Grand Theft Auto IV leaked online

by Xav de Matos { Apr 23rd 2008 at 10:00AM }

At approximately 1:45AM EST the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV was leaked onto the internet. According to our X3F tipsters, who better plan on actually buying the game, thousands of users are leeching the 6.36 GB potential game of the year candidate. The release is a rip of the PAL version, specifically from the Asian market, and comes a mere six days before retailers place the game on store shelves.

We don't want to get on our soapbox here but we hope our readers would shy away from downloading a full version of the game, especially considering the team at Rockstar North have garnered near-perfect review scores for the release. Why? Well, it's illegal kids ... actually come to think of it, this leak is deliciously ironic. Isn't it?

[Thanks, Michael S.T.]

Tags: 2008-releases, grand-theft-auto, grand-theft-auto-iv, gtaiv, leak, rockstar

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

SadisticHam @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:04AM

Apparently theres already footage on youtube, gahh this is Halo all over again, Got to keep my head down for a week to avoid seeing any spoilers.

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:07AM

Take 2 is all over that. They're already being removed.

xenocidic @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:15AM

here's a link to the footage:

http://xenocidic.com/2008/04/23/actual-gta-iv-footage-intro-and-a-bit-of-gameplay.aspx

xenocidic @ Apr 23rd 2008 12:36PM

footage r gone

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:05AM

No worries. I already pre-ordered this bad arse. There's no chance in hell that I won't pay for this guaranteed fine work of video gaming excellence.

UNSCleric @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:05AM

Why even report on this and give it even more downloaders and attention?

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:09AM

I don't know, how about journalistic integrity? *Caugh*

Xav de Matos @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:10AM

Well that and our inbox was starting to get full with the tips.

We can't ignore the situation, we kind of are responsible for reporting news and this is news.

joey @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:20AM

Don't you need a modded 360 in the first place?
And if you have a modded 360 bet you've been F5ing a torrent site for gta iv for awhile now anyways.

JerkfacedFed @ Apr 23rd 2008 3:55PM

Dumb article, woww, they ripped an iso of a DVD. You still cant play unsigned code on a 360, nobody has been able to yet. Ignore this crap.

pandlcg @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:07AM

I feel that any time a game is shipped to retailers over a week in advance that there are going to be leaked copies both online and in stores, especially for highly anticipated games.

I'd just ship it later or let retailers start selling it right away.

R @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:12AM

I wonder if the ASIA PAL version of it works on European PAL systems ? I'm waiting to buy it on play-asia

Adam @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:26AM

It will do i believe, I think all PAL versions are the same.

UNSCleric @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:12AM

Every game gets leaked though, how is it news? All it does is contribute to the problem, especially when it's bittorrent we're talking about.

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:16AM

Just about every game that ships early gets leaked, sure. But on a blog about video games, this is totally relevant.

That's like saying news outlets shouldn't report casualties in iraq. I mean, it's a war and there are casualties, right? So why report it? And if you can't see the fault in that, then you're hopeless.

UNSCleric @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:21AM

What a retarded comparison. The difference is that leaked games grow in popularity virally, so when big news sites start reporting on it, all that haopens is that the speed in which people are downloading them goes faster, and more people become aware of the pirating scene and may get into it.

Reporting on US troops casualties, however, is the exact opposite. We only hear about a fraction of the deaths for one thing, but reporting on them actually has the opposite effect, in that it might get people to stop supporting the war. With GTA IV being on BT, there's nothing we can do but just ignore it, there's nothing you can do to stop it, so it's best to just not give it the attention it craves.

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:29AM

It's a perfectly valid analogy. Some people think that casualties should not be reported because it causes "war-weariness" (to quote Civilization). So they get mad at journalists for reporting on it. It is the job of a journalist not to take a position and report on EVERYTHING even if it goes against their own politics or worldview or whatever.

That is what X3F is doing here, and you are getting mad at them. They are actually even taking a position here and telling people not to download it, and yet you still criticize them.

