Premier League 13/14 - Thoughts So Far

Now I know I haven't blogged much lately, or Tweeted either for that matter. I really do need to Tweet more, but I've always been more of a Facebook fan... Anyway, so we're into the third week of games in the annual EPL season, and the title contenders are taking shape.

Prior to the start of the season, everybody was talking about Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea filling the top three spots; and to a great extent, they still are. Though United are still without any major summer signings, and an injury to Carrick in the heart of midfield could spell disaster for the rest of the season. As a United fan, I finally know what it's like to support Arsenal and see your transfer budget still sat in a corner rather than being spent on exciting new players. We're now linked with players like Fellaini and Herrera, which feel a bit second or even third best, after nothing came of targets like Fabregas and Modric.

United still have players like van Persie though, who could still pull more than his weight and have a massive impact on their season. And they're also a team who have been there done that, and know how to win. Chelsea meanwhile have an adundance of midfielders and not too much up front, and while I personally can't see them finishing top; second or third is a real possibility. Also Juan Mata, arguably Chelsea's best player last season, has barely featured yet. Manchester City have looked good in pre-season,though stuttered against Cardiff, and could have been upset by Hull this weekend if they'd have taken more of their chances - I'm looking at you, Aluko! Their defence looks frail without Kompany, and I'm unsure how many of their new signings will flourish. Negredo looks like he knows where the goal is, but their many forwards doesn't guarantee any of their strikers a starting spot, especially when Jovetic is fit as well. Though they are still helped out by players like Yaya Toure, who is the engine of the team.

Two teams who also have top four aspirations are Liverpool and Tottenham. Sturridge looks like he'll bag twenty goals this season, especially with players like Aspas and Coutinho around him. Brendan Rodgers acted extremely quickly in the transfer market; identifying players and then snapping them up early in the window. They look solid this season, even without Suarez; though it'll be interesting to see how their form lasts, and how any injuries impacts their squad.

Tottenham may be losing Bale, but boy have they been busy making sure they can cope with his absence. They've scraped through their first couple of games - needing a couple of cool penalties from Soldado to see them across the line; but they look solid at the back, despite selling the emerging talent of Steven Caulker. Expect them to feature prominently in the race for the Champions League spots.

And then you have Arsenal of course, who have suffered a surprise loss at the hands of Aston Villa already. Obviously Arsene Wenger has money to spend, but who is left to spend it on? They've also been hit with injuries to players like Podolski, whilst missing out on potential signings like Gonzalo Higuain and Luiz Gustavo; but I expect Giroud to notch up a few goals this season. His scoring instincts were good last season, though he couldn't always apply the right finish. This season he's firing from the off.

If I had to predict at this point, I think the top five spots will be very close with Arsenal sixth; possibly:

Manchester United
Chelsea
Manchester City
Liverpool
Tottenham
Arsenal

Saints Row 2 Review

Hi everyone,

Sorry I haven't posted much here on my blog lately. I've been mega busy with my YouTube channel over the last few months, including giving my channel a facelift, setting up the HD capture card and putting some clips together for a channel trailer - which is still a work in progress.

Meanwhile, I have found the time to write a new game review - of Saints Row 2. Since SR3 was announced not too long ago, I thought I'd go back and take a look at my favourite game in the series.

http://www.gamesreviews.com/pc/pc-reviews/06/saints-row-2-review/

Ratchet & Clank Movie Announced!

Hi everyone.

You can read all about the the R&C movie trailer here. (Though at this stage, there's unfortunately not much to tell!)


http://www.gamesreviews.com/news/05/ratchet-clank-movie-announced/

More info!

http://www.ratchetandclankmovie.com/

https://www.facebook.com/RatchetandClankMovie

https://twitter.com/RatchetMovie

Ratchet & Clank Full Frontal Assault / QForce Review

Hi folks!

