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Grand Theft Auto IV

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Grand Theft Auto IV
File:GTAIV Logo.jpg
Grand Theft Auto IV box art
Developer(s)Rockstar North
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games
SeriesGrand Theft Auto
EngineRAGE
Euphoria (Motion Engine)[2]
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release29 April 2008
Genre(s)Third-person shooter, action
Mode(s)Single player, multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto IV (abbreviated to GTA IV and GTA 4) is a sandbox-style action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North.[4] It is the ninth title in the Grand Theft Auto series and the first in its fourth generation. Grand Theft Auto IV was released worldwide (except Japan)[5] on 29 April 2008 for both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[6] Exclusive Xbox 360 episodic packs are due for release in August 2008 via Xbox Live.

The game is set in a redesigned Liberty City, based heavily on New York City. It follows Niko Bellic, a Serbian veteran of the Bosnian war[7] who comes to the United States in search of the "American Dream", only to find his cousin has lied about the wealth that was promised to be awaiting him. Grand Theft Auto IV is the first console game in the series to feature an online multiplayer mode, which contains fifteen different game types.

Prior to its release, Grand Theft Auto IV was very highly anticipated, with experts predicting record-breaking sales and revenue. Following its release, the game received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and ranks as the best rated video game of all time on Game Rankings based on reviews from critics.

Development

Work on Grand Theft Auto IV began in November 2004, almost immediately after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[8] The story of Grand Theft Auto IV was written by Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser.[9] The Rockstar North team made two trips to New York for research, one at the start of the project (which is done with every GTA game) and another smaller one further into development.[10] A full-time research team, based in New York, handled further requests for information ranging from the ethnic minority of a neighbourhood to videos of traffic patterns.[9] According to a financial consultant for Take-Two Interactive Software, around 150 game developers worked on Grand Theft Auto IV.[11] The team consists of core members of the Grand Theft Auto III team, albeit larger.[9]

The game uses Rockstar's own RAGE game engine, which was previously used in Rockstar Table Tennis, in combination with the Euphoria game animation engine.[2] Instead of pre-written animations, Euphoria controls the way the player moves, enabling character movements to be more realistic.[12] The Euphoria engine also enables NPCs to react in a realistic way to the player's actions. In one preview, a player knocked an NPC out of a window and the character grabbed onto a ledge to stop himself from falling.[13] The game also uses middleware from Image Metrics to facilitate intricate facial expressions and ease the process of incorporating lip-synching.[14]

Rockstar Games initially appeared to be committed to the original 16 October 2007 release date. However, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggested that Take-Two may choose to delay the release of the game in order to boost its financial results for 2008 and to avoid competing with the release of other highly anticipated titles.[15] Rockstar responded by saying that Grand Theft Auto IV was still on track for release in "late October".[16] On 2 August 2007, Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto IV would miss its original release date of 16 October 2007 contrary to their previous statements, and would be delayed to their second fiscal quarter (February–April) of 2008. Their stated reason for the date change was "due to additional development time required to complete the title."[17] In a later conference call with investors, Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick attributed the delay to "almost strictly technological problems... not problems, but challenges."[18] It was revealed that technical difficulties with the PlayStation 3 version of the game contributed to the delay.[19] On 24 January 2008, Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto IV would be released on 29 April 2008.[6] At a Take-Two shareholder meeting on 18 April 2008, Take-Two CEO Ben Feder announced that GTA IV had already "gone gold" and was "in production and in trucks en route to retailers"[20] Overall, Grand Theft Auto IV took over 1000 people and more than three and a half years to complete, with a total cost estimated at approximately $100 million, making it the most expensive game ever developed.[21]

Gameplay

Overview

Grand Theft Auto IV is structured similarly to previous games in the series. The core gameplay consists of elements of a third-person shooter and a driving game, affording the player a large, open environment in which to move around. On foot, the player's character is capable of walking, running, swimming, climbing and jumping, as well as utilising weapons and basic hand to hand combat. Players can steal and drive a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, helicopters, and motorcycles.

The open, non-linear environment allows players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain parts of the map and content, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not taking on a storyline mission, players can free-roam. However, creating havoc can attract unwanted and potentially fatal attention from the authorities. The more chaos caused, the stronger the response: police patrols handle minor infractions such as attacking people, using a firearm in public, grand theft auto, homicide, etc. whereas helicopter support teams; the FIB (Federal Investigation Bureau); and an elite special forces team, N.O.O.S.E. (National Office of Security Enforcement) replacing the military seen in previous renditions of the series, respond to higher wanted levels.

