View source for Software:Grand Theft Auto IV

{{short description|2008 video game}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Infobox video game
| title      = Grand Theft Auto IV
| image      = Grand Theft Auto IV cover.jpg
| developer  = [[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]]{{efn|Ported to Windows by [[Company:Rockstar Toronto|Rockstar Toronto]]}}
| publisher  = [[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]]
| producer   = Leslie Benzies
| programmer = {{Unbulleted list|Adam Fowler|Alexander Roger|Obbe Vermeij}}
| artist     = Aaron Garbut
| writer     = {{Unbulleted list|Dan Houser|Rupert Humphries}}
| composer   = Michael Hunter
| series     = ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto|Grand Theft Auto]]''
| engine     = [[Software:Rockstar Advanced Game Engine|RAGE]]
| platforms  = {{Unbulleted list|[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]]|[[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]]|[[Software:Windows|Windows]]}}
| released   = '''PlayStation 3''', '''Xbox 360'''{{Video game release|WW|29 April 2008}}'''Windows'''{{Video game release|NA|2 December 2008|PAL|3 December 2008}}
| genre      = Action-adventure
| modes      = Single-player, multiplayer
}}

'''''Grand Theft Auto IV'''''<!-- Please don't add the abbreviation "GTA IV" here as it isn't used throughout the article and therefore isn't needed. --> is a 2008 [[Software:Action-adventure game|action-adventure game]] developed by [[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] and published by [[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]]. It is the sixth main entry in the [[Software:Grand Theft Auto|''Grand Theft Auto'' series]], following 2004's ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|Grand Theft Auto]]'', and the eleventh instalment overall. Set in the fictional Liberty City, based on {{wipe|New York City}}, the single-player story follows [[Place:Eastern Europe|Eastern Europe]]an war veteran Niko Bellic and his attempts to escape his past while under pressure from high-profile criminals. The [[Software:Open world|open world]] design lets players [[Software:Nonlinear gameplay|freely roam]] Liberty City, consisting of three main islands, and the neighbouring state of Alderney, which is based on New Jersey.

The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot and by vehicle. Throughout the single-player mode, players control Niko Bellic. An online multiplayer mode is also included with the game, allowing up to 32 players to engage in both cooperative and competitive gameplay in a recreation of the single-player setting.{{efn|name="MultiPC"|The online multiplayer mode for the Windows version of the game allowed up to 32 players until its discontinuation in 2020, while the console versions allow up to 16 players.<ref name="GameSpot PC Review"/>}} Two [[Software:Expansion pack|expansion pack]]s were later released for the game, ''The Lost and Damned'' and ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'', which both feature new plots that are interconnected with the main ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' storyline, and follow new protagonists.

Development of ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' began soon after the release of ''San Andreas'' and was shared between many of Rockstar's studios worldwide. The game introduced a shift to a more realistic and detailed style and tone for the series. Unlike previous entries, ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' lacked a strong cinematic influence, as the team attempted an original approach to the story. As part of their research for the open world, the development team conducted extensive field research in New York, capturing over 100,000 photographs and several hours of video. The developers considered the world to be the most important element of the game; though not the largest map in the series, they considered it comparable in scope due to its verticality and level of detail. The budget climbed to over {{USD|100 million}}, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop.

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' was released for the [[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] consoles in April 2008, and for [[Software:Windows|Windows]] in December. Upon release, the game received critical acclaim, with praise particularly directed at the narrative and open-world design. ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' broke industry sales records and became the fastest-selling entertainment product in history at the time, earning {{USD|310 million}} in its first day and {{USD|500 million}} in its first week. Considered one of the most significant titles of the seventh generation of video games, and by many critics as one of the greatest video games of all time, it won year-end accolades, including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications. It is among the best-selling video games with over 25 million copies sold by 2013. The game generated controversy, with criticism directed at the game's depiction of violence and players' ability to drink-drive. Its successor, ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto V|Grand Theft Auto V]]'', was released in September 2013.

== Gameplay ==
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is an [[Software:Action-adventure game|action-adventure game]] played from a [[Software:Virtual camera system#Third-person view|third-person perspective]].<ref name="Digital Spy Retrospective"/> Players complete [[Software:Quest (video games)|missions]]—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. It is possible to have several active missions running at one time, as some require players to wait for further instructions or events. Outside of missions, players can [[Software:Nonlinear gameplay|freely roam]] the game's [[Software:Open world|open world]] and complete optional side missions.<ref name="GameSpot Fantastic"/> Composed of the fictional city of Liberty City, the world is larger in area than most earlier ''Grand Theft Auto'' series entries.<ref name="Polygon Maps"/> At the beginning of the game, players can only explore the first island—composed of Dukes and Broker—with all other islands unlocking as the story progresses.<ref name="The Cousins Bellic"/>

Players use melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies, and may run, jump, swim or use vehicles to navigate the game's world. There is a first-person perspective option when using vehicles. In combat, auto-aim and a [[Cover system|cover system]] can be used as assistance against enemies. Should players take damage, their health meter can be fully regenerated by consuming food or drinks, using medical kits, or calling for paramedics.<ref name="UK Hands-On"/> If players commit crimes, the game's law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the [[HUD (video gaming)|head-up display]] (HUD). On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level (for example, at the maximum six-star level, efforts by law enforcement to incapacitate players become very aggressive). Law enforcement officers will search for players who leave the wanted vicinity. The wanted meter enters a cool-down mode and eventually recedes when players are hidden from the officers' line of sight.<ref name="GamesRadar Reshape"/>

[[File:Grand Theft Auto IV gameplay.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|Combat in ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' was reworked to include a [[Cover system|cover system]].<ref name="UK Hands-On"/>|alt=The player character positioned in cover behind a vehicle, preparing to shoot at police officers on the other side of the vehicle.]]

The game's cover system allows players to move between cover, to fire blindly, aim freely, and target a specific enemy. Individual body parts can also be targeted.<ref name="IGN Preview"/> Melee attacks include additional moves, such as dodging, blocking, disarming an opponent and counter-attacking. Body armour can be used to absorb gunshots and explosive damage, but is used up in the process. When health is entirely depleted, gameplay stops, and players respawn at the nearest hospital.<ref name="UK Hands-On"/>

The single-player mode lets players control an Eastern European war veteran, Niko Bellic. During the story, Niko meets and befriends various new characters. They can then perform favours for Niko whenever he asks; for example, his cousin Roman, who owns a taxi service, can send one of his cabs to take Niko to any destination around the city. Cabs are always available during gameplay for quick travel to a destination. Throughout the course of the game, players are also faced with [[Philosophy:Morality|morality]] choices, which alter the storyline appropriately depending on the player's choice. While free roaming the game world, players may engage in context-specific activities such as [[Engineering:Bowling|bowling]] or darts. Other available activities include a vigilante mini-game, and in-game television programming.<ref name="IGN Updates"/><ref name="VideoGamer Review"/><ref name="Wired Media"/> Niko has a cell phone for contacting friends and starting activities.<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/> The cell phone is also used to access the game's online multiplayer mode, and to enter cheat codes.<ref name="Eurogamer Cheat"/> To access the in-game Internet, which allows Niko to send and receive emails and set up prospective [[Social:Dating|dates]] with potential girlfriends, Niko can use Internet cafés located around the city.<ref name="Boston Herald Preview"/> The game also features a subway system, allowing players to quickly traverse through the game's world.<ref name="New York Times Review"/>

{{anchor|Multiplayer}}
The online multiplayer mode for ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' allows up to 32 players{{efn|name="MultiPC"}} to freely roam across the map. Players decide which game mode they wish to play, including [[Software:Deathmatch (video games)|deathmatch]]es and street races. Both [[Software:Cooperative video game|cooperative]] and competitive game modes are available, split into ranked and unranked matches.<ref name="GamesRadar Multiplayer"/> For players to level up through ranks, in-game money has to be earned. The game also features a Free Mode, in which players have the entire map open to explore, with no end goal or mission to complete. Hosts of the game can control many variables, such as police presence, traffic, and weapons.<ref name="GameTap Multiplayer"/> The multiplayer mode was discontinued on Windows in 2020.<ref name="Polygon Multiplayer"/>

== Synopsis ==
=== Setting ===
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' takes place in 2008, within a redesigned version of Liberty City. The design of the city focuses on a recreation of four of the boroughs of {{wipe|New York City}}: Broker (based on Brooklyn), Dukes (Queens), Bohan (The Bronx), and Algonquin (Manhattan). The setting also includes the neighbouring state of Alderney (based on New Jersey).<ref name="Telegraph Liberty"/> Initially, bridges are locked down due to a terrorist threat, and police constantly pursue players if the bridges are crossed. The blockades are lifted as the story progresses, allowing the player to traverse between islands safely.

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is set in the fictional "HD [[Fictional universe|Universe]]", which mirrors and parodies the real world. The previous games formed fictional universes of their own,{{efn|The original ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto (video game)|Grand Theft Auto]]'' (1997), its expansion packs, and ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto 2|Grand Theft Auto 2]]'' (1999) are set in the "2D Universe", while ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto III|Grand Theft Auto III]]'' (2001), ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto: Vice City|Vice City]]'' (2002), ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto (Game Boy Advance)|Advance]]'' (2004), ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|San Andreas]]'' (2004), ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories|Liberty City Stories]]'' (2005), and ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories|Vice City Stories]]'' (2006) form the "3D Universe".<ref name="Rockstar Universe"/>}} which despite having many similarities with the HD Universe, are considered to be different continuities. Hence, the Liberty City depicted in ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is different from its previous renditions, and the game itself serves as a reboot for the series. The new timeline established by ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' would continue with two expansion packs, ''The Lost and Damned'' and ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'', and a sequel, ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto V|Grand Theft Auto V]]'', as well as its online component, ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto Online|Grand Theft Auto Online]]''.<ref name="Guardian Universe" /><ref name="CVG Universe" /><ref name="Game Rant Universe"/> The handheld game ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars|Grand Theft Auto]]'' is also considered part of the HD Universe, because it features the same map as ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', except for Alderney.<ref name="Eurogamer Chinatown Wars" />

=== Plot ===
Niko Bellic, an Eastern European ex-soldier,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Boyer |first=Crispin |date=March 2008 |title=Sweet Land of Liberty |magazine=Electronic Gaming Monthly |publisher=EGM Media, LLC |pages=44–56 }} '''Sam Houser''': "He's from that gray part of broken-down Eastern Europe, a war-torn area."</ref> arrives in Liberty City aboard a cargo ship, the ''Platypus'', to escape his criminal past, pursue the [[Philosophy:American Dream|American Dream]], and search for the man who betrayed his unit to an ambush during a war ten years prior. Reuniting with his cousin Roman, he discovers that his tales of riches were lies concealing his small dirty apartment, unprofitable taxi company, gambling debts, and disputes with [[Finance:Loan shark|loan shark]]s. Niko begins assisting Roman with his problems, which leads him to make his first criminal contacts in the city. He befriends Yardies second in command Little Jacob and is forced to work for Vlad Glebov, Roman's Russian loan shark, whom Niko eventually kills upon learning he had slept with Roman's girlfriend, Mallorie.

In retaliation, Niko and Roman are kidnapped by [[Organization:Russian mafia|Russian mobsters]] on orders of their boss Mikhail Faustin and his lieutenant, Dimitri Rascalov. Indifferent to Vlad's murder, Faustin releases them and employs Niko as a hitman, eventually ordering him to kill the son of Russian crime lord Kenny Petrović. When Petrović threatens retaliation, Dimitri convinces Niko to assassinate Faustin. However, he then betrays and brings Niko to his former employer, Ray Bulgarin, who accuses Niko of stealing from him during a botched [[Social:Human trafficking|human trafficking]] job years earlier. Niko denies the allegation and a firefight ensues, allowing Dimitri and Bulgarin to escape.

Dimitri's men burn down Niko and Roman's apartment and taxi company, forcing them to flee to Bohan. While Niko finds work for several local drug lords, Dimitri kidnaps Roman in a failed attempt to lure Niko into a trap. Later, Niko discovers that his romantic interest Michelle is a government agent, and she entraps him into working for her agency. In exchange for the murders of several known or suspected [[Social:Terrorism|terrorists]], the agency clears Niko's criminal record and assists him in searching for the traitor he seeks. Niko and Roman's fortunes improve when the latter receives a large amount of insurance money from his destroyed business, which he uses to rebuild it and buy an apartment in Algonquin. Roman also proposes to Mallorie, who accepts.

While working for the Irish Mob, Niko befriends gangster Patrick McReary and helps him and his brothers carry out a bank robbery. Niko is later hired by Ray Boccino, a ''caporegime'' in the Pegorino crime family, to oversee a diamond deal, which goes awry. Boccino repays Niko by helping him find ex-comrade Florian Cravic, now known as Bernie Crane, who claims that he did not betray their unit. Niko concludes that the traitor was Darko Brevic, the only other survivor. Niko continues working for the Mafia in Liberty City and eventually earns the trust of Don Jimmy Pegorino, who orders Niko to kill Boccino after suspecting him of being a police informant. Niko also helps Patrick kidnap Don Giovanni Ancelotti's daughter to ransom her for the diamonds, but Bulgarin intercepts the exchange, and the diamonds are lost.

Eventually, the government agents find Darko in Romania and bring him to Liberty City for Niko to decide his fate. Afterwards, Niko is summoned by Pegorino for one final favour: to help with a highly lucrative [[Chemistry:Heroin|heroin]] deal in collusion with Dimitri. Niko must either agree to work with Dimitri or exact revenge on him.<ref name="One Last Thing" /> If Niko goes through with the deal, Dimitri betrays him again and keeps the heroin for himself.<ref name="If the Price is Right" /> At Roman's wedding, an assassin sent by Dimitri to kill Niko accidentally kills Roman with a stray bullet.<ref name="Mr and Mrs Bellic" /> Aided by Little Jacob, Niko retaliates by murdering Dimitri, who had also killed Pegorino.<ref name="The Revenger's Tragedy" /> Later, Mallorie informs Niko that she is pregnant with Roman's child, whom Niko vows to protect. If Niko chooses to exact revenge, he instead finds and kills Dimitri aboard the ''Platypus''.<ref name="A Dish Served Cold" /> At Roman's wedding, Pegorino, furious at Niko's betrayal, targets him in a drive-by shooting, but accidentally kills Patrick's sister Kate, whom Niko had been dating.<ref name="Mr and Mrs Bellic" /> Aided by Little Jacob and Roman, Niko tracks down and kills Pegorino.<ref name="Out of Commission" /> Later, Roman tells Niko that Mallorie is pregnant and that they decided to name the baby after Kate if it is a girl.

