Abstract:
The open world crime game "GTA6" will be released in November. Until then, the game is still taking over real-life Miami on a massive scale. The story of "GTA6" takes place in Sin City, a fictional city based on Miami. Players will also travel to areas surrounding the in-game state of Florida, which is named Leonidas in the game.
Earlier this month, GTA 6 logos were flown to Miami’s Cassia Center to promote the game and an upcoming Miami Heat crossover event. Since then, Rockstar has significantly increased its publicity efforts and launched a series of offline marketing activities in the Miami area, using real cars, airships, beach chairs and other items.
However, these promotions have also caused controversy. Several Miami-Dade County commissioners expressed serious concerns. They believe that it is inappropriate for the local government to charge Rockstar a fee to promote a game that contains violence, murder and other "sinful" content.
"We're painting Miami like a murder capital," Commissioner Rene Garcia said, according to the Miami Herald. "As a matter of principle, I don't think we should move forward."
Miami-Dade County Supervisor Daniela Levine Cava and her office hope to cooperate with Rockstar to promote "GTA6" in Miami and earn millions of dollars in revenue. Her chief of staff, Chris Hedtwark, called GTA 6's "takeover" of Miami a "love letter" to the city.
Chairman Anthony Rodriguez dissented. He believes that committee members should remember that "GTA6" is only a work of fiction. "We're all adults in this community. We know this is just a game," he said.
Rodriguez is also the sponsor of legislation authorizing negotiations. He believes that if committee members refuse to cooperate because of fictional plots and fictional characters, they are venting their dissatisfaction but harming their own interests. He emphasized again: "This is a fictional game. We in this community are all adults. ... We know this is just a game."
Some people in Miami have reported seeing "GTA"-style cars on city streets and a giant Vice City airship flying overhead. In addition, beach chairs and umbrellas printed with the game's branding are also being sent to South Florida beaches to promote "GTA6."
This marketing campaign isn’t limited to Miami. Large-scale advertisements for "GTA6" have also appeared in other major American cities such as Chicago and New York.
It is said that the Miami-Dade County Sheriff does not need the approval of the local commission to negotiate transactions of less than $1 million. That's why the Cassia Center project was able to move forward without opposition, as the $975,000 project didn't meet the $1 million threshold.
Levin Cava also hopes to reach more agreements with Rockstar to allow the promotion of "GTA6" to enter local airports, ports and other locations. However, it is still uncertain whether these new agreements will ultimately be approved.
"GTA6" will be launched on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S on November 19.
Comments