Topic: GTA China Town

[Chozo Ghost]

This game coming to the PSP is a terrible blow for the DS. If Rockstar is porting the game it means they are disappointed with its performance on the DS, and this makes it much less likely they will make further such games on Nintendo harrdware.

I am VERY disappointed by this news...

[Stratos]

No, it means that Rockstar likes money and easy money at that. The game is already done, just remove or adapt the touch minigames and port it.

It'll sell a good deal on that platform I'm sure.

[Chozo Ghost]

But why doesn't Rockstar port the older PSP GTA games to the DS then? Those games remain PSP exclusive, but the one DS game they made becomes multiplatform... that isn't fair and it isn't right.

[Peachylala]

I'll give Rockstar some props for trying to get an audience for GTA onto the DS, but frankly I knew they wouldn't succeed. I knew this would happen. ChinaTown isn't that great of a game. It's just like the other GTA games, just with touch screen games added in.

So, meh, not a huge loss.

But why doesn't Rockstar port the older PSP GTA games to the DS then? Those games remain PSP exclusive, but the one DS game they made becomes multiplatform... that isn't fair and it isn't right.

As Stratos said: "Rockstar likes money and easy money at that."

[Stratos]

Perhaps fast money would be a better way of putting it?

They don't know how to wait for a slowburn of sales that are common on DS and Wii releases. A GTA on the PSP will sell close to a million in the first month.

[Chozo Ghost]

So you guys really don't think this is a bad sign for future GTA games on Nintendo hardware?

[Stratos]

I think the real test will be how much of a slow burner it is on the DS. If it breaks a million on the DS, then no it probably won't be much of an issue. Remember half of the PSP GTAs are ports of PS2 games. This just means the PSP is the 'port to later' system.

[Peachylala]

Chozo Ghost: Losing GTA is not a huge loss to Nintendo or it's fanbase. GTA played like the other GTAs, and it followed the same damn pattern as the last GTAs.

And IMO, ChinaTown Wars is extremely over-rated. I have more fun playing Super Princess Peach then GTA.

[Stratos]

I'm going to have to disagree with you there, True Blue. I loved Chinatown Wars. It was my first GTA game and I had a blast with it. Though I do prefer the The Godfather on Wii but this is a great sandbox game for the DS.

[DAaaMan64]

I really liked GTA Chinatown also. I have much GTA experience.

Also, props Stratos for mentioning the completely awesome Godfather Wii.

[Flames_of_chaos]

Meh no big deal, exclusive games are such an overrated concept. While it was way shorter than other GTA games, Chinatown was fantastic. Also no GTA game is exclusive. The PS2 GTAs eventually went to Xbox, the PSP ones went to PS2, and GTA4 was simultaneous on 360 and PS3 and eventually to PC.

[Chozo Ghost]

Chozo Ghost: Losing GTA is not a huge loss to Nintendo or it's fanbase. GTA played like the other GTAs, and it followed the same damn pattern as the last GTAs.

And IMO, ChinaTown Wars is extremely over-rated. I have more fun playing Super Princess Peach then GTA.

But I'm afraid that the consequences of ChinaTown's poor sales go beyond the game itself. Rockstar (and probably other 3rd parties as well) will point to this as justification for them ignoring Nintendo systems in the future. The GTA franchise might suck, but this sets a bad precedent for other games as well. We Nintendo fans have been complaining about the lack of 3rd party and especially Mature 3rd party games for many years, and now Rockstar decided to test the water with this but the reception was lukewarm and the fact they are porting it over to the PSP is a solid indication that they were not pleased with its performance.

So this may mean no more GTA games on Nintendo hardware in the future, but it might also restrict other M-rated franchises as well like Bully and so forth.

[Chozo Ghost]

Meh no big deal, exclusive games are such an overrated concept. While it was way shorter than other GTA games, Chinatown was fantastic. Also no GTA game is exclusive. The PS2 GTAs eventually went to Xbox, the PSP ones went to PS2, and GTA4 was simultaneous on 360 and PS3 and eventually to PC.

Yes, but while those games may be on various platforms have you noticed Nintendo systems aren't among those you've listed? That is the problem.

[Peachylala]

Meh no big deal, exclusive games are such an overrated concept. While it was way shorter than other GTA games, Chinatown was fantastic. Also no GTA game is exclusive. The PS2 GTAs eventually went to Xbox, the PSP ones went to PS2, and GTA4 was simultaneous on 360 and PS3 and eventually to PC.

Yes, but while those games may be on various platforms have you noticed Nintendo systems aren't among those you've listed? That is the problem.

I've always found GTA to be trash, but yes, I will acknowledge the fact that Rockstar ignored Nintendo systems in the past. GCN was obvious, and while the GBA got one GTA game, it was absolute garbage. While I will applude Rockstar for putting effort into it's DS effort, it's still same old, same old.

It's also, like it's past cousins, wildly praised for the wrong reasons.

this is a great sandbox game for the DS.

GTA doesn't seem like my kind of sandbox game for the DS. To each his own.

I personal don't think GTA has that much of a huge fanbase in the Nintendo area compared to Sony/XBox.

[Stratos]

There's never been a chance for a Nintendo GTA fanbase to truly develop before.

[Chozo Ghost]

There's never been a chance for a Nintendo GTA fanbase to truly develop before.

Exactly. And with Chinatown going to the PSP this is pulling out the rug from underneath that fanbase before it had a chance to take root.

[Stratos]

There's never been a chance for a Nintendo GTA fanbase to truly develop before.

Exactly. And with Chinatown going to the PSP this is pulling out the rug from underneath that fanbase before it had a chance to take root.

If people refuse to buy the game on DS at all now based solely on it getting ported to the PSP then I pity those people. They are missing out on a good game. It does not decrease the enjoyment or experience of the game at all. No one should have bought RE4 on GC because the announcement of a PS2 port ruined the game for us Gamecube only people. Do you see what I mean by that? Refusing to buy a game because it is multiplatform is silly. Plus who knows, the PSP version could tank or just not sell as well as the DS version. There are a lot of factors in this. Should no one have bought RE5 or any other multiplatform game because it was on both the PS3 and the 360?

Remember that us Nintendo fans have been complaining for years about getting big name games 'last' as me-too ports. Now in this instance the tables are turned. It had a good exclusivity run and at least the PSP port wasn't announced on the eve of the games release like what happened to RE4 in GC.

I don't think it is quite as doom and gloom as you believe it is. Plus the game could very well still be selling consistently each month.

[Chozo Ghost]

Well, you're right... there is some hope the PSP version won't sell as well and it might do the opposite of what I fear and convince Rockstar to develop more on the DS and less on the PSP... I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Djunknown]

Kung-fu bump!

Spread it around.