14 DAY TRIAL // GTA IV is the most anticipated game set to be launched in April, late April that is. And Rockstar is pulling all the stops to ensure players that the experience they will have in the GTA IV universe will be one they won't forget very easy.
After talking about things like future downloadable content and even a possible GTA MMO, Rockstar has revealed a very concrete move that's due to debut on April 15. The initiative, dubbed Rockstar Social Club, is based around a website where all GTA IV players will be able to register and have the progress they make in-game tracked by special Rockstar applications. At certain intervals, the game will connect to the site and upload a bunch of statistics regarding the players' progress.
The accounts will be linked to the players' Xbox Live Gamertag or PlayStation Network ID and all cheating in the game will be severely punished. Leaderboards will be created highlighting the players that completed the game fastest and the time players spend on each area. The first ten players to finish the game will become part of the "100% Club" and will be rewarded with a "key to the City". Other statistics will track the number of miles each player has traveled in the in-game world, the number of shots fired, the number of miles that players swim and the number of stunt jumps they perform. All these will be used as a base for various events created by Rockstar and to different challenges.
Apart from the user statistics, Rockstar also wants to offer some a global image of the city featured in the game. It plans to pull data from single player and multiplayer games and use it to create an interactive map that's dynamic and clearly shows where the police is active, where the crime rate has gone up and what weapons are most commonly used by players.
Will it make any difference to the players? It might, if the features are all well implemented and offer interesting tidbits of info to the players. But playing the game when it finally comes out will be more rewarding than any site offering statistics and interactive maps.