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Rockstar's Family-Friendly Shocker

kleptonin writes "IGN is running an article about a new game being developed by Rockstar San Diego. Unlike their previous releases, the game will feature no guns, no violence, and no swearing. The game, Rockstar Games Presents Table Tennis, will be exclusive to the Xbox 360, and will cost $39.99." Chris Morris, over at the CNN Game Over column, has some commentary on Grand Theft Ping Pong.

9 of 196 comments (clear)

  1. Image Enhancement by cheezus_es_lard · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What's a little money on a ping-pong game if it gives you the ability to say "My company doesn't make SOLELY violent games, Senator..."

    1. Re:Image Enhancement by SomeoneGotMyNick · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, it'll help them "prove" that family friendly games don't sell well. Especially for $40.

    2. Re:Image Enhancement by VJ42 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I don't know about that, there's nothng wrong with family friendly games per se: look at Nintendo; games like Mariocart, Super Monkey Ball and Nintendogs havn't done too badly.

      --
      If I have nothing to hide, you have no reason to search me
    3. Re:Image Enhancement by drmarcj · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Clever tactic: create a product for the sole purpose of showing that not everything you do/produce is antisocial (or construed as such). Wal-Mart does the same thing with its charities - "sure we pay minimum wage and no benefits, but we gave a couple of high school kids $500 scholarships too!" Is there an English word for such a product? Cause there should be.

  2. Two words: Beer Pong by Amazing+Proton+Boy · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This game is all about virtual beer pong. What is the most popular non-video game on campus? Beer pong. I bet there will be game modes that easily simulate beer pong. Maybe a secret hidden game as well.

  3. Re:overkill? by joshsisk · · Score: 3, Insightful

    That's true for the 360, but the game itself probably took Rockstar very little to develop, compared to their other games. Not that many models, textures, or levels, and not very much AI type code, compared to a GTA game.

    It's even possible they built a rough version of it, in-house, just to learn the Xbox 360 development environment, and someone said "hey why don't we polish this and release it?"

    Plus, they love controversy... and what better way for a "bad boy" company to get it than releasing a family game?

  4. My god the CNN article sucks by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 4, Insightful
    While other sports simulation video games - like football, baseball and auto racing - let you live vicarious dreams of doing things you likely can't do in real life, it's not real hard to find a Ping Pong table.

    Ehm, baseballs and footballs are hard to find? If football is indeed the american soccer I am willing to bet a shit load of cash that more families own a football then a ping pong table. You need a bit more equipment for baseball but still. I wasn't exactly aware that amateurs playing baseball was rare.

    It is, in fact, one of the very few "indoor" sports that has a video game patterned after it. (Poker's about the only other one that springs to mind.)

    Well, if you consider poker a sport then how about the video game versions of the following. Chess, EVERY bloody card game every invented, checkers, darts, bowling, snooker, etc etc etc.

    In fact isn't basketball often played indoors by pros AND done to dead as a videogame?

    The only unusual thing here is that a 'big' name company did a weird sports title. Weird sports titles on the other hand are nothing new.

    I just hate journalists who think ignorance is a good thing.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

  5. You guys crack me up... by Retroneous · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not only is this "news" a week or more behind everyone else (you're getting faster, Zonk) - but the comments here are really ridiculously closed-minded.

    "How can it be fun?" "I don't see this being fun!" etc. etc.

    WHAT? You haven't played it, seen it moving, or done anything other than go "Hmm, ping pong...crap"

    I didn't see how Virtua Tennis could be fun, but its easily one of the greatest multiplayer games of all time, and does a stand-up job of providing a solid single player experience, too.

    Open your minds and close your damn mouths.

  6. What will the Hot Coffee Style Mod be? by ledbetter · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'm hoping the Hot Coffee style mod will let you play a fun spanking game with the ping pong paddles and the girls ;)