NY Times gives Game of the Year honors to GTA IV
by Griffin McElroy 
{ Dec 21st 2008 at 8:00PM }
However, at the bottom of his list of odds-and-ends, Schiesel follows the example of Time Magazine and the VGAs, ultimately choosing Grand Theft Auto IV as his Game of the Year. Schiesel was swooned by Rockstar's crime drama due to its mature writing, which makes GTA IV "one of the few games that even [tries] to take on the real world in any adult way." Obviously, he's never heard of a little game called 50 Cent: Blood in the Sand.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Haggard @ Dec 21st 2008 8:03PM
Freaky, I just stopped playing GTA to check the 'stiq.
Grinding my 'all your friends like you over 90%' trophy is getting on my nerves
SoulBlade @ Dec 21st 2008 8:30PM
god i hate those people... hope you're drunk or blazed while you do it
bigsofty @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:40AM
Ah, the last GTA I will ever buy, its a big fat lumbering carcass of a game, repetitive and cutscene bloated... never again... this is also another reason I will NOT listen to crap like this that hypes a stunningly mediocre game to the point I actually pay for it, then regreted that I listened to the games media...
Ricksta @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:44AM
Agreed bigsofty. Before GTA4 I played Vice City. I liked that one for a few weeks. GTA4 lasted a few days. I bought into the hype for a game that felt like a mere update. Poor graphics + awful flow of gameplay = worst $60 bucks I spent on a X360 game.
EMaster @ Dec 22nd 2008 9:03AM
Man I hope you killed off Dwayne before you do that. that guy is the most ANNOPYINg "friend" you can have epseically when you druink with him. I played the whole game again just to pop him when I had the chance cause he is so annyoing! I'm trying to do the "meet all random characters" one now.
arrrgh @ Dec 22nd 2008 12:49PM
fuck the haters.
to the haters: FUCK YOU
gta4 is a great game. Smacks of effort, and the multiplayer is insane. Some people were expecting feature bloated, confused gameplay like san andreas.
for you people there are a few games that are right up your alley. Saints Row, Saints Row 2, those shitty assed 50 cent games.
There now you can enjoy your over the top retardations in peace.
Leave gta4 alone. I'm sick of the bashing it is taking because it is closer in kin to gta3 (amazing), than san andreas (a giant mess...albeit fun as hell)
grapejoos @ Dec 23rd 2008 4:01PM
Amen aaargh. I don't get all the hand-wringing over these GTAIV GOTY selections. It has groundbreaking production values we've never seen in games before. It also probably had the highest pop culture awareness factor of any game ever made. And on top of that, it is an awesome game that is a total blast to play.
To all of the haters, what are you playing? No game kept me glued to my TV this year like GTA IV did. It shouldn't be penalized for coming out earlier in the year. Don't like GTA games? No wonder you don't like it.
The Dark Wayne @ Dec 21st 2008 8:05PM
yeah it tries, but it doesnt get very far.
Randall @ Dec 21st 2008 8:08PM
Correct, and well deserved.
Ridgecity @ Dec 22nd 2008 3:14AM
I Just don't see how this game could beat Metal Gear Solid 4, It's freekin great, but better than a Metal gear game?
mikem @ Dec 22nd 2008 4:23AM
MGS4 is a geek fare- the story hardly appeal to the masses. I've played both games and GTA IV is clearly better in creating a more believable and immersive experience. Even technically, GTA IV has so much going for it compared to the rather sterile and static world of Metal Gear.
EMaster @ Dec 22nd 2008 7:43AM
You daaaaaaaaaaaaamn right. Screw the haters.
tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 21st 2008 8:13PM
Oh man you put a link to that epic "wait 2-3 years" article. That was some good fun.
In other news NY times goes with most popular game of the year as the "best". Surprises for everyone.
Mr Khan @ Dec 21st 2008 9:56PM
Yup. The worst failure of reading comprehension i've ever seen on this site. How firings didn't result from that one i'll never know
tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 21st 2008 10:05PM
Because it was one of the greatest articles ever? I know that was one of the best times I had on here.
