New York...?

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Not sure if it's just me, but New York as a setting for games is beyond tiresome. I love the idea of being able to play a superhero etc, but do we really have to traipse through that city every time? Games give us the opportunity to explore vast, imaginative worlds from the depths of many creative minds...but still we get that copy and paste pedestrianopilis.

Only exception so far i think is AC3, where it was not at all recognizable, and weirdly more colourful. Not sure of any others yet. Perhaps i am just a tired cynic

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

I love NYC. I was born there and I lived there until I was 19. It's one of the reasons I hate seeing it in so many video games and movies. Especially in disaster movies. It never feels good seeing your hometown decimated. Even if it is just CGI. Funny thing though. It didn't bother me nearly as much when I was there. But now it's creeping me out.

 

[Zhukov]

Well, everyone knows America is the centre of the world, and New York is the centre of America. Therefore everything set on earth must take place in New York.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I can imagine it would be weird to see your home endlessly being destroyed in media. Though as mine is in devon, England...there is not much chance for that experience happening to me

 

[Thr33X]

New York is the cultural & financial center of this side of the planet. There's a reason it's called the "melting pot", because there truly is a mixture of nearly every nationality on the world here, and literally everything that you can imagine in terms of environment. We have 5 whole boros (Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island & Queens) that are like cities within a city, the most advanced transportation system on the western hemisphere...I could go on, but it's one of those things where you wouldn't know unless you were here...if even to visit.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani once called NYC the "Capitol of the World". Arrogant as the statement was, there really is no other city in the world that has so much influence from all corners of the planet as NYC does. There is no better urban setting for any story, be it a game, a movie, a comic, whatever the case maybe...with all due respect to places like LA or Miami or any other city that's considered a "major city". They just don't have the character that NYC does...and that's what you should take out of my diatribe more than anything else. NYC has character that gives any story a little something extra to it that other cities can't.

EDIT: Born, raised and residing in NYC by the way...and I've lived in LA for over a year as well, definitely not the same.

 

[Smeatza]

New York is the cultural & financial center of this side of the planet. There's a reason it's called the "melting pot", because there truly is a mixture of nearly every nationality on the world here, and literally everything that you can imagine in terms of environment. We have 5 whole boros (Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island & Queens) that are like cities within a city, the most advanced transportation system on the eastern hemisphere...I could go on, but it's one of those things where you wouldn't know unless you were here...if even to visit.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani once called NYC the "Capitol of the World". Arrogant as the statement was, there really is no other city in the world that has so much influence from all corners of the planet as NYC does. There is no better urban setting for any story, be it a game, a movie, a comic, whatever the case maybe...with all due respect to places like LA or Miami or any other city that's considered a "major city". They just don't have the character that NYC does...and that's what you should take out of my diatribe more than anything else. NYC has character that gives any story a little something extra to it that other cities can't.

EDIT: Born, raised and residing in NYC by the way...and I've lived in LA for over a year as well, definitely not the same.

A challenger appears.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_centre
London would like to have some words with you.

It amazes me just how similar New York and London are. Both are financial capitals of the world, both are cultural "melting pots," both are arts, entertainment, fashion, finance, media and tourism capitals, both are littered with many recognisable landmarks, both are crammed with entertaining accents.
If anything London gains the edge with history.

Which begs the question, why aren't more fictional works set in London? Is it simply because when New York has taller buildings?

