I didnt say "copy", i said they are trying to do what refraction tried to pull off with driv3r. I do love the GTA series when it turned 3D, but I still love Driver 1 and 2. But i have to admit that GTA4 are taking some things from Driver: PL (mostly the felony system, but then when the game came out for the wii, they put the GTA's stars), but saying that, what hasn't Driver: PL taken from the GTA series (more or less a GTA clone).
Over all, i think R* is coping many games and their ideas, to make a massive, better, ultimate gaming experience...which we the consumers will benefit.
BOLD: Name some.
For starters.
*Felony system is from Driver: PL ...the idea of losing the line of site within an area where the felony started, able to see police location on gps.
*Combat system is from Gears of war and Uncharted ...the covering system, how you aim and shoot is similar from what i have read.
*Car physics and collision in a sandbox game is from Driv3r ...not much to explain, if you played the game you will know. Driv3r had good car physics/collision, but crappy story line and combat system.
*Flying out of your windshield from a hard collision is from Flatout. Some other stuff came from Motorstorm.
*Having gps in cars, and a dashboard view has been nicely done in Test Drive: unlimited... sadly the game is very buggy.
*The game does share a bit from Scarface game and Saints row... I dont want to go into the details, but its not a lot of stuff.
*Pushing peds to avoid the cops attention came from Assassin's Creed.
*Some of the higher detail to the environment came from RPG games....but what hasn't, RPG games tend to have massive detail in there level design.
And if i put a little more effort i bet i can find a little more.
Personally, I dont care, and neither should you...I like those things from the other games, and now having it one one awesome package, and plus some (a big "some"), and a great story line is gonna make GTA4 the game of the century!!!