Was GTA IV Too Big For DLC Success?

GrE writes, "Grand Theft Auto IV is being questioned as whether or not it is too big for its DLC to be successful. A game that clocks in at 20+ hours is a rarity when most games pull in the six to eight hour mark. GTA IV is one of the rare time consuming games left on the market. There was a lot to do in Liberty City, not to mention all of the mindless roaming, side missions, and the main story line to tackle. Was it really all too much for gamers to handle?..."

[roblef]

I can see how this could be a problem... I never finished it.

[bgrundman]

But why would that effect new content with a completely different storyline? That arguement makes no sense.

[starven]

I don't really see why DLC sales are determining how successful a game is. I have finished lots of other games and never touched their DLC.

[kalebgray92]

it would hinder dlc sales would it not? i dont even really play dlc.... just make a good single player and ill be happy.... multiplayer dlc is worth it sometimes

[nycredude]

Too big? it was half the content of San Andreas. Problem was it was too boring! Everytime I try to complete it I fall asleep! The killer is the decision of having no checkpoints for the missions. I hate having to drive all the way to a mission again if you fail.

[Perjoss]

none of the missions in gta4 were really that hard, maybe you just need to brush up on your hand to eye coordination.

[Noctis Aftermath]

I'm glad this flopped, will make Take Two and Rockstar think again about taking micro$ofts cash next time, you burned sony fans when you took the cash and only time will tell if Agent can make up for it.

[Lifendz]

but I never did all the side missions. I could probably pop it in right now and get about ten hours worth of playtime time out of it. The game probably was too big for more missions. Instead of simply giving you more missions in Liberty City, why not give the player a new locale. Like maybe Philly or Vice City. That would've been awesome. Really open that world up ala San Andreas.

[Blaze929]

Who said the two episodes were not successful to begin with o_O?

[Anon1974]

I suppose one day I might pick up the DLC on disk for my 360 (I had GTA4 on my PS3 so the DLC wasn't an option) but I doubt I will. There's too many great games already that I have no time to play. I'm sure the DLC was fine, but I've moved on.

[mikeslemonade]

All games this day basically have side missions and I have never attempt to do them unless it's necessary. For GTA4 I just play the story mode and the missions for the story mode basically were sucky. Lost and Damned missions were sucky too. Ballad of Gay Tony missions were the best but they could be better if the GTA4 engine was a true next gen game. It's not even HD.

[nycredude]

Perjoss

I know none of the missions were overly hard, but why don't you enlighten me on how that fact changes another fact that you DO have to start all over again and drive all over again and listen to the same crap all over again IF you happen to die during a mission. And don't tell me you finished the entire game without ever dying!

FYI My hand eye coordination is fine. I beat Killzone 2 on Veteran on the first playthrough without ever once whining about sluggish controls!!! =)

[thehitman]

Idk what GTA you were playing but pretty sure there was a button to bring u right back to the mission think was the taxi or shortcut on phone if not both been awhile since I played it, but I finished GTA4 and dont ever remember havint to drive all way back to mission point if failed or something, unless ofc it was apart of the mission itself.

[bruddahmanmatt]

To me and many others, GTAIV's biggest downfall in the DLC department stems from Rockstar's decision to cut features that were present in San Andreas from the core game, and save them for later to be released in TLaTD and TBoGT. Rockstar claimed that they were attempting to "trim the fat" by removing what they claimed they considered to be "useless content". A lot of people including myself raised their eyebrows at this comment as the progression from III to VC to SA showed that the only thing which could prevent Rockstar from piling MOAR stuff into the next installment of GTA were the limitations of the 7th gen consoles. GTA is a "more is more" game, not a "less is more" game. As obnoxious as a feature may seem, the more you can do in an open world game like GTA, the better. I understand a few folks may have rolled their eyes when it came time to keep CJ in shape, but I think more people complained at the removal of the parachute in GTAIV instead. That being said I reiterate, withholding content from the core game is what made the GTAIV DLC a FAIL.

[memots]

I felt the same about Far cry2

You start playing Far cry2 and your thinking, WOW look at all you can do .. Then doing the same mission 100 times and you get sick of it .. i just can't bring myself to finish the game.

Same happened with Gta4. I loved the city, the look and all you could do, the story was a little better than Far cry2 but the immersion level not as good.

Open ended game like these need better structure, Like inFAMOUS that one kept me in.