You can read my new review of Ratchet & Clank Full Frontal Assault / QForce here:


http://www.gamesreviews.com/ps3/ps3-reviews/04/ratchet-clank-q-force-full-frontal-assault-review/

The Ratchet & Clank Trilogy Review

This time, I take a look at the Ratchet & Clank Trilogy; which consists of the first three Ratchet & Clank titles re-released in HD!

http://www.gamesreviews.com/ps3/ps3-reviews/04/ratchet-clank-trilogy-review/

Soul Calibur V Review

I take a look at Namco's latest title in the Soul Series; Soul Calibur V!

http://www.gamesreviews.com/ps3/ps3-reviews/04/soul-calibur-v-review/

Football Manager 2013 Review

My first review for www.gamesreviews.com - Football Manager 2013!

http://www.gamesreviews.com/pc/pc-reviews/03/football-manager-2013-review/

Gran Turismo videos / discs

Hi everyone.

After about 6 months since I saw a copy for sale, I have managed to get a copy of Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive - the first demo that was ever released for GT2. It was only released in Japan, in April 1999.

Unfortunately, it's actually quite a late build of the game. The earliest build to ever feature on a demo (to my knowledge) was the GT2 demo on McDonald's Demo Disc 1 or Euro Demo 87. The GT2 Test Drive build is actually similar (if not identical) to the build on Euro Demo 53. So, an earlier release doesn't necessarily mean an earlier version of the game.

Also, the long-awaited; and I mean LONG, (it's been nearly a month since I posted a video) awaited Gran Turismo Secret Cars the definitive version, or whatever I plan to call it. Hang on Matt, I hear you say; haven't you covered the secret cars in Gran Turismo already?

Well, similar to Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive, there was also a Gran Turismo Test Drive released too. The difference is that this was actually an early build of the game (earlier than the Trial Version), and contains lots of beta racing modifications. So I have combined the Test Drive Disc, the Trial Version, and the NTSC, NTSC/J and PAL final versions of the game. Some cars you will have already seen, but this time they're in HD!

I'm still planning to do the videos I said I would on the last update, but my nephew and I will also be doing a FIFA video in the near future.

What you can expect to see soon from MattJ155

Hi everyone,

First things first; the rest of the soundtrack to Gran Turismo Test Drive will be on YouTube shortly.

Also, I have recently purchased a HD capture card, which means I'll be able to record PS2 and PS3 footage in HD. With that in mind, I would like to re-do a couple of videos that I put up a long time ago; just like I have done with the Gran Turismo secret cars videos. Soul Calibur III - I'm planning to include all secret characters in just one video; as before I had to put the video up in three parts. Also the footage will now be in better quality, and there are actually a lot of characters I didn't include in the video. If you've played Chronicles of the Sword, then you'll be familar with the NPCs like Roin, Lupi etc. Now these characters can be created in Create A Soul mode, though the announcer won't say their name at the end of a battle; rather the job of the created character you made e.g. Sword Master.

Also, with my Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks video, I missed out a few characters that I couldn't get to load at the time. Though I have since learned that they can be loaded - just on specific levels. There are still a handful of characters that won't load at all; Shao Kahn for example. With my Mortal Kombat Deception secret characters video, I missed Kitana out - and I also intend to show off all the secret characters' costumes and Onaga's special moves.

I have also bought a few more interesting discs lately, including a beta version of Tony Hawk's Project 8, a Japanese Dynasty Warriors 2 demo; and the Gran Turismo Special Edition 2004 Toyota demo. I actually missed out on that Gran Turismo demo earlier this year when I saw it on Ebay; however it sold for more than I was prepared to pay. Luckily I have now managed to find another copy for sale. :)

Matt's Column - 03/12/12

TV

So I recently watched The Secret of Crickley Hall, which was a three-part BBC drama that concluded last night. It was good, and well worth a watch if you haven't seen it already. The plot centres around an old hall that was used to house evacuees during the Second World War. It's haunted by a load of kids that 'drowned' here during the war, as well as the master of the house who drowned with them during a flood. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a good little ghost story; that wraps up satisfyingly without any loose ends. Though after I finished watching it, I jumped on the internet and had a little Google search for a who-plays-who cast list. I was surprised to find that on IMDB, it had a ruthless score of 5.9/10. What a load of crap, but I guess people only critique things to whinge about them really; much like I'm doing here. Despite its score, I'd still recommend it. After all, IMDB only gave the film The Prestige 8.8 out of 10; and easily a 10/10 in my books - one of the best films I've ever seen.


