This. Takes. The. Cake.

[Marvelon]

Unbelievable: http://www.nypost.com/seven/12292003/business/14640.htm

The worst piece of journalism I've ever read. About videogames. I quote:

People, this (GTA3: Vice City) is insane. This is 10,000 times worse than the worst thing anybody thinks Michael Jackson ever did to a little boy.

[Couk]

How many times do they have to put "Take-Two"?

[darkangel]

Oh ffs, do we really have to discuss this piece of crap.

They deserve no regonation what so ever.

[saif]

What exactly do you expect from the Murdoch press?

[bowser123]

Why no criticism of Goodfellas or the American Psycho book?

The game isn't racist either. It features possibly racist comments (only racist when taken out of context though) but in no way is the game racist. Is Stanley Kubrick a racist for his portrayal of Vietnam, when his drill sergant talks about "Niggers, Womps and Greasers" (the characters word's, not mine)?

Ignore that article, they clearly talk rubbish. Remember this game is 18 rated and suitable only for adults. There isn't one thing in it the game that wouldn't get a film classification so there is no reason why it should be demonised by these "journalists".

I bet none of these critics hav played the game for any length of time either.

[darkangel]

They prob just looked at the back of the box.

[nips]

I suppose the fear of kids being able to actually control these events and not just watch them is an important one to people who are unfamiliar with videogames. I mean, Goodfellas, yeah they kill and take drugs and stuff, you watch and you enjoy or dislike. But with GTA you're going out of your way to do these things. I think that is important.

But what I fail to understand is, how you can drive at 16-18 (I believe) in America, not drink alcohol until you are 21. Which is the lethal weapon? In the UK, more kids are in accidents and kill others in accidents between 17-25. Amount of people who die of alcohol poisoning, far less! And then there is their gun policy. I don't know exactly how old you have to be to be able to purchase a gun, the age 18 is in my head, but I don't want to assume - But how can you shoot people if you do not have a gun!

It makes no sense. It's like selling MacDonald?s to millions of kids, and blaming the portrayal of fat people as sexy on TV as the reason for your child?s obesity! They are looking at a scope-goat, not a real method of solving the problem!

[Keith]

Those kids who shot the cars though, their parents probably saw GTA and said "No Johnny! Stop playing on that FILTH! Take daddy's rifle and go play outside"

[JammyD]

Hehe I emailed the guy who wrote it, and I recommended Manhunt

[DJ Sack]

So he's saying its much more ok to *sexually abuse children than it is to play a computer game?

*By this i mean jackson may have done this as this is what we think but he is still innocent untill proven guilty.

[Chadruharazzeb]

December 29th 2003? Not only is the article risible, it's also two years late.

Clearly we have found the US version of The Daily Mail.

[mid]

DJ Sack - no need for a disclaimer, he states that it is 10,000 times worse than the worst thing Jackson is suspected of. Jackson is definitely suspected of child abuse, even if a court goes on to decide he is not guilty, and those suspicions are incorrect.

Personally, I think the author is rather more concerned with belittling the problem of child abuse than saying that GTA is that bad. After all, it is apparently no worse than a Springsteen lyric either.

[Concept]

Oh thanks... That was excellent - Superb. Funniest piece of writing I've read in quite a while, it was like reading a literature piece inspired by Brass Eye style journalism.

You're all right though. That quote suggesting the abuse of children is more 'socially just' than playing a (comically) gory videogame is disturbingly messed up. God knows how the editor/s of the online edition of the New York Post let that one through.

But you just have to love sensationalist journalism. It's so often hilarious for all the wrong reasons.

[Fragmaster]

And cases surface constantly in which "Grand Theft Auto" has been linked to violence and killing. In Tennessee last summer a motorist was killed and his passenger wounded when two boys - aged 14 and 16 - played "Grand Theft Auto" and then decided to go out and take sniper shots at cars, just like in the game.

Absolute bull****. They were influenced by the Matrix, and were both absolute psycopaths, regardless of what they watched, or played. I saw a documentary, (forgot the 2 guys names) but one of them had written stuff in his cell, like... THE MATRIX HAS YOU, and lots of other rubbish.

Another thing is that games, no matter what happens will get blamed. Doom was blamed for high school shootings, even though the game had you play a marine shooting ALIENS, MONSTERS and ZOMBIES.

The part that gets me is, Realistic Graphics. IMO GTA has unrealistic graphics and I think the reason that is, is so people say ooh noooooo real blood etc....

What also pisses me off, is when he compares games like this, to cock fighting and dwarf throwing, I mean what the **** sort of retard wrote this article. Those 2 activities, harm LIVING things.

Meantime, Take-Two is milking this product for all it is worth: Next year the company will even be introducing a Gameboy version of the thing, so that kids can carry it around with them wherever they go. This way they'll be able to get re-stimulated, whenever necessary, with some of the most menacing messages known to civilized man.

No the most menacing things in society are stuff he has mentioned above in the article that apparently "aren't" as bad as Vice City. TBH, maybe this reporter would rather kids get RAPED by Micheal Jackson then play Vice City. Also that the portable version, is not going to be anywhere the same depth as the PS2/PC/XBOX versions.

What it boils down to is that this reporter gave not 2 ****s that this game was "bad" when the stocks were well, oo now there is a sniff of trouble then "****ING HANG THE GAME". This person should get a reality check.

(sorry for the swearing, and other things.... this guy just seriously pissed me off)

btw, bowser123, the racism in FMJ was not portrayed as his view. It was what it was like then, and the soldiers opinions. Also Stanley based the film around a book, "The Short Timers" by Gustav Hasford.

[MartyG]

Sorry, is that's journalism? It's just another pointless bit of uneducated rubbish.

I can really do nothing but sigh.

*sighs*

Right, I'm off to steal some cars and murder some prostitutes. Excuse me for an hour or two.

Regards
Marty