12 Ways To Know You're Obsessed With GTA IV
By Gaetano Prestia
With just under 2 weeks remaining, the anticipating is building up and the excitement is reaching crisis point. There are some of you who are merely interested in Grand Theft Auto IV, while many of you can't wait to put the game into your console and start causing havoc on the streets of Liberty City.
Some of you have also reached a point where your love and interest in GTA IV is somewhat scary and the discouraging thing is, you don't know how utterly obsessed you are with the game.
Below are 12 ways to know you're obsessed with Grand Theft Auto IV.
1. You've dreamt about the game at least once.
Most gamers know the feeling of playing a game so much that you can't help but think about it while you lie in bed at night. Sometimes while you're wide awake, you think you see glimpses of a Tetris block in front of you.
There are also those games that infect your mind before you even play them and that's a clear sign of over-anticipation and obsession. Just so you know, you're not the only one who has dreamt about playing GTA IV.
2. You've told a spouse/friend/sibling/parent about it, even though you know they don’t care and/or have no idea what you’re on about.
You've become so hyped for GTA IV they you have the sudden urge to tell everyone about it, with the hope that they may also find some interest in it. The truth is, your mum probably doesn't care or your girlfriend is questioning her faithfulness to you. Be honest with yourself; non-gamers don't care and they never will, no matter how awesome you think it is/will be.
3. You’ve told your boss you’re “going away” for a few days/weeks/months, starting April 29th.
Granted, you don't need to be obsessed with GTA IV to take the day off to play it, but if you're in a position where you can barely afford to live, even working 7 days a week, yet you decide to take time off to play GTA IV, you have an obvious case of standard GTA-itis
4. You’ve rejected one or more invitations to a birthday/wedding/party etc. that fall on or around April 29th.
GTA IV, or your best friends 30th? GTA IV, or your cousin's wedding? The answer to both of those questions is obvious, but if you chose the same answer in both, you sir, are obsessed with GTA IV.
5. You haven’t played your XBOX 360 in months to avoid it getting RROD’d before GTAIV is released.
Playstation 3 fanboys should have a field-day with this one, but the truth is, the XBOX 360 hardware sucks. Exclusive-360 owners should be wary of long play sessions before the released of GTA IV, however, the obsessive GTA IV-fan has already gone on a gaming-strike until April 29th. It's probably a wise move.
6. You’ve pre-ordered at more then 4 different places in fear that you’ll miss out.
The fact of the matter is, Rockstar isn't Nintendo and a game disc is easier to make then a console. However, GTA IV will fly off shelves so it is probably wise to pre-order beforehand. Only at one place will do...unless you're so obsessed and paranoid that you've pre-ordered at 4+ retail outlets.
7. You’ve fantasised about how cool a Grand Theft Auto movie would be.
And you've even considered yourself for the main part...
8. You have the HD versions of every GTAIV trailer saved on your HDD in the folder “GTA IV Trailers”.
While there hasn't been any gameplay footage shown to the public, the trailers have been good enough to keep the GTA fans at bay. For many, the Standard Definition quality trailers are fine, especially for one viewing. But the hardcore, die-hard, obsessed GTA IV fans have the full, High Definition, wide-screen versions sitting in a folder on their desktop. You know who you are.
9. You have a GTA IV wallpaper on your desktop.
Unless you're a Rockstar Games employee, it's NOT cool to have a wallpaper of some virtual Russian dude and a cartoon babe sucking a lollypop on your desktop.
10. You suddenly have the urge to purchase a magazine with Niko or another GTAIV character on the front cover, even though you NEVER buy magazines.
You know that's true.
11. You’ve had a deep and meaningful conversation with an EB Games employee about which version is going to be better; the Playstation 3 or XBOX 360 version.
It's no secret. EB Games employees know just as much about games as a dead calf. For some reason, the company chooses exceptional retail experience over gaming knowledge and relative retail experience. Talk about screwing the consumer. As for you GTA IV obsessed fans, you already have a pre-order at an EB Games store, even though you rarely buy your games from them, and you've had a conversation with an overweight, acne-infested 35 year-old sales assistant who is convinced that the XBOX 360 is the devil.
12. If you’re in Australia, you actually care and are angry that a few boobs and swear words have been cut out, so you’ve imported a relatively identical version of the game from Play-Asia.
The MyPS3 and My360 forums have gone ape-droppings over the latest controversy surrounding the "censorship" of GTA IV in Australia and New Zealand. If you're a hardcore or casual gamer looking forward to GTA IV, you don't care and have stuck with your current pre-order. If you're an obsessed GTA IV fan (or you just want attention), you've pre-ordered an import copy, just so you can hear a few extra swear words, kill a few extra people and maybe see some virtual nudity.