NYC politicians are MAD AS HELL about the new GTA trailer! :-O

That didn't take long.

Take Two Interactive's new management team, which seized control of the company via stockholder revolt late Thursday afternoon, is facing its first public relations crisis. Not surprisingly, the uproar is related to the controversial Grand Theft Auto series.

Just hours after new chairman Strauss Zelnick and his team wrestled control of Take Two from embattled former CEO Paul Eibeler, the company released the first video trailer for GTA IV, scheduled to hit retail on October 16th. The picture at left is a screen shot from the trailer.

While game websites analyzed the trailer frame-by-frame in an obsessive hunt for clues to GTA4's game play, officials in New York City began doing a slow burn over the Big Apple's obvious inclusion as Liberty City, the setting for the crime-oriented game.

As reported by the NY Daily News:

The latest version of an ultraviolent video game will unleash its murderous mayhem on the streets of New York. And outraged political leaders say the rampant brutality of the game, Grand Theft Auto IV, has little in common with reality.

 ...(GTA4) is set in a mythical city that bears a striking resemblance to New York... the trailer shows well-known landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Cyclone in Coney Island...

Said City Councilman Peter Vallone, who chairs the Council's Public Safety Committee:

Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.

A spokesman for NYC Mayor  Michael Bloomberg added:

The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers.

click here to read the full article

Oh snap! I wonder how big this could get.

DISCUSS!

 

[QUOTE=""]That didn't take long.

Take Two Interactive's new management team, which seized control of the company via stockholder revolt late Thursday afternoon, is facing its first public relations crisis. Not surprisingly, the uproar is related to the controversial Grand Theft Auto series.

Just hours after new chairman Strauss Zelnick and his team wrestled control of Take Two from embattled former CEO Paul Eibeler, the company released the first video trailer for GTA IV, scheduled to hit retail on October 16th. The picture at left is a screen shot from the trailer.

While game websites analyzed the trailer frame-by-frame in an obsessive hunt for clues to GTA4's game play, officials in New York City began doing a slow burn over the Big Apple's obvious inclusion as Liberty City, the setting for the crime-oriented game. Dreams-Visions

click here to read the full article

Oh snap! I wonder how big this could get.

DISCUSS!

people are so whiny these days, if it wasn't GTA no one would care.

Who didn't see this comming?

It's not like they can do anything about it.  

I guess Escape From New York is the truth...

lol :lol: 

[QUOTE=""]That didn't take long.

Take Two Interactive's new management team, which seized control of the company via stockholder revolt late Thursday afternoon, is facing its first public relations crisis. Not surprisingly, the uproar is related to the controversial Grand Theft Auto series.

Just hours after new chairman Strauss Zelnick and his team wrestled control of Take Two from embattled former CEO Paul Eibeler, the company released the first video trailer for GTA IV, scheduled to hit retail on October 16th. The picture at left is a screen shot from the trailer.

While game websites analyzed the trailer frame-by-frame in an obsessive hunt for clues to GTA4's game play, officials in New York City began doing a slow burn over the Big Apple's obvious inclusion as Liberty City, the setting for the crime-oriented game. Dreams-Visions

click here to read the full article

Oh snap! I wonder how big this could get.

DISCUSS!

I dont think any of us or any of the consumers for that matter give a "&(#"/)! what they think. Am i rite? 

There is no such thing as bad publicity.

This game is just getting free advertising.

GTA is the cool thing to hate among adults and politicians.

Heh, let them have their fun. In the end the game will come out and they'll stop whining.

TC your such a sucker. That article was posted and linked to like 1000 different sites. Its just a ploy to generate traffic to their website for ad revenue there is no meat to the article at all.

The whole article can be summed up like this:

Reporter: How do you feel about GTA4 being based on your city

Some random guy: I dont like it.

GTA is the cool thing to hate among adults and politicians.

Heh, let them have their fun. In the end the game will come out and they'll stop whining.

Puckhog04

[QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"]

[QUOTE=""]That didn't take long.

Take Two Interactive's new management team, which seized control of the company via stockholder revolt late Thursday afternoon, is facing its first public relations crisis. Not surprisingly, the uproar is related to the controversial Grand Theft Auto series.

Just hours after new chairman Strauss Zelnick and his team wrestled control of Take Two from embattled former CEO Paul Eibeler, the company released the first video trailer for GTA IV, scheduled to hit retail on October 16th. The picture at left is a screen shot from the trailer.

