GTA online multiplayer exclusive to 360?

By Robert Purchese Published 13 February, 2008

Xbox boss Don Mattrick says things.

Microsoft Entertainment boss Don Mattrick has given everyone the impression that online multiplayer in Grand Theft Auto IV will be exclusive to Xbox 360.

His comments came during a a podcast with MS community face Major "Larry Hryb" Nelson about the line-up of games for 2008 and what makes it special.

"[GTA IV] is an amazing piece of software and I'm really excited with its downloadable content and online multiplayer support. Again, that's something that's unique to 360," said Mattrick.

"We think consumers are going to love that and it's going to create, what I would describe again as the premium experience on our platform."

But hold your horses; the "we think" part of his statement was said in very close proximity to both the preceding and following sentences. Does he think it will be exclusive or does he think you will love it? Or was he confusing himself by repeating the exclusive DLC line but tangling it up with the multiplayer statement?

And if he is to be taken at face value, why's he saying it in a podcast?

Update: Don Mattrick gave supporting evidence to msnbc in December last year. This time it is a little clearer.

"We're excited about Grand Theft Auto [IV], not only because it's a great title, but there's multi-play and downloadable content that consumers will only be able to get on 360," Mattrick told msbnc.

"That's a huge win. Arguably that title has the potential to be the Halo equivalent in calendar year 2008 in terms of number-one title revenue unit."

All good questions for Rockstar, although those guys are far too lifestyle to be in the office at 8.30 so we'll have to call later.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (79) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Tejstar #1 4 years ago

    Interesting... I was planning on the 360 version anyhoo!

  • RobertFoster #2 4 years ago

    Ruhroh! Maybe he confused things by adding the online bit to the DLC bit. He said "that's something that's unique to 360", which sounds singular rather than plural.

  • George-Roper #3 4 years ago

    Oh oh

  • Artemis_Matsas #4 4 years ago

    If that's true, then i'm not touching GTA IV even with a 10 foot pole.

  • Gaol #5 4 years ago

    I would have called before posting this crappy article to be frank.

  • Grogmonkey #6 4 years ago

    There was apparantly some big news expected on the new Major Nelson podcast this week, according to (I think) Kotaku. This would come under the heading 'big news'.

    Edit: It is too early for correct grammar...
    Edited by Grogmonkey at 13/02/08 @ 08:50

  • Dizzy #7 4 years ago

    I think only DLC is exclusive. Ofc the DLC content could also include specific multiplayer stuff.

  • The_Aardvark #8 4 years ago

    Fanboy apocalypse in...

    5...

    4...

    3...

  • Lexx87 #9 4 years ago

    Gaol is jealous :p

  • aldo_14 #10 4 years ago

    DLC will be exclusive, multiplayer almost certainly not so. Anyone remember when MS announced GTAIV as if it were either an exclusive or timed exclusive to the 360? Same thing here, methinks - not quite lying, just not making the, er, 'effort' to be totally clear.

  • bdc #11 4 years ago

    Poorly worded fucking moron. PRs aren't supposed to confuse everyone with such ambiguous and awkward shit. Or maybe he's trying to paint the image that only the 360 version has online support, without directly saying it? Either way; prick.

  • ruttyboy #12 4 years ago

    I'm actually shuddering to think just how many cunts an online aspect of this game will attract... One for playing with friends only I think.

  • LHH #13 4 years ago

    I would laugh at my cousin and friend if this turns out true, the PS3 owning scum they are.
    But I don't think it is true. It seems a bit of a silly thing to do and knowing the whole patch thing going on with games now, it'll probably be added when Home is released or something (if it is true and assuming the writer of said article isn't making any assumptions).

  • redlander #14 4 years ago

    He's on about the downloadable content only.

  • JonFE #15 4 years ago

    On the other hand, if the rumours are true and it was the PS3 version that was holding GTA's release back, R* could have put the extra time in good use on the finished x360 version and put the online support only there :)



    /adds fuel to the fire

  • thenastypasty #16 4 years ago

    gets popcorn !

  • Xerx3s #17 4 years ago

    "[GTA IV] is an amazing piece of software and I'm really excited with its downloadable content and online multiplayer support. Again, that's something that's unique to 360," said Mattrick.

    Doesn't mean shit. He can just as well mean that the DLC is unique or that the DLC in combination with the MP is unique. Unless ms paid a shitload of money, MP will be on all platforms. IF ms paid a shitload of money, they would be boasting the feature to hell and back.

