A GTA Bible

[Slamman]

What is Dan Houser commenting on? I'd hoped for more information on GTA in the Gamasutra interview linked to earlier, Most of the convo on Max Payne or far less specific on Rockstar's 'mindset', as far as Houser can define it.

 

I'd missed the interview earlier

 

====================

 

I can't even imagine what your bible is for a game like GTA, and much less for one like Max.

 

DH: Oh, I've got several bibles for GTA. There has to be, because there is a bible for brands, and a bible for radio, and one for background characters. Really, there is no one single knowledge base on GTA. There's too much now. I mean, between the technical and the non-technical sides -- but even on the non-technical content sides.

 

 

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By Bible, I think things like Mission branches and traveling, forms of GTA gaming that are needed in each and every version or outting in the series, portable or console/PC

 

It's not very explanatory when stating that there's a Bible for Brands. I tend to think one cannot deviate from the "Bible" template

[JoshGTAfreak]

 

They basically mean a database of information, I think.

[Los Santos Pedestrian]

...what

[GRINCH ASS BITCH]

...what

lol

[Slamman]

Well, database of information is still open to interpretation, but I read a Dan Houser interview and I wonder how it's the same guy writing the scripts?! haha Not trying to make fun of Dan, but there seemed a lot of typos from the interview, like it was translated from English to a foreign language, and back again.

 

I did a quick check, and I see the interview sourced from Variety, and possibly other sites too

Sounds like the same subjects anyway

 

http://www.rockstarnetwork.net/content.php...-3-With-Variety

 

Less of the interview I was referring to, it was linked in another thread on the main page here, just can't recall who posted it

 

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118045632

Edited January 15, 2012 by Slamman

[JoshGTAfreak]

Well, database of information is still open to interpretation, but I read a Dan Houser interview and I wonder how it's the same guy writing the scripts?! haha Not trying to make fun of Dan, but there seemed a lot of typos from the interview, like it was translated from English to a foreign language, and back again.

That was probably the mistake of the writer. Or he was just having a bad day. Sometimes I wake up and spend a whole day not making any sense

[Slamman]

I wanted to pose that question specific to GTA to you guys, get your input.

Dan commented on keeping game secrets, both for released promotion and in Behind The Scenes exposes, that maintaining the magic is by not showing how the trick is performed, as Penn and Teller have divulged with great glee when it comes to REAL magic, the movie or gaming arts are much the same. There are those who feel it's of great merit and interest to expose how things like movies or music get made, even Steven Tyler of Aerosmith has come out against concept videos for spoiling the personal associations with the audio only experience. Dan feels you should immerse yourself in the game with very little pre-conceived notions. I still think it is certain fan interest that they expose the creative process,

Another element in the interview was timing DLC and a game development process, from start to finish, they prefer to take their time and get it right, so there's no grand notion of when to release some information... There still must be some deciding such factors.

 

That's important to note as we expect to be on the receiving end of some new public divulge of GTA V info.

[Ispintechno]

I bought a gta bible for S.A. that had mission walk throughs and the vehicle guide... drinking not sure what the thread is really about. Read it tomorrow. Sorry slammin. Playing turntables and playing with BF3 and fighting with fiance because I want to drink and sleep in one day this week. I'm staying up playing records and playing video games tonight. Booya

[UberChargedCJ]

what about the bible of liberty city?

[BoringAdultWithAFatGirlfriend]

I wanted to pose that question specific to GTA to you guys, get your input.

Dan commented on keeping game secrets, both for released promotion and in Behind The Scenes exposes, that maintaining the magic is by not showing how the trick is performed, as Penn and Teller have divulged with great glee when it comes to REAL magic, the movie or gaming arts are much the same. There are those who feel it's of great merit and interest to expose how things like movies or music get made, even Steven Tyler of Aerosmith has come out against concept videos for spoiling the personal associations with the audio only experience. Dan feels you should immerse yourself in the game with very little pre-conceived notions. I still think it is certain fan interest that they expose the creative process,

Another element in the interview was timing DLC and a game development process, from start to finish, they prefer to take their time and get it right, so there's no grand notion of when to release some information... There still must be some deciding such factors.

 

That's important to note as we expect to be on the receiving end of some new public divulge of GTA V info.

well stated

[SchizNitz]

ZOMG, his ist da evadance of a religous protag in V, wo belive's in god. We no evurathing nuw. - signed the 10 year old kid who read part of the op's post.

[Gtaghost22]

ZOMG, his ist da evadance of a religous protag in V, wo belive's in god. We no evurathing nuw. - signed the 10 year old kid who read part of the op's post.

LOL! What the f*ck are you talking about

[GentlemanSquid]

A bible is bank of information, many tv shows use it to hold information. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_(writing)

 

edit: I am guessing Dan Houser uses one for GTA. Think of it as a paper wiki.

