Is GTA Primed For A Big Change?
View Large ImageAlthough Grand Theft Auto IV did represent a departure of sorts with a bit more authenticity and a slightly different style of gameplay, it was still recognizable as GTA.
But might the fifth installment be something very, very different...? We all assume it'll be just like past entries only in a different location - and I can tell you right now, that's basically what the fans desire - and we often discuss possible cities. Tokyo, London, and Chicago have all been talked about but maybe we shouldn't be making assumptions. Look, two facts must be considered, and these facts may be tough to swallow for the hardcore franchise followers.
First- I don't know if you've noticed but quite a few big-name, long-running franchises have undergone significant changes this generation. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots was amazing and it remained masterful because it gave the fans the option to play MGS as they always have. However, it also offered an option for newcomers and those who don't have a lot of patience; the option to shoot their way out of most any situation. Then there's Final Fantasy XIII, and the changes and alterations evident in that installment have been outlined hundreds of times since it launched. Resident Evil actually didn't change, and look at the flak it got.
Those are just a few examples. Other smaller examples include the upcoming SSX: Deadly Descents, which will be a good deal different and maybe even unrecognizable to the fans. So this trend may affect GTA as well, although what may save the series is that it already appeals to the mainstream, right? Do we really need to change that much in this quickly changing business environment? Secondly, there's this new talk about Activision buying Take-Two Interactive...now, this might mean nothing; it might mean something. Perhaps it will have no bearing on Rockstar; maybe it just won't matter if Take-Two or Activision publishes the next GTA.
But some sort of change may take place. That's all we're saying. Therefore, maybe the new GTA title is more...well, up in the air then we had previously thought, and that's enough to give me nightmares.
2/11/2011 Ben Dutka
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Comments (48 posts)
Gabriel013
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 1:16:41 AM
It won't be a FPS but it will have a very strong multiplayer element to it.
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Lawless SXE
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 9:51:36 PM
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What I'd want to see is a few scenes like Heavy Rain, in that your reflexes in QTEs have an effect on what happens. Perhaps even a branching storyline at certain points. Above all, I firmly believe that GTA will remain the same. Red Dead helps to prove that in my mind.
But does anyone else get the feeling that we won't see a new GTA for a long time. After all, Rockstar North is supposedly working on Agent, and they're the usual developers of the series. Eh, time will come.
Peace.
2 up, 1 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:03:55 PM
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If Activision gets its hands on 2K the best multiplat games this gen will die along with that walking corpse of a video game company. Bioshock without imagination, three GTA's and two RDRs per year, reskins galore. It would be a travesty.
3 up, 1 down
PasteNuggs
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:23:10 PM
4 up, 1 down
main_event05
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:39:24 PM
3 up, 0 down
spiderboi
Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 10:57:19 PM
Realism is ok for other genre's like racing or FPS because it present the player with circumstances out of the ordinary for anyone's life. But a sandbox game, its pretty much anything you can do on real life. That's why there's always that surreal factor that has to be in place, similar to Spider-man sandbox games, Infamous etc. One may argue that "Hey, Heavy Rain is like that anyways". But my point is--what are the chances you make those (crucial) decisions on a day-to-day basis? Yet in GTA4, if I decide to just shoot someone, I just go on and do it. And for GTA4, it looks a bit too real for comfort.
0 up, 3 down
redman479
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:12:08 AM
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6 up, 1 down
JSwayze
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:35:02 AM
4 up, 0 down
Nerull
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:28:31 AM
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As for the realism argument, it's true that the setting is closer to home than most games, even if it's parodied, but that's why it's an M game.
Kids shouldn't be playing but that and the media not making stuff up half the time seems to be too much to ask for.
Chances are though is someone is messed up enough to do something horrible, games were a drop in a sea of worse catalysts.
I still love the gangs from gta2 the most;
Street gangs of scientists' clones, rednecks, loonies, bonus for running down a complete conga line of elvises, and that one mission for the Russians to abduct a bus full Krishnas to turn into hot dog meat.
Last edited by Nerull on 2/12/2011 12:44:45 AM
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Alienange
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:36:28 AM
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5 up, 0 down
Beamboom
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:51:17 AM
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___________
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:43:01 AM
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they know they can leave it as it is and it will still break sales records, so why go to the trouble?
they could release a game of you driving around for the whole game as a taxi driver taking people places, and it would still sell millions!
............ oh wait!
2 up, 6 down
Lawless SXE
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:57:17 AM
4 up, 0 down
JSwayze
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:24:50 AM
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- No demolition
- No lean
- No grenade arch
- No lobbies
- No run to jump to climb
- Added airstrikes....gotta get five kills in a row now?
- Added over the shoulder/cover system ala Uncharted
- Added duel primary weapons....Overkill perk?
- Added golden guns and level progression unlocking....damn you COD!!!!
