<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2008	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Rockstar	O
North	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Rockstar	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
sixth	O
main	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
series	O
,	O
following	O
2004	O
's	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
:	I-Application
San	I-Application
Andreas	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
eleventh	O
instalment	O
overall	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
expansion	O
packs	O
were	O
later	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Lost	I-Application
and	I-Application
Damned	I-Application
and	O
The	B-Application
Ballad	I-Application
of	I-Application
Gay	I-Application
Tony	I-Application
,	O
which	O
both	O
feature	O
new	O
plots	O
that	O
are	O
interconnected	O
with	O
the	O
main	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
storyline	O
,	O
and	O
follow	O
new	O
protagonists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
began	O
soon	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
and	O
was	O
shared	O
between	O
many	O
of	O
Rockstar	O
's	O
studios	O
worldwide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
entries	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
lacked	O
a	O
strong	O
cinematic	O
influence	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
team	O
attempted	O
an	O
original	O
approach	O
to	O
the	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
consoles	O
in	O
April	O
2008	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
Windows	O
in	O
December	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
broke	O
industry	O
sales	O
records	O
and	O
became	O
the	O
fastest-selling	O
entertainment	O
product	O
in	O
history	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
earning	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
day	O
and	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Considered	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
significant	O
titles	O
of	O
the	O
seventh	B-Application
generation	I-Application
of	O
video	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
many	O
critics	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
it	O
won	O
year-end	O
accolades	O
,	O
including	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
awards	O
from	O
several	O
gaming	O
publications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
among	O
the	O
best-selling	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
with	O
over	O
25	O
million	O
copies	O
sold	O
by	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
successor	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
V	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Composed	O
of	O
the	O
fictional	O
city	O
of	O
Liberty	O
City	O
,	O
the	O
world	O
is	O
larger	O
in	O
area	O
than	O
most	O
earlier	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
series	O
entries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
free	O
roaming	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
,	O
players	O
may	O
engage	O
in	O
context-specific	O
activities	O
such	O
as	O
bowling	B-Application
or	O
darts	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
available	O
activities	O
include	O
a	O
vigilante	B-Application
mini-game	O
,	O
and	O
in-game	O
television	O
programming	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
mode	O
for	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
allows	O
up	O
to	O
32	O
players	O
to	O
freely	O
roam	O
across	O
the	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
2008	O
,	O
within	O
a	O
redesigned	O
version	O
of	O
Liberty	O
City	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
"	O
HD	O
Universe	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
mirrors	O
and	O
parodies	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hence	O
,	O
the	O
Liberty	O
City	O
depicted	O
in	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
different	O
from	O
its	O
previous	O
renditions	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
serves	O
as	O
a	O
reboot	O
for	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
timeline	O
established	O
by	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
would	O
continue	O
with	O
two	O
expansion	O
packs	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Lost	I-Application
and	I-Application
Damned	I-Application
and	O
The	B-Application
Ballad	I-Application
of	I-Application
Gay	I-Application
Tony	I-Application
,	O
and	O
a	O
sequel	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
V	I-Application
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
its	O
online	O
component	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
Online	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
handheld	O
game	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
:	I-Application
Chinatown	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
is	O
also	O
considered	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
HD	O
Universe	O
,	O
because	O
it	O
features	O
the	O
same	O
map	O
as	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
except	O
for	O
Alderney	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Niko	O
Bellic	O
,	O
