From the game document: [Once] you've got vibe, take it to a mythical 1985 Los Angeles, California. The game is set in the 80's because all those crazy branding and P.R. techniques you should be thinking about were mostly formulated in the mid 80s. People were generally not aware of them yet, and they were used in much more clumsy and obvious ways. The game is set in Los Angeles because it is a nerve center of America’s media.