== Development ==
[[File:Rockstar North building, shot from hill.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|right|Rockstar North's former studio in Edinburgh, Scotland, where ''Grand Theft Auto IV''{{'}}s development was overseen|alt=]]

Preliminary work on ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' began in November 2004,<ref name="OPM UK"/> a month after the release of ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas|Grand Theft Auto]]''.<ref name="IGN Limits"/> Rockstar president Sam Houser felt that following up ''San Andreas'' was "a nightmare".<ref name="Edge"/> [[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]], the core 220-person team behind the game, co-opted studios owned by parent company Rockstar Games to facilitate development between a full team of over 1,000,<ref name="Times Benzies"/> including 50 employees at Rockstar NYC, 40 at [[Company:Rockstar Lincoln|Rockstar Lincoln]], 10 at [[Company:Rockstar San Diego|Rockstar San Diego]], and around 600–700 working part-time internally and externally.<ref name="IGN Benzies"/> Some key members of the development team worked 12-hour days during production, often without holidays.<ref name="Times Benzies"/> The team decided to continue the numbering scheme absent from the previous two main games to represent the same leap in production as ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto 2|Grand Theft Auto 2]]'' (1999) to ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto III|Grand Theft Auto III]]'' (2001).<ref name="IGN Limits"/> Development of ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' ceased by 21 April 2008 when the game was [[Software release life cycle#Release to manufacturing (RTM)|submitted for manufacturing]].<ref name="GameSpot Gold"/> Producer Leslie Benzies estimated that the budget of the development efforts exceeded {{USD|100 million}}, making ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' one of the most expensive video games ever made.<ref name="Times Benzies"/>

=== Research and open world design ===
The game's setting, Liberty City, is based on New York City. The team did not look at the previous renditions of Liberty City as inspiration, wanting it to retain the "general feel" but nothing else.<ref name="IGN Sleeps"/> The map is roughly three times the size of ''Grand Theft Auto III''{{'}}s.<ref name="IGN Sleeps"/> The developers originally considered using the entire state of New York, before restricting it to Manhattan, and then expanding it out again. They considered including more suburbs with woods, and would regularly vote on which areas to include.<ref name="Vulture Houser"/> Art director Aaron Garbut said that the team chose the setting because of the detail and variety it provided, describing New York as "an amazing, diverse, vibrant, cinematic city".<ref name="IGN World"/> Writer Dan Houser added that the team "wanted to be somewhere where we had a foothold" due to the amount of research required for the world; Rockstar Games's main headquarters are located in New York.<ref name="Variety Houser"/> The team consciously avoided a precise recreation of New York City to allow for more enjoyable game design,<ref name="OPM UK"/> selecting the areas that they felt "characterised it the best".<ref name="IGN World"/> Garbut wanted to capture a caricature of the city as he felt that most people were familiar with "the highlights" from film or literature but did not need to know the areas precisely.<ref name="IGN World"/> The city was not built with specific missions in mind; the area was created first, and missions implemented later.<ref name="Eurogamer Garbut 2 p1"/>

To achieve a realistic environment, 60–70 employees from Rockstar North travelled to New York for research: first at the beginning of the project in March or April 2005 for a week and a half,<ref name="Vulture Houser"/> and a smaller trip in 2007.<ref name="IGN Sleeps"/> Police officers who previously worked the beat drove the team around Washington Heights.<ref name="Vulture Houser"/> A full-time research team based in New York handled further requests for information, such as the ethnic minority of a neighbourhood or videos of traffic patterns. Videos shot in New York were played on televisions at the Rockstar North offices "so while they worked they could look up and there was New York".<ref name="Vulture Houser"/> Benzies claimed that the team took over 100,000 photographs on location in New York,<ref name="Times Benzies"/> though Garbut estimates that they took around 250,000.<ref name="IGN Sleeps"/> They also studied architectural plans for apartments, used satellite images to determine city block layout, researched sales figures for models of cars, and read books that detailed the city's infrastructure, including its subways, sewers, and garbage disposal.<ref name="Vulture Garbut"/> Hove Beach is based on Brighton Beach, which Sam Houser found "pretty incredible" and unusual; the name is based on the English city Brighton and Hove, made up of the former neighbouring towns Brighton and Hove.<ref name="1UP Houser"/> Houser appreciated that Brighton Beach was home to several Eastern Europeans due to the nature of the game's characters.<ref name="1UP Houser"/>

Dan Houser described Liberty City as "the biggest character" of the game.<ref name="IGN World"/> The ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' rendition of Liberty City is more detailed and larger in size than most earlier entries in the series; although smaller than San Andreas, the setting of the previous main game, the developers considered it comparable in scope due to city's verticality, number of buildings, and level of detail.<ref name="Kikizo Welcome"/> The team wanted less dead spots and irrelevant spaces, such as the wide open deserts in ''San Andreas''.<ref name="OPM UK"/> They wanted the game to be "a more focused experience" than ''San Andreas'', and Dan Houser felt that the limited activities of New York allowed this.<ref name="IGN Limits"/> The team felt that the addition of Niko's [[Engineering:Mobile phone|mobile phone]] added to the immersion of the world and represented society's shifted focus on phones.<ref name="IGN Limits"/> The in-game brands and products are designed over several years; the billboards were implemented in the game around six months prior to release.<ref name="IGN Sleeps"/>

=== Story and character development ===
{{Multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal |total_width=400
|image1=Leslie Benzies @ Everywhere Game.jpg |caption1=Leslie Benzies |alt1=A middle-aged man looking towards the camera.
|image2=Dan Houser at Rockstar Games.png |caption2=Dan Houser |alt2=A bald middle-aged man smiling at the camera.
|image3=Sam Houser at Rockstar Games.png |caption3=Sam Houser |alt3=A middle-aged man with brown hair and a bushy brown beard smiling at the camera.
|footer=Benzies produced the game. Dan Houser co-wrote the story,<ref name="Times Benzies"/> while his brother Sam executive-produced the game.<ref name="Edge"/>}}

The game's script, written by Dan Houser and Rupert Humphries, is about 1,000 pages.<ref name="Times Benzies"/> Approximately 660 actors provided voices for the game over 80,000 lines of dialogue.<ref name="Vulture Houser"/> After conceiving the character and setting, Dan Houser spoke with his brother Sam Houser and Leslie Benzies to bounce story ideas before writing a rough synopsis, a six-paged, detailed document. Once the synopsis was reworked, the designers broke it into missions, represented by a large flow document demonstrating each section. The writers then work on the introductions to the missions; the gameplay dialogue comes much later.<ref name="Variety Houser"/> Unlike previous ''Grand Theft Auto'' games, ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' does not have cinematic influences. "We were consciously trying to go, well, if video games are going to develop into the next stage, then the thing isn't to try and do a loving tribute or reference other stuff," said Dan Houser.<ref name="Variety Houser"/> He said that the writers wanted something "fresh and new and not something that was obviously derived from [a] movie".<ref name="Variety Houser"/> Dan Houser felt that the quality of the writing had to improve alongside the advancements in graphics and technology. He noted that the improvements in facial animation allowed for slower-paced cutscenes.<ref name="IGN World"/> The unique dialogue that plays when a mission is retried was to ensure that the gameplay felt "less canned and less like ''Groundhog Day''".<ref name="IGN World"/>

Dan Houser described Niko Bellic as "a more rounded character" than those in previous games.<ref name="IGN World"/> He felt that his dual personality—often saving innocent people, while also being a "cold-hearted killer"—made him more relatable.<ref name="IGN World"/> He also felt that Niko's unfamiliarity with Liberty City allowed for the player to relate to him more, only driven by his vague past and relationship with Roman. When deciding on Niko's background, the writers felt that being an immigrant could lead to more dangerous situations, and therefore more enjoyable missions; after discussions with criminal experts, Dan Houser found that "the real scary characters are not born in America anymore".<ref name="IGN World"/> He felt that Niko's outsider view of American culture was "fun".<ref name="IGN World"/> The team wanted Niko to be "more of an anti hero than a hero, capable of making positive actions within his criminal world".{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=26}} They wanted his demeanour to reflect the weight of his past and choices.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=26}}

Niko's design underwent a few changes, but was finalised early in development.<ref name="Eurogamer Garbut 1"/> His outfit underwent several changes based on Eastern Europeans, particularly photographs of men fighting in winter wars in [[Place:Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] and Chechnya. The primary motivation for the design was a face to convey the appropriate emotions and a body that could move nicely with the new animations.<ref name="IGN World"/> The in-game purchasable outfits were also designed to fit with the character.<ref name="IGN Limits"/> The team ensured that the [[Dialogue tree|gameplay choices]] presented to the player were not too extensive, as they still had to make sense to the character, who is driven by the people around him. Dan Houser felt that the missions in ''San Andreas'' had become too linear, and wanted to present choices to the player in ''Grand Theft Auto IV''.<ref name="IGN World"/>

The writers found that Niko needed a motivation to come to America, so they created his cousin, Roman. Dan Houser felt that the two could not be brothers as there would be a deeper level of familiarity than necessary. He described the two as a double act, with Roman's fantasist charm playing off Niko's tough cynicism. The team gave other non-playable characters (NPCs) more definable behaviours and dialogue to make them feel more alive. The writers initially considered having a smaller group of characters, but found that the story became boring and that players were less likely to explore the world. The stranger characters found in the game world were based on the "crazy people" that populate New York, according to Dan Houser, which in previous games were only able to be captured through radio stations or mild pedestrian behaviours.<ref name="IGN Sleeps"/> The team based the ethnicities, clothing, and behaviours of the NPCs on the photographs and videos that they captured around New York, divided into different areas;<ref name="IGN World"/> they created mood boards for each location.<ref name="IGN Sleeps"/> The NPCs also converse in different languages.<ref name="Vulture Houser"/>

=== Art design ===
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' sees a shift in the series to a more realistic and detailed style and tone, partly a result of the transition to consoles which offered [[Engineering:High-definition television|high-definition]] graphics and the new and improved capabilities of such consoles. The development team worked to represent the upgrade in quality across all design aspects while maintaining the coherence of the previous games.<ref name="OPM UK" /> The team took the game's development as an opportunity to "strip things back and start again", refining the art style without losing the style of the series;<ref name="IGN World"/> they distanced the game from the "cartoon-like style" of its predecessors while creating a new style that was consistent across all aspects of the game.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|pp=2–3}} Garbut found the increased demand of detail brought on by the advanced technology daunting.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=3}} A technique used to make the visuals look real was to avoid harsh edges, instead blending surfaces together to make the world look dirty and lived-in.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=5}} The props department created multiple variations of different objects to make the world more interesting and unique.<ref name="IGN World"/> ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' was the first contemporary game in the series since 2001's ''Grand Theft Auto III''; the team felt that enough time had passed to avoid feeling repetitive.<ref name="IGN Limits"/> The types of in-game vehicles were decided upon early in development, after which the vehicles department begin creating the designs. The vehicles are not based on specific real-life counterparts, but take elements from several, with some original ideas by the developers.<ref name="Eurogamer Garbut 2 p2"/>

=== Technical and gameplay design ===
[[File:Grand Theft Auto IV motion capture.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.4|The process that ''Grand Theft Auto IV''{{'}}s animation underwent: (top) actors performing on stage, raw [[Motion capture|motion capture]] data, (bottom) in-game characters, and the final scene in the game.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=50}}]]

The proprietary [[Software:Rockstar Advanced Game Engine|Rockstar Advanced Game Engine]] (RAGE) was used for the game.<ref name="Gamasutra Euphoria"/> Garbut found ''Grand Theft Auto IV''{{'}}s technical design similar to ''Grand Theft Auto III''{{'}}s, with both games being the first in the series to be released on their respective platforms. He claimed that an operable [[Software:Game engine|game engine]] was not finalised until late in development, at which point "there's still plenty of guesswork" until optimisation near release.<ref name="Eurogamer Garbut 2 p1"/> The character's physical performances were recorded using [[Motion capture|motion capture]]. Up to eight actors could perform on the motion capture stage at one time, each dressed in a full suit.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=50}} The camera used to capture the performance included a [[Engineering:Teleprompter|teleprompter]] for the actors to read their scripts.<ref name="Gamasutra Animation"/> Over a hundred moves would be captured in each day of production. The final product was taken from different performances by different actors to make them appear seamless and appropriate.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=50}} The voice work by one actor could be composited over a different actor's physical performance for a specific outcome.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|pp=50–52}} The in-game animations were crafted similarly, using a combination of different motion capture performances.{{sfn|Garbut|2008|p=52}}

For the gameplay and animations, the team redid a lot of the work from previous games, wanting ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' to "feel next-generation".<ref name="IGN World"/> The role-playing elements from ''San Andreas'' were removed fairly early in development, partly due to the animation work it would have required, and because consistently needing to visit the gym felt antithetical to Niko's motivations.<ref name="IGN Limits"/> The game's targeting system was one of the first focuses of development due to the advanced technology; the team wanted it to feel realistic without being too technical. The cover system was a "natural addition" to the targeting.<ref name="IGN Limits"/> Benzies described the multiplayer as the hardest part of the game's development.<ref name="IGN Benzies"/> The team wanted the multiplayer to feel like an extension of the cinematic single-player experience. Dan Houser described it as "a section of a film rather than the whole narrative".<ref name="IGN Limits"/> The developers considered adding co-operative multiplayer to the main story campaign, but decided it worked better as a single-player experience.<ref name="IGN Limits"/>

When Sam Houser first showed interest in using the [[Software:Euphoria|Euphoria]] software in the game, he was told that it would be impossible or only limited to cutscenes, but some members of the team were able to make it work. Engineers from [[Company:NaturalMotion|NaturalMotion]] worked on-site at Rockstar North for several months at a time to incorporate Euphoria software into the game.<ref name="Edge"/> Rockstar also worked with [[Company:Image Metrics|Image Metrics]] for the game's facial animations. The facial rigs had around 100 joints, with a total of 300 minutes of facial animation. The scale of the project caused some issues for the animators, forcing them to have [[Skeletal animation|rigs]] completed before animation began. They also faced difficulty in the direction of the actor's head—either straight on when looking at the teleprompter, or down when looking at a script. Image Metrics head of production David Barton noted that "having realistic eyes is 90 percent of the battle", as it allows the player to believe the character.<ref name="Gamasutra Animation"/> A head camera was used when recording to capture facial movements.<ref name="Gamasutra Animation"/> [[Software:SpeedTree|SpeedTree]] was used for in-game environment rendering.<ref name="MCV SpeedTree"/>

=== Music production ===
When selecting music for the in-game radio stations, music supervisor Ivan Pavlovich said "[we had] to pick the songs that make New York today what it is, but make sure they won't feel dated by the time the game comes out."<ref name="Variety Music"/> The developers contacted over 2,000 people in order to obtain recording and publishing rights;<ref name="MTV Music"/> they hired a private investigator to locate the relatives of late Skatt Bros. member Sean Delaney to license the band's song, "Walk the Night".<ref name="Reuters Purchasing"/> ''Billboard'' reported that Rockstar paid as much as $5,000 per composition and another $5,000 per master recording per track.<ref name="Reuters Crime"/> Developers originally considered letting players purchase music in an in-game record shop and for Niko to have an MP3 player, but both ideas were cut.<ref name="MTV Music"/> DJ Green Lantern produced tracks exclusively for the game's hip-hop radio station The Beat 102.7.<ref name="Reuters Crime" /> Record label owner and record producer Bobby Konders, who hosts the in-game radio station Massive B Soundsystem 96.9, flew to Jamaica to get dancehall artists to re-record tracks to make references to the boroughs of Liberty City.<ref name="Reuters Crime" /> The Housers's father, jazz musician Walter Houser, provided several classical music tracks for the game.<ref name="Edge"/>

== Release ==
[[File:Grand Theft Auto IV GameSpot launch (Las Vegas).jpg|upright=1.2|right|thumb|Midnight launch of ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' at GameStop in Las Vegas]]

At E3 2006, Peter Moore, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Business division, formally announced ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' by rolling up his sleeve to reveal a ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' temporary tattoo.<ref name="IGN Announced"/> The game became widely anticipated.<ref name="Anticipated" /> Rockstar Games initially appeared to be committed to the original 16 October 2007 release date. However, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter suggested that Take-Two may choose to delay the release of the game in order to boost its financial results for 2008 and to avoid competing with the release of other highly anticipated titles, such as ''[[Software:Halo 3|Halo 3]]'';<ref name="Gamesindustry Delay"/> Rockstar responded by saying that ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' was still on track for release in "late October".<ref name="VideoGamesDaily Delay"/> However, Take-Two announced in August 2007 that ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' would miss its original release date, and would be delayed to their second fiscal quarter (February–April) of 2008, attributing this to technical challenges.<ref name="Kotaku Delay"/> In particular, the delay was caused by technical difficulties with the PlayStation 3 version and storage problems with the Xbox 360 version.<ref name="MTV Delay"/> ''IGN'' predicted that other publishers would benefit from ''Grand Theft Auto IV''{{'}}s delay, particularly [[Company:Activision|Activision]] with ''[[Software:Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare|Call of Duty 4]]''.<ref name="IGN Delay"/> On 24 January 2008, the company announced the game's release date of 29 April 2008.<ref name="IGN Release Date"/> Some gameplay features were censored for the Australian and New Zealand versions of the game, though these censors were subsequently removed.<ref name="Digital Spy Australia"/><ref name="3News New Zealand"/>

In August 2008, Rockstar announced that the game would be coming to [[Software:Windows|Windows]] on 18 November 2008 in North America and 21 November in Europe,<ref name="Eurogamer PC"/> with additional development work by [[Company:Rockstar Toronto|Rockstar Toronto]].<ref name="IGN PC"/> Microsoft partnered with Rockstar in a {{USD|50 million}} deal to bring two episodic [[Software:Downloadable content|downloadable content]] packs to the Xbox 360:<ref name="Gamesindustry DLC"/> ''Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned'' on 17 February 2009,<ref name="Eurogamer TLaD"/> and ''Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony'' on 29 October 2009.<ref name="Eurogamer TBoGT"/> Dan Houser wanted the episodes to show "a different side of Liberty City".<ref name="USA Today DLC"/> In January 2010, Rockstar announced that the DLC would be bundled as ''Episodes from Liberty City'', released for PlayStation 3 and Windows on 13 April 2010 in North America and 16 April in Europe.<ref name="Rockstar EFLC"/> ''Episodes from Liberty City'' was also bundled with the main game in ''The Complete Edition'', released on 26 October 2010 in North America and 29 October in Europe.<ref name="Rockstar Complete"/> The Xbox 360 version of the game and its DLC were made backwards compatible with the [[Engineering:Xbox One|Xbox One]] on 9 February 2017.<ref name="Eurogamer Xbox One"/>

=== Promotion ===
[[File:Mural ad GTA IV NYC.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|The game was promoted through posters and murals on billboards and buildings, including Chinatown, New York City.]]