an	O
Eastern	O
European	O
ex-soldier	O
,	O
arrives	O
in	O
Liberty	O
City	O
aboard	O
a	O
cargo	O
ship	O
,	O
the	O
Platypus	O
,	O
to	O
escape	O
his	O
criminal	O
past	O
,	O
pursue	O
the	O
American	B-Application
Dream	I-Application
,	O
and	O
search	O
for	O
the	O
man	O
who	O
betrayed	O
his	O
unit	O
to	O
an	O
ambush	O
during	O
a	O
war	O
ten	O
years	O
prior	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Niko	O
continues	O
working	O
for	O
the	O
Mafia	O
in	O
Liberty	O
City	O
and	O
eventually	O
earns	O
the	O
trust	O
of	O
Don	O
Jimmy	B-Application
Pegorino	I-Application
,	O
who	O
orders	O
Niko	O
to	O
kill	O
Boccino	O
after	O
suspecting	O
him	O
of	O
being	O
a	O
police	O
informant	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Preliminary	O
work	O
on	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
began	O
in	O
November	O
2004	O
,	O
a	O
month	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
:	I-Application
San	I-Application
Andreas	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rockstar	O
president	O
Sam	O
Houser	O
felt	O
that	O
following	O
up	O
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
was	O
"	O
a	O
nightmare	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
decided	O
to	O
continue	O
the	O
numbering	O
scheme	O
absent	O
from	O
the	O
previous	O
two	O
main	O
games	O
to	O
represent	O
the	O
same	O
leap	O
in	O
production	O
as	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
2	I-Application
(	O
1999	O
)	O
to	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
III	I-Application
(	O
2001	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
ceased	O
by	O
21	O
April	O
2008	O
when	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
submitted	O
for	O
manufacturing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Producer	O
Leslie	O
Benzies	O
estimated	O
that	O
the	O
budget	O
of	O
the	O
development	O
efforts	O
exceeded	O
,	O
making	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
expensive	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
map	O
is	O
roughly	O
three	O
times	O
the	O
size	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IIIs	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
rendition	O
of	O
Liberty	O
City	O
is	O
more	O
detailed	O
and	O
larger	O
in	O
size	O
than	O
most	O
earlier	O
entries	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
;	O
although	O
smaller	O
than	O
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
,	O
the	O
setting	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
main	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
considered	O
it	O
comparable	O
in	O
scope	O
due	O
to	O
city	O
's	O
verticality	O
,	O
number	O
of	O
buildings	O
,	O
and	O
level	O
of	O
detail	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
wanted	O
less	O
dead	O
spots	O
and	O
irrelevant	O
spaces	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
wide	O
open	O
deserts	O
in	O
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
wanted	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
a	O
more	O
focused	O
experience	O
"	O
than	O
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Dan	O
Houser	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
limited	O
activities	O
of	O
New	O
York	O
allowed	O
this	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
does	O
not	O
have	O
cinematic	O
influences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
ensured	O
that	O
the	O
gameplay	B-Application
choices	I-Application
presented	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
were	O
not	O
too	O
extensive	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
still	O
had	O
to	O
make	O
sense	O
to	O
the	O
character	O
,	O
who	O
is	O
driven	O
by	O
the	O
people	O
around	O
him	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dan	O
Houser	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
missions	O
in	O
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
had	O
become	O
too	O
linear	O
,	O
and	O
wanted	O
to	O
present	O
choices	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
in	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
sees	O
a	O
shift	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
a	O
more	O
realistic	O
and	O
detailed	O
style	O
and	O
tone	O
,	O
partly	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
the	O
transition	O
to	O
consoles	O
which	O
offered	O
high-definition	B-Device
graphics	O
and	O
the	O
new	O
and	O
improved	O
capabilities	O
of	O
such	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
contemporary	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
since	O
2001	O
's	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
III	I-Application
;	O
the	O
team	O
felt	O
that	O
enough	O
time	O
had	O
passed	O
to	O
avoid	O
feeling	O
repetitive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
proprietary	O
Rockstar	B-Operating_System
Advanced	I-Operating_System
Game	I-Operating_System
Engine	I-Operating_System
(	O
RAGE	B-Operating_System
)	O
was	O
used	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Garbut	O
found	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IVs	I-Application
technical	O
design	O
similar	O
to	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IIIs	I-Application
,	O
with	O
both	O
games	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