SPORT

It's tough being a Manchester United fan at the moment. Ok, maybe not that tough; but when you grab a 4-3 win against Reading, it's very much squeeky bum time. It would be nice if we kept a few more clean sheets in future, but it would also be great if our defenders just behaved like human beings, rather than brainless zombies who aimlessly jog around a football pitch. You know, I once came across a YouTube channel with the purpose of showcasing every single mistake made by Jonny Evans... But on the whole, we're 3 points ahead of our noisy neighbours; and we'll only be level on points if the worst comes to the worst and we lose at their place next weekend. Our forwards are also scoring at will, particularly van Persie - what an inspirational buy from Fergie! Reminds me that I was recently offered Atletico Madrid striker Falcao for 23.5 million on Football Manager 2013. I passed on the offer at the time, he subsequently withdrew his transfer request, and signed for Manchester City about 6 months later for 34 million. I really wish I'd bought him... though on the plus side I did get Malaga wonderkid Isco for a knockdown 17.5 million!


YOUTUBE

So, what can I recommend for you to watch? Well lately I've been looking at the videos of 'Past to Present (PtoP) Online'. This user showcases beta builds and unreleased video games - right up my street! You know, I'd love to get my hands on a few beta builds of games. Demo discs do showcase a game at earlier stage of development, but some series of games don't have demos released to the public; the Smugglers Run series for example. I think it'd be good for my channel too, if I were to upload some footage of some games in beta form. I'll see what I can get hold of. :)

Also, I've been listening to Andy McKee lately, who's an acoustic guitarist. Not usually my genre but his talent is undeniable.

On a final note, I usually do a Christmas special video; though I'm not sure what to do yet for this year! Any ideas would be welcomed.

Upcoming video - Mortal Kombat Deception - secrets/beta discussion

So, I'ven been having a look at Mortal Kombat Deception at the moment. I remember the game fondly from my childhood, as I really enjoyed playing through Konquest Mode which was a brand new mode of gameplay at the time. Konquest Mode would make a return in Mortal Kombat Armageddon, but in a more linear style of gameplay; rather than the more non-linear style that featured in Deception. By non-linear I mean that there were lots of side missions to do, that meant the player had to go wandering around the level to find and complete them.

What's more interesting is that MK Deception was never finished in the way that the designers originally intended. Konquest Mode was wrapped up quickly in order to coincide with the game's release date. Therefore, it has a few items for example, that serve no purpose in the game. Raiden's Staff and the Ninja Star for example. So I thought I'd have a look through the game to see if I could uncover anything that was potentially left unfinished.

So far, by using a walk through walls code that I created; I managed to find a koin chest and a koin in an out of bounds area in Earthrealm Village. Although not a beta feature, it's still quite interesting. :) There are also two huts that the player can't usually access in the playable area, though both huts' doors are locked. I'll look into a way of unlocking them. There are also a lot more huts that stay locked in the village, and the Shaolin Temple that seems redundant. There's a door at the top of the steps which is inaccessible, and also what looks like a side door; that the designers placed a koin chest in front of to stop the player from being able to access it.

That's all for now, hopefully I'll be able to make a video with some new information about the game. :)

Rockstar Playstation Alpha/Beta Discs

On my daily excursions through the many pages of the internet, I came across two early builds of Smuggler's Run. The first is an early alpha build, seen here on YouTube:

I'd seen this video a couple of years ago, though for some reason I always thought it was a gameplay trailer release by Rockstar during the development of Smuggler's Run. Only lately have I realised that it's actually an early alpha build of the game which actually exists on a disc; rather than being a snapshot of a work in progress.

