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After having ripped-off the likes of the Tony Hawk series and Crazy Taxi poorly using their flashy licensing for `The Simpsons`, EA will have to come up with something BIG next-time-around if they want to make at least one real success using the licensing that almost any-other developers would love to have in their hands.
Look at the software sales for 2002, and you'll everyone's favourite and most-wanted PS2 "crime-sim" Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sitting pretty miles above the rest after record-breaking success in sales within its very-first-week over here.
Look back at the last GTA game before this (Grand Theft Auto 3) and you'll see a similar sort of story. OK, so the sales weren't as-high back then in the PS2's prime, but it still shot-off-the-shelves in vast numbers within seconds.
It seems that ever since the very-first Grand Theft Auto title several years ago now that each `all-new` GTA title can do nothing but succeed!
Everyone loves the Tony Hawk games. Everyone's played Crazy Taxi to-death and loved that one too. But even these games are nothing comapared to what gamers today think of the ever-impressive Grand Theft Auto series.
So perhaps this is the way to go for EA and their Simpsons licensing?
With it's high-popularity and proven success that really speaks for itself, who's to say that the men behind The Sims and the latest 007 titles wouldn't try and "use" the idea of `being a criminal` like many others have been trying to do recently?
There's no doubt this game would get the popularity and hype that only the original GTA games deserve; just like The Simpsons' Skateboarding and Road Rage titles have done within the last-12-months. Unlike these others however, I believe that even Electronic Arts could turn the town of Springfield into the perfect set-up for the latest GTA-rip-off...
What are the basics you need to have included in every Grand Theft Auto title you need to make it a success? Crime, a big city, a main character (or two) with some dangerous weapons, plenty of vehicles, and of course, The Mafia.
You could put a tick next to every-single-one of those neccesities in my book as I believe that Springfield has it all, from what I've seen in the cartoons, anyway.
Springfield in itself is a huge place. You may not be able to place it on a map of the USA, but with a shopping Mall, Moe's Tavern, an Elementary School, and various other places that have made Homer feel-at-home over the years, this town could be the ideal place, when you really think about it. And of course, you can't ignore Mr.Burns very-own mansion with more money inside than any man could ever look at in one go! Any thief's dream-destination...
Think back to some of the more memorable crimes you've seen Homer and the other Springfeldians commit over the past decade alone... It's not like The Simpsons has been short of any! Homer's even done Grand Theft Auto himself when Moe was short-of-cash to keep his dream woman happy - he's a character with experience!
And, of course, there's everyone's favourite; Snake. How often have we seen Apu Nahasapeeemaaaa..... the Indian guy in the Quick-E-Mart, fall victim to one of Snake's regular crime-sprees?! He's made for this game, really!
And then there's Moe the bartender who always seems to have something hidden away behind the bar that you just know shouldn't lawfully be there. Or what about Bart, the boy who seems to be able to do no right? The perfect criminal with that oh-so-innocent expression on his face.
What about groundskeeper Willy, the Scotsman who's never in a good-mood to see anyone? Unless he has his camera on-hand, mind...
So already there we have 5 suitable candidates for the ideal "Tommy Verecti" of Sprignfield, with potentially many others in-line for a place as one of the selectable main characters to give your criming a different and colourful experience with each one.
In terms of weapons, each charcter could probably have his own to start with, while many others could be picked up along the way.
Bart would have his trusty, old slingshot; Homers, whatever piece of junk the short-tempered balding ape can find; Willy, his groundskeeping tools, like his rake; Snake must have a knife-or-two hidden up his sleeve with those cigarettes; and even Moe could whip-out the old corkscrew to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
And just think of all the different guns we saw during the "Who Shot Mr.Burns?" dillema; there'd be so much to choose from you wouldn't know where to go, or even what to do with them all! If baby Maggie can get her hands on a gun, then surely anyone else could too, right?
As for the vehicles, we've seen a lot of those in our time viewing Springfield, also.
From Willy's tractor to Homer's old piece of junk that's SOMEHOW survived in one-piece after all these years and all those drunken nights out! Bart could even go out for a ride on his skateboard, and I'm sure you'd be able to nick one of Dr.Frink's hover-bikes too. And it's not like Chief Wiggum's the quickest officer around either. So while he's out on your tail, with the dim-witted Lou by his side, you should have no problem dodgin his off-target bullets while sneaking into the drivers seat.
