Marketing for Grand Theft Auto IV
Encyclopedia
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
is the first title in the fourth generation of the best-selling Grand Theft Auto
Grand Theft Auto (series)
Grand Theft Auto is a multi-award-winning British video game series created in the United Kingdom by Dave Jones, then later by brothers Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke. It is primarily developed by Edinburgh based Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games...
video game franchise developed by Rockstar North
Rockstar North
Rockstar North is a British video game developer based in Edinburgh, Scotland, best known for creating the Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings franchises in its earlier guise as DMA....
which was released on 29 April 2008. As the release date approached, Rockstar had been marketing the game heavily. Rockstar's marketing has come in many forms, including television ads, internet video, viral marketing, and a redesigned web site. There was even a mural of a prostitute named Lola painted on the side of a building in SoHo, New York.
Trailer 1: "Things Will Be Different"
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
. At the time the trailer was released, Rockstar's servers for the trailer's official website became almost immediately overloaded.
The trailer is 1:03 in length and features the main protagonist Niko Bellic
Niko Bellic
Niko Bellic is the main protagonist and playable character in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows. He is a 30-year-old former soldier from Eastern Europe who moved to Liberty City to escape his troubled past and pursue the "American Dream"...
, who has a brief monologue: "Life is complicated; I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different."
The trailer features several spoof New York City landmarks. The trailer uses a similar cinematic style to Godfrey Reggio
Godfrey Reggio
Godfrey Reggio is an American director of experimental documentary films.-Life:Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Reggio co-founded La Clinica de la Gente, a facility that provided medical care to 12,000 community members in Santa Fe, and La Gente, a community-organizing project in...
's 1982 documentary film Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi
Koyaanisqatsi also known as Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance, is a 1982 film directed by Godfrey Reggio with music composed by Philip Glass and cinematography by Ron Fricke....
and used Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
's original music from the film (the opening and closing stanzas of the track "Pruit-Igoe") as well as emulated time-lapsed filming from "The Grid".
Rockstar has stated that all the trailer's footage is in high-definition
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
720p
720p
720p is the shorthand name for 1280x720, a category of High-definition television video modes having a resolution of 1080 or 720p and a progressive scan...
, generated real-time by the game's RAGE engine, running on "a next-gen gaming console." Microsoft stated this console was an Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Incidentally, the initial server overload due to the heavy traffic is also credited for causing the first instances of Rickroll, where a 4chan
4chan
4chan is an English-language imageboard website. Launched on October 1, 2003, its boards were originally used for the posting of pictures and discussion of manga and anime...
user linked to the music video for Rick Astley's
Rick Astley
Richard Paul "Rick" Astley is an English singer-songwriter, musician, and radio personality. He is known for his 1987 song, "Never Gonna Give You Up", which was a #1 hit single in 25 countries...
song Never Gonna Give You Up
Never Gonna Give You Up
A group of London dance producers, called The Rickrollerz made a house music cover version of "Never Gonna Give You Up" on that day, and in honor of that event....
claiming it was a mirror of the trailer on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
.
Trailer 2: "Looking For That Special Someone"
Liberty City (Grand Theft Auto)
Liberty City is a fictional city in Rockstar Games' video games series Grand Theft Auto, based primarily on several major cities including New York City...
before showing Niko in conversation who replies "We're all looking for that special someone." The trailer shows Niko holding on to the backs of vehicles and the skid of a helicopter, displays new gun and explosion effects and demonstrates the increased force of the police. Roman is also partially revealed in the second trailer. El Burro and 8-Ball make cameos as their game art is depicted as graffiti on a building in Dukes, Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 open world action computer and video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the second 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise and sixth original title overall...
motorcycle artwork is also apparent on the wall. Other recurring elements from the GTA series appear in the trailer as well; examples include Binco, Sprunk, 24-Seven, Burger Shot and Cluckin' Bell.
The song played in the second trailer is "Arm In Arm (Shy Child Remix)" by a New York-based band, The Boggs
The Boggs
The Boggs is an independent rock band from New York City that formed in 2001 and quickly became a part of the then burgeoning "New New York" scene that included groups like The Rapture, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Calla, Interpol, and The Walkmen....
.
Trailer 3: "Move Up, Ladies"
The third trailer was released on 6 December 2007 at 21:00 UTCCoordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
. The trailer is 2:03 in length and begins with Niko arriving in Liberty City, being greeted by Roman, his cousin. Roman insists that they will soon get a mansion, but need to work their way "to the top" first. Niko is seen entering clubs and coming out of bars, where he is welcomed by a man who says "Move Up, Ladies." In a later scene, he is asked "So, where are you taking me?" by one woman named Michelle, and kissed on the cheek by another. Niko begins looking for Roman, who is hiding from gangsters; various combat scenes are shown before Niko and Roman are attacked, captured and interrogated. At the end of the trailer, Niko is threatened by gangsters and is forced to join their gang. The song played in the third trailer is "King Ring" (Король Ринга) by Russian rap artist Seryoga
Seryoga
Sergey Vasilyevich Parkhomenko is a popular Russian-Belarusian rapper and the owner of "KingRing" record label.-Career:Born in Gomel, Belarus, Seryoga grew up in a tough neighborhood. His music became a unique combination of Russian folk music with modern beats and original lyrics appealing to...
