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Gear Up for Wednesday's Max Payne 3 Social Club Multiplayer Event on PSN

Posted on August 1 2012, 5:25am | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

Update: The event has now ended. Thanks to everyone who joined us and look out for more Social Club Multiplayer Events in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday August 1, 12-3pm ET / 5-8pm BST, our squad of Rockstar Games developers will be heading into Max Payne 3 multiplayer on PSN. There'll be a live double-stream, Rockstar hosted chat, event leaderboard and Sweepstakes to win a deluxe prize pack, including Max Payne statue, Hawaiian shirt and bullet keychain, all over at the Social Club Multiplayer Event page. We've assembled an elite team for this particular throwdown, and we're going to be on the lookout for cohesive Crews and creative Loadouts as we discard casings across all multiplayer modes and maps, including those on the Local Justice DLC.

To join us, look for 'Social Club Multiplayer Event' on the in-game Playlists menu and keep an eye out for the following PSN IDs:

  • MaxPayneDev1
  • MaxPayneDev2
  • MaxPayneDev3
  • MaxPayneDev4

Also make sure you're following us on our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Steam (for PC) pages to get word of additional impromptu multiplayer sessions all summer long and beyond...

Rockstar Game Tips: Working Together to Plant Bombs in Gang Wars' "Short Fuse" Mode

Posted on July 31 2012, 7:36am | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games

Recently, we brought you some of our choice Loadout options for Gang Wars, Max Payne 3's narrative driven, objective based multiplayer mode. Those Loadouts suggested directly by our Multiplayer developers were designed to be good all-around set-ups, flexible enough to give you the edge in those first weeks of competition. Now that we're starting to see more advanced strategies and a generally higher level of play online and in our Social Club Multiplayer Events live-streams, let's move the magnifying glass closer to the subject and take a detailed look at how the very best players from our development teams go about each objective, studying not only which Loadouts they equip, but how they work together to break through the toughest defenses.

How to Plant the Bomb in 'Short Fuse'

When playing as a Crew, it's important that you're communicating at all times and it's a good idea to assign each member a specific role for each objective. It's no good for the entire team to sprint carelessly towards the bomb site, as even average opposition will be able to swat this strategy away with relative ease. Similarly, if everyone is swarming around the map looking to increase their kill count, then the bomb site simply isn't going to blow up by itself. Below we have detailed three roles that we suggest delegating to specific members of your Crew before the match.

One of the keys to this team-oriented approach is the idea of complementary Bursts - not everyone on the team necessarily needs to be using Big Dog, for example, when one player can deploy it at Level 3 and share the benefit across the entire team. Better still, if all players all have different Bursts equipped, each boosting the whole team at Level 3, and are co-ordinated well enough to all deploy them at the same time, that adds up to a healthy team boost across a variety of attributes.

The Bomber

The player tasked with planting the bomb needs to be light enough to get to the target quickly and also well-armored to survive the crossfire when they get there. We recommend a single handgun to keep the Loadout weight down. This player's role is simple: use the Sneaky Burst to get close to one of the objective markers and plant the bomb. When that's done, switch to the Bodyguard Loadout (detailed below) and defend your good work.

Single Handed Weapon Slot: the PT92 (with Gas Block) provides lightweight personal protection
Burst Slot: Sneaky lets you slip through to the bomb site unnoticed
Item Head Slot: Helmet
Item Chest Slot: Heavy Body Armor
Item Gear Slot: Multitool is essential here as it enables you to plant bombs more quickly
Item Gear Slot: Sneakers will aid you in slipping through to the bomb site undetected
Item Gear Slot: Lockbox lets you keep your Painkillers after you die

Hit the jump for our Bodyguard and Sniper Loadouts...

 

Crew Cut: Hardest of the Hardcore

Posted on July 29 2012, 7:27am | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

In previous editions of the Crew Cut, we've looked at the ongoing tussles at the top of the Crew leaderboards, where players worldwide are fighting it out on Max Payne 3 multiplayer, earning precious XP to edge them closer to the top. However, that's not the only battle being waged: individual players within the larger Public Crews are putting in the time and talent to try and reach the top of their particular Crew leaderboard, and nowhere is this more competitive than in our largest Public Crew, the official Max Payne 3 Crew, Payne Killers.

Therefore, we'd like to offer special shoutouts to Fingerfinger, MrDixie and agent007marc - the top players in Payne Killers on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC respectively. If you're a Crew leader wondering how you can take your soldiers to the next level, you could do a lot worse than recruiting one of these guys...

