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See the original image at reuters.com

"Grand Theft Auto" Simplifies Song Purchasing

reuters.com — The emerging effort to use videogames as a channel for selling music is entering its next phase with the recent release of "Grand Theft Auto IV."

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  • saadghauri, on 05/05/2008, -4/+54Yeah, and its especially great that they chose the Amazon music store, because amazon's drm free mp3s kick ass
    • Tyr7BE, on 05/05/2008, -7/+4I agree with the sentiment, and DRM-free is better than nothing, but it would still be nice to see some rips encoded above 190kbps cbr. Amazon, either make your mp3s v2 or aps, or give us the FLACs so we can do it ourselves.
      • cawpin, on 05/05/2008, -1/+9WTF are you talking about? All the songs I've purchased from Amazon are 256 kbps cbr.
      • rpgmaker, on 05/05/2008, -9/+1You're an idiot. If you want HQ buy the CDs. I hate when people justify their piracy blaming the quality of the MP3s offering on the market. If you will pirate something don't justify your action, accept that you could be doing something illegal depending on where you live and move on..
        • mike17032, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5Just because your sound system is two piles of ***** wired up with some floss, and you cant hear the difference between higher bitrate stuff because of it, dont assume the rest of us cant either.

          I will always steal music if I can get it at a higher quality as a result.
    • HolyChimp, on 05/05/2008, -4/+6I don't see why they couldn't have even included an iTunes+ option for those of us that live outside of the US though.
      • HolyChimp, on 05/05/2008, -6/+5I normally hate the people that reply to their own comments when they get dugg down, but could anyone explain why having the option to buy the songs DRM free in the rest of the world would be a bad thing?
      • MiDri, on 05/05/2008, -0/+8Politics, they have to pay more $ to the record labels and misc government agencies to sell outside the US.
        • HolyChimp, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Well, according to R* it's 'coming soon' so maybe I'll be able to buy them before I resort to torrenting the lot. Regionalising of the internet is a pain.
    • Kennerk, on 05/05/2008, -6/+4ya know, limewire gives me music without DRM all the time... :)
      • strictnein, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2You're the only one on Digg who can master that confounding tool!
    • pigfister, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Nope its being used as a jump point for the RIAA, to global price fix if they can get ppl away from itunes, utilising regional credit cards. Amazon is being pushed as the new distribution platform because apple wouldn't bend over for the RIAA's music bundles at inflated costs!

      http://www.pcpro.co.uk/macuser/news/109448/eu-blam ...
      FTA: EU blames record labels, not Apple, for iTunes restrictions

      The European Commission has said that it sees the record companies - not Apple - as being responsible for consumers' inability to buy tracks at the lowest prices by shopping across national borders.

      The EU executive sent formal charges to Apple and the major record companies last week because consumers can only buy iTunes in their own countries and cannot shop around for cheaper prices and a broader catalogue in other states.

      'Our current view is that this is an arrangement which is imposed on Apple by the major record companies and we do not see a justification for it,' Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd told reporters.

      The world's major record companies are Vivendi's Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Group and Warner Music Group.
  • mediaspree, on 05/05/2008, -3/+6I want the song where he gives names to his guns.
    • supermanred, on 05/05/2008, -1/+3I want the song in the 8ball pool hall. Yeah mon!
    • bpapa, on 05/05/2008, -1/+5Qadir "Nickname"

      I actually bought this off of Amazon last night after hearing it in the game.
    • LetsGoHokies, on 05/05/2008, -2/+7That song makes me want to stab my eardrum with an icepick.
    • RolltheStampede, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2if you bought the special edition it is one of the tracks on the cd.
    • Nerfdude, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3the Classics station is OFF THE CHAIN. MC Lyte, Audio Two, Special Ed... sick hip hop selection.
  • thebloodvayne, on 05/05/2008, -17/+4Guess who's going to download it with BT?
    • SirCrumpet, on 05/05/2008, -5/+21Wow, you're so cool! I wish I pirated music off the internet!
      • robthom, on 05/05/2008, -7/+1That would be against the law so dont do it or you'll get in trouble.
        (Plus we dont need any snitches ruining the fun for the rest of us)
        • GeekyGerge, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2Oh *****, I never knew that.
          Thanks for the heads up.

