An unopened copy of an iconic PlayStation 2 game
2006 GRAND THEFT AUTO: VICE CITY (THE TRILOGY EDITION) PS2 VIDEO GAME
DETAILS:
Still sealed with poster inside!
Grand
Theft Auto: Vice City was originally released in 2002 but in 2006
Rockstar Games offered fans a PS2 trilogy box set that included GTA III,
GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas. This copy of GTA: Vice City comes
from a 2006 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy PS2 box set. The manufacturer product number
SLUS-20552P3 denotes that this copy is the final 4.0 version of the
game.
Are you a fan of immersive gameplay, thrilling storylines, and an open-world experience? If so, I have the perfect treasure for you: a sealed copy of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (The Trilogy edition) for PlayStation 2 (PS2).
GTA: Vice City, released in 2002, is an iconic entry in the critically acclaimed Grand Theft Auto series. Set in the vibrant and nostalgic 1980s, this game takes you on an unforgettable journey to Vice City, a sprawling metropolis inspired by Miami. As the protagonist, Tommy Vercetti, you'll immerse yourself in a world of crime, ambition, and revenge.
Now, let's talk about the sealed copy. Opening a sealed game is like unveiling a time capsule, preserving the essence of that specific era. By owning a sealed copy of GTA: Vice City (The Trilogy edition), you're not only getting a classic game but also a collector grade item that captures the nostalgia of the PS2 era.
Why choose a sealed copy? Well, it guarantees that you'll be the first to experience the game in its original condition. The shrink wrap preserves the pristine quality, ensuring that the disc, manual, and artwork remain untouched. It's like owning a piece of gaming history that has been frozen in time.
Whether you're a long-time fan of the series, a collector of gaming memorabilia, or simply someone who appreciates the cultural impact of GTA: Vice City, this sealed The Trilogy edition copy is the perfect addition to your collection. Embrace the excitement, the soundtrack, and the countless hours of immersive gameplay that await you.
CONDITION:
New; sealed. Please see photos.
To ensure safe delivery all items are carefully packaged before shipping out.
THANK YOU FOR LOOKING. QUESTIONS? JUST ASK.
*ALL PHOTOS AND TEXT ARE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OF SIDEWAYS STAIRS CO. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.*
"Grand Theft Auto is a series of action-adventure games created by David Jones and Mike Dailly.[2] Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is primarily developed by British development house Rockstar North (formerly DMA Design), and published by its parent company, Rockstar Games. The name of the series references the term "grand theft auto", used in the United States for motor vehicle theft.
Gameplay focuses on an open world where the player can complete missions to progress an overall story, as well as engage in various side activities. Most of the gameplay revolves around driving and shooting, with occasional role-playing and stealth elements. The series also has elements of the earlier beat 'em up games from the 16-bit era. The games in the Grand Theft Auto series are set in fictional locales modelled after real-life cities, at various points in time from the early 1960s to the 2010s. The original game's map encompassed three cities—Liberty City (based on New York City), San Andreas (based on San Francisco),[a] and Vice City (based on Miami)—but later titles tend to focus on a single setting; usually one of the original three locales, albeit remodelled and significantly expanded. The series centres on different protagonists who attempt to rise through the ranks of the criminal underworld, although their motives for doing so vary in each title. The antagonists are commonly characters who have betrayed the protagonist or their organisation, or characters who have the most impact impeding the protagonist's progress. Several film and music veterans have voiced characters in the games, including Ray Liotta, Dennis Hopper, Samuel L. Jackson, William Fichtner, James Woods, Debbie Harry, Axl Rose and Peter Fonda.[3]
DMA Design began the series in 1997, with the release of the Grand Theft Auto. As of 2020, the series consists of seven standalone titles and four expansion packs. The third main title, Grand Theft Auto III, released in 2001, is considered a landmark game, as it brought the series to a three-dimensional (3D) setting and more immersive experience. Subsequent titles have followed and built upon the concept established in Grand Theft Auto III, and received significant acclaim. They have influenced other open-world action games, and led to the label Grand Theft Auto clone on similar titles.
The series has been critically acclaimed, with all the main 3D entries in the franchise frequently ranked among the greatest and best-selling video games;[4] it has shipped more than 385 million units, making it one of the best-selling video game franchise. In 2006, Grand Theft Auto was featured in a list of British design icons in the Great British Design Quest organised by the BBC and the Design Museum.[5] In 2013, The Telegraph ranked Grand Theft Auto among Britain's most successful exports.[6] The series has also been controversial for its adult nature and violent themes.
Titles
Year Title Developer Platform(s) Universe[7]
Home console Computer Handheld Mobile Other
Main series
1997 Grand Theft Auto DMA Design PS1
MS-DOSWindows
GBC 2D
1999 Grand Theft Auto 2
PS1Dreamcast
Windows GBC
2001 Grand Theft Auto III
PS2Xbox
WindowsOS X
AndroidiOSFire OS
3D
2002 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Rockstar North
PS2Xbox
WindowsOS X
AndroidiOSFire OS
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
PS2XboxPS3[A]Xbox 360[B]
WindowsOS X
AndroidiOSWPFire OS
Oculus Quest 2[C]
2008 Grand Theft Auto IV
PS3Xbox 360
Windows HD
2013 Grand Theft Auto V
PS3Xbox 360PS4Xbox OnePS5Xbox Series X/S
Windows
TBA Untitled Grand Theft Auto game TBA
Expansion packs
1999 Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 Rockstar Canada PS1
WindowsMS-DOS
2D
Grand Theft Auto: London 1961
WindowsMS-DOS
2009 Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned Rockstar North
PS3Xbox 360
Windows HD
Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony
PS3Xbox 360
Windows
Handheld games
2004 Grand Theft Auto Advance Digital Eclipse GBA 3D
2005 Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Rockstar Leeds PS2 PSP
iOSAndroidFire OS
2006 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories PS2 PSP
2009 Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
PSPDS
iOSAndroidFire OS
HD
Compilations and remasters
1999 Grand Theft Auto: Director's Cut[D] DMA Design /
Rockstar Canada
PS1
WindowsMS-DOS
2D
2003 Grand Theft Auto: The Classics Collection[E]
PS1
Windows
Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack[F] Rockstar North
PS2Xbox
3D
2005 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy[G]
XboxPS2
WindowsOS X
2009 Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack[H] Rockstar Leeds
PS2
PSP
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City[I] Rockstar North
Xbox 360PS3
Windows HD
2010 Grand Theft Auto IV: Complete Edition[J]
Xbox 360PS3
Windows
2021 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition[K] Grove Street Games
Switch[L]PS4PS5Xbox OneXbox Series X/S
Windows Switch[L]
AndroidiOS
3D" (wikipedia.org)
"The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 30 November 2000. It is the successor to the original PlayStation, as well as the second installment in the PlayStation brand of consoles. As a sixth-generation console, it competed with Nintendo's GameCube, Sega's Dreamcast, and Microsoft's Xbox. It is the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold over 155 million units worldwide.
Announced in 1999, Sony began developing the console after the immense success of its predecessor. The highlight of the system was its Emotion Engine processor, co-developed by Sony and Toshiba, which was said to be more powerful than personal computers.[15] The PS2 offered backward-compatibility for its predecessor's DualShock controller, as well as its games.
The PlayStation 2 received widespread critical acclaim upon release. A total of over 4,000 game titles were released worldwide, with over 1.5 billion copies sold.[16] In 2004, Sony released a smaller, lighter revision of the console known as the PS2 Slim. Even after the release of its successor, the PlayStation 3, it remained popular well into the seventh generation. It continued to be produced until the beginning of 2013 when Sony finally announced that it had been discontinued after over twelve years of production, one of the longest lifespans of any video game console. New games for the console continued to be released until even shortly after the end of its life and support from Sony.
History
Background
Released in 1994, the original PlayStation proved to be a phenomenal worldwide success and signalled Sony's rise to power in the video game industry. Its launch elicited critical acclaim and strong sales; it eventually became the first computer entertainment platform to ship over 100 million units.[17] The PlayStation enjoyed particular success outside Japan in part due to Sony's refined development kits, large-scale advertising campaigns, and strong third-party developer support.[18] By the late 1990s Sony had dethroned established rivals Sega and Nintendo in the global video game market.[19][20] Sega, spurred on by its declining market share and significant financial losses,[21] launched the Dreamcast in 1998 as a last-ditch attempt to stay in the industry.[22]
Development
Though Sony has kept details of the PlayStation 2's development secret, Ken Kutaragi, the chief designer of the original PlayStation, reportedly began working on a second console around the time of the original PlayStation's launch in late 1994.[23][24] At some point during development, employees from Argonaut Games, under contract for semiconductor manufacturer LSI Corporation, were instructed to design a rendering chip for Sony's upcoming console.[25] Jez San, founder of Argonaut, recalled that his team had no direct contact with Sony during the development process. Unbeknownst to him, Sony was designing their own chip in-house and had instructed other companies to design rendering chips merely to diversify their options.[25]
By early 1997, the press was reporting that a new PlayStation was being developed and would have backward-compatibility with the original PlayStation, a built-in DVD player, and Internet connectivity.[26][27] However, Sony continued to officially deny that a successor was being developed.[28] Chris Deering, then-president of SCEE recalled that there was a degree of trepidation among Sony leaders to produce a console which would recapture or exceed the success of its predecessor.[29]
Sony announced the PlayStation 2 on March 2, 1999.[30] Sega's Dreamcast enjoyed a successful US launch on September 9 of that year;[30] fuelled by a large marketing campaign, it sold over 500,000 units within two weeks.[31][32]
"PlayStation 2's real-time graphics have no limitations. That's why I chose the colour black as it represents the infinity of the universe. The blue represents the intelligence and life spouting up."
—Teiyu Goto reflecting on the PlayStation 2's aesthetics[33]
Sony unveiled the PlayStation 2 at the Tokyo Game Show on 20 September 1999.[34] Sony showed fully playable demos of upcoming PlayStation 2 games including Gran Turismo 2000 (later released as Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec) and Tekken Tag Tournament—which showed the console's graphic abilities and power.[35]
Launch
The PS2 was launched in March 2000 in Japan, October in North America, and November in Europe. Sales of the console, games and accessories pulled in $250 million on the first day, beating the $97 million made on the first day of the Dreamcast.[36] Directly after its release, it was difficult to find PS2 units on retailer shelves[37] due to manufacturing delays.[38] Another option was purchasing the console online through auction websites such as eBay, where people paid over a thousand dollars for the console.[39] The PS2 initially sold well partly on the basis of the strength of the PlayStation brand and the console's backward compatibility, selling its entire inventory of 1.4 million units in Japan by 31 March 2000, less than a month after launch.[30] Backward compatibility had been widely seen as a desirable feature for consumers since the debut of the first successor video game console, but prior to the PlayStation 2 only one console had featured true backward compatibility (i.e. without the use of add-ons), the Atari 7800, due to the added hardware costs and industry concerns that backward compatibility could cause the console to appear to be a merely a new model of its predecessor or lead developers to prefer making games for the predecessor system.[40]
Later, Sony added new development kits for game developers and more PS2 units for consumers. The PS2's built-in functionality also expanded its audience beyond the gamer,[6] as its debut pricing was less than many standalone DVD players on the market. This made the console a low-cost entry into the home theater market.[41][42]
Marketing for the PlayStation 2 reverted to the same tactic used in the early days of the original PlayStation: use 17-year-olds as the target audience, since younger audiences aspire to be teenagers and older audiences enjoy video games at the same level they did when they were 17.[42]
The success of the PS2 at the end of 2000 caused Sega problems both financially and competitively, and Sega announced the discontinuation of the Dreamcast in March 2001, just 18 months after its successful Western launch. Despite the Dreamcast still receiving support through 2001, the PS2 remained the only sixth-generation console for over 6 months before it faced competition from new rivals: Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox. Many analysts predicted a close three-way matchup among the three consoles. The Xbox had the most powerful hardware, while the GameCube was the least expensive console, and Nintendo changed its policy to encourage third-party developers. While the PlayStation 2 theoretically had the weakest specification of the three, it had a head start due to its installed base plus strong developer commitment, as well as a built-in DVD player (the Xbox required an adapter, while the GameCube lacked support entirely).[43] While the PlayStation 2's initial games lineup was considered mediocre, this changed during the 2001 holiday season with the release of several blockbuster games that maintained the PS2's sales momentum and held off its newer rivals. Sony also countered the Xbox by securing timed PlayStation 2 exclusives for highly anticipated games such as the Grand Theft Auto series and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty.[44]
Sony cut the price of the console in May 2002 from US$299 to $199 in North America,[45] making it the same price as the GameCube and $100 less than the Xbox. It also planned to cut the price in Japan around that time.[46] It cut the price twice in Japan in 2003.[47] In 2006, Sony cut the cost of the console in anticipation of the release of the PlayStation 3.[47]
Unlike Sega's Dreamcast, Sony originally placed little emphasis on online gaming during its first few years, although that changed upon the launch of the online-capable Xbox. Coinciding with the release of Xbox Live, Sony released the PlayStation Network Adapter in late 2002, with several online first-party titles released alongside it, such as SOCOM U.S. Navy SEALs to demonstrate its active support for Internet play.[48] Sony also advertised heavily, and its online model had the support of Electronic Arts (EA); EA did not offer online Xbox titles until 2004. Although Sony and Nintendo both started late, and although both followed a decentralized model of online gaming where the responsibility is up to the developer to provide the servers, Sony's moves made online gaming a major selling point of the PS2.
