GTA controversy

[brooksieb]

It's in the newspapers all the time but why is GTA so controversial? It is about kids being 'influenced' by the game to kill steal and rape and all that stuff, i completely disagree about what is being said in the tabloids because i think the kids already want to kill because of a lack of parenting, not the game. If you think your' kids are too immature to play the game don't let them buy it, these parents should simply get off their ass's and don't let them buy it, or even worse the parents buy it, when i was raising my kids i used to let them play any game, the only games/films i would not let them watch are gory sex films, Why did i let them watch and play that stuff?, BECAUSE I GOT OFF MY FUCKING ASS AND EDUCATED MY CHILDREN so they never killed or purposely injured anyone. The press say "Aww all teenagers either have take drugs, carry a knive and have definately assaulted someone" well i have a few words for that.... it was exactly the fucking same when i was a young lad (i was a teen in the 70's by the way), it was exactly the same, joyriding was rampant when i was younger, and i think most adults just want to take the blame on someone else because their fathers and mothers done exactly the same to them as they're doing now, someone has to brake this chain and stop making games and films like GTA or American gangster look so appealing, then i can assure that teen crime rates will drop substantially. I do play GTA and i don't care if children play it aslong as they're educated about it.

Thank you.

(by the way i wrote this at one 0' clock in the morning so count this as a kind of 'draft copy until i edit it.)

[MeDeFe]

You need to correct a few typos, but I generally agree with what you wrote.

[Dancing Mustard]

Given that the game is rated 18 in the UK, this ought to be a bit of a non-issue.
The game isn't irresponsible, it's parents who let their offspring access prohibited material underage that's irresponsible. It's like complaining about porn because 14 year olds might watch it then want to have sex. Parents and Guardians of children just need to take some responsibility and get involved with what their children are doing, there's no sense in just banning everything that your child might get its hands on, simply because you can't be arsed to spend the time talking to him/her and explaining why GTA violence is fictional and illegal.
There, point made, I'll shut up again.

[firth4eva]

All my friends who want this game have it. And why? Because nobody cares about age ratings on video games. And before anyone starts saying that it doesn't infunce them, I remember when some gangster game came out and everyone was doing some stupid shit, where they all starting kicking the shit out of each other, that they saw on it because they thought it was a game.

[Dancing Mustard]

nobody cares about age ratings on video games.

Well then they should... there's as many safeguards surrounding video games as there are aroudn films. I don't hear the same anti-GTA lobby wringing their hands about 18-rated videos; and I suspect it's mainly because they've never played GTA and are condeming before they have experienced. I call such a practice bullshit.
There's all the safeguards in place to protect kids that are required. It's up to parents to take some responsibility in getting to know what their children are doing, and what effect it's having on them. People spend their lives bitching about a 'nanny-state', it's high-time they did something to prove that they don't need bottlefeeding.

[chaosfactor]

I play Risk, I have resisted then urge to invade China for over ten years
I play Chess, I probably won,t kill our The Royal Family
I play Snakes and Ladders and I haven't got any beef with Black Adders
I play Marbles, but I did lose them
Then there is Monopoly, I didn't get into Real Estate
and Finally I Spy, result = never became James Bond

GTA / Me = Probably have a Career change and become a Psychotic Postman.

[Neoteny]

I play Risk, I have resisted then urge to invade China for over ten years
I play Chess, I probably won,t kill our The Royal Family
I play Snakes and Ladders and I haven't got any beef with Black Adders
I play Marbles, but I did lose them
Then there is Monopoly, I didn't get into Real Estate
and Finally I Spy, result = never became James Bond

GTA / Me = Probably have a Career change and become a Psychotic Postman.

Fucking ladders...

[Frigidus]

nobody cares about age ratings on video games.

Well then they should... there's as many safeguards surrounding video games as there are aroudn films. I don't hear the same anti-GTA lobby wringing their hands about 18-rated videos; and I suspect it's mainly because they've never played GTA and are condeming before they have experienced. I call such a practice bullshit.
There's all the safeguards in place to protect kids that are required. It's up to parents to take some responsibility in getting to know what their children are doing, and what effect it's having on them. People spend their lives bitching about a 'nanny-state', it's high-time they did something to prove that they don't need bottlefeeding.

Exactly. This is just another example of a "corrupting the youth" argument. They did the same thing with rock and roll and comic books. There's always going to be someone who feels that back in their day they didn't have any fancy shmancy world wide webs, and they got on just fine dag-nab-it. I just wish they'd focus on rap and leave my hobby alone.

[Plutoman]

Given that the game is rated 18 in the UK, this ought to be a bit of a non-issue.
The game isn't irresponsible, it's parents who let their offspring access prohibited material underage that's irresponsible. It's like complaining about porn because 14 year olds might watch it then want to have sex. Parents and Guardians of children just need to take some responsibility and get involved with what their children are doing, there's no sense in just banning everything that your child might get its hands on, simply because you can't be arsed to spend the time talking to him/her and explaining why GTA violence is fictional and illegal.
There, point made, I'll shut up again.

Whoa. I agree with ya.

It needs to be parents who take more responsibility, I don't mind kids, 15, 16 year olds playing, but they have to be mature enough to know it's a game and not take it as anything real. They have to be mature enough to handle the content in the game.

Yeah, I'm 16, played it, but I'm also more mature than most my age (Gotta be honest). I'd expect online you'd see a greater percentage of teenagers like that, so don't think I'm trying to stereotype, if someone my age has also played it too ^^ Just seeing a generality around my school and etc. I know plenty who shouldn't play it, and I also know parents who have gotten the game for kids under 10 years old. I mean, wtf? Under 10, and they play GTA, Halo, Gears of Wars, etc. That's where the parents need to take a bit of control.

