An incredible find from the trunk shed light on the secrets of GTA IV. A former lead programmer at Rockstar Games revealed the reasons why developers had to abandon fully functional passenger ferries.
The story surfaced under unusual circumstances: one lucky player bought a developer version of the hit game at a garage sale and published it online. The find sparked a flurry of questions, which were answered by industry veteran Obbe Vermeij. He explained that water transport created huge technical problems that the game's physics engine couldn't handle.
The main challenge was the work of pedestrian AI and the transportation of cars. Residents of Liberty City were constantly getting stuck on ramps, and cars unnaturally slipped straight into the ocean. As a result, the team made the painful decision to completely cut the mechanic for the sake of game stability. This admission proves how many ambitious ideas end up in the trash.