The second is a slightly later beta build. No footage of this one but here's an image of the disc. Thanks to Ptoponline (Past to present online).

I believe the owner of this image sold this disc a few years ago by the way. Anyway, so this got me thinking about GTA III again. (I bet I sound like a broken record...) I'd always thought that the best shot of owning a beta build of GTA III was to hunt down the disc that was playable at E3 in 2001; though now I'm wondering if there's an even earlier disc out there. Possibly an alpha build like the earliest Smuggler's Run footage that I posted above. Obviously I'm just speculating, but it's nice to think that there may be an even earlier build out there; containing the game around this stage of development:

A New Gran Turismo 2 Site

Even though it came out over ten years ago, Gran Turismo 2 is still being discussed on the web today. Roadhog360 from YouTube has recently launched a small website, to further improve the longevity of Gran Turismo 2. He could do with a few viewers and forum posts, so I'm posting it here in case anyone is interested:

http://gt2info.ucoz.net

Video Games Wish List (Updated 28/09/2012)

Hi everyone,

I just thought I'd post a small list of video games that I'm currently interested in buying. Some of them are quite rare, so I'm having trouble finding them. So on the off chance that anyone wants to sell a copy, get in touch! :)

Games marked with a strikethrough are ones that I have recently purchased.

Gran Turismo Test Drive Disc (Single version or Pule Pule / Pure Pure version)
Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive Disc
Grand Theft Auto III E3 2001 Demo
Gran Turismo Special Edition 2004 Toyota Demo
Gran Turismo 4 Press Kit
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Seoul [NTSC-J/KR]
Gran Turismo Demo KB Toys [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Limited Edition PlayStation discs 100 million
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva Press Pack [EU]
Gran Turismo Concept Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo Special Edition [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Concept Daihatsu Copen Special Edition [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Nissan 350z Edition (Press Pack) [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Nissan Micra Edition (Press Pack) [PAL-UK]
Gran Turismo VW Lupo Cup Japan Training Version 1 [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive Dealership
Gran Turismo 4 E3 Press Kit
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec Demo [NTSC/UC]

I'll be adding more to the list whenever I come across something that I'd like to own. I'd probably also be interested in any items that are in any way similar to those that I have posted above.

Send me a message on YouTube (MattJ155) , or email me at mattj_155@hotmail.co.uk

~Matt

Video Games Wish List

Hi everyone,

I just thought I'd post a small list of video games that I'm currently interested in buying. Some of them are quite rare, so I'm having trouble finding them. So on the off chance that anyone wants to sell a copy, get in touch! :)

Gran Turismo Test Drive Disc (Single version or Pule Pule / Pure Pure version)
Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive Disc
Gran Turismo 4 Press Kit
Gran Turismo 5 Press Kit
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Press Kit
Gran Turismo Concept 2001 Tokyo Collection
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Seoul [NTSC-J/KR]
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva [NTSC-J] 
Gran Turismo Demo KB Toys [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Limited Edition PlayStation discs 100 million
Gran Turismo Concept 2001 Tokyo Promo [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva Promo [NTSC-J/Chinese]
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva Press Pack [EU]
Gran Turismo Concept 2002 Tokyo-Geneva Promo [PAL-UK]
Gran Turismo Concept Mitsubishi Airtrek Turbo Special Edition [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Concept Daihatsu Copen Special Edition [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Nissan 350z Edition (Press Pack) [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo Nissan Micra Edition (Press Pack) [PAL-UK]
Gran Turismo VW Lupo Cup Japan Training Version 1 [NTSC-J]
Gran Turismo Special Edition 2004 Toyota Demo [NTSC-U/C]
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive
Gran Turismo 4 BMW 1 series Virtual Drive Dealership 
Gran Turismo 4 E3 Press Kit 
Gran Turismo 3 A-Spec Demo [NTSC/UC] 
Gran Turismo 4 Prologue Special Hologram Cover [NTSC/J]
Grand Theft Auto III E3 2001 Demo

I'll be adding more to the list whenever I come across something that I'd like to own. I'd probably also be interested in any items that are in any way similar to those that I have posted above.

