Comments on: Is Grand Theft Auto IV Old-Gen? http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/ Daniel Roy's blog about life and videogames Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:13:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Daniel http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Daniel Tue, 03 Jun 2008 13:00:21 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-44 @XPH: I'm not contesting it's popular, or exciting everyone... I do believe this is built on the success of its predecessors, though, pretty much like Halo 3. Like Halo 3, GTA IV brings pretty much a refined but similar experience... And just like Halo 3, that's all they really need. And I don't question their decision either... They're obviously more successful than any title *I*'ve ever published. I even think I would make a very similar decision if I had somehow been on the GTA IV team. "Let's not try to change the recipe, let's just make it even better." CoD4, on the other end, came in at a time where their franchise was slowly losing steam. CoD2 was a long time ago and pretty much outdated for being a launch title, and CoD3 was nothing to write home about... So they kicked it up a few notches. I guess this might happen to GTA at some point... But given GTA IV's awe-inspiring success, I guess it won't be before GTA VI. :) @XPH: I’m not contesting it’s popular, or exciting everyone… I do believe this is built on the success of its predecessors, though, pretty much like Halo 3. Like Halo 3, GTA IV brings pretty much a refined but similar experience… And just like Halo 3, that’s all they really need.

And I don’t question their decision either… They’re obviously more successful than any title *I*’ve ever published. I even think I would make a very similar decision if I had somehow been on the GTA IV team. “Let’s not try to change the recipe, let’s just make it even better.”

CoD4, on the other end, came in at a time where their franchise was slowly losing steam. CoD2 was a long time ago and pretty much outdated for being a launch title, and CoD3 was nothing to write home about… So they kicked it up a few notches. I guess this might happen to GTA at some point… But given GTA IV’s awe-inspiring success, I guess it won’t be before GTA VI. :)

]]> By: Daniel http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-43 Daniel Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:55:10 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-43 @Gogol: Aaaah, the physics engine! I just thought you meant a feeling of euphoria playing the game. Hehe. I agree, they did a great job with it. Running over pedestrians has gone from 'amusing if unrealistic ragdoll show' to 'oh my god that's GOT to hurt!' That being said, I agree with you about the social commentary part... I love it. (I do think it was there since GTA III, but anyway.) For the record, I'm actually very tired of war glorification games... So when a game tries to do something more, like Bioshock, I'm very excited. CoD4 made me very uncomfortable about its glorification of war, but the way it told its story, and its flawless execution, are what makes me praise it. There's nothing I like more in GTA IV than to drive around listening to Liberty Rock... Boy is that satire at its finest. @Gogol: Aaaah, the physics engine! I just thought you meant a feeling of euphoria playing the game. Hehe. I agree, they did a great job with it. Running over pedestrians has gone from ‘amusing if unrealistic ragdoll show’ to ‘oh my god that’s GOT to hurt!’

That being said, I agree with you about the social commentary part… I love it. (I do think it was there since GTA III, but anyway.) For the record, I’m actually very tired of war glorification games… So when a game tries to do something more, like Bioshock, I’m very excited. CoD4 made me very uncomfortable about its glorification of war, but the way it told its story, and its flawless execution, are what makes me praise it.

There’s nothing I like more in GTA IV than to drive around listening to Liberty Rock… Boy is that satire at its finest.

]]> By: XPH http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-42 XPH Tue, 03 Jun 2008 02:38:50 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-42 By the way, I started a 'game diary', which I'll update from time to time. Check it out ! http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Monogamie By the way, I started a ‘game diary’, which I’ll update from time to time. Check it out !

