Tuesday, 18 February 2014

Grand Theft Auto IV


  
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV cover.jpg
Developer(s)Rockstar North
Publisher(s)Rockstar Games
Distributor(s)Take-Two Interactive
Director(s)Rod Edge
John Zurhellen
Adam Fowler
Alexander Roger
Obbe Vermeij
Producer(s)Leslie Benzies
Artist(s)Aaron Garbut
Writer(s)Dan Houser
Rupert Humphries
SeriesGrand Theft Auto
EngineRAGE, Euphoria,[1]
Bullet Physics Library
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360,Microsoft Windows
Release date(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
29 April 2008
Microsoft Windows
NA 2 December 2008
PAL 3 December 2008
Genre(s)Action-adventure
Mode(s)Single-player, online multiplayer
DistributionDownload
Blu-ray Disc (PlayStation 3)
DVD-DL (Xbox 360)
2× DVD-DL (Microsoft Windows)
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action-adventure video game developed byRockstar North in the United Kingdom, and published by Rockstar Games. It was released on 29 April 2008 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, and on 2 December 2008 on Microsoft Windows. It is the eleventh title in the Grand Theft Autoseries, and the first main entry since Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas in 2004. As the first title in the series to be released for the seventh generation of video game consoles,Grand Theft Auto IV was highly anticipated preceding its release.[2]
Grand Theft Auto IV is played from a third-person perspective in an open world environment, allowing the player to interact with the game world at their leisure. The game is set within the fictional state of Liberty City, which is heavily based on New York City.[note 1] The single-player story follows Niko Bellic, a veteran of an unnamed war inEastern Europe who comes to the United States in search of someone important, but quickly becomes entangled in a world of gangs, crime, and corruption. An online multiplayer mode is included with the game, allowing up to 16 players to engage in both co-operative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting.[note 2]Two expansion packs were later released as downloadable content for the game, The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony, which both feature new plots that are interconnected with the main Grand Theft Auto IV storyline, and follow new protagonists.
Development began shortly following the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Upon its release, the game was acclaimed by many reviewers who praised its story missions, setting, and updates from previous games in the series. A commercial success, Grand Theft Auto IV broke industry sales records by earning US $500 million in the first week of its release.[4]
Its successor, Grand Theft Auto V, was released on 17 September 2013, and has also received universal critical acclaim.[5]

Gameplay[edit]

Quite like its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto IV allows the player to intervene on a large open world environment. On foot, the player character can walk, run, jump, climb over obstacles and swim, as well as use weapons and perform basic hand-to-hand combat. Players can steal and drive a variety of vehicles, including automobiles, boats, helicopters, and motorcycles. Grand Theft Auto IV takes advantage of Natural Motion's Euphoria engine, which combines artificial intelligence, bio-mechanics and physics to make open, non-linear environments that allow players to explore and choose how they wish to play the game. Although completing most of the storyline missions are necessary to progress through the game and unlock certain content and parts of the city, they are not required, as players can complete them at their own leisure. When not attempting a storyline mission, players can free-roam, giving them the ability to do activities. Some side missions include locating and destroying criminals in the police car database, or participating in street races. The player can also swim, a feature that was introduced in San Andreas, but missing from prior titles.
It is possible to have several active missions running at one time, as some missions run over the course of several days and require the player to wait for further instructions or events. The player can also attempt a variety of optional side missions. Grand Theft Auto IV also contains morality choices at points throughout the game, which alter the storyline appropriately depending on the player's choice. Which of the game's two different endings occurs is determined by one of these choices.

Combat and police response[edit]

Combat in Grand Theft Auto IV has been reworked to include a cover system.
Gunfights in Grand Theft Auto IV are conducted using a third-person system.[6] The game's cover system allows the player to deftly move between cover, to fire blindly, aim freely, and target a specific enemy. Individual body parts can also be targeted.[7] Additionally, Niko can perform "cinematic executions" at certain points in the story. Niko's health is shown by a green semicircle on the left side of the mini-map, while a blue semicircle on the right represents armour. When locked on a target, their health and (if applicable) armour level appears in the target circle. There are more hand-to-hand combat moves than in past games in the series, including dodging and blocking, disarming an opponent and counter-attacking.
If Niko is injured he can recover health using various techniques, including eating, using medical kits or calling for paramedics. Body armour can absorb gunshots and explosive damage but is gradually used up in the process.[8] If Niko's health level reaches zero, the action stops, and he re-appears at the nearest hospital having lost some money (but retaining his weapons).
The Wanted Level system has changed from previous Grand Theft Auto games. Although their star levels are retained (which increase with the number or severity of criminal acts by the player, with corresponding increases in law enforcement interference), the law enforcement agencies which may pursue the player have changed, with the focus on making them more realistic. In previous Grand Theft Auto titles, as wanted level rose the player was pursued by increasingly well-armed and violent agencies, culminating with the Army at the highest wanted level. In Grand Theft Auto IV, the police are assisted by other authoritative forces like SWAT, the FIB andN.O.O.S.E..
When the police are in pursuit of Niko, a circular search area appears on the map in which the police will be looking for him. The area grows with increased wanted level, and re-centres itself on Niko's location if he is spotted by the police. If the player escapes from the search area without being seen by law enforcement units, and can stay out of sight of police for a short time without committing any more crimes, the search is soon aborted. This is different from the previous methods of evading authorities such as changing clothes and collecting bribes. Wanted levels can also be lost either by changing the colour of the current vehicle, or entering a safehouse and going to sleep. While on foot, the player has the option of attempting to escape arrest before being handcuffed, at the cost of increasing the wanted level by one star (the traditional bold letters that note "Busted" for arrest are absent), although the police will immediately open fire. However, this move is only possible with a one star wanted level, as the police will focus more on killing the player at higher wanted levels, rather than arresting him, and like previous games, the player is immediately arrested when pulled out of a vehicle.[7][9]

Vehicles[edit]

Common to the rest of the series, vehicles are the predominant means of travel in Grand Theft Auto IV, with cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats and city buses available for use. Every vehicle in the game uses the in-game minimap as a GPS device. Waypoints can be placed on the map, plotting the shortest legal route between the player and the destination on the map. The player can also hail a taxi or cab, which allows travel between destinations without having to drive. The journey can also be skipped, so the player arrives at their destination instantly. However, if the player decides to skip the journey, it will cost them more money. During car chases, the player can focus the camera on the target vehicle by holding the cinematic camera button, and also free-aim and fire out of the vehicle using one-handed firearms. The player may also drop grenades.[10] The player cannot pilot fixed-wing aircraft, which was possible in previous games of the series, but can still pilot helicopters. Though they are introduced in The Ballad of Gay Tony,[11] parachutes are absent fromGrand Theft Auto IV. Liberty City also has an extensive, multiple-line subway system available for use. This allows the player to travel quickly between stations across the city.

