Lazlow has left Rockstar Games

[universetwisters]

1 hour ago, rodie beta researcher said:

well in gta vice city stories, that was his start (canonically). he had no idea how the radio industry worked in 1984, but as the years went on, he slowly went from wacked out radio speaker, to being absolutely tired of everyones sh*t.

so technically, its been spiraling upwards (canonically)

but as in game releases, yeah, down down down.

 

Idk man, he's got a lot more energy in VCS than he does in VC. Makes no sense.

[suicidal_banana]

Lazlow if you ever read this, hope you have/can overcome the difficult time with family matters & find enjoyment in your new job! I only really know you from the games (and like some people above im not a huge fan of how that role was written for the more recent games) but im sure your real life radio shows are equally funny and i wish you all the best!

 

 

Also, this doesnt actually have to mean a whole lot for Lazlow the ingame character, for one he stuck around for 2 more years after nightclub DLC (so fair chance theres a bunch more voicelines recorded/appearances coming) and secondly they could just hire him to do some more work if needed.

  

14 minutes ago, universetwisters said:

Idk man, he's got a lot more energy in VCS than he does in VC. Makes no sense.

It does for the very reason @rodie beta researcher gave you, VCS takes place 2 years BEFORE vice city.

Edited August 13, 2020 by suicidal_banana

[universetwisters]

7 minutes ago, suicidal_banana said:

 

It does for the very reason @rodie beta researcher gave you, VCS takes place 2 years BEFORE vice city.

 

Okay but it still doesn't explain why Lazlow's just as stoic/monotone in VC as he was in III

[Redneck71]

On 8/11/2020 at 11:58 PM, Magic_Al said:

Lazlow has reappeared from a nearly two-year absence from social media, providing an update and photo on his radiolazlow Instagram account. His website Lazlow.com is back and has a public link to his LinkedIn page. Long story short, he revealed he’s been away since late 2018 for life-and-death family reasons requiring him to be a primary caregiver. His LinkedIn lists his employment with Rockstar Games not as current but ended April 2020. He lists currently consulting with an unspecified video game company, but his description of his Rockstar job is written in the past tense and he lists several unrelated current projects. It’s sad what he and his family are going through but it’s nice of him to share this update with fans, some of whom like me listened to The Lazlow Show over 10 years and learned some of his real-life story. He mentions a possible reboot of The Lazlow Show so he may be back on the air in some way in the future. As for the Lazlow character in GTA, he’ll always be somewhere in the GTA Online nightclubs.

he was a really good DJ in GTA 3 on chatterbox and in GTAVC on V rock 

i just thought the first time that id seen him hed act more like his age instead of a kid but then thought this is the GTA  universe and not reality. he is kind of annoying on V  but thats his chacter. hope him and his family that hes taking care of in this china virus is ok and in good health. 

[suicidal_banana]

12 minutes ago, universetwisters said:

Okay but it still doesn't explain why Lazlow's just as stoic/monotone in VC as he was in III

Except that it does, the actual timeline order of the games is completely different from their release dates
https://gta.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline_(3D_Universe)

 

1984 GTA:VCS

1986 GTA:VC
1992 GTA:SA
1998 GTA:LCS
2000 GTA:A
2001 GTA:3

 

And if you compare Lazlow between those games it totally makes a 'natural' progression from "wuu im a radio dj and going to get a lot of poon" too "f*ck everybody the music industry is terrible"

(edit: i mean like his tone of voice might not change a lot in the later games but his characters personality does change)

Edited August 13, 2020 by suicidal_banana

[GhettoJesus]

11 minutes ago, Redneck71 said:

hope him and his family that hes taking care of in this china virus is ok and in good health. 

Calling it the china virus is pretty bad taste. Anyways we can only hope his sister manages to beat cancer or minimize the damage that it causes. It's a tough war they are fighting.

