The new Edge magazine (Issue 141) contains a two-page round-up of all the latest information about robberies and customisation.

Also included were 2 brand new screenshots - Obese Carl on the BMX Bycicle, and CJ in the Cluckin' Bell. The magazine is on sale 2nd September, priced £4.00

GTA Advance will be released for the Gameboy Advance on October 19th 2004 (Same day as San Andreas for PS2). Strangely enough, we have no further details about this release, but stay tuned.

Related Links: Partnersite PlanetGrandTheftAuto, GTAForums Topic

Surely by now you lot have had a chance to look around the official teaser site maccer.net. It's a pretty nifty page, and to top it off we've now found out who will be doing the voice acting for Maccer. A UK daily tabloid named "The Mirror" reports Shaun Ryder is to be doing the voice acting for the character. While this has to be taken with a pinch of salt, since The Mirror has come up with pretty adventurous things before, this seems to be very credible.

Shaun Ryder

Shaun is the perfect choice for the character, considering his UK persona and all the hints pointing to him on the maccer.net teaser site. Hopefully he will bring some twisted humour to the american game!

A few new previews have surfaced as of late, here's a quick run-down.

Official Playstation 2 Magazine Netherlands/Belgium has put a San Andreas preview in their latest issue. The highlights..

• Farm animals such as pigs and cows can be seen in the countryside. (Can you say Carmageddon?)
• Countryside residents are far more relaxed, often drunk or even half-naked.
• You can do tricks with the quad bikes too, like wheelies etc.
• Rockstar has implemented a new 'filter' to reflect heat and smog in the city of Los Santos.
• Another filter, set up for the countryside, gives a much brighter and healther feel.

Related Links: GTA-SanAndreas.

playPlaystation Australia doesn't seem to have been shown the newest build, with San Fierro intact, however they do shed some light into some of the technology we'll be seeing.

• Different weather models for cities. Los Santos has a "bright, gritty feel" with occasional bursts of rain. San Fierro is "foggy". Las Venturas has "clear air and harsh lights," and finally the countryside has a "warmer, more natural vibe to it."
• Particle effects allow for "plumes of exhaust smoke," "tyres kicking up dirt," and smoke from skidding wheels. Also expect sparks flying from bulletshots and all sorts of wind effects.
• Riding the ATV in the countryside will allow you to shift your weight in different directions with the use of the right stick.

Related Links: GTACentral, GTAForums topic.

TotalVideoGames did a short preview of the new Grand Theft Auto, while there was nothing notably impressive, here are a few quotes.

• Yes we know it’s a county that encompasses three cities, but until you’ve seen the map we honestly don’t think it’s possible to comprehend just how big the state of San Andreas is until you’ve seen it.

• Stood outside of the Pizza shop you’ll notice customers drive up, park (and sometimes crash), enter the Pizza place, order some food, eat it and get on with the rest of their duties.

• Players now have direct control over the camera with the right thumbstick (an absolute godsend), whilst you’re given the choice of manual targeting or a thankfully much improved auto-targeting option. Players can use the shoulder buttons to lock-on and select various parts of the opponent’s body, whilst also now having the crucial ability to strafe.

Related Links: TotalVideoGames.com, GTAForums topic.

A similar preview was posted at Kiziko.com, it would seem that they saw just as much as TotalVideoGames.

Rockstar has recently dispatched an email to GTA fansites around the net asking for questions regarding San Andreas. The inquiries will be compiled into a complete set of Q&A's that will be answered, and subsequently released to fansites, by the folks at Rockstar.

Of course, some subjects are taboo (specifics regarding music, voice casting, etc) and will go unanswered. However, Rockstar has stated that no questions which deem a "no comment" response will be featured in Q&A - this means that we won't be stuck with fistfulls of useless questions.

We're limited to a total of six questions, and the deadline for entry is 6:00pm EST on Friday, August 27th.

If you wish to have your questions considered as part of GTANet's submission, head on over to the brainstorming thread. Please note that there will be heavy moderation in this topic -- pointless comments such as "OMFG THIS IS TEH COOLZ!!!" will be deleted. Keep the thread for questions regarding San Andreas ONLY.

