GTA IV screenshot a hoax

By Tom Bramwell Published 22 June, 2006

Rockstar confirms.

Rockstar says that an image circulating around web-forums this afternoon, supposedly showing a TV screen running a debug version of Grand Theft Auto IV, is a hoax.

The image, which you can see below, first showed up in the inboxes of various media organisations this morning under the subject line "From a disgruntled ex-employee of Rockstar..."

And initially Rockstar didn't have much to say about it, fuelling speculation it was an actual shot of Grand Theft Auto IV, which is due out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next October - as announced at E3.

'GTA IV screenshot a hoax' Screenshot 1

But that's not the case, Rockstar told us this afternoon. It really is a hoax.

In other words, you'll have to wait a bit longer to find out what Grand Theft Auto IV looks like, where it's set, what sort of cars it has in it and of course, most importantly, whether it has dogs that wee on street corners or not.

For more on GTA IV, check out recent news about the cast, and suggestions that it will use Table Tennis's RAGE engine.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (53) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Syrette #1 6 years ago

    Well there we go then.

  • Darkedge #2 6 years ago

    fake? well okay then.
    I like the mace but the cell shaded look... nahh

  • Blerk #3 6 years ago

    But is it a double bluff? Eh?

    /cranks rumour mill

  • Freek #4 6 years ago

    Even if it was real and somebody broke god knows how many NDAs they'd still say it was fake.
    I'm not totaly convinced it is real but Rockstars denial is pretty predictable.

  • Wrestlevania #5 6 years ago

    Quickly Freek--click Speak your brain... a third time for maximum combo!

  • Sko #6 6 years ago

    I'm losing count - is this the third or the forth fake since GTA IV was announced. I remember a couple of 'my-first-city-scene' renders showing up with the old UI pasted over the top.

  • Baz_Dude #7 6 years ago

    LOL the main characters a giant :D

  • MrWonderstuff #8 6 years ago

    If it's not GTA then what game is it? Possibly a Movies render.

  • ave #9 6 years ago

    And initially Rockstar didn't have much to say about it, fuelling speculation it was an actual shot of Grand Theft Auto IV, which is due out on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next October

    Next october is 4 months away, October 2007 is 16 months,

  • Darren #10 6 years ago

    Good job it's a fake 'cos it looks rubbish, barely better than the original running on a PC. Even Saints Row looks better!

  • Stormflood #11 6 years ago

    Best GTA fake yet. Too many giveaways though.

    Oh, and never trust a 'leak' taken from a TV screen - they're always done like that to conceal all the little tell-tale clues that would show up on a direct screenshot.

  • Darren #12 6 years ago

    "Next October is 4 months away, October 2007 is 16 months."

    Since GTA IV isn't out until October 2007, EG are correct to say the game is out next October. October 2006 is THIS October. /wink

  • Trendyninja #13 6 years ago

    Seems like an awful amount of work just to create a hoax screenshot.

  • Glitch #14 6 years ago

    It does look shit hot, I do agree with Darkedge, cell shading looks turd.

    GTA4 FTW!

  • #15 6 years ago

    I don’t see the point in announcing such a precise release date [19/10/2007] for it when there’s still 1 year and 4 months left; especially that they never seem to be certain about near future release dates...

  • dk_rare #16 6 years ago

    3D map was cool though, I mean it looks friggan awesome. It's not the whole city btw on the 3D map, like the 2D map it scrolls the builings that you are around

  • #17 6 years ago

    I do believe that the next october to come is this october.

    Even if it was real and somebody broke god knows how many NDAs they'd still say it was fake.
    I'm not totaly convinced it is real but Rockstars denial is pretty predictable.

    Oh, and the original GTA was a 2D scroller BTW.
    Edited by 1 at 22/06/06 @ 16:48

  • nickthegun #18 6 years ago

    Seems like an awful amount of work just to create a hoax screenshot.

    Remember the PS3 fake that looked like a projector? Some internets retards will go to a lot of trouble over the most stupid things.

    The fact that this screeny managed to make it onto several mainstream websites probably has led to several self congratulatory wanks in celebration.
    Edited by 1 at 22/06/06 @ 16:52

  • #19 6 years ago

    I see everyone's trying to keep Freek's legend alive lol

  • Steroyd #20 6 years ago

    most convincing fake yet.

