Attack of the Gangsta games? [Archive]

Anthony1

05-14-2004, 01:27 AM

But we've been getting GTA games for some time now. I don't think the "gangsta" theme in games is anything entirely new.

Yeah, but the regular GTA games are "Gangster" games. Not "Gangsta" games.

I'm talking about "Boyz in da Hood" and "South Central" and "Training Day" and stuff like that being made into an interactive video games.

It just seems that with San Andreas and 25 to Life, and I'm sure others are on the way as well, it seems that we are seeing some "Bloods vs. Crips" simulators, so to speak.

Sure, we have had lots of Gangster games, but "Gangsta" is different.

Just like Snoop Dog is a little different from Frank Sinatra.

Rev. Link

05-14-2004, 01:31 AM

I suppose, but I really don't see much of a difference, just because "gangster" is "white" and "gangsta" is "black". I mean, it's all crime.

chadtower

05-14-2004, 10:00 AM

Glorification of society's main ills is always a good idea. After all, the youth that are the product target aren't impressionable at all. :roll:

Kamino

05-14-2004, 10:06 AM

yeah i am very leary of what san andreas is going to be like. I mean vice city rocked, but they did a bang up job and at least made the whole thing funny..oh, and the 80s theme helped a ton....if this one's present day, i don't know about it.....they should, or if its the case ShouldVE...set it in the 70s or 60s. I seriously think the retro theme did a lot for the game, and if this one isnt retro, hopefully sales of the game will tell them to put the next one in 1974...

Cmosfm

05-14-2004, 10:46 AM

what scares me is that the new GTA will have an entire Rap oriented soundtrack..and I hate rap..I will not be able to play it.

Kamino

05-14-2004, 10:50 AM

wonderful...
FUCKIN WONDERFUL.
I'm in the same boat as you cmosfm....

TheJuggala

05-14-2004, 10:55 AM

I on the other hand love rap, and if it does have a all rap soundtrack i may actually buy it when it come out. I love games with soundtracks i like.

ManekiNeko

05-14-2004, 11:01 AM

Is that really a surprise, though? Grand Theft Auto 3 was set in the 70's. The sequel took place in the 80's. It's only logical that the third game would be set in the 90's, and rap was the defining music of that decade. You don't have to like it, but the fact of the matter was that this progression was inevitable.

JR

Cmosfm

05-14-2004, 11:11 AM

what scares me is that the new GTA will have an entire Rap oriented soundtrack..and I hate rap..I will not be able to play it.

I mean't that it scares me that it MIGHT have an all rap soundtrack...I'm not saying it will...although it is a VERY good possibility. I just can't see Michael Jackson or N*Sync on a game with Bloods & Crips.

evilmess

05-14-2004, 11:25 AM

rap was the defining music of that decade. You don't have to like it, but the fact of the matter was that this progression was inevitable.

JR

There was a lot more to rap in the nighties.You had the fall of hair and glam bands and the rise of the Seattle grunge movement not to mention the counter culture hippy re-inventing and folk artists Dela Soul, Leny Krvitz and Traci Chapman to name a few.

GTA:SA looks "Gangsta" but i think we stand a good possibility of having radio stations like GTA:VC and if this new GTA makes use of the PS2 HD we could possibly make our own sound tracks and more. 8-)

Kamino

05-14-2004, 11:28 AM

DigitalSpace

05-14-2004, 11:31 AM

Is that really a surprise, though? Grand Theft Auto 3 was set in the 70's.

Actually, GTA III was set in modern-day.

There's no official word that it will be all rap, and it seems very unlikely that there will. With the gangsta theme, I'm sure that rap will be heard in a lot of the cutscenes. However, I think Rockstar will include a variety of radio stations. Every GTA game has had a variety of radio stations and I'd be surprised if this one were different. I predict the game will have at least one or two rap-oriented stations, an alternative/metal station, a pop station, and two talk radio stations. Rockstar covered 80's music very well, and it would surprise me if they didn't attempt to cover a broad range of 90's music.

ManekiNeko

05-14-2004, 12:16 PM

Is that really a surprise, though? Grand Theft Auto 3 was set in the 70's.

