Grand Theft Auto III

It should also be noted that some voice actors of the GTA III's major characters are well-known American actors, some of whom have stared in several films and television shows. The trim levels were also revised, with the DX trim being eliminated, instead being replaced by the VP (Value Package) trim which included air conditioning, keyless entry, power locks, and cruise control as standard features. With the success of Grand Theft Auto III and its sequels, several of these characters or their relatives reappear in future GTA titles with major or minor roles, and their personal background expanded, particularly Leone Mafia don Salvatore Leone, media mogul Donald Love, Phil, the One-Armed Bandit, 8-Ball and Catalina. However, the Hybrid version also does not have the 4-way passenger seat. Most of the characters encountered center around corruption, crime and a fictional drug called "SPANK", which was a growing menace in the city. The only things that now differs it from other Accords are the different rear light clusters, the antenna, the wheels, the mirror turn signals and no folding rear seat. The storyline, while not a major draw of the game, shows the character development of several individuals and bosses as the player progresses though the game. The 2006 Accord Hybrid got the same revisions as the other Accords except for a 3.0 L V6 now making 253 hp and a larger battery pack.

This would imply that Rockstar could have conducted some or all such changes before the attacks and without the effects of the attacks. The 2006 model year is also the first year in which the V6 sedan was offered with a 6-speed manual transmission as an option. In particular case of Darkel, the removal of a character and the transfer of missions to other characters would had required additional time for last-minute programming and voice acting, which could had potentially resulted in GTA III's delay from public release if it had only begun after 9/11. Prior to 2003, it was only available on the higher end Acura line as well as the Honda Odyssey. Argument against the theory that Rockstar was influenced by the September 11, 2001 attacks to perform all the mentioned modifications point that it may not be possible to cut or change any game contents within a short period, as the interval between 9/11 and GTA III's release date was only six weeks. The 2003 model year also debuted Honda's GPS assisted Navigation system as an option for the Accord. As the reason behind the removal of Darkel was never disclosed by Rockstar, gamers have speculated and suspected the removal of Darkel was due to his terrorism-like missions; other have also pointed out the manner of his attire, resembling that of a stereotypical Middle East terrorist, in addition to sporting a long beard [4][5]. A specific 4 cylinder model is the first production car in the world to meet California's Super Ultra Low Emission standards.

Rockstar later decided that they would like to go back to the original system of giving out rampages as featured in Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2. For the first time, Honda offered an "enthusiast" version of the Accord in US, mating their 6-speed manual from the Acura CL to the V6 Honda Accord Coupe. Darkel was also originally expected to give out Rampage-esque missions and even had his voice recorded for this part. Honda sold only the US Accord in a few other markets including Asian (now made in Thailand), Middle Eastern, Caribbean, Australian and New Zealand markets with mixed results. One scrapped mission involved stealing a bus, using it to pick up a certain number of passengers, then blowing it up. Honda continued the sporty theme with the European/JDM Accords and the family-orientation with the US version. Darkel was to be a revolutionary street urchin who vowed to bring down the city's economy. Mechanically, the 4-cylinder engine was the new K-series, and the 6-cylinder was the same J-series V6 as the sixth generation's, but its intake runners, exhaust, and headers contributed to a 40 hp (30 kW) increase.

A character by the name of Darkel, who made it into the pre-release version, was also deleted from the final version of the game but remains listed in the manual's credits, and has a character texture on the game's data files. Surprisingly, Honda offered the US Accord in a number of Asian markets, resulting in mixed sales performance. An obvious change was the new colour scheme of the LCPD which is modelled after the black and white like the LAPD, while the old colour scheme of blue stripes (seen in previews and the manual map) resembles that of the NYPD [3]. The F-series VTEC engines made its debut in the European and Japanese Accords, and the 90° C-series V6 engine was replaced by a more-compact 60° J-series unit for the US Accord. Although often rumoured, no airplane missions were altered or changed in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, as there were no missions to remove. Comparing the three Accords, it is clear that the US version is more distinct than the other two, with the JDM and European versions being more sporty and the US versions being more family-oriented. These included removing the ability to blow limbs off non-player characters and stopping the selection of certain character models when using cheat codes in the PlayStation 2 version of GTA III. The USDM Accord finally became big enough for American tastes, and both the European Accord and JDM Accord were designed with the requirements of their respective markets.

