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This Week's New Payne Thresholds Are Now Live: Dive Bomber, Marathon and Rapid Defense

Posted on September 18 2012, 4:18pm | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

 
The Rooftop of the Moderno - with its open areas and numerous elevated platforms - is a great place to get to work on this week's Dive Bomber Payne Threshold.

Whether you're working towards a new weapon unlock or have the next Legend status in your sights, this week's Payne Thresholds challenges are now live in Max Payne 3 to help you gain massive XP rewards for covering ground, guarding bomb sites and spectacular Shootdodge™ kills. As with previous challenges, XP bonuses are unlocked at Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers, with custom Titles up for grabs should you pull off the Platinum score. You can keep track of your best scores and compare them against Friends, Crew members and the rest of the world at the Rockstar Social Club. Here's a quick rundown of this week's challenges, which expire at midnight on September 23rd:

Dive Bomber
Highest number of Shootdodge kills in a game
 
Marathon
Furthest distance sprinted in a game
 
Rapid Defense
Highest number of bomb planters killed in a game

Stay tuned for more next week. Let us know how you fare with them and feel free to share any strategies or specific Loadouts that help you reach the coveted Platinum threshold in the comments section...
 

Previously:

Red Dead Redemption Social Club Multiplayer Event, September 13th (11am-2pm EST / 4-7pm BST)

Posted on September 12 2012, 4:14pm | Author: R* Y | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

Update: The event has ended, but Triple XP stays on through the weekend and until Monday morning. Thanks to everyone that joined in for the multiplayer event, whether playing, chatting, watching or just stopping by to enter the sweepstakes.

The new fall calendar of Social Club Multiplayer Events kicks off this week with four days of Triple XP in Red Dead Redemption, beginning with a multiplayer event on Thursday September 13th from 11am-2pm EST / 4-7pm BST on both PSN and Xbox LIVE, just days after our latest bonus XP weekend for Max Payne 3. Triple XP will be active in Red Dead for both consoles from Thursday through the entire weekend, and during the event you'll be able to play with us no matter which version of the game you own (whenever we’re playing a mode that you have), including those with the Undead Nightmare disc.

View all the action via one of our two video streams and chat with other Social Club members on the Social Club multiplayer events page. While there, take about 20 seconds to enter your details for your chance to win one of five deluxe prize packs including a shirt from the new Rockstar tee collection, Red Dead playing cards, Red Dead stickers and some of the new Rockstar stickers. And on top of all that, we'll have a third video stream with another chatroom on our Twitch page. Lots of ways to get in on the action, whether you can or can't join us in-game.

OFFICIAL ROCKSTAR IDs

  • RedDeadDev3 (Xbox 360)
  • RedDeadDev4 (PS3)
  • RedDeadDev5 (Xbox 360)
  • RedDeadDev6 (PS3)

HOW TO FIND US
We'll invite players during the event, but please keep in mind that we might not necessarily be able to get you in right at the beginning. Loads of players attempt to send over friend requests and messages, and we give priority to those asking nicely in the chat or on the comments. Anyone constantly spamming the chat or comments probably won't find an invite in their messages.
 
Start multiplayer from the main menu, choosing 'Normal' from the list of difficulties. Then enter the game mode being discussed by one of the Rockstar admins in the chat. And yep, we'll have some Hardcore matches during the day.

PLAYING WITH FRIENDS
While waiting to get an invite, we encourage everyone to play with friends. To start the game, invite your friends and form a posse, follow these steps:

  1. From the main menu, choose to enter multiplayer, and choose a difficulty.
  2. Once in a Free Roam lobby, press the 'Select' or 'Back' button to open the in-game multiplayer menu.
  3. Press 'R1' or 'RB' and then the 'Triangle' or 'Y' button to 'Show Friends'. Invite at least one friend into your posse using the 'X' or 'A' button.
  4. Once your friends are in the game, press the 'Triangle' or 'Y' button again to return to the 'Players' menu and select them with the 'X' or 'A' button to 'Propose New Posse' or 'Send Posse Invite'.
  5. Once you and your friends are ready to go, have fun in Free Roam or head into one of the many multiplayer modes.
  6. Alternatively, you can watch the video streams and attempt to follow us into different public modes. Hope to see everyone in-game on Thursday!

