Come to think of it, Rockstar's marketing strategy for GTA IV is really smart

Mixed reactions.

Keeping it under wraps will make people think it may be bad, but there's no hype to up the score.

Showing it has the exact opposite effect, people know what to expect and hype will up the score.

I'm all for it fuzzy. Rockstar always deliver unlike certain other companies you mentioned. Three consistent 9.6 scores on this site prove this point.

The same was done with San Andreas when it was unveiled exclusively to the UK version of OPM. Since Roskstar North, the division who make GTA are based in Dundee, Scotland, British magazines will always get the scoop first. This is good because the UK is a much smaller gaming community. Unveiling in a large American magazine which a lot of casuals read like EGM, or unveiling their work on IGN will severely dent this trick Rockstar use. It's the trick of easing it out slowly so not too much hype explodes onto the gaming scene at once Gears of War-style.

What Rockstar do is release a substantial amount of info in the summer, a few months prior to release. We see a build of the game which is quite far on, we know the story, the play area has been developed (maybe just an alpha version but it will be spruced up a bit), and we know some of the new gameplay innovations. Most importantly though, we are given a date. Then after this info flurry, like the MGS2 team's development submergence, it all goes quiet on the Dundee front. Only until maybe a month or two prior to launch will we see a few new shots and a few new details, but nothing too major.

The best part is that we know the date. This month prior to launch, teasers will be shown, ads put in magazines and on billboards, clips shown in theatres and broadcast on radios etc. etc. This makes sure that every GTA fan in the world knows the date. A date and the prestigious brand name are all that will really shift those copies off shelves, not hype made by the developer.

Other companies hype methods are like this: the the meat keeper [the developer] constantly feeds little meaty morsels [game info] to his dogs [the fans and community]. Then they take out the juicy steak at some point and it's good for the dogs, but not fantastic since they've grown accustomed to it already, and this is just more of the same but in greater volume. Rockstar's method is to throw a sizeable bit of meat into the cage and just watch them eat it up. Then a date is put up on the wall and the dogs are starved for months. Then when that date rolls around, Rockstar throw in the biggest, juiciest, most succulent meat in the world and it's like an orgy of teeth rippng and blood..... it tastes so amazing since it's been so long. That is Rockstar's secret.

I believe more high profile games should keep it underwraps (See: RE5, and MGS4) For the most part. All hype leads to disappointment, and can sway reviewers (See: 1up's Gears of War review)jechtshot78

All hype leads to disapointment? All the games I've been hyped for (as in super hyped) haven't let me down in the least.

And hype always sways reviews. If a game is super hyped and is a total letdown, then the review will reflect as much in a negative way. But, (in Gear's case) if the game lives up to the hype, then it will be reflected postively in the review. But then again, 1up cant review worth crap (Halo2 had a good ending? I don't think so...) so I guess it doesn't really matter what they think...

I'm all for it fuzzy. Rockstar always deliver unlike certain other companies you mentioned. Three consistent 9.6 scores on this site prove this point.

The same was done with San Andreas when it was unveiled exclusively to the UK version of OPM. Since Roskstar North, the division who make GTA are based in Dundee, Scotland, British magazines will always get the scoop first. This is good because the UK is a much smaller gaming community. Unveiling in a large American magazine which a lot of casuals read like EGM, or unveiling their work on IGN will severely dent this trick Rockstar use. It's the trick of easing it out slowly so not too much hype explodes onto the gaming scene at once Gears of War-style.

What Rockstar do is release a substantial amount of info in the summer, a few months prior to release. We see a build of the game which is quite far on, we know the story, the play area has been developed (maybe just an alpha version but it will be spruced up a bit), and we know some of the new gameplay innovations. Most importantly though, we are given a date. Then after this info flurry, like the MGS2 team's development submergence, it all goes quiet on the Dundee front. Only until maybe a month or two prior to launch will we see a few new shots and a few new details, but nothing too major.

The best part is that we know the date. This month prior to launch, teasers will be shown, ads put in magazines and on billboards, clips shown in theatres and broadcast on radios etc. etc. This makes sure that every GTA fan in the world knows the date. A date and the prestigious brand name are all that will really shift those copies off shelves, not hype made by the developer.

Other companies hype methods are like this: the the meat keeper [the developer] constantly feeds little meaty morsels [game info] to his dogs [the fans and community]. Then they take out the juicy steak at some point and it's good for the dogs, but not fantastic since they've grown accustomed to it already, and this is just more of the same but in greater volume. Rockstar's method is to throw a sizeable bit of meat into the cage and just watch them eat it up. Then a date is put up on the wall and the dogs are starved for months. Then when that date rolls around, Rockstar throw in the biggest, juiciest, most succulent meat in the world and it's like an orgy of teeth rippng and blood..... it tastes so amazing since it's been so long. That is Rockstar's secret.

-Spock-