Actually, GTA III was set in modern-day.

Oh, I didn't realize that. My bad... I thought Rockstar was going with some kind of theme or something. (Wasn't there a Grand Theft Auto set in 60's era Great Britain?)

Still, I'm fairly confident in saying that San Andreas will be to the 90's what Vice City was to the 80's. Nostalgic interest in that decade is slowly starting to rise, although it remains to see if it will ever be as popular as the 70's or 80's.

JR

DigitalSpace

05-14-2004, 12:32 PM

Edit: Double post

DigitalSpace

05-14-2004, 12:33 PM

Oh, I didn't realize that. My bad... I thought Rockstar was going with some kind of theme or something. (Wasn't there a Grand Theft Auto set in 60's era Great Britain?)

Yeah, it was set in 1969.

Still, I'm fairly confident in saying that San Andreas will be to the 90's what Vice City was to the 80's.

I agree.

MarioAllStar2600

05-14-2004, 12:41 PM

I think it's going to be set in an earlys 90 poor neighborhood. Thats the vibe i got from the 3 crappy screenshots. Whenever it comes out for X-Box you will be able to load on your own soundtrack, like in 3 and vice city. I like the idea of drivebys, and whatnot. I hope you have to deal with alot of weed. That would make it kinda cool in my eyes.

tholly

05-14-2004, 12:57 PM

i bet it will be all rap.
rap killed rock....ruined music and turned an entire culture into a bunch of frigging zombie demons who talk all retarded.....one guy at work, i swear hes smaller than me but he thinks hes a big gansta thug......and now rap is ruining games too. damn rap! it's ruining the world! why do you think i never watch tv any more? it's all over there too...it's everywhere...
what i want to know is what happened to ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACKS????some of us would rather have music unique to the game. remember when game themes were recognizable? the punch-out music? zelda? mario? anyone?????? what is happening today with all these damn "licensed soundtracks"??????
end rant.
if you will all excuse me, i'm going to go spin some led zeppelin vinyls and mutter about the good old days....

I don't think rap killed rock, and I dont think it makes people talk retarded either. Rap is about the only type of music that I listen to regularly, I have 2 12" subs in my SUV and all that and I don't talk retarded, I dont dress like I'm in the hood either. I only wear Abercrombie and Fitch, Amercian Eagle, and Armani Exchange clothes and I wouldnt be caught dead in Fubu or Sean John or Mecca Wear. I use proper english when I speak and I attend a $30,000/year private college where I would not fit in if I acted like I was in the projects ..... and I still love rap. The type of music you listen to does nothing to who you are. Kids will act how they want to act and rap music is just a scapegoat that people use to explain why kids these days act like assholes.

scooterb23

05-14-2004, 01:39 PM

Early 90s era?? Mmmm...De La Soul, Dre, Snoop (gotta keep it mostly west coast though), Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam etc.

I'd buy the soundtracks...but I probably would have everything already. :D

I still haven't played Vice CIty...I only got through 9% of GTA III as it was...

Rev. Link

05-14-2004, 03:25 PM

I'm sorry, but I find it kind of ridiculous to think GTA: SA would have an all rap soundtrack. With the multiple radio stations, why in the world would Rockstar make them all be rap? That just plain doesn't make any sense.

Oh, and another thing: Rock's not dead!

YoshiM

05-14-2004, 04:39 PM

Kids will act how they want to act and rap music is just a scapegoat that people use to explain why kids these days act like assholes.

Naw, it's not just rap music it's the MTV hip-hop-rappathon bombardment kids seems to get. If that doesn't explain why kids wear their khakis down to their thighs with boxers showing and use words like "strenph", "shizzle", and "bling". Eh, but I digress :D

I can see where Anthony is coming from. "Gangsta" is definitely different than "gangster". Gangsters, while notorious for squeezing small businesses and people for protection money, having large turf wars and being full blooded Italian ( LOL ) they were also very intertwined with their community. If they help your business be profitable and the mob gets a cut of the action, it helps all around. Gangsters also don't really "advertise". They just exist. You know they exist but their existance doesn't permeate into your everyday life except maybe a news story or a pulp action novel.

