Pre-order GTA IV on Xbox 360 and Get Free Content?

It seems that Microsoft intends to offer free content from day one exclusively to the Xbox 360 version of GTA IV with pre-orders. Could this give Microsoft the decisive edge in sales for the mega-franchise?

[conjurdevil]

I mean this could really prove affective in sales for 360!!
ps3 NEEDS to come up with something of their own to counter this otherwise it could destroy their sales.

[Anything but Cute]

Microsoft jumping all over GTA IV, they're gonna try to market like GTA 4 is 360 exclusive.

It's Sony's job to make sure they don't succeed.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

There is no god, no santa clause, no tooth fairy, and no easter bunny. Accept reality.

[TheTwelve]

Funny how the word "rumoured" was mysteriously transformed to "seems" here.

Anyway...

The whole GTAIV exclusive content discussion is interesting, but if I was Sony, I wouldn't get too wrapped up in it. Microsoft needs help in the "exclusive" department in 2008, not Sony. Let Microsoft spend all of their excess money on stuff that PS3 owners will have access to anyway, in the future. With the 2007 sales overall lead and the 2008 momentum, Sony doesn't have to get involved with a money-throwing match with Microsoft, a match in which they would ultimately lose.

Just like the whole 20 minute download thingy, this exclusive content (which is probably a joke) is only a big deal to internet readers and fanboys. For 95% of the people buying consoles, these factors won't make or break their decision to buy a PS3 or 360.

12

[i Shank u]

@ 12 you make some good points man. I think alot depends on how good of a job MS does marketing it, in addition to what the content actually is and what it adds to the game. I'd like to believe MS wouldn't drop $50 mill on a "joke"........ but ya never know. If the content is significant and marketed well, i see it potentially having an impact on new time buyers; but i still cant see PS3 only owners buying a 360 for the game, unless the DLC is something like an HD-remake of vice city. that would rule

[power of Green]

Sony will be fine they have the Sony machine to counter some of MSFT's marketing somewhat.

Look at the room sizes, why are some of these rooms so big! is more important than content in GTA4.

http://news.teamxbox.com/xb...

[SUP3R]

Am I the only one that thinks Sony doesn't really care about Microsoft shelling out all this money for GTAIV?
They haven't said anything or given any notion that they are in any way intimidated by Microsoft's actions.
The 2008 PS3 lineup is stellar, and if Microsoft wants to empty .01% of their pockets on a multi-platform title then be their guest.
Either way Rockstar makes money, MS makes money, Sony makes money.
With other titles like Killzone 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance 2, GranTurismo 5, LittleBigPlanet, etc... I don't think Sony has to lift a finger in opposition to Microsoft's GTA marketing extravaganza.
This is only the first GTA title for this generation of gaming.

[mikeslemonade]

This is one game. Whatever MS invested into GTA won't be worth it. As a 360 gamer this is good for you, but it's a waste of money for MS.

[Martini]

The gloves are coming off :)

[nickfr]

how many x360 owners have a hard drive to even download it?
the inconsistency of the x360 configurations is killing their potential success. and with more and more software being pushed through online delivery, the problem is gonna grow.

[Mr_Kuwabara]

Smart move by MS if they do such a thing. (Still getting it for my PS3 though)

[littletad]

Getting mine for the 360. I must admit I kinda hate this whole "what platform should I get my game on"? It's more frustrating with fanboys boasting which one is the superior.

[gta_cb]

prob get GTA IV for both my PS3 and Xbox 360 :D then i can see for myself which is better and not have biased comparisons by certain websites im not going to mention. also then i can experience what both have to offer online and see if one is particularly lagy etc

[LightningPS3]

How they're gonna approach the GTA IV release.

I'm sure they're not gonna allow Microsoft to market the game like it's 360 exclusive.

[mighty_douche]

Free MGS demo with every pre-order?

LBP beta?

[Darkiewonder]

their focus or plan is actually with MGS4. Well, that's what Peter Dille says in the March Issue of EGM.

[SUP3R]

Sony has enough AAA titles this year.
GTAIV will sell on the PS3 no matter what Microsoft does.
But what happens with the 360 after GTAIV?

[wageslave]

Same kind of strategy they employed for Lost Odyssey and BioShock: Pre-orders get free stuff.

