Claude Speed

Bad Ass

I mean, come on. Is there not a cooler name for the main character in a racing video game?

To those of you not in the know (and those that haven't yet read "Random Character Selection" in RESET) the main character from GTA III was actually Claude Speed . . . the main dude from GTA II. Two independent spots came up at the same time:

1. Buried deep within the unused code of GTA III lies a disused Enter Name funtion. The 'defnam' value . . . or Default Name . . . was "Claude."

2. In GTA: San Andreas, you briefly meet up with a younger version of him (San Andreas takes place 7 years before Liberty City. Go figure) . . . still mute, but called Claude by Maria.

Claude Speed, pictured above in the live action promo Rockstar filmed in mid 1999 to hype the release of GTA II, would make a great main character for GTA IV . . . set to be released fall 2007 on PS3 and X360 . . . Rockstar should make it a direct sequel to III, and show Claude heading to Carser City, or Sin City, or back to London to cause some trouble.

I wrote a short screenplay starring Claude. The only thing he says is the first thing uttered in the script.

"Fuck."

Take it to the bank, daddy.