GTA V

[Typhoid]

The reason I think they're sticking with what they know is this, It's going to be long-winded. a long post by me? No way.

Anyhow, after Miami (Vice City), Los angeles (San Andreas) and new York (Liberty City), what other major visibly unique-looking cities are there in the US to model on? With those 3 cities you've got the northeast, southeast, and west coast pretty well represented. Chicago isn't a visibly-unique city. A non-American won't look at Chicago and say "yep, that's Chicago alright", but when they look at a picture of Miami, New York or LA, they typically know exactly what city it is.

A reason I believe they'll rarely do a GTA game set in another country is because other countries have different laws, different road rules, plus there's a disconnect between American player and foreign character. Your average American teenager living in...Akron, Ohio might not appreciate driving through bleak Russian wilderness, or Perth, Australia. However that American consumer can much easier connect with the game set in a fictional version of his own country (or even his own city). Granted that may be a stretch.

Plus, in all honesty, I think a GTA game in any city other than those 3 would probably vastly suck donkey taint. Those are 3 very large, visually diverse cities. You can't make an appealing game set in middle America when the game is supposed to be based on stunning visuals and a thriving city, and the setting is a place that doesn't show that off.

However, I do think it'd be a cool idea to be able to fly to different cities. Like you can just hop in a Taxi in GTA IV, just hop in a jet, and suddenly you've flown from Liberty City to San Andreas. Or maybe have side missions in other countries/smaller cities. That would be cool to me. But a Grand Theft Auto game sort of has to be set in a fictional version of a city with a lot of crime. Or at least a city with a lot of Grand Theft Auto.

[Jason1]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

Chicago isn't a visibly-unique city. A non-American won't look at Chicago and say "yep, that's Chicago alright", but when they look at a picture of Miami, New York or LA, they typically know exactly what city it is

I disagree with this. I think anyone with half a brain would recognize things like the Sears Tower, the Elevated Trains (EL), Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, Lake Shore drive, the Chicago river with the bridges in downtown, among others, and be able to recognize and know it is Chicago.

[Combine 017]

Originally Posted by Jason1

I disagree with this. I think anyone with half a brain would recognize things like the Sears Tower, the Elevated Trains (EL), Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, Lake Shore drive, the Chicago river with the bridges in downtown, among others, and be able to recognize and know it is Chicago.

The only monument that rings a bell from all of those is the Sears Tower, and I had no clue it was in Chicago.

[Typhoid]

Originally Posted by Jason1

I disagree with this. I think anyone with half a brain would recognize things like the Sears Tower, the Elevated Trains (EL), Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, Lake Shore drive, the Chicago river with the bridges in downtown, among others, and be able to recognize and know it is Chicago.

I think you're highly overestimating how much the rest of the world knows about what American city looks like what. And you have to remember, that since they can't re-create the city exactly, they need to focus on things that make the city different than other cities. Since GTA: Windy City wouldn't have anything overly unique that any other midwest city settled around the same time wouldn't really have.

Let's play a fun game.
It's called "Let's look at how much Chicago looks like Detroit to the untrained eye."





Now for part 2 of my fun game "Let's look at how unique New York, Miami and LA look."







Edit: This post is in jest, good sir. I should probably make that clear before I look like a total dick.

[Seth]

With a bit of a consultant budget, going Euro would be a great idea imo. A combo of Paris and London via a loading 'tunnel' would suit my appreciation for lusch parisian accents and bad manchesterian teeth. I like the idea of a game that pushes bilingual acceptance. Throw in some subtitles, teach the kids a thing or two.

or,

Keep with the liberty city grandeur and harness the flickering fukushima fed lights of tokyo. Possibly HK.
Preferrably, Shanghai. Shanghai is the perfect 'obscure to westerners' city. Half of it is being torn down with mass displacement of low income chinese. Rebuilding a super city. I like the premise and the conflict possibilities.

I really like Typh's idea of having multiple cities that function to broaden a well-thought plot. Having a sea of blackhaired Chinese bobbing down a Shanghai ave, and contrasting this with the open expanse of a spralling city such as LA would be great imo. Triad connections and lead painted plastic imports.

[Ginkasa]

Originally Posted by Jason1

I disagree with this. I think anyone with half a brain would recognize things like the Sears Tower, the Elevated Trains (EL), Navy Pier, Wrigley Field, Lake Shore drive, the Chicago river with the bridges in downtown, among others, and be able to recognize and know it is Chicago.

I can tell you with certainty that I would not be able to recognize any of those things except for the Sears/Willis Tower. I can also tell you with certainty that I have not just half a brain, but two halves of a brain.

