Content Changes in GTA IV Era

All software goes through development stages, and Grand Theft Auto is no exception. This article lists all content cut from the final release of the game, planned contents that did not make it into the final game, and contents that are in the final game but are made inaccessible. These contents range from deleted vehicles and player skins to the removal of entire characters and mission strands. Information about these contents can only be inferred from game files, pre-release screenshots and videos, previews, and interviews with Rockstar's producers. This article details Changed Content from the GTA IV Era.

Grand Theft Auto IV

Missions

Peds

  • There were originally female police officers.
  • There were also to be K-9 dogs in the game and would chase a player if he was running away on a 1 star level. This may have been removed due to the fact of the player able to kill animals in the game, or could frustrate the player.

Characters

City

Early map showing Beta Liberty City in GTA IV. Notice the extra space in Northwest Alderney, and the third runway at Francis International Airport
  • Some areas named Anger Bay (Pelham Bay), Norfolk (NoHo), Jefferson Heights (Hamilton Heights), Acter Bay (South Kearny), Richmond (Richmond Hill) , Frogtown (Turtle Bay), Washington Heights were cut. Two areas called Hedgebury and Goatherd can be seen on roadsigns on the Broker-Dukes Expressway. It is likely that they are two more cut neighborhoods, or they could be beta names of the neighborhoods that are where Hedgebury and Goatherd supposedly lead to (Firefly Projects for Goatherd, and Outlook for Hedgebury).
  • According to the GXT Files, Beechwood City was called : Grayfords
  • The setting of the game was originally going to be Liberty State, rather than just Liberty City, and it would have included countryside surrounding Liberty City, mountains based on the Adirondacks and Catskills [3], and possibly The Caraways.
  • A street called Liberation St was either cut or renamed.
  • A street called 128th St was either cut or renamed
  • The Statue of Happiness was originally going to be called Statue of Freedom
  • The Statue of Happiness had a different face.

Clothing

  • Fingerless gloves were probably available during game play. Pre-release screen-shots and videos of the PC version also show Niko with fingerless gloves but were still not available in the game. They still however can be found in the game files and can put on Niko through the use of texture swapping or mods.
  • Binco was going to be the first clothing store. It is replaced by the Russian Shop, while ZIP has become Modo.
  • Niko's default outfit originally did not have the white stripe on the collar.

Weapons

An early image of Niko holding an MP5.
  • Beta weapons include a Silenced 9mm, Pool Cue, and Revolver.
  • The Baseball Bat was originally wooden.[4]
  • In an early preview, Little Jacob would sell a rocket launcher to Niko. It was originally attached to the underside of his car.
  • An MP5 was originally going to be the SMG as seen in early pre-release screenshots. It had a 15 round magazine. An image of Niko holding it confirms this. Niko would presumably fire it with both hands on the pistol grip, like the Micro SMG. It's design was later replaced to resemble the S&W MP10.
  • The Pistol had a black chamber, instead of grey.

Soundtrack

  • Several songs mentioned in early previews or heard in trailers were removed from the final version:
    • Burn It All Down - VHS or Beta
    • Downtown Swinga - M.O.P.
    • Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
    • How About Some Hardcore - M.O.P.
    • Restless - UNKLE (feat. Josh Homme)
    • They Say Vision - Res
    • Junior Kirkstart - The Go! Team
    • This Shit is Real - Fat Joe
    • Sucker M.C.s - Run-D.M.C.
  • The ingame american.gxt file lists additional songs for Liberty Rock Radio, Radio Broker and The Vibe.
  • Tuff Gong Radio was called Babylon.
  • According to a French preview, a few of The Rolling Stones' songs were in the game, but were removed for a unknown reason.

Others

  • The first removed haircut design for Niko was a cut that seemed to resemble helmet-hair.
  • The second removed haircut design for Niko was a buzz cut.
  • The Well Stacked Pizza Co. was originally meant to return but removed before release. Outside Pizza This, the employees are still seen sporting the logo and some with "Well Stacked Pizza Co." on the back of their shirts. This may also indicate that this was once the original location for one of the stores.
  • Pedestrians were to carry planks. A model is still present in the game files.
  • According to early in-game previews, a city bus service was available for Niko to use, with a bus schedule popping up after walking to a bus stop. A bus driver character model is also found in the in-game files. Occasionally, an operating bus with the driver will be seen exiting the runway roads of Francis International Airport, however, if the player attempts to get in, the driver is 'pulled' from the bus.
  • According to previews, Niko could climb telephone poles.
  • Niko would have been able to get limo rides just like taxi rides.[5]
  • According to the model names of Roman's taxi depot, he was originally supposed to do limos. This may have a connection with the limo rides mentioned above.
  • Health pickups originally glowed yellow and not orange.
  • Niko would originally bring prostitutes to his home.
  • There were two deleted cheats : the first one gave money to the player, it was probably "729-555-0100" ("729" for "PAY"); the second one made the game advance the time by one hour, probably something like "???-555-8463" ("8463" for "TIME").
  • Niko originally had a larger and bulkier phone, with a two-tone color.
  • Originally, the bailing out animation involved Niko diving forward, as seen in the second trailer.
  • The police helicopter would originally fly very low.
  • Cars could explode very differently, and turn on their sides and catch fire in the cabin.
  • Niko had these contacts in his phone: Cab, City, and Dock.
  • Snow was a weather condition but it is only seen as an unused scenario for pedestrian behavior in the game files.[6]
  • Developers originally considered letting players purchase music by going to an in-game record shop and for Niko to have an MP3 player, but both ideas were cut

Grand Theft Auto: The Lost and Damned

  • Content from the mission Politics was cut.
  • A Game Informer preview states Johnny could originally change outfits.
  • An early screenshot has Johnny looking closer to his IV appearance.
  • According to previews, Johnny had the access to date girlfriends.
  • The TAC-700 was cut. However, files of it exists in the game's files.
  • The Lost MC Clubhouse originally had a newer exterior, it had white walls with the door moved more to the right, it was also much smaller which can be noticed in several early pictures.
  • The ingame american.gxt file lists additional songs for Jazz Nation Radio, Liberty Rock Radio and Radio Broker.
  • Johnny's tattoos are present in TLAD artwork, suggesting they were there while the artwork was being drawn, and were removed last minute.
  • The wooden baseball bat was cut again, as seen in an early screenshot.

Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony

  • An early preview by Xbox World 360 Preview stated that there would be a random character encounter where a crazy ex-girlfriend of Luis would rig a bomb to his car (possibly Margot).
  • Tony wore different glasses that were tinted purple instead of clear.
  • The ingame american.gxt file lists additional songs for K109, Vice City FM and Self-Actualization FM.
  • Armando Torres would have be able to sell every weapon in the game from his gun van including the Desert Eagle and the Micro Uzi.
  • The Automatic Shotgun was fully automatic.
  • The Advanced Sniper's scope was not tinted green.
  • The Assault SMG did not have a silencer.
  • The Skylift had a different design, and it was white, not blue.
  • Armando Torres and Henrique Bardas had a much bigger role in the game.
  • Tony, Mori Kibbutz and Yusuf Amir could be taken on friend activities.
  • The Parachute was all yellow in the beta, instead of yellow, white and blue.
  • A preview stated all the weapons of TLAD were included as well, it is not clear if it was cut or the preview was wrong.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

  • The beta-map was more different from the final map.

See Also

References

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