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Manhunt - Rockstar's Secret Weapon?
Thanks to Shacknews for pointing to a Gamers.com report with the first solid details about Rockstar North's PS2 'survival horror' title, Manhunt. This allegedly disturbing and voyeuristic, long in development game is from the developers of Grand Theft Auto, and has been kept about as secret as it's possible to. But according to this new information in a UK magazine, it's "a wholly realistic survival horror game, in which the player assumes the role of an inmate on death row whose lethal injection is faked, and suddenly finds himself in the middle of a violent urban warfare game arranged for the amusement of its wealthy creator. Your goal is to escape the city... populated by roving armed gangs." Are Rockstar keeping this quiet to get the game onto shelves unbanned, or is the stealth marketing just a publicity ploy?
Almost all story plot ideas are reused. Movies, television, plays, whatever. The basic elements of what make good stories can be found over and over and over again. There are even standard formulas for stories. How many stories does this formula match? :
- Meet the Main Character (MC)
- MC has a problem.
- MC attempts a simple, straightforward, and reasonable solution.
- The first attempt fails, because of some new, unforseen information.
- MC attempts a more complicated solution to the now more complicated problem.
- The second attempt also fails, because the problem turns out to be much more complex than previously thought.
- MC attempts a third solution. This attempt is is very complicated, and involves great risk.
- As this attempt unfolds it encounters tremendous resistance, and seems doomed to failure.
- At the last moment, the MC snatches victory from the jaws of defeat.
- Finally, another character confirms that the problem is solved. This part is important, as it assures the audience that it is indeed over. This character is essentially the one who says "He's dead, Jim." Even though everybody knows he's dead, it still has to be said.
Many many stories fit this framework. And the three attempts is exactly the right number. Four is tedious, and two is unsatisfying.
State of Emergency, anyone?
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Very important difference.
Rockstar is a publisher.
Rockstar North, formerly DMA, is a developer -- the people behind the Grand Theft Auto series.
Don't assume a GTA-level of quality just because Rockstar is publishing the game. One link within the article mentioned Rockstar North, but not in an official or definitive way. We'll see, I guess.
Too right on State of Emergency, but the Italian Job you mention was published by Eidos, not Rockstar. Rockstar's Italian Job (for PS1 published a year or so ago), was widely lauded as one of the best PS1 games ever.
The correct link