RECREWTMENT

Still flying solo in Max Multiplayer? We’ve gathered some Crews that are actively looking for new members; hit them up - it could be the start of a beautiful, bloody relationship:

Facepalm, “where face meets palm” have launched a social media campaign to boost their numbers. Ten members strong and led by PintsizedMunkeh, they are looking to take on the leaderboards on both Xbox 360 and PS3. Newswire comments regular Sprunk95 recently brought GTA TOWN, a Grand Theft Auto community on Facebook, to Social Club, and GTA TOWN CREW is looking for a talented emblem artist. If you think you can compete with Sprunk95’s nifty Whiz Emblem, then this might be the Crew for you. The PS3 Crew Blood Money Rebels is now 25 members deep and looking for players to help in their ongoing Feud with the Public goliath Payne Killers Crew. Having won over 80 Feuds, these guys mean serious business. Finally, Infolady of Brazil - a longtime Rockstar fan who's also big on Red Dead - invites all to join her Crew Top Hand Legends. With Crew stats at 49% Win PCT, some new members may be just what this Crew needs to get in the black.

 

EMBLEMS DU SEMAINE 

As you will know if you checked out our interview with elite emblem designer YourTaxesAtWork, we're always on the lookout for eye-catching Crew art and this week we'd like to share two excellent emblems that perfectly suit the Crews wearing them. On the left below, we have a fearsome panther designed by Kaspofunk for his Battlecat Crew. The red border makes the image pop and those piercing eyes really tell you who's boss when they appear on a kill screen in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer. On the right, we have the mischievous, taunting calling card of The Faceless Knights designed by another prolific artist, ZeroFoxFK, whom we've mentioned in the Crew Cut before.

 

We're also pleased to confirm that the Social Club team has recently added more than 100 new shapes and templates to the Emblem Editor for emblem artists to work with, a small sample of which you can see below. Hopefully this should mean the next set of artworks featured here in the Crew Cut is even more impressive than what we've seen yet.

 



If you've seen an amazing emblem, or if there's a Crew you feel should be mentioned in a future Crew Cut, email us at mouthoff@rockstargames.com and we'll take note.

TEAM JASTA CREW

In the latest of our Rockstar Crew sessions here in NYC, yesterday we welcomed some of our esteemed friends from the world of metal - Jamey Jasta (TeamJasta on Social Club) of Hatebreed and his own eponymous band Jasta, along with radio personality Jose Mangin of Liquid Metal on Sirius XM and MTV2's Headbangers Ball and Seton O'Connor of The Dan Patrick Show. The dudes didn't get to enjoy the Rockstar Rooftop due to some gnarly storms over NYC, but still grouped up here in our HQ to kick off the launch of the official Team Jasta Crew at Social Club with lots of good times and bullets flying in Max Multiplayer live-streamed at the Rockstar Twitch page. The Team Jasta Crew is open for enrollment so sign up to wield heavy metal with like-minded fans. Look for more Rockstar Crew sessions in the weeks ahead by watching our Twitter feed.
 

Finally, look for a special competitive Crew event to take place in the coming weeks, which will be of particular interest to all international Crews playing with their compatriots while a certain sporting event takes place in London, England. We’ll have a first announcement about that right here at the Newswire in the next week or so.

 

Previously:

Rockstar Game Tips: Max Payne 3 Arcade Modes

Posted on July 11 2012, 12:03pm | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games

Our latest edition of Rockstar Game Tips, inside pro tips straight from Rockstar developers, takes an in-depth look at Max Payne 3’s Arcade Modes - intense shootout challenges designed to test both your accuracy and your grasp of Max’s signature abilities, Bullet Time® and Shootdodge™. There are two Arcade modes to master: Score Attack, which unlocks as you complete chapters in Story mode; and New York Minute, which is available upon full completion of the Story and also comes in Hardcore flavor.

When you complete a stage, you’re awarded a Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum rank depending on your performance - and your score will determine your place on the Global leaderboard. In-game, you can also view a Leaderboard of players in either your Friends List or your Crew. Reaching certain milestones in these modes will unlock character avatars for Multiplayer Deathmatch like Fabiana Branco, Passos and more.