"Gangstas", is more of an attitude of being a hip-hop badass who gets all the chicks, has the parties, has the connections to get booze, blunts and bucks and isn't afraid to pop a cap in yo ass. Well, at least that's how they are portrayed and that's what people really latch onto. The thing is, the "gangsta" life people associate with seems so, well, manufactured is the best thing I can come up with.

I don't "get" it. All this is going to be is GTA with an injection of modern MTV pop culture that's pretty much as fake as a boy band.

I'll be passing on these games.

djbeatmongrel

05-14-2004, 04:48 PM

well after reading the GTA: SA article in Game informer i can help clarify some of this info. Its based in the state of San Andreas and it will have 3 major cities, Lois Santos (Los Angelos), San Fierro (San Fransisco), and Las Venturra (Las Vegas) along with country side to travel through between each city and it will be roughly 4 to 6 times larger than VC. Its based in the early 90's during and will be loosely based off of the gang wars between the Bloods and the crips:
http://images.southparkstudios.com/media/images/702/702_image_17.jpg
(jimmy and timmy not included)

Its been reassured that the music wont all be rap and they plan on out doing themselves with the soundtrack. I suggest the everyone reads the article, it looks like GTA:SA is going to shape up to be a great title (after looking past the criminal aspect).

Kroogah

05-14-2004, 05:35 PM

damn rap! it's ruining the world!

Edit: I had some flames to throw but remembered this is the same guy that said women are too stupid to use duct tape properly

Aussie2B

05-14-2004, 06:08 PM

While I'd take pretty much ANY music over rap (and I'm being nice acknowledging it as music to begin with considering it's nothing but repetitive drum beats and poorly-written, spoken "poetry" about fucking and killing), I think the main problem is licensed soundtracks in general. It's killing off the art form of original game composition. I will NEVER buy a game soundtrack consisting of lame licensed, American music, but I will gladly fork over hundreds of dollars buying soundtracks by Motoi Sakuraba, Taro Bando, Yasunori Mitsuda, Akihiko Mori, Koji Kondo, Hip Tanaka, Yuzo Koshiro, Dave Wise, Koichi Sugiyama, Hiroki Kikuta, etc. Read any recent newspaper article about game music or any TV clip, and they only focus on licensed stuff... It's sad really. X-Play's bit about music just insulted older music by calling it nothing but "beeps and bloops", talked about licensed music in Tony Hawk and GTA and such, and briefly mentioned Phantasy Star Online and Metal Gear Solid 2 for the original game music side of things (and those games don't even have especially notable music, in my opinion).

As for San Andreas, I have nothing much to say since I hate Rockstar and GTA games period. Rockstar's games cater to the most low-brow of gamers, and it's the epitome of current tastes in America (which are downright horrible and disgusting). I'd really like to see them crash and burn. The worst thing about this new game for me is that my boyfriend's name is in the game (Andreas). :/ I don't have to play the game, but I will be forced to hear about it endlessly everywhere. Maybe people will at least learn to pronounce and spell my boyfriend's name correctly now...

SirDrexl

05-14-2004, 09:22 PM

Anthony1

05-15-2004, 12:47 AM

By the way something. This topic is 100 percent about GTA: San Andreas.

Have any of you seen the screenshots for 25 to life?

Everybody check out those screenshots and continue the discussion.

Thank you.

Seacrest out.

sabre2922

05-15-2004, 06:24 PM

The fact is this the so called "gangsta" life leads to one thing THE GRAVE , SIX FEET UNDER , THE BIG SLEEP get it?
I dont like rap although i try to keep an open mind its still difficult for me to acknowledge rap as true music
I dont care to play as a crip nor a blood and go around fighting over "colors" and all that crap it makes me sick in the real world and any game that emulates that life will make me sick also :angry:
I luv GTA3 AND Vice City but this new SanAndreas addition is just something im not interested in I will definitely pass on this one :o

kainemaxwell

05-15-2004, 06:43 PM

...and we all know how reliable game Informer is.

Wonder what happened to poor Lazlow and Chavez in the 90's...