[Scenarist]

@ 1.10

its HD on my PC...

sryy i had too

[starven]

It was a good game. Just didn't pack the awesome punch like GTA 3 did.

[bgrundman]

I disagree, I loved every second of it.

[Fishy Fingers]

I thought GTA4 was good, admittedly I wouldn't put it up on a pedestal like many of the media did, but maybe it was because of the games releasing around the same time and how far forward it was, but GTA3 was amazing.

I've played the DLC, but never bought it, I'd moved on to other things by then, my attention span to a single game isnt what it used to be :(

[NecrumSlavery]

GTA IV straight up was a major letdown. But the DLC was pretty good. All personal preference though. I think the best GTA of this gen was Chinatown Wars. It makes me remember the fun in GTA that we haven't seen since San Andreas. Hope GTA5 isn't so serious, unless you play a serial killer. That would be really awesome.

[Godmars290]

Well, it certainly not because that DLC was available on all systems...

[ChefDejon]

people dont want 20 hour dlc?

[alphabet]

This is N4G; they'd only want it if were coming to PS3.

[Shang-Long]

my buddies that do have 360's just said that they already moved on from the game and rather play other things thats all.

its good DLC it got good reviews i just think ppl like my friends moved on if im wrong im sry

[alphabet]

jus sayin if ur frends dint lyk it dey shudsdaj askehz disnq

[iceman06]

I just think that in GTA IV, unlike the others for some odd reason, it is REALLY easy to get burnt out. I know I played it like hell for about a month...then...it just sat there. When the trophy support came for PS3 I went back to it, but it just wasn't as fun. In contrast, I can pop in Liberty City Stories on PSP or San Andreas and have a blast...over and over again. Can't explain it...it is what it is!

[wondroushippo]

You know, I actually agree - there's so much of the game there that I didn't even get close to beating it, so DLC wasn't really 'necessary' for me.

[Hell-Reaver]

Sorry but tons of great games came out in the time it took to get the first and the second dlc released. if it's not like a 1-2 months max then my interest is long gone onto other great games, and i'm not likely to go back to it once i'm done. I'd rather keep the groove going than jump out of another game to play some dlc.

[i_am_interested]

GTA just isnt making the splash that it did last generation, who knows if theyre even making VC and SA style spin offs like they did last generation or if theyre going to go straight into GT5

im glad sony passed on the exclusivity, GTA is great but it has sort of this "been there, done that" feel to it now

[kingme71]

They aren't making 20+ hours games anymore? What genre does the author play? I'm playing Borderlands which is easily consuming 20+ hours, finishing Lost Odyssey another 20+ hours. Sure, if you stick to FPS's you won't have long single player campaigns (excluding Borderlands from that list, which is more an RPG/FPS hybrid).

[starven]

How many games are really 20+ hours? A majority of the games out can be beat over a weekend. Yeah, Borderlands, DAO, Lost Odyssey see 20+ hours of play, but when you sit down and look at a majority of the games on the market, they are under 20 hours. Uncharted 2, Killzone 2, Ratchet and Clank, Batman AA...all under 20 hours. It doesn't just apply to FPS games that rack in the short time span.

[Mista T]

boring game, don't even know why I still have it

[Rubberlegs]

Not true at all, Liberty City in GTAIV isn't any bigger then most other sandbox games to come out this gen. Its size doesn't come close to what they packed into San Andreas. It really doesn't feature that many side missions either, nothing like what the past GTA games have had.
Look at Oblivion and Fallout 3 that feature twice as much content and its dlc/expansions had no problem selling for those games. I think GTAIV wore off on people. When the expansions came around it didn't hold as much interest as GTAIV first did and the first expansion was download only. I think the disc version that comes with both expansions probably sold better. Didn't help much either that its only been released on the 360.
There is also plenty of other games that have came since GTAIV that hold 20+ hours.

[djfullshred]

IMHO GTA4 is the best next generation game that has been made thus far for the consoles, bar none. It is the game I have as the benchmark for comparing quality on every other game I buy. Not only is it deep in the game play and very addicitive, I did not encounter one single bug or glitch while playing it.

But having said all that, DLC is a timely thing. If it comes out too late after I have finsihed a game, I may never buy it because I already have other games I am enjoying & am quite hooked on.

[Mista T]

yuck, threw up in my mouth a lil bit when I read that comment

[djfullshred]

LOL, these are just games we are talking about. No need to puke just because people have different opinions.