Communication[edit]

Whereas previous games in the series frequently used public telephones to relay missions to the player, in Grand Theft Auto IV a mobile phone is used. It has several uses, including viewing text messages and appointments, arranging to meet friends for activities, and also for choosing to retry failed missions. The player can also take photos for certain missions, and call 911 to summon the emergency services.[12] The police will arrest felons, and paramedics are able to restore Niko's health. The phone also allows access to the game's multiplayer mode. The player can also call other characters to talk to them, or ask for a service that they can provide, such as transportation or a reduction in wanted level. The player can also enter cheat codes that may be entered by dialling certain numbers on the mobile phone.[13]
The game also features several different in-game databases that Niko can make use of. An in-game version of the Internet can be used by accessing the Internet café chain, "TW@", located throughout the city or by accessing a computer in a safehouse. There are over 100 fictitious websites that can be accessed within the game, and Niko can also send and receive email (including junk mail) and set up prospective dates with potential girlfriends.[13] Although the Internet café was seen in Grand Theft Auto III, internet browsing was not possible.[14] 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.[15] The game also features in-game television programming, with several viewable channels featuring programmes and advertisements. The television shows cover a wide variety of genres, including a history channel, reality shows, card games, and cartoons.[16][17]

Multiplayer[edit]

Grand Theft Auto IV includes online multiplayer, with 15 modes of play available.[18] It supports up to 16 players and allows them to explore the entire city.[19] Hosts of the games can control many variables, such as police presence, traffic, and weapons. The console editions of the game do not feature any split screen or LAN multiplayer modes,[20] but the PC version does have LAN support. All versions of the game include voice chat.
The online games are split into ranked and unranked matches. For a player to level up through ranks, money must be earned. [21][22]
Several different game modes are available. Team based gameplay modes include:[23] Team Deathmatch, where 2–8 teams compete to accumulate the most kills in a traditional deathmatch; 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 cooperative modes, which include Race, in which players race through checkpoints in a traditional automobile race; a GTArace variation, where players race through checkpoints in an automobile race, with the ability to combat their opponents; Hangman's N.O.O.S.E., 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, referencing the mission "Bomb Da Base" from Grand Theft Auto III which featured a similar objective of destroying a ship with explosives.[24] 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.
Certain features from the single player mode are disabled in the multiplayer modes, such as the bowling, darts, and pool mini-games. The cheats, clubs and Internet café and some forms of transport (i.e. subway trains and taxi ride) are also disabled.[23]

Synopsis[edit]

Setting[edit]

Grand Theft Auto IV's rendition of Liberty City closely resembles modern New York City.[25]
Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in 2008, in a redesigned version of Liberty City consisting of four boroughs, based on four of the boroughs of New York City.[25] 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 Northern New Jerseyand named after the Channel Island of the same name. The developers omitted a Staten Island-esque area, believing that gameplay based in such an area would not be fun.[26]There are three minor islands present: Charge Island (based loosely on Randall's Island), Colony Island (based on Roosevelt Island), and Happiness Island (based on Liberty Islandand complete with a parody of the Statue of Liberty called the Statue of Happiness). Initially, the city's bridges are locked down due to a terrorist threat, and the player is constantly pursued by police if they are crossed, but eventually the blockades are lifted and the player is able to cross the Broker, Algonquin andNorthwood Heights bridges and explore the rest of the city. The "Francis International Airport" is based on several New York City-area airports, most notably LaGuardia and JFK, however in a departure from past games in the series, exploring the tarmac area of the airport outside of missions usually carries a penalty of a high wanted level being triggered.
Grand Theft Auto IV takes place in a different storyline and timeline from the previous games in the series, disregarding the continuity of the events from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories to Grand Theft Auto III which is now known as the "3D Universe" of GTA.[27] Several characters from Grand Theft Auto IV have minor appearances in its successor, Grand Theft Auto V, as the two games are inter-connected and take place in the same canon, and both titles are considered part of GTA's "HD Universe".[28][29]

Plot[edit]

See also: List of Grand Theft Auto IV characters
The main protagonist Niko Bellic (left) and the main antagonist Dimitri Rascalov (right).
In Liberty City, Niko Bellic, an Eastern European,[30] arrives to meet his cousin Roman. Niko comes to Liberty City to pursue the American Dream, and to search for the man who betrayed his unit in a war fifteen years prior. After his arrival, however, Niko quickly learns that Roman's tales of riches and luxury were lies concealing struggles with gambling debts and loansharks, and that Roman lives in a dirty apartment rather than a mansion.[31]
Niko defends Roman from his loansharks several times, eventually killing Vlad Glebov, Roman's Russian loanshark. Niko was forced to work for Vlad due to Roman's debts but Niko killed Vlad because he found out that Vlad slept with Roman's girlfriend, Mallory.[32]After Vlad's murder, Niko and Roman are kidnapped by members of the Liberty City Bratvaon order of Mikhail Faustin and his associate, Dimitri Rascalov. Faustin, not bothered by the murder of Vlad, hires Niko.[33] Niko quickly learns that Faustin is a psychopath when he orders him to kill the son of Kenny Petrović, the most powerful man in the Liberty City Bratva.[34] Dimitri then orders Niko to assassinate Faustin,[35] and when Niko meets with Dimitri to collect on the assassination, Dimitri betrays him. When Niko meets Dimitri, Dimitri brings his friend Bulgarin who claims that Niko stole from him. Niko denies the allegation saying that a cargo ship that he was transporting for Bulgarin sank and that he nearly drowned while swimming to shore.[36]
Immediately afterwards, Niko and Roman are forced to escape to Bohan when their apartment and taxi company are destroyed in arson attacks by Dimitri's men.[37] However, things go poorly in Bohan: one of the drug deals that Niko works on turns out to be a sting and another is busted.[38] After the latter incident, Niko's current girlfriend Michelle then reveals that she works for a government agency andentraps Niko into working for her agency, known only by its cover: United Liberty Paper.[39] Niko kills several known or suspected terrorists for the agency in exchange for the file of the numerous crimes the police have on him and the promise of assistance in finding the traitor of his unit.[40][41][42][43]
With the assistance of United Liberty Paper, Niko eventually tracks down the man responsible for his unit's betrayal: Darko Brevic; the player chooses Darko's fate.[44] Having dealt with his past, Niko is summoned by Jimmy Pegorino, who demands one final favour after many favours: to help with an extremely lucrative deal on heroin in collusion with Dimitri Rascalov.[45]
The story then features two possible endings depending on the choice made by the player at this point in the game: to strike a Deal with Dimitri or exact Revenge on him. If the player chooses to go through with the Deal, Niko soon finds out that Dimitri took the heroin for himself, which endangers and angers Niko.[46] Later, Roman is set to marry Mallory. At the wedding, an assassin sent by Dimitri kills Roman with a stray bullet as Niko disarms and kills him.[47] A devastated and vengeful Niko later tracks down Dimitri and Pegorino, witnesses the former kill the latter, before chasing and killing Dimitri.[48]
If the player chooses to extract Revenge, Niko ambushes Dimitri and executes him.[49] In the aftermath, Roman's wedding takes place, but Pegorino, furious after Niko's betrayal, commits a drive-by shooting outside the church. He targets Niko, but ends up killing Niko's girlfriend Kate.[50] Niko soon tracks down, chases, and kills Pegorino, who had become hated and targeted by the entire underworld of Liberty City.[51][23]

Soundtrack[edit]

