News
Rockstar: ‘GTA IV will send tabloids mad’
Tim Ingham Jan 31 2008, 11:00am
Comments (11)
Company founder Dan Houser describes title as ‘less cartoony’ than previous iterations
Founder of Rockstar Games Dan Houser has admitted that the company expects an OTT reaction by the tabloid press when GTA IV is released in April.
Speaking after a demonstration of the game to North American press, Houser asserted that GTA and other violent titles were a “convenient enemy” for the mainstream media.
When asked if he thought there would be an angry reaction to GTA IV in some quarters of the press, Houser replied.
"I expect it because we've had so much of it in the past," said Houser. "I wish people would treat video games the same as other media. They seem to not want to do that for reasons that I don't understand. It's a convenient enemy for people."
The Canadian Press also reports that Houser distanced GTA IV from the more ‘cartoony’ elements of previous games in the series.
"If the graphics are slightly cartoony, we make sure the writing is slightly cartoony to match that," he commented. "Obviously, the graphics have gone closer to realism, so we wanted everything else to be closer to realism as well."
Comments
“This is going to be fun.”
Posted by: Reythor - Jan 31, 11:52am
I do hope his comments go some way to reducing the inevitable knee-jerk reactions of the mainstream press…
But it wont, will it.
Let's just enjoy reading some poorly written, overblown scare mongering. It's fun if you approach it from that point of view.
“Interesting”
Posted by: Chuck Norris - Jan 31, 12:11pm
If we look at GTA 1 it was very cartoony but also very mature in the violence and language, the later GTA games like 3 onwards still have that cartoony feel but was still very mature but went further in how you use real looking weapons.
GTA 4 is of course going to raise that bar but the comical side that was GTA 1 and 2 has clearly gone - remember the Harikrishna's? And Elvis's?
GTA is becoming more serious which is fine but shame the comical side has gone completely.
“Re: Interesting”
Posted by: Arthur - Jan 31, 12:19pm
Interesting... Well if closing in to realism will mean that game contents will be closing to somewhat I've seen in Manhunt, then I'll be pretty sorry for the lost of absolutely perfect and subtly sarcastic GTA series.
“Re: Interesting”
Posted by: Roger - Jan 31, 1:28pm
*Yawns* is this not just another case of lazy marketing?
"Lets make the game just violent enough to get into the papers, on the news and listed on all the gaming sites about how switched off from reality the mainstream media is then more people see it and more people buy it, think of all the cash we will have saved, (which we needed to do spending soo long coding the PS3 version)"
There was an article I read somewhere recently about how the average UK gamer is now 33 years old and born in the year Atari launched Pong and so has spent his whole life with video games where he has learned that the best way to win is to either kill more people than ony one else or that violence is the solution to lifes problems.
Now before I get flamed to death here, I'd like to say I enjoy playing Doom3, COD4 etc as much as the next homicidal maniac, but really is it not time for some originality and not more and more sequels???
“Re: Interesting”
Posted by: maxo - Jan 31, 4:06pm
Rockstar have hung their hat on the mature end of the scale right - State of Emergency, Bully, Warriors, GTA - a mature publishing entity of 18 rated products. The issue is keeping these mature products out of the hands of the under 18s - who we know will be a major auidence. Lets see if the tabloids will learn to pick on the retailer who sell it and the parents who let it happen in the homes.
“On a slightly different note”
Posted by: Michael Stewart - Jan 31, 5:26pm
It took people a long time to stop attacking Hollywood for the 'smut and violence' their constantly pushing out. Comic books were under attack as they rose in popularity as well. I don't think interactive entertainment will get it's reprieve until something more fun and/or controversial comes along.
“Re: On a slightly different note”
Posted by: Jim - Feb 2, 1:01am
well i actually read that even thought the graphics are pretty realistic, they gave the dialogue in the cut-scenes a good comical feel to them. I guess it'll make the game overall seem less serious
“Re: On a slightly different note”
Posted by: Jim - Feb 2, 1:02am
well i actually read that even thought the graphics are pretty realistic, they gave the dialogue in the cut-scenes a good comical feel to them. I guess it'll make the game overall seem less serious
“Re: On a slightly different note”
Posted by: nawaf710 - Feb 2, 1:56am
nawaf710
“Re: On a slightly different note”
Posted by: nawaf710 - Feb 2, 2:30am
nawaf710
“Re: On a slightly different note”
Posted by: TORC - Feb 4, 11:39pm
I am shocked and sickened by the content of this so called "game"the baby shooting sub plot was one step too far and no mistake,as far as the Mr Fisty shop I have no comment-send this to your local paper and ruin any chances of headlines and GTA having free marketing,just an idea.(The final solution bomb is a laugh though)