If the cel-shading was done right to make this look very 2-D and true-to-the-cartoon (possibly Jet Set Radio-style?) then this game could look like the hit EA will once again be hoping it becomes, instead of a flop like all the rest.
EA need to get their act together now before they turn The Simpsons into something about as amusing as Krusty the Klown every weekday afternoon.
`Grand Theft Auto: Springfield` (or perhaps: `The Simpsons' Crime-Sim`) could be just the title EA need to get back up to the top where they once were when gaming was simple, before ISS came along...
Look at the software sales for 2002, and you'll everyone's favourite and most-wanted PS2 "crime-sim" Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sitting pretty miles above the rest after record-breaking success in sales within its very-first-week over here.
Look back at the last GTA game before this (Grand Theft Auto 3) and you'll see a similar sort of story. OK, so the sales weren't as-high back then in the PS2's prime, but it still shot-off-the-shelves in vast numbers within seconds.
It seems that ever since the very-first Grand Theft Auto title several years ago now that each `all-new` GTA title can do nothing but succeed!
Everyone loves the Tony Hawk games. Everyone's played Crazy Taxi to-death and loved that one too. But even these games are nothing comapared to what gamers today think of the ever-impressive Grand Theft Auto series.
So perhaps this is the way to go for EA and their Simpsons licensing?
With it's high-popularity and proven success that really speaks for itself, who's to say that the men behind The Sims and the latest 007 titles wouldn't try and "use" the idea of `being a criminal` like many others have been trying to do recently?
There's no doubt this game would get the popularity and hype that only the original GTA games deserve; just like The Simpsons' Skateboarding and Road Rage titles have done within the last-12-months. Unlike these others however, I believe that even Electronic Arts could turn the town of Springfield into the perfect set-up for the latest GTA-rip-off...
What are the basics you need to have included in every Grand Theft Auto title you need to make it a success? Crime, a big city, a main character (or two) with some dangerous weapons, plenty of vehicles, and of course, The Mafia.
You could put a tick next to every-single-one of those neccesities in my book as I believe that Springfield has it all, from what I've seen in the cartoons, anyway.
Springfield in itself is a huge place. You may not be able to place it on a map of the USA, but with a shopping Mall, Moe's Tavern, an Elementary School, and various other places that have made Homer feel-at-home over the years, this town could be the ideal place, when you really think about it. And of course, you can't ignore Mr.Burns very-own mansion with more money inside than any man could ever look at in one go! Any thief's dream-destination...
Think back to some of the more memorable crimes you've seen Homer and the other Springfeldians commit over the past decade alone... It's not like The Simpsons has been short of any! Homer's even done Grand Theft Auto himself when Moe was short-of-cash to keep his dream woman happy - he's a character with experience!
And, of course, there's everyone's favourite; Snake. How often have we seen Apu Nahasapeeemaaaa..... the Indian guy in the Quick-E-Mart, fall victim to one of Snake's regular crime-sprees?! He's made for this game, really!
And then there's Moe the bartender who always seems to have something hidden away behind the bar that you just know shouldn't lawfully be there. Or what about Bart, the boy who seems to be able to do no right? The perfect criminal with that oh-so-innocent expression on his face.
What about groundskeeper Willy, the Scotsman who's never in a good-mood to see anyone? Unless he has his camera on-hand, mind...
So already there we have 5 suitable candidates for the ideal "Tommy Verecti" of Sprignfield, with potentially many others in-line for a place as one of the selectable main characters to give your criming a different and colourful experience with each one.
In terms of weapons, each charcter could probably have his own to start with, while many others could be picked up along the way.
Bart would have his trusty, old slingshot; Homers, whatever piece of junk the short-tempered balding ape can find; Willy, his groundskeeping tools, like his rake; Snake must have a knife-or-two hidden up his sleeve with those cigarettes; and even Moe could whip-out the old corkscrew to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
And just think of all the different guns we saw during the "Who Shot Mr.Burns?" dillema; there'd be so much to choose from you wouldn't know where to go, or even what to do with them all! If baby Maggie can get her hands on a gun, then surely anyone else could too, right?