Main articles: Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack and The Music of Grand Theft Auto IV
Like previous games in the Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto IV features a soundtrack that can be heard through radio stations while the player is in a vehicle. Liberty City is serviced by 19 radio stations, three of which are talk radio stations. The other stations feature music from a large range of genres, including tracks from Genesis, David Bowie, Bob Marley, The Who, Queen, Kanye West andElton John.
The theme song of Grand Theft Auto IV is "Soviet Connection" composed by Michael Hunter, who also composed the theme for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[52] People who provide voices for the radio DJs include fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, musicians Iggy Pop,[53] Femi Kuti,[54] Jimmy Gestapo[55] and Ruslana,[56] and real-life radio talk show host Lazlow Jones.[57] Saturday Night Live actorsBill Hader and Jason Sudeikis appear on the liberal and conservative radio talk shows respectively, with Fred Armisen playing several guests on Lazlow's "Integrity 2.0".[57] Numerous other comedians, including Jim Norton, Patrice O'Neal, Rick Shapiro, and Robert Kelly, as well as radio hosts Opie & Anthony appeared on the radio and/or as characters in-game.[58]
The game uses a similar music system to that of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. In other 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 sound file is held separately, and sequenced 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. Certain songs are also edited to incorporate references to the fictional Liberty City.[52]
Following a partnership between Rockstar Games and Amazon.com, players are able to purchase real world MP3s through Grand Theft Auto IV's in-game mobile phone.[59] Players are able to find out the titles of songs played on the radio by texting ZiT on Niko's phone. They will then receive a text message providing the name of the song and the artist. If registered on the Rockstar Games Social Clubwebsite, a player 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.

Development[edit]

See also: Marketing for Grand Theft Auto IV
Mural ad for the game on a wall in New York City, July 2007.
Work on Grand Theft Auto IV began in November 2004, almost immediately after the release of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[26] Around 150 game developers worked on Grand Theft Auto IV,[60] led by core members of the Grand Theft Auto III team.[61] 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.[62] Instead of pre-written animations, Euphoria uses procedural animation to control the way the player moves, enabling character movements to be more realistic.[63] 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.[64] The game also uses middleware from Image Metrics to facilitate intricate facial expressions and ease the process of incorporating lip-synching.[65] Foliage in the game is produced through SpeedTree.[66]
Grand Theft Auto IV sees a shift in the series to a more realistic and detailed style and tone,[26] partly a result of the transition to consoles which offered high-definition graphics and the new and improved capabilities of such consoles.[61] Rockstar co-founder Dan Houser said "what we're taking as our watchword on [Grand Theft Auto IV] is the idea of what high definition actually means. Not just in terms of graphics, which obviously we are achieving, but in terms of all aspects of the design. [...] You know, trying to make something more realistic, more held together, but still retaining the overall coherence that the other games had."[26] Art director Aaron Garbut said one of the reasons they decided to set the game in New York because "we all knew what an amazing, diverse, vibrant, cinematic city it is," and since they were hoping the push the "detail, variety and life" to a high level, it seemed that "basing the game in a city so synonymous with these things was a great fit."[67] Dan Houser added "because we were working in high definition and we knew we'd need a shitload of research, we wanted to be somewhere where we had a foothold."[61] The developers consciously avoided creating a block for block recreation of New York City, Dan Houser said "what we've always tried to do is make a thing that looks real and has the qualities of a real environment, but is also fun from a game design perspective."[26] The Grand Theft Auto IV rendition of Liberty City is far more detailed and larger in size than most earlier entries in the series[68] Although smaller than San Andreas, the main setting for Grand Theft Auto IV's predecessor Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Liberty City 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.[68] The goal for Liberty City was to have no dead spots or irrelevant spaces, such as the wide open deserts in San Andreas.[26] To achieve a realistic environment, the Rockstar North team, based in Edinburgh, Scotland, made two trips to New York for research, one at the start of the project (which was done with every previous Grand Theft Auto game) and another smaller one further into development.[67] 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.[61]
The story of Grand Theft Auto IV was written by Dan Houser and Rupert Humphries.[23] Unlike previous Grand Theft Auto games which have a strong cultural or cinematic influence, "[Grand Theft Auto IV doesn't] really have any cinematic influences",[26] as explained by Houser. "We were consciously trying to go, well, if video games are going to develop into the next stage, then the thing isn't to try and do a loving tribute or reference other stuff. It's to reference the actual place itself".[61] Houser also said, "In terms of the character, we wanted something that felt fresh and new and not something that was obviously derived from [a] movie. [...] Maybe [we] could do something ourselves that would live alongside that stuff".[61]
Music supervisor Ivan Pavlovich said "[we had] to pick the songs that make New York today what it is, but make sure they won't feel dated by the time the game comes out."[69] The developers contacted over 2,000 people in order to obtain recording and publishing rights.[52] They even hired a private investigator to locate the relatives of late Skatt Bros. member Sean Delaney to license the band's song, "Walk the Night".[70] Citing sources close to the deals, Billboard reported that Rockstar paid as much as $5,000 per composition and another $5,000 per master recording per track.[71] Developers originally considered letting players purchase music by going to an in-game record shop and for Niko to have an MP3 player, but both ideas were cut.[52] DJ Green Lantern produced tracks exclusively for the game's hip-hop radio station The Beat 102.7.[71] Record label owner and record producer Bobby Konders, who hosts the in-game radio station Massive B Soundsystem 96.9, went through the extra effort of flying to Jamaica to get dancehall artists to re-record tracks to make references to the boroughs of Liberty City.[71]
The Corporate Vice-President of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division, Peter Moore, announced at E3 2006 that the game would appear on Xbox 360, by rolling up his sleeve to reveal a Grand Theft Auto IV temporary tattoo.[72] 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, such as Halo 3.[73] Rockstar responded by saying that Grand Theft Auto IV was still on track for release in "late October".[74] 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.[75]In a later conference call with investors, Take-Two's Strauss Zelnick attributed the delay to "almost strictly technological problems ... not problems, but challenges."[76] It was later revealed that technical difficulties with the PlayStation 3 version of the game contributed to the delay, along with storage problems on the Xbox 360.[77] On 24 January 2008, Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto IV would be released on 29 April 2008.[78] As the release date approached, Rockstar Games and Take-Two marketed the game heavily through various forms, including television ads, Internet video, billboards, viral marketing, and a redesigned website. A special edition of the game was also released for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.[79] At a Take-Two shareholder meeting on 18 April 2008, Take-Two CEO Ben Feder announced that Grand Theft Auto IV had already "gone gold" and was "in production and in trucks en route to retailers".[80] The game was eventually released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles in Europe, North America, and Oceania on 29 April 2008,[78] and in Japan on 30 October 2008.[81] 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, at the time, the most expensive video game ever developed[82]
The Windows version of Grand Theft Auto IV includes a replay editor. This screenshot shows the Clips interface which is used to capture game footage.
On 6 August 2008, Rockstar announced that a Microsoft Windows version of Grand Theft Auto IV was in development by Rockstar North and Rockstar Toronto.[83][84] The game was originally announced for release in North America on 18 November 2008 and in Europe on 21 November 2008 but was later pushed back to 2 and 3 December 2008, respectively.[84] It contains expanded features,[84] including traffic density control, draw distance configurations and a replay editor.[85] The replay editor allows players to record and edit game clips, videos can then be uploaded to Rockstar's Social Club website. It utilized Games for Windows - Live for online play and supports 32 players for multiplayer.[86][87] SecuROM protection is utilised and a one time online activation is required in order to play the game.[88] The game was made available on Steam on 4 January 2009.[89]

Episodic content[edit]

