Simpsons writers say Rockstar 'spazzed' over GTA spoof

by Kyle Orland { Oct 29th 2007 at 12:28PM }

The writers behind The Simpsons Game aren't too impressed with Rockstar's recent apoplexy over the game's "Grand Theft Scratchy" parody level. In an interview with Game Head's Geoff Keighley, Simpsons Executive Producer and Writer Matt Selman said the Grand Theft Auto makers "spazzed out like little babies" over marketing that included a poster for the parody game.

Selman told Keighley that it's ridiculous to expect gamers to think an Itchy and Scratchy poster is actually promoting a real Grand Theft Auto game. He also said the concern was particularly ironic coming from Rockstar, a company whose "games are full of satire, lame attempts at parody... basically putting the words sixty-nine in wherever they can find it, that's their idea of a joke." That's known in the comedy business as a roast.

While EA's lawyers have been quick to remove any "Grand Theft" references from the game's marketing, Selman hinted that the Grand Theft Scratchy content could make it into the final game unaltered. If that happens, will Rockstar react like the cool rock stars their name implies or will we hear more baby-like spazzing? Here's hoping for the latter ... it makes for a great headline.

Check out the interview after the break.

[Via GamePolitics]

Tags: EA, grand theft auto, GrandTheftAuto, GTA, humor, parody, rockstar, satire, simpsons

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Sean @ Oct 29th 2007 12:32PM

Sick burn.

alumite @ Oct 31st 2007 4:03PM

Boo! R* you deserve Jack Thompson.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Oct 29th 2007 9:12PM

Seriously. I think they are the only people I have ever known to bash on Rockstar about something else besides violence in games.

Simpson's Writers Unite!

Kristof @ Oct 29th 2007 12:36PM

Hi Kettle, you're awful black today.

velocitystrike @ Oct 29th 2007 12:52PM

limh

(laughing in my head)

Pimliconite @ Oct 29th 2007 1:54PM

We at the American Society for the Idiom would like to announce that the person or persons responsible for the previous gross misuse of figurative expression have been flayed, and their dried and folded skins delivered to their grieving loved ones.

We apologize that this situation could not be prevented entirely and hope that any further assault on the legacies of Wilde, Twain, and Shakespeare can be avoided through thorough research and/or a lick of common sense.

Sean @ Oct 29th 2007 2:08PM

THAT'S RACIST!

maylon @ Oct 29th 2007 12:35PM

Joystiq, please put up something remotely interesting, work is boring today and your letting me down.

xXFenixKnight13Xx @ Oct 29th 2007 12:47PM

AMEN!! Ive been saying that since 7am =(

Jerk Face @ Oct 29th 2007 12:50PM

Ha ha... I third that comment!

xXFenixKnight13Xx @ Oct 29th 2007 1:12PM

HEY JOYSTIQ! GAMETRAILERS HAS A VID OF DEAD SPACE, LOOKS PRETTY GOOD TO ME. THATS PROBABLY MORE INTERESTING THAN WHAT YOUVE PUT UP 2DAY. JUST FYI =(

TYPING IN ALL CAPS MAKES ME FEEL ALL WARM AND FUZZY =)

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 29th 2007 3:22PM

Just because I'm a Grade A hypocrite stop with those comments alright.

Why you don't go and find that content yourselves? You silly persons, who are lazy, here http://www.google.com/ use it.

Now I find this interesting because my hate towards Rockstar is huge I'm glad they got their asses burned and by no other than Ea that's doubles the insult.

Summing my post into a large boring text makes great.

copa @ Oct 29th 2007 12:38PM

You guys need to be actively soliciting comments from Rockstar. Keep this on the wires until they offer an explanation on why its OK to build GTA on the satire of brands and institutions, but it's a moral outrage when someone does the same to them.

FOXHOUND @ Oct 29th 2007 1:11PM

Exactly. Hell, EA parodied their own IPs in the game as well, so it's not like they can't take shots at themselves. Pretty weaksauce on RockStar/GTA, IMO.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Oct 29th 2007 1:59PM

Please keep "sauce" to 4/7chan

Aj Collins @ Oct 29th 2007 12:39PM

I think I might know why Rockstar is doing this. EA bought Renderware. The gaming engine Rockstar has been using for years. When EA bought it, Rockstar had to come up with their own engine. At the same time, EA gave less support for games that they where already working on for the Renderware engine. I would be pretty pissed at EA too if I where them.

SoulBlade @ Oct 29th 2007 12:59PM

wow... a possible logical explanation. is that possible on joystiq?

