So I was playing Grand Theft Auto IV this evening, and in the game, I wandered into an Irish Pub in Liberty CIty (Basically New York City) to play a game of darts. And whaddya know... There's Irish Trad playing on the stereo! Tunes included Golden Keyboard and Jackie Coleman's on fiddle, and a set on pipes with some lesser-known tunes (read: I didn't recognize them).
I found it surprising for a number of reasons... First, I was surprised that Rockstar Games did some homework, and made that decision...
But I was even *more* surprised, because I can't remember the last time that I wandered into an Irish pub and heard real trad (other than sessions)... Pubs generally have the canned junk that may have a celtic flavor, and even if it's trad tunes, there's keyboards and drums in the mix... Bleh...
(For those of you that don't know, GTA IV is one of the best-selling video games of all time, it sold almost 4 million copied the day it was released. It is a violent, adult-themed video game. I'm not a big fan of the GTA series, and am only renting the game to check it out on the PS3 to see if the series got any better. One of the fun things that I do like about the series is their rather hilarious soundtracks. And more power to them for putting some trad in!)
In looking around further, I found a number of copies of a GTA IV trailer video on YouTube, which is an ad for this "pub", as well as some videos of playing darts in the pub (with the music in the background)
To my ears, it sounds more like Scottish musicians playing ITM, which is unsurprising considering Rockstar North is based in Edinburgh.
There was also controversy over one of the 'Irish' characters in the game - Packie. Some saw it as a racist slur against Indian immigrants. Obviously not familiar with the recordings of Packie Dolan or Packie Duignan!
I've seen it Reverend! I got a huge kick out of it. Obviously not the artistic value of the music, but thought it was cool they'd put an Irish pub in their psuedo-Brooklyn with some diddly in the background.
I enjoy going drinking in the beer garden right outside the pub after a round of darts.
The game is so realistic that you actually get drunk and the whole game wobbles around and gets blurry.
The pub is nicely done, there's even the obligatory portrait of someone Granda's who must have opened the place.
Yeah, I wasn't trying to say that the music was good... Just that I was surprised that they went to the lengths that they did to put trad music in their video game. But I hadn't really thought about Rockstar's international connections in England and Scotland. That makes more sense...
I remember GTA having accurate street layouts, are you sure it's NYC and not actually Liberty City? Maybe there's one in NY, too. But the title of this thread threw me for a loop because in my neck of the woods Liberty City is a Miami neighborhood where you're more likely to hear an assault rifle than any Irish music. They seize AK's all the time, usually Chinese. Patrol units of Metro Police now carry AR-15s, which is silly in a way, because they jam all the time. But a gangster can get a whole rainbow of AK variants for under $300 that wouldn't jam if you stored them in a muddy bucket. Maybe that's why they use them. I don't imagine a gangster taking meticulously good care of his "piece."
Back to the game... don't spend too long with the prostitute, either. She takes all your money the longer you're with her. My question is: if you're busted in GTA playing the Liberty City level, do they take you to to Jail One?
Yup, that's definitely NYC. No Chrysler building in Miami
Those graphics are spankin' awesome. To bring this thread even more off-topic, how does the gameplay compare to the rest of the series? I haven't really paid attention since the second installmen of the gamet. I remember some of the faster moving sequences being awkward or cumbersome to control in a quick pinch.
I DL'd a dos emulator recently and I've been "reconnecting" with some of the old strategy games I played in the 90s. Not much ITM floating around German submarines. . .
"that's dreadful playing. I'm glad I haven't run into them"
Granted, Michael, the first two tunes are missing a certain something (and abounding in a certain something else that they'd perhaps be better off without). But the tune that follows them, which sounds like an old-time tune, is rather nice (I'd give any number of right arms to be able to play fiddle like that). I'd guess, from the fact that an uilleann piper joins in on the second iteration of the tune, that they are not old-time musicians, but being blissfully ignorant of that genre, I am able to enjoy it.
gravelwalks, the game play is similar to the older iterations, but I would call it more "fluid". They've integrated the goal-oriented segments better, I think. It all revolves around your cell phone. And the newest generation of graphics is rather incredible, as you noticed. But I also find these games somewhat annoying, and I don't know whether I'll get much further into this one...
On the other hand, the Simpsons Hit & Run game is one of the best games I've ever played a few years ago, and it was done in the GTA style... And the graphics of GTA4 can't even come close to touching the likes of Assassin's Creed, which is an incredible visual work of art throughout the entire game!
Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
So I was playing Grand Theft Auto IV this evening, and in the game, I wandered into an Irish Pub in Liberty CIty (Basically New York City) to play a game of darts. And whaddya know... There's Irish Trad playing on the stereo! Tunes included Golden Keyboard and Jackie Coleman's on fiddle, and a set on pipes with some lesser-known tunes (read: I didn't recognize them).
Pubs generally have the canned junk that may have a celtic flavor, and even if it's trad tunes, there's keyboards and drums in the mix... Bleh...
I found it surprising for a number of reasons... First, I was surprised that Rockstar Games did some homework, and made that decision...
But I was even *more* surprised, because I can't remember the last time that I wandered into an Irish pub and heard real trad (other than sessions)...
