2. Storyline/Plot
Vice City 1984. A city emerging from the swamps, its growth solely
from the power struggle of a lucrative drugs trade. The city is
constructed on crime and betrayal.
Vic Vance (the protagonist) a soldier has always protected his
dysfunctional family and his country. Kicked out of the army onto the
streets of a city torn between glamour and gluttony. Vic must build an
empire any way possible… or be crushed.
3. Meta Reflections
• Show the player that they are in the videogame
• Wasted – When Vic (the player) loses his health and “dies”
• Busted – When Vic (the player) is arrested by the police
• Mission passed/failed – When the mission is either passed or
failed
Blurring genres
• Adventure, Role play, Simulation, Shooter, Racing genres
• Blurs video game genre through the use of cut scenes between
the start and end of missions
• The opening title sequence and end credits (after completing
the game) is also very similar to a TV show or films opening
and closing credits and title sequence
4. Intertextuality
• Vice City is based on Miami and many of the fashions, cars,
people and settings are based on 80s TV show Miami Vice.
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• The cars are based on real cars
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5. Intertextuality continued
• Radio stations play hits from the 1980’s and are associated
with different genres – Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop, Soft rock/ chill,
Mexican.
• Radio DJ’s include actual 80s icons and DJs including Ted
Nugent, Lazlo, Cousin Ed, Phil Collins, Luke Campbell
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cast
• Lance Vance – Phillip Michael Thomas (Miami Vice)
• Phil Cassidy – Gary Busey (Lethal Weapon)
• Barry – Timothy Spall (Harry Potter)
• Phil Collins – Himself
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6. Audience Interactivity
• Youtube – Allows players to upload walkthrough videos and
best moments (stunts or kills etc) to promote the game
and their Youtube channels
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGzZWvYek3s
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EWbUTxvHOc
•
• Modding – Players can modify the game by creating in game
replicas of actual cars, editing characters and locations of
the game
• Cheats – Players can enter codes to evade the police, get
more weapons and spawn cars and tanks. The weather and
time of day can also be changed
7. Simulacra & Self Reflexivity
• The player will recognise some areas of Vice City from images
that they have seen of Miami. However the buildings in
Vice City are not identical to Miami and are fictional. The
player is not seeing the real thing at all, but merely an
artists impression for the game
Confusion over time and space
• When a player is wasted or busted, time fast forwards by 6
hours so that it is usually light (if arrested at night). There
is therefore very little equilibrium at this point as the
player doesn’t see the 6 hours of hospital treatment or cell
time.
• Some missions also require a certain time of day to happen.
A night mission will fast forward from the day to night in a
matter of seconds so that the mission can be played at the
