440°

GTA 4 "10/10" Reviews Rigged by Rockstar

On Playstation Nation's weekly podcast, industry expert Andrew Yoon from the Joystiq network sheds some light on the industry practice of early exclusive game reviews. He mentions that Rockstar blacklists review sites, such a Joystiq, that give them unfavorable reviews/previews and have a direct hand in the content of the written reviews. This may explain IGN's perfect score for the game since they had the exclusive first online review of the game. Joystiq is still blacklisted for an unfavorable preview of Liberty City Stories for PSP.

Listen at at around 10:00 minute mark for the question that garners this reponse from Yoon.

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psnation.org
smokeymicpot5820d ago

To many conspiracy's everything is these day's. But what ever if people want to believe it they will.

chaosatom3335820d ago (Edited 5820d ago )

As far as reviews goes, they have become much more lenient and they don't actually care for the score much.

2+2= 10 or something.

Also they have to maintain pedigree. They handed out 10s way early to games like halo 3 and when it comes to gtaiv, they can't really graded it down.

I would personally give gta vice, gta SA, and gtaiv all 10s because i am a gamer, not a reviewer. Reviewers should be more strict.

The physics in gtaiv is awesome, like the euphoria system and there are number of improvements.

I think that the graphics look great, i am not going to lie, it's just my opinion. But offcourse if they perfected the graphics, then there will be nothing to look forward in the next gta series.

Omegasyde5820d ago

The single player is great. The multiplayer on the other hand needs to be fixed. If only the reviewers played the game with the ammount of people playing online on launch day.

The game is definitely not perfect, because of R* inability to really test out the multiplayer. Lots of options but the stupid "discontected/ returning to single player" error is ridiculous. I called R* on how to prevent this error and they stated that I should either Host games or goto a NAT 1 connection ( cat5 cable directly linked to router).

What a B.S. fix it answer. They must of forgot that 60 gb Ps3 has a wireless connection from the get-go.

Martini5820d ago

Sucks for you but the multiplayer on 360 runs fine and is the best aspect of the game. BTW I remember reading a story few years ago about R* strongarm some of the reviewers so I believe there is some truth to this.

Amnesiac5819d ago

works fine on the ps3..ive gotten that error like one time in 30 hours of gameplay...that goon above just needs a better router

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 5819d ago
Rick Astley5820d ago (Edited 5820d ago )

GTA IV is insanely overrated. San Andreas, Vice City and III were all better. I don't even see what's so "next-gen" about GTA IV. The graphics are horrible and it's smaller than SA.

It just pisses me off that the games that actually DESERVE a 10 don't get it.

Hydrolex5820d ago (Edited 5820d ago )

GTA IV was disappointing Gameplay wise.

After you beat the game, there is nothing much to do in single player.

and I don't like the multiplayer because I like COD4s multiplayer

------

I'm not saying the game sucks. The game is actually hella AWESOMe but after you finish it, ...

Omegasyde5820d ago

Hydro, I admit that the single player game is to time focused when doing the side mission i.e. Dating, hanging out with buddies.

The only side missions I can think that you can do with out the cocpect of Liberty City time is the police missions.

PoSTedUP5820d ago

i dissagree, gtaIII was better than vice, sanandreas. gta4 is better than all of them. my opinion. III and IV have the best story line, i used gtaIII to kill the time a week b4 gta IV came out

SRuN45820d ago

I thought Vice City and San Andreas were horribly overrated, I didnt even finish either of them. They were just so cheesy.

ScentlessApprentice75820d ago (Edited 5820d ago )

And definately a contender for game of the year, but I have to honestly say that the characters in SA and VC were more charismatic. I think CJ and Tommy Vercetti were way more likable protagonists than Niko.

Meresin5820d ago

GTA IV has really bad pixelation issues. It makes me wonder if the reviewers played it on an 11" TV or something, because that's the only way they'd be able to claim that the game was beautiful.

Don't get me wrong...It's fun. It just isn't beautiful. Too many jaggies for that. :P

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 5820d ago
Condoleezza Rice5820d ago

Is it a 10?no.

I knew something was up when EVERYONE was handing out 10s,but I guess that's the business for ya

Odonnus5820d ago

Yeah, i think the problem is also when these outlets start giving out 10's to more and more games (alot un-deservingly), they have to keep giving 10's when they realize that a better game is out (they can't give a lower score to a better game :p).

SlyGuy5820d ago

definitely not a 10.

