EA to Rockstar: Don't Have a Cow, Man

December 11th, 2007, 18:56 Posted By: Shrygue

via Gamedaily


Earlier this month we reported that Electronic Arts' upcoming The Simpsons game, which parodies a number of other video games, drew the ire of some folks at Grand Theft Auto maker Rockstar Games. In particular, a poster with the words "Grand Theft Scratchy" and created in the style of GTA was used to promote a level of the same name in The Simpsons game. EA was ultimately forced by Rockstar to change the name of the level to "Mob Rules."

Now, however, according to a transcription by GamePolitics of Geoff Keighley's most recent Game Head show, EA has taken a swing at Rockstar in response to what they feel was undue pressure to change the level name.

Simpsons Executive producer Matt Selman said, "The game begins with Bart wanting to play a game called 'Grand Theft Scratchy.' Of course this is a parody of Grand Theft Auto. And Marge immediately takes it away from him. She tries to clean up the town and stop the game from being distributed in Springfield because Marge is against video game violence. She uses horrific violence to stop video game violence... in a video game. Thats called irony... The people who make Grand Theft Auto, they spazzed out like little babies."

Senior producer Matt Warburton seemed equally annoyed by Rockstar. "They're supposed to be rockstars... That's not a big Rockstar move, to be afraid of The Simpsons making fun of their game," he said.

Then Selman took even more jabs: "We couldn't get our game out in time, so we're afraid that the gamers — who are not morons — are going to get confused by an Itchy and Scratchy poster of 'Grand Theft Scratchy' - they're going to think that's the same thing as Grand Theft Auto... EA lawyers are afraid to use the name 'Grand Theft Scratchy' in promoting the game... [Rockstar's] games are full of satire, lame attempts at parody... basically putting the words sixty-nine in wherever they can find it..."

Even when Selman praised GTA, he couldn't help but make one more quip. He added that he'd be first in line to play GTA IV "in five years when it comes out."

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