Great idea.

[zonetrooper5]

If this is true then I'm getting the 360 version rather than the PS3 version.

[The Killer]

because it shows they are desperate and something wrong with the console or the game!! and any way most probably Live wont be working that time because of traffic!

[Alcohog]

I have not pre-ordered a game in nearly 10 years. There are 7 gamestops within 5 miles of me. :|

[wageslave]

Ask yourself;

Am I going to buy GTAIV? If the answer is yes, then PRE-ORDER the game from 1 of your local Gamestops and you'll get the exclusive complete GTAIV experience only on your Xbox 360.

Pretty clear -- unless, you're simply trying to spread nonsense...?

[Anything but Cute]

free MGS4 with pre order of GTA IV.

[Meus Renaissance]

Is that meant to be an insult? Give AWAY Metal Gear Solid 4 if you pre-order this other title?

[Bnet343]

Thank god you're not Sony. That's the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

[kewlkat007]

my cousin pre-ordered since last year...I'll see what this content is on his then see if it was worth it.

Is this similar to Lost Odyssey promo/strategy?

Anyhow imagine a $250 GTA4 Bundle, and I can't imagine the Ads from MS. What will Sony do?

Marketing will be big for this game, since now we have the consoles established, the choice goes to the gamers..meng

[wageslave]

I dont know if this is true, not it has only been rumoured and a proper source was never identified:

But, MS could have planned to CO-MARKET GTAIV with RockStar. When companies do this, they each put up some cash.

MS might have said, "We'll bring $50 Million to the marketing of GTAIV if you do exclusive DLC, X, Y".

The question is, what are those X & Ys?

What would be smart, and Im suspecting this is the case based on Kim saying "we own the launch".

MS & Rockstar could be doing the marketing for GTAIV. While its not exclusive, this will have a big impact on unit-sales *and* console-with-GTAIV "battle".

We'll have to wait until we start to see the advertising...

[zonetrooper5]

Free copy of MGS4 with GTA IV, hmm now that would be excellent.

[kurochi]

that wouldn't happen. But I can see it happening if MGS4 is bundled for about 40 buck with GTA4, that would be a more reasonable deal.

Just a side note, the only reason I would get a game for my 360 when it's multi-platform is when it's a great multi-player (ie COD4) game. To me, GTA4 isn't a multi-player game that requires online gaming.

[Anything but Cute]

I'm finally back from my 1 month suspension.

That's right, n4g suspended me for a whole month maybe longer. I couldn't log into the site.

[cartman313]

LOL!!

[Meus Renaissance]

How long will you last this time?

[ATLRoAcH]

Comment in a mature fashion and you won't get suspended again.I don't know why you got suspended but I would bet on something dumb on your part.Welcome back.

[avacadosnorkel]

you always get free stuff when reserving now. Put in the code and he gets a green XBOX jacket to wear in the game or something.

[BigKev45]

ASSASSYN 36o -Said:

"There is no god, no santa clause, no tooth fairy, and no easter bunny. Accept reality." I say, says who?

[wageslave]

“Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ~ Philip K. D1ck

[PlayStation360]

so the question is, does God go away when you stop believing? Until that question is answered, no one can speak as if it is truth. No one can say if he does or does not exist. If you believe he does, no one can tell you otherwise, and vice-versa. However, just because you can't see something, does not mean it is inexistent. That is a fact. I KNOW there is species out there that we have not found. And yet they exist.

But oh well, GTAIV WILL BE MINE! :) Screw which system will get what, as long as it is in my possession.

[King2008]

The thing is other than the people on this site who will know about this? People will still relate GTAIV to Playstation unless the Ads only say XBOX or Jump in or something and Sony dont have any commercial which i really doubt. I'm waiting to see the first commercials for this game.

[cartman313]

Yeah, I don't either. Best Buy is never sold out. If one of them is, there are 7 others nearby.

[TheMART]

Damn Sony, pwned on the old exclusive Playstation IP by Microsoft? Nice

[JVIDICAN]

TheMART at Dreamcastqueens =P
wondering if that was ever your screen name since u obviously hate sony and missed out on the behemoth we call the playstation 2

[Greysturm]

This is badly edited hold your flame rods boys this isnt news yet its a rumor.

