PR legend designed GTA controversy to make game successful

A new interview with original Grand Theft Auto creators Mike Dailly and Dave Jones claims that the game’s success was largely done to how well PR legend Max Clifford orchestrated a media outcry against the game back in 1997.

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Apparently Clifford designed the PR output for the game to create as much controversy as possible, which would eventually work to such a degree that politicians got involved in the issue.

“Max Clifford made it all happen,” said Dailly. “He designed all the outcry, which pretty much guaranteed MPs would get involved… He’d do anything to keep the profile high.”

“He told us how he would play it, who he would target, what those people targeted would say,” added Jones. “Every word he said came true. We knew why every decision was made, and we were never, ever influenced by ‘let’s do something to create a bit of controversy’.

“We always did everything from the perspective of what’s going to be the most fun. It just naturally kept pushing us down the darker direction, “Jones concluded.

Nearly 16 years on and GTA continues to be one of the highest profile videogame franchises out there, both for the quality of the titles and their controversial content. Thanks Clifford, you’ve once again proved that no publicity is bad publicity.

Source: Sunday Times


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