grand theft auto san andreas

[boris_73]

i think you are over exaggerating there a bit, anyway its what the kids want they wouldnt put it out there if it did'nt sell so if you want to blame any one blame the people who buy it, eg you can blame me if you want because as soon as it comes out on the xbox im buying it,

[Sayonara]

You don't think that producers - whose motives are largely profit based - have any responsibility towards the people they sell their wares to?

 

Interesting attitude for someone who just showed how ready they are to lay blame.

[TimeTraveler]

anyway its what the kids want

 

Kids should not always get what they want.

 

Somethings just go a little to far, imo this is one of those things. I'm not trying to blame anyone or anything, I was just stating my opinion of the game. Just the same as the guy who says "I think it is awesome!"

[boris_73]

You don't think that producers - whose motives are largely profit based - have any responsibility towards the people they sell their wares to?

 

Interesting attitude for someone who just showed how ready they are to lay blame.

why is it that grand theft auto has already got such great awarness even though they have advertised very little, i mean i have seen two clips for grand theft auto on tv usually all you would see is non stop advertisement for a game like this, it has gotten around mostly by word of mouth this is beacuse people want to see games like this, and like i said before it is what the people want they would make no money if it was'nt what people wanted, now if i actually saw non stop advertisement of this game i may agree to them glorifying, you could say persuading people to buy it, but i have seen very little advertisement, anyway this is my point of view

[Sayonara]

That doesn't address my question at all.

 

Incidentally, glorification of the game or the content therein doesn't necessarily mean that it has to be plastered all over the media - it is more to do with the fact that the game itself offers players the chance to live out certain events and choices in a vicarious fashion, which is not always a good thing.

 

Personally I can think of much worse games than this, but that alone doesn't negate the issues TimeTraveller (and no doubt many others) have with it.

[Dave]

Kids should not always get what they want.

 

Quite. Kids want McDonalds' every day, but if they got it, they'd suffer a heart attack (or 6) by the time they were 20.

[tinyboy21]

Kids should not always get what they want.

 

Somethings just go a little to far' date=' imo this is one of those things. I'm not trying to blame anyone or anything, I was just stating my opinion of the game. Just the same as the guy who says "I think it is awesome!"[/quote']

 

 

I'm speaking as a gamer, not some censorship politition or something. You probably havn't even played the game. It glorifies the lifestyle in the game just as much as it shows how terrible it is.

 

Also, its a pretty sweet game, and thats all that matters to me.

[5614]

Dont want to get into a massive argument here, but surely so long as children are taught the differences between games and life and taught that very, very well then there is little problem with having violent games, especially seeing as they are rated (and therefore, legally, only sold to appropritaely aged children).

 

Now whilst you are there saying that illegal copies are available to all, the fact is that this is the world how it is, you cannot do anything about it, those games will always be there! Its just a case of making sure that gamers can differentiate between games and real life, whereby no harm is done by playing them.

[TimeTraveler]

I'm speaking as a gamer, not some censorship politition or something. You probably havn't even played the game. It glorifies the lifestyle in the game just as much as it shows how terrible it is.

 

Also, its a pretty sweet game, and thats all that matters to me.

 

Actually I own the game. I bought it the day it came out, that is part of my frustration. Every other word is F*** S*** or a**. You kill U.S. national guard and rob an army warehouse of it's weapons, among other things. Maybe I have not gotten far enough but I fail to see where the terrible side is shown.

[Fellowes]

I'm speaking as a gamer' date=' not some censorship politition or something. You probably havn't even played the game. It glorifies the lifestyle in the game just as much as it shows how terrible it is.

 

Also, its a pretty sweet game, and thats all that matters to me.[/quote']

 

 

Good point. I agree with tinyboy21 because he is right. As brutal as GTA is, it does also show the negative aspects of the living conditions portrayed in the game. Sure it's fun to walk around not worrying about the police, being able to whatever the f*** you want, but I'm sure any sane person could see that the liberties shown in the game are somewhat unreachable with the policing of today. Sure you're gonna have the odd maniac who decides to shoot up some school, but they will pay for it. There is only so much damage they can do. They will be caught and they know it, they know they can only go so far. Also this is typically the world in some parts. But, going back to the main point, as bad as it looks, people should still be able to interperate the difference between gameplay and real life. What's right and what's wrong. Surely people can see how awful it would be to live in such conditions, and would make smarter choices so as to not get themselves involved in those situations.

Anyways thats just my thoughts. To me it looks like a very amusing game.

[c dawg]

i disagree with fellowes. i think you should do some more research my friend. what if the crazy people were smart and and they made clones of themselves to have multiple times the crazy people i'd like to see the police chase them. sometimes don't have that much common sense and they might think what you do in a game must happen in real life too and it looks fun so why can't they do it too? Anyways just my thoughts i think i will acquire this game someday.