[cartman313]

Well, definitely a smart move for Microsoft. If you have both systems, would be hard to pass up free stuff.

I just hope I actually beat this one. Something about cars, and explosives in my hand that easily distracts me.

[power of Green]

MSFT has to step the marketing in general. They could have a great year again.

I already see the best of 2007 greatest hits ads on XBL I'm thinking they're pushing those 2007 titles to max sales then push 2008 titles in marketing hard.

[Meus Renaissance]

That's a very strong strategy by Microsoft but I still don't see this changing the majority's mind in regards to which console they will purchase to play it on, especially if you're upgrading from the PS2 which is the consumer they're both competing for now.

If you pre-order the Xbox 360 version, you get the content for free (so you save around $10-$20). But you'll need an Xbox 360. So are you going to ignore a PS3 for one game?

If you buy the PlayStation 3 version, you get the game as it is. But you lose out on some play time that the 360 version gets.

Someone can dispute this, but although the gesture is fantastic especially for those who already own both systems, the logic won't dictate hardware sales for this game that much in my opinion. And that's the whole point - the game will sell very well anyway, regardless if you buy it on day one or a week after release, if you want it you'll get it. It's clear to me that Microsoft - as Shane Kim said - will have to own the launch of this game and this is their method of getting the hardware sales.

Personally when purchasing a console I look at what games are available on it and will be available on it, and alot of PS2 owners would be interested in Sony's lineup, but would they dismiss that for extra content on a game? Highly unlikely. So once you get into the details of this strategy, it really isn't that amazing. It just seems to really appeal to those who own both platforms and not those who are still on the fence.

I'd love to hear a differing opinion on it though.

[cartman313]

I think it will just sway owners of both consoles to the 360 version. Really doesn't hurt my feelings any though that they get extra content. As I said above, I never finish GTA. In fact, almost everyone I know never finishes GTA. They put in codes and go on a rampage for 30 or so minutes and shut it off.

[Talvish]

GTA sold hardware for the PS2. I have no doubt this game will also sell hardware. There are a lot of people who haven't chosen their 'next-gen' console. They are waiting for enough titles that they care about to make the plunge.

So then, when you consider that MS is most likely to drop their console price (Sony may as well), and put in additional content plus future exclusive content, it may sway in the 360's favour. Not a guarantee, but I think it will be helpful.

[vloeistof]

killzone 2 beta with ps3 version

[Meus Renaissance]

I would pay to get into that beta, nevermind getting it for free.

[Gaara_724]

who cares seriously how manny people buy gta to play the campain?? EVERY ONE AND I DO MEAN EVERY ONE I KNOWS PLAYES IT TO KILL PEOPLE AND EVERYTHING OTHER THAN MISSIONS my m8 tooka has never got of the 1st island on sanandreas thats how much some of them care about campain

[King2008]

Is the extra content suppose to come out? If its 3-6 months away i dont even think its worth it. If the DLC is coming soon after then i can imagine the attraction to this deal. After the main story and playing around with the free-roaming of this game it is something that gets old after a few months.

[kurochi]

exactly.....

It also depends on what exactly is the DLC also? If it's just a couple of side missions to kill off more gang members or something trivial like that, it's not worth it in my book to wait 3-6 months. Like I said in an earlier post above, I'd still buy the PS3 version because this game isn't about online gamine (better on 360 until HOME comes out). GTA brand name is associated with Sony and I hate MS for trying to "BUY" that.

Edit: @ below

I suppose you're right, MS has money to burn for their arrogance. Fine by me, Sony will just invest their 50 mil in some other franchise.....

[power of Green]

Hey its free game, Sony took advantage of the GTA franchise after MSFT turned down the series, they're just investing in what was originally offered to them in the first place. You play it on the PS3 and I'll play it on the 360 big deal.

"associated with Sony", nah its associated with where ever a gamer can play it on.

[power of Green]

I read some comments in the " MSFT will own the GTA4 market" and somebody said the exclusive episodic packs won't matter because the average joe won't know about it. lol.

MSFT will market the sh*t out of the fact they got the full version it will be on big ass signs in game shops and in TV ads at least. A possible price drop and hammering the market with news on new games and the showing of long due games will change the way people think this year will turn out.

