What is your expectations for next gen Grand Theft Auto?
Well, XBOX 360 is coming on November 15th and the PS3 next Xmas (maybe spring in Japan, but U.S. ? not likely).
So you would have to imagine that the team behind Grand Theft Auto is working on their next gen version. The XBOX 360 is getting a game called "Saint's Row", which is another GTA ripoff, but with absolutely mind blowing graphics. So, I certainly don't think that "Saint's Row" is going to be the dominating game in this genre, but it's an attempt to steal GTA's lunch. You know when the GTA team first saw Saint's Row, that had to make them that much more focused on making a next gen GTA that will blow everything out of the water.
Another question that has to be asked, is will Microsoft open their wallet to try to get a GTA game on 360 before the PS3 hits? Rockstar has always worked out deals with Sony, but now that we are entering the new generation, they might want to throw it out there to the highest bidder. Microsoft has a tremendous amount of cash, and if it could have a brand new version of GTA on the 360, before the PS3 is even available in the U.S., that would be a huge move for them. A very expensive move, but huge nonetheless.
Of course, Sony doesn't want Rockstar going anywhere. The fact that they've always had GTA first, for a 7 month window, has been one of the key reasons that they never had a chance of falling into second place in the current generation. Sony knows that if they can maintain the same agreement in the next generation, that it will be a huge ace in the hole for them. Possibly "the" ace in the hole that could even win them a huge initial market share.
So it will definitely be interesting to see what happens to the next version of GTA. You have to assume that the next gen version will be the first official version of GTA 4.
As for what I'm expecting from the game? Well, basically the only thing that the GTA series really needs is to finally be on system with ridiculous power. As Chancellor Palpatine would say, "U N L I M I T E D P O W E R!!!".
There is no question that whether the next GTA finds itself on the XBOX 360 or PS3, that the power of those systems will allow the developers to fully realize their vision.
We are going to see the first GTA, that is designed with widescreen TV's in mind. The first GTA that is designed with HDTV in mind. The first GTA that is designed with Dolby Digital 5.1 in mind. Sure, the XBOX version of San Andreas that just came out features a widescreen mode, 480p support and Dolby Digital 5.1, but the game wasn't designed with those features in mind. It was ported over to take "some" advantage of those features. It will be a totally new ballgame when they are designing the new versions.
From a visuals standpoint, I'm looking for the driving sequences to have the graphical quality of Need For Speed: Most Wanted. I'm looking for the interior of buildings and such, to have the graphical quality of a next gen Riddick. Sound quality should be top notch, because the developers will be designing the game with on the fly 5.1 decoding in mind.
As for gameplay, the GTA series has that in spades already. That has always been the strong point of the game. The power of the next gen systems could allow them to make their GTA world even larger, more impressive and more accurate. That could open up some new gameplay possibilities.
And of course the big thing that everybody has been dreaming about is GTA Online. So we should se some online multiplayer action for the very first time. I'm just hoping that it will support 32 or more players, to give you the feel of being in this real, interactive city with people all over the place.
I guess we will just have to wait and see. Probably won't see anything about this game till e3 2006.
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Originally Posted by Promophile