In September 2004, in time for the launch of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Sony revealed a newer, slimmer model of the PlayStation 2. In preparation for the launch of the new models (SCPH-700xx-9000x), Sony stopped making the older models (SCPH-3000x-500xx) to let the distribution channel empty its stock of the units.[citation needed] After an apparent manufacturing issue—Sony reportedly underestimated demand—caused some initial slowdown in producing the new unit caused in part by shortages between the time Sony cleared out the old units and the new units were ready. The issue was compounded in Britain when a Russian oil tanker became stuck in the Suez Canal, blocking a ship from China carrying PS2s bound for the UK. During one week in November, British sales totalled 6,000 units—compared to 70,000 units a few weeks prior.[49] There were shortages in more than 1,700 shops in North America on the day before Christmas.[50]
Later years and discontinuation
In 2010, Sony introduced a TV with a built-in PlayStation 2.[51][52]
The PlayStation 2 continued to be produced until 2013 when Sony finally announced that it had been discontinued after over twelve years of production—one of the longest lifespans of any video game console. New games for the console continued to be made until the end of 2013, including Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin for Japan, and FIFA 14 for North America.[53] The last game to be released on the PlayStation 2 is Pro Evolution Soccer 2014, which was released in the United Kingdom on 8 November 2013. Repair services for the system in Japan ended on 7 September 2018.
Hardware
Technical specifications
Main article: PlayStation 2 technical specifications
Emotion Engine CPU
PlayStation 2 graphics synthesiser
I/O processor
Emotion Engine CPU
Graphics synthesiser
DSP
memory controller
SCPH-10000 motherboard
SCPH-70001 motherboard
Scratchpad memory controller
An early SCPH-10000 motherboard
A late SCPH-70001 motherboard
The PlayStation 2's main central processing unit (CPU) is the 64-bit R5900-based "Emotion Engine", custom-designed by Sony and Toshiba.[54][a] The Emotion Engine consists of eight separate "units", each performing a specific task, integrated onto the same die. These units include a central CPU core, two Vector Processing Units (VPU), a 10-channel DMA unit, a memory controller, and an Image Processing Unit (IPU). There are three interfaces: an input output interface to the I/O processor running at a clock speed of 36.864MHz, a graphics interface to the graphics synthesiser, and a memory interface to the system memory.[55] The Emotion Engine CPU has a clock rate of 294.912 MHz (299 MHz on newer versions) and 6,000 MIPS, with a floating point performance of 6.2 GFLOPS.[10]
The GPU is likewise custom-designed for the console, named the "Graphics Synthesiser". It has a fillrate of 2.4 gigapixels per second, capable of rendering up to 75 million polygons per second.[56] The GPU also runs with a clock frequency of 147.456 MHz (which is half the clock speed of the Emotion Engine), 4 MB of DRAM is capable of transmitting a display output of 1280 x 1024 pixels on both PAL and NTSC televisions.[57] The PlayStation 2 has a maximum colour depth of 16.7 million true colours.[58] When accounting for features such as lighting, texture mapping, artificial intelligence, and game physics, the console has a real-world performance of 25 million polygons per second.[57] The PlayStation 2 also features two USB ports, and one IEEE 1394 (Firewire) port for SCPH-10000 to 3900x models only. A hard disk drive can be installed in an expansion bay on the back of the console, and is required to play certain games, notably the popular Final Fantasy XI.[59]
Software for the PlayStation 2 was distributed primarily on DVD-ROMs,[60] with some titles being published on blue-tinted CD-ROM format. In addition, the console can play audio CDs and DVD films and is backward-compatible with almost all original PlayStation games.[57] The PlayStation 2 also supports PlayStation memory cards and controllers, although original PlayStation memory cards will only work with original PlayStation games[61] and the controllers may not support all functions (such as analogue buttons) for PlayStation 2 games.
The standard PlayStation 2 memory card has an 8 megabyte (MB) capacity[62] and features MagicGate encryption. There are a variety of non-Sony manufactured memory cards available for the PlayStation 2, allowing for a memory capacity larger than the standard 8 MB.
The PlayStation 2 can natively output video resolutions on SDTV and HDTV from 480i to 480p, and some games, such as Gran Turismo 4 and Tourist Trophy, are known to support up-scaled 1080i resolution[63] using any of the following standards: composite video[64] [should read component video - the higher resolution RGB connector for video ](480i), S-Video[65] (480i), RGB[66] (480i/p), VGA[67] (for progressive scan games and PS2 Linux only), YPBPR component [should read composite video - the single, lower resolution yellow connector for video] video[68] (which display most original PlayStation games in their native 240p mode which most HDTV sets do not support[69]), and D-Terminal.[70] Cables are available for all of these signal types; these cables also output analogue stereo audio. Additionally, an RF modulator is available for the system to connect to older TVs.[71]
Models
Main article: PlayStation 2 models
Rear of the slim model, showing its built-in networking
The PlayStation 2 has undergone many revisions,[72] some only of internal construction and others involving substantial external changes.
The PS2 is primarily differentiated between models featuring the original "fat" case design and "slimline" models, which were introduced at the end of 2004. In 2010, the Sony Bravia KDL-22PX300 was made available to consumers. It was a 22" HD-Ready television which incorporated a built-in PlayStation 2.[73][74]
The PS2 standard color is matte black. Several variations in color were produced in different quantities and regions, including ceramic white, light yellow, metallic blue (aqua), metallic silver, navy (star blue), opaque blue (astral blue), opaque black (midnight black), pearl white, sakura purple, satin gold, satin silver, snow white, super red, transparent blue (ocean blue), and also Limited Edition color Pink, which was distributed in some regions such as Oceania, and parts of Asia.[75][76]
In September 2004, Sony unveiled its third major hardware revision. Available in late October 2004, it was smaller, thinner, and quieter than the original versions and included a built-in Ethernet port (in some markets it also had an integrated modem). Due to its thinner profile, it did not contain the 3.5" expansion bay and therefore did not support the internal hard disk drive. It also lacked an internal power supply until a later revision (excluding the Japan version), similar to the GameCube, and had a modified Multitap expansion. The removal of the expansion bay was criticized as a limitation due to the existence of titles such as Final Fantasy XI, which required the HDD use.
Sony also manufactured a consumer device called the PSX that can be used as a digital video recorder and DVD burner in addition to playing PS2 games. The device was released in Japan on 13 December 2003, and was the first Sony product to include the XrossMediaBar interface. It did not sell well in the Japanese market and was not widely released anywhere else.[77]
Online support
Main article: PlayStation 2 online functionality
See also: List of PlayStation 2 online games
PlayStation 2 users had the option to play select games over the Internet, using dial-up or a broadband Internet connection. The PlayStation 2 Network Adaptor was required for the original models, while the slim models included built-in networking ports. Instead of having a unified, subscription-based online service like Xbox Live as competitor Microsoft later chose for its Xbox console, online multiplayer functionality on the PlayStation 2 was the responsibility of the game publisher and ran on third-party servers. Many games that supported online play exclusively supported broadband Internet access.
Controllers
Main article: PlayStation 2 accessories
The PS2's controller, the DualShock 2, had the same form factor as the PlayStation DualShock.
The PlayStation 2's DualShock 2 controller retains most of the same functionality as its predecessor. However, it includes analogue pressure sensitivity to over 100 individual levels of depth on the face, shoulder and D-pad buttons,[10] replacing the digital buttons of the original.[78] Like its predecessor, the DualShock 2 controller has force feedback, or "vibration" functionality. It is lighter and includes two more levels of vibration.
Specialized controllers include light guns (GunCon), fishing rod and reel controllers, a Dragon Quest VIII "slime" controller, a Final Fantasy X-2 "Tiny Bee" dual pistol controller, an Onimusha 3 katana controller, and a Resident Evil 4 chainsaw controller.
Peripherals
EyeToy
DVD remote
Multiplayer Adaptor
EyeToy camera
DVD remote
8MB memory card
SingStar microphone
Composite cables
Network adaptor
SingStar microphone
Composite cables
Network adaptor
Buzz Controller
Buzz Controller
Optional hardware includes additional DualShock or DualShock 2 controllers, a PS2 DVD remote control, an internal or external hard disk drive (HDD), a network adapter, horizontal and vertical stands, PlayStation or PS2 memory cards, the multitap for PlayStation or PS2, a USB motion camera (EyeToy), a USB keyboard and mouse, and a headset.
The original PS2 multitap (SCPH-10090) cannot be plugged into the newer slim models. The multitap connects to the memory card slot and the controller slot, and the memory card slot on the slimline is shallower. New slim-design multitaps (SCPH-70120) were manufactured for these models; however, third-party adapters also permit original multitaps to be used.
Early versions of the PS2 could be networked via an i.LINK port, though this had little game support and was dropped. Some third-party manufacturers have created devices that allow disabled people to access the PS2 through ordinary switches, etc.
Some third-party companies, such as JoyTech, have produced LCD monitor and speaker attachments for the PS2, which attach to the back of the console. These allow users to play games without access to a television as long as there is access to mains electricity or a similar power source. These screens can fold down onto the PS2 in a similar fashion to laptop screens.
There are many accessories for musical games, such as dance pads for Dance Dance Revolution, In the Groove, and Pump It Up titles and High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance. Konami microphones for use with the Karaoke Revolution games, dual microphones (sold with and used exclusively for SingStar games), various "guitar" controllers (for the Guitar Freaks series and Guitar Hero series), the drum set controller (sold in a box set (or by itself) with a "guitar" controller and a USB microphone (for use with Rock Band and Guitar Hero series, World Tour and newer), and a taiko drum controller for Taiko: Drum Master.
Unlike the PlayStation, which requires the use of an official Sony PlayStation Mouse to play mouse-compatible games, the few PS2 games with mouse support work with a standard USB mouse as well as a USB trackball.[79] In addition, some of these games also support the usage of a USB keyboard for text input, game control (instead of a DualShock or DualShock 2 gamepad, in tandem with a USB mouse), or both.
Game library
See also: List of PlayStation 2 games, List of best-selling PlayStation 2 video games, List of PlayStation games incompatible with PlayStation 2, List of cancelled PlayStation 2 video games, and Lists of downloadable PlayStation 2 games
A screenshot from Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, the PlayStation 2's second best-selling game
PlayStation 2 software is distributed on CD-ROM and DVD-ROM; the two formats are differentiated by their discs' bottoms, with CD-ROMs being blue and DVD-ROMs being silver. The PlayStation 2 offered some particularly high-profile exclusive games. Most main entries in the Grand Theft Auto, Final Fantasy, and Metal Gear Solid series were released exclusively for the console. Several prolific series got their start on the PlayStation 2, including God of War, Ratchet & Clank, Jak and Daxter, Devil May Cry, Kingdom Hearts, and Sly Cooper. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the best-selling game on the console.