Cmosfm

05-15-2004, 07:41 PM

what scares me is that the new GTA will have an entire Rap oriented soundtrack..and I hate rap..I will not be able to play it.

I'm not too surprised that someone with a Barry Manilow avatar doesn't care for rap. LOL

True. See, Manilow is a musician with loads of multifaceted talent. Rappers...nothing...Rap music is for talentless hacks. Anyone can do it.

Why do you think that 1 out of every 5 black people think they can rap and plan on starting a record company, have a record deal "in the works" (which means they have nothing) and or have a CD out that they made themselves. I'm sorry, but every time I go out to the flea market around here I have some sorry sap try to sell me his rap CD that he made. I have never had anyone try to sell me a rock CD they made.

So, until real music comes back in style, I will listen to my Manilow, Journey, Air Supply, Foreigner, Styx, and all the other great bands that actually knew what the term "music" meant. Not shit like they put out today.

But this is my own opinion...if you listen to rap, fine, it's your life. I'm just stating my thoughts.

Anthony1

05-16-2004, 02:02 PM

It's kinda funny how this topic turned into a "I hate Rap Music" confessional.

I guess Digital Press doesn't have too many members from "Da Hood".

I have to admit, despite the negativity shown here, that I'm actually a fan of Rap Music. Although, I will say that alot of the Rap Music out there is HORRIBLE! It actually almost makes me feel like a goofball to be a fan of Rap Music, when I hear some really, really horrible Rap Music on the Radio.

If I tell somebody that I actually like Rap Music and they hear some horrible song on the Radio from Ludacris, then they might naturally think that I would actually be a fan of that song, but that isn't the case.

I would have to say that about 65 percent or more of current Rap Music is total and complete crap. But there is a 35 percent out there that is actually pretty good.

Also, it's kind of a, it's so bad it's good type of thing. Sure most of the songs are nothing but talk of bitches, cars, bling bling, cribs, drugs, violence, etc, etc. But some of it is pretty damn funny, and alot of the beats are very cleverly designed.

To call all rap music total worthless crap, would be a pretty limited view of the whole thing.

Also, let it be known that although I do enjoy Rap, I also enjoy many other types of music. Although most of it was from old bands from the mid and late 80's when I was in High School and early college.

These are some of my old favorites that I still enjoy listening to:

The Cure
The Smiths
Morrissey
General Public
English Beat
Tears for Fears
Depeche Mode
Steel Pulse (Regae)
Black Uhuru (Regae)
Duran Duran "I know, the horrah!"
Rush
AC/DC
Led Zep
Black Sabbath
Ozzie

Just to name a few

But I'm just trying to say that I don't think you can simply label all Rap Music as total crap. Sure, the vast majority of it is, but not the whole kit n kaboodle.

Hamsnibit

05-16-2004, 02:21 PM

I despise most rap. There are a few rap/dance type songs like Outkast that I like, but i hate all this gangsta rap bitches, bling, pop a cap shit. Why would Ambercrombie and Fitch wearing prep frat types listen to music that doesn't represent their lifestyle? Why pay for and support someone who would shoot you in the face if you looked at them the wrong way, wore the wrong colors, or joked about their momma? It's just plain ignorance. As for rap with games I have a good story from last night. I am good friends with two black guys who are twins. Last night we were sitting down watching E3 videos and one of them said "You notice their aren't any rap songs in any of these game trailers. That's because rap doesn't go with action very good" He prefers a good rock soundtrack when the action is heavy. I concur.

PS2Hawk

05-16-2004, 02:42 PM

Well Hi everyone, this is my first post!
as mentioned people are discussing Music, specifically rap! I don't have a problem with Rap in games, however I despise rap in real life.

I mean first off, music is poetry and there days most of the lyrics in songs don't even make sence. RAP is just bogus all they have is women in short clothes and they are moving their hands. On an album there is hardly one good song the rest suck!
I see so many street loosers on TV these days, I wonders wats the reason, and then there are so many reality TV shows, there is a game to, America Idol for PS2 ? I mean wats going on here ?

GTA's latest installment looks pretty good, I mean its not that if it has RAP music I am not going to play it, but still I don't like the direction all the industry is taking.

