User blog comment:Ccbermanzzpedia/Hype/@comment-1980831-20100518015125

I think it did in some ways. The physics engine was a huge success, and so was the performance (at least on 360) of such a vast city landscape with so many NPCs and vehicles. It created an environment of randomness as all these components interacted. There was a lot more they could have done, and it seems like they've attempted it in RDR. To me, it seems like GTAIV was almost a stepping stone to making Red Dead Redemption.