While game websites analyzed the trailer frame-by-frame in an obsessive hunt for clues to GTA4's game play, officials in New York City began doing a slow burn over the Big Apple's obvious inclusion as Liberty City, the setting for the crime-oriented game. Magical_Guy

click here to read the full article

Oh snap! I wonder how big this could get.

DISCUSS!

people are so whiny these days, if it wasn't GTA no one would care.

I live here in NYC, and Bloomberg and his guard dogs can go screw themselves.Choga

Same here. :lol: 

They need to get over it and move on with thier pathetic boring political lives :lol: 

I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.Hyper-Chicken

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US. 

All we need is the main character to be Iraqi and we're all set.Bullets4Brains

[QUOTE="Hyper-Chicken"]I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.Shadow2k6

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US. 

[QUOTE="Hyper-Chicken"]I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.Shadow2k6

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US. 

[QUOTE="Shadow2k6"]

[QUOTE="Hyper-Chicken"]I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.Dreams-Visions

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2466498

He is right, you know...

Anyways, I don't see how this is an issue. The trailer was not the traditional GTA trailer. Most GTA trailer normally show the character you play walking down the street blowing things up. This time, the immigrant notes he's done all the killing he can stomach and was seeking a change in America. Sounds more positive than negative to me.

[QUOTE="Shadow2k6"]

[QUOTE="Hyper-Chicken"]I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.soldier-dark

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US. 

Then tell me how the crime index is around 300 when most major towns reach around 400-500 and the worst crime cities (like Detroit) hit 1000.  NY has a low crime rate for a city (a real city not those cities with like 100,000 people which are really towns).  Plus I live in NY I think I would know if it had a lot of crime.

[QUOTE="soldier-dark"][QUOTE="Shadow2k6"]

[QUOTE="Hyper-Chicken"]I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.Shadow2k6

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US. 

Then tell me how the crime index is around 300 when most major towns reach around 400-500 and the worst crime cities (like Detroit) hit 1000.  NY has a low crime rate for a city (a real city not those cities with like 100,000 people which are really towns).  Plus I live in NY I think I would know if it had a lot of crime.

[QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"][QUOTE="Shadow2k6"]

[QUOTE="Hyper-Chicken"]I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.Redmoonxl2

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2466498

He is right, you know...

Anyways, I don't see how this is an issue. The trailer was not the traditional GTA trailer. Most GTA trailer normally show the character you play walking down the street blowing things up. This time, the immigrant notes he's done all the killing he can stomach and was seeking a change in America. Sounds more positive than negative to me.

[QUOTE="Shadow2k6"][QUOTE="soldier-dark"][QUOTE="Shadow2k6"]

[QUOTE="Hyper-Chicken"]I doubt NY is the safest city in the US.soldier-dark

It has the lowest crime rate of any major city in the US. 

Then tell me how the crime index is around 300 when most major towns reach around 400-500 and the worst crime cities (like Detroit) hit 1000.  NY has a low crime rate for a city (a real city not those cities with like 100,000 people which are really towns).  Plus I live in NY I think I would know if it had a lot of crime.

I think the politicians in NY need to focus on more important issues than a video game. It always amazes me how any governmet can get so distracted by non issues instead of doing their job that we voted them to do.cjnwo4life

You're not looking at the big picture, however. NYC has been portrayed as a crime hotspot for awhile considering it size and reputation. The politicians tried to clean up that image and continues to draw in important money makers like big business and tourism. What they're afraid of is a negative spin on their city that can cost them companies and tourism. While it's extremely unlikely, it's understandable that they are overprotective when it comes to their town.

Imagine somebody not knowing what GTA is (Trust me, they exist), has never been to New York and seeing a violent GTA4 trailer in a city that looks like New York. Lost money there if that person feels that the events GTA portray are the norm or close to it at least. Is it foolish to think that way? Yes but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen. This is why the politicians responded: To protect their image in case a person such as the one I described has doubts.

The biggest flaw to their train of thought is that they are not really knowledgeable of GTA4 and gaming in general. We don't know what direction GTA4 is going as Rockstar only gave us a one minute clip. Besides, gaming is increasingly becoming more visible by the day and has become a common part of culture. When you're that big, you are bound to get noticed and criticized. My advice is try not to look into it so much.

the issue isn't the trailer in and of itself. its what it means. it means the city of NY will be subject to being mischaracterized. Again. Politicians have a duty to speak out on behalf of their city and move in the best interests of their city. Hence, anything that could potentially undermine the good PR NYC is working to build is the enemy. Just the fact that GTA4 is set in NYC means a high-profile piece of software that will feature wild amounts of crime and violence. You don't need anything more in a GTA4 trailer than that to know what it will mean.Dreams-Visions

Funny thing, I mentioned that in my post following the one you quoted. My intentions in my initial post were my views based on the trailer. The post following is my view on the political side of things.