Mr Khan @ Dec 21st 2008 10:09PM
No, because it took quotes of the article out of context, and led to a conclusion that was patently false. Whoever was interviewed in that case did not say "Wait 2-3 years for more core games," he said "core games take 2-3 years to make"
j.howlett @ Dec 22nd 2008 6:41AM
reading comprehension gets in the way of saying stupid things about what people hate on around joystiq
Kelly @ Dec 21st 2008 8:13PM
I dislike GTA4,
I dislike the fact that it keeps winning GOTY awards even more so.
Foetoid @ Dec 21st 2008 8:20PM
I've never ever liked the 3D GTA games as much as i tried to, and i've heard from GTA fans that GTAIV is crap, so it must be really really bad. I've had a lot of fun with both Saints Row games tho.
GoldenS1104 @ Dec 21st 2008 8:22PM
I liked the 3D GTA's but after San Andreas I thought, "why bother with the series any more?" I never found the missions to be any fun, it was the sandbox stuff that was entertaining and even that could only last me so long.
Snowblind @ Dec 21st 2008 8:36PM
I enjoyed GTA IV for the most part, but it most certainly did not deserve GoTY, not by a long shot.
WRE @ Dec 21st 2008 8:43PM
Look at me, I'm so cool, I hate [name of something popular], I prefer [name of something obscure], I am disrespectful to that which is mainstream, can you see that I am serious?
Jawmuncher @ Dec 21st 2008 8:59PM
WRE you're probably one of the people who like games, because the critics like games.
Markez (Anti-Panda Death Murder Squadron) @ Dec 21st 2008 8:59PM
Is that a Simpsons fish bulb reference, Worst Review Ever? Did I just catch that?
Kelly @ Dec 21st 2008 9:05PM
WRE, let me be the first to apologize for posting my opinion on the interwebs. I didn't realize that this wasn't the place people's personal feelings. I'll just shut up and go back to looking at porn; and from now on, I'll keep my opinion to myself.
/end sarcasm
Markez (Anti-Panda Death Murder Squadron) @ Dec 21st 2008 9:12PM
Kelly, people looking at porn don't generally keep their opinions to themselves. It's usually "oh yes, I love this, I love this" or "oh no, oh no, this isn't what I was looking for, oh god no, I don't like this."
C'mon, just be honest with yourself.
Kelly @ Dec 21st 2008 9:20PM
THERE IS A "COMMENTS" SECTION ON CERTAIN PORN SITES?!!?!@?!@?!?
WHY WASN'T I INFORMED OF THIS EARLIER?!!?!?!?!
The Dark Wayne @ Dec 21st 2008 9:41PM
yeah a lot of them do.
Oh urr, uh i mean, i've heard they do
WRE @ Dec 21st 2008 10:13PM
Kelly, let me be the first to apologize for posting my opinion on the interwebs. I didn't realize that this wasn't the place people's personal feelings. I'll just shut up and go back to looking at porn; and from now on, I'll keep my opinion to myself.
/end sarcasm
You see what I did there?
Markez,
You nailed it!
Jawmuncher,
Sure, pal, you got me. Since we're guessing, I'll bet you're one of those kids that only likes something until it's cool to not like it? What do I win?
Strategy_Panda (The Sandwich Poisoning Crew) @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:57AM
@ Markez
well if you liked meat spin, I have some more links that might tickle your fancy.
Foetoid @ Dec 22nd 2008 6:40AM
Wow! I was voted into oblivion for voicing my opinion. JOYSTIQ FTW! -_-
aaron @ Dec 21st 2008 8:18PM
"Best Explanation of Why Nintendo Hardly Needs Big Games Anymore" (the Wii).
+ what ever positive number you can think of.
Jakka ( The Order of Haters of Balance) @ Dec 22nd 2008 5:50AM
9000?