LordPaul @ Oct 29th 2007 4:45PM

Reasonable, except RenderWare was showing its age at the last version anyway & ballsed the whole shebang (they bought Criterion for Burnout) in the next iteration (which was used in 2 games, both of which were shockingly bad)

James @ Oct 29th 2007 12:40PM

See, Rockstar, you need not get up in a huff over this since your games are quite fun. Whereas Simpsons games are cursed to be pants.

Ah. I see why you might be annoyed now.

TeDro @ Oct 29th 2007 12:43PM

rockstar has a point...the poster looks like an exact copy of GTA. While Rockstar might make corny, classless jokes, at least they'll make a game worth buying. It's fun to talk shit in a room with a reporter, but your game will get it's ass kicked by GTA4 in sales and reviews. They sound like children, and after seeing this interview, it makes me want to get The Simpsons Game even less.

copa @ Oct 29th 2007 12:59PM

There is no doubt that the Simpsons game is lower quality than recent entries in the GTA series, but I don't see why that means we shouldn't protect their right to create satire.

LaughingTarget @ Oct 29th 2007 3:15PM

If that were the case, Mel Brooks would be bankrupt over Dark Helmet, which is almost an exact rip-off of Darth Vader (name, costume design, powers, etc).

Satire is about copying something, almost to its perfection, but putting it in an absurd situation. Satire doesn't work when major identifiers are eliminated.

TeDro @ Oct 29th 2007 4:04PM

I agree to the counterpoints. GTA uses the same kind of satirical art, but that still doesn't change my mind that they sound like children taking shots at each other (perhaps on both sides).

Zertoss @ Oct 29th 2007 12:44PM

Stop it! You're both acting like spoiled brats! I suggest you act like spoiled adults and settle this in court.

samfish (MSDF- Nurse Outfit!) @ Oct 29th 2007 12:47PM

Looks like the guys at Rockstar are actually a bunch of divas.

refinedsugar @ Oct 29th 2007 12:48PM

Protect your intellectual property Rockstar, be all street legal about it, but don't be a douche.

NATO_Duke @ Oct 29th 2007 1:00PM

Seems like parody to me - no need for them to get huffy about it. I dont think there is an IP theft issue for them to ever litigate.

Mr Khan @ Oct 29th 2007 7:22PM

It's actually a compliment

If you get referenced by the Simpsons, you should be honored, right?

arleigh.sandoc @ Oct 29th 2007 12:49PM

The two groups need to settle this Thunderdome style.

Jerk Face @ Oct 29th 2007 12:53PM

Welcome to Thunderdome, bitch!

Sean @ Oct 29th 2007 1:26PM

Two companies enter, one company leaves.

sunpippy @ Oct 29th 2007 12:49PM

EA and the Simpsons have a repuation of stealing beyond simple satire. remember simpsons hit and run which was a total rip off of sega's crazy taxi, this is not the first time they have blatantly ripped off other games.

what the biggest shame is that the simpsons, the tv show has always managed to be fresh and topical, but the games are little bitch whores.

the writers should of the game are punks. thier game is on the same level as going down to Tijuana and getting a fake bart simpson t-shirt. it's disrespectful to the true creative people of the industry not the leeches that copy like themselves.

Jerk Face @ Oct 29th 2007 12:53PM

Did Matt Selman have sex with your sister or something?

Phranctoast @ Oct 29th 2007 1:06PM

the game was written by writers of the show. Im not seeing your point.

Bluebrake @ Oct 29th 2007 2:28PM

Revelation: just about *all* games are ripoffs. Every genre was created by someone making a game and then a bunch of other people stealing it and tweaking the formula. This isn't something unique to The Simpsons.

And my god, "the tv show has always managed to be fresh and topical"? Where have you been? The Simpsons hasn't been fresh or topical since about 1996.

Personally, even if this game doesn't turn out to be any good, I think it's a great move. Games satire is a woefully untapped resource. I love that developers are beginning to recognize there's plenty of material here to make fun of just like there is in all the other media. I hope this starts something (e.g. maybe all the defendants in the next Harvey Birdman game could be classic game characters).

Zoidberg Jesus (a.k.a. Jebo) @ Oct 29th 2007 12:53PM

Defending Rockstar by asserting the quality of their games and their ability to move units is what matters because that isn’t the real issue. The real issue is why Rockstar is so insecure? Is this why they never went to the locker room after gym?

sunpippy @ Oct 29th 2007 1:01PM

the real issue is that anything EA associates themselves with suck donkey d1ck, and instead of people think of creative new ideas for game design they get lazy and have to reuse others, and people defend them. great, that what I want,

a satire of a game based on satire. can we get a game that satires the simpsons attempt at satire of gta. call it "the Johnsons" and everythins is a self referential joke on itself. f'ing brilliant