14 DAY TRIAL // There are no reasons to doubt the fact that the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto will be a true phenomenon and the game world will be changed - at least slightly - in a good way when it comes to open world gameplay, game world complexity and so many more other things (including the way the perfect game should look like, it seems, if we take a look at the recent reviews). But have you ever wondered how a game as big and fabulous as GTA IV - a perfect game, after all - could change the entire game world? in a bad way? Well, we did and we're going to share the pain:
1. The console war
"Yes, I'll take my favorite console!"
Many voices, including esteemed game analysts, consider GTA IV to have the strength to decide the console war. Although I totally doubt Rockstar's game is that big, IF it were able to achieve such a mischievous thing, it would mark the beginning of a disaster: we all know that whenever and wherever there's a winner, there must be a loser. And the loser vanquishes. Gets blasted. Pulverized, you get the point. Just imagine how sad the game world would be without the PS3 or Xbox 360. And, I must repeat - many analysts consider that this Apocalypse is coming!
2. Fanboys - guerilla war
Let the war begin!
Even though I doubt GTA's strength to decide the winner of the console war, Niko's adventure is definitely strong enough to drive all the console fanboys crazy. The fight between the two sides will quickly turn into a real virtual (sic!) guerilla warfare, with the Xbox 360 fanboys ambushing the PS3 version lovers using weapons such as mandatory installs and the hyped DLC, while the PS3 fanboys will counterattack with the nostalgia of their console being the one where the phenomenon was born (partially true), better graphics and lightning fast loading times. There will definitely be a lot more hate in the gaming world after Grand Theft Auto IV launches and I don't see that stopping too soon. (Side-quest interlude: check some game forums and see the true war begin!)
3. Cash for pleasure. The giants' pleasure.
Waiting for the dough...
Everybody knows the strong rumors regarding Microsoft's $50 million payment for exclusive DLC in GTA IV. This means that the gaming industry is really being bought by the biggest of them all and used to generate obscene amounts of profit for the buyer, while leaving the consumers with nothing but an illusion. This means that games are (or, at least, will be) no longer created to offer a fun, unforgettable, unique (and so on) experience, as they should, but to make everybody rich. While I have nothing against people being paid for their hard work - not even against them getting rich, I am horrified when I start to think that all future games could leave important pieces out of the original release, waiting for one giant or another to jump in with the cash and purchase the exclusive rights for them, in order to push their console one step ahead. Games should be created with the developers thinking about the great experience the players will have when playing them, while trying to keep them as close to a perfect, polished product as possible. On the other hand, consoles should fight against one another battling with technical attributes and other hardware-related stuff (easier to handle, great controls, better graphics, perfect online and support services and so on), not software they can pay for. But it seems that GTA IV discovered the backdoor and there is a big possibility that other games will use it in the future. Who would say no to some free cash, anyway?
4. Real life violence
"You played Tetris. Busted!"
All game haters can hardly wait for Grand Theft Auto IV to be released in order to start linking all future violent acts to the game. All the crimes that can't be attributed to some real reasons will find GTA IV guilty. Keep repeating something to a human being, and he or she will start to believe it's true. So, people (the non-gamers, that is) will actually start to believe that Niko and, generally speaking, video games are responsible for all the violence in the world and begin the hate war. And we already know that a new rating system is waiting for an excuse to be released, waiting for something bad to happen - I am sure no gamer would love their government to start a banning or censoring spree, but it might be coming. And that would be hideous.
5. Variety will be killed
"I start to feel lonely..."
Interest in other game genres will slowly fade away because everything that matters in this world is the trend. So if it's cool to play and love GTA and you're a worthless person if you don't play and don't like the game? you WILL play it! Just for your friends, just to be able to still consider yourself part of this world, just to be cool, too. You will fall in love with the game even if you don't want this to happen and you will start to ignore others. You will start spending money on all the poor-quality clones that will keep popping after GTA IV gets released, just because that's the trend. And I doubt you can disagree with the fact that at least ten titles to be released next year will be promoted saying that they are much better than Grand Theft Auto IV. Will we hear, in the future, songs like "GTA killed the adventure star"?
6. PCs will die
The last PC is destroyed!
Many people, including game journalists, say that the first Grand Theft Auto was released on the PlayStation, and even more people start to believe it's true (which is incorrect, by the way!). Since Personal Computers have started to become the last platform developers create games for and, I must repeat, GTA IV is such a phenomenon, people will actually start believing that PCs are really worthless game platforms. And when gamers start to believe such silly things, developers will no longer develop for PCs. And this would be the worst thing that could happen to the gaming industry!
So, as you can see, not everything is great when it comes to Grand Theft Auto IV - at least in theory (and I truly hope it will remain theory). But this still doesn't mean you shouldn't take a day off on the 29th of April and enjoy the best out of Liberty City. If there are problems in the gaming world, we'll think of something and solve them. That's why weekly Weekend Readings exist, after all.