Said City Councilman Peter Vallone, who chairs the Council's Public Safety Committee:
[QUOTE=""]Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.

Dreams-Visions

[QUOTE="Dreams-Visions"]

Said City Councilman Peter Vallone, who chairs the Council's Public Safety Committee: deadesa

Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2466498

Lets try that again.

So how about all those other forms of media that portray places like Vegas and NYC as filthy, down-trodden places. Surely they must be angry about those too? Oh wait, thats because those are paying the people of NYC. Its all about the money passing hands. FILTHY FILTHY POLITICIANS.Vandalvideo

 

[QUOTE=""]That didn't take long.

Take Two Interactive's new management team, which seized control of the company via stockholder revolt late Thursday afternoon, is facing its first public relations crisis. Not surprisingly, the uproar is related to the controversial Grand Theft Auto series.

Just hours after new chairman Strauss Zelnick and his team wrestled control of Take Two from embattled former CEO Paul Eibeler, the company released the first video trailer for GTA IV, scheduled to hit retail on October 16th. The picture at left is a screen shot from the trailer.

While game websites analyzed the trailer frame-by-frame in an obsessive hunt for clues to GTA4's game play, officials in New York City began doing a slow burn over the Big Apple's obvious inclusion as Liberty City, the setting for the crime-oriented game. Dreams-Visions

As reported by the NY Daily News:

The latest version of an ultraviolent video game will unleash its murderous mayhem on the streets of New York. And outraged political leaders say the rampant brutality of the game, Grand Theft Auto IV, has little in common with reality.

 ...(GTA4) is set in a mythical city that bears a striking resemblance to New York... the trailer shows well-known landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Cyclone in Coney Island...

Said City Councilman Peter Vallone, who chairs the Council's Public Safety Committee:

Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.

A spokesman for NYC Mayor  Michael Bloomberg added:

The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers.

click here to read the full article

Oh snap! I wonder how big this could get.

DISCUSS!

[QUOTE="cjnwo4life"]I think the politicians in NY need to focus on more important issues than a video game. It always amazes me how any governmet can get so distracted by non issues instead of doing their job that we voted them to do.Redmoonxl2

You're not looking at the big picture, however. NYC has been portrayed as a crime hotspot for awhile considering it size and reputation. The politicians tried to clean up that image and continues to draw in important money makers like big business and tourism. What they're afraid of is a negative spin on their city that can cost them companies and tourism. While it's extremely unlikely, it's understandable that they are overprotective when it comes to their town.

Imagine somebody not knowing what GTA is (Trust me, they exist), has never been to New York and seeing a violent GTA4 trailer in a city that looks like New York. Lost money there if that person feels that the events GTA portray are the norm or close to it at least. Is it foolish to think that way? Yes but that doesn't mean it's not going to happen. This is why the politicians responded: To protect their image in case a person such as the one I described has doubts.

The biggest flaw to their train of thought is that they are not really knowledgeable of GTA4 and gaming in general. We don't know what direction GTA4 is going as Rockstar only gave us a one minute clip. Besides, gaming is increasingly becoming more visible by the day and has become a common part of culture. When you're that big, you are bound to get noticed and criticized. My advice is try not to look into it so much.

Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.

its funny, these politicians try to stop games from getting into the hands of the public, yet all they are doing is promoting the game even more. Featuring it on evening news broadcasts and in daily newspapers, people will only become more interested in the game.

To cjnwo4life since Gamespot is not allowing me to quote you for some reason...

You're kinda going off course from the topic, by the way. The statements were merely damage control meant to prevent any negative views towards the city thanks to the connection with the GTA franchise.

Also, the police have a set of rules before they can "shoot first". You're obviously not too familiar with law enforcement, prefer to go by heresay and not go by facts. Lets try not try to discuss things we know little of, okay? I know what event you are pointing to but there are several facts in that case that people are ignoring. Either way, that was one incident and not the norm. People just love to blow it up and make it the norm.

I agree with you when you say NYC has bigger problems than GTA but lets not confuse a statement (Which is all that is) and action. If NYC spent all their time and money trying to block GTA4 from being release, this would be a big issue. The only thing that's happening, however, is PR getting a workout.