Rockstar, others upset with Simpsons game

by Justin McElroy { Oct 4th 2007 at 2:27PM }

It's rare that a good video game parody comes along that isn't featured on YouTube, so you'd think that developers would relish the chance to get mocked by some of the minds behind The Simpsons Game, which includes goofs on popular games like Neverquest and Medal of Homer. Unfortunately, it seems that not everyone is in on the joke.

CVG reports that some of the game's content had to be pulled because the companies were unhappy with the way their licenses were being tweaked. The only company called out by name is Rockstar, which reportedly asked during Leipzig that a poster featuring Grand Theft Scratchy be removed. The article does mention that the Harmonix staff got a kick out of posters for Sitar Hero, though why they'd be OK with others making fun of Guitar Hero at this point in their careers is beyond us.

Tags: ea, rockstar, thesimpsons, thesimpsonsgame

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

WiNG @ Oct 4th 2007 2:37PM

R* needs a sense of humor. They are not exactly in a position in the world to have a right to be offended by anything, haha.

NaeemTHM @ Oct 4th 2007 2:56PM

Oh this is bull crap. Of all the companies to not get a joke...it should be an honor to get lambasted by the Simpsons.

Jack Thomson! I choose you! Annoy attack now!

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 4th 2007 3:08PM

One of his attacks is headbutt or is it Butthead? :P
--------------------------------------------------------

Oh The sweet Irony.

Christopher7xii @ Oct 4th 2007 4:14PM

Gotta remember... It's a company, not people. I'm sure most of the staff behind it would love it. When the company's name is on something though, it's usually just the money pushers that get pissed. Anything that might downplay their title or lose control of the image to tends to be a no-no... Even for the nearly two decade old Simpsons.

Phranctoast @ Oct 4th 2007 2:38PM

Oh brother. If I wasn't before, im sold on this game for sure now. The neverquest level looked so damn funny. Sleeper hit for the end of the year!

Phranctoast @ Oct 4th 2007 2:38PM

Did anyone see the kratos reference in the game yet?

Rob Accomando @ Oct 4th 2007 2:39PM

Is there a coffee shop somewhere?

Ska Oreo @ Oct 4th 2007 2:39PM

wait this doesn't make any sense. Rockstar is known for mocking everything from today's culture, and yet they start bitching when the Simpsons do it. Come on Rockstar, that is so lame.

Guybrush Threepwood (Sega Defense Force - Infallibility Ring) @ Oct 4th 2007 2:40PM

I hear non-bunching panties are all the rage these days.

Marty @ Oct 4th 2007 2:41PM

Why would they have to pull satirical content? Isn't that protected free speech in the US?

Crono (NDF - French Taunting from Holy Grail Ring) @ Oct 4th 2007 3:01PM

yes, it is. However, that doesn't stop the company from filing a lawsuit that has to be fought in court in order for a judge to come to the inevitable conclusion that its protected speech. So rather than jump through all the legal crap, they'll just cut it now and save a bunch of time and money.

Legal bullying FTL. You can thank the RIAA for popularizing that tactic.

exit stencil @ Oct 4th 2007 2:43PM

A crime, to be sure.

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 4th 2007 2:46PM

In some place an attorney of let's say Florida is laughing his ass off about this.

Seriously after all the stuff Rockstar has said about videogames and pull out they want the content of a single E game pulled? Seriously Rockstar for being a company that talks so openly about sex, violence and drugs in all your videogames one would think you can handle a little joke

Wow the people from Rockstar are p*ssies.

Mr Slavio @ Oct 4th 2007 2:48PM

Hypocrits.

Michael C. Sherrin @ Oct 4th 2007 2:54PM

I think these guys aren't used to being lampooned. Movies have had mainstream spoofs forever but no one has really don't what the Simpsons game is doing. They need to remember spoofing doesn't mean you hate or want to insult something. It's to celebrate something we love. Like the movie Spaceballs spoofing Star Wars or Blazing Saddles spoofing westerns. It's a labor of love. And fart jokes.

*******

Michael C. Sherrin
http://www.prodigeek.com/

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 4th 2007 3:12PM

No, being parodied by Al weird yankovic now that is an honor being parodied by the Simpson’s is more like a "Hey good news you are popular" notice.

Also didn’t the Simpson already do a parody about GTA? Once again the Simpson’s did it first.

Sean @ Oct 4th 2007 2:56PM

Grand Theft Auto has already been parodied in countless other places, including by Dave Chapelle.

This is a Chewbacca. It doesn't make any sense!

Shmil @ Oct 4th 2007 3:12PM

chewbacca? *head explodes*

Phranctoast @ Oct 4th 2007 3:21PM

Its a South Park reference. The chewbacca defense according to Johnny Cochron.

Shmil @ Oct 4th 2007 3:37PM

yes i know, hence the *head explodes* one of the jurors' head pops off due to the insanity of the chewbacca defense

Tom @ Oct 4th 2007 3:45PM

He knows it's a South Park reference, duh that's why his exploded!

Anyways, Rockstar reeks of hypocrisy!

WiNG @ Oct 4th 2007 2:57PM

This looks funny but I still don't understand what the "game" element is. It just seems to me to be a crapload of funny game parodies, but what do you "do" in this "game", and how, if at all, are the levels related?

Ska Oreo @ Oct 4th 2007 3:10PM

That's basically what the game is, a game parody. I believe that each level is a parody of a certain genre of video game. It's defiantly a much more interesting idea than just making the movie in to a game.

sicsided @ Oct 4th 2007 2:59PM

so is it the developers pissed at the game or PR???

Truepatriot @ Oct 4th 2007 3:01PM

im so disappointed that rockstar wanted things pulled.
out of all companies i thought rockstar would be on board for this.if it just just the lawyer rockstar needs to fire said lawyer.

also isnt parody protected in the us,so im no where near a law student, but wouldnt the simpsons game be protected from a lawsuit because of it?

Dave Silva @ Oct 4th 2007 3:06PM

I was ignoring this game... I didn't even want to buy it, but this trailer clicked. Oh hell did it click.

Is it possible the game won't suck as much as the older Simpsons game? Wow.

Word of the street(IDF-Digital Ruler). @ Oct 4th 2007 3:27PM

Actually except for the Simpsons arcade game made by Konami all Simpsons games sucked because they were made by Fox interactive a division that never did anything worth playing in all its existance in fact all their games go from dreadful to POS.

Now we are talking about EA which develop games that go from Meh to Great,I think this is a little bit better than meh.It can't be worst than the family guy game.