Main article: Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City
Two episodic packs for Grand Theft Auto IV have been released. These two episodes were first released separately, exclusively on Xbox Live,[90] as downloadable content (DLC), requiring the original game to play. Following that in October 2009 they were released together as part of a standalone game called Grand Theft Auto: Episodes From Liberty City for the Xbox 360 that does not require the originalGrand Theft Auto IV media to be playable.[91]
The first expansion is entitled Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned, originally released on 17 February 2009.[92] The Lost and Damned features a new central character, Johnny Klebitz, a member of Liberty City's biker gang The Lost, which was featured in severalGrand Theft Auto IV missions. Dan Houser stated the episode shows "a different side of Liberty City".[93]
The second expansion is entitled Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony, released on 29 October 2009.[94] The Ballad of Gay Tonyalso features a new central character, Luis Fernando Lopez, an assistant to nightclub owner Tony "Gay Tony" Prince, and follows him as he resolves the conflicts of his friends, family, and boss.[91]
Jeronimo Barrera, Vice President of Product Development for Rockstar Games, said that the episodes were experiments because the team were not sure that there was enough users with access to online content on the Xbox 360.[95] Take-Two Interactive's Chief Financial Officer, Lainie Goldstein revealed that Microsoft was paying a total of $50 million for the first two episodes.[96] In January 2010 Rockstar announced that the DLC as well as Episodes From Liberty City would be made available for the PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows on 13 April 2010 in North America[97][98] and 16 April 2010 in Europe.[97]
Both episodes were released for PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows on 13 April 2010[97] in North America and on 16 April 2010[97] in Europe.[99] Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition, including the original Grand Theft Auto IV and its two episodic expansions, was listed on online stores,[100] before being confirmed by Rockstar. The compilation was released on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows on 26 October 2010 in North America, and 29 October in Europe.[101]

Community features[edit]

The 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.[102] The website 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 provides 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.

Reception[edit]

Critical reception[edit]

[hide]
Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankingsPS3: 97.04% [106]
X360: 96.67%[107]
PC: 88.48%[108]
MetacriticPS3: 98/100[103]
X360: 98/100[104]
PC: 90/100[105]
Review scores
PublicationScore
1UP.comA+ (PS3/X360)[109]
B (PC)[110]
Computer and Video Games9.4/10[111]
Edge10/10[112]
Eurogamer10/10 (PS3/X360)[113]
9/10 (PC)[114]
Game Informer10/10[115]
GamePro4.5/5[116]
GamesRadar9/10[117]
GameSpot10/10 (PS3/X360)[118][119]
9/10 (PC)[120]
IGN10/10 (PS3/X360)[1]
9.2/10 (PC)[121]
Official Xbox Magazine UK10/10[122]
Play Magazine8/10[123]
Grand Theft Auto IV has received universal acclaim from video game critics. The review aggregator Metacritic rates its as the best PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game of all time, as well as being the second highest-rated video game on the website, tying with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 and SoulCalibur, and falling behind only The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.[124] Grand Theft Auto IV is the fourth highest rated game onGameRankings.[125] Ahead of its worldwide release, most publications were not sent copies of the game. Instead, reviewers had to play the game on Rockstar premises or in booked hotel rooms.[126][127]
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."[122] PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) also gave the game 10/10 in their May 2008 issue, describing the game as "a masterpiece that improves on allGTA's best bits."[57] 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."[128] GameSpot gave the game a perfect 10 on both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions,[118][119][129] making it the first game since 2001 that GameSpot had rated perfect. The review called the game "compelling", with a "plethora of online multiplayer features" and stated that Grand Theft Auto IV is "undoubtedly the best Grand Theft Auto yet."[118]
Hilary Goldstein of IGN gave the game a 10/10 score, with the game earning 10/10 in each individual category: presentation, sound, graphics, gameplay, and lasting appeal. It is the first game in the publication's history to receive straight-10 subscores across the board. 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".[1]
The British newspaper Daily Star gave it a positive review, saying: "This could be a console defining title, one that in years to come people will remember as the stand-out of the era".[130] The New York Times also wrote a favourable review, calling it a "violent, intelligent, profane, endearing, obnoxious, sly, richly textured and thoroughly compelling work of cultural satire disguised as fun".[53] The film magazine Empire gave the game a perfect 5/5 in its game reviews section, calling it "damn-near perfect".[131]
Despite the almost unanimous praise given to Grand Theft Auto IV, the game has received some criticism. A review in Ars Technicastates 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 customisation, and even the size of the city itself is smaller".[132] GameSpot noted that there are occasional problems with friendly AI and avoiding the police being "a little too easy".[118] There were some minor complaints with the game's cover system, which reviewers noted, stumbled in box-filled environments and the stickiness of cover points being an issue.[113][1][122] The occasional presence of noticeable pop-in was also criticised.[109][113][122] Lastly GameSpot has regarded the Windows port as inferior to the console versions due to "noticeable performance issues even on rigs that far exceed the unreasonably high recommended system specifications".[133]
In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die.[134]

Commercial success[edit]

Shares of Take-Two Interactive gained 3.4% amid positive reviews before the game's launch.[135] Scott Hillis of Reuters said first week sales of the game were expected to reach $400 million.[135] Some observers suggested that Grand Theft Auto IV's success could dampen the box office for 2 May 2008 release of Iron Man, setting a precedent where movie studios will begin browsing video game release dates to check for conflicts.[136] Matt Richtel of The New York Times said the game's release was "expected to be one of the biggest video game debuts ever" and said 5 million copies of the game were expected to be sold in the first two weeks.[137] AnalystMichael Pachter predicted the game would sell 11 to 13 million units by the end of 2008. Pachter also expected Grand Theft Auto IV to represent 3.2% of all U.S. and European software sales for 2008 and for lifetime sales of the game to reach 16 to 19 million.[138] Analyst Evan Wilson predicted that Grand Theft Auto IV would have opening week sales of $550 million.[138]
Upon release, Grand Theft Auto IV claimed two entertainment industry sales records, posting the best single-day and seven-day sales totals for a video game.[139] The game sold more than 3.6 million copies on its first day of availability, while also selling 6 million copies in the first week of availability (garnering $500 million in sales).[140][141] In the United Kingdom, the game sold 631,000 copies on its first day of release,[142][143] making it the fastest-selling game in a 24 hour period within that region, according to Chart-Track.[144] The previous record holder in the UK, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, sold 501,000 copies within 24 hours.[143][144][145] During the first five days of availability, the title sold 1.85 million units on the Xbox 360 and 1 million on the PlayStation 3 in the United States, according to the NPD Group;[146] in the United Kingdom the Xbox 360 version sold 514,000 copies and the PlayStation 3 version sold 413,000, according to Chart-Track.[143][147] The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of Grand Theft Auto IV are the fifth and eighth best-selling games of 2008 in the United States respectively. The Xbox 360 version sold in excess of 3.29 million, while the PlayStation 3 version sold in excess of 1.89 million for a combined 5.18 million copies in 2008 in the region.[148] GameStop and EB Games reported that the game led in sales the first week after its release, noting that its stores in Puerto Rico led all districts in pre-release reservations and sales 48 hours after its release.[149]
On 13 May 2008, Grand Theft Auto IV broke the Guinness World Records for "Highest grossing video game in 24 hours" and "Highest Revenue Generated by an Entertainment Product in 24 Hours". It sold 3.6 million copies on day one, which equalled roughly $310 million in revenue. For first day sales it also broke the record of "Fastest-selling video game in 24 hours", previously held by Halo 3 at $170 million,[150] however, its record was broken in November 2009 by Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.
By 31 May 2008, the title has sold over 11 million copies to retailers and 8.5 million have been sold through to consumers, according to Take-Two Interactive.[151] According to the NPD Group and GfK Chart-Track, the game has sold 4.711 million units in the US and 1.582 million in the UK, for a total of 6.293 million units as of 1 August 2008.[152] As of 16 August 2008, the title has sold over 10 million copies through to consumers, according to Take-Two Interactive.[153] In its first four days of availability in Japan, the title sold 133,000 copies on the PlayStation 3 and 34,000 on the Xbox 360, according to Media Create.[154]
Sales for the Windows version of the game were considerably less successful. According to NPD Group the game debuted at #7 of their weekly top ten.[155] One week later, the game disappeared completely from the top ten published by NPD Group.[156][157]
On 3 March 2010, Take-Two Games announced that Grand Theft Auto IV has sold 15 million units globally.[158] On 9 June 2010, Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto IV had sold over 17 million copies.[159] On 10 March 2011, Take-Two announced that Grand Theft Auto IV had sold over 20 million copies and Grand Theft Auto series has now sold over 100 million copies.[160] By September 2011, the game had sold over 22 million copies.[161] As of late 2012 Grand Theft Auto IV has sold over 25 million copies, according to the Game Informer cover reveal of Grand Theft Auto V.[162]
Grand Theft Auto IV was one of the most played Games for Windows – Live titles, based in unique users, and was the number one in 2009 and 2012, and the number two in 2011, surpassed only by Age of Empires Online.[163]