their	O
respective	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
character	O
's	O
physical	O
performances	O
were	O
recorded	O
using	O
motion	B-Application
capture	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
to	O
eight	O
actors	O
could	O
perform	O
on	O
the	O
motion	B-Application
capture	I-Application
stage	O
at	O
one	O
time	O
,	O
each	O
dressed	O
in	O
a	O
full	O
suit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
in-game	O
animations	O
were	O
crafted	O
similarly	O
,	O
using	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
different	O
motion	B-Application
capture	I-Application
performances	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
the	O
gameplay	O
and	O
animations	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
redid	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
the	O
work	O
from	O
previous	O
games	O
,	O
wanting	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
to	O
"	O
feel	O
next-generation	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
role-playing	O
elements	O
from	O
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
were	O
removed	O
fairly	O
early	O
in	O
development	O
,	O
partly	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
animation	O
work	O
it	O
would	O
have	O
required	O
,	O
and	O
because	O
consistently	O
needing	O
to	O
visit	O
the	O
gym	O
felt	O
antithetical	O
to	O
Niko	O
's	O
motivations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Sam	O
Houser	O
first	O
showed	O
interest	O
in	O
using	O
the	O
Euphoria	B-Application
software	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
told	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
impossible	O
or	O
only	O
limited	O
to	O
cutscenes	O
,	O
but	O
some	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
team	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
work	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Engineers	O
from	O
NaturalMotion	O
worked	O
on-site	O
at	O
Rockstar	O
North	O
for	O
several	O
months	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
to	O
incorporate	O
Euphoria	B-Application
software	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
SpeedTree	B-General_Concept
was	O
used	O
for	O
in-game	O
environment	O
rendering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Billboard	O
reported	O
that	O
Rockstar	O
paid	O
as	O
much	O
as	O
$	O
5,000	O
per	O
composition	O
and	O
another	O
$	O
5,000	O
per	O
master	O
recording	O
per	O
track	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
E3	O
2006	O
,	O
Peter	O
Moore	O
,	O
Corporate	O
Vice	O
President	O
of	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
Interactive	O
Entertainment	O
Business	O
division	O
,	O
formally	O
announced	O
the	O
game	O
by	O
rolling	O
up	O
his	O
sleeve	O
to	O
reveal	O
a	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
temporary	O
tattoo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Wedbush	O
Morgan	O
analyst	O
Michael	O
Pachter	O
suggested	O
that	O
Take-Two	O
may	O
choose	O
to	O
delay	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
boost	O
its	O
financial	O
results	O
for	O
2008	O
and	O
to	O
avoid	O
competing	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
other	O
highly	O
anticipated	O
titles	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
;	O
Rockstar	O
responded	O
by	O
saying	O
that	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
still	O
on	O
track	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
"	O
late	O
October	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Take-Two	O
announced	O
in	O
August	O
2007	O
that	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
would	O
miss	O
its	O
original	O
release	O
date	O
,	O
and	O
would	O
be	O
delayed	O
to	O
their	O
second	O
fiscal	O
quarter	O
(	O
February	O
–	O
April	O
)	O
of	O
2008	O
,	O
attributing	O
this	O
to	O
technical	O
challenges	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
particular	O
,	O
the	O
delay	O
was	O
caused	O
by	O
technical	O
difficulties	O
with	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
and	O
storage	O
problems	O
with	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
predicted	O
that	O
other	O
publishers	O
would	O
benefit	O
from	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IVs	I-Application
delay	O
,	O
particularly	O
Activision	O
with	O
Call	B-Application
of	I-Application
Duty	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Modern	I-Application
Warfare	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
partnered	O
with	O
Rockstar	O
in	O
a	O
deal	O
to	O
bring	O
two	O
episodic	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
packs	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
:	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Lost	I-Application
and	I-Application
Damned	I-Application
on	O
17	O
February	O
2009	O
,	O
and	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Ballad	I-Application
of	I-Application
Gay	I-Application
Tony	I-Application
on	O
29	O
October	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2010	O
,	O
Rockstar	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
would	O
be	O
bundled	O
as	O
Episodes	O
from	O
Liberty	O
City	O
,	O
released	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Windows	O
on	O
13	O
April	O
