True Crime - Good Cop, GTA - Bad Cop?
Thanks to GameDevLeague for their article discussing discussing the Grand Theft Auto-like Activision game True Crime, and its good cop/bad cop dilemma. The author argues: "In Differentiate or Die, Jack Trout says if you're not the leading brand with the killer attribute - then you should go 'opposite' the leading brand's killer attribute." He continues: "What attribute does GTA own? Crime. How do you go opposite of crime? Law enforcement." But he laments that, while you play a cop in the game, "...Activision went and called it True Crime! And buried the law enforcement angle so deep I can barely even tell from the ad copy that's what it's about." So does everyone "want to be bad" nowadays, thus Activision's clone-like marketing ploy, or do users genuinely not care as long as the game is fun?
When will someone make a realistic crime game?
I want to get rich and buy cool stuff and flaunt my cash, drugs and guns to my buds.
I wanna get mixed up with "made men" who might hook me up, or might mark me.
I don't want there to be random "scooby snacks" hidden away to heal me or hide me from the cops. When I get hit by a bullet - I want it to suck - bad.
So... You want a game where you camp out watching a target for 3 days, you want to hire a group of thugs to help you, and you want to be chased by real people playing cops who have no reprocussions for shooting criminals.
I assume you then want to run to mexico and spend the rest of your $10 a month subscription getting drunk in a language you don't understand and crying about not being able to go home?
Do you have any conceptualization about crime beyond what you are shown in movies? I'll give you a hint... It's really boring. A realistic crime game would consist of buying stolen goods from character X and selling them to character Y, trying to hide the fact that you are making money by not buying anything fancy, until suddenly an overwhelming force of police officers busts down your door that you put your hands up and lie down. Even if it was a heist game, very few criminals are ever "caught in the act." The game would be several days of scoping out a location and doing research, 60 seconds of busting in and taking things, and 4 weeks of laying low trying not to get fingered. And the cops get to have the joy of interviewing NPC's for information, picking up clues from things lying around the scene, and having crimes go unsolved for upwards of 10 years.
You want all buildings to have a purpose, yet you want no "scooby snacks?" You want a realistic crime game where you can flaunt your cash?
It sounds like what you really want is Scarface Online.
The ______ Agenda