Send me a message on YouTube (MattJ155) , or email me at mattj_155@hotmail.co.uk

~Matt

Tracking Down the GTA III Beta; Part 2

Since my last post on this subject, there have been a few updates to report. Firstly, the Rockstar E3 Press Kit I bought from Ebay arrived and it's a nice thing to own. It obviously contains no demo, only screenshots, some videos, a trailer and a press release statement. However, it came with a name (probably the press officer at the time); Jeff Castaneda. I managed to contact Jeff and ask him about the demo that was playable at E3. Nice guy, however he couldn't really help me and instead, directed me to Rockstar support.

The trail went dead for a while, when I was contacted by a user on YouTube; with some snippets of information about a German journalist that had owned the demo, and sold it on Ebay. I am currently investigating this lead, though I have no idea how far I'll get with it. It would be great to talk to a previous owner though, as that would be a big step forward in tracking down the disc.

More to come soon!

The Development of Grand Theft Auto III

Look at this picture; do you recognise it at all? Well if you don’t, it’s a school bus in Grand Theft Auto III. It’s not a mod either; it’s one of many things that was either cut or changed during the development. You can still see school buses near 8-Ball’s bomb shop in Portland, though they’re not driveable; they don’t even have any wheels! Speaking of 8-Ball, he was originally white rather than black, and was named Mullin. Last year, Rockstar did an online Q and A with fans about GTA III; where beta features such as these were explained. I’m going to do my best to detail what is now known about the early stages of GTA III’s development, and what is still a mystery.

At any point during the development of GTA III, did Claude ever speak?

Many people have seen this trailer where Claude appears to say; “Get out of the car!”

Here is Rockstar’s explanation:

“This is fake. This is an old bit of gameplay footage, for sure, but we think the voices were added at a later date by someone online as at no point did we plan for Claude to have a voice or even design how a speaking protagonist would be implemented until Vice City.”

Seems probable, right? Well I can shed at least a little bit more light than Rockstar can on this matter. I recently bought the press disc that was given out by Rockstar to the press at E3 in 2001. The trailer in question features on this disc, with voices and all. So it seems as if this trailer is not a fake after all, though I would assume that the voices and sound effects within the trailer were added by a Rockstar employee; and therefore a talking Claude would have never been implemented in the game. It is possible that the trailer in its finished state wasn’t seen by the powers that be at Rockstar; and so could have been added by a single designer gone haywire. This one remains a bit of a mystery.

Darkel

Darkel was a character that was cut during the development of GTA III. He was to be a revolutionary street urchin who would have given out rampage-like missions. However Rockstar decided to go back to the traditional rampage style missions and Darkel’s part in the game was cut. The only mission of his that is known to still exist in the game is ‘I scream, you scream’, which was given out to Claude by El Burro. Here are Rockstar’s comments on the matter:

“Darkel was just a crazy bum who gave you some crazy missions. They were removed a few months before the game was done and long before 9/11 because they just weren’t as good as the rest of the game, and tonally they were a little odd. He started with 5 missions and they were slowly all cut. When only one or 2 were left, they were all removed as the character just didn’t work alongside the other characters. None of these missions involved blowing up buses of school children although that is a funny rumour!”

Another rumour is that Darkel gave out a mission where the player had to fly a plane into the Love Media Building. Rockstar have never commented on this, however they have revealed that the Dodo was never meant to be flown; meaning that this mission is probably just a rumour.

“Because we were making a driving and shooting game - even that, as a combination of core gameplay elements, was very, very radical at the time. The Dodo was never meant to be flown very much at all, and it certainly wasn’t grounded as a result of 9/11 – it was just a fun thing that people then went crazy with when they figured out various bugs that let them fly it!”