A number of changes were suggested to be made in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. The Accord became the first Japanese car to be produced in the US in 1982, when production commenced in Marysville, Ohio. For similar reasons, a lawsuit has erupted over Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Like the smaller Honda Civic, the Accord uses front wheel drive and a transverse (sometimes called "East/West") engine layout. The lawsuit is still pending as of the end of 2004. In the United States and Japan, a version was produced using Honda's CVCC technology, meeting emission standards of the 1970s and 1980s without a catalytic converter. District Court on October 29, 2003 that the "ideas and concepts as well as the 'purported psychological effects' on the Buckners are protected by the First Amendment's free-speech clause." The lawyer of the victims, Jack Thompson, denied that and is trying to get the lawsuit moved into a state court and actioned under Tennessee's consumer protection act. The initial design was changed to a fuel efficient, low emission vehicle since it was introduced during the fuel crises of the 1970s.

Rockstar and its parent company, Take Two, filed for dismissal of the lawsuit, stating in U.S. Honda chose the name Accord, reflecting "Honda's desire for accord and harmony between people, society and the automobile." [1]. On October 20, 2003, the families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede, two young people shot by teens William and Josh Buckner (who in statements to investigators claimed their actions were inspired by GTA III) filed a USD$246 million lawsuit against publishers Rockstar Games and Take Two Interactive Software, retailer Wal-Mart, and PlayStation 2 manufacturer Sony Computer Entertainment America. The Accord was originally planned to be a V6-powered car with a long hood and sporty pretensions. Among other things, the censored version removed the ability to pick up prostitutes; however it was later found that standard gore (where limbs may actually be shot or blown off a non-player characters) was still available if unlocked by entering what in other countries' versions was a "nasty limbs" cheat code, and the uncensored version was also playable by changing the computer's time zone to that of the United States. Original plans for the Accord were to make it a midsize car, along the lines of the Ford Mustang. Interestingly, whilst the sequel Vice City was censored by the OFLC, the next sequel San Andreas was not, despite featuring more "mature" content (although San Andreas was once given a Refused Classification rating amid the "Hot Coffee" controversy), leading many to conclude that the only reason the game was banned in the first place was that the OFLC was angry at Rockstar for not submitting the game for review. .

Australia still does not have a R rating for videogames like it does for movies. A conventional four-door sedan was later released in 1977. Lacking a suitable R18+ rating (the highest rating being MA15+), the game was "Refused Classification" and banned for sale because it was felt that the game was unsuitable for an audience older than 15, but younger than 18. The Accord was introduced in 1976 as a 1600 cc engine-powered midsize hatchback, with styling similar to an upsized contemporary Honda Civic. A key reason why this course of action was taken was that Rockstar did not submit GTA III to the Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC), the body that, among other things, rates videogames according to their content in Australia. The Honda Accord is an automobile manufactured by Honda. After its initial release in Australia, the game was banned—the only country to do so—and a censored version of the game was released in its place. The 1978 Honda Accord hatchback was placed on Forbes Magazine's list of the Worst Cars of All Time.

It was because of GTA III that the Wal-Mart chain of retail stores announced that, for games rated "M" by the ESRB, its stores would begin checking the identification of purchasers who appeared to be under 17. The Accord was Motor Trend's Import Car of the Year for 1994. Several minors arrested for car theft in the United States claimed their motivation was derived from playing the game. The Accord was Wheels magazine's Car of the Year for 1977. Various critics hypothesized that if children were to play the game, they might acquire sociopathic attitudes toward others. In the 22-year history of the award it is the vehicle that has appeared the most times. In addition, all in-game crimes incurs the wrath of the police, and it is also possible to play without committing the aforementioned criminal acts. The Accord has been on Car and Driver magazine's annual Ten Best list 20 times, in years 1983-1991, 1994-1995, and 1998-2005.

