Ben-DutkaIt's easy to compare THQ's Saints Row franchise to Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto series because, let's face it, they're pretty darn similar.
But THQ boss Danny Bilson says the upcoming third Saints Row installment will separate their series even further from GTA, as the biggest change will center on the atmosphere and setting. He told CVG it'll be "less urban" and "definitely not 'gangsta,' so be prepared for an overhaul in terms of storyline, characters, and environment. Said Bilson:
"We don't compete with GTA. We're differentiating even further with GTA with this one. The new Saint's Row will be less urban – it's definitely not about 'gangsta' anymore at all. And it's more fun and almost sillier and wackier and weirder than the other one.
I love GTA – especially the last one, which knocked my socks off. That's almost like a Martin Scorsese cartoon, right? We are more like the Mad Magazine version of that or something. It's colourful, it's wild, it's fun."
To be fair, Danny, it's not so much that you "don't" compete with GTA; it's that you can't . That's not a slight on the Saints Row games, either; we're just merely stating the obvious fact that almost nothing "competes" with GTA in terms of popularity and, in our opinion, open-world quality. Bilson does say there are "new gangs in a new world," so we won't be leaving all the grit behind in Saints Row 3 , but he stressed that it's "not all about criminals." He also adds the game will boast "the most robust transmedia play on any game ever done." …that includes plans for a "Saints Row" movie, by the way.
Well, we'll have to see what THQ is cookin' up, here. Personally, I was never a big fan of the previous settings, so perhaps this new idea will appeal more to me. As for the pic, how many times do I have the option of substituting a pornstar for a gameplay shot, and still be able to call it accurate for the story at hand…?
Related Game(s): Saints Row 3
"It's not that you don't compete with GTA; it's that you can't." Ha!
Never been a big fan of the Saints Row series. I think the Mad Magazine analogy is spot-on, and that's probably why I've never gotten into it. Sometimes I want a game to be light-hearted or not take itself too seriously, but there's a line that I just can't cross, and I think wearing a bunny costume while performing GTA-style action might just be a "hare" too far.
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Gangsta culture is one thing that I can't stand on my videogames.
sooo yeah. good for them.
Last edited by Oxvial on 6/30/2010 11:51:50 AM
I can't stand "gangsta culture" at all. So this is a very positive direction for them to head in. It was my biggest issue with San Andreas. I had dozens of hours of fun with that game, but I just could not connect with the characters or some of the settings.
I was enamoured with Vice City though, felt more relateable to me (and I'm a sucker for 80's music.)
People still buy this game?
I'm sorry if this offends anyone who likes this game, but Saints Row is garbage in my opinion.
You have offended me greatlY1
I'm gonna find out your most favouritest game and tell you I don't really care for it. It just better not be GT5.
yeah saints row is straight garbage.
Anything Zelda Radioheader. 🙂
Don't really care for it muhahaha
It would appear the iron boot is now on the other fooT1
lol
I enjoyed Saints Row 2, reminded me of all the good things they took out of GTA4 that were in San Andreas. Or basically, Saints Row 2 seemed more like a sequel to San Andreas than GTA4 did. And I loved San Andreas
Last edited by BTNwarrior on 7/1/2010 3:16:23 PM
Cool can't wait to find out more. I well miss the old way i take Saints Row over Grand Theft Auto any day.
as a HUGE GTA fan, i liked saints row 2… it was good 'ol fashioned san andreas fun, and i still play it every now and then… i've been looking forward to new info on SR3 and here it is!! although, it's not exactly what i was thinking but, i'll take it anyways… i hope there's going to be a trailer soon and some screens…
looking forward to this one next year though…
Last edited by bOnEs on 6/30/2010 12:29:29 PM
I always enjoyed this series. It was a decent game to hold you over until the next GTA arrived. It was definitely more over the top than GTA, but it wasn't without its charm.
I've never played any of the previous installments, gangsta isn't really my thing, but I'll look to see where this one is going, maybe the change will be for the best.
Both GTA IV and Saints Row 2 were cool games. I can't wait for what they will bring us on their future installments.
I've never actually played a Saints Row game, would anyone recommend them?
Ben and Tera Patrick sittin in a tree… because he tossed her up it.
My Best Buy had SR2 going for $12.99….at that price, you can't really go wrong. It's a GTA clone, but a very competent one.
yeah I'd buy it for that.
Hey who's the female in the picture? I know she is a porno star; but can't rememeber her name. I want to look her up; if you know what I mean… XP
It's Tera Patrick
Speaking of GTA, check this one….