If you're looking for even more chances to play multiplayer with us, be sure to check out upcoming events on the calendar, and follow us on our Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Steam pages. We usually hop on at least once or twice a week to play...

Previously:
Recapping the July 27th Red Dead Redemption PSN Social Club Multiplayer Event
Red Dead Redemption PSN Social Club Multiplayer Event Recap Featuring Contest Winners and Fan Videos
Recapping the March 23rd Red Dead Redemption GOTY Xbox LIVE Social Club Multiplayer Event

Recap from the GTAIV & Max Payne 3 Doubleheader Multiplayer Event (August 30)

Posted on September 11 2012, 2:08pm | Author: R* M | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

On August 30th we bid farewell to our Summer season of Social Club Multiplayer Events with an epic, all-day double header featuring back-to-back sessions of Grand Theft Auto IV and Max Payne 3 Multiplayer. First up, congratulations are due to the winners of our sweepstakes who have earned themselves prize packs including Rockstar collectibles and other gear. The GTAIV winners were richard_hung-lo, MicBlaze, Andy315x, Skankasaurus and JasonDeadly, and our Max Payne 3 winners were thedutchpitbull, Jinxyman, VoiD88, TheCloven and PaynePillPopper.

We began the day in our old haunts of Liberty City, with four Rockstar Devs out in full force, taking on all comers in various gamemodes. GwRockstar2 got warmed up on Xbox LIVE with a Deathmatch at the Docks. Our Dev got up close and personal with a knife and had moderate success with this surprising tactic against R3tardedLi0n69 and Ne0nDarkness16. ORIGINAL SMOKEY proved a tough competitor however, wasting us in successive shootouts. In a vengeful rage, GwRockstar2 turned to using trusty molotov cocktails to burn the place down.

Hit the jump for more videos, details, some screens and also a list of participants according to our records. And make sure to check out the new fall calendar of events so you can plan ahead - starting with this Thursday's Triple XP Red Dead Redemption event on PSN and Xbox LIVE.

Rockstar Game Tips: Working Together to Drop Bags in "Delivery"

Posted on September 10 2012, 10:21am | Author: R* K | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

Perhaps the most fast-paced of the Gang Wars' objectives in Max Payne 3 multiplayer, Delivery tasks both teams with transporting bags to drop off locations, earning points for each successful drop. As the location of both bags and drop off locations change throughout the round, and the carrier is only able to use a single one-handed weapon whenever the bag is in their possession, this round requires teamwork, good environmental awareness and of course a solid Loadout strategy.

As in our recent tips article where we demonstrated sound strategy for planting the bomb in "Short Fuse", we've laid out three roles that can be shared around your Crew to ensure that all bases are covered. Again, one of the keys to this strategy - employed by some of the deadliest players on the multiplayer development team - is the idea of complementary Bursts. In the Loadouts we've listed below, try and resist the urge to use Big Dog and Grounded until you've built your adrenaline to at least Level 2. It will be worth the wait, as the benefit will be shared throughout your team.

Bag Lady

The Crew member responsible for carrying bags is obviously the prime target for the opposition, so they need to be well protected but still light enough to get around the map quickly. Whenever you're in possession of the bag you'll only have one hand free, so the DE .50 packs enough punch to take out individual pursuers. What many don't realize is that at Levels 2 and 3, Sneaky Burst makes you appear as a friendly bag-carrier on your opponents' minimap, which can help you slip by unnoticed, providing you don't enter their line of vision. With a little Loadout weight left to play with, we've also equipped the Gorilla Mask, purely because our dev players like the idea of a bag transporting primate double act (more on that in a little bit).

