It's game day for Grand Theft Auto IV

[Trainspotter 0]

It's game day for Grand Theft Auto IV

BY ROBERT ASHLEY

NY Daily News

April 29th 2008

 

'Grand Theft Auto IV'

Despised by conservative critics and decried by politicians, the Grand Theft Auto series of video games might be the most divisive pop-culture product since John Lennon declared the Beatles "more popular than Jesus."

 

Tuesday, the generation of Americans raised on Super Mario Brothers and hip hop will flock to purchase Grand Theft Auto IV, the newest entry in the series, while those who consider the game a gratuitously violent abomination will take to the 24-hour cable-news airwaves to warn parents and scold the game's creators.

 

Despite (or perhaps because of) the controversy, GTA IV is poised to become the most critically celebrated game of the series. According to Metacritic.com, a site that aggregates reviews from publications and Web sites around the world, it has the highest average score of any game in the site's history, 99 out of 100 points.

 

No surprise, then, that it is set to become a retail phenomenon. Game-industry financial analyst Colin Sebastian of Lazard Capital Markets expects GTA IV to sell 10 million copies before the year is out. "We expect about 5 million units in the first couple of weeks and another 5 million units over the course of the rest of the year," says Sebastian. At $60 a pop, Take Two Interactive, the game's publisher, would be looking at $600 million in sales this year.

 

Fans of the series will face a choice this time. While previous GTA games were released for Sony's PlayStation platform before landing on Microsoft's Xbox months later, GTA IV debuts on both Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game's creators have stated that both versions are identical, but the Xbox 360 version will offer exclusive downloadable content at a later date.

 

GTA IV follows the underworld exploits of Eastern European emigrant Nico Bellic. The game unfolds in Liberty City, a version of New York City featuring landmarks like Times Square, Central Park, Coney Island and the Statue of Liberty.

 

Aside from the ultrarealistic graphics, what sets GTA IV apart from more confined and controlled popular games like Halo 3 is that players are free to go anywhere and do anything in the city, the focal point of controversy surrounding previous games. But while players can wreak virtual havoc in the streets by hijacking cars and attacking innocent city dwellers, GTA games always center on engrossing stories told through stylish, cinematic scenes in the gangster-movie tradition.

 

Dan Houser, vice president of series creators Rockstar Games, is also one of gaming's wittiest scribes. In GTA IV, Bellic, when not gunning down rival criminals at the behest of mobsters and drug dealers, spends his time in Internet cafes looking for love on a dating Web site. The game aims for the nexus between likable characters and detestable actions that made "The Sopranos" a sensation. But where television has earned the right to tackle dark, adult themes, games are widely considered the territory of children and teenagers. Perhaps GTA IV will be the game that finally changes that.

[Pablo M 201 35]

Brought my copy! Played it abit already. All I have to say is that this game is absolutely amazing! Going to go back to playing.

[KTrainExp 16]

Can't figgin wait for the PC Version to come out!

[Cappy 1]

Well, I'm not one of those people that's flocking to get this game due to not owning a PS3 or Xbox 360. Like Konvicted, I'm also hoping a PC version comes out.

[NewJerseyT 0]

Same here! I'm not willing to shell out 300+(pending the system) bucks just to play a single game....

[Harry 1,059]

Can't figgin wait for the PC Version to come out!

 

That's what I am waiting for too which will be better overall and with a better net code.

[trainfan22 1,645]

Ive played this game and its awsome!! It has pre GOH R38s in its subway system and looks very realistic. But do NOT try go to algonquin if you do you will get six stars and a whole bunch of LCPD peilce cars and swat teams and heirocopers will be shooting at you!! Same if try to swim or take a boat there the cops will attack you. And you even watch TV in the game with lots of refences to san andreas and there are a lot of refences to other GTAs at the airport too....

[SubwayGuy 2,313]

I want to play this but I don't want to shell out hundreds for a PS3. Hoping a PC version comes out but ProbleM: Im still running Windows XP service pack 1 and they discontinued support including the update for SP2 which if I want I will have to format my HD...not happening...

 

so maybe I'll change my mind circa christmas when I'm working full time, living at home, and saving most of my money (hopefully...damn taxes...)

[TransitGuy 1]

Sorry guys, I have been busy lately... with GTA IV This game is amazing and I highly suggest it to those who play video games. They really did a good job on designing Liberty City. I decided to buy the game for the 360 and I give it a 10 out of 10.

[KTrainExp 16]

I want to play this but I don't want to shell out hundreds for a PS3. Hoping a PC version comes out but ProbleM: Im still running Windows XP service pack 1 and they discontinued support including the update for SP2 which if I want I will have to format my HD...not happening...

 

so maybe I'll change my mind circa christmas when I'm working full time, living at home, and saving most of my money (hopefully...damn taxes...)

 

SP2 is on the Microsoft Website....

 

Anyways, I'm pretty darn sure the computer version will come out, but in a few months. Maybe by the end of Christmas or something. I'm going to wait a year after the PC Version comes out because its probably going to cost the same as the PS3 OR 360 prices today.

[Pablo M 201 35]

I want to play this but I don't want to shell out hundreds for a PS3. Hoping a PC version comes out but ProbleM: Im still running Windows XP service pack 1 and they discontinued support including the update for SP2 which if I want I will have to format my HD...not happening...

 

so maybe I'll change my mind circa christmas when I'm working full time, living at home, and saving most of my money (hopefully...damn taxes...)

You can spend less money for a PS3 and get an Xbox 360....

[East New York 4,045]

I want to play this but I don't want to shell out hundreds for a PS3. Hoping a PC version comes out but ProbleM: Im still running Windows XP service pack 1 and they discontinued support including the update for SP2 which if I want I will have to format my HD...not happening...

 

so maybe I'll change my mind circa christmas when I'm working full time, living at home, and saving most of my money (hopefully...damn taxes...)

 

I want this game bad as hell too, but haven't made the upgrade to PS3 yet. I could do PC, but prefer console.

 

And to you SubwayGuy, you could always upgrade to service pack 3 if i'm not mistaken.

[KTrainExp 16]

I want this game bad as hell too, but haven't made the upgrade to PS3 yet. I could do PC, but prefer console.

 

And to you SubwayGuy, you could always upgrade to service pack 3 if i'm not mistaken.

 

SP 3 is out already?

[East New York 4,045]

SP 3 is out already?

 

Already???? lol SP2 came out in late '06 didn't it?