Kroogah

05-16-2004, 07:17 PM

Rap is just dumb black people talking about sex, also white people that want to be black.

Country is just inbred rednecks talking about how great America is.

Punk is just whiny no-talent kids that hate America.

Heavy metal is just ripped-off blues chords for angsty teenagers.

Classical is old.

Techno is machines and it doesn't take talent.

Dance music is the same beat over and over and over.

Reggae is only good if you're high. It all sounds the same.

Jazz is elevator music.

Pop music is made for preteens and they don't even write their own songs.

There, I covered every genre stereotype, can people stay on topic now?

Rev. Link

05-16-2004, 07:39 PM

I want to post about liscenced soundtracks. I love video game music! Some of my favorite songs come from Zelda, Final Fantasy, Mega Man, Castlevania, etc. Whether it's orchestrated, just old MIDI, sweeping and epic, techno-ish, whatever. Great music can take a good game and make it better.

I think that these days, game music isn't what it used to be. Back in the day, programmers didn't have a lot of visual punch to put into their games, so they had to use good music as a hook. Now, with the insane graphics of current consoles, it seems like music has taken a backseat. At least, that's my theory.

That said, I don't have a problem with liscenced soundtracks when they're appropriate. For instance, sports games are perfect for "real music". Games like Madden, Tony Hawk, NBA Live, etc., benefit from having actual songs in them. When you go to a football game, don't you hear music played over the loudspeakers? I know here in Cincinnati we do. "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses has long been the Bengals' theme song.

I also think that some action games, like GTA, also benefit from a liscenced soundtrack. They're supposed to be "gritty" and "real", so why not have actual songs in what is supposed to be a realistic crime drama?

Now, when we get Blink 182 doing the theme to the next Mario game, or Type O Negative doing Castlevania (even though I bet that would be cool), that's when I'll start to complain.

djbeatmongrel

05-16-2004, 08:41 PM

you know before this topic gets more outta hand let me just state that most popular music never shows the actually talented side of things thats why it doesn't surprise me to see these some what ignorant views on rap music. If any of you would like me to suggest some intelligible rap songs to listen to i will gladly do so.

optic_85

05-16-2004, 10:10 PM

Well, I dont have a problem with the gangsta' games or the music. I like all kinds of music, and rap (if used right) can deffinately set a mood for a game. Im excited about the new GTA, and im also looking forward to the new Def JAm game!

http://www.gamerankings.com/screens4/920170/2.jpg

Sweeeeeet!

Jasoco

05-16-2004, 11:07 PM

I'm with ya on this. I am sick of the direction EVERYTHING is going. Not just games. Movies, Music and even Cars and Shoes. I'm sick of it. Which is why I surround myself with 80's music, old games and have a TiVo to watch what I want and fast-forward passed what I don't like. I don't have to put up with it.

As for GTA:SA being all Rap music, good. That will help me convince my brother to wait for an Xbox port so he can use the custom soundtrack option. Vice City is my favorite because the music is what I want to hear. I hated the first one and I'll hate this one. Hell, what do I care? I never got too far into the game anyway.

Rev. Link

05-16-2004, 11:11 PM

You can't tell me you hate a game because of the music in it. I mean, you said you liked VC, right? So when you play the others, just mute the TV, pop in a CD you like, and go to town. :)

PS2Hawk

05-16-2004, 11:13 PM

Amm I may be wrong but I think Rockstar said that the new GTA (GTA SA,) will use teh HDD and also in 2005 there will only be an expansion pack not a new one, how ever I could be wrong, I hope they don't take the game to XBOX, wat the point of owning one system if the games are going to show up on the other!

Jasoco

05-16-2004, 11:14 PM

You can't tell me you hate a game because of the music in it. I mean, you said you liked VC, right? So when you play the others, just mute the TV, pop in a CD you like, and go to town. :)No. Actually, I hated the others because I ddint' like the whole feel. Vice City was 80's. I love the 80's. I love everything about it. I enjoyed the whole feel.

III just felt wrong. Not the music, but everything. And I'm sure I'll hate the next one even more as well.