http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Monogamie

]]> By: XPH http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-41 XPH Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:38:44 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-41 I half-agree. Design-wise, you're right. Playing GTA IV isn't all that different from San Andreas, Vice City or III. There's just more sugar coating and new bells-and-whistles. At the same time, I see people around me - real human beings - who can't get enough. Most of them will only play a couple of titles a year, Gears Of Wars, Mario Kart, Rock Band, the 'big' releases. Maybe the industry as reached a point where it's understandable that some titles don't feel the need to reinvent the wheel. I think of GTA IV in the same way that I think of Assasin's Creed, or Michael Bay's Transformers Movie, or a new album from the douchebag who won American Idol. They're all blockbusters. They're not the deepest, the wisest or the freshest of the crop, yet you know as a consumer you're getting some bang for your buck, such as high production values. GTA IV is a consumer's safety blanket. And at 60$ a title, I can't blame them for playing it safe. Yet, you know, maybe there's more than meet the eye, here. 'Next-Gen', to me, is about embracing networking and community as much as possible, because those are the features that truly differenciate old-gen from this one. I dream of the day where the characters in my FF Tactics army on PSP will upload themselves to my Facebook profile, so that I can show my progress to my friends and compare my progress with them. The Rockstar Army website doesn't exactly bring this type of gaming revolution, but it's a solid step in the right direction. Same goes for the multiplayer features, which should turn into full-blown MMO next-time around. What if Rockstar released two GTA series, one complementary to the other ? GTA 'the MMO', in which strong community features define the next-gen experience, and GTA 'classic', which reuses the GTA IV engine, only adding new missions in a new city and some minor novelties ? I half-agree. Design-wise, you’re right. Playing GTA IV isn’t all that different from San Andreas, Vice City or III. There’s just more sugar coating and new bells-and-whistles. At the same time, I see people around me – real human beings – who can’t get enough. Most of them will only play a couple of titles a year, Gears Of Wars, Mario Kart, Rock Band, the ‘big’ releases. Maybe the industry as reached a point where it’s understandable that some titles don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel. I think of GTA IV in the same way that I think of Assasin’s Creed, or Michael Bay’s Transformers Movie, or a new album from the douchebag who won American Idol. They’re all blockbusters. They’re not the deepest, the wisest or the freshest of the crop, yet you know as a consumer you’re getting some bang for your buck, such as high production values. GTA IV is a consumer’s safety blanket. And at 60$ a title, I can’t blame them for playing it safe.

Yet, you know, maybe there’s more than meet the eye, here. ‘Next-Gen’, to me, is about embracing networking and community as much as possible, because those are the features that truly differenciate old-gen from this one. I dream of the day where the characters in my FF Tactics army on PSP will upload themselves to my Facebook profile, so that I can show my progress to my friends and compare my progress with them. The Rockstar Army website doesn’t exactly bring this type of gaming revolution, but it’s a solid step in the right direction. Same goes for the multiplayer features, which should turn into full-blown MMO next-time around.

What if Rockstar released two GTA series, one complementary to the other ? GTA ‘the MMO’, in which strong community features define the next-gen experience, and GTA ‘classic’, which reuses the GTA IV engine, only adding new missions in a new city and some minor novelties ?

]]> By: Gogol http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-40 Gogol Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:09:28 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-40 this is for the technical aspect. Now, there is a social aspect. GTA is socially next gen in his subversion. just like Bioshock :) we are fed up to be enrole by army, killing thousand of people and receiveing medals for that. Even COD4 sux for this: they say War is bad because a tank cost too much. NAAA war is bad for way other reasons Niko explains well at the begining of the game. We want subversive games like bioshock and GTA. this is for the technical aspect.
Now, there is a social aspect. GTA is socially next gen in his subversion.
just like Bioshock :)
we are fed up to be enrole by army, killing thousand of people and receiveing medals for that.
Even COD4 sux for this: they say War is bad because a tank cost too much. NAAA war is bad for way other reasons Niko explains well at the begining of the game.
We want subversive games like bioshock and GTA.

]]> By: Gogol http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Gogol Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:55:43 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-39 by Euphoria i talk about the name of the physic engine of course by Euphoria i talk about the name of the physic engine of course

]]> By: Gogol http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-38 Gogol Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:55:15 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-38 drive at very slow speed on an npc feet and look how he reacts. play online i see how you can fall just trying to jump other an obstacle. this is euphoria. this is next gen drive at very slow speed on an npc feet and look how he reacts.
play online i see how you can fall just trying to jump other an obstacle.
this is euphoria. this is next gen

]]> By: Gogol http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Gogol Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:52:27 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-37 until Gta, i saw ragdolls on dead characters. here, i play an alive ragdoll (or i have this feeling at last) steal a car, wait for the guy to come back and try to open the door, then, accelerate. look how fun it is, to see him hooked to the door while you drive. ok, DETAILS you will say. but i think details are why people love this game until Gta, i saw ragdolls on dead characters. here, i play an alive ragdoll (or i have this feeling at last)

steal a car, wait for the guy to come back and try to open the door, then, accelerate. look how fun it is, to see him hooked to the door while you drive.

ok, DETAILS you will say. but i think details are why people love this game

]]> By: Daniel http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Daniel Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:48:40 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-36 Can you elaborate on that? I didn't get a feeling of euphoria for GTA IV, and that may be why I feel it isn't next-gen... But maybe I'm alone in this! Can you elaborate on that? I didn’t get a feeling of euphoria for GTA IV, and that may be why I feel it isn’t next-gen… But maybe I’m alone in this!

]]> By: Gogol http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/2008/06/02/is-grand-theft-auto-iv-old-gen/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Gogol Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:33:37 +0000 http://www.alt-shift.com/blog/?p=32#comment-35 I think Euphoria in itself can justify the "next gen" qualification I think Euphoria in itself can justify the “next gen” qualification

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