This action, while permitted ("sex" restores the player's health, up to 125% of its normal maximum), is never actually required. The Accord set the FIA speed record of Diesel cars in 2004, using a European Accord fitted with a 2.204 liter I-CTDI engine, the first Diesel engine by Honda. The player is rewarded with cash for various illegal and immoral actions: one allegation, frequently cited in the press, was that in the game, players had to carjack a car, pick up a prostitute, have (implied) sex with the prostitute, and then kill her and steal her money. The Accord has been voted Car of the Year in Japan on numerous occasions. For examples of video game violence, many TV news channels often show a play session of GTA III where the main character is gunning down pedestrians and blowing up police cars. A revised maintenance minder system was also added which gave owners reminders for scheduled maintenance such as oil changes based on operating conditions. GTA III is controversial because of its violent and sexual content, and it generated moral panic upon its release. The GPS Navigation system was updated (4th generation) with a faster processor and additional memory to include several new features including restaurant information from Zagat.

Despite its roughness and glitches, the game featured a world draw distance that was unparalleled at the time, and an overall sense of ambience and immersion that many other developers have tried and failed to emulate, even years later. The interior was also also slightly redesigned with changes such as a new steering wheel cover, differently colored gauges and a differently styled shift knob for automatic transmission models. Also, it was widely believed that GTA III lacked the vast development resources of its sequels, since it was considered a risky gamble at the time. 17" wheels also became standard on the V6 models. Part of GTA III's technical problems was due to the need to accomodate the relatively underpowered PlayStation 2 (compared to the Xbox, PC and even Dreamcast in certain respects). Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), also known as Electronic Stability Control, and Brake assist became available on the V6 models for the first time. There were also serious recurring problems such as clipping (when characters and objects get "half-stuck" in walls and the ground), a bug which caused vehicles to disappear, relatively poor AI for NPCs; many of these issues were not fixed in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. The 2006 model year also featured new wheel designs.

Such graphics are similar on the level of Half-Life and subpar to Quake III, but this was rarely criticized and GTA III routinely received higher graphics scores than other smaller-scaled yet better-looking games. Heated mirrors and DRLs were previously available only on Accords sold in Canada. One example were the "ugliness" and simplicity of GTA III characters and objects which became especially noticeable if the main character was walking around instead of driving. The exterior was revised with new rear end styling (most noticeably for the sedan), LED taillights, daytime running lights (DRLs) and heated side mirrors for US EX models. While GTA III's sequels undoubted improved on many aspects of gameplay, many technical gliches were also carried over. Some enthusiasts argue that the 2006 model year should be called generation 7.5. Alternatively, many reviewers were biased in favour of the GTA series. This was motivated on the Accord's 30th anniversary.

In other words, GTA III and especially subsequent GTA games following the GTA III formula were so sure to be critically acclaimed blockbusters that they were not seriously scrutinized (most flaws were downplayed) during early reviews. For its 2006 model year, the Accord received several new improvements. Aside from its violence (see #Controversy), there was criticism, often for the "lack of criticism" that surrounded the Grand Theft Auto series after the launch of Grand Theft Auto III. For 2005, the Accord received minor updates such as revised taillights (all red) and new wheel designs. [1], [2]. In 2004 Honda also first offered XM Satellite Radio as a factory installed option. The game was touted as revolutionary by several game review websites and publications, and received such rewards as Game of the Year from GameSpot, GameSpy, and Cheat Code Central, and Best Action Game of 2001 by IGN, receiving an average of about 95% from the review websites and publications. In 2004 Honda announced that they would release a hybrid version of the USDM Accord called the Honda Accord Hybrid featuring Honda's IMA technology.