  • Andy247 #18 4 years ago

    I very much doubt that the online support will be 360 exclusive. GTA made it's name on the Playstation and although i'm not a huge fan of the games (apart from the first one for novelty value) I'm considering picking it up on 360 for the DLC in future. To echo a previous poster, if there's any truth in this, it'll be that some of the DLC adds additional online festures over the basic.

  • S.J.Rogers #19 4 years ago

    Steals Popcorn..!

    Mmmm... Crunchy.

  • seasidebaz #20 4 years ago

    i think the key bit here is in the "multiplayer support" bit

    m$ charge for online multiplayer, sony do not.

    so in that respect, m$ are correct. charging people for online multiplayer IS unique to xbox.

  • ParmaViolet #21 4 years ago

    Pretty sure he's only referring to the DLC - I think it's hugely unlikely that the PS3 version will not have online.....

    Mind you, I agree with an earlier poster that this game will probably attract the worse kind of players - so, it'll probably end up being something that most will avoid to leave it to the rabble. I'll be picking this game up at launch, no doubt - but, it definitely will not be for any online play....it's not as if Vice City needed it to be enjoyable....

    :-)

  • myiagros #22 4 years ago

    i'm already pissed about the DLC being 360 only, but if the MP is too the i will not be buying this game, regardless of how good it is supposed to be.

    And i will certainly not be buying a 360 to get the full experience.

    Nice one R* and MS, all your doing is succeeding in pissing a lot of people off.

  • X201 #23 4 years ago

    / watches internet go into rumour meltdown.

    / until dinnertime when a clarification press release will pop up on the radar.

  • Gaol #24 4 years ago

    @Lexx87

    Jealous of what you tool?

    These bait articles are really ruining EG. Picking up a quote like this and wilfully baiting fanboy posts is something we shout down people about in the foum, yet its OK when posted by staff?

    Until you have something to report, you shouldn't report it.

  • Moonprince #25 4 years ago

    This info is easily available, especially to those in the industry. Why the fuck would you go reporting bs like this...

  • mattigan #26 4 years ago

    Does the PS3 do online then?

  • symbiote #27 4 years ago

    Big deal. GTA will be great with or without it - just as it has always been. Online is/will be served very well with a plethora of other titles (many of which not on 360 - UT3, Haze, MGS)

  • syphaa #28 4 years ago

    w00t!

    Online multiplayer is gonna be so sweet!
    Couldnt give a shit about PS3ers but it would be pretty shitty if R* didnt throw in MP support for them, to me that would be a very very odd decision if its true. To be honest I think people are getting their lines crossed and Don isnt exactly the hardcore gamer, I think he just lost his way when trying to promote the 360 and got all giggly and flustered.

    Still...lets not take anything away from GTA IV as this is gonna be a landmark game for 08 for sure.

  • RexRunti #29 4 years ago

    There's online multiplayer?

    PS Wouldn't be the first big franchise to have online exclusitivity on the 360 (Virtua Fighter, Tony Hawk)

  • woodnotes #30 4 years ago

    We know nothing about any of the online multiplayer yet, Rockstar haven't announced anything official. So there's a chance that the original game wasn't going to have any, and MS paid for them to make some, as with the DLC. That way, PS3 only owners haven't lost anything, but 360 owners have gained.
    Edited by woodnotes at 13/02/08 @ 09:29

  • DrDamn #31 4 years ago

    [link url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22086617/page/2/
    ]http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22086617/pag...[/link]

    “We’re excited about “Grand Theft Auto [IV],” not only because it’s a great title, but there’s multi-play and downloadable content that consumers will only be able to get on 360. That’s a huge win.”

    About as clear as mud as the first statement as it could mean just the DLC is exclusive. I'm wondering if the online stuff is within some strict confines of the DLC. Some co-op missions for example. Which would make some more sense. Interesting where they go with this. To do full on multiplayer just on the 360 and not on PS3 would have required a substantial money hat.

    /Was going for the 360 version for DLC anyway ...

  • Darren #32 4 years ago

    I've pre-ordered the 360 version anyway, solely because the developers admitted that the PS3 version was partly to blame for the delay so that set alarm bells ringing in my head, i.e. that the PS3 version may not be as good as the 360 version, but we'll see. My decision oddly had nothing to do whatsoever with the extra exclusive DLC or any online modes as I generally don't play those... not on consoles anyway. Besides the GTA games usually pack in so much offline content that you have to wonder if there's really a need for DLC or online modes but the latter is extra value I guess.

  • Britesparc Verified Creative, ITV #33 4 years ago

    I think it means that as part of the DLC there will be multiplayer modes that are exclusive to 360.