There were other cut characters too: Curtly, Butler (presumed to have been Salvatore’s butler) and Novy. Tom Novy’s song ‘Back to the Streets’ was used in a trailer and it is rumoured that it was to feature on Head Radio. Both Novy and his song were cut for unknown reasons; however the textures for him and Butler remain in the game. Other characters simply changed names before the final release of the game. Salvatore Leone’s name was originally Frankie Sorvino; therefore making Joey’s surname Sorvino too.

Other Stuff

A lot of the other stuff that was changed between the first look at GTA III and the final release was mostly cosmetic. A beta map design shows that Francis International Airport was located in Staunton Island, before it was moved to Shoreside Vale. Shoreside Vale looked slightly larger than it ended up being, having more roads near where the airport would eventually be placed.

 The graphics were a lot more ‘cartoonish’ in the earliest stages of GTA III’s development, and Portland went through a few design tweaks. The police station and hospital were changed and there was originally no subway. The Police cars were originally blue rather than black, which is potentially one of the few changes Rockstar made in light of 9/11.

“(GTA III after 9/11 was) about 1% different. We removed only one mission that referenced terrorists and changed a few other cosmetic details – car details, a couple of ped comments, lines of radio dialogue etc – the game came out a very short time later. The biggest change was the US packaging which remixed the previous packaging into what became our signature style – because the previous packaging [which was released as the cover of the game in Europe] was, we felt, too raw after 9/11. All of the more extreme rumours are amusing but impossible to have been achieved in such a short period of time.”

So that’s about it. There’s just one thing left to cover really.

How is the cannelloni at Marco’s Bistro?

“Horrible! Stale as hell.”

Soul Calibur V / Chronicles of the Sword

The year was 1999. My parents had bought me a Sony Playstation the previous Christmas and Tekken 3, amongst other games; had come with it. I loved Tekken 3, and I’m still addicted to the series today; eagerly awaiting the impending release of Tekken Tag Tournament 2. But during the first year that I owned my Playstation, I was oblivious to all the other titles that Namco had released.

Then one day, my friend brought round a game for me to play: Soul Blade. This game was the first in another series of fighting games that Namco had produced, alongside Tekken. We inserted the game into the console, and started to play. I mentioned that I’m still a fan of the Tekken series today, well I’m still a fan of the Soul series too, and it’s all thanks to the impression that Soul Blade made on me.

So recently, I purchased Soulcalibur V and dived straight in to the new mode of gameplay; Story Mode. It doesn’t sound like a new mode at all, but the difference is that you’re forced to take control of a new character called Patroklos, and guide him through a series of battles divided into twenty episodes.

Unfortunately for me, Patroklos wields a sword and shield; similar to the characters Sophitia and Cassandra. Now I know that this type of move set will suit some people, but it’s just not for me. Besides, if the game designers are going to force you to play as just one character through this story mode; then they should give you the option of selecting a move set. At the very least, the player should be able to earn different weapons and move sets as they progress through the story.

Now, what makes this mode even less appealing is that instead of cut scenes, you’re forced to watch still images in sepia tone. There are a few cut scenes, but they’re few and far between. The lack of effort that was put into the main innovative feature of the game is quite astounding. The innovation of a new mode has been a staple since the very first game in the series. Many fans of the series loved the Edge Master Mode of Soul Blade (named Weapon Master Mode in Soulcalibur II); but the mode I always enjoyed best was Chronicles of the Sword from Soulcalibur III.

Not only did Soulcalibur III introduce the option to create a character, but Chronicles of the Sword actually gave your created characters a purpose in the game. Your character would begin as a rookie cadet for the Grandall Empire and work up to commander of the Arthias rebels through 20 Chronicles. This mode still offered players the chance to fight 1 on 1, but also brought in an element of turn based strategy. Unfortunately, this mode was plagued by a glitch that reportedly wiped the save game from your memory card; though I never experienced this myself.

But in any case, such a mode of gameplay was never included in a Soul game again, and neither was the popular Weapon Master Mode. Soul Calibur IV offered the Tower of Lost Souls mode, but what it boiled down to is just a survival mode with a fancy title.