You only THINK that reporting will lead to increased leakage. However, did you think that it may lead to an increase in people advocating reasons why it should not be downloaded? You have no statistics one way or the other, so let X3F do their job and report.

Xav de Matos @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:30AM

Well not every game is Grand Theft Auto, a guaranteed multi-million seller.

That's why.

When I start posting about Barbie's Horse Adventure 9 being leaked then you can question it.

But GTA? Come on sir.

DemonGSides @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:00AM

Also; due to the fact that we are winning the Iraq War, the liberal media has all but abandoned reporting on it. So, success means less reporting? Makes no sense, sorry =(

Jeff Tronti @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:19AM

Xav. You beter not hold out on my Barbie's horse adventure info. I live for Barbie's horse adventure.

Cal @ Apr 23rd 2008 12:22PM

To me it's news because now I know that the internet is no longer safe from spoilers, which will be popping up everywhere now

AoE @ Apr 23rd 2008 2:18PM

@UNSCleric, Really? You honestly believe there are people in the world with computers and game consoles and internet connections (the um, 3 things they'd need to know/care about this particular story) who don't also know that piracy exists? Under which rock do we find these folks, I'm curious to know what they look like...

Reporting a story like this doesn't raise the profile of the piracy scene any... p2p networks already blew it up to unwieldy proportions a few years ago. Also keep in mind a modchip is required, so even if someone tries to hop on that bandwagon by just downloading the game, they'll be sorely disappointed.

Morgon @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:12AM

Well at least some of these people don't have any shame in their actions:

http://www.mygamercard.net/leaderboard.php?g=475

I'd imagine Microsoft might attempt to check for modified drive firmware on these boxes.

Cal @ Apr 23rd 2008 12:19PM

Or the 12 of them (atm) could have stole it as stock came in

Jonah Falcon @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:15AM

Note to Chinese pirates: If you want GTA4, maybe you should overthrow your fucking government.

Sam @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:16AM

I wont lie, i'm burning it to a disc right now.

xenocidic @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:33AM

spamming won't stop him from pirating it.

hackman @ Apr 23rd 2008 4:31PM

shit i didn't do that on purpose i did it this morning at school i had to use a proxy to get on this this site at school maybe that's why

Drunkenshaolin @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:26AM

an this site has just told even more people its there.. news like this shouldnt be show..

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:33AM

It's called free speech, and it's a bitch. But you gotta love it.

xenocidic @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:34AM

That's like telling newspapers not to report successful bank robberies because other people might decide it's a good way to make money.

UNSCleric @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:35AM

Are you going to try and debate every single person who disagrees with this news post being here?

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:36AM

UNSCleric: Obviously.

LySop @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:34AM

That is such a common misunderstanding of "free speach". By shouting "free speech" I must assume you are referring to 1st Amendment. The 1st only prevents the GOVERNMENT from interfering with your right to speek and be heard. No government force is involved.

I think people are suggesting responsible journalism. Yes, it is your right to post this. But that doesn't make it right. It is not NEWS that games get leaked. Most frequenters on this board, had then been polled, would have predicted that this game would be leaked. By reporting on it, you are givng free advertising to activity that is possibly criminal, certainly wrong witout providing valuable information to your readers. If there were valuable information then you could at least weight the value versus the "harm".

Just my thoughts.

LySop

UNSCleric @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:36AM

Bank robberies do not spread virally, torrents do. All these comparisons to bittorrent are getting ridiculous, they don't make sense at all.

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:56AM

You don't understand. You're arguing that reporting news should not be reported if it can potentially have some negative effect on one of the parties involved. In this case you are saying that news of a video game (GTA4) leak should not be reported because it may potentially have a negative effect on a company's (Take 2's) bottom line.

So, say Monsanto created a strain of corn that turned people into Zombies when eaten. Should the news not report on that because it would harm Monsanto? Or should they because it would help people? Or should they just because it's news?

Or say the people of the US were rising up and overthrowing our corporate masters. Should the news not report on that because it would alert the corporations? Or should they so that other people can join in the fight? Or should they just because it's news and they don't care what the effects are?