This is an exciting oppurtunity to find out more about the next groundbreaking GTA title, and we can't wait to hear some of the questions you guys have to ask.

Related links: Q&A Brainstorming Topic

The October issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has a short 3-page preview of the countryside demo that has been shown to gaming publications over the course of last month. Beside the old screenshots, mission info we've heard of before, and excited murmurs we found a line that might cause some commotion.

We're not exactly sure if this is linked to the mission where CJ has to murder a witness (see countryside mission #2), or if CJ will be carrying a camera around with him all the time. If so, what would be the function of the camera in the PS2 version of the game? Would they be stored on a clipboard in your hideout, or visible somewhere in your menu? Or will it be exclusive to the PC version where in addition to replays, you can export screenshots directly from the game. Who knows, only time can tell.

Thanks to high247 for his post on GTABoards.com which helped me confirm this, and GTA-SanAndreas for bringing this to my attention.

The October PSM2 UK features San Andreas as a cover story once again. The 8-page article breaks down the city of San Fierro, tells us about car customisation which we've heard of briefly before, and much much more. This is one of the highlight previews of the month, so be sure to read it through when it arrives in stores on the 26th of August.

I would also like to point out that the article has a very good part about criticising San Andreas, and where it could fall short of its ambitions. Look forward to another Pitfalls article from our team here, based on what PSM2 saw as San Andreas' main shortcomings.

• Unfortunately there isn't a way to transport cars from city to city, unless you drive them there yourself. You can save them in your city garages though.
• There are police impounds, so you car can be impounded.
• Tow-trucks are completely functioning.
• Alcatraz is not confirmed yet.
• At the trolley station there is a garage by the name of Transfender. It's a place to customise your vehicle.
• Options for car customisation:
  • Exhausts
  • Front Bumper
  • Rear Bumper
  • Roof
  • Spoilers
  • Wings
  • Wheels
  • Paint jobs
• Standard front bumper costs $970.
• Customisations dont affect the engine, hence performance stays the same.
• Only performance ugprade is nitrous. If installed, hold O and X in a car to turn it on.

The San Fierro gym is called "Cobra Martial Arts", and focuses on martial arts, and learning new skills from asian masters. In a segment, CJ learns a new move, the drop heel kick. Apparently there are different styles of combat you can possess, ranging from martial arts to boxing. Depending on how much you train, you will have a different style of fighting.

Read more for information on new missions, confirmations on vehicles, weapons, missions, music and locations and plenty other things.

All screenshots published on the official website can be viewed here.

Las Venturas

We have what appears to be our first glimpse of Las Venturas. If you visit the "Hanky Panky Area" on the official website, you'll see the line: "looks out towards Las Venturas". Go check it out! Also note that "Blueberry" is the center of the entire state, so hopefully that gives you an idea of what size the full map is.

Los Santos

You can also check out the Los Santos map, here. Characters and Gangs are now fully upto date aswell, so be sure to check those.

..and just incase you've been living under a rock, here are some links to the official trailer that was released this weekend:

-- Windows Media Player 320x240 8.4MB
-- Windows Media Player 640x480 9MB
-- Quicktime 320x240 31MB
-- Quicktime 640x480 107MB

Remember to Read More for a brief summary of the new information released this week.

As you can imagine, the official site is being bombarded with visitors, so we decided to upload the new screenshots early and hopefully give the official site a much needed rest.

Check out all of the screenshots here.

Rockstar Games have launched the official GTA San Andreas website!

Check out the flash version for a map of Los Santos, and some other information (Including a brand new video of a beach party). The site also contains some new artwork, and a good quality trailer!

Related Links: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas

However much I doubted that the trailer will be released, it was, and I'm not the least disappointed! I just had a chance to see it for myself, and even though the quality was less than crisp, it did serve its purpose. Of course it's also great to hear that Rockstar has another two of these in store before the release of the game!