Edited August 13, 2020 by GhettoJesus

[universetwisters]

Just now, suicidal_banana said:

Except that it does, the actual timeline order of the games is completely different from their release dates
https://gta.fandom.com/wiki/Timeline_(3D_Universe)

 

1984 GTA:VCS

1986 GTA:VC
1992 GTA:SA
1998 GTA:LCS
2000 GTA:A
2001 GTA:3

 

And if you compare Lazlow between those games it totally makes a 'natural' progression from "wuu im a radio dj and going to get a lot of poon" too "f*ck everybody the music industry is terrible"

 

But the character doesn't make sense; he's upbeat and wacky in VCS, then in VC he's as stoic and monotone in III, while in LCS and SA he ditches the "straight guy" attitude for a weird mix of the two. Natural progression sure, but when you're going back in time with some games it makes no sense.

 

 

[suicidal_banana]

Just now, universetwisters said:

But the character doesn't make sense; he's upbeat and wacky in VCS, then in VC he's as stoic and monotone in III, while in LCS and SA he ditches the "straight guy" attitude for a weird mix of the two. Natural progression sure, but when you're going back in time with some games it makes no sense.

People that are depressed (as his character is supposed to be in the later games) do have periods where they try keep up appearances / "fake happiness" for extended periods of time before falling back into their old mindset. Ima stick with "all of this makes sense", if i you dont agree thats fine but lets not make this topic a back-n-forth between us when it should actually be about the person behind the fictional character 

*opts out of this discussion

[universetwisters]

Just now, suicidal_banana said:

People that are depressed (as his character is supposed to be in the later games) do have periods where they try keep up appearances / "fake happiness" for extended periods of time before falling back into their old mindset. Ima stick with "all of this makes sense", if i you dont agree thats fine but lets not make this topic a back-n-forth between us when it should actually be about the person behind the fictional character 

 

That's an incredibly in depth excuse for a character who's only schtick was being a radio host but ok

 

 

[Arnold165]

I wish Lazlow and his family the best during this difficult time. It’s sad to see him go though. Thank you for everything, sir! GTA was a huge part of my childhood and became my favorite franchise because of people like you, Leslie and Dan (who aren’t at R* anyway either) and others. Thank you for the laughs and memories with the radio, music, etc. We’ll miss you greatly! Best of luck on your future projects!

[Legomanarthur]

Well that's a bummer, I hope things end up okay for him and his family in the future in spite of this difficult situation. I'm gonna miss him and I'm sure his absence will be felt in future Rockstar games too. Thank you for all your work and the great laughs.

[IceDree]

I can't imagine what he gone through with his family, difficult is an understatement. I wish him best of luck with his family & future plans.

Thank you for everything, Laz. I'll be thinking of you & your family when I listen to Chatterbox tonight.

[GTAFanClub]

It’s sad seeing guys that I looked up to leave my favorite gaming company. If Sam Houser, Rob Nelson and Aaron Garbut leave too eventually, I won’t see R* as the same company anymore. Best wishes to Lazlow and his family!

[Kerminator369]

I actually said Holy sh*t..

Wasnt he a writer for them also for the past 20 years?

[universetwisters]

3 minutes ago, RighteousMind369 said:

I actually said Holy sh*t..

Wasnt he a writer for them also for the past 20 years?

 

Yea but just for the stuff like radio and stuff

[eejyool]

46 minutes ago, universetwisters said:

 

Yea but just for the stuff like radio and stuff

Which is one of the main reasons why I like GTA so much

[Kris194]

47 minutes ago, universetwisters said:

Yea but just for the stuff like radio and stuff

Radio, TV, commercials and I love all of this in GTA series.

[Kirsty]

This is his bio from his own LinkedIn page, he clearly contributed creatively across many aspects of writing and production for GTA, Red Dead and even Max Payne. Rockstar is of course not just a one-person show and for him personally maybe leaving is a good thing, but the stuff he has done for the company is what will be remembered by many.