[static_ice]

In my state at least, you have to be 18 or older to buy M rated games, therefore all the underage kids playing GTA, Manhunt etc. get them because their parents had to come into the store and buy the games with them. All the suburbanite mommys (including Jack Thompson) don't realize this, so they still push ESRB to rate these games AO, or they get pissed at the CTA because GTA advertises on their buses.

[suggs]

your dog looks ultra cute in that pic, brooksieb.

[muy_thaiguy]

Never been much for GTA personally (just not my style of gaming is all), but if the parents have a problem with it, then simply put, don't buy it for your kids, that's all.

Side note-In my state, you only have to be 17 to buy M rated games, but I have come across some people who shouldn't be allowed to watch Superman and the likes (one guy got the bright idea to jump off his roof with a trash bag as a parachute, it didn't really work. The bad thing was, he was 100% sober.), because it'll give them stupid ideas.

I pretty much agree with what has been said previously in the thread.

[Fircoal]

meh, I don't like GTA and think it should be banned but for different reasons. I think it's stupid to think a game can make someone want to do the stuff in the game because they believe it's real. It's a totally bad argument. Though I want GTA banned more because it's a game that all of the gameplay is evil and just wrong. I don't see why anyone would want to drive around killing people and such... >_<

[Minister Masket]

I don't see why anyone would want to drive around killing people and such... >_<

Well, you don't have to play like that. But inevitably, you will.

[muy_thaiguy]

meh, I don't like GTA and think it should be banned but for different reasons. I think it's stupid to think a game can make someone want to do the stuff in the game because they believe it's real. It's a totally bad argument. Though I want GTA banned more because it's a game that all of the gameplay is evil and just wrong. I don't see why anyone would want to drive around killing people and such... >_<

1. It does have some influence on a kid's mind (more so if the parent does not talk about not mimicking video games), not 100%, but it is there.
2. (this is a bit from 1.) It is NOT real, and that is part of the game play itself.
3. You don't have to play it, actually, you're too young to play it (or at least buy it) in the first place. I don't play it, because I hate getting chased around by cops on it. That's why I prefer doing games like Hulk:Ultimate Destruction, RTW, MTW, M2TW, DW5 and 6, Halo series, and Call of Duty Series,

[Frigidus]

meh, I don't like GTA and think it should be banned but for different reasons. I think it's stupid to think a game can make someone want to do the stuff in the game because they believe it's real. It's a totally bad argument. Though I want GTA banned more because it's a game that all of the gameplay is evil and just wrong. I don't see why anyone would want to drive around killing people and such... >_<

1. It does have some influence on a kid's mind (more so if the parent does not talk about not mimicking video games), not 100%, but it is there.
2. (this is a bit from 1.) It is NOT real, and that is part of the game play itself.
3. You don't have to play it, actually, you're too young to play it (or at least buy it) in the first place. I don't play it, because I hate getting chased around by cops on it. That's why I prefer doing games like Hulk:Ultimate Destruction, RTW, MTW, M2TW, DW5 and 6, Halo series, and Call of Duty Series,

The Total War series is freaking amazing, all good choices.

[muy_thaiguy]

meh, I don't like GTA and think it should be banned but for different reasons. I think it's stupid to think a game can make someone want to do the stuff in the game because they believe it's real. It's a totally bad argument. Though I want GTA banned more because it's a game that all of the gameplay is evil and just wrong. I don't see why anyone would want to drive around killing people and such... >_<

1. It does have some influence on a kid's mind (more so if the parent does not talk about not mimicking video games), not 100%, but it is there.
2. (this is a bit from 1.) It is NOT real, and that is part of the game play itself.
3. You don't have to play it, actually, you're too young to play it (or at least buy it) in the first place. I don't play it, because I hate getting chased around by cops on it. That's why I prefer doing games like Hulk:Ultimate Destruction, RTW, MTW, M2TW, DW5 and 6, Halo series, and Call of Duty Series,

The Total War series is freaking amazing, all good choices.

They're freaking awesome! Commanding thousands of soldiers, all out battles, tactics and strategy, and if you enter in a certain cheat code, ridiculously massive elephants!

[Balsiefen]

1. It does have some influence on a kid's mind (more so if the parent does not talk about not mimicking video games), not 100%, but it is there.
2. (this is a bit from 1.) It is NOT real, and that is part of the game play itself.
3. You don't have to play it, actually, you're too young to play it (or at least buy it) in the first place. I don't play it, because I hate getting chased around by cops on it. That's why I prefer doing games like Hulk:Ultimate Destruction, RTW, MTW, M2TW, DW5 and 6, Halo series, and Call of Duty Series,

The Total War series is freaking amazing, all good choices.

They're freaking awesome! Commanding thousands of soldiers, all out battles, tactics and strategy, and if you enter in a certain cheat code, ridiculously massive elephants!

The absolute best games for any risk player to buy.

The online on Rome (and medieval II, but I havn't got the hang of that entirely) has to be one of the funnest, then you can really judge how good you are.

As for GTA, I pretty much agree whith what's been said, I personally find it enjoyable but i can see many people don't, I dont see any logical reason why it should be banned.

[GabonX]

It is well known that violent video games are the root cause of all crime ine America. Below is a scientific recreation of what the Columbine Killers thought they saw when they went on their spree...

[Hitman079]

I don't believe GTA should be banned.
As many people have stated before, it is the parents' responsibility to keep these out of their children's hands. Of course, as muy_thai said, the game doesn't influence kids 100%, but it has got something to do with it. I apologize to people like Jack Thompson for saying that GTA is not turning normal kids into cop-killing, school-shooting psychopaths. If one has even a basic grasp of what's right and what's wrong, then they should be fine playing this game.