I think he got the one he deserved. Just after SA I think the GTA crowd split a bit between the ones that liked playing with toys (jetpacks) and the ones who liked the grounded reality of the protagonists struggle for the coin. GTA IV catered so far to the right on that one that the reaction was bound to be mixed, giving all of the hangers on who always hated the series enough room to jump on.
I think they found the right balance of reality vs. insanity in TBoGT that V should be something special for everyone again, but with Rockstar, you never know!
I would want to point out that I think that San Andreas is that balance. TBoGT & LaTD were a closer balance as well, but I think San andreas walked it very well.
San Andreas' core narrative is realistic, gritty, and rewarding. The missions that you do along the main narrative of the game are never in the completely ridiculous stage. Ultimately, it's a rags to riches ghetto story where the main character is framed by a crooked cop, betrayed by close friends who get 'wrapped up in the game,' and who [CJ] ends up revenge on his betrayers. Ultimately, the crooked cop is his own downfall. The missions that you do that are directly related to this narrative are realistic (though rather limiting -- you rarely do more than partake in gun battles and car chases during these missions), and they do not sway into the realm of ridiculousness.
What San Andreas does along the way, though, is give you a huge amount of mission variety by introducing ridiculous subplots, and these missions are all very memorable.
I think that GTA5 is going to deliver something similar, but do so through the "three protagonists" idea, which I think is a good one. It seems obvious that the redneck guy is going to deliver the crazy, zany missions -- the sort of missions from GTA:SA where you're grinding up neonazi survivalists with industrial agriculture machines; stealing F16 jets and blowing up "enemy" spy boats; Going on a interstate chase using hover crafts, motorcycles, and go-carts just to steal back a stolen Rapper's rhyme book (that you heisted to begin with). I'd imagine the African American guy will follow a henchman story who also mixes in high speed races. The old white guy will probably have the grittier, more realistic story, masterminding heists similar to CJ being the mastermind behind casino heists in San Andreas.
I think it'll work for the series.
The major drawback to IV was that they decided that all of those extra-narrative elements, the things that were over the top, had to be stripped out because "an immigrant wouldn't do them" (like ride a bike, I guess). It was a contrived decision, and one that ultimately disappointed gamers who had come to expect not only that tight, realistic narrative, but also the myriad side activities that helped flesh out the gameplay.