Industry analysts found ''Grand Theft Auto IV''{{'}}s marketing much more subtle than [[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]]'s marketing of ''Halo 3'' (2007), identifying Rockstar's interest in controlling the output at all times.<ref name="SMH Marketing"/> The game was marketed through video trailers and press demonstrations. On 29 March 2007, the debut trailer was released. It was narrated by protagonist Niko, and depicts the open world accompanied by the song "Pruit-Igoe" by Philip Glass, originally composed for Godfrey Reggio's 1982 documentary film ''Koyaanisqatsi''.<ref name="IGN Trailer 1"/><ref name="PC Gamer Trailer 1"/> The trailer is credited for starting the [[Social:Rickrolling|Rickrolling]] meme; after the higher viewership crashed Rockstar's website, several users re-posted the trailer, but some misleadingly played the music video for Rick Astley's "[[Social:Never Gonna Give You Up|Never Gonna Give You Up]]".<ref name="Fox Rickroll"/><ref name="Vice Rickroll"/> The second trailer was released on 28 June 2007, showcasing the game's physics engine and featuring the song "Arm in Arm (Shy Child Remix)" by The Boggs.<ref name="GameSpot Trailer 2"/> Dan Houser noted that the game was "still rough" when the first trailer was released, but that cutscenes were "coming on board" by the second trailer's release.<ref name="IGN World"/>

To unveil the game's cover art, Rockstar contracted artists to paint a mural on a wall at a secluded warehouse location, showcasing the art in a video on 28 November 2007.<ref name="Engadget Cover"/> A third trailer was released on 6 December 2007, introducing some of the game's characters, such as Roman and Michelle. The trailer features the song "King Ring" by Russian rap artist Seryoga, which Rockstar felt captured the "melting pot mentality" of Liberty City.<ref name="IGN Trailer 3"/> Dan Houser wanted the third trailer to capture the "visceral qualities" of the game, but focus less on the story, as the first two trailers had done.<ref name="IGN World"/> On 8 February 2008, five teaser trailers for the game were released, each showcasing a particular character or service within the game.<ref name="Kotaku Trailer Feb1"/> Similar teaser trailers were later released in pairs on 21 February,<ref name="Kotaku Trailer Feb2"/> 7 March,<ref name="Kotaku Trailer March"/> and 11 April.<ref name="Kotaku Trailer April"/> Another trailer, released on 27 March 2008, showcases some scenes from the game, such as a bank robbery and police chase.<ref name="CVG Trailer"/> A television commercial from [[Company:GameStop|GameStop]] debuted on 1 April, focusing on the activities in Liberty City.<ref name="Kotaku Trailer TV"/>

[[Social:Viral marketing|Viral marketing]] strategies were used to promote the game. Wanted posters were placed around New York City promoting the game's characters and website;<ref name="Kotaku Wanted 1"/><ref name="Kotaku Wanted 2"/> billboard versions were also posted throughout the city.<ref name="Kotaku Mural"/> Murals and posters advertising the game were placed on buildings and public transport.<ref name="Kotaku Figueroa"/><ref name="Kotaku CTA"/> The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) removed advertisements promoting the game from their property in April 2008;<ref name="Kotaku CTA"/> Take-Two filed a lawsuit in response, claiming that the CTA had violated a contract.<ref name="Wired CTA"/> Visitors to the website of WKTT Talk Radio—a fictional radio station within the game—were offered a chance to leave a voice mail message stating their problems. Prior to leaving the message, callers were asked to read the terms and conditions, which revealed that some of the voice mail message would be selected for use in the game.<ref name="Destructoid WKTT"/>

In the month prior to launch, Rockstar and GameStop held a competition offering up to {{US$|10,000}} and a trip to New York City for the game's launch event.<ref name="IGN Contest"/> Microsoft held a similar sweepstakes competition, offering consoles, games, [[Finance:Microsoft Points|Microsoft Points]], a baseball bat, and an invitation to the launch event as rewards.<ref name="Kotaku Contest"/> The official ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' website was redesigned on 8 February 2008 to show a preview of activities and locales within the game's world.<ref name="CVG Website"/> To encourage pre-order sales, Rockstar collaborated with several retail outlets to provide a special edition version of the game. It includes a metal [[Finance:Safe deposit box|safe deposit box]], an art book, and the soundtrack CD.<ref name="IGN Special Edition"/> The publisher also collaborated with [[Company:Sony Interactive Entertainment|Sony]] to release a 40 GB PlayStation 3 console with a copy of the game.<ref name="IGN Bundle"/> GameStop hosted midnight launch events at over 3,500 of its American stores, with contests and giveaways.<ref name="IGN Launch"/>

== Reception ==
=== Critical response ===
{{Video game reviews
| title  = Console versions reception
| MC     = 98/100<ref name="MC"/>
| 1UP    = A+<ref name="1UP Review"/>
| CVG    = 9.5/10<ref name="CVG Review"/>
| Edge   = 10/10<ref name="Edge Review"/>
| EuroG  = 10/10<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/>
| GI     = 10/10<ref name="Game Informer Review"/>
| GRadar = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="GamesRadar Review"/>
| GSpot  = 10/10<ref name="GameSpot Review"/>
| IGN    = 10/10<ref name="IGN Review"/>
}}

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' received "universal acclaim" from critics, according to review aggregator Metacritic.<ref name="MC"/> It is the second-highest-rated game on the site,<ref name="MC All Time"/> and the highest-rated PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game.<ref name="MC PS3 All Time"/><ref name="MC 360 All Time"/> Reviewers praised the narrative,<ref name="1UP Review"/><ref name="Game Informer Review"/><ref name="IGN Review"/><ref name="OXM Review"/> open world design<ref name="1UP Review"/><ref name="CVG Review"/><ref name="IGN Review"/> and combat system.<ref name="CVG Review"/><ref name="Eurogamer Review"/><ref name="GamesRadar Review"/><ref name="GameSpot Review"/> Hilary Goldstein of ''IGN'' felt that the game "sets a new benchmark for open-world games",<ref name="IGN Review"/> and Andrew Reiner of ''Game Informer'' wrote that the game "completely changes the landscape of gaming".<ref name="Game Informer Review"/>

Reviewers lauded the open world design, some further complimenting the freedom that it allows the player. Seth Schiesel of ''{{wipe|The New York Times}}'' named the city the "real star" of the game.<ref name="New York Times Review"/> ''Official Xbox Magazine''{{'}}s Hicks was impressed by the city, attributing this to the game's [[Software:Artificial intelligence in video games|artificial intelligence]].<ref name="OXM Review"/> Robinson of ''Computer and Video Games'' considered the environment believable, and felt that the world was "utterly unmatched".<ref name="CVG Review"/> Goldstein of ''IGN'' felt that, although Liberty City is inspired by New York, it is not beholden to it. He wrote that the city "exists in its own universe and rightfully so".<ref name="IGN Review"/> Crispin Boyer of ''1UP.com'' directed praise at the city's "breathtaking vistas, incredibly varied scenery, and lived-in look."<ref name="1UP Review"/> Conversely, Jesse Costantino of ''GameRevolution'' felt that the game lacked important features common in other open world games.<ref name="Game Revolution Review"/>

Reviewers praised the narrative. ''IGN''{{'}}s Goldstein accepted that the darker tones to the story were a break from series tradition.<ref name="IGN Review"/> Jon Hicks of ''Official Xbox Magazine'' felt surprised by the amount of depth to the story.<ref name="OXM Review"/> Reiner of ''Game Informer'' wrote that the level of freedom in the game contributed to his enjoyment of the story.<ref name="Game Informer Review"/> The morality choices faced by players throughout the narrative were also welcomed. ''1UP.com''{{'}}s Boyer felt that they gave the game an element of "replayability".<ref name="1UP Review"/> ''Eurogamer''{{'}}s Tom Bramwell considered the morality choices a fair substitute over "bosses with large health bars".<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/>

[[File:GTAIV Niko and Dimitri.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|left|The game's protagonist, Niko Bellic, with the main antagonist, Dimitri Rascalov. Reviewers praised the story and characters, commending the morality choices faced by players.<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/><ref name="1UP Review"/>|alt=The player character sitting next to the main antagonist, at a bench on the side of the road.]]

The game's characters—particularly Niko—received positive reactions from critics.<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/> Hicks of ''Official Xbox Magazine'' and Andy Robinson of ''Computer and Video Games'' both called Niko "charismatic" and "likeable", stating that they prefer him over previous protagonists of the series.<ref name="CVG Review"/><ref name="OXM Review"/> George Walter of ''GamesRadar'' praised the depth of the character, and ''IGN''{{'}}s Goldstein felt that the character of Niko feels relatable when faced with difficult decisions.<ref name="GamesRadar Review"/> Jeff Gerstmann of ''Giant Bomb'' felt that Niko was "the only thing that mattered to [him]" as he progressed through the story, with the character becoming one of his favourite features of the game.<ref name="Giant Bomb Review"/> Schiesel of ''The New York Times'' named Niko one of the most realised video game characters attributing this to the game's script,<ref name="New York Times Review"/> while ''1UP.com''{{'}}s Boyer commended the use of character bonding during missions.<ref name="1UP Review"/>

Many reviewers found the combat system was more responsive than in previous games, particularly praising the addition of the cover system.<ref name="1UP Review"/><ref name="CVG Review"/><ref name="Eurogamer Review"/> Justin Calvert of ''GameSpot'' wrote that the cover system makes the game's combat a "huge improvement" over previous games.<ref name="GameSpot Review"/> Reiner of ''Game Informer'' agreed, writing that the targeting system makes players feel responsible for all deaths.<ref name="Game Informer Review"/> ''IGN''{{'}}s Goldstein praised the fluidity of the cover system, and felt that the auto aim mechanic is a "great help in larger battles".<ref name="IGN Review"/> ''GamesRadar''{{'}}s Walter wrote that the cover system has "paved the way to a new style of mission".<ref name="GamesRadar Review"/> David McComb of ''Empire'' called the combat "sharp and instinctive",<ref name="Empire Review"/> and Hicks of ''Official Xbox Magazine'' felt that the cover system allows players to execute an attack plan.<ref name="OXM Review"/> In addition to the combat system, most reviewers noted the vehicle handling was more realistic than in previous games.<ref name="Game Informer Review"/><ref name="GamesRadar Review"/><ref name="OXM Review"/> Robinson of ''Computer and Video Games'' felt that the vehicle handling echoed realism, while Hicks of ''Official Xbox Magazine'' called the vehicle selection "excellent".<ref name="CVG Review"/> Costantino of ''GameRevolution'' praised the improvement of the game's mechanics, particularly the physics engine's advanced vehicle and character animations.<ref name="Game Revolution Review"/>

Reviewers praised the sound design. Goldstein of ''IGN'' praised the actors' performances and the use of licensed music. ''GameSpot''{{'}}s Calvert and ''GamesRadar''{{'}}s Walter also commended the licensed music, the latter admiring the humour of the radio's talk stations.<ref name="GamesRadar Review"/><ref name="GameSpot Review"/> Michael Pinson of ''The Pro Audio Files'' praised the separate features of the sound design—including the city's ambiance, licensed music, character dialogue, and vehicle and weapon sound effects—applauding the developer's use of uniting the features together.<ref name="Pro Audio Files Review"/> Carolyn Gudmundson of ''GamesRadar'' also retroactively praised the soundtrack, commending its suitability to the setting.<ref name="GamesRadar Music"/>

The online multiplayer mode received positive reactions from critics.<ref name="Eurogamer Review"/><ref name="GameSpot Review"/> Reiner of ''Game Informer'' praised the character customisation available in the multiplayer mode, and noted that it runs "just as smoothly" as the single-player game.<ref name="Game Informer Review"/> ''1UP.com''{{'}}s Boyer called the multiplayer modes "excellent",<ref name="1UP Review"/> and ''IGN''{{'}}s Goldstein named it one of the best.<ref name="IGN Review"/> ''Official Xbox Magazine''{{'}}s Hicks dubbed the multiplayer as "hugely entertaining",<ref name="OXM Review"/> while Walter of ''GamesRadar'' praised the "seamless" process of entering a multiplayer match.<ref name="GamesRadar Review"/> ''Giant Bomb''{{'}}s Gerstmann and ''GameRevolution''{{'}}s Costantino felt divided about the multiplayer, the latter naming it a "fantastic idea", but feeling as though connectivity problems resulted in a "broken" experience.<ref name="Game Revolution Review"/><ref name="Giant Bomb Review"/>

==== Windows version ====
{{Video game reviews
| title = Windows version reception
| MC    = 90/100<ref name="MC"/>
| 1UP   = B<ref name="1UP PC Review"/>
| CVG   = 9.4/10<ref name="CVG PC Review"/>
| EuroG = 9/10<ref name="Eurogamer PC Review"/>
| GSpot = 9/10<ref name="GameSpot PC Review"/>
| GSpy  = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="GameSpy PC Review"/>
| IGN   = 9.2/10<ref name="IGN PC Review"/>
| VG    = 10/10<ref name="VideoGamer.com PC Review"/>
}}

The Windows version received "universal acclaim", according to Metacritic.<ref name="MC"/> Reviewers liked the enhanced visuals<ref name="CVG PC Review"/><ref name="VideoGamer.com PC Review"/><ref name="GameZone PC Review"/> and the additional features,<ref name="GameSpot PC Review"/><ref name="1UP PC Review"/><ref name="IGN PC Review"/><ref name="GameZone PC Review"/> but criticised the port for its inferiority over the console versions.<ref name="1UP PC Review"/><ref name="Eurogamer PC Review"/><ref name="IGN PC Review"/>

