Sci-fi Grand Theft Auto game "very tempting" says RockStar boss
What’s better than a free-roaming crime sim? How about a free-roaming crime sim in space?
That’s one potential idea that’s been floating around the HQ of Grand Theft Auto designers RockStar, a new interview with key team members at the development house has revealed.
Replying to a question from French website Ecrans asking whether or not a science fiction version of GTA would ever be a possibility, RockStar boss Dan Houser revealed “We will do it the very second we have an idea.”
“One of our strengths is the consistency of the game world,” continued Houser.
“We’re not necessarily the best writers in the world, but we know how to write a video game.
It’s all down to the story though, with RockStar yet to pin down a satisfying angle from which to approach the space-faring genre:
“When we decided to make a Western, it was because we knew we had something to say. We have no interest in going into science fiction for the sake of flying cars and laser guns.
“The best science fiction stories are those that speak about the human condition. So while this idea is very tempting and, by definition, anything’s possible in a videogame, we lack the essential thing for the moment: a good reason.”
A good reason?? A GOOD REASON??? Like GTA with laser guns isn’t good enough reason alone! It’s great to hear of the potential for such a title though. With the GTA series now a veteran in the gaming industry, and with new hardware just over the horizon, RockStar will likely be looking now at the possibilities of fresh IPs for the next generation of hardware. As seen with the superb Red Dead Redemption, RockStar know how to mine the very best from cinema and morph their haul into great video game ideas, and the sci-fi genre is full of amazing ideas to delve into. It doesn’t have to be a Mass Effect style space epic – just imagine a BladeRunner style L.A Noire sequel. Now THAT’S a game with a good reason.
It’s also something that’s been explored by the GTA modding community – there’s plenty of sci-fi inspired Grand Theft Auto mods for the PC versions of GTA IV and San Andreas, including Star Wars mods and the sweet Back to The Future Delorean you can see in the image at the top of this post.
For the time being though, we’re just going to have to make do with a little upcoming title from RockStar called Grand Theft Auto 5.