Single Handed Weapon Slot: DE .50
Burst Slot: Sneaky
Item Head Slot: Gorilla Mask
Item Chest Slot: Heavy Body Armor
Item Gear Slot: Walkie Talkie
Item Gear Slot: Quick Holster

Baggyguard

The Bag Lady is a prime target whenever in possession of the contraband, so it's a good idea to employ some muscle to protect them from the other team. The key is to stay close to the carrier throughout, watching their back, and where needed, telling them via voice chat to take cover so that you and the other escort can attract and neutralize the heat. As stated above, we recommend saving your Big Dog Burst until Level 2, and then using it whenever your carrier is under fire and needs a health kick to make it to the drop off - just remember that you will need to have them in sight to share the health benefits at level 2.

Single Handed Weapon Slot: PT92 (with Gas Block)
Two Handed Weapon Slot: MD-97L (With Barrel Upgrade/Extended Mag)
Projectile Slot: Grenade
Burst Slot: Big Dog
Item Chest Slot: Medium Body Armor
Item Gear Slot: Vampire Fangs
Item Gear Slot: Quick Holster

Bag Thief

Like the evil alter-ego of our Bag Lady, the Bag Thief is there to sabotage the opposing team's efforts by intercepting their bags and, whenever possible, activating Grounded Burst at Level 2 or 3 to disrupt their intel. The Booby Trap item ensures that even their fallen corpse has a trick up its sleeve.

Single Handed Weapon Slot: M10
Projectile Slot: Tin Can
Burst Slot: Grounded
Item Head Slot: Gorilla Mask
Item Chest Slot: Heavy Body Armor
Item Gear Slot: Booby Trap
Item Gear Slot: Sneakers
Item Gear Slot: Autoinjector

If you've got any other tactics or techniques you've used to get the upper hand in Delivery, share them with us in the comments.

 

More Max Payne 3 Game Tips:

Crew Cut: The Mavericks

Posted on September 7 2012, 4:58pm | Author: R* M | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

This week on the Crew Cut, we're featuring several Crews and emblem artists who buck the trends on Social Club and really stand out from the crowd. 


The impressive accomplishments of the aptly named 'Unfair Advantage' Crew. Watch your back if you run into any of these folks playing Max Payne 3 during this weekend's Double XP session.

Sometimes you find a Crew who has just got it all. Unfair Advantage surely takes the prize for the best All Round Crew on Social Club right now. Their 89% Feud win percentage is difficult to match by most Crews, but combine this with a great emblem and the fact they've entered the top 100 Crew on the Xbox 360 leaderbaords despite having just 26 members and only being one month old and you've got yourself some serious world-beaters that look like a force to be reckoned with. With prominent player EelsInCaves having sounded the call, expect them to be challenging for the top after this weekend's Double XP.

RoyalL_Genius is a committed Social Club community member who rose to prominence as a key part of oft-featured Crew the RoyalL_Legends. He's since formed a splinter group of Max Payne 3 players called the Contract Killerz Crew. After switching to Open Enrollment last week, the Crew has ballooned in numbers to dwarf the roster of RoyalL_Genius' former running mates. The surge in recruitment may have something to do with a fantastically detailed and imaginative emblem that captures their name and spirit quite well. RoyalL_Genius is committed to making it into the top 10 - so if you're looking for a new Crew of dedicated PSN players to roll out with, these might be your guys.


From Left to Right: The Contract Killerz Crew emblem, the Zombie Zuckerz mosaic emblem gallery, Emblem Addicts take on Red Dead Redemption and the Lawless Gangstas honor John Hillcoat's latest.

On the logo front, we spotlight a Crew who has done amazing things with not one, but all 12 of the emblems on the front page of their gallery. Zombie_paste was astute enough to see the potential for publishing emblems in a specific order to make an entirely new mosaic in the gallery of his Crew the Zombie Zuckerz. Full marks for ingenuity; we're interested to see how other Crews can take this idea further...     

