New York ‘not amused’ at GTA4 trailer
One of the most hyped games of 2007 is definitely going to be Rockstar’s already legendary Grand Theft Auto IV. After the trailer was released a few days ago, gamers everywhere rejoiced at the surprisingly high quality of the graphics and all. And per tradition, some politicians were less amused at Rockstar’s typical overload of details loaded into the trailer.
It was hard not to catch the references to New York in the trailer’s flybys of Liberty City, most obviously the huge Statue of Liberty. CVG picked up a copy of the New York Daily News, and found that local officials were not amused at their city being used as the setting for a pixelated crimefest:
“Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland,” said City Councilman Peter Vallone, chairman of the council’s public safety committee. […] A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg, put the final nail in GTA IV’s coffin: “The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers.”
As with the Hot Coffee scandal before, Rockstar is probably welcoming all the free media attention again. Public controversy is likely the best advertising for a game that revolves around becoming the top criminal in town.
For those that missed some of the best hidden references in the trailer, have a look at this list and be surprised at how much information Rockstar managed to cram in a trailer lasting barely a minute.
There’s a spin-off in the making. I’m looking forward to the secret GTA mini-games, like helping old ladies across the street, encouraging child literacy, and cleaning graffiti from walls in the slums.
ITS A FREAKING COMPUTER GAME. THEY SHOULD RELAX AND CONCENTRATE ON MORE IMPORTANT THINGS LIKE EATING DONUTS.
can someone please post the list in a comment :)the network here at work has a %$%^$^$# webnanny
the list is to long … get a web proxy and go around netnanny. better yet shut the program down when you are booting up.
I hope part of Halo 3 is set in disneyland. Hope I get to see goofy die!
ROFL. ^
I took over the white house w/ NOD forces in C&C and noone seemed to mind.
WTF America.
Look at Rainbow Six set in Vegas aswell, did they care?
As a matter of fact: they did :X
Yeah but he was another cock. His opinion don’t count for shit.
What about all the violent films that have been set in New York, are they OK with them?
There are films like Day After Tomorrow where they show the city getting completely destroyed by floods and ice. Or Heroes where it blows up in a nuclear like explosion.
How come films can get away with it and games like, besided New York has high crime rates anyway and in real life there are probably worse things going on than in this game.
GTA 3 was basically New York, just this time they are going more obvious.
Film makers have to pay the NYC council or something. By calling it ‘Liberty City’ R* get away free.
NYC ain’t mad this is set in NYC, it’s just because they’re aren’t getting money from it.
Is that not for if they filmed there. I don’t think it covers setting.
I’m sure with films that are set in place in Iraq and Russia and all other places all over the world, the filmmakers don’t have to go around and get permission or pay them to set their film there.
If I made a film in this country but had it set in New York then I’m, pretty sure I would not have to pay them anything.
Look at something like the White house how many films and progs have had scenes set in them, do you think everyone of them paid for that.
Shooting -in- a city is a very different thing from just showing a picture of the white house. In order to film in the city the directors need permits and whatnot. And if those films in Russia are in major cities, yes, they do pay, probably substantial amounts because they’re American filmmakers. Not in Iraq because there is no Iraqi government to speak of.
Politicians are really stupid people. Do they not know the more attention you bring to a game the better it will sell? Man, I would be upset if I paid NY taxes and these fools waste my money attacking a videogame. I do believe that NY City has quite a few more pressing issues that these dopes should we working on instead.
“…..would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.â€
^^^^This sounds like mega fun.
Master Chief vs. Mickey Mouse in an epic battle to save the galaxy. lol
Its a fucking game. Maybe those complainers need some shotgun up the arse action jsut to shut them up
“The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers.â€
Does he support any films where the main characters kill or injure police officers?
I can’t remember ever earning any points in GTA for killing or injuring police officers.
The only thing that comes close to a points system in GTA is cash but you don’t get this for killing police.
Yeah. Actually, you get penalized for it. Nobody likes being killed by the military after getting four stars.
*Five stars.
Nah, but it is fun pissing them off and getting a chase. Probably not something I would consider doing in real life though no matter what picture the arseholes against violent video games group have got to say on the subject.
What, you don’t want tanks shooting at you?
In a game yeah, bring it.
On the street going for a walk, nah give it a miss thanks.