As for the vehicles, we've seen a lot of those in our time viewing Springfield, also.
From Willy's tractor to Homer's old piece of junk that's SOMEHOW survived in one-piece after all these years and all those drunken nights out! Bart could even go out for a ride on his skateboard, and I'm sure you'd be able to nick one of Dr.Frink's hover-bikes too. And it's not like Chief Wiggum's the quickest officer around either. So while he's out on your tail, with the dim-witted Lou by his side, you should have no problem dodgin his off-target bullets while sneaking into the drivers seat.
If the cel-shading was done right to make this look very 2-D and true-to-the-cartoon (possibly Jet Set Radio-style?) then this game could look like the hit EA will once again be hoping it becomes, instead of a flop like all the rest.
EA need to get their act together now before they turn The Simpsons into something about as amusing as Krusty the Klown every weekday afternoon.
`Grand Theft Auto: Springfield` (or perhaps: `The Simpsons' Crime-Sim`) could be just the title EA need to get back up to the top where they once were when gaming was simple, before ISS came along...
Thanks, Sibs! At least someone bothered to read it! :D
And no cuts! It's mine, miiiine, MIIIINE!! :P :)
I actually got the idea for all this after reading a load of stuff about GTA: Vice City, and then seeing an episode of The Simpsons a little later where the Mafia were involved.
And then all the other ideas just came to me almost instantly.
There's so much potential here... I bet even EA could make an enjoyable effort out of it, if they gave it the time and consideration it would deserve. Or maybe Rockstar could get the rights for it to do it properly?
I reckon it'd definitley be better than all EA's other 'Simpsons games, no matter what.
And no cuts! It's mine, miiiine, MIIIINE!! :P :)
I actually got the idea for all this after reading a load of stuff about GTA: Vice City, and then seeing an episode of The Simpsons a little later where the Mafia were involved.
And then all the other ideas just came to me almost instantly.
There's so much potential here... I bet even EA could make an enjoyable effort out of it, if they gave it the time and consideration it would deserve. Or maybe Rockstar could get the rights for it to do it properly?
I reckon it'd definitley be better than all EA's other 'Simpsons games, no matter what.
*replies to topic to make Solskjær feel better*
*asks for a cut of his GAD*
:D
Pretty good idea though. Think of all the different episodes though. There's even the 'proper' Mafia in the game (remember the episode where Bart works for them and stores cigarettes in his room for them). And missions could be based on certain episodes. Like the one where they bring back prohibition, and Homer is making beer and transporting it to Moe's in bowling balls. You could even cause a nuclear meltdown at the plant, or go confess your sins to reverant LoveJoy! And think of the fun you could have breaking into Flanders house! :D
This game actually sounds cool now. But I'm sure EA would manage to screw it up...
*asks for a cut of his GAD*
:D
Pretty good idea though. Think of all the different episodes though. There's even the 'proper' Mafia in the game (remember the episode where Bart works for them and stores cigarettes in his room for them). And missions could be based on certain episodes. Like the one where they bring back prohibition, and Homer is making beer and transporting it to Moe's in bowling balls. You could even cause a nuclear meltdown at the plant, or go confess your sins to reverant LoveJoy! And think of the fun you could have breaking into Flanders house! :D
This game actually sounds cool now. But I'm sure EA would manage to screw it up...
After having ripped-off the likes of the Tony Hawk series and Crazy Taxi poorly using their flashy licensing for `The Simpsons`, EA will have to come up with something BIG next-time-around if they want to make at least one real success using the licensing that almost any-other developers would love to have in their hands.
Look at the software sales for 2002, and you'll everyone's favourite and most-wanted PS2 "crime-sim" Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sitting pretty miles above the rest after record-breaking success in sales within its very-first-week over here.
Look back at the last GTA game before this (Grand Theft Auto 3) and you'll see a similar sort of story. OK, so the sales weren't as-high back then in the PS2's prime, but it still shot-off-the-shelves in vast numbers within seconds.
It seems that ever since the very-first Grand Theft Auto title several years ago now that each `all-new` GTA title can do nothing but succeed!
Everyone loves the Tony Hawk games. Everyone's played Crazy Taxi to-death and loved that one too. But even these games are nothing comapared to what gamers today think of the ever-impressive Grand Theft Auto series.