Game releases peaked in 2004, but declined with the release of the PlayStation 3 in 2006. The last new games for the console were Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin in Asia, FIFA 14 in North America,[53] and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 in Europe. As of 30 June 2007, a total of 10,035 software titles had been released worldwide including games released in multiple regions as separate titles.[80]
Reception
Initial reviews in 2000 of the PlayStation 2 highly acclaimed the console, with reviewers commending its hardware and graphics capabilities, its ability to play DVDs, and the system's backwards compatibility with games and hardware for the original PlayStation. Early points of criticism included the lack of online support at the time, its inclusion of only two controller ports, and the system's price at launch compared to the Dreamcast in 2000.[81][82] PC Magazine in 2001 called the console "outstanding", praising its "noteworthy components" such as the Emotion Engine CPU, 32MB of RAM, support for IEEE 1394 (branded as "i.LINK" by Sony and "FireWire" by Apple), and the console's two USB ports while criticizing its "expensive" games and its support for only two controllers without the multitap accessory.[83]
Later reviews, especially after the launch of the competing GameCube and Xbox systems, continued to praise the PlayStation 2's large game library and DVD playback, while routinely criticizing the PlayStation 2's lesser graphics performance compared to the newer systems and its rudimentary online service compared to Xbox Live. In 2002, CNET rated the console 7.3 out of 10, calling it a "safe bet" despite not being the "newest or most powerful", noting that the console "yields in-game graphics with more jagged edges". CNET also criticized the DVD playback functionality, claiming that the console's video quality was "passable" and that the playback controls were "rudimentary", recommending users to purchase a remote control. The console's two controller ports and the high cost of its memory cards were also a point of criticism.[84]
The slim model of the PlayStation 2 received positive reviews for its incredibly small size and built-in networking, but received criticism for easily overheating due to exclusion of the original model’s built-in fan. The requirement for a separate power adapter was criticized while the top-loading disc drive was noted as being less likely to break compared to the tray-loading drive of the original model.[85][86]
Sales
Main article: PlayStation 2 sales
Demand for the PlayStation 2 remained strong throughout much of its lifespan, selling over 1.4 million units in Japan by 31 March 2000. Over 10.6 million units were sold worldwide by 31 March 2001.[87] In 2005, the PlayStation 2 became the fastest game console to reach 100 million units shipped, accomplishing the feat within 5 years and 9 months from its launch; this was surpassed 4 years later when the Nintendo DS reached 100 million shipments in 4 years and 5 months from its launch.[88] By July 2009, the system had sold 138.8 million units worldwide, with 51 million of those units sold in PAL regions.[89]
Overall, over 155 million PlayStation 2 units were sold worldwide by 31 March 2012,[90] the year Sony officially stopped supplying updated sales numbers of the system." (wikipedia.org)
"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fourth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, and the sixth instalment overall. Set in 1986 within the fictional Vice City (based on Miami and Miami Beach), the single-player story follows mobster Tommy Vercetti's rise to power after being released from prison and becoming caught up in an ambushed drug deal. While seeking out those responsible, he gradually builds a criminal empire by seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city.
The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The open world design lets the player freely roam Vice City, consisting of two main islands. The game's plot is based on multiple real-world people and events in Miami such as Cubans, Haitians, and biker gangs, the 1980s crack epidemic, the Mafioso drug lords of Miami, and the dominance of glam metal. The game was also influenced by the films and television of the era, most notably Scarface and Miami Vice. Much of the development work constituted creating the game world to fit the inspiration and time period; the development team conducted extensive field research in Miami while creating the world. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released in October 2002 for the PlayStation 2, in May 2003 for Windows, and in October 2003 for the Xbox.
Upon its release, Vice City received critical acclaim, with praise particularly directed at its music, gameplay, story, and open world design. However, the game also generated controversy over its depiction of violence and racial groups, sparking lawsuits and protests. Vice City became the best-selling video game of 2002 and has sold over 17.5 million copies. Considered one of the most significant titles of the sixth generation of video games and one of the greatest video games ever made, it won numerous year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications.
Since its release, the game has received numerous ports to many gaming platforms. An enhanced version was released for mobile platforms in 2012 for the game's tenth anniversary, and a further enhanced version was released in 2021. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was released in October 2004, and a prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, was released in October 2006.
Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player controls criminal Tommy Vercetti and completes missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. It is possible to have several missions available at a time, as some missions require the player to wait for further instructions or events. Outside of missions, the player can freely roam the game's open world and has the ability to complete optional side missions.[3] Composed of two main islands and several smaller areas, the world is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series.[b] The islands are unlocked for the player as the story progresses.[5]
Gameplay screenshot of the player character driving a motorcycle through a busy city street.
The player can ride motorcycles in Vice City, unlike its predecessor.
The player may run, jump, or drive vehicles to navigate the game's world. The player uses melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies. The firearms include weapons such as the Colt Python, an M60 machine gun and a Minigun.[6][7] The game's three-dimension environment allows a first-person view while aiming with the sniper rifle and rocket launcher. In addition, the game's combat allows the player to commit drive-by shootings by facing sideways in a vehicle.[8][9] The game provides the player a wide variety of weapon options—they can be purchased from local firearms dealers, found on the ground, retrieved from dead enemies, or found around the city.[10]
In combat, auto-aim can be used as assistance against enemies.[11] Should the player take damage, their health meter can be fully regenerated through the use of health pick-ups.[12] Body armour can be used to absorb gunshots and explosive damage, but is used up in the process.[13] When health is entirely depleted, gameplay stops and the player respawns at the nearest hospital while losing all weapons and armour and some of their money.[5] If the player commits crimes while playing, the game's law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD), which increases as the player commits more crimes. On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level, and the higher the level, the greater the response for law enforcement[5] (for example, at the maximum six-star level, police helicopters and military swarm to lethally dispatch players).[8]
During the story, Tommy meets characters from various gangs. As the player completes missions for different gangs, fellow gang members will often defend the player, while rival gang members will recognise the player and subsequently shoot on sight. While free roaming the game world, the player may engage in activities such as a vigilante minigame, a fire fighting activity, a paramedic service and a taxi cab service. Completion of these activities grants the player with context-specific rewards.[9] As Tommy builds his criminal empire, the player may purchase a number of properties distributed across the city, some of which act as additional hideouts where weapons can be collected and vehicles can be stored.[14] There are also a variety of businesses which can be purchased, including a pornographic film studio, a taxi company, and several entertainment clubs. Each commercial property has a number of missions attached to it, such as eliminating competition or stealing equipment; once all missions are complete, the property begins to generate an ongoing income available for the player.[8]
Plot
In 1986, mobster Tommy Vercetti (voiced by Ray Liotta) is released from prison after serving a fifteen-year sentence for murder. His boss Sonny Forelli (Tom Sizemore), seeking to establish drug operations in the south, sends Tommy to Vice City to oversee an important drug deal alongside crooked lawyer Ken Rosenberg (William Fichtner). However, the deal is ambushed by unknown assailants, with Tommy and Ken barely escaping. Angered upon hearing the news, Sonny orders Tommy to recover the drugs, alongside the money he gave to him, under threat of consequences. Seeking information, Ken points Tommy towards retired army colonel Juan Garcia Cortez (Robert Davi), who helped set up the exchange. Expressing regret for the ambush, Cortez promises to find out who masterminded it.
While investigating, Tommy meets with several people who offer him help: music director Kent Paul (Danny Dyer), who maintains connections with the city's criminal underworld; Lance Vance (Philip Michael Thomas), who aided in the deal and lost his brother in the ambush; Texan business tycoon Avery Carrington (Burt Reynolds), who in return enlists Tommy's help with several deals; and drug kingpin Ricardo Diaz (Luis Guzmán), who employs both Tommy and Lance. Eventually, Cortez begins voicing his suspicions that Diaz organised the ambush. Upon further investigation, Lance discovers this to be the truth and, against Tommy's advice, tries to kill Diaz, only to get himself captured. After Tommy saves Lance, the pair find themselves forced to kill Diaz before he can retaliate. With Diaz dead, Tommy takes over his assets and, at Avery's suggestion, works to expand his new criminal empire by forcing businesses to pay him protection money and buying out nearly bankrupt companies to use as fronts for illicit operations. At the same time, Tommy provides assistance to several prominent gang leaders in the hopes they will support his expansion, and helps Cortez flee the city with stolen military equipment.
Eventually, Sonny discovers that Tommy has gained complete control over Vice City's drug trade without cutting the Forellis in. Enraged at his independence, Sonny sends mobsters to forcefully collect money from Tommy's businesses. In response, Tommy kills Sonny's men and severs his ties with him. Later, learning Sonny is personally coming to Vice City to collect what he believes he is owed, Tommy prepares to pay him tribute with counterfeit money. However, Sonny reveals that he was responsible for Tommy's arrest fifteen years prior, and that Lance has betrayed him and allied himself with the Forellis, having felt inadequate in Tommy's presence since his rise to power. A shootout ensues in Tommy's mansion, during which he prevents the Forellis from stealing his money and murders Lance for his betrayal, before finally killing Sonny in a tense standoff. When Ken arrives to a scene of carnage, Tommy quickly reassures him that everything is now fine, as he has finally established himself as the undisputed crime kingpin of Vice City.
Development
A middle-aged man looking towards the camera.
Leslie Benzies
A bald middle-aged man smiling at the camera.
Dan Houser
A middle-aged man with brown hair and a bushy brown beard smiling at the camera.
Sam Houser
Benzies produced the game alongside Dan Houser, who also co-wrote the story. Sam Houser, president of Rockstar Games, executive-produced the game.
Rockstar North's core 50-person team led the eighteen-month development of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.[15] Full production began in late 2001, as Grand Theft Auto III was nearing completion;[16] while early development only involved creating 3D models, executive producer Sam Houser said "it really kicked off at the beginning of 2002" and lasted about nine months.[17] After the release of the Windows version of Grand Theft Auto III, the development team discussed creating a mission pack for the game that would add new weapons, vehicles, and missions. Upon further discussion, the team decided to make this concept a stand-alone game, which became Vice City.[18] The game was announced on 22 May 2002, during the Electronic Entertainment Expo.[19] It was Rockstar North's most expensive game at the time, with a budget of US$5 million.[20] On 5 September 2002, the company announced that the release date of 22 October had been postponed until 29 October to meet product demand.[21] By 15 October 2002, development of Vice City stopped as the game was submitted for manufacturing.[22] It was released for the PlayStation 2 on 29 October 2002 in North America, and on 8 November in Europe.[23] Capcom published the game in Japan on 20 May 2004 for PlayStation 2 and Windows.[24] The game was added to the Rockstar Games Launcher in September 2019.[25]
Setting
The game is set in 1986 in fictional Vice City, which is based heavily on the city of Miami.[26] Vice City previously appeared in the original Grand Theft Auto (1997); the development team decided to reuse the location and incorporate ideas from within the studio and the fanbase.[27] They wanted to satirise a location that was not contemporary, unlike Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City.[16] The team wanted to choose a location that had various similarities and differences to New York City—the inspiration of Liberty City—eventually leading them to Miami, which producer Leslie Benzies describes as "a party town, all sun and sea and sex, but with that same dark edge underneath".[18] Sam Houser called it "the grooviest era of crime because it didn't even feel like it was crime ... it was a totally topsy-turvy back-to-front period of time".[28] The team intended to make Vice City a "living, breathing city", for the player to feel like "life still goes on" while the character is inside a building.[29]
The game's look, particularly the clothing and vehicles, reflect its 1980s setting. Many themes are borrowed from the major films Scarface (1983) and Carlito's Way (1993),[26] the latter for its characterisation and portrayal of nuanced criminals. The television series Miami Vice (1984–89) was also a major influence and was regularly watched by the team throughout development.[30] Art director Aaron Garbut used the series as a reference point in creating neon lighting.[28] In recreating a 1980s setting, the team found it "relatively painless" due to the distinct culture of the time period and the team's familiarity of the era.[30] The art team was provided with large volumes of research, as well as reference photographs from other members of the development team. The team organised field research trips to Miami shortly after the development of Grand Theft Auto III, splitting into small teams and observing the streets.[30][31]
Story and characters
A 59 year-old man looking at the camera
Ray Liotta voiced protagonist Tommy Vercetti.[32]
The team spent time "solving [the] riddle" of a speaking protagonist, a notable departure from Grand Theft Auto III's silent protagonist Claude.[33] Ray Liotta portrayed protagonist Tommy Vercetti. Liotta described the role as challenging: "You're creating a character that's not there before ... It's so intensive". When recording the role, the team used blue screen in order to allow Liotta to visualise "how it's gonna move".[32] The team ensured that the player felt "real affinity" for Tommy, making the narrative a key development interest.[16] Dan Houser described Tommy as "strong and dangerous and prepared to wait for the right opportunity to arrive".[31] Director Navid Khonsari found Liotta occasionally difficult to work with.[34] "In some sessions he was ... into it, but then sometimes ... he was very dark and couldn't work", said Sam Houser.[35]
The majority of the game's animations were original, with only a few borrowed from Grand Theft Auto III. For the characters, the team used motion capture and stop motion animation techniques; cutscenes use the former, while gameplay movements use a combination of both techniques. The team encountered difficulty in animating motorcycle animations, due in part to the variety of models.[36] Pedestrian character models use skins in Vice City, allowing the artists to produce more realistic characters. There are 110 unique pedestrian models throughout the game world alongside roughly 50 story characters; each character is rendered using twice the amount of polygons and textures found in Grand Theft Auto III.[26][31] This also impacted the character physics, improving gameplay aspects such as weapon-hit accuracy.[37] Some character models and scenarios were inspired by films such as The Godfather (1972), and the game's presentation was inspired by action television shows of the 1980s.[38] The interplay between Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance was crafted to be similar to the relationship of Miami Vice's Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs.[39]
Sound design and music production
The game features 8,000 lines of recorded dialogue, four times the amount in Grand Theft Auto III.[31] It contains over 90 minutes of cutscenes and nine hours of music,[31] with more than 113 songs and commercials.[40] The team was interested in the challenge of creating the game's soundtrack, particularly in contrast to Grand Theft Auto III's music, which Sam Houser described as "clearly satirical and its own thing".[17] In developing the radio stations, the team wanted to reinforce the game's setting by collating a variety of songs from the 1980s and therefore performed extensive research.[41] The radio stations were published by Epic Records in seven albums—known collectively as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set—alongside the game in October 2002.[42][43] Vice City contains about "three times as much" talk radio as Grand Theft Auto III. Producer and talk show host Lazlow Jones stated that the small percentage of station listeners that actually call in are "insane"; in Vice City, the team "bumped it up a notch", emphasising the extremity. Dan Houser felt that the talk stations give depth to the game world.[44]
Critical reception
Initial release
PlayStation 2 version reception
Aggregate scoreAggregator Score
Metacritic 95/100[45]
Review scoresPublication Score
AllGame [3]
Edge 8/10[14]
Eurogamer 10/10[5]
Game Informer 10/10[46]
GameRevolution A[8]
GameSpot 9.6/10[9]
GameSpy 95/100[47]
IGN 9.7/10[48]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released to critical acclaim. Metacritic calculated an average score of 95 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 62 reviews. It is Metacritic's highest-rated PlayStation 2 game of 2002,[45] and the fifth-highest rated PlayStation 2 game overall, tied with a number of others.[c] Reviewers liked the game's sound and music,[3][8] open-ended gameplay,[46][48] and open world design,[5][47] though some criticism was directed at the controls and technical issues.[9][14] IGN's Douglass Perry declared it "one of the most impressive games of 2002",[48] and GameSpy's Raymond Padilla named the experience "deep, devilishly enjoyable, and unique".[47]
Reviewers generally considered the missions an improvement over Grand Theft Auto III, although some noted occasional awkwardness and frustration.[9][47] IGN's Perry wrote that the game's missions give the player "a stronger feeling of being inside a story within a world that truly exists".[48] Game Informer's Matt Helgeson found the missions to be more complex,[46] and AllGame's Scott Alan Marriott felt that the storyline was improved as a result. Marriott also found the lead character of Tommy to be more engaging than Grand Theft Auto III's Claude;[3] IGN's Perry felt that Rockstar "found the right person and the right choice",[48] and Edge wrote that Tommy "sweats charisma", commending Ray Liotta's performance.[14]
An urban city centre, surrounded by trees with a blimp in the sky, at sunset.