Edited January 15, 2012 by gta_talk

[Slamman]

I was curious about him mentioning the GTA Wikipedia. Looking back further into interviews, a magazine covering San An #1, featured an at length interview with Aaron Garbut, where his picture first appeared to my knowledge, he commented that as the maps came into being, he had more and more trouble memorizing them, they grew obviously bigger, and in a way, points out that the staff creating these universes can literally get lost in them as well.

 

When I think of the brands, the Bible would include Sprunk perhaps? Items or associated things that don't exist outside of GTA, but they bear their stamp in each outing of the franchise

[HydraulicWaRiOr]

God, it's like you people stalk Houser. Just kidnap him already.

[Slamman]

It's either Dan Houser or Sam Houser who will give you the best idea about what goes on at Rockstar, I enjoy hearing every little detail, but over the years, several people have talked with the press over there at Rockstar Games

[milkmansun]

How the things should be done... what rules and morals should be followed.. thats what i get from DH's comment there...

[GentlemanSquid]

I was curious about him mentioning the GTA Wikipedia. Looking back further into interviews, a magazine covering San An #1, featured an at length interview with Aaron Garbut, where his picture first appeared to my knowledge, he commented that as the maps came into being, he had more and more trouble memorizing them, they grew obviously bigger, and in a way, points out that the staff creating these universes can literally get lost in them as well.

 

When I think of the brands, the Bible would include Sprunk perhaps? Items or associated things that don't exist outside of GTA, but they bear their stamp in each outing of the franchise

He said had multiple bibles for different things, so I am guessing a brand bible would be one.

[LaBrat]

It's just like a big database of all the different things in the game.

 

Like you'd have a bible all about businesses, and this would hold all the information such as where the headquarters are located (fictionally speaking) and perhaps more importantly stuff like the branding, the colours and fonts they use on their advertisements, catchphrases, that sort of thing.

[Chukkles]

I would pay alot to get my hands on the story bible, full of all story points they have followed already to make sure they don't repeat things too much.

Possibly even story boards or notes about all the games stories.

[Slamman]

As I just pointed out in a reply, bumping this to coincide, the lineage that pays homage breaks from an established reality in the GTA universe in making New York City, their new Liberty City re-visioned, so it really lacks ties with the hybrid USA cities used initially in building GTA games early on, what this means to me and you is that Rockstar aren't setting everything in stone, the Bible would be things they want as cornerstones throughout the game series, so there's some relation from past to present? Again, I'm interested in how you'd be thinking in relation to Houser's comments. Since he writes a large part of the scripts, I'm also very interested in what's a hard and fast rule in relation to GTA game construction

[Chukkles]

Hard and Fast rule: Never use kids as peds.

 

Thats 1.

[Slamman]

Sam Houser I believe mentioned the idea to avoid kids as unnecessary following the Vice City and Hot Coffee debacles. It was more then just HC that made GTA the bain of anti-gaming zealots

[xxcyylonexx]

Yeah... In Skate 1/2/3 there was a "Spot Bible"

It even made holy sounds when you opened it.

[Slamman]

Well, Dan Houser mentioned that they have their "GTA Bible", yet as one of the main sources for what GTA is and evolves, I'd like for him to explain things like this better in the press, the man interviewing seemed to "get it", but to me, it seems confusing, and open to interpretation of sorts.

 

I doubt we can come to some conclusion over the comment, but it's interesting you'll see here, not everyone thinks of it in the same terms

[HOTMILFDAD]

I was curious about him mentioning the GTA Wikipedia. Looking back further into interviews, a magazine covering San An #1, featured an at length interview with Aaron Garbut, where his picture first appeared to my knowledge, he commented that as the maps came into being, he had more and more trouble memorizing them, they grew obviously bigger, and in a way, points out that the staff creating these universes can literally get lost in them as well.

 

When I think of the brands, the Bible would include Sprunk perhaps? Items or associated things that don't exist outside of GTA, but they bear their stamp in each outing of the franchise

whoaaa, I remember that mag!

Nostalgic

[DarrinPA]

Just to mention. An artist's "bible" of their work isn't rules they made, but rather it's rules or inspiration from outside sources. For example, the television show King Of The Hill used a book called "The Death of Common Sense" which served as the basis for Hank Hill’s philosophy. A bible is made up of many books, just like the real Bible.

 

If I had to guess, Dan and San probably watch a lot of American tv and movies. San Andreas was based on movies like Boys N The Hood. But as for GTA V I would guess that Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme had something to do with the inpsiration. But you can't really say that Bernie Madoff's life created rules for R* to folllow as a bible, because Madoff's life proved that no rules really exist and all bets are off. The SEC showed how pathetic they really are. But I guess that would count as a book in R*'s bible.

[Slamman]

Surprised this died after I left the topic, I still think you're off with your guess that Rockstar's Bible doesn't refer to something specific to GTA, but what precisely??