Gaming Blog Network

Now that Grand Theft Auto 4 has launched, game reviewers and eager consumers alike are eager to see if the game has lived up to their expectations.

So far, their response has been positive, review scores for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 versions of the game have been stellar, while individuals in the gaming community have anticipated this game with bated breath, even attending various launch events at midnight to get their hands on the game.

This unabashed praise granted by reviewers and critics was effectively balanced by those who took a more critical look at the role the franchise plays in modern society.

An article in the Chicago Sun-Times compliments Rockstar Games on pushing the envelope yet again while commenting on the game’s ability to exploit immigration issues. I thought that this was a clever piece, as it effectively describes the predicament faced by the game’s protagonist Niko Bellic: trying to fit into a world which may not always be hospitable to him, which is a familiar feeling to many immigrants when they first arrive in America. His situation is highlighted in the game’s initial trailer below:

Another article published by my Medill peers also analyzed the role that this game has in our society, questioning gamers in order to figure out if the game deserves its ‘violence’ distinction.

CBS also did an analysis of the role of GTA 4 in society, and even mentioned the fact that games are catching up to movies as a viable entertainment medium; the video is displayed below:

Both of these articles did a good job in analyzing the effects that this game’s launch have on overall society. They are both well done and organized.

These analyses were followed by the expected group of detractors, chief among them Jack Thompson, who I have mentioned frequently in my posts. While his comments, which can be read in this article, are nothing new, they are particularly concerning as they cite a video posted by IGN.com.

The article explains the negative implications of the below video quite well, I am just surprised that IGN of all people would provide Thompson, as well as other anti-game critics, with ammunition to attack the gaming industry.

It seems that politicians, scholars, and academics decrying the video game industry have become common; however, it now seems that busineses are taking a turn at chastising the gaming world.

According to a report by Gamepolitics that can be read here, a Florida-based investment group that offers ‘a biblical choice’ when it comes to investment matters, chastised Take-Two for their involvement in the ‘anti-family entertainment and pornography industry.’

The investment group, named the Timothy Plan, also criticized another Rockstar property, Bully: Scholarship Edition and made it clear that Take-Two is on its ‘Hall of Shame’ list, which is complied to profile companies that ‘fail to adhere to Judeo-Christian principles.’ A detailed assessment of the list can be found here.

It is unlikely that the positions taken by this company will affect the sales of GTAIV or Take-Two’s standing, but what it does show is the ease in which religion can be used to make business decisions. A scary prospect, isn’t it?

A report in Ars Technica actually pegs a video game as a cause of deviance. It is ‘interesting’ to say the least.

The report, which can be read here, talks about how UPS employees are actually stealing the game from shipping boxes before they are due to be sent to customers.

This situation has apparently never happened before until this game’s release, further cementing the notion that GTA IV’s popularity has influence on people. What is also interesting in the article is the people who steal the games have no monetary motivation; they are only doing it for personal reasons. One possible reason? They are just as excited to play the game as gamers like you and I are.

The person who was being interviewed by Ars had an interesting way to close the story, saying “It’s kind of funny, isn’t it? It’s a game about theft, and people are stealing it,” He then added, “and I get to terminate them.”

Miami and Chicago might not appear to have much in common, but when it comes to Grand Theft Auto 4, the two major cities will remain inextricably linked.

These two locations have the distinction of being chastised for advertising the game on their public transportation billboards. While CTA president Ron Huberman was responsible for the advertisements’ removal from Chicago buses, Miami gamers can thank the infamous Jack Thompson for having the ads taken down.

Gamepolitics has more on this report here.

Moving away from GTA 4 news, BBC analyzed the challenges that surround the video game rating system, highlighting the observations made by Dr. Tanya Byron in her Byron Report. A link can be found here, which also includes the fully broad-casted program.

One aspect that is repeated throughout is how the BBC deems the current rating system as ‘too complex,’ an action that they hope is simplified through greater research and understanding.

 With Grand Theft Auto 4 due for release in a couple of days, media watchdog groups are itching to voice their opinions regarding the game’s effects on minors.