The in-game features added in the port were well received.<ref name="IGN PC Review"/><ref name="GameZone PC Review"/> The addition of the Video Editor was met with positive reactions; ''GameSpot''{{'}}s Calvert called it "a great way to get creative",<ref name="GameSpot PC Review"/> while Kieron Gillen of ''Eurogamer'' criticised the unpredictability in its timing.<ref name="Eurogamer PC Review"/> Critics also praised the addition of the customisable radio station, which allows players to listen to their own choice of music; Tom Chick of ''1UP.com'' named it the best feature of the port,<ref name="1UP PC Review"/> and Steven Hopper of ''GameZone'' called it a "great touch".<ref name="GameZone PC Review"/> The port's upgrade to 32 concurrent players in the online multiplayer mode, as opposed to the console version's 16 players, was also met with positive feedback; ''Eurogamer''{{'}}s Gillen said that the "possibility for mayhem... increases",<ref name="Eurogamer PC Review"/> while Will Tuttle of ''GameSpy'' felt that the player increase "changes the action significantly".<ref name="GameSpy PC Review"/>

The port's enhanced visuals were commended by many reviewers. ''GameZone''{{'s}} Hopper considered the visuals an improvement over the original versions.<ref name="GameZone PC Review"/> Andy Robinson of ''Computer and Video Games'' called the visuals "impressive",<ref name="CVG PC Review"/> while Tom Orry of ''VideoGamer.com'' called them "superb".<ref name="VideoGamer.com PC Review"/> Conversely, the port's system requirements, considered difficult to run with advanced settings,<ref name="GameSpot PC Review"/> received criticism.<ref name="IGN PC Review"/><ref name="VideoGamer.com PC Review"/> ''Eurogamer''{{'}}s Gillen said that, though the Windows version is "the most attractive version", it's "annoyingly fiddly to get there".<ref name="Eurogamer PC Review"/> ''GameSpy''{{'}}s Tuttle was able to overlook the demanding system requirements in exchange for the game's other features.<ref name="GameSpy PC Review"/>

=== Awards ===
[[File:MichaelHollickCC08 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|upright|Michael Hollick won at the Spike Video Game Awards for his role as Niko Bellic.<ref name="Spike"/>]]

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' earned awards from several critics and publications. It received Game of the Year awards from ''Digital Spy'',<ref name="Digital Spy GOTY"/> the Entertainment Merchants Association,<ref name="EMA GOTY"/> ''GameTrailers'',<ref name="GameTrailers GOTY"/> ''Giant Bomb'',<ref name="Giant Bomb GOTY"/> ''IGN Australia'',<ref name="IGN AU GOTY"/> ''Kotaku'',<ref name="Kotaku GOTY"/> ''The Los Angeles Times'',<ref name="LA Times GOTY"/> ''The New York Times'',<ref name="NYT GOTY"/> and ''{{wipe|Time (magazine)}}''.<ref name="Time GOTY"/> The game led the nominees at the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards with eight nominations;<ref name="Spike Nom"/> it led the winners (tying with ''Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots'') with three awards: Game of the Year, Best Action Adventure Game, and Best Performance by a Human Male for Michael Hollick's role as Niko.<ref name="Spike"/> The following year, ''The Ballad of Gay Tony'' won Best DLC.<ref name="Spike 2009"/>

''Grand Theft Auto IV'' was nominated for three awards at the 9th Game Developers Choice Awards including Game of the Year,<ref name="GDCA"/> four at the 12th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards including Overall Game of the Year,<ref name="AIAS"/> and seven at the 5th British Academy Games Awards, tying with ''Modern Warfare'' for the most nominations at the latter.<ref name="BAFTA"/> At ''IGN''{{'}}s Best of 2008, it won eleven awards, including Best Voice Acting across all three platforms and overall,<ref name="IGN Voice Acting PC"/><ref name="IGN Voice Acting PS3"/><ref name="IGN Voice Acting X360"/><ref name="IGN Voice Acting Overall"/> and Best Story for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.<ref name="IGN Story PS3"/><ref name="IGN Story X360"/> It was nominated for Choice Video Game at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards.<ref name="Teen Choice Awards"/>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="font-size: 95%; width: 100%;"
|-
! scope="col" | Award
! scope="col" | Date
! scope="col" | Category
! scope="col" | Recipient(s) and nominee(s)
! scope="col" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Abbr|Ref(s).|Reference(s)}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="7" | British Academy Games Awards
| rowspan="7" | 10 March 2009
| Best Game
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="7" | <ref name="BAFTA"/>
|-
| Action and Adventure
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Story and Character
| {{sort|Houser|Dan Houser, Rupert Humphries}}
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Technical Achievement
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Gameplay
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Use of Audio
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| GAME Award of 2008
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="3" | Game Developers Choice Awards
| rowspan="3" | 26 March 2009
| Game of the Year
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3" | <ref name="GDCA"/>
|-
| Best Technology
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Best Writing
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="4" | Interactive Achievement Awards
| rowspan="4" | 19 February 2009
| Overall Game of the Year
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="4" | <ref name="AIAS"/>
|-
| Console Game of the Year
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Action Game of the Year
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Outstanding Achievement in Original Story
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="11" | Spike Video Game Awards
| rowspan="9" | 14 December 2008
| Game of the Year
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3" | <ref name="Spike"/>
|-
| Best Action Adventure Game
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | Best Male Voice
| Michael Hollick as Niko Bellic
| {{Won}}
|-
| Jason Zumwalt as Roman Bellic
| {{Nominated}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="6" | <ref name="Spike Nom"/>
|-
| Studio of the Year
| [[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]]
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Best Soundtrack
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Best Xbox 360 Game
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Best PS3 Game
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| Big Name in the Game Male
| {{sort|Gervais|[[Biography:Ricky Gervais|Ricky Gervais]] as himself}}
| {{Nominated}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | 12 December 2009
| rowspan="2" | Best DLC
| {{sort|Ballad of Gay Tony|''Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony''}}
| {{Won}}
| style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2" | <ref name="Spike 2009"/>
|-
| {{sort|Lost and Damned|''Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned''}}
| {{Nominated}}
|-
! scope="row" | Teen Choice Awards
| 9 August 2009
| Choice Video Game
| ''Grand Theft Auto IV''
| {{Nominated}}
| style="text-align:center;" | <ref name="Teen Choice Awards"/>
|}

== Sales ==
Within twenty-four hours of its release, ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' sold over 3.6 million copies, equating to approximately $310 million in revenue.<ref name="V3 Sales"/> Within a week, it generated more than $500 million in worldwide revenue, equating to approximately 6 million copies sold for Take Two.<ref name="NYT 500M"/>{{efn|The game's first-week sales record beat the previous record of $320 million set by ''[[Software:Halo 3|Halo 3]]''.<ref name="Telegraph Records"/>}} The numbers surpassed analysts' expectations for the title.<ref name="Reuters Shares"/><ref name="NYT Craving"/><ref name="GameSpot Big"/> After one month of availability, the game had sold over 8.5 million copies.<ref name="Take-Two Month"/> It broke three Guinness World Records on 13 May 2008: highest grossing video game in 24 hours, highest revenue generated by an entertainment product in 24 hours, and fastest-selling video game in 24 hours.<ref name="GWR"/>{{efn|The three Guinness World Records that ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' broke were later broken by its successor ''[[Software:Grand Theft Auto V|Grand Theft Auto V]]''.<ref name="Polygon GWR"/>}} On 11 March 2011, Take-Two announced that the game had sold over 20 million copies, with the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series surpassing a collective total of 100 million copies.<ref name="VG247 2011"/> As of July 2013, the game has sold over 25 million copies, making it one of the best-selling video games, and one of the best-selling games on both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.<ref name="Game Informer 2013"/> All sales records broken by ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' were beaten by its successor, ''Grand Theft Auto V''.<ref name="IGN GTA V"/>

In the United Kingdom, the game became the fastest-selling game of all time, selling over 631,000 copies in twenty-four hours.<ref name="MCV 24 Hours"/> This broke the record set by ''Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'' at 501,000 copies over the same period.<ref name="Telegraph UK Fast"/> During the first five days of availability, the game sold over 927,000 copies in the United Kingdom.<ref name="Gamesindustry UK Week"/><ref name="MCV UK Week"/> In the United States, ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' sold 2.85 million units in its first five days.<ref name="GameSpot US 5 Days"/> By the end of 2008, the game had sold over 5.18 million copies in the US.<ref name="GameDaily 2008"/> In its first four days of availability in Japan, it sold 133,000 copies on the PlayStation 3 and 34,000 on the Xbox 360, according to [[Company:Media Create|Media Create]].<ref name="Kotaku Japan"/>

In the first week of availability, the Windows version of ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' debuted at seventh place on the weekly charts;<ref name="Shacknews PC Chart 1"/> by the second week, it had left the top-ten.<ref name="Shacknews PC Chart 2"/> Based on [[Unique user|unique user]] counts, the game was the most played [[Finance:Games for Windows – Live|Games for Windows – Live]] game in 2009 and 2012,<ref name="GFW 2009"/><ref name="GFW 2012"/> and the second-most played in 2011.<ref name="GFW 2011"/>

== Controversies ==
=== Pre-release ===
[[File:JackThompsonAttorney crop.jpg|thumb|right|Former attorney Jack Thompson, known for campaigning against titles from Rockstar Games, heavily criticised ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' prior to its release.<ref name="Edge Thompson"/><ref name="IGN Bury"/><ref name="Shacknews Thompson"/>]]

In 2007, then-Florida lawyer Jack Thompson, known for his campaigns against the series, stated he would take measures to prevent the sale of ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' to minors.<ref name="Edge Thompson"/> On 14 March, Take-Two filed a lawsuit against Thompson to preemptively restrict his attempts to ban the game from sale.<ref name="GamePolitics Thompson"/> Thompson responded by filing a countersuit accusing Take-Two of violating federal RICO statutes, committing [[Social:Perjury|perjury]] and obstruction of justice, and conspiring to deprive him of his civil rights.<ref name="GameSpot Thompson"/> On 20 April, both parties reached a settlement agreeing to drop their lawsuits:<ref name="GamePolitics Settle"/> Thompson was barred from suing to ban the sale or distribution of Take-Two's games but able to act as counsel in lawsuits by other parties, while Take-Two agreed to drop the contempt of court lawsuit against Thompson regarding alleged improper conduct during the court hearings for Rockstar's game ''[[Software:Bully (video game)|Bully]]'' (2006).<ref name="IGN Bury"/>

On 18 September 2007, Thompson filed a document with a federal court in Florida, claiming the assassination target of a mission in ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a lawyer character based upon himself. He threatened to "take necessary and proper means to stop release of the game" if the similarities were not removed.<ref name="GamePolitics Target"/> In April 2008, Thompson wrote a letter directed to the mother of Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick, in which he labelled ''Grand Theft Auto'' a "murder simulator" and criticised Zelnick's upbringing, comparing his Boy Scouts experience to Hitler Youth.<ref name="Shacknews Thompson"/><ref name="CVG Thompson"/> Thompson subsequently claimed he sent the letter to Zelnick's lawyer, formulating it as a parody to induce "shame" in Zelnick.<ref name="Shacknews Thompson"/>

Following the release of the first trailer in March 2007, New York City officials criticised the choice of their city as inspiration for Liberty City; Peter Vallone Jr., chairman of the council's public safety committee, compared it to "setting ''Halo'' in Disneyland", and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly called it "despicable to glamorize violence in games like these".<ref name="CVG NY"/> A spokesman for mayor Michael Bloomberg said "the mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers".<ref name="CVG NY"/> Jason Della Rocca, executive director of the [[Organization:International Game Developers Association|International Game Developers Association]], accused city officials of double standards for criticising video games but avoiding the argument for books, films, and television series set in the city.<ref name="NewsFactor NY"/>

=== Post-release ===
[[File:Grand Theft Auto IV drunk sequences.gif|thumb|right|upright=1.2|The ability to drink-drive in ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' was criticised by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, who requested the rating be changed.<ref name="GameSpot MADD"/>|alt=Player character drives a car while intoxicated. The gameplay vision is shaky and blurred.]]

In April 2008, non-profit organisation Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) criticised the ability to drink-drive in the game. MADD requested the Entertainment Software Rating Board change the rating of the game to "Adults Only", effectively removing it from sale.<ref name="GameSpot MADD"/> They asked Take-Two and Rockstar to consider halting distribution out of a sense of social responsibility and respect for victims of driving under the influence.<ref name="GameSpot MADD"/> Rockstar said it respected MADD's work but felt the game's audience "is more than sophisticated enough to understand the game's content", adding "you can't judge ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' by a small aspect of the game".<ref name="NBC MADD"/>

On his program in May 2008, conservative American radio host [[Biography:Glenn Beck|Glenn Beck]] used the game as an example of violence in video games "training our kids to be killers", erroneously stating the player can attack police officers with a [[Biology:Chainsaw|chainsaw]];<ref name="Destructoid Beck"/><ref name="Kombo Beck"/> ''Kombo''{{'}}s David Oxford rebutted that the game is not targeted at children.<ref name="Kombo Beck"/> Beck said games like ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' were being used to make militaries more violent; ''[[Social:Destructoid|Destructoid]]''{{'}}s Jim Sterling countered that violent wars occurred prior to the creation of video games.<ref name="Destructoid Beck"/> ''Computer and Video Games''{{'}}s Robinson compared Beck's "rant" to the game's satirical radio shows.<ref name="CVG Beck"/>

{{Rquote|right|There is nothing in the game you would not see in a TV show, or a movie a hundred times over ... We set out to make games that felt like they could culturally exist alongside the movies we were watching and the books we were reading|Dan Houser, writer|May 2008<ref name="Vulture Houser"/> }}

In June 2008, six teenagers who were arrested for robbery in New Hyde Park, New York, claimed they were inspired by ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', according to the Nassau County Police Department.<ref name="ABC Nassau"/> In August, an 18-year-old student was arrested in [[Place:Bangkok|Bangkok]] for the murder of a taxi driver after attempting to hijack the vehicle; according to the police captain, the student "wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game".<ref name="BBC Thailand"/> The game was subsequently banned in Thailand.<ref name="BBC Thailand"/> In August 2013, 87-year-old Marie Smothers was killed in Slaughter, Louisiana, when her eight-year-old grandson shot her in the head with a handgun after playing ''Grand Theft Auto IV''; under state law, the boy could not be charged for her death due to his age.<ref name="HuffPost Smothers"/>

