I’ve put in about 20 hours with Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) on my Xbox 360, and while it’s definitely not meant for younger gamers, it’s a game that can be appreciated for it’s comical adult material and storyline, and I’m loving every minute of it! Sales numbers are off the charts: in the U.K. alone, a record 609,000 copies were sold on it’s release day, and there’s every indication that GTA IV will easily outsell Halo 3’s record once the numbers come in for the U.S.
So what does this tell you? To me, it says that video games geared toward an adult target audience are not only exactly what the video game market needs, but it’s what we as adults want. Playing games that are enjoyable by all ages is fine (there are plenty good ones out there), but it’s also nice to throw in something that has adult-oriented topics and sarcasm we can recognize & appreciate. It’s no different than being able to unwind infront of the TV with a good “R” rated movie.
While Jack Thompson would have you believe it’s handed out to children like crack on a playground and Rockstar Games & Take-Two Interactive peddle the game to minors like that guy in a dark alley, there’s very little mention in any of the online publications that talks about the ESRB’s rating of GTA IV, and how stores are actually asking for I.D. before they hand over the game (my wife bought my copy & she was carded at Target). It’s absurd for anyone to suggest that these games are being pushed on minors; I’m sure there are minors who got their hands on a copy – and some probably from a store, but I think that’s a rare case considering all the hype about GTA IV and the publicity it will most certainly get. Most likely, any minor who is currently playing the game got it from their parents - either through ignorance (a very lame argument for any adult), or because the parent has decided their kid is able to determine the difference between real life and a friggin’ video game. The ESRB puts a huge label on every game, and by now there shouldn’t be a human alive with a gaming child who isn’t aware of what it is and what it means (another lame argument; if a parent doesn’t have the inclination to learn what those big letters mean, they’re an idiot - but let’s not go off on too much of a tangent).
The ESRB gives the game an M rating - for:
- Intense Violence, Blood,
- Strong Language,
- Strong Sexual Content,
- Partial Nudity,
- Use of Drugs and Alcohol
The ESRB has 88 other games for the Xbox 360 that are rated M (meant for Mature – 17+ in age), and yet I don’t hear Jack Thompson complaining about any of them. From all the past sensationalism Jack Thompson has tried to snatch, it’s obvious that he has a particular beef with Rockstar and Take-Two Interactive exclusively, and a simple google search will bring up a slew of incidents between the two, and his latest publicity stunt of writing a public letter to the Take-Two Interactive chairman’s mother goes to show just how low he is willing to go with his personal vendetta.
Obvious Full Disclosure: I think Jack Thompson is an ass-pimple. In my opinion, he is a zealot with no morals, and is the epitome of bad lawyer jokes. His overzealous attempt to be viewed as a “savior” to ignorant parents and tight-assed religious fanatics is appalling. The only thing he’s good at is making himself look like a moronic tool who would be happier living in an ‘ignorance is bliss’ world where people like him control any and all content to be consumed by the masses (read: censorship). That being said, The one flaw in Jack Thompson’s grand scheme of suppression is that everytime he opens his mouth… the OPPOSITE EFFECT takes place!
Case in point: Wacko Jacko has suggested GTA IV is some sort of “cop-killing training tool” for kids; first of all – you’re a moron if you believe this. Second – if it were anywhere near the truth, wouldn’t our streets be filled with video game playing killers right now, since he basically said the same thing about GTA III? Jack, you need to get a grip on reality.
The truth of the matter is, GTA IV is a video game – nothing more, nothing less. It’s a form of entertainment, met for an adult audience. Anyone who suddenly ‘clicks’ over and becomes a killer had issues way before the game, and to blame any problem on a video game is overlooking reality.
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