Wednesday 7 May 2008

Computer Controversial

With the release of Grand Theft Auto IV just a week ago;

I decided to concentrate my most recent blog upon the controversy of said computer game and a few others that have caused trouble in the media.

It seems Grand Theft Auto is possibly the most famous game for its portrayal in the media, and with the release of the latest update it has made the news once again;

Now I have seen and played this game, on both Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, and I do not think it deserves the 18 rating or the bad reputation it gets from the media

Going back to 2005, the "Hot Coffee" incident, this was a minigame that appeared as a modification for the PC version . It included scenes of a "sexual nature" wherein the player presses buttons on a control pad or keyboard to have sex with girls within the game, the entire thing got blown out of proportion because you see, this minigame was merely a rhythm action dry humping game.
Certainly not worthy of a courtcase and re-classification of the game.

Grand Theft Auto IV was also headlined for its "violent" gameplay, and as I mentioned before it is not worthy of any negative responses it gets.

The most violent thing in the game is the pre-rendered deaths of major characters when they can be executed during certain missions.

Another thing brought up upon the games release is people under the 18+ age rating playing the game, this is apparently a big problem but I beg to differ, it is merely a game, pressing circle to stab a group of pixels is not the same as a young boy going out and stabbing his friend.

Games do not turn people into killers. Fact. It is not possible for a person to become insane just by playing a game, unless ofcourse they play Halo refusely with their friends until their eyes bleed.

Games are merely a new form of media, growing in popularity by the day, they will continue to increase in popularity and violence sells, people enjoy being able to run other players over, and shoot players limbs off but this does not mean that people will go out and re-enact this, they play the games to satisfy that little hobby of theirs. Lets leave them to it eh?

Yours,

V.