Inspired by the unique visual energy of Red Dead Redemption, stealthyassassin has contributed a stand-out effort into the gallery of emblem super-Crew the Emblem Addicts. With a stark economy of color and a clear aesthetic, this emblem is a worthy tribute to John Marston's adventures in West Elizabeth and New Austin. It seems apt to feature alongside the emblem of The Lawless Gangstas, which refers to the latest film from veteran director John Hillcoat, who's responsible for one of our favorite westerns (2005's The Proposition) and also directed a fantastic short film using the world of Red Dead Redemption to re-imagine John Marston's pursuit of justice and salvation.

Finally we'd like to again showcase a range of emblems from one artist in particular. Noru 112 is a user who clearly takes a purist's joy in the emblem editor, showing off a consistent yet dynamic style while filling his own Crew, the Hidden Daggers' gallery with his creations. While the Crew currently lack Feuds and points on the board, Noru112 has made an impassioned appeal for more members and greater ambition. With the Crew now set to open enrollment, Xbox LIVE players looking to a splash a stylish emblem across their victim's death screens may want to consider this squad.

 

Previous Editions of the Crew Cut:

Presenting the Fall 2012 Social Club Multiplayer Events Calendar

Posted on September 4 2012, 9:50am | Author: R* Y | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

Update: Because of Hurricane Sandy, the November 2nd Max Payne 3 multiplayer event has been moved to November 16th from 2-5pm EST. See here for details.

Get ready for a season teeming with Bullet Time®, Old West posse throwdowns and epic Liberty City car chases as we present the calendar of Social Club multiplayer events for the fall months. Lots of multiplayer action from September through November, including representing your Crews in Max Payne 3 with all the latest downloadable content, as well as solid time on the frontier in Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition and in Liberty City with Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition.

For the uninitiated, our Max Payne 3 multiplayer events feature some cutthroat Crew battles including the chance to have your Crew take us on. Start practicing, and look for more details coming up before each of the dates. Additionally, bonus XP will run for all Max Payne 3 and Red Dead events, plus you'll have the opportunity to get in and play with us no matter which version of our titles you own and all events feature two live video streams plus an additional one on our TwitchTV page. Multiplayer events also include a chatroom with us on hand, along with limited edition prizing giveaways.

On top of these scheduled playsessions, we regularly log on for impromptu multiplayer rounds, letting you guys know via our Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Steam pages. As an added bonus, all of these are broadcast live on TwitchTV. Be sure you're following us to always get the word when we're heading online...

 

CALENDAR OF MULTIPLAYER EVENTS

  • Thursday, September 13 (11am-2pm ET / 4-7pm BST)
    Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition
    PlayStation 3 on PSN and Xbox 360 on XBL

  • Friday, September 21 (4-7pm ET / 9pm-midnight BST)
    Max Payne 3
    PC, PlayStation 3 on PSN and Xbox 360 on XBL

  • Thursday, September 27 (11am-2pm ET / 4-7pm BST)
    Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition
    PlayStation 3 on PSN and Xbox 360 on XBL

  • Friday, October 12 (4-7pm ET / 9pm-midnight BST)
    Max Payne 3
    PC, PlayStation 3 on PSN and Xbox 360 on XBL

  • Friday, October 26 (4-7PM ET / 9pm-midnight BST)
    Max Payne 3
    Xbox 360 on XBL

  • Friday, November 16 (11am-2pm ET / 4-7pm GMT)
    Red Dead Redemption: Game of the Year Edition
    PlayStation 3 on PSN and Xbox 360 on XBL

  • Thursday, November 29 (4-7PM ET / 9pm-midnight GMT)
    Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition
    PC on Games for Windows - Live

 

Week 2 of Payne Thresholds in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer

Posted on September 3 2012, 6:00am | Author: R* Q | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

The second set of Multiplayer Payne Thresholds are now live in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer on all platforms. Each of these challenges runs until September 9th and awards you a substantial XP bonus for crossing the Bronze, Silver, and Gold thresholds - plus a special multiplayer title if you can hit the Platinum rank.
 
Brutal Justice
Most melee kills in a single match
 
Can I Have Your Stuff?
Most looting done in a single match
 
He Who Hesitates
Most points captured while being the first in (over the course of the entire week)
 
These multiplayer challenges can all be accomplished during the course of any compatible multiplayer match (i.e. He Who Hesitates would need to be completed during a Gang Wars match since it involves capturing points) and you can track your progress globally and against your Friends list and Crew-mates at the Rockstar Social Club.
 
