This document provides information about Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) to assist with a case study. It outlines that GTA IV is an open world action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It was released in 2008 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The document discusses GTA IV's production, including its development using Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE) and Euphoria animation system. It also covers the game's marketing and distribution across multiple platforms, and its commercial success in selling over 25 million copies.

1. Case study overview

2. Aims
 To recall production, distribution and
consumption of GTA IV.
 To apply knowledge to past questions
for section B.

3. What do you need to know?
 Students need a study of the production,
distribution and marketing of a specific
game within one or across various
gaming platforms, along with its
reception by a variety of British
audiences.
 Study of the impact of next generation
capabilities (HD, Blu Ray and online
services) on the production, distribution,
marketing and consumption of games.

4. GTA IV – The Game
 What genre is the game?
 Who developed the game?
 Is the developer independent? Do they
have an affiliation with a particular
console?
 Vertical integration – how has this
impacted upon the development and
marketing of the game?

5. Rockstar Games – Background
info
 Rockstar Games are a well established
gaming company which are situated in the
US and UK. They are notorious for their
controversial games which have made them
well known and successful.

7. GTA IV – Production
 Which platforms can you play the game
on?
 How has the game been designed and
constructed? How does this fit in with
other games of the genre?
 When was it released?
 How many copies have been sold to
date?

8. Gameplay
 Multiplayer online mode
 Open world exploration or complete
missions – two different endings
 Win trophies for missions
 Become a member of the Rockstar
Social Club.
 Listen to radio stations during gameplay
 Intertextuality – Ricky Gervais in game

11. R.A.G.E & Euphoria
 Rockstar Advanced Games Engine
 Rockstar developed the engine to facilitate
game development on the PC, PlayStation
3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles.
 The thing that makes Euphoria interesting
is the naturalistic movement of the
characters, the use of artificial intelligence
and it ensures that the characters act and
react differently everytime
 See article on advantages of RAGE.

12. Distribution
 How is the game promoted to the target
audience?
 How is the game
sold/rented/downloaded to maximise
profits? Increase revenue streams.
 How do the console ensure their larger
share of the market?

13. Distribution – Marketing
 Technological convergence
 Synergy
 Desire creation
 Viral marketing – spoof websites
 Guerilla marketing – unconventional such
as murals, wanted posters, graffiti and
stickers.
 Specialist press
 Media convergence: Online fan forums
 Regulatory bodies – do they restrict?

14. Distribution - Marketing
 What image does the game create?
Think posters, game play sequences,
trailers etc.
Be a criminal in the open world environment.
Violence
 How does the game maximise its profits
using revenue streams?

15. Distribution – Marketing
Delay of release….
 Was delay was cleverly planned as it increased
media coverage about the game? Strategic?
 Rockstar believe no publicity is bad publicity, so
even if people were venting anger on these
sites, the game was still getting more and more
media coverage.
 When it eventually was released so many
people have heard about it and the expectations
had now risen so the sales were phenomenal
and the games flew off the shelves.

16. Marketing and Production
 Episodic content – restricted to those
with XBOX 360 consoles.
 Spin offs available for PSP and
Nintendo DS.
 Audience involvement on rockstar
games website.
 Online multiplayer modes.
 HD graphics

17. Audience
 Who is the game aimed at?
 Is the game restricted to audiences in
any way? Think gate keeping.
 What type of player experience does
the game offer?
 Are there any wider issues in which
gameplay could effect audience?
Consider audience effects and moral
panics.

18. Targeting the Audience
 Certain audiences were targeted using
different strategies, such as this phrase
on a billboard in Edinburgh ‘Edinburgh:
Home of Rockstar North’, this creates
a closer relationship with those who live
there and perhaps have played the other
GTA’s.

19. Targeting the audience
 Rockstar used fan forums and websites
to create interest in their game giving
fan sites exclusive previews of the
game.
 Fans could also rant about a topic in the
hope that it could be broadcast on GTA
IV talk radio station.

20. Audience
 The audience for GTA IV are those
similar to other games such as ‘Man
Hunt’ and ‘Bully, equally as controversial
and using their ‘guns and killing’ image
to sell games have been largely
successful.
 According to research the average
gamer is 28yrs and Rockstar wanted to
make games for the mature gamer.

22. Further information…
 Consider how competitive the GTA IV
game is in the games market now?
 Are there any games which could rival
its success?
 How is the game trying to keep desire
creation?
 When will the next game be released?

23. Further information…
 Even though your case study is primarily
on GTA IV you can mention other
games in your answer to back up points
made.
 GTA IV was once the fastest selling
game and now that has been taken over
by Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2.

24. Next Generation Features
 HD Graphics (enhance game
enjoyment)
 Blu Ray (on PS3) Holds more data on
disc and fast data processing means
smoother game play.
 Advanced games design engines which
produced realistic movement on screen.

27. Study of next generation features
 See handout on Next Gen Features.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_onli

28. Mark Scheme
 See mark scheme for Section B.
 The mark scheme is similar to Section A
but note the differences.
 Make a note of what is required to
achieve a level 4 answer.
 Read through high grade answer on
videogames.

29. Task
 Take a look at the past questions on the
following slides.
 Think about how you would approach
the questions and what points you could
make.

30. Exemplar pre new spec
 Discuss the issues raised by an
institution’s needs to target specific
audiences within a media industry you
have studied.

31. January 2009
 Discuss the ways in which
media products are produced
and distributed to audiences
within a media area which you
have studied.

32. June 2009
 Discuss the importance of
technological convergence in the
production and distribution of media
products within a media area which
you have studied.

33. Task
 Answer the following exemplar question:
 Discuss the ways in which the
development of new technologies,
which have been introduced in recent
years, have impacted upon the
production, distribution, marketing and
consumption of media products within a
media industry you have studied.