Vice City, the city featured in the game's open world. Reviewers praised its design and detail, noting that it felt more alive than Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City.
The game's open world design was praised by reviewers, many of whom felt that it contained more detail and felt more alive than its predecessors.[3][5] GameSpy's Padilla made favourable comparisons between Vice City and Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City, noting the former's level of detail.[47] Game Revolution's Ben Silverman wrote that the game's depth is "unparalleled", praising the world's realism and detail,[8] while AllGame's Marriott commended the "ambitious scope in design".[3]
Marriott of AllGame named Vice City an "unforgettable listening experience",[3] and Perry of IGN declared the music as "the most impressive list of songs in a game".[48] Many reviewers commended the game's radio stations and talk radio,[5][9] and felt that the game's collection of licensed 1980s music fit the tone and time period of the world.[8][47] The voice acting also received praise;[46] GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann named the cast of characters "colorful and memorable",[9] and IGN's Perry found the voice acting "among one of the best of its kind".[48] Game Revolution's Silverman felt that the acting "gives the story credence".[8]
Many reviewers found that the game offers a better variety of vehicles than Grand Theft Auto III,[5][46][47] and found them easier to control;[8] GameSpot's Gerstmann named the driving "more exciting and dangerous",[9] and IGN's Perry found the motorcycle's controls pleasing.[48] In addition to the vehicle handling, reviewers noted improvements in the targeting and shooting mechanics, although still recognised issues.[3][8][9][48] Helgeson of Game Informer wrote that "targeting is improved to the point where combat can actually be fun".[46]
Some reviewers recognised an improved draw distance over Grand Theft Auto III, although many identified frame rate drops during hardware-intense sequences.[9][47][48] The changes in character models polarised reviews; while GameSpy's Padilla and IGN's Perry noted the improvement in character models,[47][48] Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell considered it "maddening to see that character ... models haven't been smartened up at all".[5] The game's artificial intelligence and long load times were frequently criticised in reviews,[5][9][14] and many reviewers noted the awkward camera angles and environment during gameplay.[3][14][46]
Windows version
Windows version reception
Aggregate scoreAggregator Score
Metacritic 94/100[50]
Review scoresPublication Score
AllGame [51]
Eurogamer 9/10[52]
GameSpot 9.6/10[11]
GameSpy 93/100[53]
IGN 9.3/10[54]
When Vice City was released to Windows in May 2003, it received similar critical acclaim. Metacritic calculated an average score of 94 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 30 reviews.[50] It was the highest-rated Windows game on Metacritic in 2003.[55] Reviewers liked the visual enhancements,[11][53] and were generally positive towards the control improvements.[51][52][54]
The port's visuals received a positive response from reviewers. AllGame's Mark Hoogland praised the improved car details, environment textures, and weather effects;[51] GameSpot's Greg Kasavin echoed similar remarks, noting occasional frame rate drops.[11] GameSpy's Sal Accardo commended the draw distance improvements, identifying very few texture issues.[53] IGN's Steve Butts found the port's system requirements to be reasonable, unlike Grand Theft Auto III, and praised the faster load times.[54] Eurogamer's Martin Taylor was critical of the visuals, stating that the higher resolutions "aren't kind to the overall visual quality", and criticising the hardware requirements.[52]
The control changes of the port were generally well received. Most reviewers found the targeting and shooting mechanics to be improved with mouse and keyboard controls;[11][54] Eurogamer's Taylor called them "far more fluid",[52] and GameSpy's Accardo wrote "there's simply no substitute for aiming with a mouse".[53] However, the driving control changes were widely criticised;[5] IGN's Butts called it "crap".[54] AllGame's Hoogland found the controls to be "more forgiving" over time.[51]
Mobile version
Mobile version reception
Aggregate scoreAggregator Score
Metacritic 80/100[56]
Review scoresPublication Score
Destructoid 7.5/10[57]
IGN 7.7/10[2]
Pocket Gamer 8/10[58]
TouchArcade [59]
Digital Spy [60]
NowGamer 7/10[61]
The Telegraph [62]
When Vice City was released on mobile devices in December 2012,[63][64] it received "generally favorable" reviews. Metacritic calculated an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 19 reviews.[56] Reviewers liked the enhanced visuals,[2][57] but criticism was directed at the touchscreen controls.[60][58]
The port's visuals were well received. Destructoid's Chris Carter felt that they "[suit] the neon and bright pastel veneer", and wrote that the "new lighting effects and smoothed-out engine really allow the game to pop like it never has before".[57] IGN's Justin Davis praised the updated character models, lighting, and textures,[2] and Touch Arcade's Eric Ford noted that the "visuals are improved but not in a drastic manner".[59] NowGamer found that the mobile display improves the visual enjoyment of the game, despite the issues with the original game.[61] Tom Hoggins of The Telegraph identified some issues with character models, but stated "the city looks terrific".[62]
Most reviewers criticised the port's touchscreen controls. Pocket Gamer's Mark Brown found them "not ideal", but noted that this was also the case in the original game,[58] while Digital Spy's Scott Nichols felt that the game "only complicated [the controls] further".[60] IGN's Davis was thankful for the addition of customisable controls, and wrote that they "make the experience much more controllable",[2] and Touch Arcade's Ford greatly appreciated the developer's efforts to "make the situation bearable".[59] Destructoid's Carter spoke favourably of the controls, despite noting awkward character movement,[57] while The Telegraph's Hoggins found the controls "far more accomplished" than Grand Theft Auto III's mobile port.[62]
Commercial performance
Sales
Within 24 hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sold over 500,000 copies.[65] Within two days of its release, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sold 1.4 million copies, making it the fastest-selling game in history at the time.[66] It was the highest-selling game of 2002 in the United States;[67] by 2004, the game had sold 5.97 million units,[68] and by December 2007 it had sold 8.20 million.[69] By July 2006, it had sold 7 million copies and earned $300 million in the United States alone. Next Generation ranked it as the highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country, beating Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[70] In February 2005, it was re-released as part of PlayStation's Greatest Hits selection, indicating high sales.[71] In Japan, Vice City sold about 223,000 copies in its first week and over 410,000 by January 2008.[72] The game earned a "Diamond" award in the United Kingdom, indicating over one million sales.[73] By March 2008, the game had sold 17.5 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling PlayStation 2 games.[74]
Accolades
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City received multiple nominations and awards from gaming publications. It was named the Best PlayStation 2 game at the 1st British Academy Games Awards,[75] the Golden Joystick Awards,[76] and from Entertainment Weekly,[77] IGN,[78] and GameSpot.[79] It was also awarded the prestigious Ultimate Game at the Golden Joystick Awards.[80] The game was awarded Best Action/Adventure Game from the British Academy Games Awards,[81] GameSpot,[82] and IGN.[83] The game's sound also received several awards and nominations: it won Best Music from GameSpot,[84] and was nominated for Best Sound,[85] and it won the award for Sound at the British Academy Games Awards.[86] It won Design at the British Academy Games Awards[87] and was nominated for Best Graphics (Technical and Artistic) by GameSpot.[88][89] The game was the runner-up for IGN's Reader's Choice Overall Game of the Year[90] and was nominated for GameSpot's award for Best Story.[91] It was awarded Best PC Game at the British Academy Games Awards.[92]
Controversies
Similar to its predecessors, Vice City generated several controversies. It has been labelled as violent and explicit and is considered highly controversial by many special interest groups.[93][94][95][96] Peter Hartlaub of SFGate noted the game's "mindless violence", but simply attributed it to the developers' attempt to achieve accuracy.[97] Jeremy Pope, who worked on various Rockstar games including Vice City, vowed never to work on violent games again due to their portrayal in mainstream media.[98] In Australia, the game was pre-edited to receive an MA15+ classification;[99] an uncensored version was released in the region in 2010, retaining its classification.[100]
The game allows the player to fight immigrant gangs made up of Haitians (pictured) and Cubans, and missions involve fighting both gangs. Civil rights organisations accused the game of inviting ethnic violence, and of featuring discriminatory phrases.