 

 

 

[GhettoJesus]

25 minutes ago, Kirsty said:

This is his bio from his own LinkedIn page, he clearly contributed creatively across many aspects of writing and production for GTA, Red Dead and even Max Payne. Rockstar is of course not just a one-person show and for him personally maybe leaving is a good thing, but the stuff he has done for the company is what will be remembered by many.

-snip-

When you think about it's mindblowing that this one guy wrote lines for so many famous people. I just thought about him doing all the work for about 20 years but when you think about how many celebrities he worked with it's really shocking. And this is just a videogame, a medium that wasn't held in high regard back in the early-mid 2000s and he was already working with big names.

Edited August 13, 2020 by GhettoJesus

[Prisoneroo]

23 hours ago, Ho Diver said:

One by one they all just fade away.

It's really sad.

[Jabalous]

Disappointing. Writing style is hard to replicate.

[Zello]

On 8/12/2020 at 3:51 PM, Ho Diver said:

One by one they all just fade away.

 

[Senor DeekHead]

finally a use for a 18 year old song

[LeakyLine]

This is a hard hitter.

[suicidal_banana]

3 hours ago, universetwisters said:

That's an incredibly in depth excuse for a character who's only schtick was being a radio host but ok

Sorry to say this (i know i said i would drop this) but if you've actually paid any sort of attention to his fictional characters appearances then what i mentioned should've come as no surprise, did you not hear the mental breakdown his character had on several of the radio stations/in several of the games? Mentions of trying to crawl out of a dark hole/leave his past behind him? How hes referred to as washed up failed celebrity by pretty much everybody in several games? Didnt you notice the fact that hes bscly crying in your GTA:O nightclub if you dont keep the party going?

 

Here you go, educate yourself, maybe some random wiki will convince you that his story is a little more fleshed out beyond "being a radio host"

https://gta.fandom.com/wiki/Lazlow_Jone

 

[Zello]

Old Lazlow interview

https://web.archive.org/web/20080909235902/http://lazlow.com/faqs/interview-originally-in-psx2com.html

 

Quote

PSX2.com: Changing the subject a little, I just have to ask if you're going to be working with DMA Design on the next Grand Theft Auto, and if so, what kind of radio will be featured in it?

Lazlow: I honestly don't know. I didn't know I was going to be working on GTA3. I get questions all the time like "How did you get a nationally syndicated radio feature," or "How did you start working in video games?" If I knew the answer to those, and could lay it out for people in a logical path, I'd be like a super high school guidance counselor. Working on GTA3 was out of nowhere. I body board at a local beach here in Long Island, and we get some pretty killer waves. There's an area where a lot of body boarders hang out. Mostly you hang out in the water, waiting for the next set to come in. There's a wide group of people there from all walks of life, from carpenters to CEO's. You get to know everyone by their nicknames and shoot the sh*t in the water. I'd been talking to this British dude in the water for months, and I said something about E3 [Electronic Entertainment Expo] and he was like "I'm going to E3." Come to find out he was a head guy over at Rockstar Games. We talked a lot about the industry, mostly me picking his brain. I love talking to people about what they do. Anyway, after a few months of talking trash in the water, he invited me to come into the Rockstar offices and take a look around. I met Dan Houser and we all started talking about GTA3. Pretty soon I was writing with him in these intense writing sessions for GTA3. Dan Houser is the most creative and funny person I've ever met. I never really cared about money on the whole thing. You can make great money doing mundane stuff like selling insurance. When you are in a situation with somebody that is great to work with, and you have a great time, it's amazing. There are a lot of miserable people out there making bank. When you do something you wake up smiling about, congrats, you've won. If they ask me to do stuff on other games I'm definitely down with it.

PSX2.com: So if Dan Houser asks you to do a station similar to chatterbox for GTA4, would you do it all again?

