Last week Midway announced a new title, This is Vegas, set to release later this year. The open-world game looks to be a Grand Theft Auto knock-off with perhaps a bit of a satirical flair.
While perusing the press release, we couldn't help wondering whether Midway execs had bowed to political and/or legal pressure over the game's title. GamePolitics readers may recall that in March of 2007 we covered a dust-up between Las Vegas city officials and Midway over the phrase Only in Vegas.
At the time, Las Vegas tourism bureaucrats (tourocrats?) had learned of Midway's trademarking of Only in Vegas and felt that it was too similar to the phrase Only Vegas, which had been registered by city officials in 2003.
Eleven months on, the game has been formally announced by Midway. If Only in Vegas was the planned title (and that seems likely) it has now been changed to This is Vegas. An e-mail to Midway's P.R. rep asking for comment and clarification on the issue did not receive a response.
TV news Las Vegas Now also hit a brick wall while seeking comment on the upcoming This is Vegas:
This game skewers Las Vegas with wife swapping tycoons, pretentious party-goers and more.
Like other games, it includes a lot of gun violence, fighting and even clear drug use... It's not for kids or even the sensitive...
This is Vegas is produced by Midway Games. They declined interview requests today, as did the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman.
The station has a video report on the upcoming game, which will be released for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC.
Comments
Making a Vegas game focused around violence, drugs, and sexual content while avoiding the foundation of the city (gambling)...you'd figure the opposition would be more verbal about the content and not the name.
Like other games, it includes a lot of gun violence, fighting and even clear drug use… It’s not for kids or even the sensitive…"
Well, I'd argue you could find alll of the above just about anywhere in the country. Our county one has a couple shootings a year, but drug use and wife swapping isn't too hard to find. Well, I don't know about swapping, but certainly cheating.
Anyway, I think "Only in Vegas" doesn't make much sense if that is the primary content.
Like other games, it includes a lot of gun violence, fighting and even clear drug use… It’s not for kids or even the sensitive…"
...you mean...like Vegas?
*looks out of window*
Oh yeah the real world!
funny how I never noticed that!
What do you mean? I thought Vegas was the Disney World of the west.
I wouldn't be surprised if Midway just wanted to avoid a pointless leagal battle.
But complaining that it makes Sin City look like Sin City? This is the equivalent of Richard Daley (the mayor of Chicago) whining that a game set in the 1930's-50's has stereotypical Chicago mobsters.
Hey, whaddya know, it is just like Vegas....
Thar I saved all money give me my 5K adviser fee!
You reap what you sow, folks.
That said, I'll lay money down on this game being really bad. Any takers?
Is anyone else just hearing about this game for the first time today?
Like other games, it includes a lot of gun violence, fighting and even clear drug use… It’s not for kids or even the sensitive…"
So...sounds like it'll either be really good or a complete flop...or just an excuse for the anti-gamers to complain...
Hold back the knee-jerk reactions a little bit and consider issues before getting defensive.
This is Vegas? This SPARTA!
but.....but..... its more fun jerking off :P
Agreed. That the reporter makes it sound like Vegas is nothing like this and makes it ignorant sounding.
But when it comes to Mayor goodman. I met him a few times and as I understand he's always trying to advertise Vegas as THE tourist place to go.
Granted none of us like this BS. But live here I kinda understand things a bit differently.
If you where trying to advertise a product or place. To convince people to spend their money for you.
How would you like it if people trashed and slandered your object of sale?
I see two sides of a coin for this situation. Probably each slandering each other in a sence.
Fair enough :)
One can not "sale" a city..... its like banning a game for defaming a broken border town....
I am sorry butif he wants to whine about bad press then him must go after all the movies set in Vagas that have a questionable theme.....this is more fckign a dead horse in the middle of town and complaining people are watching....
I am sorry he(the mayor) is making the game wider known by complaining about it.
Did the city of Las Vegas have a legitimate beef with Midway over trademarks and the name of the game? You bet.
But please point me to where the mayor is calling for a boycott or ban or legislation (and no criticising the game does not count).
We're so used to people complaining about games here we ALWAYS assume that people in power will blame the game when hear it doesn't look like it.
Is it slander if its true?
....try reading the article where the city officials starting whining about the game in the first place if they didn't start it the press would not have ever latched onto it......
as for the ban refrance
what border town to ban mercenaries for misprotaying his drug town?
Vagas is merely whinging on the bandwagon that a game dear make its city look bad...like CSI doesn't do it every night of the week....