To Promote Grand Theft Auto 6, Mayor Might Transform Miami into 'Vice City' (rockpapershotgun.com) 39
Rockstar Games and the mayor of Miami-Dade county are discussing a joint marketing campaign transforming parts of the county to look like areas from Grand Theft Auto 6, reports the blog Rock Paper Shotgun:
The proposed publicity event would include "an immersive arrival experience" at Miami International Airport. with signs for Vice City and planes coated in GTA 6 livery, together with branded Metromover skytrains and specially designed manhole covers... [I]t proposes a dockyard visual installation inspired by GTA 6's Port Gellhorn, incorporating cargo containers, cranes, and cruise ships. There's also talk of a "Vice City Motor Fest", which might feature "classic cars, customized vehicles, lowriders, motorcycles, tropical graphics, and local entertainment within a controlled, family-appropriate setting." Attendees would presumably be discouraged from nicking the cars...
As it happens, Rockstar have embedded a team in Miami to sponge up the ambience, research Miami culture, and study the habits of residents — including "ex-criminals", in the careful phrasing of senior vice president of narrative Rupert Humphries.
The pitch suggested murals, "wrapping" buses (with special signs at transit stops), and even a Vice City-inspired baggage-claim installation at the airport. The pitch also suggested the library offer recording equipment for "Vice City Radio" to capture music (as well as podcasting, oral histories, neighborhood storytelling) — along with " limited-edition GTA VI-inspired library cards, collectible bookmarks, Miami-themed reading and music lists, and demonstrations of the new recording and production equipment."
Though nothing has been formally agreed to or approved, the mayor's office confirmed the discussions, reports Axios.
The sheriff of Miami-Dade county "has publicly opposed plans to transform the city into a real version of Grand Theft Auto 6's "Vice City", reports Kotaku. The sheriff's reason? The videogame city "includes murder, robbery, drug trafficking, carjacking, violence against law enforcement," as well as "other conduct" that the police department works "every single day to prevent."
As it happens, Rockstar have embedded a team in Miami to sponge up the ambience, research Miami culture, and study the habits of residents — including "ex-criminals", in the careful phrasing of senior vice president of narrative Rupert Humphries.
The pitch suggested murals, "wrapping" buses (with special signs at transit stops), and even a Vice City-inspired baggage-claim installation at the airport. The pitch also suggested the library offer recording equipment for "Vice City Radio" to capture music (as well as podcasting, oral histories, neighborhood storytelling) — along with " limited-edition GTA VI-inspired library cards, collectible bookmarks, Miami-themed reading and music lists, and demonstrations of the new recording and production equipment."
Though nothing has been formally agreed to or approved, the mayor's office confirmed the discussions, reports Axios.
The sheriff of Miami-Dade county "has publicly opposed plans to transform the city into a real version of Grand Theft Auto 6's "Vice City", reports Kotaku. The sheriff's reason? The videogame city "includes murder, robbery, drug trafficking, carjacking, violence against law enforcement," as well as "other conduct" that the police department works "every single day to prevent."
family-appropriate (Score:5, Interesting)
>"There's also talk of a "Vice City Motor Fest", which might feature "classic cars, customized vehicles, lowriders, motorcycles, tropical graphics, and local entertainment within a controlled, family-appropriate setting."
Um, yeah. Nothing says "family-appropriate" more than Grand Theft Auto...
>"The sheriff of Miami-Dade county has publicly opposed plans"
There is hope for them, yet.
Re:family-appropriate (Score:5, Funny)
>"There's also talk of a "Vice City Motor Fest", which might feature "classic cars, customized vehicles, lowriders, motorcycles, tropical graphics, and local entertainment within a controlled, family-appropriate setting."
One vehicle from the game that will be missing from their "Vice City Motor Fest" are those dockless rental scooters that have popped up in most major cities, because Miami banned most of them back in 2022. [nbcmiami.com] I'm gonna be super disappointed if the game doesn't feature a mission where you round up every rental scooter and assemble an electric scooter mountain on top of the highest hill you can find. [reddit.com]
I figure it's also probably too late at this point for Rockstar to add some sort of in-game equivalent to all of the Flock cameras that are scattered around Miami. [deflock.org] Maybe we'll get that as a DLC update.