[Skerj]

They've gotta recoup that 50 mil somehow.

[power of Green]

They can do that with the game sales alone lol.

[Bnet343]

They already did with Halo 3 sales.

[theoneandonly]

If Sony decides to butter up by releasing a Metal Gear Solid demo with the pre-orders, it will only show their absolute desperation despite a so called impressive lineup.

First being, Metal Gear is not even close to the incredible juggernaut Grand Theft Auto is-- and second to being, Splinter Cell has taken away alot of its marketshare in Europe as well as the fact the MG storylines are pretty bad.

And because MGS4 is the biggest game for them, I would expect it to be even more ludicrous they would waste their money on a bundle deal. Little Big Planet looks like nothing too hot, and I'm a big fan of Stranger's Wrath so that game is definitely not going to be much of an Oddworld killer.

If someone at Sony gets this brilliant "idea" to try bundling Metal Gear with every pre-order, we will simply counter it by having Microsoft offer a demo for Splinter Cell>> In order to reach a much larger customer base, of those who normally don't play stealth. Which one will win, the Splinter Cell games are praised everywhere and are a juggernaut for action fans. Just as with Tom Clancy's first, SC is going to rape as far as enjoyment goes. That is if everyone gets the full taste of it first, after all, it does seem pretty stupid to bundle a game demo with a pre-order.

All the gadgets you could get might make it sell higher, though. Metal Gear is really fairly boring though, to most european hardcore gamers which I met with.

[SUP3R]

People need to stop thinking Sony is fresh off the block in this industry.
LOL the year only just begun, we have no idea what's going to happen and with what titles it's going to happen with.
MGS is an old franchise, but it sells.
FF is an extremely old franchise, but it sells.
GranTurismo is an old franchise, but it sells in record numbers.
Think about those facts.

[heyheyhey]

M$ pressuring you to pre-order games again??? alienating people without accessibility to pre-orders (no credit card, no knowledge etc)???

whatever makes you happy Mr. Greedy McCorrupted

[Bnet343]

Pressuring? What the hell LMAO!! They got me at gunpoint right now HELP!! he he

[chaosatom333]

it would be nice if sony gave out some kind of beta with gta, but i am pretty sure that gta is going to sell out for xbox360 and the ps3 within a day. wii is going to be left out in software sell, and it would mean more good news for ps3 because higher software sells for sony would give developers more confidence in their investment.

[cartman313]

Damn, it's a Warzone here. I lost a bubble and I didn't say anything bad!

[Meus Renaissance]

Shane Kim isn't stupid, he knows the popularity of this game and its symbiotic association with the PlayStation brand. It's tremendously popular in Europe, and Microsoft is having a challenge in that region, so this Content is meant to be a trojan horse to entice people who yet don't own a next-gen system, to get an Xbox 360. This will ofcourse work to a certain degree, but I don't think anyone in their right mind has balls enough to say Microsoft will have a bigger success in Europe with this game than Sony, even with this pre-order strategy.

In regards to North America, I don't know, it's such a complicated market you can't really say much to whether Sony can take the crown from Microsoft in terms of sales. But it's obvious to anyone that those CEO's in Tokyo will need to ultimately do something with that market before GTA4's launch.

[cartman313]

Will be interesting to see the outcome. Most people associate GTA with Playstation.

@ Kewl - Hrmm...yeah good point.

[kewlkat007]

most associated Final Fantasy with Nintendo...

It's all a cycle bro..

[PStriple703]

i smell a ps3 bundled with GTA + DS3

[Bnet343]

Nah, I just farted. :D

[Meus Renaissance]

Plus price drop, that would be somewhat of a over-kill response from Sony. But if they did it, this pre-order (free content) wouldn't be a factor.

But will they listen to us?

[meepmoopmeep]

smart move by MS i have to admit but nobody even knows what the exclusive content is yet. until we do, then we can decide if it's worth it or not

[Boink]

I can't see it happening, MS sales of this game will already be strong and will outsell the ps3 anyway (not trying to flame, just with the current install base, it's true). so why would the need to do this?

I could see if you pre order gtaiv and a new 360 console, then the content free would be a good incentive, cause that would help move some consoles from undecided ps2/original xbox users looking to upgrade their system for this game.

