The latest NPD numbers are out now, and it’s official: the industry is taking a major hit compared to last year. Total sales in May were $863 million, down 23% from last May. The 2009 year-to-date totals are down 7% from a year ago.

According to The Wall Street Journal, total videogame spending dropped below $1 billion for the first time since August 2007. The most significant drops were in console sales, with the sales leading Nintendo Wii dropping 55%.

But it’s not all bad news. Since the sales figures for this month largely met the expectations of industry analysts, there is speculation that the recent contraction in the industry should end by August. Also driving these predictions is the fact that there are a number of high-profile games coming to retail release dates, starting with the Sims 3 this month. We can still look forward to games like Batman: Arkham Asylum, Left 4 Dead 2, Dragon Age, and Brutal Legend to drive sales up later this year.

In all honesty, no one should be surprised by these numbers. After all, last May saw the release of one of the most highly anticipated titles of the year, Grand Theft Auto 4. That title alone drove more sales than the top two sellers for this May combined. Nevermind that had it hit its intended release date, it would have already been on store shelves for months at that time. 2008 was a phenomenal year for videogame sales, but in today’s economy, every industry is taking hits. Videogames may recover faster, because they allow consumers to stay home, and are one of the more cost efficient methods of personal entertainment.

I don’t think it’s time to panic yet, but if there isn’t a turnaround by August, then you may have to worry a little bit.

After a dreadful game to movie conversion for the “noirish” Max Payne, it looks like a recently leaked cover of Gamestop publicity magazine Game Informer may reveal just how far someone will go to avoid resembling his film alter ego in any way possible. Apparently (if the rumor is to be believed – and the photo is good evidence if you compare it with some Max Payne 3 images on the web) the image shows a more rotund Payne who seems to have abandoned his panted eternal smirk in favor of male pattern baldness and a walk on role as a token bad guy in a generic GTA game.

Max Payne 3 was announced by Rockstar a few months back with a target release date of winter 2009 on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Thanks go to VG247 and the ever insightful Stephany Nunneley for the tip. (It’s almost like old times except now I can link to her stuff on another website!)

Rockstar has revealed Grand Theft Auto IV: Episodes from Liberty City. The game features episode two, The Ballad of Gay Tony, which is based on Liberty City’s glamorous and dangerous nightclub scene. Episode one, The Lost and Damned, is also packed in for a dose of biker gang action.

Episodes from Liberty City is a standalone exclusively for the Xbox 360. If you haven’t pick up GTA IV yet, $39.99 for the game and two episodes is a good deal. If you’ve got the game and already downloaded The Lost and the Damned, The Ballad of Gay Tony will be up on Xbox Live for $19.99 or 1600 MS points this fall. More details on The Ballad of Gay Tony from the press release follow the break.

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Just a minute, I’ve got to adjust my soapbox before I talk about comparing playing violent videogames with accepting torture.

As the battle over torture rages through the media, Huffington Post columnist Kari Henley has taken the opportunity to  blame the acceptance of torture by some US citizens on violent videogames and other media. She insinuates that you can’t have both videogames and morals in her post “America Doesn’t Torture… We just play Grand Theft Auto “.

“I believe if we are going to truly come to terms with abiding by moral codes against extreme acts of violence, we first have to start in our own living rooms to explore the increased levels of violence we witness on a daily basis that serves as news or entertainment. We say we “don’t f**#$ torture,” yet Grand Theft Auto is our favorite video game.”

After raging on about the depravity of popular adult television series and movies, Henley once again lashes out at mature rated videogames labeling them trainers designed to turn children into killers.

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Starting May 1st, Rockstar Games Social Club will be hosting GTA: Chinatown Wars week, and giving owners of the DS title a chance to grab a rare vehicle for in-game use. Obviously, this will only be available for a limited time, with the offer expiring at 11:59 PM May 7th.

What is this new vehicle, you may ask. Well, it’s the coveted ‘Bulletproof Hellenbach.’ Chinatown Wars has been all the rage for DS owners this year, and with the addition of a bulletproof vehicle, I feel certain that the pedestrian populations of those virtual streets are in dire peril.

Rockstar also rolled out a new lineup of downloadable papercraft models exclusively for Social Club members to print and assemble, and they’ve enhanced the popular ‘Rampage Tracker.’ I expect that if this type of promotion pans out, we’ll see a lot more online tie-ins for games, both handheld and console.

So, what do you need to do to grab your very own near-invincible set of wheels? All the detailed instructions can be found after the break.

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Game stop is offering cold hard Liberty City cash to gamers pre-ordering Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. All takers will get $10,000 in-game Liberty City cash as well as access to the entire arsenal from the start of the game.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars will be hitting shelves March 17th but pre-orders have already begun. The Chinatown Wars upgrade is a GameStop exclusive offer.

After months of very little information on their upcoming DS title, GTA: Chinatown Wars, Rockstar has finally pinned down a release date for the game. It is now set to be released on March 17th in North America, followed by a March 20th release in Europe. Then we’ll get to see just how well the franchise translates over to the DS, though early previews have indicated that it actually translates over quite well. Besides which, it’s Rockstar doing a GTA game. Give me an uzi, a car, and some innocent bystanders, and my needs are met already.

Rockstar has released three new screens for the upcoming downloadable content The Lost and the Damned for Grand Theft Auto 4. In case you have been living under a rock or have just not been paying much attention, the DLC is set in Liberty City and features a new main character, Johnny Klebitz. While the plot intersects with the storyline of the game, new missions that offer a new way to explore the city along with new multiplayer modes, weapons and vehicles. They have even added addition music to the soundtrack to help freshen things up a bit.

The Lost and the Damned is expected to be released on February 17, 2009. Check back with us as more information is expected to be released between now and then.

After releasing the strange, but amusing “Get Sprunk” video, Rockstar has now released a couple more videos that show off the capabilities of the upcoming video editor in GTA IV for the PC. The one above is titled “Exploder,” and is basically a fake trailer for one crazy action movie. There’s also a second video after the break called “The Amazing Conrad” that’s just kind of strange. From the looks of things though, that video editor is certainly going to allow people to create a wide range of videos. Unfortunately, knowing the internet, I’m sure you’ll have to wade through a lot of hastily thrown together Linkin Park music videos before you can find anything actually worth watching.

Second video after the break.

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Rockstar has released this video for two reason: 1) to demonstrate the new video editing tool in the PC version of GTA IV and 2) to show the hazards of littering. The video shows Niko walking up to a soda machine, drinking a can of “Sprunk,” and then tossing the can aside (cause nothing say “badass” like a blatant disregard for the cleanliness of your city). And then he gets blown up for it in what can only be described as “karma finally just loses it.” But the point of the whole thing is that it was made using only the video editing tools that will be included in the PC version of GTA IV. In other words, expect to see a whole lot of videos of Niko doing the “Soulja Boy” in the near future.