Liberty City is New York City. Pretty much. You already know that. Times Square, the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, you've no doubt seen them all in the game by now. But just how deep does the real-world-referencing rabbit hole run? You might recognise Broadway, but do you recognise Rockstar's version of the Paramount Theatre? Or their rendition of the Hearst Building? Maybe not. But they're in there. Those and a ton more have been noted, catalogued and photographed by designer Matthew Johnston, with the full gallery available at the Flickr link below.

Sightseeing in Liberty City [Matthew Johnston @ Flickr]

For the likely millions of players embarking on tongue-in-cheek crime sprees in Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City this week, it's only a game. But a close look into some communities within New York City, the real-world inspiration for the Liberty City environs, reveals a different story.

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers live in neighborhoods where more than half of the population's median income falls below the poverty line. Prevailing terminology calls these neighborhoods "underserved," but denizens of these communities have no problem calling it like it is: the ghetto.

These ghettos may seem like a different world to those who may have only visited places like them in video games, but the communities that live here are just as excited for Grand Theft Auto IV as everyone else — and some say the widely-anticipated title holds special meaning for them.

The History Of NYC (In Games)

Mario Invades NYC Taxi Cabs

Not content to get pwned by me in Mario Kart Wii, Mario is heading over to New York City later this week to take New Yorkers for a ride.

This Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and noon to 2 p.m. Mario (not that creepy Denver Mario, the real deal) will be at the Sheraton Hotel, 811 7th Avenue between 52nd and 53rd streets, helping New Yorkers into cabs and dropping some cash to help pay for their rides in the city.

I hear that this won't be the only city that Mario is handing out rides in. More details to come.

Tomorrow (Wed.) will see the Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword launch party at the Nintendo World Store in New York City from 2pm - 6pm. The game's producer and director Yosuke Hayashi will be on hand to sign autographs and met and greet the crowd. If you purchase the game there you will be granted one of those nifty Dragon Sword Ninja styli. There will also be demo stations set up around the store so you can try before you buy.

Also, as I reported last week, tonight is the launch party for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII at the Sony Metreon Center in San Francisco. The event goes from 6pm - 9pm and space is limited to 200 people.

And if that's not enough for you, our own Crecente will be attending and telling you all about his adventures at the Tecmo event in New York. Launch events, ho!

Poor Rockstar Games, constantly vilified and in some sort of trouble. People seem to take endless pleasure in posting every bit bad news that surrounds them but we never get to hear about any of the good things they do, so it is my pleasure to bring you this bit of Rockstar charity.

GamingAngels.com reports that Rockstar has entered a piece in the annual Lunchbox Auction to benefit the Food Bank For New York City and The Lunchbox Fund of South Africa. According to GA, Rockstar is the only game company to have donated to the auction that boasts lunchbox creations from celebrities including Joaquin Phoenix who's piece currently holds the highest bid at $3,500.00. The Rockstar piece is still going for a reasonable $180 with the auction closing on Dec. 21. Click through here to place your bid. It even comes with free replacement bulbs so how can you lose?

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Get Out the Big Swords, October 11th Is Final Fantasy XII Day!