While previous titles in the Grand Theft Auto series have traditionally been heavily mission-based, the freedom to explore and play outside of the set missions in GTA IV is now more relevant to progress through the game, according to comments by a Rockstar spokesperson: "We're really trying to blur the line between on-[mission] and off-mission. So storyline, and what you do outside [it], and how those two things influence each other."[22] It is possible to have multiple active missions, due to the fact that some missions will run over the course of several days and will require the player to wait for further instructions, etc.[23] The player can also partake in a variety of optional side missions, as well as make a variety of decisions over the fate of certain characters, with the player's choices affecting the game's plot.[24]

Combat and police response

File:GTAIV in-game screenshot.png
Combat in Grand Theft Auto IV has been reworked to include a cover system.

The gunfight system has been reworked to feel natural by using a cover system similar to that of Gears of War and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, as the combat system in previous games was awkward and cumbersome.[25] The player can slide to cover, blindfire, and free aim. When locked on, the target's health is indicated by eight coloured segments on the target circle. Players can now target individual body parts using a revamped targeting system.[26] Niko's health is represented by a green semi-circle on the left side of the radar, and a blue semi-circle on the right represents armour. If Niko gets injured, he can recover health by using an escort service, eating, sleeping or using medical kits. Health is generally reduced by physical injuries such as falling from heights and going through the windscreen of a car when crashing. Body armour is gradually damaged by gunshots and stab wounds.[27]

Police and wanted levels operate differently from previous GTA games. When the police are in search of Niko, a search radius appears on the map in which the police will be looking for him. The size of this radius increases with the player's wanted level and re-centres itself on Niko's location if he is spotted by the police. The player can evade the police by escaping the search radius and temporarily keeping a low profile by not committing further offences. The wanted levels can be lost by either driving into a "Pay 'N' Spray" as in previous games or by disguising himself by clandestinely changing vehicles in empty areas such as parking garages, a feature seen in the video game Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. If Niko is about to be arrested, he gradually puts his hands up and sinks to his knees. The player has the option to attempt to escape before he is handcuffed, at the cost of increasing his wanted level.[26] Additionally, pedestrians with cellphones can report crimes they witness in the surrounding environment.[28][29]

Vehicles

Stealing a parked car can no longer be done simply by opening the door and driving off. Now, it involves Niko approaching the car, breaking the glass, and hotwiring it; only then can he use it. The new chase camera angle follows the player but focuses the camera direction on a target vehicle. Every car in the game utilises the in-game radar map as a GPS device, with the more expensive and luxurious cars providing voice directions to the destination. The player can hail a cab in order to travel quickly to various notable locations throughout the city, and the journey can be skipped straight to the destination at extra cost. Also, the player is able to pilot helicopters but not aeroplanes.[30]

Car damage physics have been greatly improved.[citation needed] When major collisions on motorbikes occur, the player's helmet is likely to fall off. The physics engine will turn the player into a rag doll after a crash, instead of using a predefined animation. This way, being thrown off a motorbike seems much more realistic. Niko can lose health (or possibly die) if he crashes and can smash through the windscreen of cars when colliding head-on with objects at high speed. Vehicles will not explode immediately if they are flipped over, or shot in any place other than the engine block or fuel tank. Car engines can die, rendering them unable to start. When driving or riding in a car the player is able to smash the window, free-aim, and fire out of the vehicle with several different one-handed weapons.[31]

Communication

The use of the mobile phone has been expanded to perform multiple actions. When selecting the mobile phone, a zoomed-in version of the phone pops up in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen and a list of several commands are made available to the player, such as "meet me here," etc. Retrying a failed mission can be performed by accessing the menu. The player can take photos with the mobile phone and upload them to the police computer. Niko can dial 911 to call the police for them to arrest an enemy/pedestrian that is fighting/shooting at him, or just to trick them into wasting resources on a false alarm. He can also contact the paramedics and the fire station.[32]

The game also features several different in-game databases that Niko can make use of. The Internet can be used as a means of communication. Niko can access the internet from a cyber café chain, "TW@", located throughout the city. There are over 100 accessible, fictitious websites within the game, and Niko can also send and receive email and set up prospective dates. Although the "TW@" cyber café was seen in Grand Theft Auto III, it did not give the player the option to browse the internet.[33] In a police vehicle, Niko can use an in-car computer to access Liberty City's criminal database, discover information about various criminals in Liberty City and even track them down for a reward.[34] The game also features a fully functioning television network, with several channels and programs with adverts, which Niko can watch in his safehouse. The television shows feature both fictional and real life celebrities and cover a wide variety of genres including News, Comedy, Documentaries and talk shows.

