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Grand Theft Auto IV

by Art Fag City on April 5, 2007 · 8 comments

gta.jpg

Click through here to play the trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV. Screenshots gallore at City of Sound

I can’t imagine finding more compelling evidence to back cultural critic Ed Halter’s observation in the movie 8-bit that video games are becoming more cinematic (and vise versa) than the new trailer for Grand Theft Auto IV. Taking cues from Godfrey Reggio’s Koyaanisqatsi, GTA uses a Philip Glass score and sped up frames to depict the life of New York City. As City of Sound suggests, the trailer hints at the possibility that the system will use a “city simulation” model as opposed to straight up game play, though my interest at this point lays less in what the game does than how it looks, (which for the record is incredible.)

I doubt it will shock anyone to learn that video game play does not take up tons of my spare time, but GTA in particular has been on my radar since 2002 when they released version III which required players pay prostitutes to regain health, and but allowed them to take their money back if they killed them afterwards. It goes without saying that the game earned reputation for questionable content, the likes of which I found very fascinating, though obviously heinous.

Speaking of which, probably my favorite quote on Grand Theft Auto IV and acceptable conduct comes from a spokesman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg who evidently was questioned on the subject late last week. “The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers.” Well, there’s a surprise. What other questions can the press possibly ask to waste this poor man’s time?

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  • http://erickert.blogspot.com/ Raabia

    I’m reminded of a commercial for the video game Rainbow 6.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYYEZnLLt-A

    Granted, much of it is live action and a commercial for a video game is a world apart from the actual video game, but I still think it strange that I find it so much more effective than most Army advertisements.

  • http://erickert.blogspot.com/ Raabia

    I’m reminded of a commercial for the video game Rainbow 6.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYYEZnLLt-A

    Granted, much of it is live action and a commercial for a video game is a world apart from the actual video game, but I still think it strange that I find it so much more effective than most Army advertisements.

  • williamcotton

    Why are you more interested in how the game looks? Don’t you think you should develop different criteria for analysis of a video game than a film or a sculpture?

  • williamcotton

    Why are you more interested in how the game looks? Don’t you think you should develop different criteria for analysis of a video game than a film or a sculpture?

  • Art Fag City

    Touche. I am more interested in how the game looks because at this point all we’ve got is a trailer and any speculation on how the game functions is basically guess work which tends to lead no where. But you are right. Games need to be evaluated differently than film etc, and you wouldn’t necessarily get that from what I wrote in the post.

  • Art Fag City

    Touche. I am more interested in how the game looks because at this point all we’ve got is a trailer and any speculation on how the game functions is basically guess work which tends to lead no where. But you are right. Games need to be evaluated differently than film etc, and you wouldn’t necessarily get that from what I wrote in the post.

  • Art Fag City

    ps. I added “though my interest *at this point* lays less in what the game does than how it looks…” to better reflect my sentiments.

  • Art Fag City

    ps. I added “though my interest *at this point* lays less in what the game does than how it looks…” to better reflect my sentiments.

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