大象传媒

Good post - it's always seemed funny to me the way people have critisised GTA in the past for its effects on children.

The last 3 GTA games I've bought (GTAIII, Vicy City and San Andreas) all have the big red circular "18" badge on them, just like films... so it's always confused me as to why parents etc. complain about the effect it'll have on their kids.

Anyone who would actually be influenced by these games to go on a real-life crime spree is ALREADY a danger to society I'd say, and the problem lies firmly with the individual to start with, not the game.

Although having said that, after watching Casino Royale I did develop a bad habit of torturing British secret agents using bottomless chairs, so maybe they have a point...

I agree that the games rating system needs to work just like that of films... not all games have the same-style BBFC logos, but I reckon they should. And maybe BBFC should be renamed BBEC.

I don't know about the 360, but the PS3 has an age rating system built in to it, therefore if the parent has activated this, and any game/DVD/Blu-ray that has an age certificate over the child's age will require a password to be entered to be played/viewed in any way.

So, going on this the whole arguement has been turned on its heads. Is it now time for the game producers to turn the table and start criticising parents who allow their children to play 15 and 18 year old certificate games?

I would say this old arguement has now died a death... at least on Sony's PS3 platform it has.

In the piece - on the 6 news I believe - the phrase 'pre-ordered' was mentioned. Please don't let it slip into the 大象传媒 dictionary. It's redundant.

As for 18+ games, I suppose parents have to take responsibility too. At least there are fewer people blaming PC games for every act of violence, as the complete lack of of evidence to support such claims finally damns them.

It seems to me, that the shouts of accusations from opposers to the series, have only been quietened due to the lack of Jack Thompson's (John Bruce Thompson) interference.
As you may or may not know, he has signed an agreement with Take-Two interactive, parent company of Rockstar Games, so that he will not attempt to get the game banned from sales in the United States.
When he was attempting to get Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas banned from sale, there was only a matter of days before English opposers made themselves known also, so perhaps with this agreement, we may see a decline in the amount of complaints we hear about Grand Theft Auto.

Also, we must remember, it is not only the Grand theft auto series that people wish to be banned. We have already seen ManHunt 2, what i suppose you could call GTA's sister game, banned several times, and only now do we finally see it released.
Other games that these opposers wish to be banned, and often for, in my opinion, daft and unproved reasons include;
"Scrabble - A TOOL OF THE DEVIL?"(
"HALO III: RECRUITING MUSLIMS AND PAGANS"(

If you go to those links, you can see that these people are in no position to comment on Grand Theft Auto.

Of course, there are more examples, lots on that website alone, but we must look at the bigger picture surrounding the controversy of Grand Theft Auto.

How can these opposers compare three dimensional moving images, to movies, in which you can visibly see gore, that in some cases appear very real.

I think it's time they lay off the games and find a new passtime.

@Liam_Lock - oh dear. Landover Baptist is a PARODY website designed to poke fun at Christians.

Always reminds me of a quote from Marcus Brigstocke when this sort of discussion pops up:

"Computer games don鈥檛 affect kids; I mean if Pac-Man affected us as kids, we鈥檇 all be running around in darkened rooms, munching magic pills and listening to repetitive music."

I am not a gamer but I easily could be. I think the real 'danger' is not that they may or may not influence real life behavior but that they are unbelievably good and very addictive. Addictive gaming could well be harming relationships and families as do drug addiction, porn addiction, gambling addiction and alcohol addiction. Not sure what if anything should be done about it. A warning on the packet like cigarettes is probably a waste of time as in the end it's up to the consumers to use their own judgement about what is right for themselves. Could just as well get addicted to posting on 大象传媒 blogs.

just wait till the media really gets it's teeth into exactly whats in this game and what you can do , then the stories will flood in .
only today our local news station was referencing the murder of a young 19 year old local girl , in a story about gta 4 .

This is completly down to the parents, games are getting so much more realistic and the mainstream market has widened to the point where games are getting a lot more mature, such as GTA IV, Manhunt 2 or even Call Of Duty 4 (Terrorist storyline -Not so much the violence). Parents and minders need to be aware of this before WILLINGLY buying the game(s) for the child. It does have an 18 slapped on the front for a reason. Its the same as buying your child a cinema ticket for "SAW" or "American Gangster"... if they are under the legal age to play the game and you still decide to let them play it, its very hypocritical and irresponsible to then point the fingers at the game developers and publishers who are aiming such games like "GTA IV" at gamers 18 or over... Thusfor it is not an inapropriate game.

"With the arrival of Grand Theft Auto IV, the mood seems to have changed. This is ten times more realistic, immersive and interactive than the original version - and so, if you believe that games can warp young minds, that much more dangerous. But the chorus of anger and accusation has faded. This launch is being seen more as an economic and cultural event rather than an opportunity for another row between the pro and anti-censorship campaigns.

Perhaps that's because, in the wake of the Byron review, we're all more aware of the video games ratings system - and there's an understanding that an 18 game like Grand Theft Auto is aimed at an adult gaming audience that might equally go out and buy 18-rated movies without anyone making a fuss."



I have to disagree. The very first GTA, way back in 1998 (1997 in the US) had an 18 certificate on it, in the red circle, resemblant of the BBFC badge. The London addons followed suit, as did GTA2, 3, and each subsequent release thereafter. The 18 rating on GTA has never been anything short of visible, and has always been there, plain for all to see. DMA/Take2/Rockstar have never been secretive of the game's violent and adult nature, but the press love to portray otherwise.

I've played GTA games since their conception, even though I was below 18, and in no way have they affected me. I wouldn't DREAM of laying hands on a firearm or offensive weapon with any intent of doing damage, nor would I hijack a vehicle, intentionally run someone over, incite police activity, or any other number of underworld actions. A game is a game, but some people in society have trouble accepting that when you turn off the game, the game stays inside your console/PC.

And these people are the people which make the headlines, unfortunately. Sniping people on an interstate, toying with molotov cocktails, and "playing" with brass knuckles - just a handful of the news stories of offences that the press have accredited to this series - sometimes fairly, sometimes less so. Regardless, these people, I would wager, are damaged by more than video games, perhaps they are just a catalyst, who knows? At the end of the day, video games are entertainment for myself, and millions of others around the world. There's no shortage of people wanting to play this game, but in the same breath, unfortunately, plenty people who try to emulate their latest underworld (and purely fictional) hero. This should not detract from the said millions who DO play responsibly, and who DO know that "off" means off.

Sometimes questionable, often objectional, always controversial. Welcome to Grand Theft Auto.

Been playing GTA 4 a lot... and whenever I am driving I can't help looking at other people's cars with a view to "that would be nice to steal and go for a joy-ride".
Should I be worried?

Well, the game is called "Grand THEFT AUTO"... Mate, its what the game is about... freedom and creating havoc, doing things that you wouldnt do in real life... its a GAME! When you listen to the song "Prodigy - Firestarter" do you go into a daze and become a twisted firestarter...? No? Didnt think so... What about when you listen to "You Spin Me Right Round Baby Like A Record Baby Right Round Round Round" - Do you actually start spinning with big grin on your face!? I play gta 4 loads, i dont start talking Russian and killing gangsters... why would you want to jack someones car just because youve been playing" GTA. Must be a bit dellusional.. ;-)!