USA Today has published an article detailing the controversy the game currently faces, as well as outlining the various actions taken by associations against the game. It also mentions the book Grand Theft Childhood, and how it has reshaped the video game violence debate.

Gamepolitics also has two reports: one detailing a concerned Calgary police force, and the other detailing a rare joint alliance between the ESRB and the NIMF (National Institute for Media and Families) warning parents about the game’s content.

These reports serve to only underline the influence that games are starting to have on popular culture. Let us hope that the influence remains positive.

In an earlier post, I mentioned that the Chicago Transit Authority President Ron Huberman chose to remove ads for Grand Theft Auto 4 from buses. The reasons behind it were supposedly due to pressure from Fox News’s observations on the city’s high level of violence.

When I spoke to the CTA’s media department regarding why they pulled the ads, the response I was given was that ads for a similar game had generated complaints.

Gamespot has more on this story, which can be read here.

Based on this report, Chicago stands to lose greatly from this; whether through the CTA or through its standing as a city.

As most gamers know, Grand Theft Auto 4, the anticipated sequel to one of the most recognizable series of games out there, will launch on April 29.

It is expected that the game will receive both critical and commercial praise, as game reviewers will scrutnize the content heavily while consumers will eagerly purchase it, regardless of what is said.

Sadly, it is also expected that watchdog groups will do their best to chastise the game and its developers, and decry it as a ’simulation of murder.’

As reported by Gamepolitics, the Parents Television Council has called on retailers to either “not carry the game, or place it in an area where young children are unable to see it.”

What is interesting here is that the PTC demands that GTA 4 have no ‘modifiable content.’ It is very hard to determine whether or not this will be true, since there will be MANY people who will try to find SOMETHING in the game that is hidden from plain site. Essentially, only modders themselves can tell if something can be altered.

On a positive note, Microsoft is offering to help hospitalized children by providing them with Xbox 360 consoles, a very charitable move on their part…I just hope the systems that they give them work, and don’t RROD.

Destructoid’s report can be found here.

The European Union, according to an article in Canada.com, has given the gaming industry two years to police itself and “focus on protecting the children.”

Based on the report by Destructoid.com, the European Union seems to express hesitation at where precisely the gaming industry stands in terms of popular culture, saying that “while we support freedom of speech, we also have to consider that the industry impacts society.” The article also mentioned “when children enter the world of joysticks, we are not sure where they go and it is of great concern to parents.”

Frankly, in reading this piece, I got an overall air of indecisiveness from the EU, which is emphasized in their mention that even though they are unsure whether or not game violence is linked to real violence, they feel that the industry should have a code as ‘a precaution.’

Personally, I think that the only ‘precautions’ that should take place should involve parents caring about what their children play and actually accepting the notion that games, much like movies, are a part of children’s lives. Of course, it seems that placing parenting responsibilities on parents when it comes to video games is a concept that is just…out there.

Chicago, for all its fun, adventure and diversity, is not necessarily one of the safest places in the world. Like any big city, you have to watch your back…along with everything else.

Of course, considering all the craziness that goes on there, Fox News, the same network that handled the Mass Effect incident well, has decided to question why advertisements for the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 4 game were on Chicago buses.

Unlike the Mass Effect situation, which was met with riotous responses, CTA president Ron Huberman failed to notch any resistance, and the ads were promptly removed.

A video of Fox’s report can be seen below:

Gamepolitics has more here; it is apparently not the first time that this has happened in Illinois, or in any city for that matter. As the site noted, video games need to assert their First Amendment protections and show the government that their actions amount to censorship and should not be tolerated.

Of course, this lowers my respect for Fox even more…not that I had any to begin with.

For those who are not familiar with their “handling” of the Mass Effect Controversy, the video is below:

United Nations? Video games?

I never thought that I would have to say those words in the same sentence.

Turns out, I do. As reported by Gamepolitics and Kotaku, the UN is offering an online game called ‘Nothing But Nets’ to highlight the importance of mosquito netting in Africa.

Appropriate considering that World Malaria Day is April 25.

More information on the game can be found here.