          /fail
    • paranoiabacon, on 05/05/2008, -2/+12I find it somewhat ironic that despite the fervid support for bittorent that the majority of users have, when somebody openly admits that they use it for illegal song downloads--and don't ***** yourself, there are far more sinners than saints when it comes to digital distribution--it gets dugg down.
      • HolyChimp, on 05/05/2008, -1/+8The main argument for pirating music is DRM and low quality songs. Since Amazon has neither of those things the only reason to pirate is because you want it for free, which doesn't have the same moral highground.
        • robthom, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2"The main argument for pirating music is DRM and low quality songs. "
          Ehh, I like filesharing for finding rare stuff that doesn't get support from the major labels which makes them hard to find and expensive even if you can find it for sale.
          I support supporting the artists, but if they allow the distribution and control of their art to be manipulated by major corporations, then to bad so sad. I'm gonna do what I have to do since I dont plan to be out priced of my appreciation for music. In that situation, me being a fan will have to be enough for them.
          But if an artist I like sells direct from a website, and I'm supporting them with more than a fraction of a penny from the 20 dollar price of a CD in a store, then I'll definitely purchase the full cd quality with artwork.
          • HolyChimp, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Services like Last.fm and muxtape allow you to find new music without resorting to file sharing, and anybody can put their music on iTunes, not just the big labels. Not sure if Amazon has the same openness.
          • robthom, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1^^ Thats cool beans. I support that. That was MP3.com's model for awhile also and I discovered some good amateur tunes there.
            But its not only new stuff that I want, in fact its mostly rare old, alternate and odd stuff from 12 inch singles and live performances and such that I want.
            Believe me I'm not Downloading money out of kanye west and brittany spears pockets, because that would be just wrong.
            :)
        • paranoiabacon, on 05/07/2008, -0/+1Actually my argument for pirating songs is that I refuse to support an industry that charges obscene amounts of money to support a nearly-dead business model at the expense of the buyer.
  • OfNumbers, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4But what about Zimbabwe?
  • 00Sean00, on 05/05/2008, -14/+1Which may explain why the music sucked balls in IV versus all the rest...
    • supermanred, on 05/05/2008, -2/+7Uh... There are over 200 songs. I've heard plenty of songs that were awesome. Put down the spliff bredren you a trip out star.
      • jamesov89, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4I totally agree. There is also a great variety on there. I was switching through stations and was pleasantly surprised to hear !!! and LCD Soundsystem.
        • senatorpjt, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Maybe that's the problem. There are plenty of good songs, but it seems like there are a lot more songs in IV I don't like than in SA. Maybe I'm just getting older and don't like the music the kids are listening to anymore. But, in any case, it means that I usually just turn the radio off because I don't feel like searching around.

          OTOH it's actually better than radio in real life. I just end up listening to NPR when I'm in the car because all the radio stations here suck.
    • mike17032, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1I was not impressed with them either.
  • ortucis, on 05/05/2008, -13/+2Can't wait for PC version where the new 'mod' is released that downloads the song from your fav torrent site directly in-game.

    This could work..
    • Tyrghast, on 05/05/2008, -3/+4Or, like the rest of us pc gamers, have your media player of choice rocking out in the background of whatever game you play.
      • ortucis, on 05/05/2008, -8/+1I don't really ever do such stupid *****, I just wanted to post in these GTA4 spam threads spawning since ever. Don't really care about GTA..
      • supermanred, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Its not the same with GTA4. Its nice that the songs are playing on the "radio" in the car. If you really want to hear music all the time just park your car nearby your next killing spree.
        • Tyrghast, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1A lame gimmick that plays crappy music? I think ill pass, or just listen to the PLR station every time I jack a car, the programs on PLR are actually kind of funny.
      • logicalnoise, on 05/05/2008, -1/+6360 has the same feature.

        and to save time I've included the usual troll post.
        "YA BUT IT GETS THE RROD LOLOLO"
      • adamuffa, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3or, like the rest of us pc lamers.... get off your high horse douchebag. You can plug in your mp3 player directly into the 360 to stream music for any game...and knowing is half the battle
        • Tyrghast, on 05/05/2008, -2/+1And you call me ignorant... I do own a 360 and know about this function of the 360. Furthermore, my comment does not carry and tone of superiority, so whatever insult you seem to have inferred is merely a figment of your imagination.

          something about your comment makes me think you're an avid halo fan...
        • oxymoron69, on 05/05/2008, -1/+1You know... you don't need to plug an MP3 player into yer 360 dumbass.

