The old and unwieldy GTA4 thread*

[woundingchaney]

I personally dont see why it would be all that unheard of. MS did forward 50 million for the creation of this content and there have been statements of the dlc being large and taking up gigs worth of space. I doubt the cities would be near the size of Liberty City but at the same time they could be a large suburb or even an island location. Every time I imagine what the dlc will be like I usually consider it to be the equivalent of a GTA "Shivering Isles". Shivering Isles was another region in Oblivion that offered a considerable amount of additional playtime.

The episodic model has been done by various other publishers in the industry and I dont see why R wouldnt follow in their steps. Instead of having a new game release every few years they simply create additional content to keep the revenue coming in. Creating dlc has no where near the overhead that creating a new title does. They can use the same storyline, assets, engine, sounds and various other aspects that are already being used in the base game.

 

[-tkf-]

I personally dont see why it would be all that unheard of. MS did forward 50 million for the creation of this content and there have been statements of the dlc being large and taking up gigs worth of space. I doubt the cities would be near the size of Liberty City but at the same time they could be a large suburb or even an island location. Every time I imagine the what the dlc will be like I usually consider it to be the equivalent of a GTA "Shivering Isles". Shivering Isles was another region in Oblivion that offered a considerable amount of additional playtime.

It´s supposedly only a loan, how does a $50 million dollar loan convert into what can be compared to complete games in terms of content creation?

Rockstar could sell complete games instead and make a hell of alot more money that way.

If you can find anything official out of Rockstars mouth or PR machine then i believe it. A Microsoft sponsored special edition of CVG that just happens to hit the stands around the time where GTA4 goes on sale and can make a real difference when it comes to choice of platform smells.

Of course this is video games, when it comes to rumors anything goes. To often it´s just blatant lies made up by websites that would sell their family for "add clicks".
If this rumor doesn´t hold true it looks like a Microsoft sponsored lie. That would be special.

This is the only official thing i could find, it reads like the EDGE interview:

IGN: And I assume also to make sure it feels like a natural extension of the game as well, so that it doesn't feel artificial?

Houser: Oh yeah... In general, if it's a very tight story game, as opposed to an open world game, there's often nothing you can really add. Add an extra level. Why? It's done. It's a story. With an open world game there's a little more maneuverability there, but we're super conscious that we want the games to be treated as serious medium. We take it very seriously. We love what we do. It's up to you guys to say if it's art or not. We try really hard. We're not in it just to go, "Here's an extra way of making a dollar." That's going to make all the people who already spent $60, half of them feel redundant. If there's anything that we're selling, we want it to be useful for people.

The game that you buy on the disc is the game. The extra stuff doesn't exist yet, but it exists in our heads... It's cool stuff. It doesn't undermine the individual game.

 

[woundingchaney]

It´s supposedly only a loan, how does a $50 million dollar loan convert into what can be compared to complete games in terms of content creation?

Rockstar could sell complete games instead and make a hell of alot more money that way.

If you can find anything official out of Rockstars mouth or PR machine then i believe it. A Microsoft sponsored special edition of CVG that just happens to hit the stands around the time where GTA4 goes on sale and can make a real difference when it comes to choice of platform smells.

Of course this is video games, when it comes to rumors anything goes. To often it´s just blatant lies made up by websites that would sell their family for "add clicks".
If this rumor doesn´t hold true it looks like a Microsoft sponsored lie. That would be special.

Supposedly the loan was to guarantee the creation of dlc for the platform and is to be paid back via revenue from the sales of the dlc.

Here is a link for info on the deal:
http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6023&Itemid=2

Rockstar "could" sell more full games with while years lapses between each game and little to no revenue coming in. Also its not as if T2 is doing well financially. I dont see why they couldnt develop a new title while using dlc to fund the development (which is surely what they plan on doing). The former CEO of T2 has stated the intention for using dlc to provide additional revenue streams.

Where as I doubt that the dlc is going to massive new cities the equivalent of the main city I dont see any reason why the dlc cant contain new areas and adventures within these areas.

Just what is it that you are expecting the content to be the equivalent of??

 

[-tkf-]

Just what is it that you are expecting the content to be the equivalent of??

I expect it to be heavily relying on current assets using side characters in the main game as new lead characters.

I am sure it will be worth the price but i find it very hard to believe it will move any special ground in the DLC world.

And i expect myself to be somewhat envious of 360 owners but not so much that i would ever consider buying it for the 360, or buying a 360 to begin with.

If this game turns out to be like other GTA games, the main game itself will be a challenge for me to actually finish anyway

 

[RobertR1]

lol at this still downplaying and dismissing the DLC.

Seeing that CoD4 maps alone did over 1 million downloads in the first week, I expect GTA4 to easily surpass that number even if the price tag is higher.

DLC isn't "i didn't get 100% completion in the game yet anyway so why do I need dlc!?" There no such written rule. DLC, depending on the content, can go a long way to freshen up the game and add the initial purchase excitement back to the game. The number of people who'll get the DLC AND have 100% game completion will be a very small figure.

 

[-tkf-]

lol at this still downplaying and dismissing the DLC.

Seeing that CoD4 maps alone did over 1 million downloads in the first week, I expect GTA4 to easily surpass that number even if the price tag is higher.