(For those of you that don't know, GTA IV is one of the best-selling video games of all time, it sold almost 4 million copied the day it was released. It is a violent, adult-themed video game. I'm not a big fan of the GTA series, and am only renting the game to check it out on the PS3 to see if the series got any better. One of the fun things that I do like about the series is their rather hilarious soundtracks. And more power to them for putting some trad in!)
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
In looking around further, I found a number of copies of a GTA IV trailer video on YouTube, which is an ad for this "pub", as well as some videos of playing darts in the pub (with the music in the background)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjrYf6S-ro8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve4Uiv_jb44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_XNX2VQ-Dg
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
To my ears, it sounds more like Scottish musicians playing ITM, which is unsurprising considering Rockstar North is based in Edinburgh.
There was also controversy over one of the 'Irish' characters in the game - Packie. Some saw it as a racist slur against Indian immigrants. Obviously not familiar with the recordings of Packie Dolan or Packie Duignan!
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by WorzelGummidge
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
that's dreadful playing. I'm glad I haven't run into them
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by ...
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
I've seen it Reverend! I got a huge kick out of it. Obviously not the artistic value of the music, but thought it was cool they'd put an Irish pub in their psuedo-Brooklyn with some diddly in the background.
I enjoy going drinking in the beer garden right outside the pub after a round of darts.
The game is so realistic that you actually get drunk and the whole game wobbles around and gets blurry.
The pub is nicely done, there's even the obligatory portrait of someone Granda's who must have opened the place.
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
Yeah, I wasn't trying to say that the music was good... Just that I was surprised that they went to the lengths that they did to put trad music in their video game. But I hadn't really thought about Rockstar's international connections in England and Scotland. That makes more sense...
SWFL, I'll have to try getting drunk next time...
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
Yeah Rev! It's worth a shot, very funny. It's only a video game, so this is the only time I will ever advise this:
Go ahead and hop in a car after your drinking bout. See how far you get!
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
Heck, it's a lot of work driving sober without hurting things in that game... I can only imagine!
# Posted on September 3rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
I remember GTA having accurate street layouts, are you sure it's NYC and not actually Liberty City? Maybe there's one in NY, too. But the title of this thread threw me for a loop because in my neck of the woods Liberty City is a Miami neighborhood where you're more likely to hear an assault rifle than any Irish music. They seize AK's all the time, usually Chinese. Patrol units of Metro Police now carry AR-15s, which is silly in a way, because they jam all the time. But a gangster can get a whole rainbow of AK variants for under $300 that wouldn't jam if you stored them in a muddy bucket. Maybe that's why they use them. I don't imagine a gangster taking meticulously good care of his "piece."
Back to the game... don't spend too long with the prostitute, either. She takes all your money the longer you're with her. My question is: if you're busted in GTA playing the Liberty City level, do they take you to to Jail One?
# Posted on September 4th 2008 by gravelwalks
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
It's definitely NYC. The wikipedia states it like this:
"The game is set in a redesigned rendition of Liberty City, a fictional city based heavily on modern day New York City"
And here's an interesting montage of some NYC landmarks compared with shots from the game:
http://www.gta4.net/setting/liberty-city-versus-real-world.php
# Posted on September 4th 2008 by Reverend
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
Yup, that's definitely NYC. No Chrysler building in Miami
Those graphics are spankin' awesome. To bring this thread even more off-topic, how does the gameplay compare to the rest of the series? I haven't really paid attention since the second installmen of the gamet. I remember some of the faster moving sequences being awkward or cumbersome to control in a quick pinch.
I DL'd a dos emulator recently and I've been "reconnecting" with some of the old strategy games I played in the 90s. Not much ITM floating around German submarines. . .
# Posted on September 4th 2008 by gravelwalks
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
*installment
# Posted on September 4th 2008 by gravelwalks
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
arrg.
*game
..now I give up
# Posted on September 4th 2008 by gravelwalks
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
"that's dreadful playing. I'm glad I haven't run into them"
Granted, Michael, the first two tunes are missing a certain something (and abounding in a certain something else that they'd perhaps be better off without). But the tune that follows them, which sounds like an old-time tune, is rather nice (I'd give any number of right arms to be able to play fiddle like that). I'd guess, from the fact that an uilleann piper joins in on the second iteration of the tune, that they are not old-time musicians, but being blissfully ignorant of that genre, I am able to enjoy it.
# Posted on September 4th 2008 by CreadurMawnOrganig
Re: Cyber-tunes in Liberty City
gravelwalks, the game play is similar to the older iterations, but I would call it more "fluid". They've integrated the goal-oriented segments better, I think. It all revolves around your cell phone. And the newest generation of graphics is rather incredible, as you noticed. But I also find these games somewhat annoying, and I don't know whether I'll get much further into this one...
On the other hand, the Simpsons Hit & Run game is one of the best games I've ever played a few years ago, and it was done in the GTA style... And the graphics of GTA4 can't even come close to touching the likes of Assassin's Creed, which is an incredible visual work of art throughout the entire game!
# Posted on September 4th 2008 by Reverend