So perhaps this is the way to go for EA and their Simpsons licensing?
With it's high-popularity and proven success that really speaks for itself, who's to say that the men behind The Sims and the latest 007 titles wouldn't try and "use" the idea of `being a criminal` like many others have been trying to do recently?
There's no doubt this game would get the popularity and hype that only the original GTA games deserve; just like The Simpsons' Skateboarding and Road Rage titles have done within the last-12-months. Unlike these others however, I believe that even Electronic Arts could turn the town of Springfield into the perfect set-up for the latest GTA-rip-off...
What are the basics you need to have included in every Grand Theft Auto title you need to make it a success? Crime, a big city, a main character (or two) with some dangerous weapons, plenty of vehicles, and of course, The Mafia.
You could put a tick next to every-single-one of those neccesities in my book as I believe that Springfield has it all, from what I've seen in the cartoons, anyway.
Springfield in itself is a huge place. You may not be able to place it on a map of the USA, but with a shopping Mall, Moe's Tavern, an Elementary School, and various other places that have made Homer feel-at-home over the years, this town could be the ideal place, when you really think about it. And of course, you can't ignore Mr.Burns very-own mansion with more money inside than any man could ever look at in one go! Any thief's dream-destination...
Think back to some of the more memorable crimes you've seen Homer and the other Springfeldians commit over the past decade alone... It's not like The Simpsons has been short of any! Homer's even done Grand Theft Auto himself when Moe was short-of-cash to keep his dream woman happy - he's a character with experience!
And, of course, there's everyone's favourite; Snake. How often have we seen Apu Nahasapeeemaaaa..... the Indian guy in the Quick-E-Mart, fall victim to one of Snake's regular crime-sprees?! He's made for this game, really!
And then there's Moe the bartender who always seems to have something hidden away behind the bar that you just know shouldn't lawfully be there. Or what about Bart, the boy who seems to be able to do no right? The perfect criminal with that oh-so-innocent expression on his face.
What about groundskeeper Willy, the Scotsman who's never in a good-mood to see anyone? Unless he has his camera on-hand, mind...
So already there we have 5 suitable candidates for the ideal "Tommy Verecti" of Sprignfield, with potentially many others in-line for a place as one of the selectable main characters to give your criming a different and colourful experience with each one.
In terms of weapons, each charcter could probably have his own to start with, while many others could be picked up along the way.
Bart would have his trusty, old slingshot; Homers, whatever piece of junk the short-tempered balding ape can find; Willy, his groundskeeping tools, like his rake; Snake must have a knife-or-two hidden up his sleeve with those cigarettes; and even Moe could whip-out the old corkscrew to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
And just think of all the different guns we saw during the "Who Shot Mr.Burns?" dillema; there'd be so much to choose from you wouldn't know where to go, or even what to do with them all! If baby Maggie can get her hands on a gun, then surely anyone else could too, right?
As for the vehicles, we've seen a lot of those in our time viewing Springfield, also.
From Willy's tractor to Homer's old piece of junk that's SOMEHOW survived in one-piece after all these years and all those drunken nights out! Bart could even go out for a ride on his skateboard, and I'm sure you'd be able to nick one of Dr.Frink's hover-bikes too. And it's not like Chief Wiggum's the quickest officer around either. So while he's out on your tail, with the dim-witted Lou by his side, you should have no problem dodgin his off-target bullets while sneaking into the drivers seat.
If the cel-shading was done right to make this look very 2-D and true-to-the-cartoon (possibly Jet Set Radio-style?) then this game could look like the hit EA will once again be hoping it becomes, instead of a flop like all the rest.
EA need to get their act together now before they turn The Simpsons into something about as amusing as Krusty the Klown every weekday afternoon.
`Grand Theft Auto: Springfield` (or perhaps: `The Simpsons' Crime-Sim`) could be just the title EA need to get back up to the top where they once were when gaming was simple, before ISS came along...
Look at the software sales for 2002, and you'll everyone's favourite and most-wanted PS2 "crime-sim" Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sitting pretty miles above the rest after record-breaking success in sales within its very-first-week over here.
Look back at the last GTA game before this (Grand Theft Auto 3) and you'll see a similar sort of story. OK, so the sales weren't as-high back then in the PS2's prime, but it still shot-off-the-shelves in vast numbers within seconds.
