Does Rockstar owe Yu Suzuki?

[Gamereviewgod]

After 2 extended AIM sessions with another DP member, we have run out of counter-arguments. Here is the very simple question:

"Does Rockstar owe Sega for Grand Theft Auto 3 and/or Vice City? Did the free-roaming gameplay of Shenmue inspire/give Rockstar the idea to do what they did and make billions?"

Run with it people!

[PapaStu]

I dont think so.

GTA was free roaming back in the 1. London '69 expansion, and 2 days as well, well before Shenmue. They just took that formula and turned it 3D. For the most part you can still do the same stuff, just in the 3D perspecive now. They added extras and side missions and such to let you keep playing, if you choose not to do a mission (since if you really cook, you can be done with the basic game in less than a day.) Does Shenmue actually stop once you "beat it"?(I dont know, thats why im asking). GTA doesnt, you've whacked the thugs, and you can now just go wild and crazy like. Its true randomness is what makes it something thats fun and interesting.

However its possible that they did take a little from another franchise, becuase if you see something that works for one game, it can also possibly work for yours (with some tweaking so its not outright stealing). And games do that to each other all the time.

[digitalpress]

Yeah I'm with PapaStu on that.

While an interesting parallel, the first Grand Theft Auto came long before the first Shenmue, and the sequels to GTA are merely updates, with III being a 3D version, bigger, better... but still the same "stuff" as III.

It might lead to the question: does Sega owe Rockstar something? And that question is simply answered "no".

[Pantechnicon]

Maybe this post belonged in the last GTA:VC thread, but I've just got to mention that I'm a bit of GTA noob who has been playing III for the last week. Although I'm primarily a pre-NES guy, I've got to say, my goodness, this game is just incredible. Wife's out of town this weekend so it's been on quite a bit. Let's just say I dream about Liberty City when I sleep, which has been averaging only 5 hours a night for the last week thanks to this damn game @_@ .

Once I realized there was no big payoff at the end I decided I'd skip VC because I imagine it's just more of the same. Plus there's only so much moral depravity one can take in a game as such. But since I'm really enjoying (as well as getting the hang) of this free-play environment, I'll probably dust off my copy of DC Shenmue for my next big game meal. Play the hero for a change.