. The song can be heard in one of the game's radio station, Vladivastok FM.
Trailer 4: "Good Lord, What Are You Doing?" AKA "Everyone's a Rat"
The fourth trailer, titled "Good Lord, What Are You Doing?" AKA "Everyone's a Rat" was released on 27 March 2008 at 22:00 UTCCoordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
. The trailer is 1:17 in length and begins with a police helicopter flying over Liberty City
Liberty City
Liberty City is a neighborhood in Miami, Florida, United States. The area is roughly bound by NW 79th Street to the north, NW 27th Avenue to the west, the Airport Expressway to the south, and Interstate 95 to the east. The Miami neighborhood is home to one of the largest concentrations of black...
. Most of the trailer is spent showing a bank robbery being carried out by four men including Niko. Other scenes include a police chase along a runway of Francis International Airport, Niko being entertained in a strip club and a slow-mo car explosion (The man flying through the air during the explosion appears to be Niko). The trailer then shows an unidentified male holding a saw at the back of Niko's head, before some clips are played at high speed. It ends with a scene in which Niko is wiping his forehead in the rain. The trailer uses "Real McKoy" by reggae artist Mavado
Mavado (singer)
David Constantine Brooks , better known by his stage name Mavado, is a Jamaican musician, actor, DJ and music producer.- Biography :...
.
Box art unveiling
On 28 November 2007, a video was released, labelled "Official Box Art Unveiling", on the official GTA IV website. The video shows several artists painting the cover art on a wall at a secluded warehouse location.Teasers
On 8 February 2008, Rockstar Games released five teaser trailers for Grand Theft Auto IV.- Vlad Glebov: The first teaser shows the character Vladimir Glebov. It is 0:26 in length.
- Manny Escuela: The second teaser is about character Manny Escuela. It is 0:31 in length.
- Roman Bellic: The third teaser is about character Roman Bellic. It is 0:33 in length.
- Whiz Wireless: The fourth teaser is about wireless communication Whiz. It is 0:33 in length.
- Steinway Beer Garden: The fifth teaser is about a bar called The Steinway Beer Garden. It is 0:47 in length.
On 21 February 2008, two further teasers were released.
- Dilettante Hybrid: The sixth teaser is about a new car called the Karin Dilettante - a hybrid vehicle based on the Toyota PriusToyota PriusThe Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
. The video is 0:40 in length.
- Phil Bell: The seventh teaser is about the character Phil Bell. It is 0:33 in length.
On 7 March 2008, another two teasers were released.
- Packie McReary: The eighth teaser shows the character Patrick "Packie" McReary. It is 0:29 in length.
- LCPD Recruitment: The ninth teaser is about a policeman Brian O'Toole who describes his job, to recruit more people. It satirizes the post 9/11 actions of the NYPD, such as their bag search policy on the subways and their draconian treatment of protesters during the 2004 Republican National Convention2004 Republican National ConventionThe 2004 Republican National Convention, the presidential nominating convention of the Republican Party of the United States, took place from August 30 to September 2, 2004 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York...
. It is 0:45 in length.
- Gamestop TV Spot: This tenth teaser trailer shows a tour by a Top Celebrity name Jeremy St. Ives about life in Liberty City. It is about 1:00 in length. The video shows Jeremy St. Ives as a big celebrity showing the highlights of Liberty City, but it turns out Liberty doesn't have many highlights. The song played in the TV spot was Miles DavisMiles DavisMiles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
's Move
On 11 April 2008, two teasers were released.
- Playboy X: The eleventh teaser shows the character Playboy X. It is 0:31 in length. The song used is "Wet 'Em Up" by Tru Life.
- Liberty City Gun Club: The twelfth teaser is about liquor, guns and fun. It is 0:51 in length.
On 25 April 2008, a teaser was released.
- Niko Bellic: The thirteenth teaser shows the character Niko Bellic. It is 1:20 in length. The song used is 'Z Twig' by Aphex TwinAphex TwinRichard David James , best known under the pseudonym Aphex Twin, is an Irish-born electronic musician and composer described as "the most inventive and influential figure in contemporary electronic music"...
from the album Selected Ambient Works Volume IISelected Ambient Works Volume II-Formatting notes:The cassette version of the album featured six songs on each side, barring side three, which contained seven . The vinyl version featured four songs on each side, excluding side four, which contained five ....