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{reflist|refs=

<!-- Gameplay -->

<ref name="Boston Herald Preview">{{cite web |url=http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1070140 |title='Grand Theft Auto IV' Preview: Rockstar Games' latest adds drunk driving, strip clubs |page=1 |agency=Associated Press |work=Boston Herald |publisher=Digital First Media |date=30 January 2008 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201235237/http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1070140 |archive-date=1 February 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Digital Spy Retrospective">{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/retro-gaming/a513443/games-of-the-generation-grand-theft-auto-4/ |title=Games of the Generation: 'Grand Theft Auto 4' |last=Langshaw |first=Mark |work=Digital Spy |publisher=Hearst Communications |date=7 September 2013 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928002652/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/retro-gaming/a513443/games-of-the-generation-grand-theft-auto-4/ |archive-date=28 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer Cheat">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-13-gta-4-cheat-codes |title=GTA 4 cheats - cars, wanted level, helicopter, guns, Lost and Damned and Gay Tony codes |last=Tapsell |first=Chris |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=13 February 2017 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170213142815/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-13-gta-4-cheat-codes |archive-date=13 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot Fantastic">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-4s-open-world-is-still-fantastic-/1100-6458753/ |title=Grand Theft Auto 4's Open World Is Still Fantastic 10 Years Later |last=Fillari |first=Alessandro |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=19 May 2018 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127191947/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-4s-open-world-is-still-fantastic-/1100-6458753/ |archive-date=27 November 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GamesRadar Multiplayer">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/gta-iv-16-player-multiplayer-revealed/ |title=GTA IV: 16-player multiplayer revealed! |last=Robinson |first=Andy |work=GamesRadar |publisher=Future plc |date=14 March 2008 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928010108/https://www.gamesradar.com/gta-iv-16-player-multiplayer-revealed/ |archive-date=28 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GamesRadar Reshape">{{cite web |url=https://gamesradar.com/how-gta-iv-will-reshape-the-series/ |title=How GTA IV will reshape the series |last=Cundy |first=Matt |work=GamesRadar |publisher=Future plc |date=26 July 2007 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131024195954/http://www.gamesradar.com/how-gta-iv-will-reshape-the-series/ |archive-date=24 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameTap Multiplayer">{{cite web |url=http://www.gametap.com/articles/gamepreviews/grand_theft_auto_iv_multiplayer_handson_ps3_xbox_360-04082008 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Multiplayer |last=Perry |first=Douglass C. |work=[[Software:GameTap|GameTap]] |publisher=[[Software:Metaboli|Metaboli]] |date=8 April 2008 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410135236/http://www.gametap.com/articles/gamepreviews/grand_theft_auto_iv_multiplayer_handson_ps3_xbox_360-04082008 |archive-date=10 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Preview">{{cite web |url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2008/02/28/grand-theft-auto-iv-hands-on-2?page=2 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV hands-on preview |last1=Greg |first1=Miller |last2=Goldstein |first2=Hilary |date=1 March 2008 |website=IGN |access-date=29 May 2014 |archive-date=18 December 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131218012507/http://au.ign.com/articles/2008/02/28/grand-theft-auto-iv-hands-on-2?page=2 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Updates">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2008/01/23/grand-theft-auto-iv-update |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Update |last=Roper |first=Chris |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=23 January 2008 |access-date=23 February 2008 |archive-date=8 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130508004359/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/23/grand-theft-auto-iv-update |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon Maps">{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2015/10/25/9610866/grand-theft-auto-map-size-los-santos-san-andreas-liberty-city-video |title=Walk across all of Grand Theft Auto's maps in less than 14 minutes |last=Good |first=Owen S. |work=Polygon |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |date=25 October 2015 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026181630/https://www.polygon.com/2015/10/25/9610866/grand-theft-auto-map-size-los-santos-san-andreas-liberty-city-video |archive-date=26 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon Multiplayer">{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/19/21143674/gta-4-return-to-steam-march-2020-multiplayer-support |title=Grand Theft Auto 4 will return to steam in March without multiplayer support |last=Carpenter |first=Nicole |work=Polygon |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |date=19 February 2020 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928004954/https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/19/21143674/gta-4-return-to-steam-march-2020-multiplayer-support |archive-date=28 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="UK Hands-On">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2008/02/28/grand-theft-auto-iv-uk-hands-on-2 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV UK Hands-On |last=Robinson |first=Martin |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=28 February 2008 |access-date=4 March 2008 |archive-date=29 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929125917/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/02/28/grand-theft-auto-iv-uk-hands-on-2 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="VideoGamer Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/grand_theft_auto_4/review-3.html |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review for Xbox 360 |page=3 |last=Orry |first=Tom |work=VideoGamer.com |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=17 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203000546/http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/grand_theft_auto_4/review-3.html |archive-date=3 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Wired Media">{{cite web |url=https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/04/watching-tv-and/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Shifts Into Media Overdrive |last=Baker |first=Chris |work=Wired |publisher=Condé Nast |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=17 November 2013 |archive-date=17 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017072023/http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2008/04/watching-tv-and |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Setting -->

<ref name="CVG Universe">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/377653/gta-v-full-details-bank-heists-dynamic-missions-and-underwater-gameplay/ |title=News: GTA V full details: Bank heists, dynamic missions and underwater gameplay |last=Hussain |first=Tamoor |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=9 November 2012 |access-date=1 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121111044330/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/377653/gta-v-full-details-bank-heists-dynamic-missions-and-underwater-gameplay/ |archive-date=11 November 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer Chinatown Wars">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gta-ds-to-feature-most-of-ivs-map |title=GTA DS to feature most of IV's map |last=Welsh |first=Oli |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=17 November 2008 |access-date=7 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191130050635/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gta-ds-to-feature-most-of-ivs-map |archive-date=30 November 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Game Rant Universe">{{cite web |url=https://gamerant.com/grand-theft-auto-6-universe-gta-5/ |title=Grand Theft Auto 6 Could Be Set in A Completely Separate Universe from GTA 5 |last=Stewart |first=Charlie |work=Game Rant |publisher=Valnet |date=6 January 2021 |accessdate=13 June 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107035338/https://gamerant.com/grand-theft-auto-6-universe-gta-5/ |archivedate=7 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Guardian Universe">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2012/nov/09/grand-theft-auto-5-details |title=Grand Theft Auto 5: three lead characters, one huge map |last=Stuart |first=Keith |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=9 November 2012 |access-date=1 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131022115327/http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2012/nov/09/grand-theft-auto-5-details |archive-date=22 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Rockstar Universe">{{cite web |url=http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/19861/grand-theft-auto-iii-your-questions-answered-part-one-claude-dar.html |title=Grand Theft Auto III: Your Questions Answered – Part One (Claude, Darkel & Other Characters) |author=R*Q |work=Rockstar Newswire |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |access-date=23 November 2013 |archive-date=10 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410102933/http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/19861/grand-theft-auto-iii-your-questions-answered-part-one-claude-dar.html |url-status=live}} '''Rockstar:''' "The "universes" are the worlds interpreted at different definitions, 2d, 3d and high definition, so we felt brands and radio / back ground characters would exist in both, but 3 dimensional characters would not."</ref>

<ref name="Telegraph Liberty">{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1955256/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-Photos-reveal-similarities-between-Liberty-City-and-New-York-City.html |title=Grand Theft Auto IV: Photos reveal similarities between Liberty City and New York City |last=Moore |first=Matthew |work=The Telegraph |date=14 May 2008 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081219192936/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1955256/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-Photos-reveal-similarities-between-Liberty-City-and-New-York-City.html |archive-date=19 December 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="The Cousins Bellic">{{cite video game |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |developer=[[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=29 April 2008 |platform=[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] |version=1.0 |level="The Cousins Bellic" |quote='''Niko''': Why don't you show me around the city? ... '''Roman''': Terrorists. There's been a big scare and you can't go across the bridges so good.}}</ref>

<!-- Plot -->

<ref name="One Last Thing">{{cite video game |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |developer=[[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=29 April 2008 |platform=[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] |version=1.0 |level="One Last Thing"}}</ref>
<ref name="If the Price is Right">{{cite video game |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |developer=[[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=29 April 2008 |platform=[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] |version=1.0 |level="If the Price is Right"}}</ref>
<ref name="Mr and Mrs Bellic">{{cite video game |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |developer=[[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=29 April 2008 |platform=[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] |version=1.0 |level="Mr and Mrs Bellic"}}</ref>
<ref name="The Revenger's Tragedy">{{cite video game |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |developer=[[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=29 April 2008 |platform=[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] |version=1.0 |level="A Revenger's Tragedy"}}</ref>
<ref name="A Dish Served Cold">{{cite video game |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |developer=[[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=29 April 2008 |platform=[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] |version=1.0 |level="A Dish Served Cold"}}</ref>
<ref name="Out of Commission">{{cite video game |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |developer=[[Company:Rockstar North|Rockstar North]] |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=29 April 2008 |platform=[[Engineering:PlayStation 3|PlayStation 3]] and [[Engineering:Xbox 360|Xbox 360]] |version=1.0 |level="Out of Commission"}}</ref>

<!-- Development -->

<ref name="Edge">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-grand-theft-auto-iv/ |title=The Making Of: Grand Theft Auto IV |magazine=Edge |publisher=Future plc |date=18 March 2008 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704185925/http://www.edge-online.com/features/making-grand-theft-auto-iv/ |archive-date=4 July 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot Gold">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-iv-golden-already-in-transit/1100-6189477/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV golden, already in transit |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=21 April 2008 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140302132836/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/grand-theft-auto-iv-golden-already-in-transit/1100-6189477/ |archive-date=2 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Benzies">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/23/gta-iv-the-power-broker |title=GTA IV: The Power Broker |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=24 April 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104215841/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/23/gta-iv-the-power-broker |archive-date=4 January 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Limits">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/31/gta-iv-pushing-the-limits |title=GTA IV: Pushing the Limits |last=Goldstein |first=Hilary |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=1 April 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011143232/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/31/gta-iv-pushing-the-limits |archive-date=11 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="OPM UK">{{cite journal |title=GTA Gets Real |journal=PlayStation Official Magazine (UK) |issue=6 |pages=54–67 |publisher=Future plc |location=United Kingdom |date=June 2007}}</ref>

<ref name="Times Benzies">{{cite web |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/grand-theft-auto-producer-is-godfather-of-gaming-qhgtk0d3d8h |title=Grand Theft Auto producer is Godfather of gaming |last=Bowditch |first=Gillian |work=The Times |date=27 April 2008 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910125209/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/grand-theft-auto-producer-is-godfather-of-gaming-qhgtk0d3d8h |archive-date=10 September 2017 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

<!-- Research and open world design -->

<ref name="1UP Houser">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3167500 |title=Motormoth: A GTA Q&A |last=Boyer |first=Crispin |work=1UP.com |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=23 April 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423175543/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3167500 |archive-date=23 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer Garbut 2 p1">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-ivs-aaron-garbut-part-2-interview |title=Grand Theft Auto IV's Aaron Garbut: Part 2 |page=1 |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=22 April 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081218225304/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-ivs-aaron-garbut-part-2-interview |archive-date=18 December 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer Garbut 2 p2">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-ivs-aaron-garbut-part-2-interview?page=2 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV's Aaron Garbut: Part 2 |page=2 |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=22 April 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930061253/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-ivs-aaron-garbut-part-2-interview?page=2 |archive-date=30 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Sleeps">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/21/gta-iv-the-city-that-never-sleeps |title=GTA IV: The City that Never Sleeps |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=22 April 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014033853/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/21/gta-iv-the-city-that-never-sleeps |archive-date=14 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN World">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/29/gta-iv-building-a-brave-new-world |title=GTA IV: Building a Brave New World |last=Goldstein |first=Hilary |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=29 March 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020074241/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/29/gta-iv-building-a-brave-new-world |archive-date=20 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kikizo Welcome">{{cite web |url=http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200705/101_p1.asp |title=Welcome to Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Doree |first=Adam |work=Kikizo |publisher=Superglobal |date=25 May 2007 |access-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009043528/http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200705/101_p1.asp |archive-date=9 October 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Vulture Garbut">{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2008/05/grand_theft_auto_ivs_art_direc.html |title=Grand Theft Auto IV's Art Director Aaron Garbut on Copycat Games and the Public Bathrooms of Liberty City |last=Hill |first=Logan |work=Vulture |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |date=2 May 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920114648/http://www.vulture.com/2008/05/grand_theft_auto_ivs_art_direc.html |archive-date=20 September 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Story and character development -->

<ref name="Eurogamer Garbut 1">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-ivs-aaron-garbut-part-1-interview |title=Grand Theft Auto IV's Aaron Garbut: Part 1 |page=1 |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=21 April 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090124174547/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-ivs-aaron-garbut-part-1-interview |archive-date=24 January 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Variety Houser">{{cite web |url=http://weblogs.variety.com/the_cut_scene/2008/04/dan-housers-ver.html |title=Dan Houser's vary extended interview about everything "Grand Theft Auto IV" and Rockstar |last=Fritz |first=Ben |work=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |date=19 April 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100206095732/http://weblogs.variety.com/the_cut_scene/2008/04/dan-housers-ver.html |archive-date=6 February 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Vulture Houser">{{cite web |url=https://www.vulture.com/2008/05/rockstar_games_dan_houser.html |title=Rockstar Games' Dan Houser on Grand Theft Auto IV and Digitally Degentrifying New York |last=Hill |first=Logan |work=Vulture |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |date=2 May 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203143438/http://www.vulture.com/2008/05/rockstar_games_dan_houser.html |archive-date=3 February 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Technical and gameplay design -->

<ref name="Gamasutra Animation">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/110498/Gamefest_How_GTA_IVs_Niko_Bellic_Got_Animated.php |title=Gamefest: How GTA IV's Niko Bellic Got Animated |last1=Nutt |first1=Christian |last2=Zenke |first2=Michael |work=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM plc |date=25 July 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513161858/https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/110498/Gamefest_How_GTA_IVs_Niko_Bellic_Got_Animated.php |archive-date=13 May 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamasutra Euphoria">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14526 |title=Product: Grand Theft Auto IV Using NaturalMotion's Euphoria |last=Boyer |first=Brandon |work=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM Technology Group |date=29 June 2007 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710211104/https://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=14526 |archive-date=10 July 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MCV SpeedTree">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.mcvuk.com/development-news/tools-spotlight-speedtree/ |title=Tools Spotlight: SpeedTree |magazine=MCV/Develop |publisher=Biz Media |date=27 September 2013 |access-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603083002/https://www.mcvuk.com/development-news/tools-spotlight-speedtree/ |archive-date=3 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Music production -->

<ref name="MTV Music">{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1586708/grand-theft-auto-iv-music-man-explains-how-those-214-songs-made-the-soundtrack/ |title='Grand Theft Auto IV' Music Man Explains How Those 214 Songs Made The Soundtrack |last=Totilo |first=Stephen |work=MTV |publisher=ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks |date=18 May 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008221031/http://www.mtv.com/news/1586708/grand-theft-auto-iv-music-man-explains-how-those-214-songs-made-the-soundtrack/ |archive-date=8 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Reuters Crime">{{cite web |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-grandtheft-idUSN2540948020080426 |title=Crime pays for music biz with new Grand Theft Auto |last=Bruno |first=Antony |work={{wipe|Reuters}} |publisher=[[Company:Thomson Reuters|Thomson Reuters]] |date=26 April 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110913184845/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/04/26/us-grandtheft-idUSN2540948020080426 |archive-date=13 September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Reuters Purchasing">{{cite web |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/us-grandtheft-idUSN0430077120080505 |title="Grand Theft Auto" simplifies song purchasing |last=Bruno |first=Antony |work={{wipe|Reuters}} |publisher=[[Company:Thomson Reuters|Thomson Reuters]] |date=18 May 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930064610/http://www.reuters.com/article/2008/05/05/us-grandtheft-idUSN0430077120080505 |archive-date=30 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Variety Music">{{cite web |url=http://variety.com/2008/digital/news/grand-theft-music-a-phone-call-away-1117984286/ |title='Grand Theft' music a phone call away |last=Fritz |first=Ben |work=Variety |publisher=Penske Media Corporation |date=18 April 2008 |access-date=18 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929113115/http://variety.com/2008/digital/news/grand-theft-music-a-phone-call-away-1117984286/ |archive-date=29 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Release -->