All subsequent games in the series have followed the GTA III formula and have been best-selling and critically-acclaimed (and controversial) as a result. The Japanese Accord and Inspire also feature Honda's Intelligent Driver System or HIDS which feature safety enhancements such as the Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and adaptive cruise control. As a result of these shrewd moves, the Grand Theft Auto series was now a blockbuster franchise. The Japanese and European models of each car offered a number of hi-tech features not seen elsewhere in the US range, and minor adjustments to body styling. Also notable is that GTA III was the first in the series to be released on video game consoles before the PC, citing the growing size of the console market. Each model had a number of minor differences. Although multiplayer was discarded, it had a minimal impact as the many major improvements won legions of fans over to a series which formerly enjoyed a cult following. The European/JDM Accord is also sold in the US as the Acura TSX, and the USDM Accord is sold in Japan as the Inspire.

All of this is seemlessly integrated in the realistic setting of a (dysfunctional) urban environment which parodies a real-life city. Honda once again changed its marketing strategy, by merging the European Accord and the JDM Accord, which streamlined the product range from three different bodies to two. Grand Theft Auto III was the first game in the series to feature a deep storyline with high quality voice acting and navigable three-dimensional graphics. By 2003, the Accord had evolved through seven generations, with 2003 models offering power plants from a 4 cylinder to the V6 engine (for the US and select other markets). The Double Pack's success for Xbox was due to several factors, the critical acclaim (not just for the GTA series but also for the Xbox improvements) and controversial game content, two games in one, graphical improvements, and lastly the Double Pack debuted at half the price of a regular Xbox game. The European Accord became available to the US in 2003 as the Acura TSX. GTA III continued to sell well as part of the Xbox Double Pack, even though it was two years old when the Double Pack hit shelves in December 2003. These are commonly referred to as the European Honda Accord, JDM Honda Accord and USDM Honda Accord.

This was a remarkable achievement in an industry where most games experience strong drops in sales despite price drops, as gamers have a strong tendency to purchase only the "next new thing". In 1998, the Accord split into three distinct versions, one for European markets, the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM} and the US Domestic Market (USDM. Later discounted to $19.95 as part of Sony's "Greatest Hits" program, it continued to sell well and went on to become the second best-selling video game of 2002, behind only the next game in the series, 2002's Vice City. In order to increase the Accord's competitiveness against its rivals in different markets, Honda CEO Nobuhiko Kawamoto decided on one basic platform for the sixth-generation Accord, but with different bodies and proportions for local markets. Upon its release, GTA III unexpectedly emerged as a smash hit at its initial US$49.95 price and became the #1 selling video game of 2001 in the United States. This marketing strategy sowed the seeds for future Accords, as Honda tried to accommodate customer requirements of different markets. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (2005) was released for the PlayStation Portable, also set in the same location as GTA III, but taking place in 1998, three years before the events in GTA III. Europe is a market where Honda did not conquer, as Japanese cars then were deemed plain and characterless.

Grand Theft Auto Advance (2004) was initially intended as a Game Boy Advance port of GTA III, but has since introduced a new storyline set in Liberty City, roughly one year before the events in GTA III. This European Accord was based on the JDM Honda Ascot Innova, which in turn was based on the fourth-generation Accord. Two handheld titles based on GTA III have also been released. This generation was also the first where Honda produced the Accord in its Swindon plant in the UK for European markets. The Double Pack was not released for PC. In 1995, the Accord debuted a V6 engine, the 2.7 L C27 from the Acura Legend in the US market to compete with the V6-powered Mazda 626. The Xbox version of the Double Pack has improved audio, polygon models, and reflections over the PC and PS2 versions of the game. This figure would remain unsurpassed until 2004.