Commercials
On 4 April 2008, a commercial was released, showing Niko walking towards the camera in many areas, from a prison to an airport. The main purpose of the video is to showcase both the realistic environments and the fluid walking animation of the main character. The video is 0:59 in length, however there is a shorter version that is about 0:30 in length. In Europe, the advert advertises only the Xbox 360 version and not the PlayStation 3PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version. It features the typical 'Xbox Swoosh' at the end. It also mentions a price reduction in the system. The song used in the video is called 'Get Innocuous!' by LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem
LCD Soundsystem was a prominent American dance-punk band from New York City. It was fronted by American singer-songwriter and producer James Murphy, co-founder of record label DFA Records...
.
WKTT Talk Radio
On 13 July 2007, a Liberty City radio station dubbed "WKTT Talk Radio - We Know The Truth" was launched. The teaser site mentions that people can do their part for the War on TerrorWar on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
by calling in and ranting. The phone number listed can be called allowing the caller to leave a voice mail message of their thoughts on what is wrong with their health, the world, America, or themselves personally. Callers are asked to first read the Terms and Conditions before calling which allow Rockstar to use the voice mail message in GTA IV.
Wanted posters
In parts of BelgiumBelgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, wanted posters depicting Niko Bellic and Little Jacob appeared. The posters list specific details of each character, such as the characters' height, weight, and age. Niko is wanted for questioning in an investigation of a grand theft auto
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is the criminal act of stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle...
incident and Little Jacob for robbery and firearms possession. Other information revealed within the posters were the names of two streets in the game, Lorimar Street and Wordite Street; a possible way of car-jacking within the game via assaulting the driver with a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
bat and a possible, unofficially released character within the game, "Detective Moeller". Rockstar Games has indicated that these promotion posters were accidentally released and therefore unofficial. However, besides being released on the game's main website, these posters were later sent to numerous GTA fansites as parts of exclusive press kits referred to as 'Hidden Packages'. The posters are now available on the official GTA IV website as a printable download.
Official website
On 8 February 2008, Rockstar Games launched the official Grand Theft Auto IV website with previously unseen content from the game.The site introduces itself with a view of the Liberty City skyline and "Welcome to Liberty City" followed by numerous slogans, for example "Come and visit! You'll be desperate to leave" and "The American dream? It's time to wake up"
The main content is split into three sections: People and Places, Recreation and Entertainment, and Goods and Services. The new website features new teaser trailers and several images of in-game characters and locations, as well as a basic outline of the map of Liberty City. There are several advertisements for in-game products and services including a dating site, a mobile phone company, and the return of the drink, Sprunk, which was also featured in the previous game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Within these in-game advertisements are downloads for wallpapers, buddy icons, and MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
layouts. There is also a mini-game and a personality quiz. In addition, six of the eighteen in-game radio stations can currently be previewed.
On 11 April 2008, the "multiplayer" section of the website was updated with details on different the multiplayer functions that will be available.
Grand Theft Auto IV: Special Edition
Grand Theft Auto IV: Special Edition was announced on 21 May 2007 for both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions. It contains the following:- A customized metal safe deposit box.
- A Rockstar keychain for the safe deposit box keys.
- A limited edition Rockstar duffel bag.
- Production artwork in the Grand Theft Auto IV Art Book.
- The Music of Grand Theft Auto IVThe Music of Grand Theft Auto IVThe Music of Grand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 soundtrack packaged with the special edition of Grand Theft Auto IV. The disc contains several soundtrack selections from the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. The soundtrack features several genres, from gangsta rap to rock music and reggae. Several...
soundtrack CD. - A box containing the above specific for each platform:
- The PlayStation 3 version has an illustration of Lola on the cardboard box sleeve.
- The Xbox 360 version has an illustration of the main character, Niko Bellic, on the cardboard sleeve.
See also
- Grand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IVGrand Theft Auto IV is a 2008 open world action video game published by Rockstar Games, and developed by British games developer Rockstar North. It has been released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles, and for the Windows operating system...
- Liberty CityLiberty City (Grand Theft Auto)Liberty City is a fictional city in Rockstar Games' video games series Grand Theft Auto, based primarily on several major cities including New York City...
- List of characters in Grand Theft Auto IV
- Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrackGrand Theft Auto IV soundtrackThe soundtrack to the game Grand Theft Auto IV, like the previous games in the series, is mostly made up of in-game radio stations. These radio stations can be listened to when driving various vehicles in the game, or at the start menu...
- Grand Theft Auto IV controversiesGrand Theft Auto IV controversiesGrand Theft Auto IV is a sandbox-style action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North. It is the eleventh title in the Grand Theft Auto series and the first in its fourth generation...