In other news: There’s a Scottish border town named Hawick. Rockstar lawyers intend to sue for ‘improper use’ of their original creation, the drug-addled hipster Hawick.
Now, admittedly, one part of this story is a tissue of hilarious whoopers. Unfortunately I’ve forgotten which part. I guess the punch line is: Scottish people.
”I am absolutely disgusted – there is a lot of history and a lot of good things happening in the town. We have got a lot of good things planned for this coming year. It is going to destroy the good reputation of the town,” said local councillor David Paterson to the BBC.
”Why did they pick on Hawick, it is a lovely town? It is perceptions, it is how people will perceive the town. They might perceive Hawick in a bad light and Hawick is a lovely place – a lot of people are very, very proud of Hawick.”
“I, like many other Hawick residents, was shocked to hear that the name of the town had been used in Grand Theft Auto V. Not only is it a game which includes violence, sex and drugs, but the game’s producers themselves describe the area of Hawick in the game as having a ‘drug addict hipster vibe’,” added Hawick MSP John Lamont.
“While some may take the view that any publicity is good publicity, I am sure that many local residents will see this as an insensitive move from Rockstar North,” he continued.
“They clearly do not know Hawick well, and that is why I have invited them to meet with me at my office on the town’s High Street. Hawick is one of the most beautiful towns in Scotland and I am sure that by showing them the town and telling them of its proud history they will realise the mistake they have made.”
The border town, presumably addled with druggie hipsters as Rockstar’s rendition in Los Santos implies, is around 50 miles south of Rockstar North’s Edinburgh offices. It has a single business: Hair on Hawick - in the game that is, I’m sure the border town has a lovely booming industry of trawling games for mentions of their name.
