The Next Grand Theft Auto

CoreyTheGent · 02-21-2005, 01:49 AM

Based on the 1972 film of the same name, The Godfather immerses you in the dangerous world of the Mafia. The game features GTA-style gameplay, a new storyline, and voice-acting by original cast members.

Publisher: Electronic Arts
Developer: Electronic Arts
Genre: Action
Release Date: Q4 2005

NEW YORK--How do you make a game based on a beloved movie and book franchise that's known the world over? Such is the question that Electronic Arts' Redwood Shores studio faced roughly two years ago. There are challenges aplenty for any developer setting out to make the best game it can, but all that gets taken up several notches when you factor in expectations from the fans of a classic film franchise. While the daunting task could be intimidating enough to frighten off some, the fine folks at EARS appear to be enthusiastically up to the challenge...if the game's official unveiling in New York tonight is any indication of the team's drive. At an event held in Little Italy this evening, EA offered those in attendance a taste of what to expect from the long-awaited video game version of The Godfather.

Your virtual Italian self will be an up-and-coming mobster who gets the opportunity to join the Corleone family. Your experience in the game will be shaped by the factors that influence any ambitious mafioso: respect, family, expanding your territory, and the repercussions of the choices you make in your life. The life you lead will form part of The Godfather's narrative, which will closely weave your experiences with the events from The Godfather story everyone knows. This means you can expect to find yourself experiencing familiar moments from the film firsthand. To polish up the new elements and fold them into the existing Puzo lore, creative director Philip Campbell worked with Mark Winegardner (the current torchbearer of The Godfather franchise) to ensure everything worked together smoothly.

The first clip shown was a cinematic that showed the untimely demise of Don Vito Corleone. The cinematic appeared to be running in-engine and admirably re-created the visuals from the film. Demartini noted that the game will draw on the original score from Nino Rota and will also tap Academy Award-winning composer Bill Conti for around 100 additional minutes of score that's being tweaked to match the game's dynamic action, on the fly, as it unfolds.

This action will take place in a living world the team is crafting to offer a sandbox experience that doesn't appear to be too far removed from what's been done in the Grand Theft Auto series. Demartini's description of the world that's being created for the game hit all the buzzwords you'd expect, with mentions of "freedom of choice, nonlinearity, and consequences." To back up his points, an actual clip of the game then ran, which showed the main-player character going through his neighborhood and interacting with the locals. The reactions from the residents showed off some subtle effects, mostly done through body language, which signaled their attitudes toward the character. Some head tracking was visible and suggested that your effect on people will be tied to the level of respect you have in the game and your notoriety among them. Mention was also made of how your lifestyle in the game will affect your experience. Interestingly, the respect mechanic seems like the next step in reputation-based gameplay, much like in Fable.

All told, while EA didn't show off as much as we would have liked to have seen of The Godfather, what we saw in motion showed promise. The game will likely be one of the most-scrutinized to hit the market when it ships, due in particular to the expectations from fans of the film and those hoping for something beyond a by-the-numbers movie game that draws on various established gameplay elements. The pressures of the third-person genre will also weigh heavily on the game, as the bar has been raised by games such as GTA, Mercenaries, and Fable. If EA can match those games in quality and offer some innovations to boot, The Godfather could be something special. Hopefully, the team at EA Redwood Shores can do that, because if it falls short, there's going to a whole lot of horse heads winding up in people's beds. The Godfather is currently slated to ship this fall for the PlayStation 2, PC, and Xbox. A PSP game is slated to ship late this year as well.

GameSpot

**icsedge1** · 02-21-2005, 02:02 AM

looks as if my social life, such as it is, will be suffering greatly come fall. oh well...

sedge - 'a friend of mine'.

arpy64 · 02-21-2005, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by icsedge1

looks as if my social life, such as it is, will be suffering greatly come fall. oh well...

make that 2 of us.

stonedtseller · 02-21-2005, 02:42 AM

Looks like I won't see the light of day for 2 weeks straight come fall. Boy those pizza delivery and chinese take-out guys are gonna hate me.

DF@Work · 02-21-2005, 02:21 PM

Just have them place food on doorstep... slide cash under door... they may not notice smell...

stonedtseller · 02-21-2005, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DF@Work

Just have them place food on doorstep... slide cash under door... they may not notice smell...

Just like they do in Irving huh? Ingenious idea! I am forever indebted to you!

DF@Work · 02-21-2005, 03:26 PM

Some guy in Irving told me how that works... guess he learned it out of McGuyver's Cracker Jacks box...

Still the game looks interesting... now if I can actually finish Vice city...