There are some good elements in Soulcalibur V; the controls are as good as ever and so is the music. But they are both a continuation of what was already good about the series, and where this game falls down is just a lack of innovation this time around. I’ll always hold out for another game like Soulcalibur III, which felt innovative and fresh. The soundtrack and controls were as good then as they are today; but it came with the exciting additions of Chronicles of the Sword and Create a Soul modes. It seems as if my search for a worthy successor to Soulcalibur III will go forever on, just as Siegfried is forced to endure the never-ending quest; to rid the world of the cursed blade, Soul Edge.

Games Wish List

Hi everyone,

I just thought I'd post a small list of video games that I'm currently interested in buying. Some of them are quite rare, so I'm having trouble finding them. So on the off chance that anyone wants to sell a copy, get in touch! :)

Gran Turismo Test Drive Disc (Single version or Pule Pule / Pure Pure version)
Gran Turismo 2 Test Drive Disc
Gran Turismo 4 Press Kit
Gran Turismo 5 Press Kit
Gran Turismo 5 Prologue Press Kit
Grand Theft Auto III E3 2001 Demo

I'll be adding more to the list whenever I come across something that I'd like to own. I'd probably also be interested in any items that are in any way similar to those that I have posted above.

Send me a message on YouTube (MattJ155) , or email me at mattj_155@hotmail.co.uk

~Matt.

Tracking down the GTA III beta

Most people would consider Nintendo World Championships (Gold) as the holy grail of gaming. For good reason too, as it is probably the most expensive piece of gaming memorabilia out there; often selling for over £20,000 in those rare instances where it comes on the market. The only item that springs to mind which could fetch more, is if any of the Atari Swordquest treasures ever appeared for sale.

Just like Indiana Jones' father in The Last Crusade, who devoted his life to the search for the holy grail. Well, that's like me with the Grand Theft Auto III Beta. Well, in reality; I've only being looking around for a couple of months now! But still, I'm here to note down those small pieces of information which I've gotten so far.

For people that don't know; Rockstar never released an early beta for public viewing. There are very early screenshots, where the graphics were more cartoonish, there were school buses populating the road; along with many more things that would go on to be changed in the final release. The first trailers and video clips came along after the game had been worked on a little more. Then finally, a demo of the game was playable at E3 in 2001. However, this wasn't a case like Gran Turismo 2000; which was given out at the Playstation Festival 2000 in limited quantities. The beta GTA III was never given out, not even to the press.

In fact, Grand Theft Auto III had a fairly dismal time at E3 2001; as people were more impressed with the look of State of Emergency. Hard to believe that this GTA III is the same game that still generates a big amount of interest today; leading Rockstar to release a 10th Anniversary edition of the game last year. After E3 2001, Rockstar decided to pursue different routes to showcasing their impending releases; never bringing a playable demo to E3 or any other convention again. This is still the case today, as Rockstar decided not to showcase GTA V at E3 this year, much to many fans' surprise.

I briefly spoke to Jeff Gerstmann, former editorial director of GameSpot; who played this GTA III demo at E3 in 2001. Here are his thoughts at the time:

http://uk.gamespot.com/grand-theft-auto-iii/previews/e3-2001-hands-on-grand-theft-auto-3-2762402/

When I asked him for any other information regarding the beta demo at the time, he said:

"People played it at E3, it was never sent out to the media, as far as I know."


Unfortunately, no one really knows what happened to it after the convention. Many fans believe that any beta material is still in the hands of Rockstar. But it's important to note that most beta screenshots and video clips come from a work in progress; a code that's constantly being worked on. To my knowledge, the only instance where a beta version of the game was put onto a disc was for E3 in 2001.


Anyway, my search goes on... Though it should be noted that I have recently purchased a rare Rockstar press kit from E3 in 2001. It's not the demo itself, but it will contain information and possibly some screenshots and video clips from the game as a work in progress.


More to come soon hopefully!