Grand Theft Auto designer takes his mayhem online with "All Points Bulletin"
You can thank David Jones for all of the mayhem in video games. He is the father of the Grand Theft Auto series of video games that first debuted in 1997 and inspired the crime genre. That ultraviolent crime game series went on to generate billions of dollars in revenue.
But Jones traded that world for another one.
He founded Realtime Worlds in 2002, where he became creative director. The company launched Crackdown, a comic-style urban crowd control game, and for the past five years, his company has toiled on a massively multiplayer online game, All Points Bulletin.
The game shipped yesterday.
Check out his full interview here:
http://games.venturebeat.com/2010/06/30/grand-theft-auto-designer-takes-his-mayhem-online-with-all-points-bulletin/
In another GTA related article….(Where the hell are these kids parents, and do they even care)????
After GTA, youths try to set fire to garage, apartment
Graffiti spray painted on a local road allegedly by two juveniles suspected of trying to ignite Molotov cocktails
Two juveniles were arraigned in court Monday morning after allegedly trying to set fire to a garage and an apartment building with makeshift Molotov cocktails.
The 12- and 16-year-old boys had been playing “Grand Theft Auto†video games Saturday night before their alleged pre-dawn crime spree.
(The two are also suspected of going on a tagging spree as well, though thankfully there was no mention of the boys playing "Mark Ecko’s Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" prior to that undertaking).
The full story here:
http://www.enterprisenews.com/features/x1609342632/Police-Raynham-youths-try-to-set-fire-to-garage-apartment
I loved that one too (Mark Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure).
SR2 and GTAIV are nothing alike!
there both open world sandbox games and thats where the similarities end!
one is a gangsta styled game, which does not take itself seriously, and is wacky and encourages the player to do things just because its fun!
like covering the town in sh*t!
the other is a boring as bat sh*t game because it takes itself so seriously you cant even drive a car around without it becoming a chore!
the best part and must fun thing to do in open world games is hop in a car and drive like a maniac!
you cant do that in GTAIV because
1 the cops will kill you.
2 if you crash, which i garuntee you will your dead and you have to start all over again.
like thats not punishment enough all the weapons you had disappear and you loose some cash.
thats the difference between the 2.
one encourages you to let your hair down and act like a escaped mental patient, and gives you many tools to do so, and does not punish you for it.
the other is boring as bat sh*t, does not give you any tools to have fun, and punishes you for doing so!
that is, and always will be why GTAIV is and always will be the biggest disappointment in the history of video games!
I agree! I was a GTA fan up until IV. I even bought the ps3 because of GTAIV. The biggest disappointment so far? Perhaps, at least by *far* the most overrated one.
Saints Row could in many ways be described like "the poor mans GTA", but what really made SR2 the winner it is in my eyes is the extremely well implemented coop two player mode. To jump in and out of each others game sessions seamlessly with a persistent character/equipment, continuing the storyline regardless of solo/coop was so excellent done that it is yet to be seen in any other game.
yeah the co-op was brilliant!
i think what made saints row 2 so good was its so unique, theres no game out there like it!
its so humerus, cheeky, cunning, and just lets you have fun for funs sake.
GTAIV strived so much for "realism" it completely destroyed the game!
You know I never got into the GTA series, because they just didn't interest me. I didn't care about Saints Row, because it looked too much into the "Gangsta" garbage, and I seriously do not like that stuff, and its been done to death!
One day I decided to rent Saints Row 2.. Had fun making my character, though I wish there were more voice options, he was cool with the cockney accent, it fit the way I designed him (he looked like a hooligan)… Surprisingly the story was good. it reminded me of a dark comedy a bit, just a funny crazy over the top stupid street movie, it was very entertaining, and the game was fun as hell!
My brother rents GTA 4.. The graphics were definitely more beautiful, the story was more serious though it definitely had its funny moments (I loved the phony psychic, that sh** was HILARIOUS!)It too reminded me of a street movie, though Niko was ugly as hell!
I saw the design book, and an earlier concept drawing of him which looked a hell of a lot better, and the character looked more Eastern European or "Slavic" The final design looked like some Middle Eastern, Turkish, or Greek dude haha. The character's personality and story was very interesting, and so it was a good game I enjoyed watching my bro play it.
Both games are good, and have their own thing. I'm looking forward to SR3, and the fact that they're moving away from the "gangsta" thing is a huge plus in my book, because that stuff just annoys me. Hopefully also they add more to the customization part, and not remove it or diminish it in any way since that is a big part of it, and makes it more fun than GTA