R* Leed's next (portable) title

[Guanxi]

By my logic R* Leeds's last project was Chinatown Wars which was released over 2 years ago so it's probably a good bet that they have a big reveal coming either this year or next, especially considering the launch of the Nintendo 3DS and the Sony NGP/PSP2 starting late this year. Whatever it may be it will presumably be releasing in 2012 to give the attachment rate some time to grow and the game itself some polish.

 

If we consider that their next title is probably gta-related with R* North's Agent still nowhere in sight this side of 2012 I think it's also a good bet that this is the last gta we will see for probably another two years following 2012 as a stop-gap between now and GTA V (2014) on e.g. Xbox 3, PS4, etc.

 

Regardless of where you stand on GTA V, I think you will agree with me that in all likelihood there will be a new portable gta on these new shiny handhelds. Speculation time, people

 

In my view it could only be 1 of 3 things;

 

1. A new 3D/non-isometric rendition of IV-era Liberty City exclusively on the Sony NGP/PSP2 featuring for example the exploits of Jermaine, a McReary's-themed prequel, Dwayne in the early 90's or a Mob-theme game in the 1970's, for example.

 

2. A new protagonist, new location (expansion of the IV-era), e.g. a Chicago or London-inspired game created using existing game assets from IV on the PSP2 with console ports to follow in 2013.

 

3. Believe it or not San Andreas Stories for a number of reasons. Firstly, people are crying out for a remastered San Andreas on these consoles (in HD) especially on the PS3. Secondly, it could be built quite easily for the 3DS, the PSP2 and even the iPhone and all the while significantly graphically overhauled and updated from the PS2, Xbox. Updated physics, new engine, remodelled, retextured, expanded soundtrack.

 

Thirdly because it will have been over 7 years since San Andreas on PS2 and it would fit in very nicely between GTA IV's liberty city and GTA V's Vice City. Also if you remember San Andreas is also depicted on gta iv's TV as the iii-era rendition (as was Red Dead).

 

I'd imagine it could be a modern San Andreas or a prequel to San Andreas circa 1990 (the original San Andreas being a parody of the 90's not the late 80's). Alternatively as I say they could using the original as a template update the original San Andreas almost beyond recognition perhaps even set it in the 2010's with significant alterations to the 3 cities rendering it almost entirely unrecognisable from the original and very much their own creation.

 

I'd be very interested to know what you guys might be predicting/expecting to see from R* Leed's next effort? If R* Leeds do create a new gta for the next round of handhelds would that change your mind about which one or whether or not to pick one up at all...?

 

Edit: Or like me would you simply wait and see and hope whatever it may be makes it over to the consoles eventually?

Edited February 16, 2011 by Guanxi

[deathil93]

The next portable title will be in no way GTA related. Why? because they spent tens of millions on Chinatown Wars and it flopped in sales. It didn't even get near VCS' sales.

[d0mm2k8]

The next portable title will be in no way GTA related. Why? because they spent tens of millions on Chinatown Wars and it flopped in sales. It didn't even get near VCS' sales.

They took an obvious risk and it went against them; they've just gotta be smarter.

[Dimitroco]

The next portable title will be in no way GTA related. Why? because they spent tens of millions on Chinatown Wars and it flopped in sales. It didn't even get near VCS' sales.

It was because of the graphics, I'm pretty sure a lot of people (me included) didn't but it because it wasn't 3D GTA like LCS/VCS. It may have had good gameplay and such, but the graphics is a big part of a game too.

 

I'm pretty sure if R* does a 3D updated San Andreas for Sony PSP2/NGP, a lot of people would buy it.

[Guanxi]

 

The next portable title will be in no way GTA related. Why? because they spent tens of millions on Chinatown Wars and it flopped in sales. It didn't even get near VCS' sales.

They took an obvious risk and it went against them; they've just gotta be smarter.

LCS and VCS both did well over 5+ million each figuring in PS2 sales. GTA on a handheld has an enviably viable market there's no question of that. What is clear now that GTA and nintendo don't mix like a bed and two ... - B.I.G. The 'mature' audience of handheld owners naturally gravitate towards the Sony handhelds that cater primarily to them.

 

CTW was an experiment that went against the grain and was il-fated from the start. Same boat as Madworld and Dead Space Extraction. You're right in the respect that I don't think R* or anybody else for that matter will be offering any more 'mature content' primarily catered to nintendo platforms after Manhunt and CTWs.

 

I completed CTW on a trip on the PSP and really liked it but not to the same extent as the stories games. The lack of proper voice acting and cutscenes really hurt it. I was mindful of the fact that it felt like a major step backwards in as many strides it took forwards. Once you got used to the isometric-3D it was just like playing GTA IV in a car while pressing the B button.

 

The core platform this time will probably be the NGP/PSP2 which should make porting it over to the PS3 relatively a piece of cake going on press reports. But because there is an inherent risk to be mitigated i'm sure they will want to develop it for as many platforms as possible which is why i'm pretty insistent on a revamp of San Andreas. It makes sense theoretically because it could be created relatively quickly and cheaply and the risk could be spread across potentially up to 8 different platforms by my count;

 

NGP, 3DS, PSPGo, iPhone, iPad, even the Wii & the following year on PS3 and 360 in 1080p/60 HD.

Edited February 16, 2011 by Guanxi

[Negro Bandito]

@op Please no liberty city AGAIN, but i might actually accept it since itd gonna be on a handheld and gta iv era..

 

*inb4gtasanandreasstories

[TrevorSpeed914]

GTA 3 remake for the 3ds sounds as though it would do more business than Chinatown Wars. When you think of sells of the latter, consider that it was different visually, action wise, story wise, etc. Unless Rockstar put out a 3d game (As in GTA 3/IV) on the DS, I couldn't see it doing great.

[jnzooger]

What is clear now that GTA and nintendo don't mix like a bed and two ... - B.I.G. The 'mature' audience of handheld owners naturally gravitate towards the Sony handhelds that cater primarily to them.

Frankly, this is just wrong. Every generation of GTA has seen a release on a Nintendo Handheld, and its attitudes like this that cause them not to sell well.

 

Nintendo's consoles/handhelds are perfectly capable of GTA games, but they don't sell solely because other developers don't take a risk on Nintendo. Why is this? Because of the image created by developers not taking risks. Its a self deprecating spiral.

 

The reason people say Nintendo isn't for Mature people dates back to the SNES when Nintendo did censor games. They don't do that anymore because the industry is now self-regulating with things like the ESRB. And since Nintendo themselves do not make rated M games, that image hasn't been shaken. All it would take is ONE third party dev to actually put the time into an M rated game on the Wii, and things would change. (And please don't bring up CoD or something. Those type of games were half-assed from the beginning.)