Simpsons writers smack talk Rockstar

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 30th October 2007
Comments (20) Stumble
Simpsons writers smack talk Rockstar

One thing I'll say for The Simpsons Game; the cartoony art style is very nice.

The Simpsons game is looking to be a bit of an opinion divider for many at the moment and, while some writers are claiming to really love the direction of the new console title, I'm a little less enthused. The arcade style third-person beat-em-up game, which is developed for just about every platform except PC, didn't strike me as anything all that good when I played it at the Microsoft Hardware Day - just another tie-in which poked fun at games it couldn't better.

Am I a grumpy sod? Definitely, but it looks like I'm not the only one. The writers of the game have reportedly had trouble with Rockstar lately after they parodied the Grand Theft Auto games with in-game footage and posters for Grand Theft Scratchy. Rockstar eventually pressured EA into pulling some content from the game.

Now, according to Kotaku the writers have spoken out about the conflict - and not in a nice way.

"The people who make Grand Theft Auto, they spazzed out like little babies. They're supposed to be Rockstars. That's not a big Rockstar move to be afraid of The Simpsons poking fun at their game...Their game is full of satire and lame attempts at parody. Basically putting the word 69 in wherever they can find it. That's their idea of a joke. But trust me... I'll be the first person in line to play Grand Theft Auto 4, in five years when it comes out." Said the writers in a TV interview.

Looking over the rest of the coverage, it looks like the Kotaku boys have been fairly impressed with the game thus far - which I can't quite understand. Ah well.

What do you reckon to the The Simpsons Game and to the writers themselves? Tell us your thoughts in the forums.
Quote will. 30th October 2007, 11:26
Aside from making themselves sound like retard wannabe gangster's they do have a point.
Quote AlexB 30th October 2007, 11:32
I like'd the demo on Live!.

Pretty cool - best simpsons game yet.
Quote Daniel114 30th October 2007, 11:37
Quote:
Originally Posted by AlexB
best simpsons game yet.

shouldn't that be 'Best Simpsons game ever!'
Quote Veles 30th October 2007, 12:17
From that "wit" of that writer I can see why the Simpsons has gone downhill now.
Quote TreeDude 30th October 2007, 13:22
I guess Rockstar can dish it out but can't take it, eh? Sad that we loose what was probably a pretty fun bit of the game because Rockstar can't take a joke. There needs to be laws against this stuff.
Quote UncertainGod 30th October 2007, 13:29
They have a very valid point, rockstar take the piss out of everything they can. Then someone comes along and parodies there game and they call the lawyers, pathetic.
Quote Carnival 30th October 2007, 13:43
"Rizzer elaborated that it was probably a lawyer who's been the source of said conflicts, but that's no excuse in our book."

Taken from a link in the article

I can't see Rockstar making the complaints without effectively being told to do so as apparently they've let things go before. And I have to say the TV writers were so unfunny in that clip that I felt ill. Seriously, get a new job.
Quote Redbeaver 30th October 2007, 13:48
Quote:
Originally Posted by UncertainGod
They have a very valid point, rockstar take the piss out of everything they can. Then someone comes along and parodies there game and they call the lawyers, pathetic.

agree. i might find less interest to play Rockstar games after this.
Quote DeSean 30th October 2007, 14:04
Hi everyone

I'm surprised people seem to be taking this so seriously.... Rockstar have made themselves look like tools, and we can only guess at what exactly they were complaining about given their own games

but....
Quote:
I guess Rockstar can dish it out but can't take it, eh? Sad that we loose what was probably a pretty fun bit of the game because Rockstar can't take a joke. There needs to be laws against this stuff.

and:
Quote:
Then someone comes along and parodies there game and they call the lawyers, pathetic.

and:
Quote:
i might find less interest to play Rockstar games after this.

Are you lot being serious? Do you really think that it's the same people at Rockstar who named a band "Love-Fist" and made some amazing in-game radio shows, companies and characters would really be the same ones who got annoyed at The Simpsons game? I don't think so.

In my view, the GTA series is one of the very best and most influential ever produced, and this tiny incident changes nothing :)
Quote Cadillac Ferd 30th October 2007, 14:11
The Simpson's game looks like the usual tie-in garbage that they've always made, I don't even know why Rockstar would bother getting all upset over it. Wasn't there a small poke at GTA in the Simpson's movie? Did they pissed off about that too?
Quote theprodigalrebel 30th October 2007, 14:42
I don't think the actual development team gives a damn about The Simpsons spoofing/parodying their title - probably some new marketing/legal bozos.
Quote TTmodder 30th October 2007, 16:40
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cadillac Ferd
Wasn't there a small poke at GTA in the Simpson's movie? Did they pissed off about that too?

you mean: grand theft walrus???
Quote naokaji 30th October 2007, 16:46
who cares about the simpsons game.. the article says it wont be released for pc...

so: GO away simpsons game, the world doesnt need you...
Quote benjamyn 30th October 2007, 16:52
Quote:
Originally Posted by naokaji
who cares about the simpsons game.. the article says it wont be released for pc...

so: GO away simpsons game, the world doesnt need you...

But it's not an FPS so the pc version will suck just like any other non FPS (or RTS/clicky game)

Controller > Keyboard


besides simpsons game sucks anyway
Quote CardJoe 30th October 2007, 17:07
Quote:
Originally Posted by benjamyn
But it's not an FPS so the pc version will suck just like any other non FPS (or RTS/clicky game)

Controller > Keyboard


besides simpsons game sucks anyway

*slap*
Quote sub routine 30th October 2007, 17:18
I tend to agree that any free form game gets derivitive Gta vibes thrown at it. Any one remember Urban Chaos? It`s more of a genre than a Rockstar owned gamestyle. Ok it`s not quite what the arguement is about but it is what every journalist touts when they see something where you can run around. I read LOADS of reviews like that for crackdown.

It appears that the simpson game has picked up on this and is poking fun at it all, not a bad thing considering GTAIII is one of my favourite games of all time. It kind of gives a JetSetWilly on steroids feel, old school gameplay and fun, without taking itself too seriously.
But then money and power corrupts and rockstar run the risk of becoming everything it hates. With snazzy uptown advertisement simply there to fuel controversy (I`m reffering to glib defense of GTA and that Bloody Manhunt) and snappy high flying lawyers?
Quote Henk 30th October 2007, 17:28
Well, they got what they wanted - Publicity.
Quote Neogumbercules 30th October 2007, 17:29
That was a hardcore zinger!
Quote Brett89 30th October 2007, 17:42
Oh the hypocrisy!
Quote Vash-HT 31st October 2007, 00:24
Never liked the new GTA games, nor any rockstar games really, so this does not change my opinion of them I guess. Then again, I don't like any of the simpsons games out there except for the original arcade, which was extremely fun.
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