Awards[edit]

Michael Hollick, voice of Niko Bellic, won a Spike TV award for "Best Performance by a Human Male".
Following the critical acclaim it received on its release, Grand Theft Auto IV has received numerous awards from various critics and publications. It received several Game of the Yearawards, from gaming media outlets such as Spike TV,[191] Giant Bomb,[186] Kotaku,[188] andGameTrailers,[176] as well as mainstream publications, like The New York Times,[194] the Los Angeles Times,[195] and Time magazine.[196] The game has garnered over 60 Game of the Year recognitions from major publications, more than any other game that year. Grand Theft Auto IV also received seven nominations at the 5th British Academy Video Games Awards(BAFTA Games Awards),[198] and three nominations at the 9th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards,[199] but did not win any of them.

Controversies[edit]

Main article: Controversies surrounding Grand Theft Auto IV
Prior to and since the release of Grand Theft Auto IV, the game had been subject to a great deal of controversy, as was the case with previous Grand Theft Auto titles. Figures includingGeorge Galloway, Jack Thompson and Hillary Clinton have criticised the game, as have organisations including New York City officials and Mothers Against Drunk Driving(MADD).[200] MADD requested ESRB to change the rating of the game from "M" for ages seventeen and up to "AO", for adults only due to the player's ability to drive under the influence of alcohol.[201]
The version of Grand Theft Auto IV released in Australia and New Zealand was edited to remove content to allow the game to meet the requirements of the Australian classification system.[202] However, the game was resubmitted to the New Zealand OFLC by Stan Calif, a 21-year-old student who was unhappy that New Zealand received an edited version of the game as a result of Australian censorship laws. The unedited version was subsequently given an R18 rating and cleared for sale in New Zealand.[203] The PC version of Grand Theft Auto IV released in Australia is reported to be unedited, identical to that of other international releases, under the MA15+ rating.[204] The PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 versions of the game have since been updated to be completely uncensored while the complete edition has the console version uncut for the first time at retail.
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.[205] One of these incidents, an attack near a Gamestation store in Croydon,London was later reported to be an unrelated argument between two groups of people leaving a pub[206] and the story has been referred to as a "media panic."[207] Six teenagers were later arrested in June 2008 after engaging in a crime spree in New Hyde Park, New York, assaulting and robbing several people, and attempting a carjacking. According to police, the teens claimed that they were "inspired" byGrand Theft Auto IV.[208]
The first downloadable episode The Lost and Damned has a brief scene containing full-frontal male nudity, uncommon in video games.[209]

Notes[edit]