          Why do that when it's already plugged into your network, and it can stream your mp3's right from your computer without having to get usb drives and stuff involved.
          • adamuffa, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2because I don't use xp sp2
          • louiedog, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2I don't think you need xp sp2, just a upnp server. I could be wrong.
          • xino, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1How do you know it's already plugged into his network? He didn't say that so you shouldn't assume that it is.
      • HolyChimp, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Only problem is the same as you get with the 360, which is that the music doesn't fade out for cutscenes and phone conversations.
  • navster15, on 05/05/2008, -5/+306 words:

    Ein zwei drei, schecke schecke schweine.
    • logicalnoise, on 05/05/2008, -0/+8probably the only song I'd buy from GTAIV
    • Starlach, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Please, tell me who wrote this song? What is the title? I don't have access to the game right now and the song is stuck in my head.
      • xino, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1I have access to the game and I still haven't figured it out. I can't wait to find it.
      • logicalnoise, on 05/07/2008, -0/+2schweine by Glukoza
        Got it off itunes last night.
    • endlessoul, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Holy crap, I love that song too! I actually purchased it from Amazon today.

      Funny how other people gravitated to that song, too. I like the next one on the Vladovistok station, too, the really upbeat one. GTA 4 is awesome.
  • kenvsryu, on 05/05/2008, -1/+14Here's the playlists of all the radio stations in GTA4.
    http://ps3mods.blogspot.com/2008/05/gtaiv-radio-st ...
    • Tebixan, on 05/05/2008, -4/+3They're also in the back of the user manual that came with the game, that is, if you didn't pirate that too
      • Coffeedemon, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6Well hold on a second while I get up, walk out to the living room, find the GTA 4 case, flip to the right section of the manual then read through it. On second thought I'll just click this convenient link.
    • BuckleButt, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1I'm probably in the minority here, but I've played the game for over 5 hours now and only recognized 3 songs. I'm disappointed in the radio stations.
  • john2kx, on 05/05/2008, -12/+7***** the RIAA?
  • insanebrain, on 05/05/2008, -17/+8Yeah. .ANOTHER GTA article... please guys . .start playing and stop posting.
    • plizard, on 05/05/2008, -2/+6people do have to do something while they are at this thing called 'work'
    • Tigergrape, on 05/05/2008, -2/+5too much spam about GTA IV now. if you have it, you already know.
  • PurpleSfinx, on 05/05/2008, -7/+11At the cost of the game, I wouldn't feel bad downloading the songs for free, if I'd bought it.
    • supermanred, on 05/05/2008, -2/+2160 dollars for the best game Ive ever played...which supposedly has at least 50-100 hours of gameplay.
      200 songs on the game

      And you say you dont feel bad about downloading the 200 songs?

      Disrespect, bredren. Niko, you a trip out mon.
      • crawf061, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5He is just rolling deep, playa!

        *Somebody feel my pecs... do it*
      • blocguy, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Peace, star.
    • darkstar949, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Different types of licensing - the license to play the songs in the game is different from the one to redistribute the songs for use by the purchasers of the game. That said, it would be extremely nice to be able to get some of these songs for free outside of getting the collectors edition of the game.
      • Cerebron, on 05/05/2008, -3/+2Nope. I agreed to no such thing when purchasing the game, I can do whatever the ***** I want with anything inside the game, thank you.
        • JudgeMonkey, on 05/05/2008, -2/+5Actually, yes. You did agree to it. You know damn well you did too. That would fall under the unauthorized distribution (downloading the track.) and reverse engineering, ripping it from the game. I don't think you're an idiot, you know what the EULA contains. That isn't even in the big EULA, it's right on the back of the box in two sentences.