[candystop]

This is actually a pretty good move by MS and should help push some extra hardware sales!

[Lucas22]

Sony should do this, pre order grand theft auto 4 and receive a demo of little big planet or metal gear solid 4

[Iron Man 2]

If this does indeed happen,Microsoft will forever be known as Desperatesoft;)

[ambientFLIER]

Maybe in your idiotic mind... Most people would actually call that a smart move.

[SUP3R]

I see it as desperation as well.
If Microsoft does this and it moves consoles. Gamespot is going to be busy around the middle of the year with 360 trade-ins.

[Dark Sniper]

Giving a bonus to your customers who decided to pick you over the competition is just good business and will attract more of them. If you don't realize that, than you should never comment on anything on here.

[Kain81]

and i would say that Sony will do something like that too.
i would say let us wait and see what will happen.
i personaly prefer the PS3 version (cause Free Online and i believe that Rockstar will do something for PS-Home)

[LaChance]

since the 360 version is gonna be better cuz its the lead platforl for this game.The game is gonna have exclusive DLC and might cost cheaper than the PS3 version since games on PS3 rae more expensive (that is in France )

[LaChance]

geez that was dumb ; did you do that on purpose ?

[LaChance]

Im on the ignor list of 21 people though I have never evr posted a dumb fa,boy kinda of comment , i am pro 360 though and just say things like they are and people put me on their ignor list , idont really care about that but it just shows how muvh sony fans actually own this site.
And I realized 360 fans are always on more ignore lists tha the PS3 fans though the PS3 fans are usally more biased since thy got this kinda "FAITH" in sony that no matter what happens Sony is perfect

[moparful99]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ Never posted a fanboy response? both of those were biased opinioning. You generalized all ps3 fans based on ignore lists. that sir is why you are on ignore lists....

[skagrerrrr]

why not? if it's true though

[Scenarist]

when i first bought my ps3 ( a couple weeks ago )... the main game i had on my mind was GTA4 ...and i had already heard about the exclusive content...that didnt matter ...i just had my reasons for getting the ps3 over the 360 and im happy with my purchase this game doesnt make or break a decision cuz of the content ...heck no matter fact i would like to play the extra content , im a hardcore fan since GTA1 but i chose the ps3 >>>better system better value its my home entertainment center.. to hell with a extra mission

[ThaGeNeCySt]

no need to explain your purchase to anyone on here... enjoy your console preference. =)

[Chris_GTR1]

one thing to keep in mind... gta4 was delayed because of the ps3 version...the ps3 version of the game still hasnt been shown to the press,only the 360...they said the 360 had some framerate issues, i cant imagine how the framerate will be on the ps3 version. orange box says hi.

[ATLRoAcH]

Don't bring up Orange Box when referring to a Rockstar game.Rockstar delayed the game so they could make sure the PS3 version was exactly the same as the 360 version.The delay was FOR the PS3.Without Sony GTA would have not made it this far.I've been playing GTA since the helicopter view of the original on the PS1.Rockstar isn't just another stupid dev who could care less about the Playstation brand.They still represent the Playstation brand to millions (120 mil +) of Playstation 2 owners.So they know theres money waiting.These days there are more reasons to buy a PS3 (Blu-Ray victory) then some "other" console.Hell Chris, you bought one. The PS3 version was promised to be shown here soon by Rockstar.So they're not hiding anything.Lets wait before we start mentioning The Orange box or Madden 08 or any other game that has absolutely nothing to do with GTA.No matter what happens I will buy the PS3 version because I will never own a 360.No offense to the console but I've been with Sony since the PS1 and I will be with them with the PS9.....if I'm still kickin'.

Oh, and if they wanted to push exclusive DLC then they should have made a hard-drive standard to every console.

[moparful99]

Umm did you even read the other news posts on n4g today? Right there in the top news is an article talking about the first ever seen ps3 version of the game in action. They said it ran silky smooth and looked every bit as good as the 360 version. Oh and the rockstar rep said the ps3 contributed to the delay but wasnt the main reason, the 360 version was far from ready as well.

[NO_PUDding]

Great tactics by MS again.

