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How Grand Theft Auto IV saved the Xbox 360

May 05, 2008 in News comments 23

As you probably know, Grand Theft Auto III was a huge hit on the Playstation 2 and while the Xbox was sitting in the corner, slitting its wrists, Sony gloated over the victory, since the game made the PS2 stand out and overtake it's rival. This, essential decided the winning console of that generation. Now getting to this generation, Microsoft was smart and planned for the future to get Grand Theft Auto IV for their Xbox 360 in order to not make the same mistake and also even trying to make it better. This, according to The Bitbag, saved the system from utter failure.

Microsoft didn’t see GTAIII on the Xbox until 2003. It was bigger, better and had more features on the Xbox. It sold very well considering the lower install base of the Xbox. By this time however, it was too late. The PS2 was already dominating the console world. GTAIII was a household name and it was the game that sent the PS2 into celebrity hardware status. Even after the game finally arrived for the Xbox, it continued to sell well on the PS2. Those single console owners that had Xboxes still got a treat with 720p resolution, better textures and reflections, but better hardware never meant better sales.
Synergized via thebitbag.com »
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Most recently commented on by on May 10, 2008

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  • 1
    Zero and X May 6, 08
    Bullshit, with or without GTA4, the 360 would have still been a sucess. Its more of a sucess because of GTA4 obviously, but to say that it would have been a failure without it is complete and utter bullshit.
  • 0
    Raziel_326 May 6, 08
    Saviour? The 360 was never in trouble to begin with.
  • 0
    reaver11 May 6, 08
    All it did was push out more sales. It did the same with the PS3 only its benefiting the 360 more.
  • 0
    iLLmatic May 6, 08
    I think PS2 had a couple more reasons for winning than just GTA III and I think the 360 is far from a failure, potentially or otherwise. Seriously a ridiculous "observation."
  • 0
    Final Blade May 6, 08
    Wait....The 360 was a failure before GTA4? Since when, what about the massive library with more exclusives than there opponents, surely that says otherwise..
  • 0
    Gamesta100 May 6, 08
    If the 360 was a failure before GTA4, then I look like Brad Pitt.
    • 0
      iLLmatic May 6, 08
      So are you implying that you would like to look like Brad Pitt?
      • 0
        Gamesta100 May 6, 08
        I would like to look like anyone if it made women fall at my feet lol.
        • 0
          Slumpy monkey May 6, 08
          Why not just drug them? Has the same effect.
  • 1
    Sereph May 6, 08
    So basically, if GTA IV had been canceled (for both versions mind you), then both consoles would have failed? That's the thread of the logic here, that GTA IV is some magical savior for the console race. The 360 was already dominating the real console war before GTA IV (sorry Wii, you're not a real console as 90% of your install base only cares about WiiSports). IV will make the 360 more visible in the eyes of casual gamers (the gigantic Madden crowd mainly), so that's a plus for sales, however the way the console has already sold doesn't mean without GTA IV the console would be a failure.
    • 2
      Rinkydink May 6, 08
      Don't be silly, the Wii is a real console just like the others, whether you like it or not.

      As for the article, the guy speaks bullshit. The 360 didn't need saving to begin with, and it would still have been successful if GTA only came out on the PS3. One game doesn't determine the success of a console, even one as popular as GTA.
      • -2
        Final Blade May 6, 08
        So are you suggesting a Console(Wii) who has 80% of its install base care for Wii sports and Fit, when there is millions out there like myself, who has yet to get a Wii since people are screwing around with the Wii, when i could be playing some games?
        Sorry no its not a real console at least based on that, its a cheap Gimick that Nintendo can't advertise for shit for games.
      • 1
        Sereph May 7, 08
        I like the Wii mind you, I think it could (and has) turned out some really innovative games, but the fact of the matter is that 90% of the people who own Wiis (the parents, the kids, the old people), don't give a shit about any game but WiiSports and imitations like it where the main gameplay description is "minigame collection". The Wii is a real console yes, but when the big money is in minigames and not in real innovation, then the console cannot compete and will be forgotten when next generation hits.

        That's my point. It's like having the cure for cancer and using the glass vial as a paperweight.
    • 0
      Dio May 7, 08
      Lol, just because not every game on Wii is a FPS, it's not a real console? Give me a break.

      Wii offers a different experience from the other consoles. Its not just the same old games all the time. That being said, I enjoy all three of my consoles equally.

      And yeah, this article is also ridiculous. CoD4, Gears, Mass Effect, Halo, Bioshock, etc, all had nothing to do with the 360's success, right?
  • -1
    Bale Fire* May 6, 08
    This guys logic is dancing on a thread
  • -1
    joshuam May 6, 08
    haha stop biickering
    so what if the 360 became more popular cause of the GTA IV
    it was a sucess beforeit anyways so it doesnt mke a difference
  • 2
    Sphinx May 6, 08
    I love the fact that this guy seems to think that GTA3 is the sole game that helped the PS2 win the last console war. Not the fact that thousands of people bought them because they were the cheapest DVD players at the time (much like Sony are doing again with bluray), not to mention over a years headstart on the Xbox and GC and a long line of exclusives continuing from the PS1.

    Yes GTA is very popular, but one game isn't going to make or break a console.
    • 0
      Bri May 6, 08
      I definitely agree. While GTA was great, it wasn't the game that drove me to but the PS2 in the first place - that was Metal Gear Solid 2. Ask any gamer, and they'll likel have a wide degree of varying answers. We all have our reasons for buying a system, it doesn't necessarily need to be one great game that decides a console war.
      • 0
        S H E P E R D May 9, 08
        THANK YOU. MGS2 did just as much, if not more, to sell PS2s over Xboxs than any GTA. There are a lot of factors unsaid in that shitty observation, so at that, it's best to ignore it as nonsensical rantings from an under-experienced gamer.
  • 2
    BANDITO ATTACK May 6, 08
    oh god. it wasn't gears, or halo, or mass effect, or bio shock. those games were complete flops. it was gta4 that holds the 360 up by itself, and has sold them for the past how many years.
  • -2
    Paper Mario Dude May 6, 08
    Stop bitching about the wii, just because you dont like it doesnt mean you have to throw bullshit around. this is why i hate owning a Wii because little bitches like you bash it every second just because you either can't get one or are a hardheaded dumbass.
    as said above, not one game can determine whether a console wins or loses. its like saying just because a guy has an extra wheel on his wheel chair at the special olympics will win, its *bleep*ed. 0_0
    All systems have their games that keep it running. Nintendo has a Mario, Zelda and Metroid, those 3 have been farmiliar with all of us and they know thats what they want.
    sony doesnt really have a mascot but they keep shitting out some pretty damn good games, and ones that look absolutley beautiful.
    Microsoft has alot of the same games as the playstation, but it has its own exclusives as mentioned above.
    The guy who wrote the article (not the one who posted in gamegrep) is dumb and doesnt deserve to be on the internet.
    • 0
      Sereph May 10, 08
      Your avatar features Brawl characters. Your name was taken from a popular Gamecube game, and you're defending the Wii using Nintendo franchises.

      You're obviously a Nintendo fanboy, so give it up. Not enough of a fanboy to flame the other consoles without logic or reason, but enough of a fanboy to not be able to see past the obvious faults of your favorite console (95% casual gamer rate + shitty shovelware turned out every week).
  • 0
    Capn Droid May 10, 08
    Some people forgot San Andreas.

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