[KillerGremlin]

Please don't compare Detroit to Chicago. Typhoid, those are exceptionally unflattering pictures of Chicago compared to the quite luxurious pictures of Miami and New York.

Chicago:







Chicago has one of the best skylines in the country, and between Lake Michigan, the sailboats, Lake Shore Drive, Willis (formerly the Sears) Tower, the Hancock, Trump Towers, the gritty and urban South Side, and the trendy and hip North Side, Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, US Cellular Field, the Chicago River, Michigan Avenue, and the L...I would say Chicago is much more elegant than any city in Florida, and easily recognizable to most tourists.

The river:



The L:



Grant park and the sailboats:



The stupid fucking bean:



And Michigan avenue:





Chicago CONSISTENTLY beats out New York, Miami, LA, and San Fransisco for best skyline in the world. CONSISTENTLY. Find me a more gorgeous skyline in the United States, I dare you.

Sources:
http://necromanc.blogspot.com/2006/0...-in-world.html

http://www.diserio.com/top15-skylines.html

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-city-skylines.php

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/0...title=Chicago_

http://citynoise.org/article/3432


It's not America's fault that Chicago is our best kept secret... But please, please, please don't compare Chicago to Detroit.


Now, having said all that (Chicago love, baby), I totally agree that from a geographical standpoint, Chicago would not be a good choice for a Grand Theft Auto game. Chicago is a gorgeous city, but the central city area is concentrated, with a sprawling north and south side that is much more suburban. Coasts give you oceans, cool scenery...and Miami is just fucking cool thanks to years of TV. Chicago is gritty, and the main city is compacted.

Also, the Midwest isn't very exciting for the big gangster crime. The Midwest excels at Meth and gritty crime, so something like Breaking Bad is perfect for this region...but Mafia drug lords dealing coke? keep that shit on the coasts.


Personally, I would love to see the game in Honk Kong or London.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Typhoid

A reason I believe they'll rarely do a GTA game set in another country is because other countries have different laws, different road rules

This is really interesting, I never would have thought of this. There's so much culture and jokes imbedded within the GTA games, I wonder if it is too hard to do in another country.

I wonder if Gekko has any insight on designing a massive engine like the one GTA needs. Maybe they could hire foreign programmers?

[KillerGremlin]

More Chicago porn:
































DMB anyone?:

[Acebot44]

Chicago looks like a pretty cool city....but I never knew it looked like that, which I think is the point that everyone is getting at.

[Typhoid]

First of all, I actually do think Chicago or Detroit would make a decent choice. I was just joking. I get so bored these days. Gotta have an out.

This is really interesting, I never would have thought of this. There's so much culture and jokes imbedded within the GTA games, I wonder if it is too hard to do in another country.

To be fair, the only reason I thought about it is because I played a GTA-style game (I completely can't remember. Definitely was for the PS2.) where you're in the UK (maybe France or Istanbul or something) driving on the left, and there are all the european police sirens, weird (to North American) looking road signs, traffic lights, - and at first I was taken back by it. "Oh, cool - this is a totally different experience!" but I could never once get into the game because I felt so disconnected from the culture, and the world.

Not to mention having a game set in another country, and then having all of the characters in that location speaking English with an accent would probably be frowned upon by some people, despite the fact movies do it all the time. Although being in Italy and having all the characters speaking New York Italian-style would be pretty funny; just completely disregard the fact the people don't speak English.

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by Acebot44

Chicago looks like a pretty cool city....but I never knew it looked like that, which I think is the point that everyone is getting at.

Fair enough....I'm just pointing out that the 2nd best skyline in the world isn't quite the same as Detroit. Chicago is a purdy city. It's fine if people don't notice Chicago...we have enough traffic and crowding as is.

[Vampyr]

Chicago has been my most-wanted-to-visit city in America for several years now. I actually don't live that far away, it's about a 7 hour drive. Maybe I'll pop in for a weekend.

[Bond]

Chicago is great. It's not New York City or LA, but it's a wonderful city in its own right. From my rather brief international travel experience, I've found most places and customs of the midwest don't resonate quite as well internationally as they do from the east and west coast. I'd also add that several midwestern cities, like Milwaukee, have gone through a recent renaissance, which might contribute to them being not as well known nationally and internationally.

[The Germanator]

I like that this is a thread now dedicated to talking about Chicago. I don't have new video game systems, so I fit right in!

Chicago is a place I've been to about 10 times, but I still feel like I know nothing about it. Mainly because we play the same two venues almost every time we've been there and stay with similar friends, so I always see the same spots. Plus, the venues both treat you nicely, so there isn't as much reason to leave and walk around. Anyway, this is completely off topic, but from what I've experienced it's pretty cool, but kind of sprawling and stuff is far apart...