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I could argue that London is the same, and established further back in history too. After living there though, it's not a place i would choose to stay, but just as feasable if not more for a story driven game. However, the cultural hue of places is often overlooked in games, making it merely just a backdrop for whatever action is required

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

New York is the cultural & financial center of this side of the planet. There's a reason it's called the "melting pot", because there truly is a mixture of nearly every nationality on the world here, and literally everything that you can imagine in terms of environment. We have 5 whole boros (Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island & Queens) that are like cities within a city, the most advanced transportation system on the eastern hemisphere...I could go on, but it's one of those things where you wouldn't know unless you were here...if even to visit.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani once called NYC the "Capitol of the World". Arrogant as the statement was, there really is no other city in the world that has so much influence from all corners of the planet as NYC does. There is no better urban setting for any story, be it a game, a movie, a comic, whatever the case maybe...with all due respect to places like LA or Miami or any other city that's considered a "major city". They just don't have the character that NYC does...and that's what you should take out of my diatribe more than anything else. NYC has character that gives any story a little something extra to it that other cities can't.

EDIT: Born, raised and residing in NYC by the way...and I've lived in LA for over a year as well, definitely not the same.

A challenger appears.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_centre
London would like to have some words with you.

It amazes me just how similar New York and London are. Both are financial capitals of the world, both are cultural "melting pots," both are arts, entertainment, fashion, finance, media and tourism capitals, both are littered with many recognisable landmarks, both are crammed with entertaining accents.
If anything London gains the edge with history.

Which begs the question, why aren't more fictional works set in London? Is it simply because when New York has taller buildings?

Ah you got there first

 

[TheBelgianGuy]

New York is the cultural & financial center of this side of the planet. There's a reason it's called the "melting pot", because there truly is a mixture of nearly every nationality on the world here, and literally everything that you can imagine in terms of environment...

They just don't have the character that NYC does...
... NYC has character that gives any story a little something extra to it that other cities can't.

You mean, like Paris, London,...?

 

[Thr33X]

New York is the cultural & financial center of this side of the planet. There's a reason it's called the "melting pot", because there truly is a mixture of nearly every nationality on the world here, and literally everything that you can imagine in terms of environment. We have 5 whole boros (Brooklyn, The Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island & Queens) that are like cities within a city, the most advanced transportation system on the eastern hemisphere...I could go on, but it's one of those things where you wouldn't know unless you were here...if even to visit.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani once called NYC the "Capitol of the World". Arrogant as the statement was, there really is no other city in the world that has so much influence from all corners of the planet as NYC does. There is no better urban setting for any story, be it a game, a movie, a comic, whatever the case maybe...with all due respect to places like LA or Miami or any other city that's considered a "major city". They just don't have the character that NYC does...and that's what you should take out of my diatribe more than anything else. NYC has character that gives any story a little something extra to it that other cities can't.

EDIT: Born, raised and residing in NYC by the way...and I've lived in LA for over a year as well, definitely not the same.

A challenger appears.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_centre
London would like to have some words with you.

It amazes me just how similar New York and London are. Both are financial capitals of the world, both are cultural "melting pots," both are arts, entertainment, fashion, finance, media and tourism capitals, both are littered with many recognisable landmarks, both are crammed with entertaining accents.
If anything London gains the edge with history.

Which begs the question, why aren't more fictional works set in London? Is it simply because when New York has taller buildings?

Uh uh...I said THIS side of planet. London's in the middle.

Admittedly though, some of my favorite movies are set in London (or other British cities...). Certainly could be a case for more games to take place there, but the problem is that a game taking place in London would be considered to be a "British" game whereas a game taking place in NYC isn't necessarily considered an "American" game. I guess that might have to do with the over-saturation of stories taking NYC as it's backdrop that it's become so much a norm that people don't see it as anymore than as the poster above me said, just a backdrop.

If anything it boils down to the storyteller themselves and how deep their willing to go with making the backdrop work for their story. There's simply so much material in entertainment and media regarding New York that it makes it a lot easier for them than trying to map out significant places in London or Tokyo or LA.

And oh yeah, London may have history...but we have attitude. Nyah! lol

 

[Thr33X]

New York is the cultural & financial center of this side of the planet. There's a reason it's called the "melting pot", because there truly is a mixture of nearly every nationality on the world here, and literally everything that you can imagine in terms of environment...