  • convercide #34 4 years ago

    It could be 'multi-play' in the same vein as San Andreas where you could play as one of CJ's girlfriends as player 2 if you found one of those markers.

    I was discussing this with a few friends yesterday. Online multiplayer for GTA ould be a complete avoid for me. There's no way they'll be able to stream the entire city for it. That leaves chunks of the city or a Saints Rowesque effort which, if I'm being honest, is one of the worst online gaming attempts I've ever played.

    It'll also be full of children who use the words 'bling' and think that being any form of 'gangster' is great. Full of children playing an 18 rated game. Once again Rockstar will be blamed for utterly stupid and incompetent parents buying a 'violent game where you have sex with hookers' by the usual tabloids. I can see it now 'over 50% of GTA IV's online users are kids! - The Sun.'
    Edited by convercide at 13/02/08 @ 09:50

  • mcmonkeyplc #35 4 years ago

    Dear god! The world is over!

  • Luvbeers #36 4 years ago

    I don't care if it is exclusive or not. As long as its on the 360 I am happy. Imagine PSN Home with guns and whores!

  • peteb #37 4 years ago

    a friend of mine did a survey showing some advertising that really seemed to be highlighting the online multiplayer component as an xbox exclusive, interesting...

  • L42yB #38 4 years ago

    I'm betting that there will be aspects of the multiplayer that are exclusive to 360, however I'm sure the PS3 will also have it's own multiplayer too...

    Of course, if it is all exclusive it doesn't really bother me since I only have a 360 :) But I still don't think rock* would go and develop online multiplayer only to release it on one platform... that'd be silly

  • peteb #39 4 years ago

    maybe thats why MS paid so much? Because it wasn't just DLC?

  • Psychotext #40 4 years ago

    That would make things REALLY interesting. lol

  • GeeMacca #41 4 years ago

    I imagine a exclusive multiplayer gameplay mode, not all multiplayer.

  • Corben_Dallas #42 4 years ago

    We're excited about Grand Theft Auto [IV], not only because it's a great title, but there's multi-play and downloadable content that consumers will only be able to get on 360,"

    Theres Multiplay (which will probibly be in both versions PS3 and XB360) and DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT (this is the bit that might be an XB exculisive- which u will have to pay for - which u can hear him rubbin his hands will glee as MS thinks of the numerous premium pack DLC content they can force GTA plyrs to pay for.)

    EG!!!!!!!!! please dont put editorial spin from a MS spokeperson's quote suggesting that u will only be able to play Multiplayer GTA V on XB360, when clearly it more than likely only refers to XB in-game DLC.
    :| :| :| :| :|

  • Dizzy #43 4 years ago

    "i'm already pissed about the DLC being 360 only, but if the MP is too the i will not be buying this game, regardless of how good it is supposed to be. "

    Cry baby

  • GitSomE_UK #44 4 years ago

    Sounds like he meant DLC rather than Multiplay. If it was both then MS really shafted Sony there... ouch!

  • mechamonkey #45 4 years ago

    SonyLOL etc

  • miiiguel #46 4 years ago

    Let's do the PS3 ultra thingy:

    "who cares about online anyway..., online is so last gen!"

  • Benno #47 4 years ago

    i dont know how i should approach this

    should i be the guy that says "gets popcorn" or "let the fight begin" or "time to sit back and watch the fight" or "fanboy apocalypse incoming" ?

    My other option is to say "sonylol" or "ps3 online is rubbish"

    OR.. should i rush to the ps3s defence? "HES ONLY ON ABOUT DLC NUBS" or "xbox 360 will die before you get to play it" or "RRODlol"

    Not sure....

    Ah go on then..

    ps3lol

  • Moz #48 4 years ago

    Isn't the online multiplyer in GTA going to be abit lame anyway? My online time is already chocker with Halo 3, Resistance and the occational Motorstorm not to mention Spore LBP and Warhammer online on the horizan.

    If I get this which ever version I end up going for a dout very much that i'm going to be arsed with the online multiplayer. Are human advisaries really going to be that different to AIs in this style of game?

  • Garulon #49 4 years ago

    "i'm already pissed about the DLC being 360 only, but if the MP is too the i will not be buying this game, regardless of how good it is supposed to be.

    And i will certainly not be buying a 360 to get the full experience.

    Nice one R* and MS, all your doing is succeeding in pissing a lot of people off"

    MS Pissing off whiny PS3 bitch shock! This is bad how?

  • Arwin #50 4 years ago

    Both statements are cleverly ambiguous, but we all know that the downloadable content is exclusive, not the online play.