Score Attack Breakdown

In Score Attack, players blast through the full Story campaign, chapter by chapter, earning points for their precision and their panache. Each time you take down an enemy, you receive points based on the nature of the kill. Points are broken down as follows:
 
Scoring
Headshot: 100
Bodyshot: 10
Kill: 50
Explosion Kill: 200
Melee: 100
Vehicle Destruction: 250

To rack up a truly impressive score though, you need to take advantage of Hit Streak Multipliers and Action Multipliers. A Hit Streak is an unbroken succession of bullets successfully hitting enemies. If you miss, the Hit Streak ends and the multiplier is reset.  Points earned are multiplied by whatever your current Hit Streak Multiplier is at that moment, in addition to any Action Multipliers that are in effect.

Kill Streak Multiplier Bonuses
3 Hit Streak: X2
6 Hit Streak: X3
12 Hit Streak: X5
24 Hit Streak: X10
 
Action Multiplier Bonuses
Shootdodge: X2
Prone: X3
Bullet Time: X2
Max Payne Moment: X2
Last Man Standing: 1-6

For example, If you’re currently sitting on a 6 Hit Streak (X3) and you score a Headshot (100 points) while prone (X3) and with Bullet Time active (X2), that adds up to a X8 multiplier and you’ll get 800 points in total for that kill: 100 X (3 + 3 + 2) = 800

You’ll also want to avoid certain actions that will deduct points from your total as follows:

Points Deductions
Getting shot: -5
Take Painkiller: -50
Enter Last Man Standing: - 200
Kill Innocent Bystander: -150
 
Pro Tips
•    Build up your Hit Streak multiplier and maintain it for as long as possible – if you’re using an automatic weapon, then consider firing in short bursts for the sake of accuracy.
•    Combine your multipliers. There are game states that will always reward the player, like being in Shootdodge or using Bullet Time, and these can be combined with Hit Streak multipliers. If you are strategic about how you use these, then you can score highly. For instance, if you have an enemy to kill, you could first Shootdodge onto the ground, then trigger Bullet Time, and THEN shoot the enemy.  This would give a x3 multiplier for being prone plus an additional x2 for being in Bullet Time, multiplying any points scored by 5.
•    Don’t always aim for headshots first as each shot racks up points. Shooting enemies repeatedly in the body before finishing them with a headshot is often the best approach, as each shot will score points and add to your Hit Streak multiplier (provided you don’t miss of course).
•    Monitor your health and take Painkillers rather than go into Last Man Standing, as this will only take away 50 points, as opposed to 200.
•    Pay attention to your environment, particularly any items or vehicles to use for those lucrative Explosion Kill and Vehicle Destruction scores.
•    Whenever Bullet Cam is activated, don’t forget that you can keep firing bullets into your enemy, picking up points for each one that finds its mark. It’s a good idea to have an automatic weapon and a full clip when you’re approaching the last enemy in the area.
 
New York Minute Scoring
 
New York Minute is the classic speed-run mode from the original Max Payne and it's unlocked in Max Payne 3 upon completion of the single-player story. At the start of each chapter, you have a minute on the clock and the goal is to finish the chapter with as much remaining time as possible, adding precious seconds by dispatching enemies as follows:

Kill: +5 seconds
Headshot kill: +6 seconds

Expert Tips
•    Unlike in Score Attack, you’ll want to aim straight for the head as this will take the enemy out of the equation quickly and add an extra precious second.
•    Memorize each stage, paying close attention to where enemies appear and in what numbers. Knowing where your enemies are going to be will help you ensure you’re in the right position to pick them off quickly.


Anything else related to Max Payne 3's Arcade Modes that you'd like some inside tips with? Any other aspects of Max or any other previously released Rockstar title that you'd like our developers to help you master? Just give a shout in comments or to mouthoff@rockstargames.com and we'll have a look for future editions of Rockstar Game Tips.


Previous Max Payne 3 Game Tips:
 

Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Double XP Weekend Starts with Live Streaming Event this Friday, July 6th, Across All Platforms

Posted on July 4 2012, 12:00pm | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

Update: Today's triple-platform Max Payne 3 Social Club Multiplayer Event has ended. Thanks to everyone that joined us - enjoy the Double XP in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer all weekend!

Whether you’re working your way towards a new Item for your Loadout or Level 50 Legendary status, play any Max Payne 3 multiplayer mode this coming weekend and you’ll get Double XP for your efforts across Xbox LIVE, PlayStation Network and PC, from Friday night thru 'till Sunday night.

That means twice the reward for every kill scored, bag dropped, Vendetta settled and more. Better still, play with fellow members of your Crew at your side and any Crew bonuses will also be doubled – soon you’ll be rising through the ranks like Serrano himself.

