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Wednesday 20 February, 2008
Entry #2
Game play:
My second session of for-five minutes of playing “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” I attempted to focus more on accomplishing tasks. I tried to find ways to complete missions because I knew from talking to other “Vice City” gamers that the only way to unlock additional areas of the city was to improve and complete tasks. However the missions were confusing and far more difficult than I had anticipated. This not only made me resort back to just cruising around the 1980s version of Miami, it also made me respect the abilities of those who play this game more avidly because it is not that simple.
Another thing that I noticed during my second round of “Grand Theft Auto” is that the more havoc I create (from stealing a motorcycle to killing a gangster) the more attention I attract. So depending on whether I want to spend my time running from police men and gang members out to get me or I want to peacefully mosey around the city I can easily make the choice for myself. And while I think that it is possible to get positive reactions from gang members, I was not able to create this relationship and found that the behavior of other criminals were equally destructive as my own. I found that my actions helped dictate the outcome of the game (whether or not police chased me and whether or not other criminals attacked me).
Design:
The first thing that came to mind when I was simply tooling around the dated city of Miami, Florida was how much it reminded me of Google Earth. I have always enjoyed scoping out my house, my friends’ houses, our schools and favorite landmarks in our individual cities on the amazing system of Google Earth. And playing “Vice City” (with its realistic-looking streets, houses, beaches and parks) I felt like I was cruising through satellite images of Miami.
The colors and images of the game are key to bringing us back to the 1980s (when the game is supposed to take place). By using bright colors, sunglasses, shirts, and cars reminiscent of the time period the game takes the players in and really completes the package. The game takes images and ideas from the hit television “Miami Vice” which could possibly broaden the target demographic by including older generations who were not only around for the television show, but also possibly were big fans.
Another aspect of the game that attracts me is how different it is from any other game that I had previously played. In most games that I have played there is a specific task or goal involved. In this game it almost seemed like the goal of the game was just to check out the city and take on the role of someone far different than you. It was only after the second session that I realized that it is possible that that is the exact reason so many people are so interested in the “Grand Theft Auto” games. It gives you the unique opportunity to step outside of your own life and act as a person that lives in a world with no consequences for your actions.
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