Whew, this is gonna be long, I'll start at the top...
You ask why the thug image is so sought after..I have no idea at all
Read my post. I answer it right after I asked it. It's a desirable image, to be a tough guy. Its there, go back and check if you don't believe me, and watch your own reading comprehension before you mock someone else's.
Asking me that question is about the same as asking me why people like rap music.
Just because you can't connect with a style of music doesn't mean there's no place for it. In fact, a lot of people do connect with it, possibly because thier lives have been marked with poverty, or violence, or a broken home, which are common themes in rap songs. A lot of rap songs try to speak to teenagers growing up in Urban areas, or people that have grown up in urban areas, and that's a lot of people. Personally, I don't like rap, but I understand and appreciate why it is so popular.
very small additions that would be an add-on pack for Vice City at best if it were a PC game only. Stop lying to yourself...theres nothing new here thats not been done before in the series except parachutes, bicycles, and stat improvement.
I don't believe the city of San Andreas existed before, or am I just lying to myself again? Seriously man, the differences between Vice City and San Andreas are quite numerous and noticeable. From the AI to improved aiming to different vehicles, there's a lot more offered in San Andreas.
If you really feel like GTA has a good graphics engine, man I feel sorry for ya..it was dated and terrible back in GTA 3
I myself stated that the graphics were below average, but that the style was fitting and it did the job well enough for players to enjoy the rest of the game. Reading comprehension is key...
Saying you don't like them is one thing - but worst game of all time?
Neph's not paranoid, he's not trying to "start" something, or create chaos, and he is most definitely not wrong. No one contested the very first thing he said because everyone knew he was right. Although you may not approve of the subject matter of GTA, you still have to give some credit where credit is due. This game nearly single-handedly won the console race for the PS2. It's one of the best selling games of ALL TIME, it's obviously not the worst.
It's this kind of thinking that's exactly what's wrong with the majority of gamers. They don't open up their minds enough to realise that you CAN (and do) have games that don't involve breaking the law, that are among some of the best games out there to play. This is why I love Nintendo, they make games that are extremely fun, without being tasteless and trying to lure people into buying them with sex and violence.
If the majority of gamers want games that include sex and violence (though I don't think sex really helps sales at all, BMX XXX anyone?) then technically wouldn't the minority be wrong? If person A, doesn't like the same games as person B, who doesn't like the same games as person C, then if you can find a game that they all like, wouldn't that game technically be the best one? As in, the game that is accepted most widely as "good" is therefore good? Doesn't that make a lot more sense than saying the majority of gamers are wrong in what they find fun?
It's not about keeping an open mind or littering a game with tasteless violence, its about having fun. I have more fun playing games like GTA and The Getaway than playing games like TOS. And guess what, the majority of gamers would agree with me, validating my opinion. I don't like "mature" games because the media told me I should, because my buddies do, or because I think I'll be more mature if I play them. I like them because they let me do things I could never do in real life, they let me play the role of someone I want to, but never will be, in real life, and they tell a story. Pretending to be a plumber who jumps good and listening to the story of how he saved a princess from an evil dinosaur just doesn't cut it for me anymore.