playing GTA4 again after an small playthough years ago when i had an wii (huge mistake), it bought up an disscussion in my head over whats better: Graphics vs More stuff 

GTA4 is the prime example of this because you have GTA San Andreas that was an HUGE game, it had so much to do that it could keep you occupied for well over 500 hours depending on your likes for Sand box games. From the lengthy and fun missions, to the huge map and variety, from flying planes to pimping cars to de railing an train there was so much you could do is the reason why GTA4 was such an disappointed (along with an poor poor design choices). 

The reason GTA4 was an let down is that you could only do 1/5 of the things in San Andreas and it had an smaller map and less variety in environments and missions due to the lack of planes and locations. Now looking back the 360 and ps3 were capable of making an sequel to GTA San Andreas that could of been twice the size but Rockstar decided to push the graphics instead. And this resulted in less things to do for graphics sake. 

Now as Gamers what do you prefer: pretty graphics or more fun when it comes to games like GTA. Now we know PC can have there cake and eat it too but gta is more so an console game and the consoles cant have an huge graphically pretty game with lots of stuff. 

Sure it can have better graphics then san andreas but only an slight improvement and rather an improvement in everything else would of done wonders and it would of been more loved. We know the reviewers were wearing the rose coloured glasses when rating GTA SA because how does taxi driving replace planes, going out with friends to the same places replace the range of mini games and schools and the graphics replaces all the rpg elements, the large collection of vehicles and locations and fun missions. 

So i say that graphics works in some games and not in others. If graphics can ruin GTA then People must learn that graphics aren't everything and allow Devs to work with an graphically down scale to allow for joyful fun because if you only playing for the graphics then you should go to an art galley

graphics isn't the reason why gta4 came out so badly

that was natural progression with new consoles,they couldn't just stay with the old graphics and a bigger game

they had to build a new engine plus had small time

next gta will be bigger for surely as now they have had an engine and alot of time through this generation

expect a GTA NEXT  fall 2011(fall 2012 if AGENT comes this year)

no way new gta is 2012 set for summer. 

they had plently of time (4 years) and an man power of an 1000 people so it seems that at the time they didn't know how to get the full power out to allow further additions to the game. Because there was an massive cuts in the about of features so something had to be the reason and not just poor design choices despite there were poor design choices 

Ever played Red Dead Redemption ?

The engine is not the problem. It's just a design flaw. The city was too huge and should've had some countryside or idk at least something different than always building after building.

I knew every corner in GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas but GTA IV just looks too similar even after over 60 hours of playtime and often enough I don't even know on which of the islands I currently am.

go play red dead.

This was a fairly early game in this gen and the graphics are not all that great. I actually still think other than Nikko the game was great. Red Dead Redemption proves that as developers get more time at learning new engines and different platforms that they can do bigger and better looking work. Going back to most games from the first two years of this gen and they look like a pile of garbage compared to what they are now. This is the case for every gen as the ps2's early games were abysimal compared the later games. Just compare GTA 3 to GTA: San Andreas graphic wise and there are obviously better graphics for San Andreas.

Basically, I think your whole post is full of fallicy and does not take into account that as developers become more fimiliar with the systems their work with the final product easily improves.

GTAIV is just a crap game regardless.

I still thought GTAIV was a great game but yeah definitely didn't have as much to do as San Andreas so that kinda sucked. GTAV should be a lot better since they've had a lot of development time for it and already have a good game engine for it. 

I don't want to play the Last Guardian with booboo graphics

your game must be just cause 2