If the game had branching dialogue...maybe

If I injured the mission guy, called the ambulance and they helped him....maybe (they don't heal anyone else but me? lame, even more lame is that the guy disappears and then calls me on my cell phone! lol)

Sry but the innovation and real-world feel is still a bit off.

niall775820d ago

but hay the internet is full of conspiracys.

one more cant hurt

issa30325820d ago

I don't think that Rockstar rigged all the review sites. But I think they rigged their early exclusive with IGN and got their 10/10. Then all the other competing sites followed suit. I don't know if you remember that originally Gamespot had given GTA 4 a 9.5/10 but then they changed it to a 10/10.

Charlie26885820d ago

Rockstar maybe not but considering 2Ks current position they are probably working magic as we speak and the release of GTA4 was there chance to do WHATEVER it takes to obtain there life saving "boost" and like EVERYTHING in life you can either do it one way (a LOT of advertisement) and/or the other way (pulling a few strings here and there to ensure good word) and we all know that in a ruthless business like theirs its more likely the second cuz they cant take any chances in there position

RecSpec5820d ago

GTAIV is Take 2's Final Fantasy.

Everything, including their future, is riding on this game. So the fact that reviews may have been influenced is no big deal. Even if eventually down the road we find out that this was true. It wouldn't matter if Take 2 survives the EA situation. They need to survive this, whatever the cost.

Breakfast5820d ago (Edited 5820d ago )

Stop with the conspiracies...lol....jesus. Now this aint gonna sound to pleasing....but, all conspiracy theories only come from one side. Which side might that be?

Hydrolex5820d ago

actually it might happen.

In my mind, Saints Row 1 was more fun than GTA IV. car customization, face customization, clothes customization, gang and ...

5820d ago
ShinMaster5819d ago

GTAIV is a great game without a doubt, and has improved in a lot of areas from the latest GTA.

But I do not think it was 10/10 worthy. Especially in graphics. It isn't technically very good, and IGN said that its artistic design was good enough for a 10.......I don't see it.

In sound, it also received a 10........also not 10 worthy.

It would have been more realistic if they kept it in the 9s.

MGS4 has far better sound, and graphics, both technically and design-wise.

They better give it a 10, or else, we'll know something fishy happened in the review of GTAIV!

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100°

Mainline Grand Theft Auto trailers ranked from best to worst

As we have all been graced by the release of Grand Theft Auto 6's trailer, we're ranking the best and worst GTA trailers to date.

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videogamer.com
purple101135d ago

We be getting these posts All week now lads. Someone noticed a number plate ... Someone noticed a billboard... I can see it now

Just go on YouTube and watch one of the many videos dissecting the whole 1minite 30secs worth.

This site supposed to be for news.

roadkillers135d ago

These updates on N4G are going to ruin whats rest of this site. Unfortunate since I was one of the first members.. The site shows unsecure when i login as well.

130°

Grand Theft Auto 4 Anniversary: The Beginning of the Age of RAGE

Grand Theft Auto 4 is an important game for Rockstar, not least because it was the first title in the franchise to use the newly created RAGE engine.

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gamerant.com
franwex352d ago

Wasn’t the Table Tennis game the first to use RAGE?

isarai352d ago

Was about to say the same, but they do say first "in the franchise" so 🤷

cammers1995352d ago

The fact it hasnt been remastered is insane.

Abear21351d ago

Rage engine made driving on the sidewalk in cinematic slow motion camera a blast

290°

Fifteen Years On, 'Grand Theft Auto IV' Is Still the Series’ Best

There’s never a bad time to relive its magic, and with rumours of a potential Grand Theft Auto IV remaster making the rounds, why wouldn’t you?

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goombastomp.com
Machina354d ago

The series' most overhyped and overrated (especially by critics) more like.

Number1TailzFan354d ago

Not sure tbh.. I'd say 3 was the most overrated. It's pretty rough to go back to, it was quite rough even trying it just after Vice City. Lack of humour and vehicles that had the weight of polystyrene with top speeds to match.

VC & the stories games (even LCS) were all fun. I remember there being a lot of praise for GTA 3 on TV and in game mags, saying it was a Dreamcast killer of a game or words to that effect, and honestly after playing it on PC I didn't think it was that special and kind of dull, had the odd moment of fun but hardly anything. I heard they cut online multiplayer at the last moment for PC, shame because it could've made all the difference.

Would've loved to have seen what kind of cartoony GTA style game they could've done on Dreamcast as a competitor, I bet something along the lines of Simpsons Hit & Run would've worked well.