          If you're going to download it, no one here can or would even likely care to stop you (well, except the RIAA, but they can eat a bag of dicks, ya know?) But you know what you're violating, don't pretend otherwise.
          • Cerebron, on 05/05/2008, -3/+0Downloading the track is definitely not distribution, recording the audio is not reverse engineering. There is nothing legally or morally wrong with playing the music included in this game on my pc. Next you will be telling me I can't play my movies on my pc.
        • strictnein, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2Wow Cerebron, you're a bad ass.
    • paranoiabacon, on 05/05/2008, -2/+6Evidently downloading music is just too darn illegal for a game of GTA4's subject matter.
  • blog4charity, on 05/05/2008, -10/+1The early comment gets the thumbs up
  • gameyharp, on 05/05/2008, -2/+10"This was my first GTA game and I was obeying all the laws and *****. Like stopping on red lights and using turn signals."
    • TTURabble, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6There are useable turn signals?
      • CandidateZero, on 05/06/2008, -0/+2No. Only computer-controlled vehicles use them.
    • KevinMcD, on 05/05/2008, -8/+1Kevin Rose is a legend! I can't believe he had never played GTA before this 1. Diggnation Rocks!!
  • paranoiabacon, on 05/05/2008, -11/+5That comment about GTA4 having the largest soundtrack in video game history is inaccurate; Super Smash Bros Brawl has 300+ songs, and at least 250 of them are full-length.
    • millertime588, on 05/05/2008, -2/+9But they aren't songs you would ever hear outiside of the game.
  • NYPD, on 05/05/2008, -11/+1Why buy the game when this is my life?

    $50 is a lot of beer or a piece of *****!
  • debuffplx, on 05/05/2008, -0/+14This is the reason why you can't have custom radio stations.
    • mike17032, on 05/05/2008, -0/+7Yep, that pissed me off too.

      It would be much better if the radio could play random songs from your own collection, but still have the talk and fake adds between them.
  • CMiYC, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Wow, so simple, I did not know you could do it....
  • Tyorant, on 05/05/2008, -2/+17Unlike previous GTA games, there are very few songs on IV that I would want to own...
    Also, i'm a metal fan, but I really can't stand the L.C.H.C station.
    • spinemangler, on 05/05/2008, -3/+10I agree. Where the Megadeth or Slayer? The music is so weak that I just turned the radio volume to 0 in the options.

      Vice City had a kickass metal station.
      • ericrous, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Megadeth and Slayer are classic metal. Check out Headbanger's Ball once and a while, grandpa.
      • xino, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1You can hold left to turn off the radio also.
    • Antimatter3009, on 05/05/2008, -1/+9I'm with you there. I really wish there was a metal station. LCHC is pretty much punk, which I'm not so much a fan of. On the bright side, I can usually find something decent to listen to by flipping through the channels, and if all else fails, there's always the hilarious talk radio stations :)
    • nbcaffeine, on 05/05/2008, -0/+11Hardcore punk != Metal
      I wish there was a dedicated metal station.
      • Tyorant, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3That's my point, they aimed that station at people who are fans of the heavier music style...but I just can't enjoy any of the songs.
        • Coffeedemon, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1It fits because Hardcore is considered by many to have started in NYC with some of those bands. However I would have preferred they vary it up (and get rid of the Journey and its sleepytime knob twiddling).
    • JigoroKano, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3I'm metal fan too, and while there's nothing for me in that respect, there's tons of great music in other genres: Killing Joke, David Axlerod, ... stuff that is legendary but never heard on the radio.
    • SSCrow, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1Why not just use the Xbox Guide for your music?
  • Yodzilla, on 05/05/2008, -0/+17Too bad the Rockstar Social Club doesn't work for beans right now.
    • endlessoul, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2Here I was thinking it was just me. I use ZiT damn near every time I play the game, and nothing pops up on the Social Club site.

      WTF, Rockstar?? Can't handle the masses?
    • xino, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1I have the same problem. I hope it gets fixed soon.
  • plizard, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4"But "Grand Theft Auto IV" includes a feature that lets players tag any song in the soundtrack in order to receive more information about the title and artist, as well as store tagged tracks in a custom playlist on the Amazon digital music store for later purchase."

    can someone explain how to do this in the 360 version
    • HolyChimp, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3While the song is playing you phone Zit! from your phone by dialing ZIT-555-0100.
      • smergs, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4I still don't know why they made that number so long. It's easy to remember, but why not make it shorter. Or why not just put that in your phonebook from the beginning. I'm sure it would have been more profitable that way.
    • grendelwraith, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6Go to www.rockstargames.com/socialclub. Register. Link your Live ID to your account. Then just Dial the Zit! number in game anytime you hear a song you like "in car or out". As long as it hears a couple seconds of the song, Lazlow will text you what track you are hearing. And make the track available for purchase through the site.