[nombon]

GTA 4 was awesome, i bought it first day and beat it within 5 days. I bought all the DLC packs and they added a lot to the story. I was completely satisfied with GTA 4, it is one of my favorite games, i still play it to this day!!!

[artistadam]

me too... i still play GTAIV, fallout 3 and little big planet all the time... it's the trio that has kept me from wasting my money on other games... why buy something that will only eat up a few hours when i can continue to play these games that have eaten up hundreds of hours??

[LastDays]

There actually isn't a lot to do at all after you finish the game. I'm bored as hell now that I finished it.

[MatriXcian]

Michael Patcher is an ass and knows nothing of what hes talking about. The fact that the DLC is exclusive is the reason why it hasnt sold well. I know I havent bought it myself due to the fact I own GTA4 on the Ps3 and dont want to split up the game by purchasing the DLC for 360. Rockstar should release this DLC for PS3 and the sales will skyrocket. Im not exactly sure what Rockstar was thinking that 50 mill mustve been great and now there taking a long term hit but thats what happens when you abandon half of your user base for a quick buck.

[Killman]

Yes, I would say GTA IV was too big.............of a disappointment.

[Method]

On a whole it took as many steps backwards as GTA III took forwards.

[Gamer71]

Oblivion, Fallout 3, and Borderlands are great examples of why this article is STUPID.

BTW, where's the proof that the GTA4 dlc WASN'T a success?

[artistadam]

i would gladly play two 20+ hour DLC's for GTAIV in a heartbeat, it's one of the best games of this generation IMO... but, i think the reasons why sales are not doing so well is because of a few different factors...

1.) xbox 360 exclusive...
2.) way too long after initial release to add DLC packs...
3.) many people disappointed with GTAIV...

i was not one that was disappointed though... i was only disappointed that the DLC episodes didn't come out for the PS3... i seriously doubt that the length of GTAIV played any factor at all... that's one of the dumbest things i've ever heard... the only people that didn't beat GTAIV are the people that didn't like GTAIV...

[sofocado]

"I'm glad this flopped, will make Take Two and Rockstar think again about taking micro$ofts cash next time, you burned sony fans when you took the cash and only time will tell if Agent can make up for it."

How do you know it flopped? do you have a link of the sales? So you are telling is right to take money from sony to make the agent exclusive?

[djfullshred]

nvm...posted in wrong section

[King Hippo]

I'd say too big of a disappointment.

[click 2 get virus]

boring game

[Official General]

GTA 4 simply was the not the excellent game is was hyped up to be - while it was still a very good game, it was in many ways a major letdown at the same time. Many fans of the series were very dissappointed with the main GTA 4 game in general, and that is main reason why the DLC episodes did not do so well and sell many copies. Many original GTA fans were so put off by GTA 4, that they decided not to bother spending extra money on DLC for a game that was not as great as it should have been. I can testify to this, because I followed GTA 4 articles closely (I'm a big GTA fan) and many gamers on here stated that that they had no intention of taking any further interest in GTA 4, including buying DLC as they thought it was a big letdown. I know N4G does'nt represent every gamer in the world, but it still gives small idea of general opinion in gaming. Plus there was also an article that reported many gamers (in the USA) had sold their GTA 4 copies in massive amounts, raising doubts about the success of GTA 4 DLC. And I clearly remember 2 years ago before GTA 4's release that Microsoft made so much noise about 360 version of GTA 4 was gonna blow the PS3 version away in sales because of it's exclusive DLC - now I've noticed how Microsoft no longer talk or boast about it, because they know that GTA 4 in general just didnt deliver what it was supposed to to deliver in terms of a gamer's fulfillment.

Too big? Yeah GTA 4 was set in a big enough, and graphically detailed sandbox world alright, but there was very little to do once you had completed the main missions. There was not enough good/fun side missons like store hold ups. You could'nt buy or do much with your money, you could'nt own business and you could'nt have your own gang or have turf wars. You could'nt even enter a majority of the stores or buildings. It's not about the game's size being too big, it's about there being very little to do in the game aside from the main storyline!

I think Rockstar really messed up with this whole stupid exclusive DLC episodes saga with Microsoft, all because MS corrupted them with a fat $50 million paycheck. Simply put, Rockstar sold out. They should have just concentrated on making GTA 4 just one, complete, FULL game with all the BEST features included from previous titles and more varied side missions, activities and in-game content and more accessible buildings. No they just gave us some half-finished masterpiece and tacked on some simple DLC episodes that was different characters with just more missons. Plus they made it the DLC exclusive to 360, which sure did'nt help it's sales numbers.

