Brief Summary
The video discusses the unlikelihood of a full Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA 4) remaster due to Rockstar Games' focus on GTA Online's continuous revenue stream, technical and legal challenges, and the company's recent track record with remasters. It also addresses misleading news and hype surrounding the potential remaster, suggesting that a simple port is the most realistic expectation.
- GTA Online's financial success has shifted Rockstar's priorities away from single-player remasters.
- Technical and legal hurdles, such as music licensing and voice actor disputes, complicate a full remaster.
- Rockstar's recent remaster track record and internal issues further diminish the likelihood of a high-quality GTA 4 remaster.
Intro
The video addresses the rumors and speculation surrounding a potential Grand Theft Auto 4 (GTA 4) remaster, which gained traction after the PS4 was accidentally listed as a platform for the game. The content creator expresses frustration with the false hype and misinformation often spread online, aiming to provide a realistic perspective on the situation. Despite personally favoring GTA 4 in the series, the creator intends to expose the "bollocks" surrounding the remaster.
Rockstar's Focus on GTA Online
Since its launch, GTA Online has generated billions of dollars through microtransactions, creating a continuous and high-profit revenue stream. This has significantly shifted Rockstar Games' focus, with the company prioritizing GTA Online over single-player experiences. Despite claims from parent company Take Two about commitment to single-player games, Rockstar's actions, such as pouring resources into GTA Online and neglecting single-player DLC for GTA 5, indicate their true priorities. A single purchase remaster, regardless of enhancements, cannot compete with GTA Online's ongoing profits.
Technical and Legal Hurdles
Creating a proper remaster involves significant technical and legal challenges. GTA 4 was built on an early version of the RAGE engine and uses Euphoria for physics, making a simple overhaul impossible. Music licenses for the game's radio stations have expired, leading to song removals and replacements, which would become more complicated and expensive in a full remaster. The controversy surrounding Nico's voice actor, Michael Hollick, who publicly expressed frustration over his pay (a flat fee of $100,000 with no royalties), has strained the relationship with Rockstar Games, complicating his potential return for new dialogue or marketing.
Rockstar's Priorities and Track Record
Rockstar Games' primary focus is on Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6), one of the most expensive entertainment products ever made. The company's recent track record with remasters, particularly the GTA Trilogy, has been poor, with the trilogy launching as a technical disaster. The team that worked on the definitive edition, Grove Street Games, reportedly had a bad ending with Rockstar, as Rockstar removed all mentions of them and used another team to fix the issues. This suggests that even if a GTA 4 remaster were real, it would likely not receive proper treatment from Rockstar's top talent. Additionally, so-called Rockstar Insiders have leaked that future remaster projects were scrapped after the definitive edition disaster.
Realistic Expectations
Misleading news posts about a GTA 4 remaster rely on any sliver of news, regardless of its truth. A Rockstar Games agent's casual reply expressing hope for a GTA 4 port was blown out of proportion. The best-case scenario is a simple port of GTA 4 to PlayStation, possibly with a 60 FPS option, similar to the Red Dead Redemption 1 PC port. A true remaster is unlikely, and a potential PS5 version of GTA 4 could follow the same playbook as the Red Dead Redemption port, with minimal upgrades and a high price tag.