But like I have posted hundred of times, this game will not be selling anywhere near as well as the previous ones. Smaller user base, and generally excellent, but under the radar viral marketing campaign.

And I can safely say, that the people who will buy consoles for THIS game, will buy PS3's. Out of pure ignorance. And being new to the next gen, they won't use the Internet readily on their console, so Downloadable Content will be an off putting and confusing addition to them.

The only tactics MS could really use to boost sales of the game alone (by alone I mean, new buyers won't be buying a 360 for GTA) on 360 is exclusive TV marketing. Where 360 is directly related to in a GTA IV advertisement and no mention of PS3.

Sales of the actual game on 360 do matter, if Microsoft want the second incarnation of GTA IV to appear on the 360. And with certain limitations that are experienced with the 360 console, if sales aren't impressive enough to Rockstar, I am sure Sony could pay a realistic fee to regain exclusivity. God knows they did it each time last generation.

[DarkSniper]

Desperate times calls for desperate measures.

That should be the motto for Microsoft in 2008.

$niper

[SUP3R]

47 million for Yahoo
multi-million dollar marketing campaign for Halo 3 and now preparing to do another multi-million dollar blow out on GTA4 marketing.
It would be funny if a news story pops up, "Microsoft goes broke!"
LOL
It will never happen, but it would be historically hilarious if it did.

[Dark Sniper]

Dark Sniper is overjoyed that Wait Beyond isn't the only motto in the industry.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

Putting 5 on this tomorrow!

[zonetrooper5]

How is it desperate?

I bet if Sony did it you would be calling its an "amazing move by Sony". If this is true then its a damn smart thing for MS to do and I love free content so this would make me buy the 360 version over the PS3 version.

Don't worry, I'm still getting MGS4, Killzone 2, Resistance 2 and LBP this year for my PS3. =)

[UltramanJ]

...but if it happens I'll be buying the 360 version.

[Skaterboy Tell Em]

How can MS market DLC thats coming 6 months after the game comes out? who will care by then? This whole Dlc crap seems pointless if it comes out that late,no one knows what it is,you have to pay for it.But we all know MS will show commercials on tv of gta4 making it seem like an xbox exclusive when they know its multiplatform,But people usually think playstation when they hear GTA.It's Probably gonna be a close race on who sell's more copies.

Skaterboy Tell' Em

[godslayer429]

desperate much

[Whoooop]

I'll say it again..

This is just a desperate attempt to redirect attention to the 360.

They might get some software sales, great, but they won't move consoles and they won't be able to match PS3's line-up this year.

I can understand giving all out on this game because they can benefit a bit on this "Episodic Content" (meaning some extra missions), but mainly because this is pretty much their only hope for a momentum this year.

Apart from maybe attracting a wave of software sales from GTA4, I really don't see any chance in overcoming PS3's path this year.

They will waste more money on a useless attempt, while SONY just keep sailing at a steady pace waiting for the moment of impact.

Soon after GTA4 releases the takeover will begin for the PS3.

Waste of money.

[Highwayman]

In order to make money, you've got to spend more than you would like.

Anyways I'm getting this for my 360 first. The reason for why is simply because I like the controller better it fits my hands perfectly! And I like the Achievements as well. I feel good when I unlock one and it shows me that I still got it. ( I don't care what others think of my score, I don't see it as a "rank" ) It's a fun challenge for yourself. I will pick up the PS3 version as well.

As for my thoughts on this exclusive content. MS didn't pay 50 million so that Sony could have it three months later. Will Sony get content too? Yes, of course they will, in fact they will get the same content as the 360 gets, except for those two episodes MS paid for. I doubt MS will give this stuff away for free. And for those who are buying this for PS3 will have to pay money to get theirs when it comes, all the same. The fact remains that MS paid alot and PS3 will never see those two episodes. Any content that Sony gets MS will get too. But for me since GTA started on Playstation, I will get a copy for the PS3 as well......Same thing goes for RE5 one for my 360 and one for my PS3, 360 being the first version.

[phalanges]

but only have a 360 to begin with, you don't get the content? They should have the exclusive content from day one if you buy a 360 copy, no matter if you preorder it. I already have the PS3 version preordered for $20 less ($49.99CND), so that's my exclusive bonus.