In November 2003, the Haitian Centers Council and Haitian Americans for Human Rights staged a protest in New York publicly criticising the game, contending that it invited the player to harm Haitian immigrants and claiming that it depicted Haitians as "thugs, thieves and drug dealers".[101] In response, Rockstar issued a press release apologising and acknowledging the concern, but insisted that the violence should be taken within the context of the game, which also contains violence towards other ethnic groups.[102] When New York mayor Michael Bloomberg threatened distributor Take-Two Interactive with legal action, the company apologised and removed offensive statements from future copies of the game.[103] In January 2004, North Miami's majority Haitian-American council filed an ordinance to ban the selling or renting of violent games to anyone under 18 without parental permission. The proposal, apparently sparked by Vice City, was supported by North Miami mayor Josaphat Celestin, who stated "We don't believe the First Amendment was written to protect those who want to incite violence".[104] The case was later downgraded from federal court to state court.[105]
On 7 June 2003, 18-year-old Devin Moore shot and killed two Alabamian police officers and a dispatcher before fleeing in a patrol car; he was later apprehended. In statements to police, Moore reportedly said "Life is like a video game. Everybody's got to die sometime".[106] A $600 million lawsuit was filed against Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Sony Computer Entertainment, GameStop, and Wal-Mart, claiming that Moore frequently played Vice City and that his experience with the game led him to commit the crimes. The plaintiffs' attorney, Jack Thompson, claimed the graphic nature of the game caused Moore to commit the murders.[107] Thompson removed himself from the case Strickland v. Sony in November 2005[108] after being scrutinised by the judge for unprofessional conduct.[109] In March 2006, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the defendants to dismiss the case.[110]
In September 2006, Thompson brought another $600 million lawsuit against Cody Posey, Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, and Sony Computer Entertainment.[111][112] The lawsuit claimed that 14-year-old Posey played the game obsessively before murdering his father, stepmother, and stepsister on a ranch in Hondo, New Mexico.[113] Posey's defence team argued that he was abused by his father[114] and was taking Zoloft at the time of the killings.[115] The suit alleged that the murders would not have taken place if Posey had not obsessively played Vice City.[116] The case was dismissed in December 2007, as New Mexico held no jurisdiction over Sony or Take-Two.[117]
In July 2017, the Psychic Readers Network (PRN) sued Rockstar over the character named Auntie Poulet, alleging similarities between the character and Youree Harris, who voiced the character.[118] Brandon J. Huffman, a lawyer for Odin Law and Media, noted that PRN's lawsuit faced challenges due to the timing of the lawsuit, as the Eleventh Circuit's statute of limitations for copyright infringement is three years; the lawsuit was filed almost 15 years after the game's release. Huffman added that Take-Two could also claim parody or settle out of court, but that it was unlikely to do either initially.[119]
Legacy
Mike Snider of USA Today wrote that Vice City "raised the bar for video games", citing its interactivity, violence, and soundtrack.[120] Kotaku's Luke Plunkett and PC Magazine's Jeffrey L. Wilson both named Vice City the best game in the series, with the former naming it the "perfect Grand Theft Auto experience".[121][122] The readers of Official UK PlayStation Magazine named Vice City the fourth-greatest PlayStation title ever released.[123] In 2006 Vice City appeared on Japanese magazine Famitsu's readers' list of top 100 games; it was one of the only Western titles on the list.[124] Art director Aaron Garbut felt that, alongside its predecessor Grand Theft Auto III and successor San Andreas, Vice City led the trend of open world games.[30]
Ports
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released for Windows on 13 May 2003 in North America and 16 May in Europe,[125] supporting higher screen resolutions and draw distance, and featuring more detailed textures.[126] A GameCube release was planned, but later cancelled.[127] Vice City was bundled with Grand Theft Auto III in a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack, released on the Xbox on 4 November 2003 in North America[128] and 2 January 2004 in Europe.[129] The Xbox version featured a custom soundtrack support as well as improved audio, polygon models, and reflections over the previous ports.[130] Double Pack was later bundled with San Andreas in a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, released in October 2005.[131] The Trilogy was also released for OS X on 12 November 2010.[132] For the game's tenth anniversary in 2012, War Drum Studios ported Vice City to several iOS and Android devices. The port is almost identical to the Windows version of the game, but with enhanced visuals and a customisable layout.[63] The iOS version was released on 6 December, while the Android version was briefly delayed to 12 December due to technical issues.[133][134] This port was also released on Fire OS devices on 15 May 2014.[135] An emulated version of Vice City was released on the PlayStation 3 on 30 January 2013 via the PlayStation Network's PS2 Classics;[136] another emulated version was released for the PlayStation 4 on 5 December 2015, upscaled to 1080p and with support for PlayStation Trophies.[137]
A remastered version of The Trilogy subtitled The Definitive Edition, including Vice City, was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 11 November 2021; versions for Android and iOS devices are also in development. Existing versions of the game were removed from digital retailers in preparation for The Definitive Edition, but Rockstar soon announced they would be relisted." (wikipedia.org)
"In video games, an open world is a virtual world in which the player can approach objectives freely, as opposed to a world with more linear and structured gameplay.[1][2] While games have used open-world designs since the 1980s, the implementation in Grand Theft Auto III (2001) set a standard for the concept which has been used since.[3]
Games with open or free-roaming worlds typically lack level structures like walls and locked doors, or the invisible walls in more open areas that prevent the player from venturing beyond them; only at the bounds of an open-world game will players be limited by geographic features like vast oceans or impassable mountains. Players typically do not encounter loading screens common in linear level designs when moving about the game world, with the open-world game using strategic storage and memory techniques to load the game world in a dynamic and seamless manner. Open-world games still enforce many restrictions in the game environment, either because of absolute technical limitations or in-game limitations imposed by a game's linearity.[4]
While the openness of the game world is an important facet to games featuring open worlds, the main draw of open-world games is about providing the player with autonomy—not so much the freedom to do anything they want in the game (which is nearly impossible with current computing technology), but the ability to choose how to approach the game and its challenges in the order and manner as the player desires while still constrained by gameplay rules.[5] Examples of high level of autonomy in computer games can be found in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) or in single-player games adhering to the open-world concept such as the Fallout series. The main appeal of open-world gameplay is that it provides a simulated reality and allows players to develop their character and its behavior in the direction and pace of their own choosing. In these cases, there is often no concrete goal or end to the game, although there may be the main storyline, such as with games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
Gameplay and design
An open world is a level or game designed as nonlinear, open areas with many ways to reach an objective.[6] Some games are designed with both traditional and open-world levels.[7] An open world facilitates greater exploration than a series of smaller levels,[4] or a level with more linear challenges.[8] Reviewers have judged the quality of an open world based on whether there are interesting ways for the player to interact with the broader level when they ignore their main objective.[8] Some games actually use real settings to model an open world, such as New York City.[9]
A major design challenge is to balance the freedom of an open world with the structure of a dramatic storyline.[10] Since players may perform actions that the game designer did not expect,[11] the game's writers must find creative ways to impose a storyline on the player without interfering with their freedom.[12] As such, games with open worlds will sometimes break the game's story into a series of missions, or have a much simpler storyline altogether.[13] Other games instead offer side-missions to the player that do not disrupt the main storyline. Most open-world games make the character a blank slate that players can project their own thoughts onto, although several games such as Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole offer more character development and dialogue.[4] Writing in 2005, David Braben described the narrative structure of current video games as "little different to the stories of those Harold Lloyd films of the 1920s", and considered genuinely open-ended stories to be the "Holy Grail" for the fifth generation of gaming.[14] Gameplay designer Manveer Heir, who worked on Mass Effect 3 and Mass Effect Andromeda for Electronic Arts, said that there are difficulties in the design of an open-world game since it is difficult to predict how players will approach solving gameplay challenges offered by a design, in contrast to a linear progression, and needs to be a factor in the game's development from its onset. Heir opined that some of the critical failings of Andromeda were due to the open world being added late in development.[15]
Some open-world games, to guide the player towards major story events, do not provide the world's entire map at the start of the game, but require the player to complete a task to obtain part of that map, often identifying missions and points of interest when they view the map. This has been derogatorily referred to as "Ubisoft towers", as this mechanic was promoted in Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series (the player climbing a large tower as to observe the landscape around it and identify waypoints nearby) and reused in other Ubisoft games, including Far Cry, Might & Magic X: Legacy and Watch Dogs. Other games that use this approach include Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Marvel's Spider-Man.[16][17][18][19] Rockstar games like GTA IV and the Red Dead Redemption series lock out sections of the map as "barricaded by law enforcement" until a specific point in the story has been reached.
Games with open worlds typically give players infinite lives or continues, although some force the player to start from the beginning should they die too many times.[4] There is also a risk that players may get lost as they explore an open world; thus designers sometimes try to break the open world into manageable sections.[20] The scope of open-world games requires the developer to fully detail every possible section of the world the player may be able to access, unless methods like procedural generation are used. The design process, due to its scale, may leave numerous game world glitches, bugs, incomplete sections, or other irregularities that players may find and potentially take advantage of.[21] The term "open world jank" has been used to apply to games where the incorporation of the open world gameplay elements may be poor, incomplete, or unnecessary to the game itself such that these glitches and bugs become more apparent, though are generally not game-breaking, such as the case for No Man's Sky near its launch.[21]
Open world, sandbox games, and emergent gameplay
The mechanics of open-world games are often overlapped with ideas of sandbox games, but these are considered different terms. Whereas open world refers to the lack of limits for the player's exploration of the game's world, sandbox games are based on the ability of giving the player tools for creative freedom within the game to approach objectives, if such objectives are present. For example, Microsoft Flight Simulator is an open-world game as one can fly anywhere within the mapped world, but is not considered a sandbox game as there are few creative aspects brought into the game.[22]
The combination of open world and sandbox mechanics can lead towards emergent gameplay, complex reactions that emerge (either expectedly or unexpectedly) from the interaction of relatively simple game mechanics.[23] According to Peter Molyneux, emergent gameplay appears wherever a game has a good simulation system that allows players to play in the world and have it respond realistically to their actions. It is what made SimCity and The Sims compelling to players. Similarly, being able to freely interact with the city's inhabitants in Grand Theft Auto added an extra dimension to the series.[24]
In recent years game designers have attempted to encourage emergent play by providing players with tools to expand games through their own actions. Examples include in-game web browsers in EVE Online and The Matrix Online; XML integration tools and programming languages in Second Life; shifting exchange rates in Entropia Universe; and the complex object-and-grammar system used to solve puzzles in Scribblenauts. Other examples of emergence include interactions between physics and artificial intelligence. One challenge that remains to be solved, however, is how to tell a compelling story using only emergent technology.[24]
In an op-ed piece for BBC News, David Braben, co-creator of Elite, called truly open-ended game design "The Holy Grail" of modern video gaming, citing games like Elite and the Grand Theft Auto series as early steps in that direction.[14] Peter Molyneux has also stated that he believes emergence (or emergent gameplay) is where video game development is headed in the future. He has attempted to implement emergent gameplay to a great extent in some of his games, particularly Black & White and Fable.[24]
Procedural generation of open worlds
Procedural generation refers to content generated algorithmically rather than manually, and is often used to generate game levels and other content. While procedural generation does not guarantee that a game or sequence of levels is nonlinear, it is an important factor in reducing game development time and opens up avenues making it possible to generate larger and more or less unique seamless game worlds on the fly and using fewer resources. This kind of procedural generation is known as worldbuilding, in which general rules are used to construct a believable world.
Most 4X and roguelike games make use of procedural generation to some extent to generate game levels. SpeedTree is an example of a developer-oriented tool used in the development of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and aimed at speeding up the level design process. Procedural generation also made it possible for the developers of Elite, David Braben and Ian Bell, to fit the entire game—including thousands of planets, dozens of trade commodities, multiple ship types and a plausible economic system—into less than 22 kilobytes of memory.[25] More recently, No Man's Sky procedurally generated over 18 quintillion planets including flora, fauna, and other features that can be researched and explored....21st century
Galactic trade route map of the space trading and combat simulator, Oolite
Grand Theft Auto has had over 200 million sales.[75] Creative director Gary Penn, who previously worked on Frontier: Elite II, cited Elite as a key influence, calling it "basically Elite in a city", and mentioned other team members being influenced by Syndicate and Mercenary.[76] Grand Theft Auto III combined elements from previous games, and fused them together into a new immersive 3D experience that helped define open-world games for a new generation. Executive producer Sam Houser described it as "Zelda meets Goodfellas",[77] while producer Dan Houser also cited The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64 as influences.[78] Radio stations had been implemented earlier in games such as Maxis' SimCopter (1996), the ability to beat or kill non-player characters date back to games such as The Portopia Serial Murder Case (1983),[79] and Valhalla (1983)[44] and the way in which players run over pedestrians and get chased by police has been compared to Pac-Man (1980).[80] After the release of Grand Theft Auto III, many games which employed a 3D open world, such as Ubisoft's Watch Dogs and Deep Silver's Saints Row series, were labeled, often disparagingly, as Grand Theft Auto clones, much as how many early first-person shooters were called "Doom clones".[81]
Other examples include World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series of games, which feature a large and diverse world, offering tasks and possibilities to play.
In the Assassin's Creed series, which began in 2007, players explore historic open-world settings. These include the Holy Land during the Third Crusade in Assassin's Creed, Renaissance Italy in Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, Constantinople during the rise of the Ottoman Empire in Revelations, New England during the American Revolution in Assassin's Creed III, the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy in Black Flag, the North Atlantic during the French and Indian War in Rogue, Paris during the French Revolution in Unity, London at the onset of the Second Industrial Revolution in Syndicate, Ptolemaic Egypt in Origins, Classical Greece during the Peloponnesian War in Odyssey, and Medieval England and Norway during the Viking Age in Valhalla. The series intertwines factual history with a fictional storyline. In the fictional storyline, the Templars and the Assassins, two secret organisations inspired by their real-life counterparts, have been mortal enemies for all of known history. Their conflict stems from the Templars' desire to have peace through control, which directly contrasts the Assassins' wish for peace with free will. Their fighting influences much of history, as the sides often back real historical forces. For example, during the American Revolution depicted in Assassin's Creed III, the Templars initially support the British, while the Assassins side with the American colonists.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl was developed by GSC Game World in 2007, followed by two other games, a prequel and a sequel. The free world style of the zone was divided into huge maps, like sectors, and the player can go from one sector to another, depending on required quests or just by choice.
In 2011, Dan Ryckert of Game Informer wrote that open-world crime games were "a major force" in the gaming industry for the preceding decade.[82]
Another popular sandbox game is Minecraft, which has since become the best-selling video game of all time, selling over 238 million copies worldwide on multiple platforms by April 2021.[83] Minecraft's procedurally generated overworlds cover a virtual 3.6 billion square kilometers.