  • Moz #51 4 years ago

    Another point worth mentioning is that also this doesn't stop R* putting DIFFERENT DLC and multiplayer into the PS3 version.

    There is also the possibility that some of the DLC for the 360 will just be included on the PS3 version from the get go cos of the added space of Blu-ray.

    But until R* make some solid statements or EG and alike get their hands on copies of the game we wont know for sure.

    Not to forget the other rumour that R* are also working on another game that is exclusive to PS3 (Please don't let it be manhunt 3!!)

  • miiiguel #52 4 years ago

    "There is also the possibility that some of the DLC for the 360 will just be included on the PS3 version from the get go cos of the added space of Blu-ray. "
    From what I read, those evil, evil MS dudes payed all the production costs (read exclusivity) for that DLC. It'd be odd if they gave it away for the Blu-Ray awesomenss, but what do I know ?...

  • Moz #53 4 years ago

    How many games show the PSN logo on the website though? MS just get people to flash Live! on everything that is Live enabled in some way.

    EDIT/ the devil may cry website is a good example just has the standard PS logo but then has Live! for the xbox logo, Sony just aren't PSN as a brand in the same was as MS are Live!
    Edited by Moz at 13/02/08 @ 11:21

  • LetsGo #54 4 years ago

    Wow, this is big for MS. Looks like i'll be getting the 360 version (shame, I was gonna pick up the PS3 one too!)
    Edited by LetsGo at 13/02/08 @ 11:19

  • JHuxley #55 4 years ago

    "This is interesting as when you go on the GTA IV website, there's no mention of PSN at the bottom. It just says Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 with the Live Logo next to it"

    The Call of Duty 4 website has the LIVE logo and no mention of PSN, just the old Playstation logo.

    Methinks Sony are less stringent about the logos publishers splash all over their websites?
    Edited by JHuxley at 13/02/08 @ 11:23

  • GamerG #56 4 years ago

    Moz, do you really think MS's lawers are stupid enougth to agree a contract with Rock* for exclusive content and then have Rock* go and make slightly different content for Sony?

    That contract will be watertight, the reason why MS were willing to front so much cash was that they can plug the game has having stuff their competitor doesn't.

  • Moz #57 4 years ago

    @GamerG, I SOME of the DLC there is no dout that there is exclusive DLC just how much and what it is is still unknown.

    The PS3 version could also have it own exclusive content either on the disc or as DLC Sony might just be waiting until closer to release to make any anouncments at a time when Jo public is paying attention.

    How much of a win this is for MS also depends on how long the main game is and how much the DLC is going to cost. If the main game is going to take me 30 hours to complete then i'm unlikely to bother with DLC as they'll be other new games to spend my money on.

    EDIT/ @MrsPacMan for starters Warhawk is distributed over PSN and is only playable via PSN from looking around sites of multiformat games that have multiplayer i'm yet to find one that shows PSN on the from page yet they all show Live!. The point being that the lack of a PSN logo on the GTAIV website means didlysquat.
    Edited by Moz at 13/02/08 @ 11:29

  • Drogul #58 4 years ago

    If this is true is not nice for ps3 owners, but they will buy it anyway (since they have nothing to play...yet). And if multiplayer turns out well for the 360, I believe that in the future they will put it in the ps3 too. Meanwhile, yep, Sony was raped hard.

  • Wash #59 4 years ago

    lol, some of these comments are hilarious - they also point to everything that is wrong with gaming.

    Shame on us all.

  • JHuxley #60 4 years ago

    @MrsPacMan

    Does it matter? It's pretty obvious that the lack of a PSN logo on the GTA website proves nothing.

    As for all this exclusivity business...good for MS. Even if it's just a few missions and maybe a couple of extra multiplayer modes, as a PR exercise it will be hugely successful.

  • THEGREATMADMAN #61 4 years ago

    Score another point for 360!

  • Moz #62 4 years ago

    @MrsPacMan

    Firstly sorry realised i missed a word in a previouse post that might have condused things, Yes PSN is a brand just to date Sony haven't been flashing it about in the same way that MS do with Live!

    So where as if you see a game sporting the Xbox logo with no Live! logo you can most probably assume it doesn't have Live! support. If you see the PS logo but no PSN logo then that doesn't tell if the game has online support or not.

  • Moz #63 4 years ago

    @head bog

    I fail to see how!

  • GamesConnoisseur #64 4 years ago

    I see a lot of flash over something that is not so strongly explicitly clear as to the fact that PS3 WILL not have multi player. So let us wait on confirmation after all it may fuss over nothing!

