Summary
Last week, the fan-ledGrand Theft Auto: Vice City remasterdropped a new trailer ahead of its January 25 release. Overnight, the mod went viral among the community, and in response, Take-Two took down the team’s entire YouTube channel.
Many assumed that was the end of Vice City: Next-Gen Edition, with yet another ambitious project nipped in the bud. That wasn’t the case. As reported byEurogamer, the mod launched as planned, and is readily available right now.
However, while the initial plan was to ensure that players had a copy ofGTA 4to access the remaster out of “respect to the publisher”, Take-Two’s response sparked fan-led developer Revolution Team to completely rebuild the mod, making it available as a “standalone installation-ready package”.
Take-Two’s Takedown Of Vice City: Next-Gen Edition Took A Toll On The Devs
Take-Two shut down the project’s YouTube channel without making any attempt to contact the fans behind it, which means that hundreds of hours pertaining to the mod’s development have been irreversibly lost.
Another fan-led projectbringing Liberty City to GTA 5was shut down earlier this month following conversations with Rockstar.
“A huge amount of effort and time was invested into the channel,” Revolution Team said in a recent statement. “Additionally, we lost connection with our international audience, which was a significant part of our community. The teaser trailer for GTA Vice City: Next-Gen Edition gained over 100,000 views and 1,500 comments in less than a day.”
Despite launching the project on schedule, the team says that the loss of its YouTube Channel has been “emotionally tough”, and concerns are understandably mounting about Take-Two shutting down the project itself. “It’s unclear how long it will remain publicly available or whether there will be demands to take it down,” the statement continues. “We are not opposed to reuploads, but we cannot openly encourage you to do so. Do as you see fit.”
