Character on a leash

Character on a leash

By Ninan Kurian

Though the words of Kuttainen.V (2017), we understand that maps serve a purpose and reflect how we see the world, or “our” world. In Grand Theft Auto, the character is placed in a space called Los Santos (figure 1 left) based on Los Angeles, California (figure 1 right). Los Angeles crimes rates for theft and murder are slightly higher than other cities in the US. It is also home to gang warfare, gun use and fights by young teenagers. Many actions, crime, and thriller movies have been filmed in the city and the reason behind that is Hollywood. These are the reasons for Rockstar used Los Angeles for the Grand Theft Auto. As seen in figure 1, all thought the placement and names of the cities are different, they still share the same geographic shape and purpose. Without the map of Los Santos in the game, players that are unfamiliar with the area will get lost but others who are from Los Angeles or have played the game many times might have a mind map, which guides them. Just like Los Angeles, Los Santos is huge with different types of buildings, vehicles, business, and cultures. The game acts like the real world so the city can be seen in the day and night.

Figure 1: Los Santos (Grayson,2015); Map of Los Angeles (TravelSmart Ltd, 2016)

The heists, missions, and businesses in the game allow a person to travel all across the map, but since the mind of the players is focused on the task at hand, they pay no attention to the scenery. Drawing on Prouty (2009) post, just like a having a turtle on a leash, each player has their character on a leash but unlike the turtle which walks slow of its own will, the player must force the character to walk slow. “Just as the flâneur enjoyed the fluidity of the stroll in the city - an unconfined 'pedestrian' movement where he can anonymously embrace the glittering spectacles of modern life without necessarily having to participate in them - so too does cyberspace offer to the cyber-flaneur an unrestricted flânerie”. In Grand Theft Auto, players have the freedom to explore a virtual duplicate space of Los Angeles in a 360 view, if a player can find an empty hub or remain anonymous in a busy hub (Barnes,1997). If a player can acquire a helicopter, they can get a view from above of a certain area and if they a land on top of Vinewood sign during sunset they are able to get a beautiful view. If you fly in a helicopter in a busy hub, others will see you as a threat and shot you down, and if you steal the copter in public space then the police will hunt you down, so remaining anonymous is key to admire the view. So, the next time you are playing GTA 5 just slow down and appreciate the virtual space you are part of.

Barnes, G. (1997). Passages of the Cyber-Flanuer. Retrieved from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html

Grayson, N. (2015). Someone Recreated GTA V's Los Santos In Cities: Skylines [Figure 1]. Retrieved from https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/03/someone-recreated-gta-vs-los-santos-in-cities-skylines/

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Maps, lecture 4 [Lecture slides]. Retrieved from https://learnjcu.jcu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_84764_1&content_id=_2759350_1

Prouty, R. (2009). A Turtle on a Leash. Retrieved from http://www.onewaystreet.typepad.com/one_way_street/2009/10/a-turtle-on-a-leash.html

TravelSmart Ltd. (2016). Los Angeles Maps and Orientation [Figure 1]. Retrieved from http://www.world-guides.com/north-america/usa/california/los-angeles/los_angeles_maps.html