The Outerra Engine is a world rendering engine in development since 2008 that is capable of seamlessly rendering whole planets from space down to ground level. Anteworld is a world-building game and free tech-demo of the Outerra Engine that builds upon real-world data to render planet Earth realistically on a true-to-life scale.[84]
No Man's Sky, released in 2016, is an open-world game set in a virtually infinite universe. According to the developers, through procedural generation, the game is able to produce more than 18 quintillion (18×1018 or 18,000,000,000,000,000,000) planets to explore.[85] Several critics found that the nature of the game can become repetitive and monotonous, with the survival gameplay elements being lackluster and tedious. Jake Swearingen in New York said that the players can procedurally generate 18.6 quintillion unique planets, but they can't procedurally generate 18.6 quintillion unique things to do.[86] Updates have aimed to address these criticisms.
In 2017, the open-world design of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was described by critics as being revolutionary[87][88][89] and by developers as a paradigm shift for open-world design.[90] In contrast to the more structured approach of most open-world games, Breath of the Wild features a large and fully interactive world that is generally unstructured and rewards the exploration and manipulation of its world.[91] Inspired by the original 1986 Legend of Zelda, the open world of Breath of the Wild integrates multiplicative gameplay, where "objects react to the player's actions and the objects themselves also influence each other".[92] Along with a physics engine, the game's open-world also integrates a chemistry engine, "which governs the physical properties of certain objects and how they relate to each other", rewarding experimentation.[93] Nintendo has described the game's approach to open-world design as "open-air"." (wikipedia.org)
"An action-adventure game is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres.
Typically, classical adventure games have situational problems for the player to explore and solve to complete a storyline, involving very little to no action. If there is action, it is generally confined to isolated instances. Classical action games, on the other hand, have gameplay based on real-time interactions that challenges the player's reflexes and eye-hand coordination. Action-adventure games combine these genres by engaging both eye-hand coordination and problem-solving skills.
Definition
An action adventure game can be defined as a game with a mix of elements from an action game and an adventure game,[1] especially crucial elements like puzzles.[2] Action-adventures require many of the same physical skills as action games, but also offer a storyline, numerous characters, an inventory system, dialogue, and other features of adventure games.[3] They are faster-paced than pure adventure games, because they include both physical and conceptual challenges.[3] Action-adventure games normally include a combination of complex story elements, which are displayed for players using audio and video. The story is heavily reliant upon the player character's movement, which triggers story events and thus affects the flow of the game.[4] Popular examples of action-adventure games include The Legend of Zelda, God of War,[3] and Tomb Raider series.[5]
Relationship to other genres
When a game stops being an adventure game and becomes an action game is a matter of interpretation.[6] There are quite a few disagreements in the community and in the media over what actually constitutes an action-adventure game. One definition of the term "action-adventure" may be '"An action/adventure game is a game that has enough action in it not to be called an adventure game, but not enough action to be called an action game."[7] In some cases an action game with puzzles will be classified as an action-adventure game, but if these puzzles are quite simple they might be classified as an action game.[3][8] Others see action games as a pure genre, while an action-adventure is an action game that includes situational problem-solving.[7][8] Adventure gamers may also be purists, rejecting any game that makes use of physical challenges or time pressure.[3] Regardless, the action-adventure label is prominent in articles over the internet and media. The term "action-adventure" is usually substituted for a particular subgenre due to its wide scope.
Subgenres
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Although action-adventure games are diverse and difficult to classify, there are some distinct subgenres. Many games with gameplay[9] similar to those in The Legend of Zelda series are called Zelda clones[10] or Zelda like games.[11][12][13] Popular subgenres include:
Grand Theft Auto clone
Grand Theft Auto clone, is a subgenre of open world action-adventure video games in the third-person perspective. They are characterized by their likeness to the Grand Theft Auto series in either gameplay or overall design.[14][15] In these types of open world games, players may find and use a variety of vehicles and weapons while roaming freely in an open world setting.[16][17][18]
Metroidvania
Metroidvania; a portmanteau of Metroid and Castlevania, sometimes referred to as "search action",[19] is used to describe games in this genre that generally are based on two-dimensional platformers. They emphasize both exploration and puzzle-solving with traditional platform gameplay.[20]
Survival horror
Survival horror, emphasize "inventory management" and making sure the player has enough ammunition and recovery items to "survive" the horror setting. This is a thematic genre with diverse gameplay, so not all survival horror games share all the features.[21][22][23][24] The Resident Evil franchise popularized this subgenre.
Gameplay
See also: Adventure game § Common objectives and gameplay, and Action game § Defining elements
Action-adventure games are faster-paced than pure adventure games, and include physical as well as conceptual challenges[6] where the story is enacted rather than narrated.[25] While motion-based, often reflexive, actions are required,[4] the gameplay still follows a number of adventure game genre tropes (gathering items, exploration of and interaction with one's environment, often including an overworld connecting areas of importance, and puzzle-solving).[26] While the controls are arcade-style (character movement, few action commands) there is an ultimate goal beyond a high score.[26] In most action-adventure games, the player controls a single avatar as the protagonist.[3] This type of game is often quite similar to role-playing video games.[27]
They are distinct from graphic adventures, which sometimes have free-moving central characters, but also a wider variety of commands and fewer or no action game elements and are distinct too from text adventures, characterized by many different commands introduced by the user via a complex text parser and no free-moving character. While they share general gameplay dynamics, action-adventures vary widely in the design of their viewpoints, including bird's eye, side-scrolling, first-person, third-person, over-the-shoulder, or even a 3/4 isometric view.
Many action-adventure games simulate a conversation through a conversation tree. When the player encounters a non-player character, they are allowed to select a choice of what to say. The NPC gives a scripted response to the player, and the game offers the player several new ways to respond.[citation needed]
Due to the action-adventure subgenre's broad and inclusive nature, it causes some players to have difficulty finishing a particular game. Companies have devised ways to give the player help, such as offering clues or allowing the player to skip puzzles to compensate for this lack of ability." (wikipedia.org)
"Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Founding members of the company were Terry Donovan, Gary Foreman, Dan and Sam Houser, and Jamie King, who worked for Take-Two at the time, and of which the Houser brothers were previously executives at BMG Interactive. Sam Houser heads the studio as president.[2]
Since 1999, several companies acquired by or established under Take-Two have become part of Rockstar Games, such as Rockstar Canada (later renamed Rockstar Toronto) becoming the first one in 1999, and Rockstar Dundee the most recent in 2020. All companies organized under Rockstar Games bear the "Rockstar" name and logo. In this context, Rockstar Games is sometimes also referred to as Rockstar New York, Rockstar NY or Rockstar NYC. Rockstar Games also sports a motion capture studio in Bethpage, New York.[2]
Rockstar Games predominantly publishes games in the action-adventure genre, while racing games also saw success for the company. One of such action-adventure game franchises is Grand Theft Auto, which Rockstar Games took over from BMG Interactive, which published the series' original 1997 entry. The most recent main game in the series, Grand Theft Auto V, has sold over 170 million copies since its release in September 2013, making it the second-best-selling video game of all time. Other popular franchises published by Rockstar Games are Red Dead, Midnight Club, Max Payne, and Manhunt.[3]
History
Brothers Dan Houser (left) and Sam Houser (right) are two of the co-founders of Rockstar Games. Dan left the company in 2020; Sam is the president.
On March 12, 1998, Take-Two Interactive announced its acquisition of the assets of dormant British video game publisher BMG Interactive from BMG Entertainment (a unit of Bertelsmann). In exchange, Take-Two was to issue 1.85 million shares (around 16%) of its common stock to BMG Entertainment.[4][5] Through this acquisition, Take-Two obtained several of BMG Interactive's former intellectual properties, including DMA Design's Grand Theft Auto and Space Station Silicon Valley.[6][7] The deal was announced to have closed on March 25.[8] Three BMG Interactive executives—Dan Houser, Sam Houser, and Jamie King—as well as Gary Foreman of BMG Interactive and Terry Donovan of BMG Entertainment's Arista Records record label, subsequently moved to New York City to work for Take-Two Interactive.[6][9][10] In a restructuring announced that April, Sam Houser was appointed as Take-Two's "vice president of worldwide product development".[11] In December 1998, the Houser brothers, Donovan and King established Rockstar Games as the "high-end" publishing label of Take-Two.[6][12][13][14] The formation was formally announced on January 22, 1999.[15]
In January 2007, Take-Two announced that Donovan, until then managing director for Rockstar Games, had left the company following a four-month leave of absence.[16] He was succeeded by Gary Dale, who became chief operating officer.[17] Dale previously worked with the Houser brothers and King at BMG Interactive, but left the company when it was acquired by Take-Two Interactive, and joined Capcom's European operations as managing director in 2003.[18][19]
As of February 2014, Rockstar Games titles have shipped more than 250 million copies,[20] the largest franchise being the Grand Theft Auto series, which alone has shipments of at least 250 million as of November 2016.[21] Grand Theft Auto V shipped the highest number of units within the series' and the company's history, with over 170 million copies,[22] making it the second best-selling video game of all time.[23]
At the 10th British Academy Games Awards in March 2014, Rockstar Games was honored with the BAFTA Academy Fellowship Award for "creating intricately layered interactive worlds that have kept the company at the forefront of the gaming industry for over a decade, both critically and commercially".[24][25] Jennifer Kolbe, who started at the front desk of Take-Two, acts as Rockstar Games' head of publishing and oversees all development studios.[2][26] Simon Ramsey is the company's head of PR and communications.[26]
In May 2019, Rockstar Games announced that they were acquiring Dhruva Interactive from Starbreeze Studios for $7.9 million, with the sale being finalized later that month and the Dhruva team merged into Rockstar India.[27][28]
In September 2019, Rockstar Games announced that they had released their own game launcher, a digital distribution, digital rights management, multiplayer and communications service.[29] After having taken an extended break following the release of Red Dead Redemption 2 in early 2019, Dan Houser left Rockstar Games on March 11, 2020.[30]
The company acquired the Scottish studio Ruffian Games in October 2020, rebranding the studio as Rockstar Dundee.[31]
In September 2022, Rockstar was the target of a data breach in which 90 videos from the development of the upcoming Grand Theft Auto game were leaked.[32][33] Rockstar described the leak as a "network intrusion", and noted that it was "extremely disappointed" by the manner in which the game was first demonstrated, but that it did not anticipate long-term effects on development.[34]
Company philosophy
In October 2011, Dan Houser told Famitsu that Rockstar Games was intentionally avoiding developing games in the first-person shooter genre, because "it is in our DNA to avoid doing what other companies are doing ... the goalpoint of Rockstar is to have the players really feel what we're trying to do."[35][36] Houser went on to say "Our games up to now have been different from any genre that existed at the time; we made new genres by ourselves with games like the GTA series. We didn't rely on testimonials in a business textbook to do what we've done. ... If we make the sort of games we want to play, then we believe people are going to buy them."[37]
The company has been involved with charitable work ranging from supporting Movember and offering appearances in games as a raffle prize, to charity live streams." (wikipedia.org)
"Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a 2002 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the fourth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto series, following 2001's Grand Theft Auto III, and the sixth instalment overall. Set in 1986 within the fictional Vice City (based on Miami and Miami Beach), the single-player story follows mobster Tommy Vercetti's rise to power after being released from prison and becoming caught up in an ambushed drug deal. While seeking out those responsible, he gradually builds a criminal empire by seizing power from other criminal organisations in the city.
The game is played from a third-person perspective and its world is navigated on foot or by vehicle. The open world design lets the player freely roam Vice City, consisting of two main islands. The game's plot is based on multiple real-world people and events in Miami such as Cubans, Haitians, and biker gangs, the 1980s crack epidemic, the Mafioso drug lords of Miami, and the dominance of glam metal. The game was also influenced by the films and television of the era, most notably Scarface and Miami Vice. Much of the development work constituted creating the game world to fit the inspiration and time period; the development team conducted extensive field research in Miami while creating the world. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released in October 2002 for the PlayStation 2, in May 2003 for Windows, and in October 2003 for the Xbox.
Upon its release, Vice City received critical acclaim, with praise particularly directed at its music, gameplay, story, and open world design. However, the game also generated controversy over its depiction of violence and racial groups, sparking lawsuits and protests. Vice City became the best-selling video game of 2002 and has sold over 17.5 million copies. Considered one of the most significant titles of the sixth generation of video games and one of the greatest video games ever made, it won numerous year-end accolades including Game of the Year awards from several gaming publications.
Since its release, the game has received numerous ports to many gaming platforms. An enhanced version was released for mobile platforms in 2012 for the game's tenth anniversary, and a further enhanced version was released in 2021. Its successor, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, was released in October 2004, and a prequel, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, was released in October 2006.