LySop @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:45AM

SugarDaddy: Reporting harmful news is ok if a.) it is newsworthy, and/or b.)the consumer benefits from the news.

A leaked game is not newsworthy. Everyone knows that these games get leaked. It always happens.

This isn't a zombie inducing virus that we need to protect ourselves from. In fact, there is nothing I/we can DO except go download the game. If we didn't know about it we couldn't download. The only action this story can cause is d/ling the game.

This is a classic case of worrying about being scooped and reporting before considering.

Matt

SugarDaddy @ Apr 23rd 2008 12:00PM

Wrong wrong wrong.

"Reporting harmful news is ok if a.) it is newsworthy, and/or b.)the consumer benefits from the news."

Oh, so who decides what is newsworthy? I think this story is certainly blogworthy, and so does X3F. I'm sure others do too.

"A leaked game is not newsworthy. Everyone knows that these games get leaked. It always happens."

Wrong. I would like to know that Take 2's efforts to prevent this game from leaking have failed. That kind of news is just as relevant as any other news on Joystiq or X3F.

"In fact, there is nothing I/we can DO except go download the game. [...] The only action this story can cause is d/ling the game."

Wrong. If you read through the comments, you would see people advocating AGAINST downloading it. So, there are 3 things you can do: 1. Download it (which may have happened regardless of the story anyway). 2. Advocate against downloading it. 3. Do nothing.

Oh, and I guess there's a 4th: Complain about a blog, blogging about the leak.

TORO @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:46AM

The truth of the matter is, we knew GTAIV was going get leaked somehow, and be available. Anyone with some brain can go to Google and search it themselves.

However I don't mind X3F reporting this type of NEWS. We all know it's bad, and the post even says it. It's like downloading illegal music, you know your not supposed too, but don't tell me you don't know how to do it (or figure out how).

Bravo6 @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:46AM

Grand Theft Download!

David @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:48AM

This is GTA4 guys, and it's made by R*. I honestly do think that many of the people downloading this game will also buy it. Many just couldn't handle the wait and this is what happens. I've got mine pre-ordered and can't wait to play it. Message to people downloading it: Buy the game, if not because it's an amazing game, then out of respect for the developers. They deserve it.

ZEBRA NINER @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:52AM

You can't ignore the truth! If no one ever reported things because they were illegal, all you would ever hear about would be interest rates, who won the Miss America pageant, and 5 ways to make your garden greener.

webster1990 @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:52AM

yeah, i don't want to void my warranty to play a few days early. I am quite happy to wait.

D Boy Flex @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:53AM

Why am I not downloading it? 2 reasons. 1: I am not into downloading xbox games, nor do I have any mods or whatever you need to run DLed games. And more importantly, when a game comes out that is good, I show my support of the game by buying it, telling them I want more games like this. I have no problem paying 60 bucks for a game that is good. If it is not worth it, I wait till it drops and then re-evaluate. Easy.

Klyde Waggsdale @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:00AM

This link has a lot more video. The 3rd video is the best. Lots of driving and shooting gameplay. Enjoy.

http://www.ultimateps3.fr/forums/sujet-10358-premiere-video-ingame-de-grand-theft-auto-iv-maj.html

TORO @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:08AM

**spoiler alert**

I saw the first minute but stopped cause I want to go through the game first.

Mr. Scolex @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:11AM

This is not from the leaked version, though. The leaked copy is the 360 version, so this guy probably has the game legit.

I know that doesn't affect the footage or it's validity, but I thought it should be pointed out since we're on the topic of the game leak, not of leaked game footage.

Mr. Scolex @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:04AM

TBH, The only thing stopping me from downloading this right now for play on my secondary (modded and banned) console is that it's a PAL release and hasn't been modified to be region free since iCon is a newer release group which probably doesn't have the tools.

Also, some people don't understand that not all pirates are horrible, uncaring monsters. 80% of the games I pirate, for example, I do to get a hold of them early, and still shell out cash for them on release day. If they're horrible, I won't, but that rarely happens.