[TimeTraveler]

Surely people can see how awful it would be to live in such conditions, and would make smarter choices so as to not get themselves involved in those situations.

 

Unfortantly many children are born into this life and these situations. For them it is part of everyday live.

 

For many who play this game it is very far from reality, but for many it is not.

 

I think many people underestimate the effects and impact of video games. The human brain is something that we do not fully understand, and yes, that includes the developmental process. It is a common understanding that our brain manipulates our perceptions in a way to help us understand what is going on about us, but is it known what side effects violent video games or movies have on an undeveloped human brain?

 

So we have seen a large uprising in crimes commited by teenagers ages 13-18 over the past ten years, can we attribute that to violent video games or movies? No. Not because its not true, its because we just do not know enough about the human brain to prove anything of this nature as true. But if you look at what seems to be a coincidental rising in the amount of violent video games and movies viewed by children of this age group over the last ten years then the statistics would make good evidence. However statistics are not proof. It is enough to convince me that violence effects the development of the human brain in many ways.

 

Grand Theft Auto is clearly meant for adults, however I would be willing to speculate that just as many people under age 17 play this game as do people over age 17.

 

Here are some facts:

 

Unaccompanied children, ages 13 to 16, were able to buy "M" rated video games 85% of the time (FTC, 2000).

 

Games can confuse reality and fantasy.

 

Practicing violent acts may contribute more to aggressive behavior than passive television watching. Studies do find a relationship between violent television watching and behavior.

 

In many violent games, players must become more violent to win. In "1st person" violent video games the player may be more affected because he or she controls the game and experiences the action through the eyes of his or her character.

 

You can find these facts and more at http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_effect.shtml

[Sayonara]

Unfortunately there are plenty of people who actually are that stupid, easily-influenced or amoralistic.

 

And by plenty I mean millions.

[atinymonkey]

There needs to be a line drawn somewhere. If not the next game you will be playing will be about 2 kids who go around shooting up there fellow highschool students and teachers in an enviorment that is meant to resemble Columbine. Just saying that makes me sad, but its a reality we must face in our society I suppose.

 

The GTA developers are Scottish, and the original idea of the game was a light bit of mockery. It's not so much glorifying the lifestyle than the movies about the lifestyle, the gun culture in America and the lack of consequences TV/Films present to people.

 

You can guess how suprised the Scottish guys were that the US loved the games so much, and how little outcry there was over it. They seem to be pushing the limits with this new release, apparently it's a lot darker. It's still an emotional release though, like a stress toy.

 

Even the last game, Vice City, encouraged two kids in America to emulate the game. I don't doubt this one will to. Perhaps it's not so much the developers fault, but the fault of a country where firearms are almost as easy to obtain as they are within the game. It may be a parody for entertainment value, but as you pointed out it's not far off target. If it's a mirror of society, perhaps we ought to be looking closer at the society rather than blaming a video game for highlighting it.

[tinyboy21]

Actually I own the game. I bought it the day it came out, that is part of my frustration. Every other word is F*** S*** or a**. You kill U.S. national guard and rob an army warehouse of it's weapons, among other things. Maybe I have not gotten far enough but I fail to see where the terrible side is shown.

 

If you have already bought the game, why are you bad mouthing it? If you are sensitive about the profanity and the content, don't buy the game.

[tinyboy21]

Good point. I agree with tinyboy21 because he is right. As brutal as GTA is' date=' it does also show the negative aspects of the living conditions portrayed in the game. Sure it's fun to walk around not worrying about the police, being able to whatever the f*** you want, but I'm sure any sane person could see that the liberties shown in the game are somewhat unreachable with the policing of today. Sure you're gonna have the odd maniac who decides to shoot up some school, but they will pay for it. There is only so much damage they can do. They will be caught and they know it, they know they can only go so far. Also this is typically the world in some parts. But, going back to the main point, as bad as it looks, people should still be able to interperate the difference between gameplay and real life. What's right and what's wrong. Surely people can see how awful it would be to live in such conditions, and would make smarter choices so as to not get themselves involved in those situations.

Anyways thats just my thoughts. To me it looks like a very amusing game.[/quote']

 

my point exactly

 

btw, I'm 14 years old and I have been playing GTA 3 since I was 11. My 5 year old sister watches sometimes. Even she understands that this is like nothing more than a violent movie, which have not affected her. Sure, she killed the mailman with a spoon, but thats a phase we all go through.

[Lance]

There’s a flaw in your logic. No matter how many times you get shot, no matter how many times you lose you can just start over. All you have to do is load a game and either not go to where you failed or try again. In real life it doesn’t work like that. You can’t try to steal something and simply load a saved life if you fail.

 

Why does it matter if the person who shoots up a school pays for it? What about the kids who are now dead? Do you really think that’s an even trade, trading the life of twenty kids for revenge on a single person?