BlackTar187354d ago

@numberz How can the game that defined a generation and was copied by everyone be overrated? Was a asinine comment

seanpitt23354d ago

For me 4 was better than 5 was more realistic and the physics was on another level! 5 was a major let down in that department!

Number1TailzFan354d ago

@blacktar you have your opinion i have mine. I found the game dull, and it is for the most part. It set the foundation for the much superior SA and VC however.

KwietStorm_BLM353d ago

You say GTA III is overrated because it's rough to go back to and rough to play after Vice City. Your entire opinion is in hindsight. Of course it's rough going back to it today. It came out over 20 years ago. That doesn't take away from the fact that it pioneered a lot and was a paradigm shift for a lot of trends in game development today. Vice City in a lot of ways is just a more refined version of III. It was San Andreas that took the big leap forward from a design perspective. If III doesn't release, who knows if the open world genre would be what it is now. How can that be overrated?

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1nsomniac354d ago (Edited 354d ago )

Not at all. My most played game of all time. Truly stunning accomplishment in gaming and with PC graphics mods it just took it to levels beyond anything that came before and possibly even after.

People who moan about it generally tend to be people who played it on under powered consoles and couldn’t handle the more realistic car physics. It was the slightly more realistic approach that made it stand out more. Absolutely love it. In fact I always said Vice city was my favourite of all time. But after going back to the remaster I realised 4 was actually the best.

Profchaos354d ago (Edited 354d ago )

I'm no critic and I consider it the best games in the franchise after recently replaying every entry it's story when paired in conjunction with it's DLC was and still is amazing.

shinoff2183353d ago

Lol. Fun fact. That dlc cost a certain green colored console 50 million for exclusiveness. Un heard of back then. Just to point out the hypocrisy of the 3rd party exclusive agenda going on.

Anyway how the dlc better then the base game by a mile. Lol imo

DigitallyAfflicted353d ago

I've enjoyed gta4 the most from all the others too.

DarXyde353d ago

San Andreas holds a special place in my heart. Honestly, I couldn't get into IV at all. Didn't even finish it. I had some pride in playing it at first because I'm originally a New Yorker, but it just didn't do it for me.

To each their own.

shinoff2183353d ago (Edited 353d ago )

Gta sa for sure. To this day my favorite. My least fav is gta 4 easily. Gta 4 made me feel like the dude in next friday trying to take the cd back talking about i cant get jiggy wit this.

Maybe looking back it would be 3 but 3 did so damn much for gaming in general. . My first gta was of course the top downs so the series has came a long way.

notachance353d ago

Yeah I remembered falling asleep playing the last mission in GTA4.. the most boring protagonist (out of all the voiced protag), and the town is too small.

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-Foxtrot354d ago

Not really

Overrated

Boring

Liberty City despite being a reimagined version for the HD era lacked any variety

Lacked the GTA fun charm overall

Niko was bland compared to past protagonists like Tommy, CJ or Victor

blackblades354d ago (Edited 354d ago )

GTA 2 was the best, lol my only owned GTA game. Vice city was alright when I rented it back then. I cant really say which is the best cause those the only 2 games i played but GTA 2 was fun on PC back in the day. Closes game to it that I enjoyed was SR3 and I dont care what people say. That none serious tone was fun enjoyable.

banger88354d ago

Like hell it is. San Andreas was far better, much more fun and a better game overall.

isarai354d ago

Nah, it's a masterpiece in attention to detail and the amount of immersive systems at play. But it really isn't very fun, ESPECIALLY when compared to the previous games in the series. Like tons of things are just wonky and actively kneecap lots of experimentation, or is just lame. Like why do I take huge damage when falling into water, why can I only stand in very specific large trucks when they are moving but not smaller trucks and vehicles, why is the melee combat such a massive down grade from GTA SA and GTA IV, why is the euphoria nowhere near as reactive, why is being drunk using a rasterized animation of staggering rather than the far more entertaining euphoria GTAIV and RDR used when you were drunk, why do npc vehicles barely react to you popping there tires even at high speed, etc etc.

I've always loved playing around in GTA games world. Like the campaigns are great but the majority of my time was always spent just playing in the open world. Yet GTAV is the only game in the series I never really returned to after beating it, it just lacks that fun factor the others have, I spent more time in GTA SA remastered than GTAV

chicken_in_the_corn354d ago

It's one of my least favourite GTA games. It's clunky, the ai is exploitable, it's far too long and the writing is absolutely awful.

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