      Works the same on PS3, but instead of linking your Live ID you link your PSN account.
  • Shakermaker, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6Radio Broker and Liberty Rock is what I listen to...but with Liberty Rock, it seems only 3 songs of those are played. I have yet to hear Black Sabbath....
    • spinemangler, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5Dont forget that its the Ronny James Dio Black Sabbath, so you may not recognize it...
    • mike17032, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4The rock songs blow compared to the other games.

      Its a sad day when Edge of Seventeen is the highlight of most car trips in that game.
  • Kidsturk, on 05/05/2008, -0/+8...or it would simplify it, if ZiT worked.
  • kurtwinter, on 05/05/2008, -20/+1I am not going to spend money on MP3's. They are an obsolete lossy media format that was replaced by FLAC, APE and SHN, the formats of choice of sound snobs everywhere.
    • Topher06, on 05/05/2008, -0/+5Too bad there are only like 2 mp3 players on the market that support those obscure formats. Can't be much of a snob if you can't listend to the music.
    • jgzman, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3As a non-sound snob, I'm gonna stick with MP3.
      Also, I'm not sure obsolete means what you think it means.
    • Coffeedemon, on 05/05/2008, -0/+1When did the format replace hearing cool new (and old) music? I thought the experience and the music would be more important than having the latest and greatest lossless formats and toys. Do you really think that a person's first hearing of Stairway to heaven (or whatever) was really impeded by hearing it on a Tape vs an LP vs an 8Track?
  • MacBandit, on 05/05/2008, -9/+3How simple is it once it freezes!?
    • SSUK, on 05/05/2008, -1/+3Your attempt at humour has failed. Would you like to try again? Y/N: _
  • stevoe88, on 05/05/2008, -8/+0yeh i agree the songs arent that great in gta 4.i have it for playstation 3 and have been using the cheat codes over at http://www.squidoo.com/grandtheftauto4cheats
  • sirius2k3, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3if only the ZiT/Social Club linking worked
  • robthom, on 05/05/2008, -9/+2I've got an even simpler answer. Download gta AND and all the music you could ever want from Kazaa.
    • millertime588, on 05/05/2008, -2/+5Kazaa has aids, and people like you kill the videogame industry.
      • robthom, on 05/05/2008, -1/+2Oh poo to you. Fanboys ruin the videogame industry. How else did EA and activision become the most powerful VG company's while pumping out an endless supply of steaming ***** titles?
        But truth be told, I take back what I said about GTA.
        If there is a developer that almost always gives us good ***** and deserves our support its rockstar.
    • Tebixan, on 05/05/2008, -0/+8People still use Kazaa?
  • slavetolust, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Rockstar says they are working on the linking in the Social Club. My email was answered right away, as I've tagged many songs so far. Hopefully this will be fixed this week.
  • reechme, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3Clever idea!
  • Wootstapler, on 05/05/2008, -0/+3I'm sorry but is it just me, or is it that the ZiT program doesn't work on the socialclub website?
    • Morac, on 05/05/2008, -0/+4The Social Club website is FUBARed at the moment. Nothing is working. I've emailed them and first they told me the updates were slow. Later they told me they are having a "problem with [their] telemetry servers" whatever that means. The lowdown is that it's not working.
    • isuisorisuaint, on 05/06/2008, -1/+1yeah...that site sucks ass. hopefully they'll work out the bugs because right now i can't trust any info on the site. no zits and it tells me that i've completed 6% of the game when i've actually completed over 20%.
  • senatorpjt, on 05/05/2008, -0/+7The only song I was curious about so far was "Goodbye Horses", and that was only because I heard it and thought "Hey, isn't that the song playing when that guy is dancing naked in front of the mirror in Silence of the Lambs"
  • digjam, on 05/05/2008, -2/+1Yet another reason to buy GTA IV!
  • DavidGX, on 05/05/2008, -7/+2PAYING for music.. what a riot. No thanks.
  • missingnoh4x, on 05/05/2008, -0/+6And if you torrent anything, your wanted level goes up to seven stars, which means that RIAA lawyers will storm your house and rape your entire family, then nuke the site from orbit.
  • terencec, on 05/05/2008, -1/+3I currently have 10 ZiTs
  • seamark21, on 05/05/2008, -0/+2The music looks good in GTA IV, I don't really want to buy the game for the soundtrack though....However I did find a streaming playlist of GTA IV.
    http://www.nutsie.com/playlist/Grand%20Theft%20Aut ...
  • antdude, on 05/06/2008, -0/+1Can one rip the music from the game? Are they low quality (radio)?
  •  

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