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The Moral Pathology of Vice City
SiliconRedox writes "An interesting article at the NYTimes (reg req) outlining the rise of rockstar games and the imminent release of Vice City. What the article mentions but never brings together is the ability of the player to win the game through peaceful(ie: not killing people) or criminal means. The game, while being hailed as morally reprehensible, is in fact only acting out the pathology of the player." Everything worth knowing in life can be learned from GTA. For example, upside down cars explode, and flying cars can jump the bridge between the first and second city without finishing the quests. Just like in real life. I still haven't picked up Vice City, but I'm stoked. And I will most definitely not win through peaceful means.
maybe I just have not noticed it in the past, but now it seems that nyt online charges to see old articles. all for 'related' articles at the bottom of the linked one are _for sale_ while it is well within their rights to do this, it still feels wrong... that I should have to pay them 3 bucks to see an article from May '02 that costs them (asymptotically) nothing to let me see.
from the page:
You can purchase this article:
As a single article for $2.95
As part of an Article 4 Pack for $ 7.95 - A 33% savings.
As part of an Article 10 Pack for $15.95 - A 46% savings.
As part of an Article 25 Pack for $25.95 - A 65% savings.
I'm pissed that GTA:VC is only being released on PS2 and not on PC. Historically, GTA games have always been released on PC. It is the platform the original GTA was written for. When GTA3 came out on PS2 first, Rockstar assured everyone that it would be released on PC as well, because they said something like "GTA belongs on PC". Now only one game later and they're specifically making it only for PS2, with no future plans to support PC. Word around the campfire is that Sony paid them off to release it only for PS2. This sounds very expensive on Sony's part, because I seem to recall that PC sales of GTA3 were higher than PS2 sales. I love GTA, but I will not buy GTA:VC and contribute towards Rockstar's newly acquired hypocritical attitude. They should be aware that they're alienating many of their big fans by dumping PC support.
Please don't tell me to just buy a PS2. Personally, I think console game machines are all shitty, but that's a different discussion altogether, and we could have a whole Slashdot article about why game consoles suck ass.