Industry analysts estimate that the first-week sales volume of *GTA4* will reach 5 million copies. Compared to the $300 million in sales during the first week of *BioShock* last year, it may be difficult for *GTA4* to surpass this in its opening week, but it is certain to exceed the annual sales of *BioShock*.
Dan Houser, Vice President and Script Planner of Rockstar, said that the underlying mechanics of the game have been completely redone with the aim of providing players with a smooth yet exhilarating gaming experience. "We feel we owe something to our fans, especially those who are drooling over the game but haven't decided to buy a new console yet; we need to give them something that will help them make up their minds," he explained.
Regarding the relationship between Liberty City and New York City, Houser explained: "We wanted to make the storytelling of this game more coherent and systematic. Players will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the experience of a new immigrant walking the streets of New York, encountering strange situations. This long-held idea has been continuously enriched and perfected."
Houser also mentioned one of his favorite scenes where the player receives a mission to assassinate a patient lying in a hospital bed. The way to complete the task is entirely up to personal preference: you can sneak in silently through the window, burst in chaotically through the front door, or even disguise yourself and casually turn off the patient's life support system.
"We leave the choices to the players, not forcing them to accept anything. Even at critical points in the plot, players still have choices. I don’t want to get into the details now, but I think giving players the choice will be very interesting," Houser expressed.
Houser also explained the de-cartoonization of the graphics: "If the graphics had a cartoonish direction, then the script would also need to be slightly cartoonish to match; but obviously, the visuals of this game tend towards realism because we want to maintain the original appearance of things."
In addition, some elements from other works that seem out of place with the GTA series have been incorporated by the developers, such as *The Sims*. Social activities occupy a significant portion in *GTA4*, allowing the protagonist Niko Bellic to go online at an internet cafe and visit more than a hundred fictional websites created by the game developers. He can also socialize with other characters through mobile phones, emails, bars, small theaters, bowling alleys, and strip clubs.
Yes, strip clubs.
Rockstar has had a notorious past, and their *Manhunt 2* was exiled for a long time due to rating issues. But this time, *GTA4* is ready to make its own statement: "Because of our rich past experiences, I look forward to this moment. I hope people use the same standards to evaluate game works, but in fact, they don’t do that, and I don’t understand why. Games are the most convenient scapegoats."
Currently, the rating for *GTA4* has not been determined.
Additionally, Rockstar has started promoting the game by posting elaborately designed "wanted posters" on utility poles in Brooklyn. These posters feature the protagonist Niko Bellic's portrait, stating that Bellic is wanted for an incident in the Broker district involving Hove Street...