  • ecureuil #21 6 years ago

    lol, the main character is huge. And why is the chain on the mace rigid? It's gotta be a fake.

    Again with the cynicism on this site.

    Company says something.
    Everyone suggests they are lying to cover something up.

  • Hunamster #22 6 years ago

    reminds me of that kids corner advert

  • weaselrat #23 6 years ago

    The mace could be swinging as she walks and the camera may of just caught it looking straight. You have to admit, if you check the whole picture out it is very well done if it is a fake!??????????!!!!!!!!!!!

  • weaselrat #24 6 years ago

    Also the 3d map of the town is very well done> I think this might just be an early game shot and it could well be a double bluff. I mean why waste that time doing this with one screen when a hoax could of leaked a whole page load.

  • #25 6 years ago

    To me the graphics look like a slightly modified Sims 2 game!

  • #26 6 years ago

    lol

  • #27 6 years ago

    "Even if .. ... ..... ... ........"

  • theweaze #28 6 years ago

    crazy taxi 7 revenge of the giant women, and pissing dogs

  • #29 6 years ago

    It does look fake, even the tram rail in San Andreas looks better than this one... But then again it's due in 16 months time so it may well be an early version.

  • Freek #30 6 years ago

    Got a server error when I replied and I geuse server gremlins cloned my reply.

  • kangarootoo #31 6 years ago

    Course its a bloody fake, look at the state of it. I can't believe there are people on here saying stuff like "well its a very good fake".

    A very good fake of a crappy screenshot perhaps. If any next gen title actually looked like that these threads would burst into flames.

  • weaselrat #32 6 years ago

    If you look carefully just to the right of the women, you can see a lense flash from the camera that took the photo which suggests that this game was actually running or the hoaxer is very very considerate of minor details???.

    Maybe the reason the women is big is because the game camera might be zoomed. Either way, if this is a very early version, I can't wait to see what it will look like when it finally arrives and if it's fake it's a very well done job.

  • weaselrat #33 6 years ago

    Most of the PS3 games on display at E3 looked worse than this when they weren't showing all that CGI. Also look at some of the early shots for both 360 and PS3!!! This looks better than loads of those, so why could this not be a very early version??? not saying it is but why not???

  • Sko #34 6 years ago

    "If you look carefully just to the..."

    Yeah but no. I'm going to go with 'cheesy lense-flare effect added to shot'. Starts in the top-left corner just _behind_ the "debug" info. Unfortunately the shadows are pointing in the wrong direction.

  • nick_f Verified Senior Producer, Microsoft #35 6 years ago

    "If you look carefully just to the right of the women, you can see a lense flash from the camera that took the photo which suggests that this game was actually running or the hoaxer is very very considerate of minor details???."

    Or just possibly they displayed the image on a TV to take a photo of it - something that would take about 2 mins with most decent digital cameras.

    I'm sure half the people decrying this as an obvious fake were taken in by the Killzone 2 "footage".

  • #36 6 years ago

    @ kangarootoo
    " I can't believe there are people on here saying stuff like "well its a very good fake." A very good fake of a crappy screenshot perhaps. If any next gen title actually looked like that these threads would burst into flames."

    Current GTA games look pretty last generation, so I wouldn't be that surprised at all even if this was the finished product.

  • penhalion #37 6 years ago

    If this is a fake I'll be very interested to know what game it is from. I disagree that the graphics don't look next gen as I can see full shadows and the buildings are detailed enough for what I would expect of a GTA type game.

    Main character a girl? Hmmm I guess if in the near future rockstar suddenly announce a female main lead, then we'll know for sure if this is a fake or not ;)

    Of course the real slim shadey could stand up in the mean time.....

  • kangarootoo #38 6 years ago

    @weaselrat

    It could simply mean someone photographed a monitor that was displaying a still image, Just because it was on a screen doesn't mean it was "running" (unlewss you mean it was running photoshop.

    It may have actually been a game of some description. But just bloody look at it! GTA on next gen it is not.

    @Nintendude

    Its the art detail I have issues with. The scale of the main character is wrong compared to her surroundings. The lampost is poking through the kerb.