<ref name="3News New Zealand">{{cite web |url=http://www.3news.co.nz/entertainment/uncut-version-of-grand-theft-auto-iv-now-available-in-nz-2008052218 |title=Uncut version of Grand Theft Auto IV now available in NZ |work=3 News |publisher=MediaWorks New Zealand |date=22 May 2008 |access-date=7 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141209002758/http://www.3news.co.nz/entertainment/uncut-version-of-grand-theft-auto-iv-now-available-in-nz-2008052218 |archive-date=9 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Digital Spy Australia">{{cite web |url=http://www.digitalspy.com.au/gaming/news/a147428/gta-iv-updated-with-uncensored-patch.html |title='GTA IV' updated with uncensored patch |last=Reynolds |first=Matthew |work=Digital Spy |publisher=Hearst Corporation |date=21 February 2009 |access-date=12 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603060203/http://www.digitalspy.com.au/gaming/news/a147428/gta-iv-updated-with-uncensored-patch.html |archive-date=3 June 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer PC">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gta-iv-confirmed-and-dated-for-pc |title=GTA IV confirmed and dated for PC |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=6 August 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304162706/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/gta-iv-confirmed-and-dated-for-pc |archive-date=4 March 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer TBoGT">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-gtaiv-dlc-gets-release-date |title=New GTAIV DLC gets release date |last=Gibson |first=Ellie |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=23 July 2009 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726092147/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/new-gtaiv-dlc-gets-release-date |archive-date=26 July 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer TLaD">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/rockstar-prices-gtaiv-the-lost-and-damned |title=Rockstar prices GTAIV: Lost and Damned |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=16 February 2009 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123220458/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/rockstar-prices-gtaiv-the-lost-and-damned |archive-date=23 January 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer Xbox One">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-09-gta4-and-episodes-from-liberty-city-get-xbox-one-backwards-compatibility |title=Grand Theft Auto 4 and Episodes from Liberty City get Xbox One backwards compatibility |last=Matulef |first=Jeffrey |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=9 February 2017 |access-date=10 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209194127/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-09-gta4-and-episodes-from-liberty-city-get-xbox-one-backwards-compatibility |archive-date=9 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamesindustry Delay">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/pachter-predicts-delay-for-gta-iv |title=Pachter predicts delay for GTA IV |last=Gibson |first=Ellie |work=Gamesindustry.biz |publisher=Gamer Network |date=4 June 2007 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411013411/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/pachter-predicts-delay-for-gta-iv |archive-date=11 April 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamesindustry DLC">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/take-two-refuses-to-clarify-usd-50-million-gta-iv-deal |title=Take-Two refuses to clarify USD 50 million GTA IV deal |last=Martin |first=Matt |work=Gamesindustry.biz |publisher=Gamer Network |date=19 June 2007 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501192611/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/take-2-refuses-to-clarify-50-million-gta-iv-deal |archive-date=1 May 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Announced">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/09/e3-2006-grand-theft-auto-iv-announced |title=E3 2006: Grand Theft Auto IV Announced |last=Sanders |first=Kathleen |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=10 May 2006 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130917003857/https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/05/09/e3-2006-grand-theft-auto-iv-announced |archive-date=17 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Delay">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/03/publishers-could-gain-from-gta-iv-delay |title=Publishers Could Gain From GTA IV Delay |last=Geddes |first=Ryan |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=4 August 2007 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180512181215/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/08/03/publishers-could-gain-from-gta-iv-delay |archive-date=12 May 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN PC">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/30/grand-theft-auto-iv-uk-hands-on |title=Grand Theft Auto IV UK Hands-on |last=Robinson |first=Martin |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=31 October 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929212629/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/10/30/grand-theft-auto-iv-uk-hands-on |archive-date=29 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Release Date">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/24/gta-iv-worldwide-on-april-29 |title=GTA IV Worldwide on April 29 |last=Dunham |first=Jeremy |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=25 January 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180514162402/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/01/24/gta-iv-worldwide-on-april-29 |archive-date=14 May 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Delay">{{cite web |url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/08/taketwo_interactive_taketwo_ex/ |title=Take-Two Execs Explain GTA IV Delay |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=2 August 2007 |access-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131217224636/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2007/08/taketwo_interactive_taketwo_ex/ |archive-date=17 December 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MTV Delay">{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1580161/grand-theft-auto-iv-developer-announces-release-date-says-whether-there-will-be-another-hot-coffee/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Developer Announces Release Date, Says Whether There Will Be Another Hot Coffee |last=Totilo |first=Stephen |work=MTV |publisher=ViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks |date=24 January 2008 |access-date=27 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911081517/http://www.mtv.com/news/1580161/grand-theft-auto-iv-developer-announces-release-date-says-whether-there-will-be-another-hot-coffee/ |archive-date=11 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Rockstar Complete">{{cite web |url=http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/11371/grand-theft-auto-iv-complete-edition-in-stores-now-for-playstati.html |title=Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition In Stores Now for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 |author=R* Q |work=Rockstar Newswire |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=26 October 2010 |access-date=27 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627135826/http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/11371/grand-theft-auto-iv-complete-edition-in-stores-now-for-playstati.html |archive-date=27 June 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Rockstar EFLC">{{cite web |url=http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/4431/first-pc-screens-of-grand-theft-auto-episodes-from-liberty-city.html |title=First PC Screens of Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City |author=R* Q |work=Rockstar Newswire |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=2 April 2010 |access-date=8 April 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615190738/http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/4431/first-pc-screens-of-grand-theft-auto-episodes-from-liberty-city.html |archive-date=15 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="USA Today DLC">{{cite web |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-11-19-gta-damned_N.htm |title='Grand Theft Auto' yields road to the 'Lost and Damned' |last=Snider |first=Mike |work=[[Software:USA Today|USA Today]] |publisher=[[Company:Gannett|Gannett]] |date=20 November 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103212838/http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2008-11-19-gta-damned_N.htm |archive-date=3 November 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="VideoGamesDaily Delay">{{cite web |url=http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200706/004.asp |title=Rockstar Dismisses Talk of GTA IV Delay |last=Wollenschlaeger |first=Alex |work=Kikizo |publisher=Superglobal |date=4 June 2007 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510053239/http://archive.videogamesdaily.com/news/200706/004.asp |archive-date=10 May 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Promotion -->

<ref name="CVG Trailer">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=185587 |title=Last GTA IV trailer released |last=Robinson |first=Andy |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=27 March 2008 |access-date=7 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080328232843/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=185587 |archive-date=28 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="CVG Website">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=181953 |title=Massive GTA IV update |last=Ogden |first=Gavin |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=8 February 2008 |access-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209201858/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=181953 |archive-date=9 February 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="Destructoid WKTT">{{cite web |url=https://www.destructoid.com/wanna-hear-your-voice-in-gta4--35220.phtml |title=Wanna hear your voice in GTA4? |last=North |first=Dale |work=[[Social:Destructoid|Destructoid]] |publisher=ModernMethod |date=13 July 2007 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070716214734/https://www.destructoid.com/wanna-hear-your-voice-in-gta4--35220.phtml |archive-date=16 July 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Engadget Cover">{{cite web |url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/28/rockstar-drops-gta-iv-box-art-video-dates-new-trailer/ |title=Rockstar drops GTA IV box art video, dates new trailer |last=Grant |first=Christopher |work=[[Software:Engadget|Engadget]] |publisher=AOL |date=28 November 2007 |access-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150330060131/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/28/rockstar-drops-gta-iv-box-art-video-dates-new-trailer/ |archive-date=30 March 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Fox Rickroll">{{cite web |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/the-biggest-little-internet-hoax-on-wheels-hits-mainstream |title=The Biggest Little Internet Hoax on Wheels Hits Mainstream |publisher=Fox News |date=22 April 2008 |accessdate=1 December 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501165153/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352010,00.html |archivedate=1 May 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot Trailer 2">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/second-gta-iv-trailer-unspools/1100-6173297/ |title=Second GTA IV trailer unspools |last=Thorsen |first=Tor |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=3 July 2007 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106085804/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/second-gta-iv-trailer-unspools/1100-6173297/ |archive-date=6 January 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Bundle">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/23/gta-iv-playstation-3-bundle-finally-official |title=GTA IV PlayStation 3 Bundle Finally Official |last=Robinson |first=Martin |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=23 April 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130702143228/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/23/gta-iv-playstation-3-bundle-finally-official |archive-date=2 July 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Contest">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/26/gamestop-launches-mobile-text-to-win-contest-for-grand-theft-auto-iv |title=GameStop Launches Mobile Text-to-Win Contest for Grand Theft Auto IV |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=27 March 2008 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603154353/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/03/26/gamestop-launches-mobile-text-to-win-contest-for-grand-theft-auto-iv |archive-date=3 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Launch">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/25/gamestop-to-host-grand-theft-auto-iv-launch-events-nationwide |title=GameStop to Host Grand Theft Auto IV Launch Events Nationwide |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=26 April 2008 |access-date=29 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929034628/https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/25/gamestop-to-host-grand-theft-auto-iv-launch-events-nationwide |archive-date=29 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Special Edition">{{cite web |url=http://ign.com/articles/2007/06/27/grand-theft-auto-iv-special-edition-contents-revealed |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Special Edition Contents Revealed |last=Ring |first=Bennett |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=26 June 2007 |access-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707150605/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/06/27/grand-theft-auto-iv-special-edition-contents-revealed |archive-date=7 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Trailer 1">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/29/first-impressions-grand-theft-auto-iv-teaser |title=First Impressions: Grand Theft Auto IV Teaser |last1=Dunham |first1=Jeremy |last2=Goldstein |first2=Hilary |last3=Roper |first3=Chris |last4=Haynes |first4=Jeff |last5=Miller |first5=Jon |last6=Simmons |first6=Alex |last7=Burman |first7=Rob |last8=Keeling |first8=Justin |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=30 March 2007 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427131700/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/03/29/first-impressions-grand-theft-auto-iv-teaser |archive-date=27 April 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Trailer 3">{{cite web |url=http://ign.com/articles/2007/12/06/grand-theft-auto-iv-trailer-and-qa |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Trailer and Q&A |last=Roper |first=Chris |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=6 December 2007 |access-date=2 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151009070732/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/12/06/grand-theft-auto-iv-trailer-and-qa |archive-date=9 October 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Contest">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/362943/xbox-lives-gta-sweepstakes |title=Xbox Live's GTA Sweepstakes |last=Crecente |first=Brian |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=3 March 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308201351/http://kotaku.com/362943/xbox-lives-gta-sweepstakes |archive-date=8 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku CTA">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/382184/chicago-transit-authority-pulls-gta-iv-ads-following-fox-affiliate-reporting |title=Chicago Transit Authority Pulls GTA IV Ads Following Fox Affiliate Reporting |last=Wilson |first=Mark |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=21 April 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080425131727/http://kotaku.com/382184/chicago-transit-authority-pulls-gta-iv-ads-following-fox-affiliate-reporting |archive-date=25 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Figueroa">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/382467/gta-iv-takes-over-los-angeles-hotel |title=GTA IV Takes Over Los Angeles Hotel |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=22 April 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080425180330/http://kotaku.com/382467/gta-iv-takes-over-los-angeles-hotel |archive-date=25 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Mural">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/362988/gtas-manhattan-mural |title=GTA's Manhattan Mural |last=Crecente |first=Brian |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=3 March 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308203003/http://kotaku.com/362988/gtas-manhattan-mural |archive-date=8 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Trailer Feb1">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/354598/grand-theft-auto-iv-media-blitz |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Media Blitz |last=De Marco |first=Flynn |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=9 February 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080312101931/http://kotaku.com/354598/grand-theft-auto-iv-media-blitz |archive-date=12 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Trailer Feb2">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/359480/two-new-gtaiv-trailers |title=Two new GTAIV Trailers |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=21 February 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080304090501/http://kotaku.com/359480/two-new-gtaiv-trailers |archive-date=4 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Trailer March">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/365300/gtaiv-update-new-videos-screens-and-widgets |title=GTAIV Update: New Videos, Screens and Widgets |last=Wilson |first=Mark |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=7 March 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516165406/http://kotaku.com/365300/gtaiv-update-new-videos-screens-and-widgets |archive-date=16 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Trailer April">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/378921/gta-iv-playboy-x-liberty-city-gun-club-videos |title=GTA IV Playboy X, Liberty City Gun Club Videos |last=Crecente |first=Brian |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=11 April 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090419065920/http://kotaku.com/378921/gta-iv-playboy-x-liberty-city-gun-club-videos |archive-date=19 April 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Trailer TV">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/374936/new-gtaiv-tv-spot-increases-excitement-levels |title=New GTAIV TV Spot Increases Excitement Levels |last=Plunkett |first=Luke |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=1 April 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405194044/http://kotaku.com/374936/new-gtaiv-tv-spot-increases-excitement-levels |archive-date=5 April 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Wanted 1">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/350749/grand-theft-auto-iv-wanted-posters-popping-up-in-brooklyn |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Wanted Posters Popping Up In Brooklyn |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=30 January 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080208224706/http://kotaku.com/350749/grand-theft-auto-iv-wanted-posters-popping-up-in-brooklyn |archive-date=8 February 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Wanted 2">{{cite web |url=https://kotaku.com/352607/yep-another-grand-theft-auto-iv-wanted-poster |title=Yep, Another Grand Theft Auto IV Wanted Poster |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=5 February 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080207175251/https://kotaku.com/352607/yep-another-grand-theft-auto-iv-wanted-poster |archive-date=7 February 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="PC Gamer Trailer 1">{{cite web |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/au/ten-years-on-gta-4s-liberty-city-is-still-an-incredible-virtual-city/ |title=Ten years on, GTA 4's Liberty City is still an incredible virtual city |last=Kelly |first=Andy |work=PC Gamer |publisher=Future plc |date=25 April 2018 |access-date=4 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603151725/https://www.pcgamer.com/au/ten-years-on-gta-4s-liberty-city-is-still-an-incredible-virtual-city/ |archive-date=3 June 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="SMH Marketing">{{cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/technology/quiet-but-deadly-inside-rockstar-games-hushhush-push-of-grand-theft-auto-iv-20080428-2957.html |title=Quiet but deadly: Inside Rockstar Games' hush-hush push of 'Grand Theft Auto IV' |last=Lang |first=Derrik J. |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |publisher=Nine Entertainment Co. |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200930042306/https://www.smh.com.au/technology/quiet-but-deadly-inside-rockstar-games-hushhush-push-of-grand-theft-auto-iv-20080428-2957.html |archive-date=30 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Vice Rickroll">{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/nl/article/xwww3d/never-gonna-give-you-up-de-gast-die-de-rickroll-bedacht |title=Never Gonna Give You Up: de gast die de Rickroll bedacht |language=nl |trans-title=Never Gonna Give You Up: The Guy Who Created The Rickroll |last=Kogel |first=Dennis |work=Vice |publisher=[[Company:Vice Media|Vice Media]] |date=24 August 2017 |accessdate=1 December 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20191217200456/https://www.vice.com/nl/article/xwww3d/never-gonna-give-you-up-de-gast-die-de-rickroll-bedacht |archivedate=17 December 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Wired CTA">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2008/05/grand-theft-aut/ |title=Grand Theft Auto Sues Cash-Strapped Chicago Transit Authority |last=Lew |first=Alexandra |magazine=Wired |publisher=Condé Nast |date=7 May 2008 |access-date=5 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220212025/https://www.wired.com/2008/05/grand-theft-aut/ |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Critical response -->