Gameplay
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is an action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective. The player controls criminal Tommy Vercetti and completes missions—linear scenarios with set objectives—to progress through the story. It is possible to have several missions available at a time, as some missions require the player to wait for further instructions or events. Outside of missions, the player can freely roam the game's open world and has the ability to complete optional side missions.[3] Composed of two main islands and several smaller areas, the world is much larger in area than earlier entries in the series.[b] The islands are unlocked for the player as the story progresses.[5]
Gameplay screenshot of the player character driving a motorcycle through a busy city street.
The player can ride motorcycles in Vice City, unlike its predecessor.
The player may run, jump, or drive vehicles to navigate the game's world. The player uses melee attacks, firearms and explosives to fight enemies. The firearms include weapons such as the Colt Python, an M60 machine gun and a Minigun.[6][7] The game's three-dimension environment allows a first-person view while aiming with the sniper rifle and rocket launcher. In addition, the game's combat allows the player to commit drive-by shootings by facing sideways in a vehicle.[8][9] The game provides the player a wide variety of weapon options—they can be purchased from local firearms dealers, found on the ground, retrieved from dead enemies, or found around the city.[10]
In combat, auto-aim can be used as assistance against enemies.[11] Should the player take damage, their health meter can be fully regenerated through the use of health pick-ups.[12] Body armour can be used to absorb gunshots and explosive damage, but is used up in the process.[13] When health is entirely depleted, gameplay stops and the player respawns at the nearest hospital while losing all weapons and armour and some of their money.[5] If the player commits crimes while playing, the game's law enforcement agencies may respond as indicated by a "wanted" meter in the head-up display (HUD), which increases as the player commits more crimes. On the meter, the displayed stars indicate the current wanted level, and the higher the level, the greater the response for law enforcement[5] (for example, at the maximum six-star level, police helicopters and military swarm to lethally dispatch players).[8]
During the story, Tommy meets characters from various gangs. As the player completes missions for different gangs, fellow gang members will often defend the player, while rival gang members will recognise the player and subsequently shoot on sight. While free roaming the game world, the player may engage in activities such as a vigilante minigame, a fire fighting activity, a paramedic service and a taxi cab service. Completion of these activities grants the player with context-specific rewards.[9] As Tommy builds his criminal empire, the player may purchase a number of properties distributed across the city, some of which act as additional hideouts where weapons can be collected and vehicles can be stored.[14] There are also a variety of businesses which can be purchased, including a pornographic film studio, a taxi company, and several entertainment clubs. Each commercial property has a number of missions attached to it, such as eliminating competition or stealing equipment; once all missions are complete, the property begins to generate an ongoing income available for the player.[8]
Plot
In 1986, mobster Tommy Vercetti (voiced by Ray Liotta) is released from prison after serving a fifteen-year sentence for murder. His boss Sonny Forelli (Tom Sizemore), seeking to establish drug operations in the south, sends Tommy to Vice City to oversee an important drug deal alongside crooked lawyer Ken Rosenberg (William Fichtner). However, the deal is ambushed by unknown assailants, with Tommy and Ken barely escaping. Angered upon hearing the news, Sonny orders Tommy to recover the drugs, alongside the money he gave to him, under threat of consequences. Seeking information, Ken points Tommy towards retired army colonel Juan Garcia Cortez (Robert Davi), who helped set up the exchange. Expressing regret for the ambush, Cortez promises to find out who masterminded it.
While investigating, Tommy meets with several people who offer him help: music director Kent Paul (Danny Dyer), who maintains connections with the city's criminal underworld; Lance Vance (Philip Michael Thomas), who aided in the deal and lost his brother in the ambush; Texan business tycoon Avery Carrington (Burt Reynolds), who in return enlists Tommy's help with several deals; and drug kingpin Ricardo Diaz (Luis Guzmán), who employs both Tommy and Lance. Eventually, Cortez begins voicing his suspicions that Diaz organised the ambush. Upon further investigation, Lance discovers this to be the truth and, against Tommy's advice, tries to kill Diaz, only to get himself captured. After Tommy saves Lance, the pair find themselves forced to kill Diaz before he can retaliate. With Diaz dead, Tommy takes over his assets and, at Avery's suggestion, works to expand his new criminal empire by forcing businesses to pay him protection money and buying out nearly bankrupt companies to use as fronts for illicit operations. At the same time, Tommy provides assistance to several prominent gang leaders in the hopes they will support his expansion, and helps Cortez flee the city with stolen military equipment.
Eventually, Sonny discovers that Tommy has gained complete control over Vice City's drug trade without cutting the Forellis in. Enraged at his independence, Sonny sends mobsters to forcefully collect money from Tommy's businesses. In response, Tommy kills Sonny's men and severs his ties with him. Later, learning Sonny is personally coming to Vice City to collect what he believes he is owed, Tommy prepares to pay him tribute with counterfeit money. However, Sonny reveals that he was responsible for Tommy's arrest fifteen years prior, and that Lance has betrayed him and allied himself with the Forellis, having felt inadequate in Tommy's presence since his rise to power. A shootout ensues in Tommy's mansion, during which he prevents the Forellis from stealing his money and murders Lance for his betrayal, before finally killing Sonny in a tense standoff. When Ken arrives to a scene of carnage, Tommy quickly reassures him that everything is now fine, as he has finally established himself as the undisputed crime kingpin of Vice City.
Development
A middle-aged man looking towards the camera.
Leslie Benzies
A bald middle-aged man smiling at the camera.
Dan Houser
A middle-aged man with brown hair and a bushy brown beard smiling at the camera.
Sam Houser
Benzies produced the game alongside Dan Houser, who also co-wrote the story. Sam Houser, president of Rockstar Games, executive-produced the game.
Rockstar North's core 50-person team led the eighteen-month development of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.[15] Full production began in late 2001, as Grand Theft Auto III was nearing completion;[16] while early development only involved creating 3D models, executive producer Sam Houser said "it really kicked off at the beginning of 2002" and lasted about nine months.[17] After the release of the Windows version of Grand Theft Auto III, the development team discussed creating a mission pack for the game that would add new weapons, vehicles, and missions. Upon further discussion, the team decided to make this concept a stand-alone game, which became Vice City.[18] The game was announced on 22 May 2002, during the Electronic Entertainment Expo.[19] It was Rockstar North's most expensive game at the time, with a budget of US$5 million.[20] On 5 September 2002, the company announced that the release date of 22 October had been postponed until 29 October to meet product demand.[21] By 15 October 2002, development of Vice City stopped as the game was submitted for manufacturing.[22] It was released for the PlayStation 2 on 29 October 2002 in North America, and on 8 November in Europe.[23] Capcom published the game in Japan on 20 May 2004 for PlayStation 2 and Windows.[24] The game was added to the Rockstar Games Launcher in September 2019.[25]
Setting
The game is set in 1986 in fictional Vice City, which is based heavily on the city of Miami.[26] Vice City previously appeared in the original Grand Theft Auto (1997); the development team decided to reuse the location and incorporate ideas from within the studio and the fanbase.[27] They wanted to satirise a location that was not contemporary, unlike Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City.[16] The team wanted to choose a location that had various similarities and differences to New York City—the inspiration of Liberty City—eventually leading them to Miami, which producer Leslie Benzies describes as "a party town, all sun and sea and sex, but with that same dark edge underneath".[18] Sam Houser called it "the grooviest era of crime because it didn't even feel like it was crime ... it was a totally topsy-turvy back-to-front period of time".[28] The team intended to make Vice City a "living, breathing city", for the player to feel like "life still goes on" while the character is inside a building.[29]
The game's look, particularly the clothing and vehicles, reflect its 1980s setting. Many themes are borrowed from the major films Scarface (1983) and Carlito's Way (1993),[26] the latter for its characterisation and portrayal of nuanced criminals. The television series Miami Vice (1984–89) was also a major influence and was regularly watched by the team throughout development.[30] Art director Aaron Garbut used the series as a reference point in creating neon lighting.[28] In recreating a 1980s setting, the team found it "relatively painless" due to the distinct culture of the time period and the team's familiarity of the era.[30] The art team was provided with large volumes of research, as well as reference photographs from other members of the development team. The team organised field research trips to Miami shortly after the development of Grand Theft Auto III, splitting into small teams and observing the streets.[30][31]
Story and characters
A 59 year-old man looking at the camera
Ray Liotta voiced protagonist Tommy Vercetti.[32]
The team spent time "solving [the] riddle" of a speaking protagonist, a notable departure from Grand Theft Auto III's silent protagonist Claude.[33] Ray Liotta portrayed protagonist Tommy Vercetti. Liotta described the role as challenging: "You're creating a character that's not there before ... It's so intensive". When recording the role, the team used blue screen in order to allow Liotta to visualise "how it's gonna move".[32] The team ensured that the player felt "real affinity" for Tommy, making the narrative a key development interest.[16] Dan Houser described Tommy as "strong and dangerous and prepared to wait for the right opportunity to arrive".[31] Director Navid Khonsari found Liotta occasionally difficult to work with.[34] "In some sessions he was ... into it, but then sometimes ... he was very dark and couldn't work", said Sam Houser.[35]
The majority of the game's animations were original, with only a few borrowed from Grand Theft Auto III. For the characters, the team used motion capture and stop motion animation techniques; cutscenes use the former, while gameplay movements use a combination of both techniques. The team encountered difficulty in animating motorcycle animations, due in part to the variety of models.[36] Pedestrian character models use skins in Vice City, allowing the artists to produce more realistic characters. There are 110 unique pedestrian models throughout the game world alongside roughly 50 story characters; each character is rendered using twice the amount of polygons and textures found in Grand Theft Auto III.[26][31] This also impacted the character physics, improving gameplay aspects such as weapon-hit accuracy.[37] Some character models and scenarios were inspired by films such as The Godfather (1972), and the game's presentation was inspired by action television shows of the 1980s.[38] The interplay between Tommy Vercetti and Lance Vance was crafted to be similar to the relationship of Miami Vice's Sonny Crockett and Ricardo Tubbs.[39]
Sound design and music production
The game features 8,000 lines of recorded dialogue, four times the amount in Grand Theft Auto III.[31] It contains over 90 minutes of cutscenes and nine hours of music,[31] with more than 113 songs and commercials.[40] The team was interested in the challenge of creating the game's soundtrack, particularly in contrast to Grand Theft Auto III's music, which Sam Houser described as "clearly satirical and its own thing".[17] In developing the radio stations, the team wanted to reinforce the game's setting by collating a variety of songs from the 1980s and therefore performed extensive research.[41] The radio stations were published by Epic Records in seven albums—known collectively as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Official Soundtrack Box Set—alongside the game in October 2002.[42][43] Vice City contains about "three times as much" talk radio as Grand Theft Auto III. Producer and talk show host Lazlow Jones stated that the small percentage of station listeners that actually call in are "insane"; in Vice City, the team "bumped it up a notch", emphasising the extremity. Dan Houser felt that the talk stations give depth to the game world.[44]
Critical reception
Initial release
PlayStation 2 version reception
Aggregate scoreAggregator Score
Metacritic 95/100[45]
Review scoresPublication Score
AllGame [3]
Edge 8/10[14]
Eurogamer 10/10[5]
Game Informer 10/10[46]
GameRevolution A[8]
GameSpot 9.6/10[9]
GameSpy 95/100[47]
IGN 9.7/10[48]
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released to critical acclaim. Metacritic calculated an average score of 95 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 62 reviews. It is Metacritic's highest-rated PlayStation 2 game of 2002,[45] and the fifth-highest rated PlayStation 2 game overall, tied with a number of others.[c] Reviewers liked the game's sound and music,[3][8] open-ended gameplay,[46][48] and open world design,[5][47] though some criticism was directed at the controls and technical issues.[9][14] IGN's Douglass Perry declared it "one of the most impressive games of 2002",[48] and GameSpy's Raymond Padilla named the experience "deep, devilishly enjoyable, and unique".[47]
Reviewers generally considered the missions an improvement over Grand Theft Auto III, although some noted occasional awkwardness and frustration.[9][47] IGN's Perry wrote that the game's missions give the player "a stronger feeling of being inside a story within a world that truly exists".[48] Game Informer's Matt Helgeson found the missions to be more complex,[46] and AllGame's Scott Alan Marriott felt that the storyline was improved as a result. Marriott also found the lead character of Tommy to be more engaging than Grand Theft Auto III's Claude;[3] IGN's Perry felt that Rockstar "found the right person and the right choice",[48] and Edge wrote that Tommy "sweats charisma", commending Ray Liotta's performance.[14]
An urban city centre, surrounded by trees with a blimp in the sky, at sunset.
Vice City, the city featured in the game's open world. Reviewers praised its design and detail, noting that it felt more alive than Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City.