    Now it is possible I suppose that it is some actual Rockstar tech build for testing draw distance or something like that, but that doesn't make it GTA, just like John Carmack's self penned screen saver is not Doom IV.

    /feels like he is actually painting himself into a corner here with quickly typed brain fart comments, but never mind eh.

  • weaselrat #39 6 years ago

    @kangarootoo. I'm not saying it is, i'm saying I would not of been surprised as it looks about the same quality as some of the early next gen games.
    It could well be an earlier GTA with a few minor photoshop adjustments......... with that wonderful package I can even make my ex look hot! well just about
    Edited by 1 at 22/06/06 @ 20:09

  • #40 6 years ago

    @kangarootoo
    Be careful not to get abducted by aliens lol, you seem to have some exclusive information

  • the creeper #41 6 years ago

    Worst... fake... ever...

    Seriously guys. Someone sticks the GTA HUD and some debug text on top of some naff screen render and some people are actually convinced... I wouldn't be impressed with that on current gen, give Rockstar some credit. You can argue the game's 16 months away, but a game 16 months out is unlikely to have much in the way of textures applied to the geometry anyway.

  • Pastici #42 6 years ago

    I thought that was BBQ in the corner!

  • Baz_Dude #43 6 years ago

    I thought it was one of those things that you shake and it looks like its snowing inside the thing (dont ask me wat they are called)

  • stoopidgreg #44 6 years ago

    it's simply a 3D render with some poser models. there's so many things wrong with it that there's no way it's real... and how awful does that 3D map look? it wouldn't even be functional, since you can't even see the streets.

  • Mick #45 6 years ago

    if it was actually a genuine pic, all the people saying it looks graphically grap need to give your head a shake. The game isnt out for another year and a bit, what would you expect from an early debug version?

    Personally, i like the pic, it helps to give some idea of what we can expect from the game. i mean that image will be moving about in real time, all smooth and sexy.

  • getinthereson #46 6 years ago

    Doesn't look like London or Tokyo to me. ;)

  • The-Bodybuilder #47 6 years ago

    >"I thought it was one of those things that you shake and it looks like its snowing inside the thing (dont ask me wat they are called)"

    Snow globes.

    I personally thought it looked like a bowl of doritoes.

  • red_ray #48 6 years ago

    3 stars - where's the police?


  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #49 6 years ago

    I'm a game developer, and I can tell you that from my experience that does look quite convincingly like a screenshot from an in-development game. It's not 'cell shaded' as people were trying to say further up the thread, they're just using pretty basic lighting shaders, which is the sort of thing in-development games do.

    If you want proof, it actually looks very similar in quality to screenshots of Saint's Row, see the fifth one on the top row here for instance:

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=59204 ]http://ww w.eurogamer.net/article.php?art...[/link]

    It certainly has a real-time look, which you don't often get from renders, and those hard-edged stencil buffer shadows are a complete bastard to get right in-engine.

    The only things that put me off thinking it's a real GTA screenshot are the very odd-looking mace and the fact that the blue building in the background look like static cutouts, which is not something GTA usually does.



    Edited by 1 at 23/06/06 @ 13:55

  • Sko #50 6 years ago

    "I'm a game developer, and I can tell you that from my experience that does look quite convincingly like a screenshot from an in-development game. It's not 'cell shaded' as people were trying to say further up the thread, they're just using pretty basic lighting shaders, which is the sort of thing in-development games do."

    Fortunately, real game developers don't usually go to the Poser well, as has been pointed out in an article on Kotaku. Someone has basically got a shot of the same model, in roughly the same pose, with roughly the same lighting and points out key-elements from the Poser design that are quite visible on the fake screenshot.

    And like I mentioned earlier about the cheesy lens flare effect, they've even got a shot of that from Photoshop with the elements in the same place.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #51 6 years ago

    Fair enough. I didn't really spot the lens flare, I thought that was from the camera flash on the TV.

    I wonder where they got the city from, though?

  • weaselrat #52 6 years ago

    @mentalist
    I'm with you on this.

  • jinjacrusader #53 4 years ago

    We all know it's a fake as a long time has passed and Rockstar have been releasing official material but... you can see the original source of the fake here.