Synopsis

Plot

Niko Bellic with Dimitri Rascalov.

Niko Bellic is a Serbian immigrant who is thirty years of age and a veteran of the Bosnian war. He has come to Liberty City to pursue the "American Dream". Niko was persuaded to move to Liberty City by his cousin Roman, who had claimed in multiple e-mails to Niko that he was living a fabulous life, with a mansion, women, hot tubs and sports cars. Roman's claims turn out to be lies to hide his own failures. In reality, he only owns a small taxi business and is in serious debt with local gang bosses, which he manages to resolve by enlisting Niko's help in killing them.

Niko and Roman feud constantly. It is later revealed that one of the reasons Niko, as an ex-soldier, went to Liberty City, is to track down the man who betrayed his old army unit: Darko Brevic. Niko soon creates ties with the Liberty City Bratva through Vladimir Glebov and later encounters a major figure of the Bratva, Mikhail Faustin and his associate, Dimitri Rascalov. Niko completes jobs for Faustin before joining Dimitri's plot to betray Faustin and take over the organization. Niko assassinates Faustin on Dimitri's orders. Niko later meets with him to collect his reward for the killing, however Dimitri reveals his new associate Rodislav Bulgarin and betrays Niko, ordering Bulgarin's men to kill him. Little Jacob arrives on the scene and rescues Niko, however Dimitri escapes and Jacob suggests dealing with him later.

Niko receives a phone call from Roman, who is hiding in a remote location after having received several silent calls. The two meet up and they drive back to find both Roman's apartment and taxi depot in flames. The two escape to Bohan, after receiving death threats from Dimitri, and Roman reveals his plans to propose to his girlfriend Mallorie.

Towards the conclusion of the storyline, a shadowy government agency (under the name of "U.L. Paper") that had forced Niko to help them in collusion with aging mobster, Jon Gravelli, locate Darko in Bucharest and arrange to have him brought to Liberty City as a final reward. Niko confronts Darko who has become a drug-addicted, guilt-ridden wreck who reveals that he had sold him and his former compatriots out for a thousand dollars. The player is then left with the option of either executing Darko or sparing his life. Afterwards, Niko relaxes at a bar when Jimmy Pegorino shows up and asks him to get some heroin for him that he can sell to a buyer: Dimitri Rascalov.

Finale

The story features two possible endings, each of which features a different set of missions depending on choices made by the player at this point in the game. The player can choose to exact revenge on Dimitri or make a deal with him.

If the player chooses to exact Revenge, Niko ambushes Dimitri on his tanker while he is supervising a shipment. A gunfight ensues within the hull of the tanker and Niko kills Dimitri in cold blood. In the aftermath, Roman and Mallorie's wedding takes place and Jimmy Pegorino, furious after the betrayal, commits a drive-by outside the church killing Kate McReary. Niko, Roman and Little Jacob visit an abandoned casino in Alderney to kill Pegorino, but he escapes to Happiness Island, where Niko kills him.

If the player chooses to strike a Deal, Niko meets Phil Bell at the docks to make the exchange. Dimitri sabotages his side of the deal but Niko and Phil eventually retrieve the drug money regardless. Phil later calls Niko, saying that he must cut all ties with him due to a recent furor in the Pegorino family. Kate, who was against making the deal, is furious with Niko and refuses to attend Roman and Mallorie's wedding. The wedding takes place and an assassin sent by Dimitri to kill Niko shoots Roman during a struggle. A devastated and vengeful Niko teams up with Little Jacob. They go to an abandoned casino in Alderney to kill Dimitri, who is now in partnership with Pegorino. In the casino, Dimitri executes Pegorino and attempts to escape. Niko and Little Jacob follow him to Happiness Island, where Niko implicitly kills Dimitri.[24]

Setting

Main article: Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto) § Grand Theft Auto IV rendition
File:Liberty City GTAIV.jpg
GTA IV's rendition of Liberty City is more heavily based on New York City than in previous GTA games.

Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in a redesigned Liberty City consisting of four boroughs, based on four of the boroughs of New York City. Broker is the equivalent of Brooklyn, Queens is Dukes, the Bronx is Bohan and Manhattan is Algonquin. Adjacent to the city is the independent state of Alderney based on New Jersey and named after the Channel Island of the same name. A Staten Island-esque area is not featured in the game as the developers believed that game play in such an area would not be fun.[8] Initially the city's bridges are locked down due to a terrorist threat, but eventually the armed police blockades are lifted and the player is able to lead Niko across the Broker, Algonquin, and Northwood Heights bridges and explore the rest of the city.