What first caught my eye was how some things were censored from the trailer. For example, in the beginning of the trailer there is a blur of the sequence of gang members doing gang signs at each other. Looks like Rockstar still has something to hide?

• Characters will be more vibrant while sitting inside vehicles. No more dead mummies.
• Graffiti is sprayable onto walls. You might be able to do it yourself, or you might see others doing it.
• A segment shows CJ in a pool hall, playing pool. Most likely a section of a cutscene.
• Ordering food at "The Burger Shot" consists of choosing your meal, and your tray being placed in front of you. No delay of preparing food.
• In the last shot of the trailer, a house overlooking the entire city is a few hundred feet behind the "Vinewood" sign atop the mountain. This is possibly a property that you can buy.

If you've been living under a rock, or still somehow haven't seen the San Andreas trailer, we've compiled a few mirrors for you to download the trailer from:

Fileplanet (wmv), Edgefiles (zip&mov), GTAsan.de (wmv), gta-action (wmv), Bonedaddy (wmv).

And, as Rockstar said, be sure to keep an eye on the official website, apparently they've got something cooking!

Following up Eviscero's much anticipated announcment, I also received an e-mail from R* while I was out, giving us the heads up that MTV would have a treat for us over the next few days. I suppose I'm a bit late now, but, apparently it will be running on MTV News in North America throughout the weekend.

Oh, and they also said "be sure to keep an eye on http://www.rockstargames.com/sanandreas", so perhaps we'll be seeing the official site rather soon? We'll just have to wait and see...

This piece features a rather brief summary of the game thus far, but holds the prize we've been talking about for weeks: the trailer!

In it we see the first glimpses of life in San Andreas. The new vehicles, bikes, locations, and features are all evident. It's a great way to see all the little details we've been elaborating on for the last six months in action.

I highly recommend you check it out.

Damn, can't wait for October!

Related Sites: MTV.com

We've seen the screenshots, read the reviews and drooled over the rumors - now we're less than a day away from our first look at the game in action.

On the Spot, Gamespot's weekly webcast, noted that a San Andreas trailer will be released this Friday. That's right, folks -- tomorrow!

Chances are that the trailer will pop up on the official website first, followed by a splurge of mirrors (other sites hosting the trailer) showing up all over the net.

Related Links: On the Spot, Official SA Website.

We've been kindly sent 5 screenshots by Rockstar which will be exclusive to fansites for the next 24 hours. This means you won't see these on any gaming sites!

Rockstar also promised fansite exclusives every month up until San Andreas' release, so keep checking back.

The New Zealand magazine ‘Gamebiz’ that was released recently had a few interesting things here and there. Most the stuff we already know about, but there’s a few things new to us.

Here’s a summarised list of what we heard from the article.

• Grandparents Forever, the company from vice city that “stuffs your loved ones” will be making another return.
• The shop from the mall in Vice City ‘Gash’ will be making another return and we will be able to buy clothes from it again.
• We gotta get groceries somewhere, and we can get it from El Nuevo Big O’ a supermarket found in Los Santos.
• 3 Beverages have been confirmed, now we can drink slushies! Flavours are Thrushy, Mushy, and Frosty.
• Four restaurants have been confirmed; Beef Bandit, Shaft Hotdogs, Tacocalypse and Tarbrush Café.
• Beef Bandit and Shaft Hotdogs are two companies battling to be the best that CJ will work for selling hotdogs, and of course trashing the rivals hotdog stands.
• Steve Scott, the movie director from Vice City will be making another return as a movie director in Vinewood.

This time round Steve Scott is angry, at no more than the other San Andreas director ‘Starkweather’

Quote taken from Gamebiz

We’ll give you a hint… Starkweather. Yes, the disturbed director once worked in Vinewood. Surprisingly enough, he was good friends with Steve Scott. They both directed a movie together called ‘Murder Juice’, but as always, things change.

Just a short notice to tell you that the official website has finally been updated, and many screenshots have been added. Nothing new, but it's certainly a good thing. Perhaps some digital images of San Fierro soon?

Related Links: Rockstar Games

Finally. FINALLY.