It seems that ever since the very-first Grand Theft Auto title several years ago now that each `all-new` GTA title can do nothing but succeed!
Everyone loves the Tony Hawk games. Everyone's played Crazy Taxi to-death and loved that one too. But even these games are nothing comapared to what gamers today think of the ever-impressive Grand Theft Auto series.
So perhaps this is the way to go for EA and their Simpsons licensing?
With it's high-popularity and proven success that really speaks for itself, who's to say that the men behind The Sims and the latest 007 titles wouldn't try and "use" the idea of `being a criminal` like many others have been trying to do recently?
There's no doubt this game would get the popularity and hype that only the original GTA games deserve; just like The Simpsons' Skateboarding and Road Rage titles have done within the last-12-months. Unlike these others however, I believe that even Electronic Arts could turn the town of Springfield into the perfect set-up for the latest GTA-rip-off...
What are the basics you need to have included in every Grand Theft Auto title you need to make it a success? Crime, a big city, a main character (or two) with some dangerous weapons, plenty of vehicles, and of course, The Mafia.
You could put a tick next to every-single-one of those neccesities in my book as I believe that Springfield has it all, from what I've seen in the cartoons, anyway.
Springfield in itself is a huge place. You may not be able to place it on a map of the USA, but with a shopping Mall, Moe's Tavern, an Elementary School, and various other places that have made Homer feel-at-home over the years, this town could be the ideal place, when you really think about it. And of course, you can't ignore Mr.Burns very-own mansion with more money inside than any man could ever look at in one go! Any thief's dream-destination...
Think back to some of the more memorable crimes you've seen Homer and the other Springfeldians commit over the past decade alone... It's not like The Simpsons has been short of any! Homer's even done Grand Theft Auto himself when Moe was short-of-cash to keep his dream woman happy - he's a character with experience!
And, of course, there's everyone's favourite; Snake. How often have we seen Apu Nahasapeeemaaaa..... the Indian guy in the Quick-E-Mart, fall victim to one of Snake's regular crime-sprees?! He's made for this game, really!
And then there's Moe the bartender who always seems to have something hidden away behind the bar that you just know shouldn't lawfully be there. Or what about Bart, the boy who seems to be able to do no right? The perfect criminal with that oh-so-innocent expression on his face.
What about groundskeeper Willy, the Scotsman who's never in a good-mood to see anyone? Unless he has his camera on-hand, mind...
So already there we have 5 suitable candidates for the ideal "Tommy Verecti" of Sprignfield, with potentially many others in-line for a place as one of the selectable main characters to give your criming a different and colourful experience with each one.
In terms of weapons, each charcter could probably have his own to start with, while many others could be picked up along the way.
Bart would have his trusty, old slingshot; Homers, whatever piece of junk the short-tempered balding ape can find; Willy, his groundskeeping tools, like his rake; Snake must have a knife-or-two hidden up his sleeve with those cigarettes; and even Moe could whip-out the old corkscrew to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
And just think of all the different guns we saw during the "Who Shot Mr.Burns?" dillema; there'd be so much to choose from you wouldn't know where to go, or even what to do with them all! If baby Maggie can get her hands on a gun, then surely anyone else could too, right?
As for the vehicles, we've seen a lot of those in our time viewing Springfield, also.
From Willy's tractor to Homer's old piece of junk that's SOMEHOW survived in one-piece after all these years and all those drunken nights out! Bart could even go out for a ride on his skateboard, and I'm sure you'd be able to nick one of Dr.Frink's hover-bikes too. And it's not like Chief Wiggum's the quickest officer around either. So while he's out on your tail, with the dim-witted Lou by his side, you should have no problem dodgin his off-target bullets while sneaking into the drivers seat.
If the cel-shading was done right to make this look very 2-D and true-to-the-cartoon (possibly Jet Set Radio-style?) then this game could look like the hit EA will once again be hoping it becomes, instead of a flop like all the rest.
EA need to get their act together now before they turn The Simpsons into something about as amusing as Krusty the Klown every weekday afternoon.
`Grand Theft Auto: Springfield` (or perhaps: `The Simpsons' Crime-Sim`) could be just the title EA need to get back up to the top where they once were when gaming was simple, before ISS came along...