They just don't have the character that NYC does...
... NYC has character that gives any story a little something extra to it that other cities can't.

You mean, like Paris, London,...?

I don't recall saying Paris or London, did I? Specifically mentioned AMERICAN cities. Take the boxing gloves off tiger.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Lol, you should see the gritty side of london. Tis a place stonking of attitude. Not a nice one though, so that might be part of the main reason to not recreate it so much. Never been the patriotic type at all

 

[Thr33X]

Lol, you should see the gritty side of london. Tis a place stonking of attitude. Not a nice one though, so that might be part of the main reason to not recreate it so much. Never been the patriotic type at all

To quote Jim Kelly as Williams in "Enter the Dragon" :

"Ghettoes are the same all over the world. They stink."

But again, attribute alot to the over-sensationalization of said grittiness in NYC, from mobster movies to gangster rap...and the generally universal stereotype that New York is a mean place and all the people who live there are rude...which is untrue by the way.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Generalizations seem to appeal to most people i guess to make life simpler for their overworked brains. Wait...was that just a generalization??

I have heard Washington D.C. is fairly unpleasant to visit due to rude people. I can't say for myself though, so it's just a thought

 

[Ryotknife]

Generalizations seem to appeal to most people i guess to make life simpler for their overworked brains. Wait...was that just a generalization??

I have heard Washington D.C. is fairly unpleasant to visit due to rude people. I can't say for myself though, so it's just a thought

considering most people in DC don't speak English, how would you know they are rude?

but personally, the most unpleasant thing about DC is how they drive. Bat@#$% insane.

 

[Frission]

Generalizations seem to appeal to most people i guess to make life simpler for their overworked brains. Wait...was that just a generalization??

I have heard Washington D.C. is fairly unpleasant to visit due to rude people. I can't say for myself though, so it's just a thought

Washington DC was nice when I visited. The metro stations are much cleaner than New York. Boston doesn't have a good metro system, but the food is good and it's a young city. That's only the places I've visited in the US though. I'm reserving judgement from comparing New York with cities outside of the United States.

I liked the time I visited San Francisco better, but I'm not the biggest fan of big cities either way. I prefer small towns. Although I remember at town in California called Patterson. It had a cement mixing plant and a gigantic overcrowded ranch which smelled of manure. The buildings were ugly and it was filled with McDonalds. The place was to be frank, a dump and I'm curious on the life expectancy of the people living there.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

It's become the most instantly recognizable American city around the world. Situating a movie or a game in New York is short-hand for "the epicenter of American culture".

I love the city myself, I've been there twice and would vacation in NYC for the rest of my life. As a setting, though, it's become pretty tiresome for a while now, but we've probably just noticed after The Avengers.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Generalizations seem to appeal to most people i guess to make life simpler for their overworked brains. Wait...was that just a generalization??

I have heard Washington D.C. is fairly unpleasant to visit due to rude people. I can't say for myself though, so it's just a thought

considering most people in DC don't speak English, how would you know they are rude?

but personally, the most unpleasant thing about DC is how they drive. Bat@#$% insane.

Like those drivers in Paris. I would not choose to cross those roads without the safe, hand-holding traffic light system...not sure they actually even have speed limits there. Spent too much time in the country probably.

The character i know who spoke of DC mentioned mainly just the lack of manners as opposed to purposefully being rude. Maybe it's something lost in translation

 

[Saelune]

New York City, London, and Tokyo are the 3 highest rated cities in the world. The only ones that have like, AAA, or AA+ ratings or whatever it was. Tokyo gets the NYC treatment alot in japanese movies Im sure. Oh Godzilla, you rascal.

 

[Ldude893]

Tokyo gets the NYC treatment alot in japanese movies Im sure.

Having Tokyo explode in a giant fireball is so common in Anime shows that it's become a cliche.

Yeah, I'd love to see more games set in less popular cities, and not just within the United States. It could make for interesting settings never seen before in games.