However, the agreement was amended in 2003 and the Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack containing both GTA III and Vice City was released for PS2 and Xbox in December 2003. It set a new sales record in 1994, with 6,446 sales, or a 1% share of the Australian new vehicle market. The Xbox version was initially supposed to be released in spring 2002 but it was shelved when Sony signed an agreement with Take-Two Interactive (Rockstar Games' parent company), making the GTA series a PlayStation 2 exclusive until November 2004. In Australia, however, the fifth generation Accord proved an instant success. The PC version does, however, support higher resolution textures and a custom option for MP3s playback in cars. VTEC engines made its debut in the Accord, and the JDM Accord also featured a 2.2 L DOHC VTEC as its top-model. This was due to technical issues; the game engine rendered everything within the draw distance, even things hidden behind buildings or trees, whereas Vice City only rendered what could actually be seen. It was also a break from the previous four generations of the Accord, with their boxy, rectangular shapes, with its rounded lines reminicent of the Prelude and Legend.

The PC version of the game, released on May 21, 2002, has been criticized for performance problems, especially in light of the much smoother performance of the next game in the GTA series, Vice City. This made it too small for American tastes and too large for Japanese tastes (although it did meet Asian preferences). The list of Grand Theft Auto III radio stations is as followed:. While the larger, redesigned Toyota Camry was making waves in the American market, Japanese tax laws prevented the Accord from growing as large as the Camry. The radio ads also gave out their official phone numbers which were also (apparently) registered by Rockstar; however in this case curious gamers only found an answer phone at the other end. In 1994, the fifth generation Accord was released, and became a sales failure in the US. However, although looking very much like genuine online stores, all links to purchase or order the products actually led to Rockstargames.com. Built in Maryville, Ohio, this was the first car to be produced in a factory located in the United States and exported back to Japan.

All of these sites actually existed; they were set up to tie in with the game. In 1988, the Accord coupe was introduced. These ads often referred to their advertisers' official websites, such as Petsovernight.com. Fuel-injection was an option on Accord engines for the first time. Each station featured various commercials at intervals. In 1986, the third-generation Accord was introduced. One of the stations was a full-length talk show, and many of the callers were actually characters from the story missions, often demonstrating the same views and eccentricities that had become apparent to the player during the missions. Since 1997, its main rival, the Toyota Camry, has held the title of the best-selling car in America, with the exception of the year 2001.

Much of the music was specially written for the game (as well as many songs originating from the first two GTAs), however the Xbox and PC ports allowed the player to use their own MP3s, and later games included actual, licenced music. In 1982, the Accord became the best-selling Japanese car by name in the US, holding that position for 15 years. One of the game's subtler inclusions was a variety of radio stations (part of the official soundtrack). Some of these features, notably monetary awards and the top-down view, would eventually be removed in following GTA titles. These included monetary awards for crashing onto cars, blowing up vehicles, and killing pedestrians (although the last feature would require that the player pick up the money dropped by dead pedestrians on foot), a crusher, vehicle import-exports, train services, and an optional top-down camera view synonymous in the game's previous installments.

As a direct descendent to Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, Grand Theft Auto III retained several features that were common in the previous two titles. Pedestrians sometimes get into fights, and car accidents between non-player vehicles may occur on their own, without any player interference to trigger these events. The game is also noted for the emergent behavior of its non-player characters. Law enforcement and members of rival gangs can be attacked and will respond with weapons of their own.

Citizens can be beaten up, robbed, run over, or shot, allowing the player to extract money and/or weapons. Cars can be smashed or stolen; carjacking was often required if the player doesn't have (or had lost) their own vehicle and was required to travel quickly. Passing vehicles and pedestrians are not just cosmetic "flavor" for the environment, but are actually part of game play. The game is remarkable in its depiction of what seems to be a very large city with things happening all the time in different neighborhoods.