For the past while now, we've been immersing ourselves in the seedy underbelly of Los Santos & the surrounding countryside. Screenshots piled on screenshots as we got to see more and more of what is soon to be our new stomping grounds - but what about the other two cities?

San Fierro - one of the two cities that has been ignored up until now, is about to get it's dues.

As we noted yesterday, German publication Play the Playstation has revealed quite an impressive amount of info regarding both San Fierro & San Andreas gameplay in general.

Our site does not post scanned screenshots, however our competition over at GTAGaming.com have put up scanned screenshots from the article which feature some of the tantalizing eye-candy that awaits us in San Fierro - some of the highlights include a shot of Gant Bridge (San Andreas' version of the famous Bay Bridge) and a Viper-lookalike with a cable car in the background.

Related Links: GTAGaming.com, Play the Playstation.

The new San Fierro information comes from the October issue of the german magazine Play the Playstation. It is being released this Friday. The highlights:

• There are 150 core missions.
• Bay Bridge is called the "Gant" bridge.
• There is a district which is very reminiscent of "Doherty", a place in San Francisco which got hit by an earthquake in 1989.
• There is a hippie festival in San Fierro by the name of "Hushbury & Garcia Joint Festival".
• Weather will be very specific. It can be raining in one place, sunny in another.
• San Fierro will introduce the character Cesar.
• When talking to people, you have a choice of dialogue you can browse through.
• You can install nitro boost on your car, which when activated will speed up your car considerably and present you with a blur effect, similar to the one in NFS: Underground.
• Chinatown is in San Fierro.
• In Chinatown you will encounter the Triads, and you will work for a blind guy by the name of Wu Zi Mu. One of his tasks for you is to rescue fugitives in a container. (connected to human trafficking)

New screenshots include:

• A huge never before seen artwork of a guy in a black suit, wearing sunglasses. Assisting him is another person, in the same clothing, with a golden earring. This must be our first look at Wu Zi Mu.
• A "VW Bully" with a peace symbol.
• CJ in a blue sports car under a sign "Hushbury & Garcia Joint Festival".
• CJ with 2 guns and an afro behind a red ferrari. There is an open garage with a sign "Transfender".
• CJ in a boot wih two motors under a giant bridge called "Gant bridge".
• A GT-40-like red sports car with white racing stripes. In the caption: "You can also steal a cable car" (which is shown behind the sports car).
• A street with 6 cars on it, in the background is a giant bridge.
• CJ on a motorbike with a yellow/black "1" painting. The bike looks awesome, you can see every single cogwheel. And there is a police helicopter above CJ.

Read more for detailed information on the car performance upgrades, and specifically the nitros effect. Thanks to snuggles03 for the info. We'll have a full summary of the article later this week.

Related links: Gamespot forums.

Rockstar sent us the assets from this weekends IGN and Gamespot previews. Be sure to check them out on our screenshots page.

Eurogamer has put up a new preview. Nothing notably new in it, as they haven't been shown any newer versions of San Andreas. However, along with the preview, they claim that the official trailer for GTA: San Andreas will be released within the week.

Don't ask me why Rockstar is using Eurogamer to spread information about the official trailer's release date, but if Eurogamer is correct, we'll be seeing the first footage of in-game San Andreas within the week.

Related links: Eurogamer Preview, GTAForums topic.

Internet Movie Database are claiming Bill Cobbs, who starred in films such as 'Sweet Deadly Dreams' and 'Air Bud', to be the voice of Old Reece, the city barber.

In addition to this, IMDB say that Brian Cox will appear in San Andreas as his Manhunt character, Lionel Starkweather. Any of this has yet to be confirmed by R*, however.

We've reworked our confirmed information page for San Andreas, it now harbours a more extensive list of what you will find in San Andreas.

Through technical difficulties our partnersite PlanetGrandTheftAuto is back up, hopefully here to stay.

And on a final note, there is a new print preview in the Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK, September issue (#50) in stores on the 14th of August. Adamcs was hesitant, but I have no problems with posting a short rundown of new information in that article!

