What wouldSaints Rowbe without the VTOL jets and giant purple dildos? I’m not sure myself, butrecently crowned THQ presidentand Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin wants to find out. In an interview with Polygon, Rubin aired his grievances overSaints Row 3‘s tone and crass humor and his intention to change that in future entries.
“Why couldn’t that be aRed Dead Redemptionor aSkyrim?” Rubin asked. “I look at that title and I say, ‘Who cares what it is and why it got to be what it is? From that team we can make something that isn’t embarrassing.”
For clarification, Rubin is not saying the quality of the game is embarrassing but that its mature comedic presentation, that limits the game’s potential audience, is embarrassing. That Rubin would openly state his dislike of the game’s humor and his intentions to change the game are a bit upsetting as a series fan. BeforeSaints Rowfound its voice and over-the-top sensibilities, it was just a next-genGrand Theft Autoclone. In this instance, bringingSaints Rowback to its roots would not be a good thing.
“[Mature humor] works forSouth Park, but I’m not sure it does elsewhere,” Rubin said. “I don’t think (Volition) chose to do what they did because they had all of the options available to them. It was the environment at the time … I know I can change that.”
As THQ’s new president, Rubin seems pretty gung-ho about expanding its brands’ audiences, instead of focusing on the niche audiences the company has appealed to in the past. The company had a troublesome year in 2011, so I can understand where Rubin is coming from, but he should also realize that stripping away the signature comedic values ofSaints Rowwould not serve the company, developer, or fans well.