Re: The New City Vice. (Score:1)
Re: The New City Vice. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
"...Travelled, and lived around..."? So, damn statistics, your tiny anecdotal data set is good enough for you? And what is "based" even supposed to mean? Is it good or bad? You don't actually seem to know.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: family-appropriate (Score:2)
It is kind of shit, mainly because it's increasingly out of touch. If they wanted to make a culturally relevant game, it should be Grand Theft America, where the goal is to rename everything America, alienate all of your friends, and start fights you can't win.
Florida Man says (Score:5, Funny)
So, you'll actually be able to drive around the city without being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic that barely moves?
Re: (Score:2)
Nope, apparently the traffic in GTA6 is pretty true to life: https://x.com/MichaelDoesLife/... [x.com]
Re: Florida Man says (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
My vote (via the mod points I never have to give) is that this was the funniest, but I was looking for a "short putt" joke, as in Miami is not a "long drive" from the twisted universe of the game.
Re: (Score:2)
My vote (via the mod points I never have to give) is that this was the funniest, but I was looking for a "short putt" joke, as in Miami is not a "long drive" from the twisted universe of the game.
Say hello to my little friend. [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
So, you'll actually be able to drive around the city without being stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic that barely moves?
If anything, turning Miami into Vice City may actually make traffic safer.
Miami Goes Full GTA (Score:3, Interesting)
Nothing says âoeauthentic Miamiâ quite like taking a videogame satire of Miami, extracting its most marketable surfaces, and then putting them on airport signs, buses, trains, baggage carousels, and manhole covers. Rockstar gets to turn years of field research into a giant advertising campaign, while the county gets to pretend that plastering âoeVice Cityâ on public infrastructure constitutes cultural enrichment. Even the library gets a cameo, because apparently the natural next step after documenting neighborhood stories is handing out collectible videogame bookmarks.
The sheriff's objection is almost refreshingly straightforward: the fictional city is full of the exact crimes his department spends its time trying to prevent. Unfortunately, that may be the least cynical part of the whole arrangement. Nobody seems particularly bothered by the violence as long as it comes with tropical graphics, classic cars, and a âoefamily-appropriate setting.â The proposed campaign would essentially turn Miami into a branded theme park based on a fictionalized version of itself, allowing everyone involved to monetize the city's image while carefully pretending the satire, crime, and social ugliness that inspired it are somewhere safely outside the marketing zone.
Re: (Score:2)
mmm. I agree, but this seems like an AI written summary and essay of this basic position.
well done but unlikely to be organic, imo
Wow (Score:4, Insightful)
You just can't make this stuff up. So obviously down low on the wrong scale. The sheriff is the only sane one.
Re: Wow (Score:1)
Marketing Patience. (Score:2)
I have a better idea on how we can market a game long overdue.
Tell marketing to sit down, shut up, and release the fucking thing already.
If slapping them across the face with a copy of Duke Nukem would help..
Not surprised the sheriff is against it. (Score:2)
Not surprised the sheriff and law enforcement would be against the promotion of a video game where the objective is to do illegal things.
Re: Not surprised the sheriff is against it. (Score:1)
Re: Not surprised the sheriff is against it. (Score:4, Funny)
Call it Grand Theft America.
Re: Not surprised the sheriff is against it. (Score:2)
"publicity event' means (Score:2)
Meaning: City ponders spending millions to help a corporation sell more merchandise.
Miami-Dade thinks they can profit from a GTA VI feeding frenzy scheduled to occur in a few months. I'm guessing they haven't written a business plan or expense-revenue analysis for this family-budget spectacle. Disney discovered they can't charge premium fees for their "Star Wars" experience. I suspect the do-it-yourself experience that Miami-Dade is suggesting, will not be the popular touri
How will anyone tell? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Should be easy then, to provide that "immersive" experience! All you need is a joystick to drive that stolen car!
Thought Miami already was Vice City...... (Score:2)
Vice City? Miami needs no makeover (Score:2)
"Transform"? (Score:2)
Come on - we've seen the advertising Miami put out to the rest of the world. There is no transformation necessary.