Lazlow: There are a lot of bands who keep releasing the same album. It's no good. Dan Houser would never ask me to do the same thing again. He's a creative genius. I've hung out with him, chillin' on the beach and he's said sh*t that had me rolling. I tell people to watch any game Rockstar comes out with. I've visited a lot of game companies, but Rockstar is the coolest. I never considered working on a game for a second until I met the Rockstar guys. There's some amazing talent in that place. I've learned there are a lot of factors to video game production, but in my mind GTA3 was a success because of the guys at DMA and Dan Houser. I'd work with him at a truck stop selling lottery tickets.

 

PSX2.com: When playing the game, do you ever listen to yourself on Chatterbox?

Lazlow: Yeah, it's too distracting though. I produced it, and while I'm trying to focus on running from the cops or something, my mind will start to wander. I've had people e-mail me and say they can't play the game while listening to Chatterbox because they laugh their ass off. That's cool.

PSX2.com: How was the radio show produced? Was it already pre-scripted when you got to the studio?

Lazlow: Sort of. Dan Houser and I got together once or twice a week for months. We'd order anchovy-onion pizzas, Diet Coke and write like crazy. We'd type up rough ideas on a laptop, banging Diet Coke like mad. After that I'd think of people to do the radio bits. If you know anyone in radio, they are like drifters. Radio people move around a lot. I called up all my friends in radio all over, and sent them scripts. Some threw it in the trash, did their own thing and sent me a DAT. Others ad-libbed on top of it. The credits read like a friends of Lazlow tour. There are people I went to college with in the game. The guy at the beer store down the street from me is in it. My next door neighbor's kids are in it. I grabbed everyone and said "here, read this."

PSX2.com: How did Rockstar go about keeping all of your callers and guests quiet about the game while it was in development?

Lazlow: It was never an issue. This industry lives in a bubble. The whole industry takes itself way too seriously. That's why I liked working with Rockstar and DMA. It was more about hanging out with some amazingly talented people, coming up with great ideas, and trying them out. And what's going to happen? Is my old college roommate going to call up the trades and say "yo, here's the dope. I played a guy in a PlayStation game!" Work with great people and the cool stuff will follow. Constantly put locks on the doors and get all control freakish and you're back to the Linux vs. Microsoft debate. People get pretty uninspired in a padded room.
 

 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Zello

[GhettoJesus]

If only he knew back then how long he will stick with the company and what a role he is going to play.

Edited August 14, 2020 by GhettoJesus

[D T]

2 hours ago, Kirsty said:

This is his bio from his own LinkedIn page, he clearly contributed creatively across many aspects of writing and production for GTA, Red Dead and even Max Payne. Rockstar is of course not just a one-person show and for him personally maybe leaving is a good thing, but the stuff he has done for the company is what will be remembered by many.

 

 

 

I had no idea he contributed so much to these games. It really bums me out to see him go but I truly hope he's found some peace as of late. I cannot imagine going through that nightmare with not just one but multiple family members.

[Lemoyne outlaw]

yikes its sad to see another rockstar vet go. i know a lot of people hated him in gta 4 and 5. but i enjoyed it for what it was. i also liked him in after hours. i was actually looking forward to whatever he was going to do in the next game. but oh well. unless maybe he was in it and finished his part before he left. i was also surprised when i saw his name on the opening credits in red dead redemption 2. and i always wondered what he did. but from what i read here i guess he was involved with the theater stuff. let me know what else he did. so even though more and more rockstar vets are leaving. i still have faith in this company. and its not like they were the only creative people in the video game industry. i sure hope that they dont fall apart. i still consider them to be the best video game developers. maybe not with multiplayer. but their singleplayers are masterpieces. im sure they have some great stuff cooking right now. i just wish we could get a reveal on what the next game is.

[Zello]

Maybe because Dan left he left too. You gotta remember that they worked closely together. With him gone along with adding his personal family situation I guess it made sense for him to leave.