The total area of the map is smaller than San Andreas, but the new rendition of Liberty City is far more detailed and is the largest individual city in the Grand Theft Auto series.[22] According to the Official PlayStation 2 Magazine (UK edition), "to get from one side of the new and improved Liberty City to the other will take you at least an hour." Rockstar Games has stated that it is the biggest single city in a Grand Theft Auto game yet, and although smaller than San Andreas, it is comparable to it in terms of scope when "the level of verticality of the city, the number of buildings you can go into, and the level of detail in those buildings" are taken into account.[22] Dan Houser states that there are no "dead spots" or "irrelevant space" within Liberty City, such as the wide open deserts in San Andreas.

Several real-life districts and landmarks exist within Liberty City including "Hove Beach", based on Brighton Beach and named from Brighton and Hove, the English city from which the area gets its name; "Firefly Island" based on Coney Island, featuring the "Screamer" rollercoaster modeled from the Coney Island Cyclone; Central Park is known as "Middle Park". The "Statue of Happiness" is the in-game equivalent of the Statue of Liberty, featuring a styrofoam coffee cup in place of a torch; "Star Junction" is Times Square; "BOABO" (Beneath the Offramp of the Algonquin Bridge Overpass) is DUMBO; the "Thornton Building" is the Flatiron Building; and "Twitchins" is Brooklyn's Domino Sugar Factory; the "GetaLife" building is the MetLife Building; the "Booth Tunnel" is the Lincoln Tunnel (named after Abraham Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth) and the "Rotterdam Tower" is the game's replica of the Empire State Building. A replica of the Chrysler Building is also featured within the game.

Characters

Main articles: List of characters in Grand Theft Auto IV and List of gangs in Grand Theft Auto series

The characters that appear in Grand Theft Auto IV are relatively diverse and relative to the respective boroughs of Liberty City they are based in, belonging to various gangs and ethnic groups. The player controls Niko Bellic, a Serbian veteran of the Bosnian War. A number of other recurring characters appear in Grand Theft Auto IV, though, according to Dan Houser, "virtually none of the characters from the previous games are returning, as a lot of them are dead anyway."[35] This is further evidenced in-game by graffiti on a section of wall in the city, featuring each of the previous protagonist's names alongside messages such as "R.I.P", "We miss you" and "We'll never forget you" suggesting that they have indeed died prior to the events of GTA IV.

Unlike previous games in the series, the voice actors of Grand Theft Auto IV do not include notable and high-profile celebrities, instead opting for lesser known actors such as Michael Hollick, Jason Zumwalt, Moti Margolin, Thomas Lyons, Timothy Adams and Coolie Ranx. However, several high-profile DJs host the various radio stations within the game such as Karl Lagerfeld, Iggy Pop, and Lazlow Jones.[24]

For the first time in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV features "morality choices" at several points throughout the game, in which the player is forced to choose between killing a character or sparing their life or killing one of two characters. The game also has multiple endings, which is determined by a decision the player makes with the main antagonist towards the conclusion of the storyline: Take Revenge or strike a Deal. Each choice affects the final missions the player can partake, and the fate of some characters.

Community and online features

Multiplayer

Grand Theft Auto IV is the first console game in the series to include online multiplayer, with 15 modes of play available.[36] The multiplayer supports up to 16 players and allows players to explore the entire city.[37] Players use a customisable character in a majority of the modes, with cash earned during play able to be used to purchase clothing for their character. Hosts of the games can control many variables, such as time of day, police presence, pedestrian presence, traffic, location of game, and weapons. The online games are split into ranked and unranked matches. The reward for the ranked gameplay is cash, which determines players' ranks.[38] The game does not feature any split-screen or LAN multiplayer modes[39].

There are several different game modes available. Team based gameplay modes include[24] Team Deathmatch, where 2-8 teams compete to accumulate the most kills in a traditional deathmatch; Team Mafiya Work, in which 2-8 teams compete to complete contract work for the "mafiya", such as escorting/killing targets or stealing cars; Team Car Jack City where 2-8 teams compete to steal cars and earn money for keeping them undamaged; Cops n' Crooks, featuring a team of cops who must compete against a team of crooks (which features the "All for One" variation - requiring the cops to kill the crooks' "Boss" before he is escorted to the extraction point - and the "One for All" variation - requiring the cops to kill all of the crooks before they reach the extraction point); and Turf War, involving two teams who compete to take control of designated areas of the map and control them for as long as possible.