DLC isn't "i didn't get 100% completion in the game yet anyway so why do I need dlc!?" There no such written rule. DLC, depending on the content, can go a long way to freshen up the game and add the initial purchase excitement back to the game. The number of people who'll get the DLC AND have 100% game completion will be a very small figure.

Whats with the "lol"? The orginal link says:

GTA 4 DLC Includes Entirely New Cities

Where does "downplaying" come into play here? You think the rumours are true, then say so instead of making crappy "lolzor" cheap shot posts only meant to provoke.

Or is this:

I am sure it will be worth the price but i find it very hard to believe it will move any special ground in the DLC world.

And i expect myself to be somewhat envious of 360 owners but not so much that i would ever consider buying it for the 360, or buying a 360 to begin with.

What you consider downplaying, or do you expect me to pickup a 360 just for GTA4 DLC´s ?

 

[digitalwanderer]

Well so long as the DLC is available for the PC platform it's all good to me.

 

[AlphaWolf]

lol at this still downplaying and dismissing the DLC.

Seeing that CoD4 maps alone did over 1 million downloads in the first week, I expect GTA4 to easily surpass that number even if the price tag is higher.

DLC isn't "i didn't get 100% completion in the game yet anyway so why do I need dlc!?" There no such written rule. DLC, depending on the content, can go a long way to freshen up the game and add the initial purchase excitement back to the game. The number of people who'll get the DLC AND have 100% game completion will be a very small figure.

Microsoft certainly has to expect it to surpass that on the basis of their advance of $50 million. At $50 million, they'd need to sell at least 5 million (total for 2 episodes) if they charge 800 points.

 

[zed]

has there been any mention of sequels to GTA4 yet?
like with GTA3 u had vice city,san andreas
+ if so, (well the possibility of that not happening is akin to bush admitting that invading iraq was a mistake ) when, middle 2009 + 2010 perhaps?

 

[-tkf-]

has there been any mention of sequels to GTA4 yet?
like with GTA3 u had vice city,san andreas
+ if so, (well the possibility of that not happening is akin to bush admitting that invading iraq was a mistake ) when, middle 2009 + 2010 perhaps?

If the past is anything to go by, Rockstar will do it´s best to reap the rewards of the GTA franchise on this generation. A follow up within 12-18 months and another one just before the generation dies.

 

[betan]

Microsoft certainly has to expect it to surpass that on the basis of their advance of $50 million. At $50 million, they'd need to sell at least 5 million (total for 2 episodes) if they charge 800 points.

The money is mostly refundable, thus it's difficult to speculate size, popularity or price of the DLC based on that.

 

[AlphaWolf]

The money is mostly refundable, thus it's difficult to speculate size, popularity or price of the DLC based on that.

The money is was and always has been an advance on sales of the DLC. MS wouldn't advance $50 million if they didn't think they were going to get it back.

 

[betan]

The money is was and always has been an advance on sales of the DLC.

and?

 

[AlphaWolf]

and?

and its clearly possible to speculate as to what MS thinks will be the minimum sales for the DLC.

 

[betan]

and its clearly possible to speculate as to what MS thinks will be the minimum sales for the DLC.

What part of refundable makes this speculation valid?
MS may be expecting $25M worth of DLC plus $20M payback of the rest.

 

[Scott_Arm]

What part of refundable makes this speculation valid?
MS may be expecting $25M worth of DLC plus $20M payback of the rest.

Is it just me or is $25 million a hell of a lot of money to develop a game, let alone some extra downloadable content. $50 million .... what could possibly cost that much? Wouldn't $20 million be in the upper range of development for brand new AAA titles?

 

[AlphaWolf]

What part of refundable makes this speculation valid?
MS may be expecting $25M worth of DLC plus $20M payback of the rest.

and I might be a chinese jet pilot.

 

[betan]

Is it just me or is $25 million a hell of a lot of money to develop a game, let alone some extra downloadable content. $50 million .... what could possibly cost that much? Wouldn't $20 million be in the upper range of development for brand new AAA titles?

Yes it would, but it's not necessarily the development cost of the DLC.

and I might be a chinese jet pilot.

Now, that reply explains a lot.

 

[AlphaWolf]

Now, that reply explains a lot.

It's really all your ridiculous supposition deserved, but I'll give this one more try.

MS advanced $50 million to rockstar. An advance is a loan that is expected to be repaid via sales. The DLC is the security for the advance/loan. Yes, MS could just be flushing money down the toilet (the DLC could tank and not sell at all) but the DLC is their security for the advance/loan, so they clearly have expectations that they will do well on the sales of the DLC.

I also don't expect the advance was used to finance just the DLC, but the game and the DLC.

 

[betan]

It's really all your ridiculous supposition deserved, but I'll give this one more try.

Don't bother next time.

MS advanced $50 million to rockstar. An advance is a loan that is expected to be repaid via sales. The DLC is the security for the advance/loan. Yes, MS could just be flushing money down the toilet (the DLC could tank and not sell at all) but the DLC is their security for the advance/loan, so they clearly have expectations that they will do well on the sales of the DLC.

Maybe to people with "creative reasoning", the other possibilities may look like flushing money down the toilet, but unless that toilet throws the money back, refundablity, exclusivity and advertisement rights make the deal pretty sweet for MS in any case.

I also don't expect the advance was used to finance just the DLC, but the game and the DLC.

Good to know.