 

What do you mean people should be able to interpret the differences between game play and life? We are not talking about mature adults here we are talk about minors who live with a single parent that works during the day and goes out at night.

 

You’re expecting a bunch of kids who play gta to make smart choices? Also, I have played the game and have not seen the 'negative' aspect of it. It makes the life feel nice and inviting.

 

Why would you want your 5 year old sister to not be affected by violent movies? I dont see why its a good thing to be indifferent to mass murder...

[Sayonara]

If you have already bought the game, why are you bad mouthing it? If you are sensitive about the profanity and the content, don't buy the game.

For the reasons he put in his post, presumably.

 

He is demonstrating an objective view about the role of such games in society, not whining because it offends his outlandish sensibilities.

[TimeTraveler]

my point exactly

 

btw, I'm 14 years old and I have been playing GTA 3 since I was 11. My 5 year old sister watches sometimes. Even she understands that this is like nothing more than a violent movie, which have not affected her. Sure, she killed the mailman with a spoon, but thats a phase we all go through.

 

Let me tell you a little story,

 

A couple I know had 3 children. A 5 year old boy, and twin girls ages 3. They as parents let thier children play video games, nothing nearly as bad as GTA.. they played games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, ect. The parents somewhat neglected their children, they always went out to clubs on weekends leaving their kids with a 14 yr old babysitter. When they were home with the kids they were always yelling at them, or making them watch TV or play video games so the kids would be out of their hair. A friend of theirs from down the street offered to take their boy to the park with them so he could play with their children. While at the park the children were playing baseball. The little boy was hitting while the neighbors 4 year old daughter was pitching. I'm sure it was very cute to watch. The mom went back to her car to get her camera to take pictures while the children continued to play. While she was gone the little girl accidently hit the boy with a pitch and the boy ran up to her and hit her over the head with the baseball bat killing her instantly.

 

Don't tell me video games and movies with violence do not affect children.

[Gilded]

"Don't tell me video games and movies with violence do not affect children."

 

It's quite obvious that letting kids watch violent movies or play violent games in their early years will have a negative influence on them. The goddamn neighbor kiddies even used to punch and kick me in the groin due to too much Smackdown watching. :<

[tinyboy21]

Let me tell you a little story' date='

 

A couple I know had 3 children. A 5 year old boy, and twin girls ages 3. They as parents let thier children play video games, nothing nearly as bad as GTA.. they played games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, ect. The parents somewhat neglected their children, they always went out to clubs on weekends leaving their kids with a 14 yr old babysitter. When they were home with the kids they were always yelling at them, or making them watch TV or play video games so the kids would be out of their hair. A friend of theirs from down the street offered to take their boy to the park with them so he could play with their children. While at the park the children were playing baseball. The little boy was hitting while the neighbors 4 year old daughter was pitching. I'm sure it was very cute to watch. The mom went back to her car to get her camera to take pictures while the children continued to play. While she was gone the little girl accidently hit the boy with a pitch and the boy ran up to her and hit her over the head with the baseball bat killing her instantly.

 

Don't tell me video games and movies with violence do not affect children.[/quote']

 

 

Violent media isn't to blame in that scenario, that kid sounds a little crazy.

[Lance]

Violent media isn't to blame in that scenario, that kid sounds a little crazy.

 

You can be crazy without murdering people. I'm sure a lot of the people on this forum could be called 'crazy'.

[TimeTraveler]

Violent media isn't to blame in that scenario, that kid sounds a little crazy.

 

At the age of 5? I doubt that. Bad parenting is mostly to blame, and part of that is letting their 5 yr. watch and play violent games and movies. He played games where you hit and beat people up over and over again, and he did not understand the consequences. I highly doubt that he still fully understands what he did wrong.

[Gilded]

"I highly doubt that he still fully understands what he did wrong."

 

It's sad how sometimes violent media has that kind of effect. :< "They did it in the game/movie too. Why is it wrong to do it in real life?"

[atinymonkey]

What do you mean people should be able to interpret the differences between game play and life? We are not talking about mature adults here we are talk about minors who live with a single parent that works during the day and goes out at night.

 

Well' date=' since GTA has an age limit on it preventing minors from using the game, then the whole issue of the 'poor kiddies' doesn't cut any ice. It's the same as discussing hardcore porn, it's got an age limit to prevent the kiddies watching it.

 

You’re expecting a bunch of kids who play gta to make smart choices? Also, I have played the game and have not seen the 'negative' aspect of it. It makes the life feel nice and inviting.

 

The first 'mission' I played on the game introduced me to two of the lead characters old gang members. One had become a crack dealer and one called 'Bear' had become an emancipated crack addict who was the subservient slave of the crack dealer. I thought that was a very strong message about choices, the scene was more dramatic than I'd expect from a game.

 

All in all, I was quite surprised at the details in the game. The way you have to eat healthy to say fit, exercise to keep fit etc sets a nice example for real life.