The game also includes a variety of racing and co-operative modes, which include Race, in which players race through checkpoints in a traditional automobile race; a GTA Race variation, where players race through checkpoints in an automobile race, with the ability to combat their opponents; Hangman's Noose, a co-op mode that requires players to collect a person from the airport and safely escort him to the extraction point before the cops kill him; Deal Breaker, a co-op mission that requires players to assault a construction site captured by enemies, then chase a group of enemies before they escape; and Bomb da Base II, a co-op mission that requires players to clear out a ship, then destroy it with explosives. The game also features a Free Mode, in which players have the entire map open to explore, with no end goal or mission to complete.

Downloadable content

Xbox 360

During Microsoft's 2006 E3 press conference on 9 May 2006, it was announced that Rockstar Games will offer exclusive episodic content via Xbox Live for the Xbox 360 version of the game.[40] Peter Moore, the then head of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division announced that Rockstar Games is working on two GTA IV downloadable packs exclusively for the Xbox 360, which will be released after the full game.

Moore described downloadable content as "epic episode packs", and not just extra cars or characters. A press release during the conference said that the packs would add "hours of entirely new gameplay" to the game.[41] The official Xbox website states that these episodes will last a minimum of 10 hours.[42]

Jeronimo Barrera, Vice President of Product Development for Rockstar Games, has said that the episodes are an experiment because they are not sure that there are enough users with access to online content on the Xbox 360.[43] Details on the pricing of these downloads have not yet been revealed, though it would almost certainly not be released for free, as Take-Two Interactive's former CEO, Paul Eibeler, has said numerous times that these downloads would provide "additional revenue streams" to the company[citation needed], but Microsoft has said that it will be up to Rockstar on whether or not they will charge for it.[44] Take-Two Interactive's Chief Financial Officer, Lainie Goldstein revealed that Microsoft was paying a total of US $50 million for the two episodes.[45] On 20 February 2008, it was announced that the extra content will be introduced starting August 2008.[46]

PlayStation 3

Downloadable content for the PlayStation 3 was reportedly said to be "likely" by Jeronimo Barrera, in the May 2008 edition of PlayStation World Magazine.[47] The form that the content will take was not stated.

Social Club

Main article: Rockstar Games Social Club

Rockstar Games' Social Club is a web site that displays the gameplay statistics of registered users and feature competitions and awards based on player activity within the game.[48] The Social Club web site was announced on 27 March 2008 and launched on 17 April 2008.

The main features of Social Club launched on the same date of the game itself 29 April 2008. Social Club will also provide online features for Rockstar's latest Midnight Club game, Midnight Club: Los Angeles.

Social Club consists of multiple parts. It initially included the LCPD Police Blotter, The Story Gang, The 100% Club, The Hall Of Fame, The Liberty City Marathon and The Zit.

Music downloads

Following a partnership between Rockstar Games and Amazon.com, players will be able to purchase real world MP3s through GTA IV's in-game mobile phone[49]. Players are able to 'mark' radio songs that they like by dialing ZIT-555-0100 on Niko's phone. They will then receive a text message providing the name of the song and the artist. If a player is registered on Rockstar's 'Social Club' website he or she will also receive a real world e-mail with a link to an Amazon.com playlist where all of the player's marked songs will be listed and available to purchase.[citation needed]

Initially, this service is only available in the US, but will follow shortly to other international territories.[50]

PlayStation Home

In an interview with Playstation World Magazine, Rockstar mentioned that they will "heavily support" Sony's Playstation Home, a community-based service for the PlayStation Network. Rockstar also mentioned that visitors to their Playstation Home apartment would receive 'goodies' such as clothing for their avatar and items and decorations for their own Playstation Home apartment. In addition to this, users can earn PlayStation Home trophies for their home space (similar to the achievements that Xbox 360 users enjoy).[51]

Soundtrack

Main articles: Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack and The Music of Grand Theft Auto IV

Just like the previous games in the Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto IV has an extensive amount and variety of tracks spanning different decades and also taken from modern day music. With over 200 songs, notable inclusions to the game's soundtrack include Smashing Pumpkins, Thin Lizzy, Seryoga, Bob Marley, The Sisters of Mercy, The Who, Queen, Black Sabbath, Fela Kuti, Femi Kuti, Phillip Glass, Justice, Kanye West, Busta Rhymes, R. Kelly, Liquid Liquid, John Coltrane, Aphex Twin, The Boggs, Elton John, ZZ Top, R.E.M., Ne-Yo, and Barry White. The game's soundtrack can be listened to through radio stations while the player is in a vehicle.[14] People who provide voices for the radio DJs include fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, musicians Iggy Pop, DJ Green Lantern,[52] Femi Kuti,[53] Jimmy Gestapo[54] and Ruslana,[55] and real-life radio talk show host Lazlow Jones.[56] Ricky Gervais and Katt Williams also appear in interviews and have recorded motion-captured acts the player can view in the game's comedy club or on TV.