XGM @ Dec 21st 2008 8:22PM
Im still pissed off at the abysmal PC version... I have a good rig that has trouble getting past the 20 FPS mark on minimum graphics. But pretty much every other game I run maxed out with a solid 50+ FPS.
Foetoid @ Dec 22nd 2008 6:45AM
Your 'good rig' is already out of date. What graphics card are you running? If you are running anything less than the 9000 series Geforce cards then i highly recommend upgrading to the HD4850 ATI Card (1gb version preferred). My 512 version run every game ever made maxed out and smooth, even Crysis. Tho on XP, Crysis only get to 'High' and not 'Very High'
Robert @ Dec 21st 2008 8:33PM
How many people have actually finished the game?
Strategy_Panda (The Sandwich Poisoning Crew) @ Dec 21st 2008 8:35PM
I finished the main story twice
The Dark Wayne @ Dec 21st 2008 8:39PM
I finished it, not happily
tmacairjordan87 @ Dec 21st 2008 8:43PM
I got something like 97% or 97.5% done, but there was 1 damn pidgeon I couldn't find and I didn't feel like going through all 200 places again just to find 1. I imagine I'll rent it some day and do it though.
Squirtforce @ Dec 22nd 2008 1:22AM
How could you not play through it "happily" when it's not exactly short? You poor baby, did you suffer through it like a dentist appointment? If you don't save the princess, the terrorists really do win?
The Dark Wayne @ Dec 22nd 2008 2:44PM
Yeah I did, because if I didn't finish it it would be unfair for me to criticize it if by chance it turned into an amazing game at the end, so don't be a fuck
Strategy_Panda (The Sandwich Poisoning Crew) @ Dec 21st 2008 8:40PM
I've been thinking about GTA IV recently, and I came to the conclusion that the game is good but the reason I disliked it was because I was ultimately disappointed by it.
I can see how people who don't have much experience with the series or games in general would love the game, and it is deserving of some awards.
MGS4 will always be my GOTY though.
Markez (Anti-Panda Death Murder Squadron) @ Dec 21st 2008 9:06PM
As much as I hope you fall in front of incoming traffic someday, I have to agree with you.
It is a good game, very polished, has a lot of charm. But just disappointing when it comes down to it, and a huge missed opportunity to truly do something incredible with a videogame.
I can look past the fact that it has an utterly horrible story, but I can't look past the fact that the missions were mundane, boring, and repetitive.
I know it's a good game, but looking back, I can't help but still be stuck with the sentiment of "that game sucked ass", even though I know it didn't.
WRE @ Dec 21st 2008 10:16PM
So...what's with the panda hate?
Markez (Anti-Panda Death Murder Squadron) @ Dec 21st 2008 10:24PM
Weeks back he posted about a link that I went to, and now I cannot unsee. It left me praying for death, but yet I post to this day. He did link to hamster morph @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hse1btS7jR0
so I guess he's not ALL bad
slycooper_rocker (lorddshadow the amazing) [anti-panda death squadron force five] @ Dec 21st 2008 10:58PM
the panda is evil...very Eeeeevil!!!
Shmil @ Dec 21st 2008 8:48PM
I loved GTAIV for the physics aspect of the euphoria engine, or does it use that other engine that starts with an E?
WRE @ Dec 21st 2008 10:17PM
Nope it's euphoria and it was awesome. Now every time I see regular-old-shitty-rag-doll physics I want to cry.
knighty (GT: ZeraKnight) @ Dec 21st 2008 8:55PM
PC version + modding handling.dat and weaponStats.xml = MOST FUN THING EVER.
Indestructible bus with comet stats + rocket launcher firing SMG
j.howlett @ Dec 21st 2008 9:01PM
after initially be really excited then frustrated that i couldn't tell what was really going on because i couldn't read the phone among other text in the game, i'm playing it pretty regular again. it's not as fun for me as san andreas, but i like it. i can tell whats going on now so thats a big help. i'd put it just below SA slightly above the city stories versions occasionally hitting VC and SA levels or going above some parts. i hope 4 is to 3 of last gen and keeps getting better.