The game's open world design was praised by reviewers, many of whom felt that it contained more detail and felt more alive than its predecessors.[3][5] GameSpy's Padilla made favourable comparisons between Vice City and Grand Theft Auto III's Liberty City, noting the former's level of detail.[47] Game Revolution's Ben Silverman wrote that the game's depth is "unparalleled", praising the world's realism and detail,[8] while AllGame's Marriott commended the "ambitious scope in design".[3]
Marriott of AllGame named Vice City an "unforgettable listening experience",[3] and Perry of IGN declared the music as "the most impressive list of songs in a game".[48] Many reviewers commended the game's radio stations and talk radio,[5][9] and felt that the game's collection of licensed 1980s music fit the tone and time period of the world.[8][47] The voice acting also received praise;[46] GameSpot's Jeff Gerstmann named the cast of characters "colorful and memorable",[9] and IGN's Perry found the voice acting "among one of the best of its kind".[48] Game Revolution's Silverman felt that the acting "gives the story credence".[8]
Many reviewers found that the game offers a better variety of vehicles than Grand Theft Auto III,[5][46][47] and found them easier to control;[8] GameSpot's Gerstmann named the driving "more exciting and dangerous",[9] and IGN's Perry found the motorcycle's controls pleasing.[48] In addition to the vehicle handling, reviewers noted improvements in the targeting and shooting mechanics, although still recognised issues.[3][8][9][48] Helgeson of Game Informer wrote that "targeting is improved to the point where combat can actually be fun".[46]
Some reviewers recognised an improved draw distance over Grand Theft Auto III, although many identified frame rate drops during hardware-intense sequences.[9][47][48] The changes in character models polarised reviews; while GameSpy's Padilla and IGN's Perry noted the improvement in character models,[47][48] Eurogamer's Tom Bramwell considered it "maddening to see that character ... models haven't been smartened up at all".[5] The game's artificial intelligence and long load times were frequently criticised in reviews,[5][9][14] and many reviewers noted the awkward camera angles and environment during gameplay.[3][14][46]
Windows version
Windows version reception
Aggregate scoreAggregator Score
Metacritic 94/100[50]
Review scoresPublication Score
AllGame [51]
Eurogamer 9/10[52]
GameSpot 9.6/10[11]
GameSpy 93/100[53]
IGN 9.3/10[54]
When Vice City was released to Windows in May 2003, it received similar critical acclaim. Metacritic calculated an average score of 94 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim", based on 30 reviews.[50] It was the highest-rated Windows game on Metacritic in 2003.[55] Reviewers liked the visual enhancements,[11][53] and were generally positive towards the control improvements.[51][52][54]
The port's visuals received a positive response from reviewers. AllGame's Mark Hoogland praised the improved car details, environment textures, and weather effects;[51] GameSpot's Greg Kasavin echoed similar remarks, noting occasional frame rate drops.[11] GameSpy's Sal Accardo commended the draw distance improvements, identifying very few texture issues.[53] IGN's Steve Butts found the port's system requirements to be reasonable, unlike Grand Theft Auto III, and praised the faster load times.[54] Eurogamer's Martin Taylor was critical of the visuals, stating that the higher resolutions "aren't kind to the overall visual quality", and criticising the hardware requirements.[52]
The control changes of the port were generally well received. Most reviewers found the targeting and shooting mechanics to be improved with mouse and keyboard controls;[11][54] Eurogamer's Taylor called them "far more fluid",[52] and GameSpy's Accardo wrote "there's simply no substitute for aiming with a mouse".[53] However, the driving control changes were widely criticised;[5] IGN's Butts called it "crap".[54] AllGame's Hoogland found the controls to be "more forgiving" over time.[51]
Mobile version
Mobile version reception
Aggregate scoreAggregator Score
Metacritic 80/100[56]
Review scoresPublication Score
Destructoid 7.5/10[57]
IGN 7.7/10[2]
Pocket Gamer 8/10[58]
TouchArcade [59]
Digital Spy [60]
NowGamer 7/10[61]
The Telegraph [62]
When Vice City was released on mobile devices in December 2012,[63][64] it received "generally favorable" reviews. Metacritic calculated an average score of 80 out of 100, based on 19 reviews.[56] Reviewers liked the enhanced visuals,[2][57] but criticism was directed at the touchscreen controls.[60][58]
The port's visuals were well received. Destructoid's Chris Carter felt that they "[suit] the neon and bright pastel veneer", and wrote that the "new lighting effects and smoothed-out engine really allow the game to pop like it never has before".[57] IGN's Justin Davis praised the updated character models, lighting, and textures,[2] and Touch Arcade's Eric Ford noted that the "visuals are improved but not in a drastic manner".[59] NowGamer found that the mobile display improves the visual enjoyment of the game, despite the issues with the original game.[61] Tom Hoggins of The Telegraph identified some issues with character models, but stated "the city looks terrific".[62]
Most reviewers criticised the port's touchscreen controls. Pocket Gamer's Mark Brown found them "not ideal", but noted that this was also the case in the original game,[58] while Digital Spy's Scott Nichols felt that the game "only complicated [the controls] further".[60] IGN's Davis was thankful for the addition of customisable controls, and wrote that they "make the experience much more controllable",[2] and Touch Arcade's Ford greatly appreciated the developer's efforts to "make the situation bearable".[59] Destructoid's Carter spoke favourably of the controls, despite noting awkward character movement,[57] while The Telegraph's Hoggins found the controls "far more accomplished" than Grand Theft Auto III's mobile port.[62]
Commercial performance
Sales
Within 24 hours of its release, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sold over 500,000 copies.[65] Within two days of its release, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City sold 1.4 million copies, making it the fastest-selling game in history at the time.[66] It was the highest-selling game of 2002 in the United States;[67] by 2004, the game had sold 5.97 million units,[68] and by December 2007 it had sold 8.20 million.[69] By July 2006, it had sold 7 million copies and earned $300 million in the United States alone. Next Generation ranked it as the highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country, beating Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.[70] In February 2005, it was re-released as part of PlayStation's Greatest Hits selection, indicating high sales.[71] In Japan, Vice City sold about 223,000 copies in its first week and over 410,000 by January 2008.[72] The game earned a "Diamond" award in the United Kingdom, indicating over one million sales.[73] By March 2008, the game had sold 17.5 million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling PlayStation 2 games.[74]
Accolades
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City received multiple nominations and awards from gaming publications. It was named the Best PlayStation 2 game at the 1st British Academy Games Awards,[75] the Golden Joystick Awards,[76] and from Entertainment Weekly,[77] IGN,[78] and GameSpot.[79] It was also awarded the prestigious Ultimate Game at the Golden Joystick Awards.[80] The game was awarded Best Action/Adventure Game from the British Academy Games Awards,[81] GameSpot,[82] and IGN.[83] The game's sound also received several awards and nominations: it won Best Music from GameSpot,[84] and was nominated for Best Sound,[85] and it won the award for Sound at the British Academy Games Awards.[86] It won Design at the British Academy Games Awards[87] and was nominated for Best Graphics (Technical and Artistic) by GameSpot.[88][89] The game was the runner-up for IGN's Reader's Choice Overall Game of the Year[90] and was nominated for GameSpot's award for Best Story.[91] It was awarded Best PC Game at the British Academy Games Awards.[92]
Controversies
Similar to its predecessors, Vice City generated several controversies. It has been labelled as violent and explicit and is considered highly controversial by many special interest groups.[93][94][95][96] Peter Hartlaub of SFGate noted the game's "mindless violence", but simply attributed it to the developers' attempt to achieve accuracy.[97] Jeremy Pope, who worked on various Rockstar games including Vice City, vowed never to work on violent games again due to their portrayal in mainstream media.[98] In Australia, the game was pre-edited to receive an MA15+ classification;[99] an uncensored version was released in the region in 2010, retaining its classification.[100]
The game allows the player to fight immigrant gangs made up of Haitians (pictured) and Cubans, and missions involve fighting both gangs. Civil rights organisations accused the game of inviting ethnic violence, and of featuring discriminatory phrases.
In November 2003, the Haitian Centers Council and Haitian Americans for Human Rights staged a protest in New York publicly criticising the game, contending that it invited the player to harm Haitian immigrants and claiming that it depicted Haitians as "thugs, thieves and drug dealers".[101] In response, Rockstar issued a press release apologising and acknowledging the concern, but insisted that the violence should be taken within the context of the game, which also contains violence towards other ethnic groups.[102] When New York mayor Michael Bloomberg threatened distributor Take-Two Interactive with legal action, the company apologised and removed offensive statements from future copies of the game.[103] In January 2004, North Miami's majority Haitian-American council filed an ordinance to ban the selling or renting of violent games to anyone under 18 without parental permission. The proposal, apparently sparked by Vice City, was supported by North Miami mayor Josaphat Celestin, who stated "We don't believe the First Amendment was written to protect those who want to incite violence".[104] The case was later downgraded from federal court to state court.[105]
On 7 June 2003, 18-year-old Devin Moore shot and killed two Alabamian police officers and a dispatcher before fleeing in a patrol car; he was later apprehended. In statements to police, Moore reportedly said "Life is like a video game. Everybody's got to die sometime".[106] A $600 million lawsuit was filed against Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Sony Computer Entertainment, GameStop, and Wal-Mart, claiming that Moore frequently played Vice City and that his experience with the game led him to commit the crimes. The plaintiffs' attorney, Jack Thompson, claimed the graphic nature of the game caused Moore to commit the murders.[107] Thompson removed himself from the case Strickland v. Sony in November 2005[108] after being scrutinised by the judge for unprofessional conduct.[109] In March 2006, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal by the defendants to dismiss the case.[110]
In September 2006, Thompson brought another $600 million lawsuit against Cody Posey, Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, and Sony Computer Entertainment.[111][112] The lawsuit claimed that 14-year-old Posey played the game obsessively before murdering his father, stepmother, and stepsister on a ranch in Hondo, New Mexico.[113] Posey's defence team argued that he was abused by his father[114] and was taking Zoloft at the time of the killings.[115] The suit alleged that the murders would not have taken place if Posey had not obsessively played Vice City.[116] The case was dismissed in December 2007, as New Mexico held no jurisdiction over Sony or Take-Two.[117]
In July 2017, the Psychic Readers Network (PRN) sued Rockstar over the character named Auntie Poulet, alleging similarities between the character and Youree Harris, who voiced the character.[118] Brandon J. Huffman, a lawyer for Odin Law and Media, noted that PRN's lawsuit faced challenges due to the timing of the lawsuit, as the Eleventh Circuit's statute of limitations for copyright infringement is three years; the lawsuit was filed almost 15 years after the game's release. Huffman added that Take-Two could also claim parody or settle out of court, but that it was unlikely to do either initially.[119]
Legacy
Mike Snider of USA Today wrote that Vice City "raised the bar for video games", citing its interactivity, violence, and soundtrack.[120] Kotaku's Luke Plunkett and PC Magazine's Jeffrey L. Wilson both named Vice City the best game in the series, with the former naming it the "perfect Grand Theft Auto experience".[121][122] The readers of Official UK PlayStation Magazine named Vice City the fourth-greatest PlayStation title ever released.[123] In 2006 Vice City appeared on Japanese magazine Famitsu's readers' list of top 100 games; it was one of the only Western titles on the list.[124] Art director Aaron Garbut felt that, alongside its predecessor Grand Theft Auto III and successor San Andreas, Vice City led the trend of open world games.[30]
Ports
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was released for Windows on 13 May 2003 in North America and 16 May in Europe,[125] supporting higher screen resolutions and draw distance, and featuring more detailed textures.[126] A GameCube release was planned, but later cancelled.[127] Vice City was bundled with Grand Theft Auto III in a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: Double Pack, released on the Xbox on 4 November 2003 in North America[128] and 2 January 2004 in Europe.[129] The Xbox version featured a custom soundtrack support as well as improved audio, polygon models, and reflections over the previous ports.[130] Double Pack was later bundled with San Andreas in a compilation titled Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy, released in October 2005.[131] The Trilogy was also released for OS X on 12 November 2010.[132] For the game's tenth anniversary in 2012, War Drum Studios ported Vice City to several iOS and Android devices. The port is almost identical to the Windows version of the game, but with enhanced visuals and a customisable layout.[63] The iOS version was released on 6 December, while the Android version was briefly delayed to 12 December due to technical issues.[133][134] This port was also released on Fire OS devices on 15 May 2014.[135] An emulated version of Vice City was released on the PlayStation 3 on 30 January 2013 via the PlayStation Network's PS2 Classics;[136] another emulated version was released for the PlayStation 4 on 5 December 2015, upscaled to 1080p and with support for PlayStation Trophies.[137]
A remastered version of The Trilogy subtitled The Definitive Edition, including Vice City, was released for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on 11 November 2021; versions for Android and iOS devices are also in development. Existing versions of the game were removed from digital retailers in preparation for The Definitive Edition, but Rockstar soon announced they would be relisted." (wikipedia.org)