Liberty City is serviced by eighteen radio stations; The Beat 102.7 (hip hop), The Classics 104.1 (old school hip hop), Electrochoc (electro house/dance), Fusion FM (jazz fusion), JNR Jazz Nation Radio (jazz), The Journey (ambient/chill out), IF99 International Funk (funk and Afrobeat), K 109: The Studio (disco), L.C.H.C (hardcore punk), LRR 97.8 Liberty Rock Radio (classic rock), Massive B Soundsystem (dancehall), Radio Broker (indie rock), San Juan Sounds (reggaeton), Tuff Gong (dub and reggae), The Vibe 98.8 (R&B), Vladivostok FM (Eastern European music) and three talk radio stations, WKTT, Public Liberty Radio and Integrity 2.0 (Which is unlocked during the course of the game).

The game uses a similar music system to that of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In earlier games in the series, each radio station was essentially a single looped sound file, playing the same songs, announcements and advertisements in the same order each time. With the radio stations in Grand Theft Auto IV, each section is held separately, and "mixed" randomly, allowing songs to be played in different orders, announcements to songs to be different each time, and plot events to be mentioned on the stations.[24] However, certain stations with multiple DJs limit specific songs to be played by each DJ, with the result that the same sound loop can be heard starting a DJ's set whenever the player enters a vehicle. Certain songs are also edited to incorporate references to the fictional Liberty City.

Grand Theft Auto IV's theme song is "Soviet Connection" by Michael Hunter, who also composed the theme for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Marketing

Main article: Marketing for Grand Theft Auto IV

As the release date approached, Rockstar Games and Take Two marketed the game heavily. Their marketing came in many forms, including television ads, Internet video, billboards, viral marketing, and a redesigned website.

Grand Theft Auto IV: Special Edition

File:GTAIVSEPS3.jpg
GTA IV: Special Edition contents (PlayStation 3 version).

Grand Theft Auto IV: Special Edition was announced[57] on 21 May 2007 for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. It contains the following:

  • A customized metal safe deposit box.
  • A Rockstar keychain for the safe deposit box keys.
  • A limited edition Rockstar duffel bag.
  • Production artwork in the Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book.
  • The Music of Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack CD.
  • A box containing the above specific for each platform:
    • The PlayStation 3 version has an illustration of Lola on the cardboard box sleeve.
    • The Xbox 360 version has an illustration of the main character, Niko Bellic, on the cardboard sleeve.

In addition to the above, those who had reserved and purchased the game through Blockbuster (video rental store) were given a framed artwork of an armed Niko Bellic standing with the Algonquin Bridge in the background.

Reception

Grand Theft Auto IV has received near-universal acclaim from video game critics.[65][64] Ahead of its worldwide release, most publications were not sent copies of the game. Instead, reviewers had to play the game at Rockstar premises or in booked hotel rooms.[68] The May 2008 issue of Official Xbox Magazine (UK) published the first Grand Theft Auto IV review, giving the game the maximum score of 10/10. The magazine also stated that the game has an "amazingly realistic world; stunning action set pieces; genuinely engrossing storyline; hugely entertaining multiplayer;" and that it is "vast in every respect."[69]

Hilary Goldstein of IGN gave the game a 10/10 score, with the game earning 10/10 in each individual category. It was the first console game to receive such a score from the publication since 1999. Goldstein called the game "just as big a leap forward" as Grand Theft Auto III, albeit "in subtler ways", and said it "sets a new benchmark for open-world games", with "no one major weak aspect." Goldstein's only serious criticism was for "the occasional flaw in the cover system", but the review concluded with the statement that "We don't give 10s often—just to games that merit the score."[70]

GameSpot gave both versions of the game a perfect 10/10,[62] making it the first game since 2001 that GameSpot has rated perfect. The review called the game "compelling," with a "plethora of online multiplayer features" and stated that GTA IV is "undoubtedly the best Grand Theft Auto yet."[62] Calvert did mention there are occasional problems with friendly AI and avoiding the police is "a little too easy."

PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) also gave the game 10/10 in their May 2008 issue, describing the game as "a masterpiece that improves on all GTA's best bits."[56]

The British newspaper Daily Star gave it a positive review, praising: "This could be a console defining title, one that in years to come people will remember as the stand-out of the era."[71] The New York Times wrote a favourable review as well, calling it a "violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun."[52] The film magazine Empire gave the game a perfect 5/5 in its game reviews section, calling it "damn-near perfect".[72]

Xbox World 360 gave the game a 98% rating, the highest it has ever given to any game, mentioning the game was "everything we were entitled to expect, and yet somehow impossibly more."[73]

Despite the almost unanimous praise given to GTA IV, the game has received some criticism.[74] A review in Ars Technica states that the game "...[is] not perfect. It does not deserve unquestioned, unadulterated praise. In many ways, the slight regression of the series from San Andreas is surprising: there are fewer vehicles, weapons, and story missions, less character customization, and even the size of the city itself is smaller."[75]

The Xbox 360 version of GTA IV has received an average critic review score of 99% from review aggregators Game Rankings[67] and Metacritic,[65] while the PS3 version has received average scores of 100% from Game Rankings[66] and Metacritic.[64] As of 5 May 2008, those scores place the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions as the #1 highest rated games on their respective consoles on Metacritic, and as the #1 and #2 ranked games of all time respectively on GameRankings.

Sales and impact

Shares of Take-Two Interactive gained as much as 3.4% amid positive reviews before the game's launch.[76] Scott Hillis of Reuters said first week sales of the game were expected to reach $400 million.[76] Some have suggested that GTA IV's success could dampen the box office for the May 2 2008 release of Iron Man, setting a precedent where movie studios will begin browsing video-game release dates to check for conflicts.[77] Matt Richtel of The New York Times said the game's release "is expected to be one of the biggest video game debuts ever" and said five million copies of the game were expected to be sold in the first two weeks.[78]

Analyst Mike Hickey predicted that the game could sell 9.5 million units worldwide its first week, generating $466 million in sales.[79] Take-Two Interactive measured the global pre-order demand at 6 million units or $400 million.[79] Analyst Michael Pachter predicted the game would sell 11 to 13 million units by the end of 2008. Pachter also expects Grand Theft Auto IV to represent 3.2% of all US and European software sales for 2008 and for lifetime sales of the game to reach 16 to 19 million.[79] Analyst Evan Wilson predicts that Grand Theft Auto IV will have opening week sales of $550 million.[79]

In the United Kingdom, the game sold 609,000 copies on its first day of release, making it the fastest selling game in a 24 hour period within that region.[80] The previous record holder in the UK, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, sold 501,000 copies within 24 hours.[81]

There have been reports in the United Kingdom and the United States of crimes perpetrated against people purchasing Grand Theft Auto IV, as well as employees of stores selling the game.[82][83][84][85] One of these incidents, an attack near a Gamestation store in Croydon, was later reported to be an unrelated argument between two groups of people leaving a pub[86] and the story has been referred to as a "media panic."[87]

Controversy

Jack Thompson

File:Gta jack.jpg
Attorney Jack Thompson holding a purchased copy of Grand Theft Auto IV.

In 2007, Jack Thompson, a Florida lawyer who had previously campaigned against other Grand Theft Auto games, stated he would take various measures to prevent the sale of the game by Rockstar to minors.[88] On 14 March 2007, Rockstar's parent company, Take-Two Interactive, filed a lawsuit[89] against Thompson in Florida in an attempt to pre-emptively block him from trying to declare its games a public nuisance. It would be a crime to sell games declared to be a public nuisance, effectively banning such games, which they believe would be a violation of First Amendment rights.[90] Thompson responded by filing a countersuit,[91] accusing Take-Two of violating federal RICO statutes (the charge was later dropped), committing perjury, obstruction of justice, and conspiring against him with third parties to deprive him of his civil rights.[92][93]

Both parties reached a settlement on 20 April, 2007,[94] and agreed to drop their respective lawsuits. Under the terms of the settlement Thompson is barred from suing to block the sale or distribution of any future games published by Take-Two or any of its subsidiaries. He will be restricted to communicating through Take-Two's attorneys on any future matters. Thompson will still be able to maintain his outspoken stance against the publisher's titles, as well as still being allowed to act as counsel in lawsuits brought against Take-Two by other parties. For their part, Take-Two agreed to drop its contempt of court lawsuit against Thompson regarding alleged improper conduct during the Bully court hearings in Florida,[95][96] which, if found to be in contempt, would have resulted in Thompson seeing jail time.[97][98][99]