**Silence2Poetry** · 02-21-2005, 03:28 PM

Knowing my brother...he will have me hooked on the game and ordering pizza and any other food that i can get dilivered and eat while i play

i cant wait

theCvgUnit · 02-21-2005, 03:37 PM

I really hope EA does a better job with the Godfather than Illusion Softworks did with Mafia.

theCvgUnit · 02-21-2005, 03:39 PM

Also if this game is good it wont be comparable to "Grand Theft Auto," come on its The Godfather. No competition!

stonedtseller · 02-21-2005, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DF@Work

Some guy in Irving told me how that works... guess he learned it out of McGuyver's Cracker Jacks box...

Still the game looks interesting... now if I can actually finish Vice city...

Yeah I figured thats where you got it from. But this method poses a problem. I have draft flaps on the bottom of my door so how would they slide the cash under without smelling my 2 week old showerless body? Do they make those vacuum mailboxes that they had on Back to the Future, so the pizza can be sucked into the house?

Still on Vice City huh? LOL. Don't feel bad, it took me a week to get pass the part where Smoke is riding the bike with CJ in San Andreas. Maybe because I had to work and couldn't concentrate but then again it was the first time I played video games in like a year.

CoreyTheGent · 02-21-2005, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theCvgUnit

I really hope EA does a better job with the Godfather than Illusion Softworks did with Mafia.

If this isn't better than "Mafia," then EA has a problem. This should be a monumental thing in which EA really steps their game up (yeah, pun intended).

As for it being no competition with GTA, I'm sure I'll like The Godfather better. It's just that GTA has set all the standards as you can see from every game in the genre being compared to it.

DF@Work · 02-22-2005, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stonedtseller

Yeah I figured thats where you got it from. But this method poses a problem. I have draft flaps on the bottom of my door so how would they slide the cash under without smelling my 2 week old showerless body? Do they make those vacuum mailboxes that they had on Back to the Future, so the pizza can be sucked into the house?

Still on Vice City huh? LOL. Don't feel bad, it took me a week to get pass the part where Smoke is riding the bike with CJ in San Andreas. Maybe because I had to work and couldn't concentrate but then again it was the first time I played video games in like a year.

At least you have time to play games... I have approximately 20k worth of video games and like zero time to play them... (I do somehow manage to finish one game every two months so at my rate... I may actually get through my collection in say.... 166.4 years... give or take a month)

**SingSongBird** · 02-25-2005, 03:33 PM

I just started SH2 I haven't finished 1 and lawd knows I am so behind I barely into GTA 3. There just isn't enough time!!!

CoreyTheGent · 03-22-2005, 07:01 PM

Caan, Duvall Primed for 'Godfather' Videogame.

By Derrik J. Lang
AP

NEW YORK -- Robert Duvall and James Caan aren't taking themselves or their latest reunion seriously.

No, the pair find anything and everything funny, especially the fact that they're reprising their memorable roles for ''The Godfather'' video game.

Maybe that's because neither has ever played a video game before.

''Not to be maudlin about it, but my kids can play with me after I'm gone,'' says Caan, sitting next to Duvall in a suite at the Four Seasons.

''Do what?'' Duvall asks, either genuinely confused or sincerely coy.

''They can see me after I'm gone,'' Caan says matter-of-factly.

''Gone where?''

''With Brando!'' Caan clamors. ''You know what I mean!''

The old friends leisurely banter on a day when a multitude of press is probing them for sound bites about the 1972 film and the recently announced video game, a subject they know little about. Duvall and Caan -- both prefer to go by Bobby and Jimmy, respectively -- tackle the task with ease, roosting in their own world of zingers and sarcasm.

''My agent called,'' says Duvall on how he was approached to do the game. ''He loves 10 percent of anything. Some of the other guys didn't want to do it. Brando did it before,'' Duvall pauses, clasps his hands and gazes up at the ceiling, ''he went skyward.''

True, before his death last year, Marlon Brando recorded his voice for the Electronic Arts game, which loosely follows the film's plot. In the game, players create unique personas and go at it in shoot-'em-up missions similar to the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series. They'll also be able to interact with the likes of Caan's mobster, Sonny Corleone, and Duvall's consigliere, Tom Hagen.

To Caan, it seems like only yesterday the cast and crew were celebrating the film's 25th anniversary, and the day before was the first day of shooting. Despite the lapse, neither had problems stepping back into their roles to record their parts for the game.

''It's like somebody goes out of the room and comes back in, and he's got makeup on that looks like 30 years later,'' says Duvall. ''It was just there. It just came back. It's kind of strange.''

''But Bobby's looking much older,'' Caan jokes. ''I'm looking the same.''

''No, you're not,'' Duvall retorts.

Both laugh uproariously.

Actually, even though Caan's face received the motion-capture treatment, both appeared as their youthful Mafioso characters from ''The Godfather'' in clips from the game shown at a Little Italy premiere party. The finished product won't hit stores until fall.