<ref name="Anticipated">Sources that refer to ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' being a highly anticipated game include:
* {{cite web |url=http://news.softpedia.com/news/Jack-Thompson-Strikes-Again-GTA-IV-and-Manhunt-2-49143.shtml |title=Jack Thompson Strikes Again – GTA IV and Manhunt 2 |last=Truta |first=Filip |work=[[Softpedia]] |publisher=SoftNEWS NET SRL |date=12 March 2007 |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003082450/http://news.softpedia.com/news/Jack-Thompson-Strikes-Again-GTA-IV-and-Manhunt-2-49143.shtml |archive-date=3 October 2013 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/02/grand-theft-auto-iv-delayed-from-oct-to-fiscal-q2-08/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV delayed from Oct. to fiscal Q2 '08 |last=Grant |first=Christopher |work=Joystiq |publisher=Gamer Network |date=2 August 2007 |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928040408/http://www.joystiq.com/2007/08/02/grand-theft-auto-iv-delayed-from-oct-to-fiscal-q2-08/ |archive-date=28 September 2013 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/technology/03game.html?_r=0 |title=Tough Delay for Big Game by Take-Two |last=Richtel |first=Matt |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=3 August 2007 |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107195602/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/03/technology/03game.html?_r=0 |archive-date=7 November 2014 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.dailytech.com/GTA+IV+PlayStation+3+Bundle+Announced+for+Europe+Australia/article11578.htm |title=GTA IV PlayStation 3 Bundle Announced for Europe, Australia |last=Yam |first=Marcus |work=DailyTech |publisher=DailyTech, LLC |date=23 April 2008 |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929150346/http://www.dailytech.com/GTA+IV+PlayStation+3+Bundle+Announced+for+Europe+Australia/article11578.htm |archive-date=29 September 2013 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.g4tv.com/videos/21137/top-4-open-world-games-of-2008/ |title=Top 4 Open World Games of 2008 Videos |work=G4TV |publisher=G4 Media |date=8 April 2008 |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927232048/http://www.g4tv.com/videos/21137/top-4-open-world-games-of-2008/ |archive-date=27 September 2013 |url-status=dead}}
* {{cite web |url=http://au.ign.com/articles/2008/02/28/grand-theft-auto-iv-hands-on-2 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Hands-On |last1=Miller |first1=Greg |last2=Goldstein |first2=Hilary |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=28 February 2008 |access-date=25 September 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130925075746/http://au.ign.com/articles/2008/02/28/grand-theft-auto-iv-hands-on-2 |archive-date=25 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/grand-theft-auto-iv/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |work=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914013508/https://www.metacritic.com/game/grand-theft-auto-iv/ |archive-date=14 September 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC All Time">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/ |title=What Games to Play Right Now |work=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914011017/https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/ |archive-date=14 September 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC PS3 All Time">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/ps3/all/all-time/metascore/ |title=What Games to Play on PS3 |work=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914011019/https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/ps3/all/all-time/metascore/ |archive-date=14 September 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MC 360 All Time">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/xbox-360/all/all-time/metascore/ |title=What Games to Play on Xbox 360 |work=Metacritic |publisher=Fandom, Inc. |access-date=14 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230914011014/https://www.metacritic.com/browse/game/xbox-360/all/all-time/metascore/ |archive-date=14 September 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="1UP Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv |title=GTA IV Review for 360, PS3 |last=Boyer |first=Crispin |website=1UP.com |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=27 April 2008 |access-date=11 December 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160413233932/http://www.1up.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv |archive-date=13 April 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="CVG Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/187732/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV review |last=Robinson |first=Andy |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=27 April 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910223424/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/187732/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |archive-date=10 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Edge Review">{{cite magazine |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review |publisher=Future plc |magazine=Edge |issue=189 |date=June 2008 |url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140904221852/http://www.edge-online.com/review/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |archive-date=4 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Empire Review">{{cite web |url=https://empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?GID=522 |title=Empire's Grand Theft Auto IV Game Review |last=McComb |first=David |work=Empire |publisher=Bauer Media Group |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140801165859/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?GID=522 |archive-date=1 August 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-iv-review |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review |last=Bramwell |first=Tom |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=27 April 2008 |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915091059/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-iv-review |archive-date=15 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Game Informer Review">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200806/R08.0425.1548.19614.htm |title=PERFECTION |last=Reiner |first=Andrew |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=[[Company:GameStop|GameStop]] |date=29 April 2008 |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080429143518/http://www.gameinformer.com/Games/Review/200806/R08.0425.1548.19614.htm |archive-date=29 April 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="Game Revolution Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/grand-theft-auto-iv |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review |last=Costantino |first=Jesse |work=Game Revolution |publisher=Net Revolution Inc. |date=6 May 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107150657/http://www.gamerevolution.com/review/grand-theft-auto-iv |archive-date=7 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot Review">Justin Calvert of ''GameSpot'' published two identical reviews, one for each console:
* {{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-6190027/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review for Xbox 360 |last=Calvert |first=Justin |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=19 January 2014 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6SZTNL4rW?url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-6190027/ |archive-date=13 September 2014 |url-status=live}}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-6190025/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review for PS3 |last=Calvert |first=Justin |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=19 January 2014 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6SZTRmn5Z?url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-6190025/ |archive-date=13 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GamesRadar Music">{{cite web |url=https://gamesradar.com/game-music-of-the-day-grand-theft-auto-iv/ |title=Game music of the day: Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Gudmundson |first=Carolyn |work=GamesRadar |publisher=Future plc |date=3 September 2010 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223022327/http://www.gamesradar.com/game-music-of-the-day-grand-theft-auto-iv/ |archive-date=23 December 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GamesRadar Review">{{cite web |url=https://gamesradar.com/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV – The Fluff-free review |last=Walter |first=George |work=GamesRadar |publisher=Future plc |date=25 June 2012 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101062823/http://www.gamesradar.com/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |archive-date=1 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Giant Bomb Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-25/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review |last=Gerstmann |first=Jeff |work=Giant Bomb |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=5 May 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528090318/http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-25/ |archive-date=28 May 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Review">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2008/04/29/grand-theft-auto-iv-special-edition-review/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV: Special Edition Review |last=Goldstein |first=Hilary |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=29 April 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905185536/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/04/29/grand-theft-auto-iv-special-edition-review |archive-date=5 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="New York Times Review">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/arts/28auto.html |title=Grand Theft Auto Takes On New York |last=Schiesel |first=Seth |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080428203110/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/28/arts/28auto.html |archive-date=28 April 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="OXM Review">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.totalxbox.com/3993/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |title=Review: Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Hicks |first=Jon |magazine=Official Xbox Magazine |publisher=Future plc |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107145752/http://www.totalxbox.com/3993/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |archive-date=7 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Pro Audio Files Review">{{cite web |url=http://theproaudiofiles.com/game-audio-review-–-grand-theft-auto-iv/ |title=Game Audio Review – Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Pinson |first=Michael |publisher=The Pro Audio Files |date=3 October 2010 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140827111901/http://theproaudiofiles.com/game-audio-review-%e2%80%93-grand-theft-auto-iv/ |archive-date=27 August 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<!-- Windows release -->

<ref name="1UP PC Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-4 |title=GTA IV Review for PC |last=Chick |first=Tom |website=1UP.com |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=9 December 2008 |access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724105745/http://www.1up.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-4 |archive-date=24 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="CVG PC Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/203262/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |title=PC Review: Grand Theft Auto IV Review |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=4 December 2008 |access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107153409/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/203262/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/ |archive-date=7 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Eurogamer PC Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-iv_1_8 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review |last=Gillen |first=Keiron |work=Eurogamer |publisher=Gamer Network |date=1 December 2008 |access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915091104/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/grand-theft-auto-iv_1_8 |archive-date=15 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot PC Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-6202100/ |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review |last=Calvert |first=Justin |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=8 December 2008 |access-date=19 January 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140915080213/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-iv-review/1900-6202100/ |archive-date=15 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpy PC Review">{{cite web |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/grand-theft-auto-iv/935454p1.html |title=Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Tuttle |first=Will |work=GameSpy |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=3 December 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107153721/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/grand-theft-auto-iv/935454p1.html |archive-date=7 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameZone PC Review">{{cite web |url=http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r29676.htm |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review – PC |last=Hopper |first=Steven |work=GameZone |date=8 December 2008 |access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090308013926/http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r29676.htm |archive-date=8 March 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN PC Review">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2008/12/02/grand-theft-auto-iv-review |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review — PC Review |last=Onyett |first=Charles |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=2 December 2008 |access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140928142904/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/02/grand-theft-auto-iv-review |archive-date=28 September 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="VideoGamer.com PC Review">{{cite web |url=http://www.videogamer.com/pc/gta_4/review.html |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Review for PC |last=Orry |first=Tom |work=VideoGamer.com |publisher=Pro-G Media Ltd. |date=5 December 2008 |access-date=14 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140802035105/http://www.videogamer.com/pc/gta_4/review.html |archive-date=2 August 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<!-- Awards -->

<ref name="AIAS">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/little-big-planet-tops-aias-noms/1100-6203615/ |title=Little Big Planet tops AIAS noms |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=23 January 2009 |accessdate=20 July 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018185709/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/little-big-planet-tops-aias-noms/1100-6203615/ |archivedate=18 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="BAFTA">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-4-tops-bafta-nominees/1100-6204501/ |title=Call of Duty 4 tops BAFTA nominees |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=11 February 2009 |accessdate=20 July 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131122113326/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/call-of-duty-4-tops-bafta-nominees/1100-6204501/ |archivedate=22 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Digital Spy GOTY">{{cite web |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a138960/feature-top-ten-games-of-2008/ |title=Feature: Top Ten Games Of 2008 |last=Reynolds |first=Matthew |work=Digital Spy |publisher=Hearst Corporation |date=21 December 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190529002839/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a138960/feature-top-ten-games-of-2008/ |archive-date=29 May 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="EMA GOTY">{{cite web |url=http://www.entmerch.org/industry/awards/emavsda-home-entertainment-/home-entertainment-awards-v-2.html |title=Home Entertainment Awards — Video Games |publisher=Entertainment Merchants Association |access-date=24 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101201913/http://www.entmerch.org/industry/awards/emavsda-home-entertainment-/home-entertainment-awards-v-2.html |archive-date=1 November 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameTrailers GOTY">{{cite web |url=http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/pwj1qe/game-of-the-year |title=GameTrailers Game of the Year Awards 2008, Game of the Year |work=GameTrailers |publisher=Defy Media |date=31 December 2008 |access-date=23 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014121349/http://www.gametrailers.com/videos/pwj1qe/game-of-the-year |archive-date=14 October 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GDCA">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/little-big-planet-braid-lead-gdc-award-noms/1100-6204369/ |title=Little Big Planet, Braid lead GDC Award noms |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=18 March 2009 |accessdate=20 July 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104055044/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/little-big-planet-braid-lead-gdc-award-noms/1100-6204369/ |archivedate=4 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Giant Bomb GOTY">{{cite web |url=http://www.giantbomb.com/features/best-of-2008/1/?category=1 |title=Giant Bomb Golden Anniversary Year-End Awards Extravaganza Spectacular 2008: Game of the Year |work=Giant Bomb |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=30 December 2008 |access-date=24 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110116042603/http://www.giantbomb.com/features/best-of-2008/1/?category=1 |archive-date=16 January 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN AU GOTY">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2008/12/08/ign-aus-10-best-games-of-2008?page=3 |title=IGN AU's 10 Best Games of 2008 |work=IGN Australia |date=8 December 2008 |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=24 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929215643/http://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/08/ign-aus-10-best-games-of-2008?page=3 |archive-date=29 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Story PS3">{{cite web |url=http://bestof.ign.com/2008/ps3/16.html |title=IGN PS3: Best Story 2008 |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221093621/http://bestof.ign.com/2008/ps3/16.html |archive-date=21 December 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Story X360">{{cite web |url=http://bestof.ign.com/2008/xbox360/15.html |title=IGN Xbox 360: Best Story 2008 |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222095510/http://bestof.ign.com/2008/xbox360/15.html |archive-date=22 December 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Voice Acting Overall">{{cite web |url=http://bestof.ign.com/2008/overall/15.html |title=IGN Overall: Best Voice Acting 2008 |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120052839/http://bestof.ign.com/2008/overall/15.html |archive-date=20 January 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Voice Acting PC">{{cite web |url=http://bestof.ign.com/2008/pc/15.html |title=IGN PC: Best Voice Acting 2008 |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081220074023/http://bestof.ign.com/2008/pc/15.html |archive-date=20 December 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Voice Acting PS3">{{cite web |url=http://bestof.ign.com/2008/ps3/15.html |title=IGN PS3: Best Voice Acting 2008 |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081221093617/http://bestof.ign.com/2008/ps3/15.html |archive-date=21 December 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Voice Acting X360">{{cite web |url=http://bestof.ign.com/2008/xbox360/14.html |title=IGN Xbox 360: Best Voice Acting 2008 |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |access-date=23 September 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222095500/http://bestof.ign.com/2008/xbox360/14.html |archive-date=22 December 2008}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku GOTY">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5122222/kotakus-2008-games-of-the-year-awards |title=Kotaku's 2008 Games of the Year Awards |date=5 January 2009 |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |access-date=24 September 2011 |archive-date=19 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719075111/http://kotaku.com/5122222/kotakus-2008-games-of-the-year-awards |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="LA Times GOTY">{{cite web |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/31/entertainment/et-gameday31 |title=Making the perfect game |last=Metzger |first=Pete |work={{wipe|Los Angeles Times}} |date=31 December 2008 |access-date=24 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016064721/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/dec/31/entertainment/et-gameday31 |archive-date=16 October 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="NYT GOTY">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/arts/television/21schie.html?_r=5&ref=arts |title=The Zombies Look Better Every Year |last=Schiesel |first=Seth |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=19 December 2008 |access-date=24 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107203001/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/21/arts/television/21schie.html?_r=5&ref=arts |archive-date=7 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Spike">{{cite web |url=https://www.vg247.com/2008/12/15/vga-2008-the-winners/ |title=VGA 2008 – The winners |last=Garratt |first=Patrick |work=VG247 |publisher=videogaming247 Ltd. |date=15 December 2008 |access-date=30 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090223055027/https://www.vg247.com/2008/12/15/vga-2008-the-winners/ |archive-date=23 February 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Spike Nom">{{cite web |url=https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/13/presenting-the-2008-spike-video-game-award-nominees |title=Presenting the 2008 Spike Video Game Award nominees |last=Kietzmann |first=Ludwig |work=Joystiq |publisher=Weblogs, Inc. |date=13 November 2008 |accessdate=20 July 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215003422/https://www.joystiq.com/2008/11/13/presenting-the-2008-spike-video-game-award-nominees |archivedate=15 December 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Spike 2009">{{cite web |url=https://gamerant.com/2009-spike-vga-winners/ |title=The 2009 Spike VGA Winners |last=Kendrick |first=Ben |work=Game Rant |publisher=Valnet |date=14 December 2009 |accessdate=20 July 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190630113704/https://gamerant.com/2009-spike-vga-winners/ |archivedate=30 June 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Teen Choice Awards">{{cite web |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2009/06/teen-choice-awards-2009-nominees.html |title=Teen Choice Awards 2009 nominees |work={{wipe|Los Angeles Times}} |date=15 June 2009 |accessdate=20 July 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721013004/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/awards/2009/06/teen-choice-awards-2009-nominees.html |archivedate=21 July 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Time GOTY">{{cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1863763_1863769,00.html |title=The Top 10 Everything of 2008: Top 10 Video Games: 1. Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Grossman |first=Lev |magazine={{wipe|Time (magazine)}} |date=3 November 2008 |access-date=24 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106020909/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1855948_1863763_1863769,00.html |archive-date=6 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Sales -->