• The map in the bottom left hand corner will be green.
• It will take 15 minutes to walk to the top of mount chilliad.
• There is wildlife in the woods.
• You can carve people up with the combine harvester.
• There are cars that look like a Rolls Royce.
• Missions have been carefully placed to eliminate too much unnecessary travel.
• Pedestrians will have relationships (holding hands. etc)

Related links: GTAForums topic about OPS2M issue #50.

If you are subscribed to any of the following magazines, please contact adamcs: PSW, PSM2 (UK), GamesMaster, Playstation 2 - Official Magazine UK.

PS: We might have something about teaser sites for you in the near future!

IGN and Gamespot have released two new previews, with a selection of brand new screenshots. IGN focused on compulsive shopping, whilst Gamespot featured a guide to robbery and home invasion.

• CJ can play basketball to keep fit.
• The better CJ looks, the more positive comments he'll recieve from passing pedestrians, and the more respect he'll earn.
• After gaining a certain level of respect, you can wear gang colors.
• Whilst wearing gang colours will increase your respect level from fellow gang members, rival gangs and police will identify you much quicker, and attack.
• Some missions require you to wear particular clothing, in order to succeed.
• You can keep all of the clothes that you buy. This can be done by searching through your closet in the safe house. This also gives you the ability to mix and match different clothing.

IGN also released 7 brand new screenshots. Be sure to check them out here.

• CJ can break into homes, steal valuables, and sell them to a fence.
• Robbing homes is almost like the new "R3" missions. Holding down the right analog stick, when in the necessary vehicle(s), will toggle these missions.
• You can purchase a ski mask or a balaclava for robbing homes. (Both are available for purchase at a local sporting shop, for a reasonable price).
• You'll be able to obtain better and more expensive goods at rich homes in Vinewood/Rodeo, although robbing smaller homes, is much easier, and not as risky.
• Robbery missions may only take place at night.
• If you rob a home during the middle of the night, chances are you'll find the owner sound asleep. If not, make sure he doesn't get to his telephone and call the police. You can also enter homes through the window.
• As soon as you equip yourself with a ski mask or balaclava, you'll enter into a sneaking mode, causing you to move about more quietly than usual.
• Whilst robbing, a noise meter will appear, and should that meter reach a certain level, you'll have some very un-wanted attention coming your way.
• Rockstar confirmed that San Andreas will feature some new audio technology, making for realistic contextual audio distortions.

Be sure to check out the batch of screenshots that Gamespot released, here. Remember to read more for a more in-depth summary of the shopping areas in Los Santos.

Related Links: Gamespot, IGN

Do forums kick ass? Yes they do. They do indeed. Not just for the community & conversation, but for the little bits of new stuff you can uncover, as well.

GTAForums member High247 recently gave us a looksee at a new San Andreas magazine ad, which appeared in this month's EGM issue.

We can only assume that more advertisements in magazines (and other publication mediums, as well) will begin to emerge in the coming weeks. And rightfully so - the clock is ticking, and with each passing moment San Andreas gets closer and closer to hitting the shelves.

Keep your eyes peeled for gaming mags featuring similar GTA ads.

IGN have released a new screenshot which shows CJ playing basketball. (Performing a slam dunk, to be precise) Check it out here.

Related Links: GTAForums Topic

Be sure to buy next month's PSM2 (UK), on sale August 26th. The special edition September issue promises a huge feature in next months issue. A 'San Andreas' theme is spread across two whole pages, and it appears to be next months main feature.

At last, may we see some San Fierro info? Stay with GTANet for all of the latest news and info.

UK magazine Games Master have published a 1-page feature containing new map details, whilst PSW bagged an exclusive preview (No new details, unfortunately), promising new exclusive images in next month's issue.

Perhaps these 'waterways' are what prevents us from travelling between cities at the beginning of the game? Discuss it on our forum.

The kind folks at Rockstar Games just sent us the assets from this weekends IGN/Gamespot previews.

Be sure to check out the rest of the images on our screenshots page.

In addition to Gamespot's "Lowdown" article, IGN have published a 2-page 'Swimming' feature.