My advice to you Rockstar is to listen to our views and complaints about GTA 4 and concentrate on making the next GTA title everything that GTA 4 SHOULD have been by putting everything right and including all the best features from previous titles. Forget about taking bribes for making some stupid, exclusive episodic DLC, make a proper classic current-gen GTA game first and you will regain your credibilty back with your fans, me included I can assure you.

EDIT: Oh by by the way, if the 360's limitations might hold the next GTA title back in terms of improving the game and in-game content/size then make it a PS3 exclusive, no arguments!

[Jeebus]

Exactly. EXACTLY what the issue is.

I personally loved the game though, but I can agree entirely with a lot of your points as to what it should have included.

I still play it

[Remmulak]

"EDIT: Oh by by the way, if the 360's limitations might hold the next GTA title back in terms of improving the game and in-game content/size then make it a PS3 exclusive, no arguments!"

It is unfortunate, but true. Unless Rockstar builds the next GTA on multiple disks, GTA will unfortunately be held back.

[ReBurn]

GTA IV was not the best GTA I've ever played, but it was ok. I just didn't find it compelling enough to pay for the DLC. I might pick up the DLC disc that's out when the price drops to $20 or so, but probably not until then.

[MeatAbstract]

GTAIV was pretty good. It looked fantastic and the whole living enviroment Rockstar created was brilliant. Sadly, they went too much for story. They wanted the gamer to focus solely on the storyline which to be honest wasn't that great anyway.

They took away the freedom of GTA, modding cars, peddle bikes and other assortment of mini games were lost in hopes they could create something a bit 'gritty'.

To be fair though, the online mode is severly overlooked. Get online with a few friends and it can be a blast. There were a lot of fun modes and it never felt 'competetive', just plain fun.

As for the DLC, I like it. Doesn't really bring anything new the to the table, although the few mini games they added are fun, my personal fav being the bare knuckle boxing in TBOGT.
I felt the DLC added more to the 'living city' rockstar have going this GTA, showing other peoples lives within it and how it can change from where the main protagonist is set (Johnny on Alderney ect).

Overall, no I don't really touch GTA much anymore and once I'm done with 'Episodes...' I'll probably put it on the shelf and leave it be. But I will go back to it, like other GTA games for a good old fashioned killing spree. Nothing better then getting 6 stars and going on the run although the removal of the army was very dissapointing.

[artistadam]

yea, online play is what keeps bringing me back to this game... it is a lot of fun... especially with some friends... i got friends at work i play with online every now and then and GTA is the game we play...

it is SEVERELY overlooked... it's so much fun to play in this giant sandbox with a couple of friends, just like you used to at recess... too much is made about the story (which was good IMO) and lack of depth yet, the online play is still fun and there's lots of people out there still playing...

[glennc]

more boring gameplay, no thanks.

[AnonUser5555]

What a load of crap.

Yes. I'm sure GTA DLC was a failure because GTA IV was just too big and fun. I mean, if there's anything that gamers hate, it's MORE games.

lol

____

Why was that DLC a failure? Because they didn't release it on PS3. Playstation fans have been playing the GTA games for much longer, and are therefore probably a bit more dedicated to the series.

But does it REALLY matter to Rockstar? I mean, they probably made enough cash from the MS payoff that they don't have to care too much about sales.

[unknownhero1123]

gta IV was a good game with excellent story telling and a long campaign but it could have been better. My main gripe was that after you beaten the story there was really nothing to do except go on rampages, which is good but even with the euphoria engine it gets boring, and eventually you'll want to do something else in L.C. BoGT is what gta IV should have been in the terms of activities.

[mr mintleaf]

i think they ran out of time and had to release it. otherwise the stockholders would lynch them.. A work of un-finished art..then.. GTA5 will be the true successor to SA. As aps3 owner Im really looking forward to Agent

[TwistedMetal]

I wouldnt buy the dlc for 20 bucks each becuase thats just to much money for boring extra content and its only available on the rrod machine wich makes it even worse. I hope companies start thinking with there headss and realise any deals you makeing with M$ is gonna fu*k you over bro. just like makeing deals with the devil.

[UltimateSin]

Guys & Gals, in the article it says 'Pachter Says....' AVOID!!!