[lizzy94]

I have a media project in school, which is about GTA. Therefore I wonder why GTA is so popular? and what are the general elements of audience appeal in video games and in GTA4?
This would help me alot if I could get som answers. Thaanks!

[Duxfever]

GTA is popular because it's third major installment, Grand Theft Auto III set a new bar for a new generation of gaming - of non-linear, open-world sandbox gameplay. It provides a quirky outlook towards themes of time eras, gangs, mobs, and just bringing hours of non-stop action and overall fun. People would spend hours just f*cking around and killing people with whatever weapon or vehicle they choose. It's almost like a life simulator in some sort, just with zany characters and really crazy storylines.

GTAIV arrives, with a split reaction between that of it "was not a GTA game", and what has made a new start for the GTA franchise. But the thing people block out the most is the technical perspective in which the change of "what is GTA" imminent. Grand Theft Auto IV focused more in-depth on characters and stories, while it's true that it became more realistic, by no means was intentionally limited from its previous successor, San Andreas. It was toned-down, but only because Rockstar, the developers had a new tech engine to deal with, and had limited knowledge.

That's all I could say for now - I'm tired as hell so yeahh. Just let me know if you need anymore information.

[gtafanny]

^

[TrialzGTAS]

Its the freedom, the story, the atmosphere! The only game that I can think of that you can [nearly] do anything in is Minecraft!

[thatstupidbug]

Gta is a sandbox, it has freedom, a great story, a great atmosphere... but those features are nothing without something else. For me, the real thing that make GTA great is the ability to play not only in the game, but WHIT the game.

think about it: GTA III was the first game to allow you to go beyond the limits, and find SECRETS in the game. i'm not talking about planned secrets (like the "you're not supposed to be here" easter egg), but ghost town, secret cars, beta files, removed characters like darkel, hidden locations (donald love's rooftop)... the disk and secret data are as full of stuffs as the game world. the game offer you a straight experience (the storyline and the city), and then the ability to explore EVERYTHING you want.

Vice city was had a lot of stuffs as well (even if a little more than III),with beta stuffs, hidden interiors, underworld and blank world (or what was the name of the bug that make the city disappear)

San andreas is the top. Liberty city, hidden interiors, blue hell, beta tattoos, plus big foot and epsylon program. it was the best and still is the biggest game to explore

[ClaudeSpeedRulez]

Because San Andreas is overrated in the entire world.

[thecommander]

Grand Theft Auto gives people the opportunity to explore a world that they would never see. You can break laws and do things that would be national news if it happened in real life. You can drive however you want, take whatever you want and kill whoever you want. This is why the media doesn't like the game, they claim it parks real life shootings like Columbine, and that triple shooting of police officers in Alabama. Another reason why it is so popular is because of the media attention (hot coffee in SA).People would see this media attention and wonder what all of the fuss was about. The controversy did not start with that. Generally, kids want what they can not have, so if parents would not let their kids get the game, the kids would do whatever they could to get it. It is impossible to play one GTA and be done forever. They built up a consumer base that way and word of mouth would spread in time for GTA IV to be the biggest media release in history at the time. GTA IV gives players from all over the world a parody of American life and culture which some find very amusing. It also takes place in a city based off of a city that everyone in the world has heard of. You would't go to NYC and hang out in housing projects or New Jersey and GTA gives you gives you that opportunity. When you see the sights in GTA in real life, you know it. Last year, when I went to New York I parked in the parking garage in Algonquin on the river. I thought it was the coolest thing.

[Miamivicecity]

Even though sandbox games have always existed even before GTA back when GTA III came out in 2001 there was really no game on the market that offered as much freedom as it. I've seen people call GTA III a Driver clone, but I simply don't agree.

I also don't mean this in a fanboyish sense, but although there are some good sandbox games no developer has been able to build up the same momentumn as the GTA series. With the FPS genre for example there's always a passing of the torch. We saw it with Doom, Duke Nuken etc in the 90s and COD now. Once COD dies off something else will come along and replace it.

Unless someone can create a sandbox series with the variety the GTA series has I can't see GTA being replaced. After 15 long years many have tried and failed (Once again not being a fanboy. Just telling the truth), but no one has been able to create an alternative in the same light as GTA. I don't consider Saints Row as an alternative as it's the polar opposite to the GTA series.

[Flesh-n-Bone]

I don't think this needs explaining.

(BECAUSE IT'S FUN!)

When I play GTA, it's the most fun time I ever have. Away from the real world in a fantasy place where you have all the freedom to do anything you want.

[Kyle_Crafty]

What about the fact that it is one of the only games (series) that breaks the idea that you have to play the hero instead of the bad guy? >_>

[Redketman]

GTA games are well designed Sandbox games and usually quite big. Both in terms of map size and actual elements of gameplay. For example, you can do many things in these games like: missions, drive around in the city, hang out with girlfriends, shoot the police, become wealthy, explore different kind of areas and so on. There are plenty of interesting stuff in the Gta games! And it doesn't stop there. There are plenty of memorable characters, storylines and soundtrack in the games too.

[Hydro_PlayboyX]

freedom, realism, killing, you can do large variety of stuff and there's a story and R* is the best at storytelling