A NY-based nonprofit called Breakthrough launched a video game yesterday called ICED: I Can End Deportation (also a play on the acronym for Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department). In the game, the player chooses one of five immigrant teens, each of a different ethnicity and immigration status, and walks through their shoes -- learning "how immigration laws deny due process and violate human rights to all immigrants." A collaboration between Breakthrough, community-based organizations and......

Itching to jump back into Liberty City yet? The New GTA IV website has been launched, in preparation for the quickly approaching April release. The previews so far have been somewhat light on details, but the site finally sheds some light into what kind of trouble you can expect to get into while traversing a virtual NYC. To start, our virtual Queens is a land called "Dukes." Here, we've got a baseball team not so......

The long delayed Grand Theft Auto IV is finally coming out soon, and it seems the marketing campaign has come off the screen and into the 3rd dimension. Where best to bring the faux Liberty City (based on New York) than to the streets than Williamsburg. Kotaku spotted a Wanted poster on the corner of Lorimer and Grand suggesting one Niko Bellic be shot on sight. Bellic, the game's main character, is "wanted for questioning......

So if you remember correctly, Grand Theft Auto IV, the New York City crime simulator, was supposed to be in stores by now. But between production delays and the million other great games this season to compete with, they decided to just push it back till next Spring and get it right. But just in case you've you've still got an itch for some Eastern European organized crime this holiday season, here's a brand......

Governor Spitzer outlined his agenda for the year, and besides tackling judicial pay raises and campaign reform, the governor also wants to target violent video games and movies. Hmm, could this be timed with the fall release of Grand Theft Auto IV, which is set in a NYC-like city? The Staten Island Advance reports Spitzer "wants to restrict access to these videos and games by children, similar to motion picture regulations which prohibit youths......

Chew on this, NYC officials who are upset about Grand Theft Auto IV taking place in a city very similar to the Big Apple: GTA IV is actually really different. For starters, Staten Island isn't mentioned! Joystiq has details from Game Informer magazine:Setting: re-created Liberty City (better mirrors real-world NYC; smaller "geographical mass" than San Andreas, but more densely populated) + MetLife building = "Getalife" + Statue of Liberty = "Statue of Happiness" +......

With the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer circulating a good six months before the game's release, NYC officials are giving the thumbs down. The Daily News has comments:"It's despicable to glamorize violence in games like these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting may be," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. "The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers," said Jason Post, a spokesman for Mayor......

Well, it looks like those faithful to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto franchise will be able to steal cars in New York City in Grand Theft Auto IV. The newest GTA, which won't be released until mid-October is actually a sequel to GTA III, which took place in a "quasi-NYC". It wasn't enough to have Activision's game True Crime, where you could be a rogue street cop (maybe not so far from the truth),......