<ref name="GameDaily 2008">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-nintendo-drives-08-industry-sales-past-21-billion-/?biz=1 |title=NPD: Nintendo Drives '08 Industry Sales Past $21 Billion |last=Brightman |first=James |work=GameDaily |publisher=AOL |date=15 January 2009 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090331111632/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/npd-nintendo-drives-08-industry-sales-past-21-billion-/?biz=1 |archive-date=31 March 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Game Informer 2013">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/07/30/grand-theft-auto-iv-has-sold-25-million-units-to_2d00_date.aspx |title=Grand Theft Auto IV Has Sold 25 Million Units To-Date |last=Futter |first=Mike |magazine=Game Informer |publisher=[[Company:GameStop|GameStop]] |date=30 July 2013 |access-date=15 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208200012/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/07/30/grand-theft-auto-iv-has-sold-25-million-units-to_2d00_date.aspx |archive-date=8 December 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Gamesindustry UK Week">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/gta-iv-926-000-copies-sold-in-five-days |title=GTA IV: 926,000 copies sold in five days |last=Androvich |first=Mark |work=Gamesindustry.biz |publisher=Gamer Network |date=6 May 2008 |access-date=16 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170315184517/http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/gta-iv-926-000-copies-sold-in-five-days |archive-date=15 March 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot Big">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/qanda-gtaiv-big-or-huge/1100-6190011/ |title=Q&A: GTAIV – Big or huge? |last=Magrino |first=Tom |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=28 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301140316/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/qanda-gtaiv-big-or-huge/1100-6190011/ |archive-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot US 5 Days">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/npd-us-april-game-revs-spike-on-gtaiv/1100-6191066/ |title=NPD: US game revs spike on 2.85M GTAIVs |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=15 May 2008 |access-date=16 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301133233/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/npd-us-april-game-revs-spike-on-gtaiv/1100-6191066/ |archive-date=1 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GFW 2009">{{cite web |url=http://majornelson.com/2010/01/11/the-top-20-live-games-of-2009/ |title=The Top 20 LIVE Games of 2009 |last=Hryb |first=Larry |publisher=[[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]] |date=11 January 2010 |access-date=26 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927190344/http://majornelson.com/2010/01/11/the-top-20-live-games-of-2009/ |archive-date=27 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GFW 2011">{{cite web |url=http://majornelson.com/2012/01/06/top-games-of-2011/ |title=Top Games of 2011 |last=Hryb |first=Larry |publisher=[[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]] |date=6 January 2012 |access-date=26 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927190432/http://majornelson.com/2012/01/06/top-games-of-2011/ |archive-date=27 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GFW 2012">{{cite web |url=http://majornelson.com/2013/01/22/top-games-of-2012/ |title=Top Games of 2012 |last=Hryb |first=Larry |publisher=[[Company:Microsoft|Microsoft]] |date=22 January 2013 |access-date=26 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927105736/http://majornelson.com/2013/01/22/top-games-of-2012/ |archive-date=27 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GWR">{{cite web |url=http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/130508_GTA_IV_break_record.aspx |title=Confirmed: Grand Theft Auto IV Breaks Guinness World Records With Biggest Entertainment Release Of All-Time |work=Guinness World Records |publisher=Jim Pattison Group |date=13 May 2008 |access-date=13 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101223211049/http://gamers.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/130508_GTA_IV_break_record.aspx |archive-date=23 December 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN GTA V">{{cite web |url=https://ign.com/articles/2013/09/20/gta-5-sales-hit-1-billion-in-three-days |title=GTA 5 Sales Hit $1 Billion in Three Days |last=Goldfarb |first=Andrew |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=20 September 2013 |access-date=7 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141208234930/http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/09/20/gta-5-sales-hit-1-billion-in-three-days |archive-date=8 December 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Kotaku Japan">{{cite web |url=http://kotaku.com/5078486/grand-theft-auto-iv-1-with-a-bullet-in-japan |title=Grand Theft Auto IV #1 With A Bullet In Japan |last=McWhertor |first=Michael |work=Kotaku |publisher=Gawker Media |date=6 November 2008 |access-date=7 November 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081109061005/http://kotaku.com/5078486/grand-theft-auto-iv-1-with-a-bullet-in-japan |archive-date=9 November 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MCV 24 Hours">{{cite web |url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/gta-iv-smashes-day-one-sales-record |title=GTA IV smashes day one sales record |last=Ingham |first=Tim |work=MCV |publisher=Biz Media |date=30 April 2008 |access-date=16 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814233255/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/gta-iv-smashes-day-one-sales-record |archive-date=14 August 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="MCV UK Week">{{cite web |url=http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/360-outselling-ps3-in-gta-software-battle |title=360 outselling PS3 in GTA software 'battle' |last=Ingham |first=Tim |work=MCV |publisher=Biz Media |date=6 May 2008 |access-date=16 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105000711/http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/360-outselling-ps3-in-gta-software-battle |archive-date=5 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="NYT 500M">{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/technology/07game.html |title=A $500 Million Week for Grand Theft Auto |last=Richtel |first=Mike |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=7 May 2008 |access-date=7 May 2008 |archive-date=12 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512055157/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/technology/07game.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="NYT Craving">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/technology/29game.html |title=For Gamers, the Craving Won't Quit |last=Richtel |first=Matt |work={{wipe|The New York Times}} |date=29 April 2008 |access-date=29 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081209035721/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/29/technology/29game.html |archive-date=9 December 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Polygon GWR">{{cite web |url=http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/9/4819272/grand-theft-auto-5-smashes-7-guinness-world-records |title=Grand Theft Auto 5 smashes 7 Guinness World Records |last=Pitcher |first=Jenna |work=Polygon |publisher=[[Company:Vox Media|Vox Media]] |date=9 October 2013 |access-date=15 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131009080632/http://www.polygon.com/2013/10/9/4819272/grand-theft-auto-5-smashes-7-guinness-world-records |archive-date=9 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Reuters Shares">{{cite web |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2008/04/28/businesspro-grandtheftauto-dc-idUKN2116666620080428 |title=Take-Two shares rise amid rave reviews for GTA4 |last=Hillis |first=Scott |work={{wipe|Reuters}} |publisher=[[Company:Thomson Reuters|Thomson Reuters]] |date=28 April 2008 |access-date=6 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023121948/https://www.reuters.com/article/2008/04/28/businesspro-grandtheftauto-dc-idUKN2116666620080428 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Shacknews PC Chart 1">{{cite web |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/56384/weekly-pc-sales-a-slow |title=Weekly PC Sales: A Slow Start for GTA 4 |last=Brekcon |first=Nick |work=Shacknews |publisher=Gamerhub |date=15 December 2008 |access-date=24 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614160157/http://www.shacknews.com/article/56384/weekly-pc-sales-a-slow |archive-date=14 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Shacknews PC Chart 2">{{cite web |url=http://www.shacknews.com/article/56495/weekly-pc-sales-grand-theft |title=Weekly PC Sales: Grand Theft Auto 4 PC Disappears; Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty Gain Ground |last=Faylor |first=Chris |work=Shacknews |publisher=Gamerhub |date=22 December 2008 |access-date=24 December 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110614160206/http://www.shacknews.com/article/56495/weekly-pc-sales-grand-theft |archive-date=14 June 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Take-Two Month">{{cite press release |url=http://ir.take2games.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=86428&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1163124 |title=Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Reports Strong Second Quarter Fiscal 2008 Financial Results |publisher=[[Company:Take-Two Interactive|Take-Two Interactive]] |date=5 June 2008 |access-date=6 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919083105/http://ir.take2games.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=86428&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1163124 |archive-date=19 September 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Telegraph Records">{{cite web |url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/grand-theft-auto-iv-smashes-all-sales-records/story-e6freuy9-1111116285070 |title=Grand Theft Auto IV smashes all sales records |last=Fenech |first=Stephen |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=9 May 2008 |access-date=15 June 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927183458/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/grand-theft-auto-iv-smashes-all-sales-records/news-story/8f94cd9ecd5362682e77d3558e03c75d?nk=e8590ab8bf4458d7dcd4d7e6bbcca04d-1601231698 |archive-date=27 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Telegraph UK Fast">{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1915219/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-becomes-UKs-fastest-selling-game.html |title=Grand Theft Auto IV is fastest-selling game |last=Beaumont |first=Claudine |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=1 May 2008 |access-date=1 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202050928/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1915219/Grand-Theft-Auto-IV-becomes-UKs-fastest-selling-game.html |archive-date=2 February 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="V3 Sales">{{cite web |url=http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/1972265/gta-iv-smashes-sales-records |title=GTA IV smashes sales records |last=Nichols |first=Shaun |work=V3 |publisher=Incisive Media |date=9 May 2008 |access-date=26 May 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141108021154/http://www.v3.co.uk/v3-uk/news/1972265/gta-iv-smashes-sales-records |archive-date=8 November 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="VG247 2011">{{cite press release |url=http://www.vg247.com/2011/03/10/take-two-drops-franchise-figures-gta-iv-sells-20-million-bioshock-series-at-8-million |title=Take-Two: GTA IV hits 20m, BioShock series at 8m |last=Cullen |first=Johnny |work=VG247 |publisher=videogaming247 Ltd. |date=10 March 2011 |access-date=28 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313023405/http://www.vg247.com/2011/03/10/take-two-drops-franchise-figures-gta-iv-sells-20-million-bioshock-series-at-8-million/ |archive-date=13 March 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<!-- Controversies -->

<ref name="ABC Nassau">{{cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5262689&page=1 |title=Teens Say: Video Game Made Them Do It |last=Cochran |first=Lee |work=ABC News |publisher=American Broadcasting Company |date=27 June 2008 |accessdate=21 April 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080701182049/https://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5262689&page=1 |archivedate=1 July 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="BBC Thailand">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7540000/7540623.stm |title=Thailand bans Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Reed |first=Jim |work=Newsbeat |publisher=BBC |date=4 August 2008 |accessdate=21 April 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080805002234/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/technology/newsid_7540000/7540623.stm |archivedate=5 August 2008 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="CVG Beck">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/188237/cnn-goes-mental-over-gta-iv/ |title=CNN goes MENTAL over GTA IV |last=Robinson |first=Andy |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=3 May 2008 |accessdate=21 April 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141214080346/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/188237/cnn-goes-mental-over-gta-iv/ |archivedate=14 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="CVG NY">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/161197/new-york-appalled-with-gta-iv-setting/ |title=New York appalled with GTA IV setting |last=Ogden |first=Gavin |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=1 April 2007 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025212219/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/161197/new-york-appalled-with-gta-iv-setting/ |archive-date=25 October 2012}}</ref>

<ref name="CVG Thompson">{{cite web |url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/187662/jack-thompson-hounds-rockstar-boss-mother/ |title=Jack Thompson hounds Rockstar boss'... MOTHER |last=Jackson |first=Mike |work=Computer and Video Games |publisher=Future plc |date=25 April 2008 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813163814/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/187662/jack-thompson-hounds-rockstar-boss-mother/ |archive-date=13 August 2012}}</ref>

<ref name="Destructoid Beck">{{cite web |url=http://www.destructoid.com/glenn-beck-rants-about-gta-iv-let-s-break-it-down-84444.phtml |title=Gleen Beck rants about GTA IV, let's break it down |last=Sterling |first=Jim |work=[[Social:Destructoid|Destructoid]] |publisher=ModernMethod |date=3 May 2008 |accessdate=21 April 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213112921/http://www.destructoid.com/glenn-beck-rants-about-gta-iv-let-s-break-it-down-84444.phtml |archivedate=13 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Edge Thompson">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.edge-online.com/news/thompson-rallies-against-gta-iv/ |title=Thompson Rallies Against GTA IV |magazine=Edge |publisher=Future plc |date=3 January 2007 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213065338/http://www.edge-online.com/news/thompson-rallies-against-gta-iv/ |archive-date=13 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GamePolitics Settle">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2007/04/19/breaking-grand-theft-auto-publisher-settles-lawsuit-against-jack-thompson |title=GTA Publisher, Jack Thompson Settle Lawsuit |work=GamePolitics.com |date=19 April 2007 |access-date=21 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070422054808/http://gamepolitics.com/2007/04/19/breaking-grand-theft-auto-publisher-settles-lawsuit-against-jack-thompson/ |archive-date=22 April 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="GamePolitics Target">{{cite web |url=http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/18/jack-thompson-says-gta-4-mission-target-is-him-threatens-to-block-release/ |title=Jack Thompson Says GTA 4 Mission Target is Him; Threatens to Block Release |work=GamePolitics.com |date=18 September 2007 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806013425/http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/18/jack-thompson-says-gta-4-mission-target-is-him-threatens-to-block-release/ |archive-date=6 August 2007}}</ref>

<ref name="GamePolitics Thompson">{{cite web |url=http://gamepolitics.com/2007/03/16/breaking-take-two-sues-jack-thompson/ |title=BREAKING: Take-Two Sues Jack Thompson over Manhunt, GTA4 |work=GamePolitics.com |date=16 March 2007 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070316233657/http://gamepolitics.com/2007/03/16/breaking-take-two-sues-jack-thompson/ |archive-date=16 March 2007}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot MADD">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mothers-against-gtaivs-drunk-driving/1100-6190213/ |title=Mothers against GTAIV's drunk driving |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=30 April 2008 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140322015446/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/mothers-against-gtaivs-drunk-driving/1100-6190213/ |archive-date=22 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="GameSpot Thompson">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thompson-countersues-take-two/1100-6167843/ |title=Thompson countersues Take-Two |last=Sinclair |first=Brendan |work=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive |date=21 March 2007 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141226082714/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/thompson-countersues-take-two/1100-6167843/ |archive-date=26 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="HuffPost Smothers">{{cite web |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marie-smothers-grand-theft-auto_n_3821879 |title=8-Year-Old Who Shot Grandmother, Marie Smothers, After Playing 'Grand Theft Auto' Won't Face Charges |last=Campbell |first=Andy |work=HuffPost |publisher=BuzzFeed |date=27 August 2013 |accessdate=14 May 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201018233447/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/marie-smothers-grand-theft-auto_n_3821879 |archivedate=18 October 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="IGN Bury">{{cite web |url=http://ign.com/articles/2007/04/20/jack-thompson-and-take-two-bury-the-hatchet |title=Jack Thompson and Take-Two Bury the Hatchet |last=Seff |first=Micah |work=IGN |publisher=Ziff Davis |date=20 April 2007 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304081426/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/20/jack-thompson-and-take-two-bury-the-hatchet |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Kombo Beck">{{cite web |url=http://360.kombo.com/article.php?artid=12770 |title=GTA IV Freakout: CNN's Glenn Beck Preaches "Grand Theft Morality" |last=Oxford |first=David |work=Kombo |publisher=Advanced Media Network |date=2 May 2008 |accessdate=21 April 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080519121943/http://360.kombo.com/article.php?artid=12770 |archivedate=19 May 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="NBC MADD">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24405072 |title=MADD attacks 'Grand Theft Auto IV' |last=Lang |first=Derrik J. |work=NBC News |publisher=National Broadcasting Company |date=1 May 2008 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150709114315/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24405072/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/madd-attacks-grand-theft-auto-iv/ |archive-date=9 July 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="NewsFactor NY">{{cite web |url=http://www.newsfactor.com/news/New-York-Balks-at-Grand-Theft-Auto/story.xhtml?story_id=0300003HXXO0 |title=New York Balks at Next Grand Theft Auto |last=Millard |first=Elizabeth |work=NewsFactor |date=2 April 2007 |access-date=9 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213084252/http://www.newsfactor.com/news/New-York-Balks-at-Grand-Theft-Auto/story.xhtml?story_id=0300003HXXO0 |archive-date=13 December 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Shacknews Thompson">{{cite web |url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/52358/thompson-writes-chairmans-mom-re |title=Thompson Writes Chairman's Mom RE: GTA 4, Compares Zelnick to Hitler Youth |last=Faylor |first=Chris |work=Shacknews |publisher=Gamerhub |date=23 April 2008 |accessdate=21 April 2023 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110917170509/https://www.shacknews.com/article/52358/thompson-writes-chairmans-mom-re |archivedate=17 September 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>
}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
*{{citation |title=The Art of Grand Theft Auto IV |last=Garbut |first=Aaron |publisher=[[Company:Rockstar Games|Rockstar Games]] |date=April 2008 }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{commons}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Theft Auto 04}}
[[Category:Action-adventure games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Organized crime video games]]
[[Category:Windows games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Grand Theft Auto IV}}