 

Crew Cut: Storming the Castle

Posted on August 31 2012, 1:59pm | Author: R* M | Filed Under: Games, Social Club

The long running major players on the Social Club Crew leaderboards have thus far been well-documented here in the Crew Cut. But this week we noticed a significant shift on all three leaderboard as a host of Crews we've not yet featured have got the established guard looking over their shoulders.

     

Paper In My Pocket have recently taken the PSN leaderboards by storm, joining Underground Thugs and the Death Bringers as Crews infiltrating the status quo in the top 20. While they're certainly grabbing all the XP they can, Paper in my Pocket still has a less than stellar Feud win percentage though. Crew leader lonestar_playa may wish to tighten up by trimming the fat from their bloated ranks, taking a leaf out of the book of Dutch Stoner from 11th placed Ganja Outlaws Crew who aims to kick out ten dead-weight members every day. Pro Kill You were once the biggest threat to the throne for top PSN Crew Pick Your Poison, but have fallen drastically out of contention. Situated in 27th, they are now two places behind plucky upstarts Bag Em And Tag Em Crew who have a killer emblem to go with their solid Feud win percentage. Props also to DrugsMoneySex in 28th place whose 107 members have been 'Dealin' Murder Since Creation' and whose Crew leader Vandelizm187 is always a strong presence in our Social Club events.

LXG Crew continue to reign as best private Crew on the XBox 360 leaderboards. Crew leader LXG Silencer created the video above commemorating their recent achievement of 100,000,000 XP and bigging up the LXG Crew, who '"like Time itself, never stop". Intent on taking them on are Killer Smoking Aces and Mob Squad. These Crews have been around since the launch of Crews on the Social Club and what talent they may lack in designing emblems they more than make up for making wives into widows. Killer Smoking Aces also have got stuck in to a tremendous amount of Feuds considering their sub-100 membership; these boys obviously roll together on the regular. Mob Squad Crew might not have the same dogged persistence, but are certainly more clinical, having beaten Killer Smoking Aces 30 - 11 so far when these two face off in Feuds.

      

The Illuminatti Crew are establishing their own New World Order on the PC leaderboards, having recently snuck in to 13th place overall. Committed to showing up in force with their mesmerising emblem in our Social Club events and bonus XP weekends, this secret society trusts no-one. Further down the ranks, a new contender has emerged: The Gallant Psychos, a Crew created just at the start of August that has leapt immediately up the ranks into the Top 30. They've risen five places in the past three days show no signs of slowing down. Perhaps because they are run by the ruthless Evilinkoff, a player so good we assumed must be cheating at our most recent SC event (we've since realized our error and reinstated him as the event winner). Incredibly, his talents extend beyond Max Payne 3 multiplayer to the emblem editor as well. It was difficult to pick just one of his emblems from The Gallant Psychos gallery, so we went for three of the best:

      

Elsewhere on the emblem editor scene, YourTaxesAtWork seems to have found a partner-in-crime for his emblem expertise in bold faced newcomer odd_one. Together the dynamic duo lead a dynasty of Emblem Addicts who are collectively responsible for the creation of emblems for around 20 Crews in Social Club. Odd_one's Villainz Crew are "still taking requests" for those in need of a bespoke emblem apparently. We are particular fans of this effort for Newswire regular DeafAtheist's Xbox-only Crew the Callipygous Killers, as well as odd-one's very own artist tag.

        

Besides these Odd_one has also created emblems for, amongst others, The Sunday SlayersInsane AsylumDead RabbitsNerds With AttitudeThe Lynch MobDead End GangstersFox Hound unitSky Hi, and 25 To Lyfe Crews. Which means there's a strong possibility you've already seen one of his emblems before in Max Payne 3 Multiplayer. Here's five of our favorites; have a look and see if any jog your memory.
Previous Editions of the Crew Cut:

 

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:

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