Really minority opinions? Believe me more than a minority was dissapointed with GTA IV, aside from a cover system and better graphics the game was the same as previous GTA games.

Actually I should make a thread called: Who was dissapointed by GTA IV? Just to proof my point ^^

That wouldn't prove a damn thing. You'd be asking the most critical group out of any; the super informed, pessimistic internet crowd. You want proof of the opposite though? GTA IV is still in the top 5 played on Xbox Live. Explain away that one.

Ah that is what I said before =p.

The people that are still playing it, are probably not really so deep in to gaming as us. That probably are the kind of people that only buy the new GTA, COD, FIFA and the new Need for Speed and don't even know about other good games

Quality isn't equal to how much played or sold ^^

Your point has no factual basis and is irrelevant anyways. Reviewers were enormously positive about this game. You can't sit there and try to conspiracy theorize your way out of this. Show me some actual proof about any of your claims and then we'll discuss.

You also can't dismiss what is likely the majority of GTA's fanbase, the uninformed gamer. They play the game a lot so obviously they like it. Now if you want to prove something go into the gamercards of the most active GTA players and post up their gaming collection. Try to find some evidence to support your claims. Here is my evidence to counter your baseless claims:

1. GTAIV is one of the best reviewed games ever and is on almost every publication's GOTY list.

2. It is one of the most played games over Xbox Live(Top 5) says the last collected data from Microsoft covering November.

I'm going to click on the link, but the list REALLY needs to be in the OP.

 Well the high scores can be expained easily. Nobody gets to play GTA IV in advance accept for some enormous companies like Gamspot, OPM UK, etc. Where they have an agreement about the scores. And when those big sites, mags gave their scores Rockstar starts pressuring other magazines, sites when they want to give a -90 score, after all the big companies gave it fantastic reviews.

And the game press knows when they aren't giving fantastic reviews, the chance is big that they won't get any new ads anymore and without ads a game magazine or site can't survive.

And just to make clear that I am not making this up those aren't my words but are words of the former boss of the Dutch OPM magazine ;)

Link with a translation please. This is how things work here. Arguments, when they can, are decided through evidence. I mean we are a numbers site. I'll give you some credit if this is true. It won't explain the high online traffic, but it'll definitely put you on point with the reviewers side if it's credible.

 You can ask the boss of the OPM Dutch Magazine himself:    Prodigy.    He is on this forum.

Ok so new question. Is there anything official this person has written, or are we talking about a forum poster mentioning it here on the forums? Also do we have proof this Prodigy is actually the former president of Dutch OPM? You know, I'm Brad Pitt and you can watch me in two days in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. True story.

I mean I still need links to something here guys.