Grand Theft Auto IV is a popular video game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Windows PC. The game was a major commercial success, selling over 25 million copies. It uses an open world design that allows players to freely roam around its interactive city environment. Players can complete missions for the main story or spend time exploring and interacting with the game world. The game's violence and criminal activities generated controversy but also significant marketing through media coverage. It established new standards for realistic open world design and gameplay in video games.

1. Text
Section B: Institutions & Audiences
Grand Theft Auto IV
Production
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2. Ownership
Developer: Rockstar North
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Distributer: Take-Two Interactive
Engine: Euphoria
(developed by Natural Motion)
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3. Ownership
Rockstar franchise: Rockstar North (Edinburgh)
Rockstar Leeds
Rockstar London
Rockstar Lincoln
Rockstar San Diego
Rockstar Toronto
Rockstar Vancouver
Rockstar Japan
Owned by: Take-Two Interactive
Also own 2K Games
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4. Platforms
GTA4 is available on: PlayStation 3 (Sony)
Xbox 360 (Microsoft)
Windows PC (Microsoft)
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5. Intertextuality
GTA4 draws heavily on the styles, narratives and themes
of gangster films from the 1970s and 80s. It is also
influenced by more recent television shows and films.
Music in the game comes mainly through 19 in game
radio stations, playing more than 200 tracks, from artists
as diverse as The Stooges, Bathory, Celtic Frost, Iron
Maiden, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Gil Scott Heron,
Kanye West and John Legend
A raft of actors and musicians were drafted in to voice act
the characters. Michael Hollick, who played Nico Bellic
was paid $100 000 for his part in the game.
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6. Technology
GTA4 uses the Euphoric engine, which uses complex
physics, AI technology and simulation in order to create
realistic, on-the-fly movement. The company claim its
advanced system means that characters ‘learn’ from
experiences and react differently to each situation
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7. Text
Section B: Institutions & Audiences
Grand Theft Auto IV
Marketing
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8. Marketing
GTA 4 has been marketed in a number of ways:
•Cover art
•Trailers, Teasers & Television advertisements
•‘Real Word’ Promotion that blurs the lines between the
game’s reality and the real world
•Website
•Controversy
•In game synergy
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9. Cover Art
Look at the cover for the game.
What does it say about the game and why will it appeal
to its audience?
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10. Trailers & Teasers
Four trailers were released in support of the game:
Things Will Be Different
Looking For That Something Special
Move Up Ladies
Good Lord, What Are You Doing? (AKA Everyone’s a Rat)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evM8Dlssf2A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joW1U_uzjjc
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11. Trailers & Teasers
There are thirteen teasers promoting
the game
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12. ‘Real World’ Promotion
Interest in the game was stimulated through traditional
billboards and fake police wanted posters
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13. Website
GTA 4 is supported with a huge, immersive website takes
the shape of Liberty City: it creates a whole city for the
visitor to explore.
Go tp http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/ and have a look
around at the end of this presentation
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14. Controversy
A game with such levels of violence and crime will always
generate controversy in the media. Rockstar had courted
such controversy with a previous release (Bully), but the
outrage that preceded and followed GTA 4’s release
created a lot of free marketing for the game.
How might such controversy encourage sales?
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15. In-Game Synergy
There are lots of ‘side shows’ and additional elements to
the game that reference the wider media. This is known
as synergy: the process of media texts referencing each
other.
In the case of GTA4, the media texts, products and
organisations that are referenced are all fictional, but the
effect is to further enrich the immersive and real nature
of the game
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16. Text
Section B: Institutions & Audiences
Grand Theft Auto IV
Distribution
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17. Distribution: Introduction
Distribution occurs between Production and
Consumption.
Purchasing of gaming products via physical media such as
CD & DVD.
Increased use of the internet has led to on-line
distribution of videogames.
Retail services such as Download.com have allowed
players to purchase and download large games via the
internet, that otherwise would only be available on DVD.
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18. Distribution
Analysts argue that when gamers can download games
on their home PC’s distributors and retailers may
disappear.
Developers’ and Publishers’ profit margins would explode
as there would be no need for the middlemen. Games
would become cheaper to produce.
Third generation mobile phones and Interactive TV
services offer more ways to sell products
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19. Distribution GTA 4
In pairs research the distribution pattern for GTA 4.
You will need to explore the ways in which the game gets
to the audience, including platforms, DLC and online
options
What are the advantages of these distribution methods
for the game’s developer, publisher and distributer?
What are the advantages for the consumer?
Present your research in a visible way (either
electronically or as a poster)
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20. Text
Section B: Institutions & Audiences
Grand Theft Auto IV
Consumption
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21. Consumption: Introduction
On its first day of British release, 609,000 copies were
sold – making £24.4 million.
3.7 million copies of the game were sold worldwide on its
first day of sales.
6 million copies were sold in the first week of
release, generating $500 million
The game cost £50 million to produce, so in one day it
recouped almost half of its budget from UK sales alone
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22. Consumption: Introduction
The game has made significant contributions to the
technological developments in the way we play games.
It’s free roaming location and sandbox structure mean
that players can fully immerse themselves in the games
environment, completing missions if they want to or just
taking a stroll around the city.
In many ways this is typical of the video game industry
and its vanguard role in audience interaction. The high
levels of editability, control and immersion that are
increasingly typical of games are also what other media
sectors are trying to achieve.
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23. Consumption: Activities
Why is GTA so popular?
What is the audience appeal of video games in general
What are the specific elements of Audience appeal in
GTA4?
Gameplay
How can GTA 4 be played?
How has multiplayer options and DLC changed
the way we play?
How does this type of consumption illustrate wider trends
in media consumption?
Include discussion of technology, interactivity,
access, convergence, etc.
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24. GTA 4 Activities
We have no covered all the information relevant to GTA 4
Use the notes, handouts and other information you have to construct a detailed essay
plan for the question below.
Put your notes together as a powerpoint that uses images, diagrams, and other memory
aids.
Make sure you specifically address the areas raised in the question
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25. We have no covered all the information relevant to GTA 4
Use the notes, handouts and other information you have to construct a detailed essay
plan for the question below.
Put your notes together as a powerpoint that uses images, diagrams, and other memory
aids.
Make sure you specifically address the areas raised in the question