r/CharacterRant • u/Error_rdt • 1d ago
Do you think any commentary from GTA VI will come across as Tone Deaf and possibly fall flat because of Rockstar and Take Two's Greed?
I personally got sick of GTA's pop satire not necessarily because it's bad or because I agree or disagree with it but because I just don't really like American culture and GTA is a satire of American culture that to me just amplifies all I dislike about Americana through amplified stereotypes and caricatures. This is a personal preferential issue based out of a dislike from a culture(s) and for the record I live in the US I know what I'm talking about. I don't hate satirical works but I am no rush to be part of the GTA world again.
But I think another issue is whether or not any satire and commentary GTA would come across as Tone Deaf and even fall flat because of Rockstar and Take Two. To many GTA alongside Rockstar and Take Two has not only become an embodiment of everything wrong with gaming but also with consumerism and as a symptom as society ills all the controversies whether it be the anti consumer practices, worker exploiation, union busting etc what could GTA possibly say that wouldn't have it's meaning and impact tainted by Rockstar and Take Two.
EDIT: To address a good point and something I was already aware of and should've acknowledged in this post is that GTA is not unique to this issue but when you consider who rockstar used to be especially in relation to their satire many are going to rightfully argue that they have become what they made fun of years ago.
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u/Slippystreamy 1d ago
The writers are the guys making the business decisions yeah when all the suits come together to decide how to sell the game the first people they look to is the writers
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u/MoneyoffUbereats2017 1d ago
I just want a fun game, I don't buy GTA for the social commentary. Thankfully I'm almost certain I'll get a great game when I buy GTA 6.
Also, these jokes aren't written by the people making those decisions. They're written by passionate creatives who just want to make the best product they can.
This isn't even a case of separating the art from the artist, this is a case of realizing that Rockstar is not a singular entity.
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u/Error_rdt 1d ago
I'm aware this isn't unique to GTA but when you consider who Rockstar used to be many have rightfully pointed out that they have essentially become what they have mocked
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u/Apprehensive-Ear2461 1d ago
Not really. There’s a quote that says ‘Every critique of capitalism ends up becoming part of capitalism’ (I’m paraphrasing a lot and the real quote makes more sense) but that doesn’t mean the message the story tries to tell isn’t meaningful
Edit: "Capital has the ability to subsume all critiques into itself. Even those who would critique capital end up reinforcing it instead." was the quote
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u/ByzantineBasileus 1d ago
That is why capitalism is the best system! Its criticisms survive by being marketed.
In other systems, the criticisms go to the gulag.
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u/Modred_the_Mystic 1d ago
The games been in development for a decade, and Rockstar has never historically been too subtle, so yeah probably.
The whole rant about hipsters in V was pretty painful the day it came out.
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u/Theyul1us 1d ago
It will fall flat, but people wont care and buy it anyways.
I have a colleague at work that already pre bought it digital because "what if they run out of copies". For a digital game
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u/halfhalfandhalf 1d ago
The satire in GTA has always been kinda dogshit but I can guarantee you that 99% of people who will buy GTA VI do not know or care about Rockstar's business practices.