Thompson filed a document with a federal court in Florida on 18 September, 2007,[100] that claims that the assassination target of a mission in GTA IV is a lawyer character based upon himself. When the main protagonist enters his office and pulls a gun on him, the lawyer yells "Guns don't kill people! Video games do!" Thompson has threatened that unless the similarities to himself are removed from the game he will "take necessary and proper means to stop release of the game".[101]

On 25 April 2008, it was reported in Metro that Jack Thompson had written a letter to the mother of Strauss Zelnick, Director of Take-Two Interactive. In the letter, which strongly criticised the game, Zelnick, and his mother, Thompson called Grand Theft Auto a "murder simulator". He went on to say that "The pornography and violence that your son trafficks in is the kind of stuff that most mothers would be ashamed to see their son putting into the hands of other mothers' children". Thompson then questions Strauss Zelnick's upbringing and says that his mother should be ashamed of herself, and that she "spared the rod and spoiled the child. That would explain why he has brought you, by the way he presently acts, to shame." He finishes by saying "Happy Mothers' Day, Mrs Zelnick, which this year is May 11, two weeks after your son unleashes porn and violence upon other mothers' boys. I'm sure you're very proud." Neither Take-Two interactive nor Rockstar Games have made any comment regarding the matter.[102] However, Thompson himself has since claimed that he sent the letter to Zelnick's lawyer, not his mother, and that letter is structured as a sort of parody intended to induce feelings of "shame" in Zelnick.[103]

Mural ad for the game on a wall in New York City, July 2007.

New York City officials

After the release of the first trailer, New York City officials were appalled with the choice of their city as the inspiration for the setting of Grand Theft Auto IV, and said that a game like GTA does not represent the city's crime levels accurately.[104] A spokesperson for Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, "The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers".[105] As a response, Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the International Game Developers Association, accused New York City officials of double standards, for criticising video games but not other forms of entertainment, such as books, films and television shows, which use New York City as the setting.[106]

Edited version for Australia and New Zealand

Despite confirmation in February 2008 that the Australian version of Grand Theft Auto IV would not be edited in any way,[107] Rockstar has now told The Sydney Morning Herald journalist Jason Hill that the Australian version will be edited.[108]

Grand Theft Auto IV was awarded an MA15+ rating on 11 December 2007. In a post on his blog, Jason Hill stated that a Rockstar spokesperson confirmed to The Sydney Morning Herald's video game section, Screenplay, that the company had produced a special version of Grand Theft Auto IV to comply with the Australian classification system. The spokesperson would not comment on what has been cut from the game.[108]

It was announced on 15 April 2008, and subsequently reported across the Internet, that the New Zealand release would be the edited Australian version.[109]

Technical issues

Just hours after the game's release, a blog entry on Kotaku reported that several PS3 and Xbox 360 owners had complained of the game freezing during the initial cut-scene, rendering it unplayable.[110] While Rockstar has not commented, Kotaku stated that Rockstar is aware of the problem, but have yet to determine its cause.[111] It has also been reported on Kotaku that the online multiplayer is down for some PS3 users, with various players tipping Kotaku off that they are unable to connect to the Gamespy-hosted servers.[112]

While there was no official fix or patch released by Rockstar as of yet, many users online have come up with ways to solve some problems for the PS3 version. Kotaku reported from other users that the in-game freezing not only happens during the initial cut-scene but at random times during the game. Many users also report that they are not able to load the game save at the start and therefore cannot play the game. This being somehow connected with the PSN, it's been reported that to load the game and play the single player mode, you must disconnect the internet connection for the PS3, or disabling access to the PSN. [113]

Mothers Against Drunk Driving

The organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) sharply criticized an in-game option that allows players to drive while intoxicated and called for a stricter rating on the game that would effectively ban its sale in the United States. "Drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke," MADD said. "Drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime, and it is also 100 percent preventable." MADD is asking the Entertainment Software Rating Board to bump Grand Theft Auto IV's rating up to AO for Adults Only from M for Mature and calling for Take-Two Interactive and Rockstar Games to consider stopping distribution out of a sense of social responsibility, or out of respect for those who've been hurt or killed by drunk drivers.[114] Rockstar issued a statement to the Associated Press. "We have a great deal of respect for MADD's mission, but we believe the mature audience for 'Grand Theft Auto IV' is more than sophisticated enough to understand the game's content."[115]

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