02-21-2005, 01:49 AM	#1
CoreyTheGent Digital PCS User Join Date: Nov 29, '03 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 3,491 Phone: RAZR Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 3,938	The Next Grand Theft Auto Based on the 1972 film of the same name, The Godfather immerses you in the dangerous world of the Mafia. The game features GTA-style gameplay, a new storyline, and voice-acting by original cast members. Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Electronic Arts Genre: Action Release Date: Q4 2005 NEW YORK--How do you make a game based on a beloved movie and book franchise that's known the world over? Such is the question that Electronic Arts' Redwood Shores studio faced roughly two years ago. There are challenges aplenty for any developer setting out to make the best game it can, but all that gets taken up several notches when you factor in expectations from the fans of a classic film franchise. While the daunting task could be intimidating enough to frighten off some, the fine folks at EARS appear to be enthusiastically up to the challenge...if the game's official unveiling in New York tonight is any indication of the team's drive. At an event held in Little Italy this evening, EA offered those in attendance a taste of what to expect from the long-awaited video game version of The Godfather. Your virtual Italian self will be an up-and-coming mobster who gets the opportunity to join the Corleone family. Your experience in the game will be shaped by the factors that influence any ambitious mafioso: respect, family, expanding your territory, and the repercussions of the choices you make in your life. The life you lead will form part of The Godfather's narrative, which will closely weave your experiences with the events from The Godfather story everyone knows. This means you can expect to find yourself experiencing familiar moments from the film firsthand. To polish up the new elements and fold them into the existing Puzo lore, creative director Philip Campbell worked with Mark Winegardner (the current torchbearer of The Godfather franchise) to ensure everything worked together smoothly. The first clip shown was a cinematic that showed the untimely demise of Don Vito Corleone. The cinematic appeared to be running in-engine and admirably re-created the visuals from the film. Demartini noted that the game will draw on the original score from Nino Rota and will also tap Academy Award-winning composer Bill Conti for around 100 additional minutes of score that's being tweaked to match the game's dynamic action, on the fly, as it unfolds. This action will take place in a living world the team is crafting to offer a sandbox experience that doesn't appear to be too far removed from what's been done in the Grand Theft Auto series. Demartini's description of the world that's being created for the game hit all the buzzwords you'd expect, with mentions of "freedom of choice, nonlinearity, and consequences." To back up his points, an actual clip of the game then ran, which showed the main-player character going through his neighborhood and interacting with the locals. The reactions from the residents showed off some subtle effects, mostly done through body language, which signaled their attitudes toward the character. Some head tracking was visible and suggested that your effect on people will be tied to the level of respect you have in the game and your notoriety among them. Mention was also made of how your lifestyle in the game will affect your experience. Interestingly, the respect mechanic seems like the next step in reputation-based gameplay, much like in Fable. All told, while EA didn't show off as much as we would have liked to have seen of The Godfather, what we saw in motion showed promise. The game will likely be one of the most-scrutinized to hit the market when it ships, due in particular to the expectations from fans of the film and those hoping for something beyond a by-the-numbers movie game that draws on various established gameplay elements. The pressures of the third-person genre will also weigh heavily on the game, as the bar has been raised by games such as GTA, Mercenaries, and Fable. If EA can match those games in quality and offer some innovations to boot, The Godfather could be something special. Hopefully, the team at EA Redwood Shores can do that, because if it falls short, there's going to a whole lot of horse heads winding up in people's beds. The Godfather is currently slated to ship this fall for the PlayStation 2, PC, and Xbox. A PSP game is slated to ship late this year as well. GameSpot

02-21-2005, 02:02 AM	#2
icsedge1 Iowa Hawkeyes Join Date: Jan 11, '04 Location: NYC Posts: 992 Phone: BB Tour 9630 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 1,746	looks as if my social life, such as it is, will be suffering greatly come fall. oh well... sedge - 'a friend of mine'. __________________ If by chance an honest man like yourself were to make enemies,they would become my enemies. And then they will fear you. $69 450 Everything plan, + 50 bonus minutes, 14% corp discount - SPCS since Jan. 99 The EV-DO bandwagon has pulled into the station. Now departing as a bullet train. WEEEEHAAAA! Last edited by icsedge1; 02-21-2005 at 02:04 AM. Reason: can't spell...then again, it's 3:03 am

02-21-2005, 02:21 PM	#5
DF@Work Cellular Phone User Join Date: Dec 12, '02 Location: In btwn Towers Posts: 1,770 Phone: All of THEM Trades: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 269	Just have them place food on doorstep... slide cash under door... they may not notice smell... __________________ DF@Work -The above mentioned comments / posts are that of my own and not that of my employer, it's affiliates or should in any way be construed as such. Somewhere out there is the perfect phone...