  1. Jump up^ Games in the Grand Theft Auto series are grouped into distinct fictional universes, which share interconnected plots and characters. The previous "3D universe" consists of Grand Theft Auto III (2001), Vice City (2002), Advance (2004), San Andreas (2004), Liberty City Stories(2005), and Vice City Stories (2006). The Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV is different from its previous renditions.[3]
  2. Jump up^ The online multiplayer mode for the Windows version of the game allows up to 32 players, while the console versions allow up to only 16 players.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Goldstein, Hilary (25 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV: Special Edition Review". IGN. Retrieved 26 April 2008.
  2. Jump up^ Sources that refer to Grand Theft Auto IV being a highly anticipated game include:
  3. Jump up^ R*Q. "Grand Theft Auto III: Your Questions Answered – Part One (Claude, Darkel & Other Characters)". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 23 November 2013. Rockstar: "The “universes” are the worlds interpreted at different definitions, 2d, 3d and high definition, so we felt brands and radio / back ground characters would exist in both, but 3 dimensional characters would not."
  4. Jump up^ Totilo, Stephen (7 May 2008). "'Grand Theft Auto IV' Posts Record First-Week Sales". MTV News. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  5. Jump up^ R* Q (16 September 2013). "Grand Theft Auto V Reviews".Rockstar Games. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  6. Jump up^ Marbles, Mr. "Wanted" in Gamepro Magazine p. 52 (October 2007)
  7. ^ Jump up to:a b Greg, Miller; Goldstein, Hilary (1 March 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV hands-on preview". IGN.
  8. Jump up^ Robinson, Martin (28 February 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV UK Hands-On". IGN. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
  9. Jump up^ Cundy, Matt (26 July 2007). "How GTA IV will reshape the series". GamesRadar. Retrieved 26 July 2007.
  10. Jump up^ PSM3 Magazine – Issue #98 (February 2008)
  11. Jump up^ McWhertor, Michael (15 October 2009). "GTA: The Ballad Of Gay Tony Multiplayer: Parachutes, Tanks!". Kotaku. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  12. Jump up^ Tassi, Paul (19 March 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV and Gran Turismo 5 Look To Redefine Virtual Racing – and Felonies". Edmunds Insideline. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  13. ^ Jump up to:a b IGN, Games (29 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Cheats & Codes". IGN. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  14. Jump up^ "'Grand Theft Auto IV' Preview: Rockstar Games' latest adds drunk driving, strip clubs". 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 7 June 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
  15. Jump up^ Roper, Chris (23 January 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Update". IGN. Retrieved 23 February 2008.
  16. Jump up^ Orry, Tom (28 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Review for Xbox 360". VideoGamer.com. p. 3. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  17. Jump up^ Baker, Chris (28 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Shifts Into Media Overdrive". Wired. Retrieved 17 November 2013.
  18. Jump up^ Reparaz, Mikel (8 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV – Multiplayer Hands-On". GamesRadar. p. 6. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 25 September 2008.
  19. Jump up^ "Coverage of the PlayStation Holiday Preview Event". 12 October 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  20. Jump up^ Totilo, Stephen (22 April 2008). "'Grand Theft Auto IV' Does Not Have LAN Or Single-Screen Multiplayer Either (Public Service Announcement #2)". MTV Multiplayer. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  21. Jump up^ "GTA IV Multiplayer Ranks". Xbox360Achievements.org. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
  22. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV Multiplayer Hands-On (PS3, Xbox 360)". GameTap. 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  23. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Rockstar North (29 April 2008). Grand Theft Auto IV.Rockstar Games.
  24. Jump up^ DMA Design (22 October 2001). Grand Theft Auto V.PlayStation 2. Rockstar Games. "Mission: "Bomb da Base""
  25. ^ Jump up to:a b Moore, Matthew (14 May 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV: Photos reveal similarities between Liberty City and New York City". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
  26. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f g "GTA Gets Real". PlayStation Official Magazine (UK)(United Kingdom: Future Publishing) (6): 54–67. June 2007.
  27. Jump up^ Stuart, Keith (9 November 2012). "Grand Theft Auto 5: three lead characters, one huge map". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  28. Jump up^ [1]
  29. Jump up^ "News: GTA V full details: Bank heists, dynamic missions and underwater gameplay". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
  30. Jump up^ Crispin Boyer (March 2008). "Sweet Land of Liberty". Electronic Gaming Monthly: 44–56. Sam Houser: "He's from that gray part of broken-down Eastern Europe, a war-torn area."
  31. Jump up^ "The Cousins Bellic - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  32. Jump up^ "Uncle Vlad - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  33. Jump up^ "Crime and Punishment - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  34. Jump up^ "Final Destination - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  35. Jump up^ "The Master and the Molotov - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  36. Jump up^ "Russian Revolution - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  37. Jump up^ "Roman's Sorrow - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN.j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  38. Jump up^ "Blow Your Cover - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  39. Jump up^ "The Snow Storm - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  40. Jump up^ "Wrong Is Right - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN.j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  41. Jump up^ "Portrait of a Killer - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  42. Jump up^ "The Snow Storm - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  43. Jump up^ "Paper Trail - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  44. Jump up^ "That Special Someone - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  45. Jump up^ Rockstar North (29 April 2008). Grand Theft Auto IV (in English). Rockstar Games. Scene: "One Last Thing". "Jimmy Pegorino: "I need you to collect that H, I got some Russians who have a buyer." / Niko Bellic: Russians? / Jimmy Pegorino: Yeah... Dimitri Rascalov."
  46. Jump up^ "If the Price is Right - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  47. Jump up^ "Mr. & Mrs. Bellic (Money) - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  48. Jump up^ "A Revenger's Tragedy - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  49. Jump up^ "A Dish Served Cold - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  50. Jump up^ "Mr. & Mrs. Bellic (Revenge) - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide". IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  51. Jump up^ "Out of Commission - GTA 4 -- Special Edition Wiki Guide".IGN. j2 Global. 29 April 2008. Retrieved 19 December 2013.
  52. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Totilo, Stephen (2 May 2008). "'Grand Theft Auto IV' Music Man Explains How Those 214 Songs Made The Soundtrack". MTV News. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  53. ^ Jump up to:a b Schiesel, Seth (28 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto Takes On New York". New York Times. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  54. Jump up^ "IF99 official website". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  55. Jump up^ "L.C.H.C. official website". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  56. Jump up^ "Vladivostok FM official website". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  57. ^ Jump up to:a b c Clark, Tim (April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Review".PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) (United Kingdom: Future Publishing) (17): 88–96.
  58. Jump up^ Rockstar North (2008). Grand Theft Auto IV Game Manual.Rockstar Games.
  59. Jump up^ "GTA IV Unveils New Music Download Model". Yahoo!. 10 April 2008. Archived from the original on 30 March 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2008.
  60. Jump up^ Rosmarin, Rachel (12 November 2006). "Take-Two Takes A Hit". Forbes.com. Retrieved 24 September 2007.
  61. ^ Jump up to:a b c d e f Fritz, Ben (19 April 2008). "Dan Houser's very extended interview about everything "Grand Theft Auto IV" and Rockstar". Variety. Archived from the original on 6 February 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  62. Jump up^ Boyer, Brandon (29 June 2007). "Product: Grand Theft Auto IV Using NaturalMotion's Euphoria". Gamasutra. CMP Game Group. Retrieved 3 April 2008.
  63. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto Trailer 2 Launched!". GTA4.net. 28 June 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  64. Jump up^ Eddy, Andy (28 February 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Hands-On Preview (Xbox 360)". Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  65. Jump up^ "The Making Of: Grand Theft Auto IV". Edge. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 13 April 2008.
  66. Jump up^ Smith, Logan; Taylor Kearns (30 April 2008). "Trees in latest Grand Theft Auto game were "grown" in Lexington". Wis News. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
  67. ^ Jump up to:a b Goldstein, Hilary (28 March 2008). "GTA IV: Building a Brave New World". IGN. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  68. ^ Jump up to:a b Doree, Adam (25 May 2007). "Welcome to Grand Theft Auto IV". Kikizo. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  69. Jump up^ Fritz, Ben (18 April 2008). "'Grand Theft' music a phone call away". Variety. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  70. Jump up^ Bruno, Antony (5 May 2008). ""Grand Theft Auto" simplifies song purchasing". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  71. ^ Jump up to:a b c Bruno, Antony (26 April 2008). "Crime pays for music biz with new Grand Theft Auto". Billboard. Retrieved 18 May 2008.