2010	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
16	O
April	O
in	O
Europe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
its	O
DLC	B-Protocol
were	O
made	O
backwards	B-Device
compatible	I-Device
with	O
the	B-Device
Xbox	I-Device
One	I-Device
on	O
9	O
February	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Industry	O
analysts	O
found	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IVs	I-Application
marketing	O
much	O
more	O
subtle	O
than	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
marketing	O
of	O
Halo	B-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
2007	O
)	O
,	O
identifying	O
Rockstar	O
's	O
interest	O
in	O
controlling	O
the	O
output	O
at	O
all	O
times	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
held	O
a	O
similar	O
sweepstakes	O
competition	O
,	O
offering	O
consoles	O
,	O
games	O
,	O
Microsoft	B-Device
Points	I-Device
,	O
a	O
baseball	O
bat	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
invitation	O
to	O
the	O
launch	O
event	O
as	O
rewards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
official	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
website	O
was	O
redesigned	O
on	O
8	O
February	O
2008	O
to	O
show	O
a	O
preview	O
of	O
activities	O
and	O
locales	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
publisher	O
also	O
collaborated	O
with	O
Sony	O
to	O
release	O
a	O
40	O
GB	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
console	O
with	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
its	O
announcement	O
in	O
May	O
2006	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
widely	O
anticipated	O
and	O
released	O
to	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazines	O
Hicks	O
was	O
impressed	O
by	O
the	O
city	O
,	O
attributing	O
this	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
AI	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jon	O
Hicks	O
of	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
felt	O
surprised	O
by	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
depth	O
to	O
the	O
story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hicks	O
of	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
and	O
Andy	O
Robinson	O
of	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
both	O
called	O
Niko	O
"	O
charismatic	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
likeable	O
"	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
they	O
prefer	O
him	O
over	O
previous	O
protagonists	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
David	O
McComb	O
of	O
Empire	O
called	O
the	O
combat	O
"	O
sharp	O
and	O
instinctive	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Hicks	O
of	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
cover	O
system	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
execute	O
an	O
attack	O
plan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Robinson	O
of	O
Computer	O
and	O
Video	O
Games	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
vehicle	O
handling	O
echoed	O
realism	O
,	O
while	O
Hicks	O
of	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazine	O
called	O
the	O
vehicle	O
selection	O
"	O
excellent	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
Magazines	O
Hicks	O
dubbed	O
the	O
multiplayer	O
as	O
"	O
hugely	O
entertaining	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
Walter	O
of	O
GamesRadar	O
praised	O
the	O
"	O
seamless	O
"	O
process	O
of	O
entering	O
a	O
multiplayer	O
match	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
was	O
released	O
to	O
Windows	O
in	O
December	O
2008	O
,	O
it	O
received	O
generally	O
positive	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
earned	O
awards	O
from	O
several	O
critics	O
and	O
publications	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
IGNs	O
Best	O
of	O
2008	O
,	O
it	O
won	O
eleven	O
awards	O
,	O
including	O
Best	O
Voice	O
Acting	O
across	O
all	O
three	O
platforms	O
and	O
overall	O
,	O
and	O
Best	O
Story	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Within	O
twenty-four	O
hours	O
of	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
sold	O
over	O
3.6	O
million	O
copies	O
,	O
equating	O
to	O
approximately	O
$310	O
million	O
in	O
revenue	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
one	O
month	O
of	O
availability	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
sold	O
over	O
8.5	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
11	O
March	O
2011	O
,	O
Take-Two	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
sold	O
over	O
20	O
million	O
copies	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
series	O
surpassing	O
a	O
collective	O
total	O
of	O
100	O
million	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
July	O
2013	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
sold	O
over	O
25	O
million	O
copies	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best-selling	B-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best-selling	O
games	O
on	O
both	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
sales	O
records	O
broken	O
by	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
were	O
beaten	O
by	O
its	O
successor	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
V	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
broke	O
the	O
record	O
set	O
