The 
daughter of the New York mobster responsible for the downfall of infamous mob boss John Gotti is suing Rockstar Games, saying the developer used her life story in Grand Theft Auto V without her permission.
Karen Gravano, daughter of Sammy “The Bull” Gravano and a former star of the VH1 reality series “Mob Wives,” alleges that a character in the best-selling crime game, Antonia Bottino, is based on her image and life story.
Washington 
politicians take note: This is how you do a stimulus package!
As an olive branch to players who have suffered through server woes, vanishing characters and a variety of other technical hiccups marring the launch of Grand Theft Auto Online, Rockstar Games has announced plans to give players $500,000 of in-game money.
Rockstar 
Games famously keeps a tight lid on its “Grand Theft Auto” games, but there are generally three constants to each new release.
Something in the game will outrage activists. The game will make a staggering amount of money. And it will incorporate parts of pop culture that raise its coolness levels even higher among players.
In the 12 years since “Grand Theft Auto III” first hit shelves (and the game really became the industry force it is now), it has had plenty of highs and lows – and an impact on the videogame landscape that few titles can match. Here’s a look at some of its most notable moments and achievements.
“Call 
of Duty” might be the video game industry’s 500-pound gorilla, but on Sept. 17, it faces its biggest threat yet.
That’s when Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive Software will release “Grand Theft Auto V,” the first new full game in the series in five years—and analysts expect it to be one of the biggest releases of the year.
For a detective 
whose star is rising at a phenomenal rate, Cole Phelps sure is angry.
There’s no crime in L.A. Noire he can’t solve, but his people skills are a bit lacking. Even when a witness is cooperating with his investigation, he’ll inevitably start shouting at them, a behavior that always mystified players.
[Is Rovio’s Angry Birds 
really more valuable than Grand Theft Auto? Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris argues that Rovio’s recent push for a $1.2 billion valuation is “somewhat ridiculous.”]
The absurdities of today’s venture capital market – and of investors hoping to ride those coattails to wealth – are multiplying at a staggering rate.
And the reported recent push by Angry Birds developer Rovio to seek funds that would value the company at $1.2 billion could indicate the bubble that has been building for some time in the tech space is reaching a dangerous size.
[In light of an NBA lockout, Gamasutra 
editor-at-large Chris Morris calls Take-Two’s optimistic outlook for NBA 2K12 “baffling,” arguing that the publisher missed a “free pass to lower expectations in a way investors would understand.”]
There was plenty of bad news in Take-Two’s earnings call Monday.
The company missed expectations – and managed to do so on a day where investors were already in panic mode. Duke Nukem Forever, the company said, was profitable, but the overwhelmingly negative reviews put a ceiling on that title’s earnings potential. And because of that stumble from the flat-topped king of the one liner, the company was forced to cut its forecast.
But the bad news was almost overshadowed by Take-Two’s baffling decision to maintain a downright optimistic outlook for this year’s NBA 2Ktitle, despite the dark clouds hovering over the real-world NBA.
Everyone knows a new Grand Theft Auto is coming. It is, 
after all, one of the biggest franchises in the video game industry. But to date, Rockstar Games hasn’t dropped many hints about what to expect.
Over the past few weeks, though, there have been some cracks in the armor, indicating that work is well underway on the next installment in the iconic series.
Video game publishers aren’t fooling themselves. They
know August is going to be the latest in a string of awful months for the industry.
Sales numbers will be released roughly two hours after the market closes Thursday – and they’re expected to be grim. Michael Pachter, managing director of Wedbush Securities, predicts software sales will drop 6 percent compared to 2009 to $445 million. Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets is expecting things to be even worse – forecasting a 10-15 percent decline.
Though the game has been presumed dead so many times you’d 
need an abacus to keep track, “Duke Nukem Forever” is very much alive – and he’s coming to store shelves soon.
Take Two Interactive Software pulled off one of the video game world’s biggest surprises Friday, announcing not only that the over-a-decade-in-development first person shooter was nearly finished, but backing that claim up by giving the 150,000 people attending the Penny Arcade Expo in Seattle the chance to play the game.
Chris Morris: Journalist 