  72. Jump up^ "Planet Grand Theft Auto – Grand Theft Auto IV". GameSpy. Retrieved 26 May 2008.
  73. Jump up^ Gibson, Ellie (4 June 2007). "Pachter predicts delay for GTA IV". Gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 5 April 2007.
  74. Jump up^ "Rockstar Dismisses Talk of GTA IV Delay". Kikizo last=Wollenschlaeger. 4 June 2007. Retrieved 7 June 2007.
  75. Jump up^ "Launch of Grand Theft Auto IV Now Planned for Fiscal 2008" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. 2 August 2007. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  76. Jump up^ McWhertor, Michael (2 August 2007). "Take-Two Execs Explain GTA IV Delay". Kotaku. Retrieved 2 August 2007.
  77. Jump up^ Totilo, Stephen (24 January 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Developer Announces Release Date, Says Whether There Will Be Another Hot Coffee" (Press release). MTV. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  78. ^ Jump up to:a b "Take-Two Interactive Software — Investor Relations — Take-Two News Release". Take-Two Interactive. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  79. Jump up^ Ring, Bennett (26 June 2007). "Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition Contents Revealed". IGN. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  80. Jump up^ Magrino, Tom (18 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV golden, already in transit". Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  81. Jump up^ Ashcraft, Brian (15 August 2008). "GTAIV Dated for Japan". Kotaku. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  82. Jump up^ Androvich, Mark (30 April 2008). "GTA IV: Most Expensive Game Ever Developed?". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 1 May 2008.
  83. Jump up^ Robinson, Martin (30 October 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV UK Hands-on". IGN. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
  84. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Rockstar Games Announces Grand Theft Auto IV for the PC" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. 6 August 2008. Retrieved 6 August 2008.
  85. Jump up^ Sources that refer to the features for the Microsoft Windows version of the game include:
  86. Jump up^ Stanyon, Matt (19 November 2008). "GTA IV PC: Rockstar Announces Social Club TV and Official Site Updated". BeefJack. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2008.
  87. Jump up^ "GFW Celebrates Two-Year Anniversary". IGN. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 22 September 2008.
  88. Jump up^ "Rockstar Talks GTA IV PC DRM". IGN. 28 November 2008. Retrieved 30 November 2008.
  89. Jump up^ Steam (4 January 2008). "Rockstar Games Brings Full Line-up to Steam". Valve Corporation. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  90. Jump up^ McWhertor, Michael (17 February 2009). "Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost And Damned Review". Kotaku. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  91. ^ Jump up to:a b Breckon, Nick (26 May 2009). "Second GTA 4 Expansion Tells 'The Ballad of Gay Tony'". Shacknews. Retrieved 26 May 2009.
  92. Jump up^ Bramwell, Tom (22 January 2009). "Rockstar prices GTAIV: Lost and Damned". Eurogamer. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
  93. Jump up^ Snider, Mike (20 November 2008). "'Grand Theft Auto' yields road to the 'Lost and Damned'". USA Today. Retrieved 20 November 2008.
  94. Jump up^ Gibson, Ellie (23 July 2009). "New GTAIV DLC gets release date Xbox 360 News — Page 1". Eurogamer. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  95. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV: Rockstar Experimenting with Episodic Content". Kotaku. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 12 February 2008.
  96. Jump up^ "Take-Two F2Q07 (Qtr End 4/30/07) Earnings Call Transcript". SeekingAlpha. 11 June 2007. Retrieved 17 June 2007.
  97. ^ Jump up to:a b c d R* Q (2 April 2010). "First PC Screens of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  98. Jump up^ R* Q. "Episodes — Rockstar Games live article". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  99. Jump up^ R* Q (29 January 2010). "Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City Coming to PlayStation 3 and PC". Rockstar Games. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  100. Jump up^ Makuch, Eddie (5 October 2010). "Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete edition coming Oct. 26 – Retail Radar — PlayStation 3 News at GameSpot". Gamespot. Retrieved 22 October 2010.
  101. Jump up^ Video Game Releases. "Grand Theft Auto IV: The Complete Edition Release Date - Xbox 360". N4G Network. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  102. Jump up^ Androvich, Mark (27 March 2008). "Rockstar to launch Social Club with GTA IV". Gamesindustry.biz. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
  103. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto 4 (PS3) Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  104. Jump up^ "Highest and lowest scoring games at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  105. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV (pc: 2008): Reviews". Metacritic.com. 2 December 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2009.
  106. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV". Gamerankings. Retrieved 27 September 2010.
  107. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV". Gamerankings. Retrieved 12 June 2009.
  108. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV for PC". GameRankings. 2 December 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  109. ^ Jump up to:a b Boyer, Crispin (27 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV review". 1UP.com. Retrieved 27 April 2008.
  110. Jump up^ Chick, Tom (9 December 2008). "GTA IV Review for PC".1UP.com. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  111. Jump up^ "PC Review: Grand Theft Auto IV Review". Computer and Video Games. 4 December 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  112. Jump up^ Edge staff (June 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV review". Edge(189).
  113. ^ Jump up to:a b c Bramwell, Tom (27 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Review // Xbox 360 /// Eurogamer". Eurogamer. p. 3. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  114. Jump up^ Gillen, Keiron (1 December 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV PC Review — Page 1". Eurogamer. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  115. Jump up^ Reiner, Andrew (April 2008). "PERFECTION". Game Informer. Archived from the original on 29 April 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  116. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV Reviews and Articles for PC". GameRankings. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  117. Jump up^ Rossignol, Jim. "Grand Theft Auto IV - The Fluff-free review".GamesRadar. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  118. ^ Jump up to:a b c d "Grand Theft Auto IV Review for Xbox 360". GameSpot. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  119. ^ Jump up to:a b "Grand Theft Auto IV Review for PS3". GameSpot. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  120. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV Review for PC". GameSpot. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
  121. Jump up^ Onyett, Charles (2 December 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV Review — PC Review at IGN". IGN. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  122. ^ Jump up to:a b c d Hicks, Jon (28 April 2008). "Review: Grand Theft Auto IV". Xbox 360: The Official Magazine. Retrieved 24 May 2008.
  123. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV Critic Reviews for PC at". Metacritic.com. 2 December 2008. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
  124. Jump up^ "Metacritic Game Releases by Score". Metacritic. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  125. Jump up^ "Browse and Search Games (Gamerankings Game Releases by Score)". Gamerankings. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  126. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto receives acclaim". BBC News Online. 28 April 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  127. Jump up^ "Highest and Lowest Scoring Games at Metacritic". Metacritic.com. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  128. Jump up^ Xbox World 360 (April 2008). GTA IV review. Future Publishing.
  129. Jump up^ T., Ricardo (30 April 2008). "The scoop on the GTA IV score".GameSpot. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  130. Jump up^ "Joy Ride: Grand Theft Auto IV". Retrieved 20 April 2008.
  131. Jump up^ "Empire Reviews Central – Review of Grand Theft Auto IV". Retrieved 21 April 2008.
  132. Jump up^ "The streets hit back: a review of Grand Theft Auto IV". Retrieved 1 May 2008.
  133. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV Review". GameSpot. 8 December 2008. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
  134. Jump up^ Mott, Tony (2010). 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die. London: Quintessence Editions Ltd. p. 798. ISBN 978-1-74173-076-0.
  135. ^ Jump up to:a b Hillis, Scott (28 April 2008). "Take-Two shares rise amid rave reviews for GTA4". Reuters. Retrieved 6 October 2011.
  136. Jump up^ Lewis, Nick (28 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto could be Hollywood's biggest summer competition". Canada.com. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  137. Jump up^ Richtel, Matt (29 April 2008). "For Gamers, the Craving Won't Quit". The New York Times. Retrieved 29 April 2008.
  138. ^ Jump up to:a b Magrino, Tom (28 April 2008). "Q&A: GTAIV - Big or huge?". GameSpot. Retrieved 28 April 2008.
  139. Jump up^ Nichols, Shaun (9 May 2008). "GTA IV smashes sales records". V3. Retrieved 26 May 2008. (registration required (help)).