02-21-2005, 03:26 PM	#7
DF@Work Cellular Phone User Join Date: Dec 12, '02 Location: In btwn Towers Posts: 1,770 Phone: All of THEM Trades: 1 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 269	Some guy in Irving told me how that works... guess he learned it out of McGuyver's Cracker Jacks box... Still the game looks interesting... now if I can actually finish Vice city... __________________ DF@Work -The above mentioned comments / posts are that of my own and not that of my employer, it's affiliates or should in any way be construed as such. Somewhere out there is the perfect phone...

02-21-2005, 03:37 PM	#9
theCvgUnit Sprintusers Consigliere Join Date: Jan 4, '04 Location: Tri-State Area Posts: 683 Phone: Moto Q Trades: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 129	I really hope EA does a better job with the Godfather than Illusion Softworks did with Mafia. __________________ "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent." - Robert De Niro (A Bronx Tale) ...:::Avatar by me:::...

02-21-2005, 02:42 AM	#4
stonedtseller Account Inactive Join Date: Dec 22, '03 Location: ATL Shawdy! Posts: 415 Phone: Crappy5600 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 59	Looks like I won't see the light of day for 2 weeks straight come fall. Boy those pizza delivery and chinese take-out guys are gonna hate me.

02-21-2005, 03:28 PM	#8
Silence2Poetry S2P Join Date: Dec 13, '04 Location: Miami, Fl. Posts: 2,181 Phone: Blackberry Curv Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 480	Knowing my brother...he will have me hooked on the game and ordering pizza and any other food that i can get dilivered and eat while i play i cant wait

02-21-2005, 03:39 PM	#10
theCvgUnit Sprintusers Consigliere Join Date: Jan 4, '04 Location: Tri-State Area Posts: 683 Phone: Moto Q Trades: 2 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 129	Also if this game is good it wont be comparable to "Grand Theft Auto," come on its The Godfather. No competition! __________________ "The saddest thing in life is wasted talent." - Robert De Niro (A Bronx Tale) ...:::Avatar by me:::...

02-25-2005, 03:33 PM	#14
SingSongBird Sprint is my baby daddy Join Date: Oct 21, '03 Location: Exile Island Posts: 1,733 Phone: Centro Trades: 3 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 3,463	I just started SH2 I haven't finished 1 and lawd knows I am so behind I barely into GTA 3. There just isn't enough time!!! __________________ signature removed, if you dont like the new guidelines which have been in place for quite some time now, then dont have a signature. ^^^Censorship at it's finest

03-22-2005, 07:01 PM	#15
CoreyTheGent Digital PCS User Join Date: Nov 29, '03 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 3,491 Phone: RAZR Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts SU$: 3,938	Caan, Duvall Primed for 'Godfather' Videogame. By Derrik J. Lang AP NEW YORK -- Robert Duvall and James Caan aren't taking themselves or their latest reunion seriously. No, the pair find anything and everything funny, especially the fact that they're reprising their memorable roles for ''The Godfather'' video game. Maybe that's because neither has ever played a video game before. ''Not to be maudlin about it, but my kids can play with me after I'm gone,'' says Caan, sitting next to Duvall in a suite at the Four Seasons. ''Do what?'' Duvall asks, either genuinely confused or sincerely coy. ''They can see me after I'm gone,'' Caan says matter-of-factly. ''Gone where?'' ''With Brando!'' Caan clamors. ''You know what I mean!'' The old friends leisurely banter on a day when a multitude of press is probing them for sound bites about the 1972 film and the recently announced video game, a subject they know little about. Duvall and Caan -- both prefer to go by Bobby and Jimmy, respectively -- tackle the task with ease, roosting in their own world of zingers and sarcasm. ''My agent called,'' says Duvall on how he was approached to do the game. ''He loves 10 percent of anything. Some of the other guys didn't want to do it. Brando did it before,'' Duvall pauses, clasps his hands and gazes up at the ceiling, ''he went skyward.'' True, before his death last year, Marlon Brando recorded his voice for the Electronic Arts game, which loosely follows the film's plot. In the game, players create unique personas and go at it in shoot-'em-up missions similar to the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series. They'll also be able to interact with the likes of Caan's mobster, Sonny Corleone, and Duvall's consigliere, Tom Hagen. To Caan, it seems like only yesterday the cast and crew were celebrating the film's 25th anniversary, and the day before was the first day of shooting. Despite the lapse, neither had problems stepping back into their roles to record their parts for the game. ''It's like somebody goes out of the room and comes back in, and he's got makeup on that looks like 30 years later,'' says Duvall. ''It was just there. It just came back. It's kind of strange.'' ''But Bobby's looking much older,'' Caan jokes. ''I'm looking the same.'' ''No, you're not,'' Duvall retorts. Both laugh uproariously. Actually, even though Caan's face received the motion-capture treatment, both appeared as their youthful Mafioso characters from ''The Godfather'' in clips from the game shown at a Little Italy premiere party. The finished product won't hit stores until fall.

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