Sorry for the on/off topic rant
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Killa Tequilla
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 6:43:23 AM
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Alienange
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:54:02 AM
Socom II 2.65 million
Socom III 1.57 million
Socom Confrontation 1.05 million
Considering "the old fans" barely give a rat's ass about Socom these days I'd say those changes you've listed are a breath of fresh air for a dying franchise.
2 up, 0 down
JSwayze
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:35:20 PM
The reason Socom 3 didn't hit high numbers because we were still playing SC2 lol. Plus SC3 had some unwelcome changes.
Confrontation was an incomplete game that should have never been released. That's why they threw in the free bluetooth. Most definitely the only people who bought that game was the core fans who upgraded to the PS3.
We all who bought the game should have taken /6 to court, for selling us that peiece of crap
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kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:01:32 AM
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I still don't want Activision buying them out, but I think GTA4 was a step backwards or maybe sideways because it wasn't like previous GTA's, but it wasn't better, that's for sure.
0 up, 4 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:19:41 AM
2 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 4:44:49 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/12/2011 4:50:54 AM
1 up, 0 down
kraygen
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:09:06 PM
3 up, 1 down
Beamboom
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 4:48:33 AM
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I have high hopes for the next gta, but if that turns out to be as bad as gtaiv then they've lost me.
Last edited by Beamboom on 2/12/2011 4:49:58 AM
1 up, 1 down
JSwayze
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 6:25:26 AM
If the next GTA strive for even more seriousness, then count me out
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PAKINIPS
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 6:17:27 AM
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The DLC added tanks and helicopters which brought back some of the fun.
I hope it changes in the way that San andreas did from vice city.
Vice city may have been the best gta IMO as far as the theme, the music, the radio, the colours were great etc. But SA stepped it up in features and fun and crazy and co op
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Killa Tequilla
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 6:36:56 AM
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They are just very awesome developers that changed gaming as we know it...
Ben when you say "change" are you talking about gameplay change, or a new tittle every year sort-of change?
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FatherSun
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 7:08:47 AM
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If Acti get there hands on it I can almost guarantee that. Ala Zombie mode.
Yep, GTA:XX: Nicos grandson answers the Call of Duty.
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Ultimadream
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 7:56:52 AM
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I'm just hoping it's more interesting, i don't know why but with GTA IV i just felt no motivation to do the side quests, once i reached the middle island, the repetition began to lure in. I enjoyed the missions, but i did not spend much time just free roaming the enviroment as much as the PS2 GTA's.
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RebelJD
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 8:53:01 AM
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Alienange
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:56:41 AM
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crunchy_nut_kid
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 9:50:25 AM
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Lord carlos
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 11:06:54 AM
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Godslim
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 10:54:57 AM
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swapnilgyani
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:02:02 PM
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That said, they do need to change the "rinse and repeat" format of story progression and mission structure. Here's what I mean:
Go to a point A on the map to get a mission
Do the mission (which may or may not be similar to the last mission, and will probably include mandatory driving)
Go to the gun shop to refill armour / ammo
Go to safehouse and save game / refill health
Go to point B on the map to get a mission
Last edited by swapnilgyani on 2/12/2011 12:03:46 PM
1 up, 0 down
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 12:32:07 PM
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GuyverLT
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:22:42 PM
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Ben any news on if rockstar is still making that new True Crime game. There was a trailer that featured gameplay and it actually looked pretty damn good. Any news would nice.
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matt99
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:24:48 PM
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GuyverLT
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 2:36:05 PM
So in other words they just want to crank out more COD games which sucks ass. *sigh* Why the hell don't they pass the project on to someone else instead.
Last edited by GuyverLT on 2/13/2011 2:42:47 PM
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matt99
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 1:22:49 PM
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FatherSun
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:43:34 PM
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Bonampak
Saturday, February 12, 2011 @ 2:37:06 PM
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^^^ Depends who you ask.
If you ask the analysts that reviewed it, they claim the game was merely Resident Evil 4 Redux with Online Co-Op thrown in. And that's why it didn't get as much awards or recognition as RE4. Because it felt like a rehash. They also hated not being able to move and shoot. Thus it didn't change much in their opinion. Not enough.
If you ask the RE fans though, they are generally furious about the CHANGES that started with RE4 and that got worse in RE5. Changes that moved the franchise away from survival horror and turn it into a game that caters to twitch gamers.
In regards to GTA, it seems that what should worry us is that the shareholders and many analysts are presently pressuring Rockstar to make another one as soon as possible. And only to keep the brand name in the spotlight and keep it profitable. So the focus is clearly on the bottom line, not on us gamers.
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Beamboom
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 4:40:51 AM
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t4_robz
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 11:52:28 AM
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FlyingKickPunch
Sunday, February 13, 2011 @ 1:15:51 PM
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If GTA goes FPS I'll be a sad panda.
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GuernicaReborn
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Friday, February 11, 2011 @ 9:41:24 PM