by	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
:	I-Application
San	I-Application
Andreas	I-Application
at	O
501,000	O
copies	O
over	O
the	O
same	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
sold	O
2.85	O
million	O
units	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
five	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
sold	O
over	O
5.18	O
million	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
US	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
its	O
first	O
four	O
days	O
of	O
availability	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
it	O
sold	O
133,000	O
copies	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
34,000	O
on	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
according	O
to	O
Media	O
Create	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
availability	O
,	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
debuted	O
at	O
seventh	O
place	O
on	O
the	O
weekly	O
charts	O
;	O
by	O
the	O
second	O
week	O
,	O
it	O
had	O
left	O
the	O
top-ten	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
unique	B-Protocol
user	I-Protocol
counts	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
played	O
Games	B-Application
for	I-Application
Windows	I-Application
–	I-Application
Live	I-Application
game	O
in	O
2009	O
and	O
2012	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
second-most	O
played	O
in	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
then-Florida	O
lawyer	O
Jack	O
Thompson	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
campaigns	O
against	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
stated	O
he	O
would	O
take	O
measures	O
to	O
prevent	O
the	O
sale	O
of	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
to	O
minors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
20	O
April	O
,	O
both	O
parties	O
reached	O
a	O
settlement	O
agreeing	O
to	O
drop	O
their	O
lawsuits	O
:	O
Thompson	O
was	O
barred	O
from	O
suing	O
to	O
ban	O
the	O
sale	O
or	O
distribution	O
of	O
Take-Two	O
'	O
s	O
games	O
but	O
able	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
counsel	O
in	O
lawsuits	O
by	O
other	O
parties	O
,	O
while	O
Take-Two	O
agreed	O
to	O
drop	O
the	O
contempt	O
of	O
court	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
Thompson	O
regarding	O
alleged	O
improper	O
conduct	O
during	O
the	O
court	O
hearings	O
for	O
Rockstar	O
's	O
game	O
Bully	B-Application
(	O
2006	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
18	O
September	O
2007	O
,	O
Thompson	O
filed	O
a	O
document	O
with	O
a	O
federal	O
court	O
in	O
Florida	O
,	O
claiming	O
the	O
assassination	O
target	O
of	O
a	O
mission	O
in	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
a	O
lawyer	O
character	O
based	O
upon	O
himself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2008	O
,	O
Thompson	O
wrote	O
a	O
letter	O
directed	O
to	O
the	O
mother	O
of	O
Take-Two	O
chairman	O
Strauss	O
Zelnick	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
he	O
labelled	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
a	O
"	O
murder	O
simulator	O
"	O
and	O
criticised	O
Zelnick	O
's	O
upbringing	O
,	O
comparing	O
his	O
Boy	O
Scouts	O
experience	O
to	O
Hitler	O
Youth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rockstar	O
said	O
it	O
respected	O
MADD	O
's	O
work	O
but	O
felt	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
audience	O
"	O
is	O
more	O
than	O
sophisticated	O
enough	O
to	O
understand	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
content	O
"	O
,	O
adding	O
"	O
you	O
ca	O
n't	O
judge	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
by	O
a	O
small	O
aspect	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
his	O
program	O
in	O
May	O
2008	O
,	O
conservative	O
American	O
radio	O
host	O
Glenn	O
Beck	O
used	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
an	O
example	O
of	O
violence	O
in	O
video	O
games	O
"	O
training	O
our	O
kids	O
to	O
be	O
killers	O
"	O
,	O
erroneously	O
stating	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
attack	O
police	O
officers	O
with	O
a	O
chainsaw	B-Language
;	O
Kombos	O
David	O
Oxford	O
rebutted	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
not	O
targeted	O
at	O
children	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beck	O
said	O
games	O
like	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
were	O
being	O
used	O
to	O
make	O
militaries	O
more	O
violent	O
;	O
Destructoids	O
Jim	O
Sterling	O
countered	O
that	O
violent	O
wars	O
occurred	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2008	O
,	O
six	O
teenagers	O
who	O
were	O
arrested	O
for	O
robbery	O
in	O
New	O
Hyde	O
Park	O
,	O
New	O
York	O
,	O
claimed	O
they	O
were	O
inspired	O
by	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
,	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
Nassau	O
County	O
Police	O
Department	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2013	O
,	O
87-year-old	O
Marie	O
Smothers	O
was	O
killed	O
in	O
Slaughter	O
,	O
Louisiana	O
,	O
when	O
her	O
eight-year-old	O
grandson	O
shot	O
her	O
in	O
the	O
head	O
with	O
a	O
handgun	O
after	O
playing	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
IV	I-Application
;	O
under	O
state	O
law	O
,	O
the	O
boy	O
could	O
not	O
be	O
charged	O
for	O
her	O
death	O
due	O
to	O
his	O
age	O
.	O
</s>