We’re kicking off this Double XP weekend in grand style with a live-streaming official Social Club multiplayer event on Friday July 6th from 4-7pm EST / 9pm-midnight BST, and we’ll be playing all modes including those in the Local Justice DLC pack on consoles.

To join us, simply log on to Max Payne 3 multiplayer on your platform of choice and select the ‘Social Club Multiplayer Event’ option from the in-game Playlists menu, and look out for one of our official Rockstar players, marked with a special visible in-game dog tag logo:

  • MaxPayneDev1 (PC)
  • MaxPayneDev2 (PSN)
  • MaxPayneDev3 (Xbox LIVE)
  • MaxPayneDev4 (Multiplatform)

*MaxPayneDev5 will be playing on PC between 2-4pm EST / 7-9pm BST and that will be streamed live on our Twitch page

Be sure to join us at the Social Club multiplayer events page for the dual live stream, special event leaderboards and Rockstar hosted live chat, as well as our Sweepstakes where you can enter your details at any time during the day to be in with a chance of winning a Deluxe Prize Pack, including a Max Payne statue, a Hawaiian Shirt just like the one Max wears in the game, a bullet keychain and assorted stickers. Additionally, ten runners-up will receive a t-shirt, keychain and stickers.

Also make sure you're following us on our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Steam (for PC) pages to get word of additional impromptu multiplayer sessions all summer long and beyond...

Max Payne 3 Original Artwork: Factions Series

Posted on June 29 2012, 12:29pm | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games

For our latest Max Payne 3 Original Artwork release, we present this special Factions Series with the logos, crests and tags of the various, vicious armed squads that Max encounters as his cush security gig in São Paulo spirals into a treacherous bloodbath. Also playable of course in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer as gang faction avatars in Gang Wars as well as in Deathmatch modes - you can now represent your favorite Brazilian pistoleiros as downloadable desktops, mobile wallpapers, Facebook covers, and of course as your Social Club avatar or buddy icon.

Starting with the Unidade de Forças Especiais (UFE), check out the intimidating crest worn on the uniforms of the heavily-armed paramilitary who fight against the thugs and kidnappers and often using torturous methods as brutal as the criminals they're sworn to thwart. For some background on the real-world elite forces of São Paulo, read our earlier Rockstar Research feature: "The Weapon-Wielding Gangsters and Special Police Commands of Max Payne 3". You can also grab a trio of gang faction emblems rendered as they appear in Max Payne 3, emblazoned on walls marking their territory deep in the favelas of Sampa. First is the emblem of Comando Sombra, powerful and far-reaching with more than 3000 members acting under the leadership of the ruthless Serrano, and with a charge sheet that includes drug trafficking, kidnapping and murder. The second emblem belongs to Tropa Z, a favela gang based in Nova Esperança intent on war with Commando Sombra. Our third featured faction is the Filhos De Ogum, another lethal part of the ongoing gang wars, whose signature yellow bubble-letters-and-skull tag can be seen throughout the favelas.

U.F.E.



COMANDO SOMBRA

 

TROPA Z

 

FILHOS DE OGUM

 

These are all now available for download in the full range of desktop and mobile wallpaper sizes, backgrounds, buddy icons, avatars and a Facebook Cover version over at the Rockstar Games Downloads section or at the Max Payne 3 official site.
 

Previously:
“Payne Killer” - Latest in the Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Artwork Series
Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Series Artwork: “Ambush”
Max Payne 3 Original Artwork: "Reckoning"
Max Payne 3 Original Artwork: "Transfer Deadline"
Max Payne 3 Original Artwork: "Downpour"

Rockstar Game Tips: Max Payne 3 Pro Loadouts Part Three – Payne Killer

Posted on June 20 2012, 7:53am | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games

For the latest in our series of choice strategic Loadouts suggested by members of the Max Payne 3 Multiplayer development team, we turn our attention to Payne Killer (with a special shout to Social Club member CrazyNiko187 who requested some Payne Killer Loadout suggestions back when we did our Deathmatch set). Designed as the multiplayer evolution of Max Payne 2’s "Dead Man Walking" mode, Payne Killer puts a team of two players in the shoes of Max and Passos, with everyone else gunning to take them down.

When playing as the opposing force, your primary objective is killing Max or Passos in order to become them. Easier said than done though, as they’re given a full complement of painkillers, adrenaline and high-powered ammo. Therefore, the key in building your Loadout is creating a combination that allows you to get in close, and provides you with the firepower to stand up to them once you do.