  140. Jump up^ Richtel, Mike (7 May 2008). "A $500 Million Week for Grand Theft Auto". New York Times. Retrieved 7 May 2008.
  141. Jump up^ Paul, Franklin (7 May 2008). "Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto 4 sales top $500 million". Reuters. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  142. Jump up^ Ingham, Tim (6 May 2008). "UK CHARTS: All-conquering GTA IV hits No.1". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  143. ^ Jump up to:a b c Androvich, Mark (6 May 2008). "GTA IV: 926,000 copies sold in five days". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  144. ^ Jump up to:a b Ingham, Tim (30 April 2008). "GTA IV smashes day one sales record". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  145. Jump up^ Beaumont, Claudine (1 May 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV is fastest-selling game". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 1 May 2008.
  146. Jump up^ Sinclair, Brendan (15 May 2008). "NPD: US game revs spike on 2.85M GTAIVs". GameSpot. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  147. Jump up^ Ingham, Tim (6 May 2008). "360 outselling PS3 in GTA software 'battle'". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Retrieved 16 May 2008.
  148. Jump up^ "NPD: Nintendo Drives '08 Industry Sales Past $21 Billion".Game Daily. 15 January 2009. Archived from the original on 31 March 2009. Retrieved 15 January 2009.
  149. Jump up^ Rodríguez-Burns, Francisco (10 May 2008). "Boricuas atraídos a violento videojuego" (in Spanish). Primera Hora. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  150. Jump up^ "Confirmed: Grand Theft Auto IV Breaks Guinness World Records With Biggest Entertainment Release Of All-Time".Guinness World Records. 13 May 2008. Archived from the original on 13 May 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2008.
  151. Jump up^ "Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Strong Second Quarter Fiscal 2008 Financial Results" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. 5 June 2008. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
  152. Jump up^ "Leading Market Research Firms Join Forces to Provide First Multi-Continent View Of Video Game Software Sales" (Press release). NPD Group, GfK Chart-Track, Enterbrain. 21 August 2008. Retrieved 23 August 2008.
  153. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto IV ships 13 million units" (Press release).Take-Two Interactive. 4 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2008.
  154. Jump up^ McWhertor, Michael (6 November 2008). "Grand Theft Auto IV #1 With A Bullet In Japan". Kotaku. Retrieved 7 November 2008.
  155. Jump up^ "Weekly PC Sales: A Slow Start for GTA 4". Shacknews. 15 December 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  156. Jump up^ "Weekly PC Sales: Grand Theft Auto 4 PC Disappears; Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty Gain Ground". Shacknews. 22 December 2008. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  157. Jump up^ "Grand Theft Auto 4 PC Drops Out of NPD’s Top 10 PC List in Second Week". GameCyte. 23 December 2008. Archived fromthe original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2008.
  158. Jump up^ Reilly, Jim (3 March 2010). "BioShock 2 Ships 3 Million, GTA IV Sales Top 15 Million". IGN. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  159. Jump up^ Orry, James. "GTA 4 sales reach 17 million". Videogamer.com. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
  160. Jump up^ "Take-Two: GTA IV hits 20m, BioShock series at 8m" (Press release). Take-Two Interactive. 10 March 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2011.
  161. Jump up^ Orland, Kyle (14 September 2011). "Grand Theft Auto IVPasses 22M Shipped, Franchise Above 114M". Gamasutra. Retrieved 12 November 2011.
  162. Jump up^ Bertz, Matt (2012). Game Informer (36). Stead, Chris (editor). pp. 38–55.
  163. Jump up^ Sources that refer to the amount of players for the Windowsversion include:
  164. Jump up^ "IGN Xbox 360: Best Action Game 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  165. Jump up^ "IGN PC Games: Best Action Game 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  166. Jump up^ "IGN Overall: Best Action Game 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  167. Jump up^ "IGN Xbox 360: Best Graphics Technology 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  168. Jump up^ "IGN Overall: Best Use of Sound 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  169. Jump up^ "IGN Xbox 360: Best Voice Acting 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  170. Jump up^ "IGN PS3: Best Voice Acting 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  171. Jump up^ "IGN PC: Best Voice Acting 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  172. Jump up^ "IGN Overall: Best Voice Acting 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  173. Jump up^ "IGN Xbox 360: Best Story 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  174. Jump up^ "IGN PS3: Best Story 2008". IGN. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  175. Jump up^ The IGN AU Team. "IGN AU's 10 Best Games of 2008". IGN. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  176. ^ Jump up to:a b "GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008, Game of the Year". GameTrailers. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  177. Jump up^ "GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008, Best PS3 Game". GameTrailers. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  178. Jump up^ "GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008, Best Xbox 360 Game". GameTrailers. 31 December 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  179. Jump up^ "GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008, Best Action Adventure Game". GameTrailers. 23 December 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  180. Jump up^ "GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008, Best Story". GameTrailers. 26 December 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  181. Jump up^ "GameSpy Game of the Year 2008: Special Awards: Best Story". GameSpy. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  182. Jump up^ "GameSpy Game of the Year 2008: Special Awards: Character of the Year". GameSpy. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  183. Jump up^ "GameSpot's Best Games of 2008: Best UK-Developed Game". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  184. Jump up^ "GameSpot's Best Games of 2008: Best New Character". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  185. Jump up^ "GameSpot's Best Games of 2008: Best Xbox 360 Games". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 18 March 2013. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  186. ^ Jump up to:a b "Giant Bomb Golden Anniversary Year-End Awards Extravaganza Spectacular 2008: Game of the Year". Giant Bomb. 30 December 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  187. Jump up^ "Giant Bomb Golden Anniversary Year-End Awards Extravaganza Spectacular 2008: Best Multiplatform Game". Giant Bomb. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  188. ^ Jump up to:a b "Kotaku's 2008 Games of the Year Awards". Kotaku. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  189. Jump up^ TeamXbox Staff (23 December 2008). "TeamXbox Game of the Year Awards 2008". TeamXbox. p. 1. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  190. Jump up^ TeamXbox Staff (23 December 2008). "TeamXbox Game of the Year Awards 2008". TeamXbox. p. 5. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  191. ^ Jump up to:a b "Spike TV Announces 2008 'Video Game Award' Winners"(Press release). Spike TV. 14 December 2008. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  192. Jump up^ Ivan, Tom (31 October 2008). "Golden Joysticks: All the winners". ComputerAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  193. Jump up^ User "Yodapollo" (7 August 2008). "G-Phoria Winners Are Announced!". G4tv.com. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  194. ^ Jump up to:a b Schiesel, Seth (19 December 2008). "The Zombies Look Better Every Year". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  195. ^ Jump up to:a b Metzger, Pete (31 December 2008). "Making the perfect game". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  196. ^ Jump up to:a b Grossman, Lev (3 November 2008). "The Top 10 Everything of 2008: Top 10 Video Games: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV". Time. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  197. Jump up^ "Home Entertainment Awards — Video Games". Entertainment Merchants Association. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  198. Jump up^ "Past Winners and Nominees: Games Nominations 2009".British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  199. Jump up^ "9th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards". Game Developers Choice Awards. Retrieved 24 September 2011.
  200. Jump up^ Sinclair, Brendan (30 April 2008). "Mothers against GTAIV's drunk driving". GameSpot. Retrieved 13 October 2008.
  201. Jump up^ Tway, Kelley. "MADD's Statement Regarding Grand Theft Auto IV". Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2013.
  202. Jump up^ Hill, Jason (4 April 2008). "GTA IV edited for Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  203. Jump up^ Cardy, Tom (23 May 2008). "GTA IV unedited in New Zealand". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
  204. Jump up^ Chiappini, Dan (30 November 2008). "Uncut GTAIV PC coming to Australia". GameSpot. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  205. Jump up^ Sources that refer to crimes being perpetrated against purchasers and sellers of the game include:
  206. Jump up^ Ingham, Tim (30 April 2008). "Croydon stabbing 'had nothing to do with GTA’". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Retrieved 21 November 2008.
  207. Jump up^ Thomson, Iain (30 April 2008). "Grand Theft Auto stabbing disputed". V3. Retrieved 2 May 2008. (registration required (help)).
  208. Jump up^ Crowley, Kieran (27 June 2008). "'Game Boy' Havoc on LI".New York Post. Retrieved 7 February 2009.
  209. Jump up^ "Hot flask: GTA IV's Lost, Damned and Unexpectedly Naked". Joystiq. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2009.

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