PARIS, Nov 9 — From 24-hour news channel parodies and extreme stereotypes to a twisted Statue of Liberty, the Grand Theft Auto series has consistently mocked the excesses of US capitalist society.
But with days to go before the release of the hugely popular video game’s new instalment, players and analysts are wondering if changes in studio Rockstar’s creative team suggest a possible shift into less controversial territory, and an end to the punk-rock transgressions that helped turn GTA into a cultural phenomenon.
In marketing and communications leading up to the release of the new GTA VI on November 19, Rockstar seems keener to steer the conversation toward its Bonnie-and-Clyde-style protagonists trying to survive in a fictionalised, crime-ravaged Miami.