    If it is true, then a coup for MS, but I cannot imagine that Rockstar would undersell PS3 GTA4 as they stand to gain profit from both platform and they will want to honour the exclusive arrangement with MS for DLC.

    I was planning to get X360 anyway, and GTA did not start on PS for heaven's sake its was PC!!

  • JHuxley #65 4 years ago

    @headbog

    That's a joke, right?

    At the moment all signs point towards the 360 version being the better of the two. Extra DLC content, custom soundtracks, possible exclusive multiplayer modes etc etc. And that's not taking in to account any possible technical differences that might occur (let's face it, the PS3 has had its fair share of shoddy ports).

    Of course none of this will be confirmed until someone gets their hands on the game proper, but right now it's looking bad for PS3 owners.

    And trust me, I'd rather it not be like this. I own a 360 and PS3, but my 360 is...uhh...'offline' for reasons that may be clear to some, so I couldn't get ahold of that DLC even if I wanted to. It sucks.

  • Benno #66 4 years ago

    360 is cheaper!!!111

  • miiiguel #67 4 years ago

    it just will!
    la la la ! Can't hear you! la la la!

  • mattnlis #68 4 years ago

    it sounds to me like there will be multiplayer on both platforms just extra modes that are available as dlc for the 360, this kind of speculation s pointless anyway, of course microsoft are going try to make you think the 360 version is going to be the best one its in their interest. Theres no point listening to any rumours wat for things to comes in the form of a press release from rockstar before you make up your mind. There is obviously extra content for the 360, microsoft have paid for it but i doubt that they will give it away free...

  • AL7AIR #69 4 years ago

    Regarding the PSN-Logo: You only see it on sites where the game itself is available on the PSN e.g. Warhawk and the PSN titles that are "equal" to XBox LIVE Arcade games.

    Other than that: The multiplayer on the PSP in the two Stories games was good but had a short live (at least for me and my buddies) and I personally could do without on both systems. Single player is what GTA was and is all about.

  • Moz #70 4 years ago

    "I was planning to get X360 anyway, and GTA did not start on PS for heaven's sake its was PC!!"

    It was PC and PS1(both released about the same time) and arguably it was the PS1 version that generated the success. Every GTA has been multiplatform it's just the GTA3 series of games have been timed exclusives on PS with PC and Xbox versions being arguably superiour. Just the PS audience has always been seen as the core fanbase for the serise.

    This switch to "prefering" Xbox has understandably upset a few people, though i'm not convinced that DLC and multiplayer is really going to be winning anyone over to 360 as it would apear that the bulk of people interested in online have already invested in this generation. At most this will just mean that people with both systems will go for the 360 version but then again if the PS3 version gives you the option to have a cache file on the harddisk that could sway somepeople in that direction to avoid having the game crunch your DVD drive constantly.

  • Danoxth #71 4 years ago

    Micro$oft to buy Rockstar by the end of this year....you heard it here first folks!

  • agparrot #72 4 years ago

    I'd like to see cross-platform multiplayer!

    As far as the PR man's comments, it does sound a bit like "Xbox Live! is exclusive" rather than "multiplayer is exclusive!"

    As headbog mentioned.

  • effinwooly #73 4 years ago

    this cant be true......right ?

  • BBIAJ #74 4 years ago

    @effinwooly: I guess you missed this:

    [link url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=92667
    ]http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?art...[/link]

    Posted over an hour and a half ago then?

  • Kenshin001 #75 4 years ago

    "Rockstar has denied suggestions that Grand Theft Auto IV will only feature multiplayer on Xbox 360.

    "As we've said previously, both versions of the game will have an online multiplayer component," a Rockstar spokesperson told videogaming247."

    I don't know which is the bigger joke, the spiteful 360 evangelists who made arses of themselves or Rob Purchese for not bothering to do the most cursory check with Rockstar before publishing the "story". This all came about because Microsoft was supposed to announce something big, which turned out to be an interview with Don Mattrick. Talk about clutching at straws.

  • BBIAJ #76 4 years ago

    EG couldn't, as no-one was at Rockstar at 8.30am.

    Maybe you should read the article in full next time, before making an arse out of yourself?

  • mkreku #77 4 years ago

    Or maybe they should wait for confirmation of a story instead of making arses of themselves by publishing crap too early? Depends on how you see it, I guess.

  • Kenshin001 #78 4 years ago

    I did read the article before it was, you know, UPDATED. So EG couldn't sit on some BS they probably stole from Kotaku until someone from R* turned up?

    LOL, fuck off.

  • TitusCrow #79 4 years ago

    i was getting the 360 version anyway