 
"DODGE THIS"
This Loadout has a strong emphasis on dealing damage while also absorbing it, for those players looking to go toe-to-toe with Max and Passos. The M500 shotgun will ensure your attacks leave their mark, while the crafty Item strategy will nudge the balance of power over to your side.

Two Handed Weapon Slot: M500 (with Barrel Upgrade, Laser Sight and Gas Systems Kit)
Single Handed Weapon Slot: The PT92 (with Extended Mag and Gas Systems Kit) deals damage while you work your way into shotgun range.
Projectile: The Flash Grenade prevents Max and Passos from locking on as you approach
Burst Slot: Intuition will tell you where Max and Passos are if they go into hiding
Item Head Slot: Military Goggles will protect your eyes when Flash Grenades are popping all around you
Item Chest Slot: Heavy Body Armor offers protection while you unleash your shotgun
Item Gear Slot: Booby Trap will score you some points whenever Max or Passos try to loot your fallen body
Item Gear Slot: Quick Holster gives you faster reloads when you're in a tight spot
Item Gear Slot: Pocket Watch takes the sting out of their Bullet Time and turns it into your friend

"DUAL PAYNE"
Dispatching Max and Passos quickly and quietly is the thinking behind this custom Loadout. By keeping the weight down and selecting items designed for stealth and quick recovery, you can ambush your targets when they least expect it, and before the other players have a chance to pull the trigger.

Single Handed Weapon Slots: Dual-wield Auto 9mm (with Extended Mag and Gas Systems Kit) to get the lead flying
Projectile: Use a Grenade to knock your targets down as you approach
Burst Slot: Intuition will tell you where Max and Passos are if they go into hiding
Item Gear Slot: Sneakers will mask your footsteps so you can spring your attacks
Item Gear Slot: Field Bandages will start the healing process more quickly if they do land a shot on you
Item Gear Slot: Sutures will also get you back to full health more quickly

Give these Loadouts a try and let us know in the comments if they make a difference - or if you think you've found even stronger combinations. Also give us a shout to request anything else specific from Max Payne 3's multiplayer or single-player experience that you'd love some tips on and we'll look to oblige in a future edition.

Previous Rockstar Game Tips:
Max Payne 3 Pro Loadouts Part One - Gang Wars
Max Payne 3 Pro Loadouts Part Two - Deathmatch Variants
Tailoring Your Controls in Max Payne 3

Live-Streaming Max Payne 3 Multiplayer Event on Xbox LIVE this Thursday, June 14th

Posted on June 14 2012, 12:00pm | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

Update: The event has ended. Thanks to everyone that joined us in the event, whether you were playing, chatting, watching or just stopping by to enter the sweepstakes...

Since the launch of Max Payne 3, our hand-picked squad of the most skilled players across our worldwide development studios have been trading bullets with the community as part of our Social Club Multiplayer Events Series.

On Thursday, June 14th from 12-3PM EST / 5-8pm BST, we’re jumping on to Xbox LIVE for another bloody session full of Gang Wars, Payne Killer and Team Deathmatch, and we hope to see you there as well representing your Crew. Our dev players have been sharing some of their Loadout tips over the past week, so we expect to see real variety and imagination with the weapons, Bursts and Items you choose to bring to the fray.

In order to take part, just select ‘Social Club Multiplayer Event’ from the in-game Playlists menu and look out for the Gamertags listed below. You’ll also be able to watch the live double-stream of the entire event right here and, for the first time, we’ll also be streaming a third player on twitch.tv. You can also talk to us in the Rockstar hosted live chat and enter the Sweepstakes for the chance to win a one-of-a-kind, hand painted Xbox 360 controller bearing your Gamertag and Crew emblem.

GAMERTAGS
Official Rockstar players are marked with a special visible in-game dog tag logo:

  • MaxPayneDev1
  • MaxPayneDev2
  • MaxPayneDev3
  • MaxPayneDev4

Also make sure you're following us on our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Steam (for PC) pages to get word of additional impromptu multiplayer sessions all summer long and beyond...

Social Club Crews

For Max Payne 3 to Grand Theft Auto V and beyond, Crews are groups of Social Club members who form persistent teams to compete and earn rewards in-game and on the Social Club website. Create a Crew or join one now - here are some Crews we've featured in the Crew Cut here at the Newswire:

Rockstar Warehouse

Rockstar on Instagram

Follow us on Instagram (rockstargames) to see original photos including events, sneak peeks of collectibles and much more.