The Game Deconstruction Group examines the most critically and commercially acclaimed video games in order to answer the question: what makes great games great? At the group’s most recent gathering hosted by the University of Southern California on July 10th, game makers gathered to discuss Rockstar's criminally successful sandbox game Grand Theft Auto IV. The attendees, consisting of designers, artists, programmers, and producers from game companies across Southern California, got to bottom of the issue during an evening of food, laughter, and good-natured debate.

USC Game Design students Andre Clark and RJ Layton led the evening's discussion with slide presentations, game play demonstrations, and thoughtful analysis of the game's cut scenes and dialogue. The attendees all agreed that Grand Theft Auto IV demands a higher standard of production values with its use of cinematic camera angles during cut scenes and game play, characters who think and feel with greater depth than average video game avatars, thousands of hours of recorded voice acting, an expansive and interactive indoor/outdoor environment, and a multi-million dollar licensed soundtrack containing music from numerous genres, eras, and influences. Indeed, the game's budget was also the subject of much discussion, with estimates marking it as having the most expensive development budget of any video game to date. Concordantly, Grand Theft Auto IV also enjoyed the most successful launch of any video game to date – a fact construed to be no mere coincidence by the attendees.

GDG attendees pored over the game's use of dialogue and gradual character development, and noted that its adherence to homages of popular culture blurred the lines between game and film, satire and parody. The general consensus was that Rockstar has created a living, breathing caricature of a modern culture obsessed with consumerism that each installment of the franchise fits into. The fact that the game's enormous fan base has embraced this thematic game world seals the franchise's place in the annals of gaming history.

Though not without its faults and limitations, the GDG attendees agreed that Grand Theft Auto IV pushes the envelope of game development into new territory, and the evening concluded with speculation on where the industry can go next in its quest to merge story, game play, and direction into a perfectly immersive experience.

The Academy once again extends its thanks to the USC game design students for their informative and detailed presentations, and to the attendees for their insights, enthusiasm, and participation.

Copies of the students' presentations are available upon request. To request a copy of the presentations, or to be added to the Game Deconstruction Group mailing list, please contact Terrence Myers.