Thanks to the strikingly open-ended game design, it is quite possible—and common—for players to ignore the main missions and play the side missions, or simply cruise around enjoying Liberty City's sights. As the player completes missions for different gangs, rival gang members will come to recognize the character and subsequently shoot on sight (if armed). Similarly, the player's place within the story will affect his view in the "eyes" of non-playable characters. However, the nature of the game does demand some limits to the player's freedom: just as new areas become open, some will be permanently denied of access once the player fulfills their purpose.

As can be expected from a video game with a linear plot, new neighborhoods and districts in Liberty City will become open to the player's exploration as missions are completed and the game's story unfolds. Police and Fire Fighter missions are similarly available. If the player acquires a taxi cab, he can pick up designated non-player characters as fares and drop them off at different parts of the city for a cash payment; carjacking an ambulance lets the player pick up injured NPCs and drive them to the hospital for a cash reward. Alternately, he may choose to drive around the city, stealing cars, running over pedestrians, and avoiding (or opposing) the police.

He is able to go on missions (shaking down a local business for "protection money", clearing the streets of drug dealers, or assassinating leaders of rival gangs, for example) in order to advance in the ranks of his current gang. The player's character has a degree of freedom in his actions that, although being heavily inspired by Rockstar North's (then DMA Design) earlier Nintendo 64 game Body Harvest, was groundbreaking in 2001 and has arguably been only surpassed by the game's sequels. However, if the main character attacks pedestrians or gang members, the cop will give chase. If the main character is attacked by pedestrians or gang members, a patrolling cop will ignore the offending attackers.

The police AI follows a double-standard. Unfortunately, completing certain missions inevitably causes the player to gain the attention of local police enforcement. The only way to get rid of wanted levels is to pick up police-bribes or repaint the car the player is driving at the three local Pay 'N' Sprays. Gunning down pedestrians and destroying cars will further raise the wanted level (the maximum level is six stars) and eventually bring increasingly stronger police enforcement in the form of SWAT teams, FBI agents, and the National Guard.

Cops will chase after the player by foot and car but will do little else. Minor infractions such as carjacking or fist assaults will cause a one-star wanted level. Any type of infractions will raise the player's wanted level and thus cause the police to give chase. The Liberty City Police Department (LCPD) is the city's police agency.

These risk-reward balances give the game more subtlety than the nature of the in-game actions would suggest. However, attempting to car-jack a Mafia vehicle often results in pursuit by the former occupant (who is invariably armed). Each car has its own particular performance characteristics; for instance, a "Mafia Sentinel" car is much faster and able to corner much better than a minivan. The principal activity in the game is carjacking: the player may walk up to the side of a passing car and press a single button to yank the driver out of the car, get in, and start driving.

He then takes on work as a local thug and rises in power as he works for multiple rival crime gangs. While he is being transferred, an attack on the police convoy sets him free. He is double-crossed by his partner/girlfriend, Catalina, during a bank robbery and sent to jail. He received the name "Claude" in a brief cameo in the series' later game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas; because of this name he is theorized to be "Claude Speed" from GTA2).

Black". Throughout the story, the main character is never named (though he is referred to in the fan community variously as "Fido", "The Kid", or "Mr. The game takes place in Liberty City, a fictional city on the East Coast (based on New York City). .

It is the third in the Grand Theft Auto series and was the #1 selling game of 2001. Grand Theft Auto III, or GTA III, is a video game developed by DMA Design, published by Rockstar Games in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based PCs, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. Grenades (Slot 12). Molotov cocktails (Slot 11).

Flamethrower (Slot 10). Rocket launcher (Slot 9). Sniper rifle (Slot 8). M-16 (Slot 7).

AK-47 (Slot 6). Shotgun (Slot 5). Uzi (Slot 4). Pistol (Slot 3).

Baseball bat (Slot 2). Fist (Slot 1). Chatterbox FM. Flashback 95.6.

MSX FM. Game Radio FM. Lips 106. Rise FM.

K-Jah. Double Cleff FM. Head Radio.