• Moving the left analog stick forward triggers the classic 'Breaststroke' movement. If you hold down the 'X' button whilst doing so, CJ will switch to freestyle mode, and swim a whole lot faster. However, this can only be done for a limited time, before his stamina runs out.
• You can dive down under water by pressing the 'Circle' button. Again, you can hold 'X' to swim faster underwater, and witness the local marine life, before swimming back to the surface. If somebody is chasing you, swimming underwater will cause the pursuer to lose your trail.
• When swimming underwater, a Breath-o-meter appears. Should the meter fall below '0', CJ drowns.
• Lighting effects change in rivers lakes and other such areas.
• If CJ drives a vehicle into the water, he can walk back to land from any beach or grab onto a hedge, aslong as it's near enough to reach. (Providing that he escapes the vehicle quickly enough)
• Whilst in water, you can jack boats. However, timing must be perfect, and if you do it well enough, the pilot will walk off the edge of the boat in fear.
• Non-playable characters can also swim.
• The wave physics have been completely re-worked. If a storm is to hit San Fierro, the water becomes rough and choppy. The waves also affect boats, and may push them around a little.

IGN also released a few screenshots, check them out here.

Related Links: IGN, Screenshots, GTAForums Topic

Gamespot have published a brand new 3-page feature, titled 'The Lowdown of Los Santos' - basically a summary of the whole city.

• Orange Grove is known to its residents as simply 'The Grove'. CJ's experience in 'The Grove' becomes very personal.
• Vinewood is packed with tourists, and contains many famous landmarks such as the Cathay Theater, the walk of fame, and the famous Vinewood sign.
• Vinewood's population varies, from rich to poor.
• Rodeo is San Andreas' version of Beverley Hills, the rich and famous area of the city. Here you'll find the most plastic surgery and designer clothing of any other area in SanAn.
• Downtown Los Santos is the financial area of the city. Again, you can find many famous landmarks: The Los Santos Convention Center and the Doc G Records Building (inspired by the famous Capitol Records building).
• You can use the 'Brown Streak railroad' to travel around the city. It stops at all major landmarks.
• Swimming at the beach will serve as 'good exercise'. The beach is also a good place for starting trouble. It is packed with tourists during the day, and contains an amusement park on the pier. You can also see the Santa Maria Boardwalk, which makes the beach worth a visit, aswell as the ocassional beach party.
• Los Santos features huge freeway's, with busy traffic.
• You can locate areas by their street names, unlike previous titles.
• If you are being chased by local police, you can lure them into your home area, and let your own gang members take care of them.
• If you travel into rival gang areas, they will use various tactics to take you out: Splitting up, sending ahead advance attackers, and using other wily maneuvers.
• You will witness guys greeting each other, chatting away, and flashing gang symbols.
• You can alter the camera angle with the right analog stick, which will come in handy for some of the tougher missions.

Gamespot also released 13 new screenshots. Be sure to check them out here.

Related Links: Gamespot Article, New Screenshots, GTAForums Topic

We’ve all heard of the rumours about how San Andreas may not play on certain PS2 Consoles. I decided to put an end to the question marks and find this out for myself. I emailed a Playstation 2 technical support person with the following email.

I then got the following reply back in an email.

Perhaps that can put an end to all the rumours about San Andreas’ compatibility with PS2 consoles. Do not worry, it will work.

Related links: Playstation.com

The folks over at ps2.ign.com have got a brand spankin’ new review on the gyms of SanAn.

Certain gyms in certain areas will cover certain aspects, which will alter your players abilities to be able to certain things. Just like real life, if you pump irons all day long, before no time you’ll be a macho tank who can’t touch his crotch.

Here’s your guide as to which gym does what

Edge Magazine have published a two page preview of San Andreas, with four exclusive screenshots of the SA countryside. The images allow you to see just how large and open the countryside really is - Evergreen trees, countryside homes, dirt tracks, and distant hills.

Related Links: GTABoards, GTAForums Topic

Rockstar just sent us the screenshots from the weekend previews covered a little further down the page.

See all of these on the screenshots page.