What's so fun about 'Grand Theft Auto'?

Good guy, bad guy, neither of those actually matter when playing the game. The game is fun because of the gameplay, the variety of actions and ability to choose what specifically you want to do within the game at any particular point in time. Many people assume that when games are played, the gamers associate themselves somehow with the character, as if they enjoy playing the "criminal in a consequence free environment." This is rarely the case, the car portions of the game are rather enjoyable for the play itself, and would be regardless of whether it's the police chasing you, or some bad guy hanging an automatic rifle out the window. We're not out to associate ourselves and imagine being the character, I'd say that few over the age of five are sensitive enough to truly put themselves into the game and somehow imagine it being real. The GTA series is fun simply because of the varying elements to the game, the different options and styles of gameplay, the reflexes the game requires, and the style of the graphics.

Personally, I don't find the games fun. I would much rather have my logic challenged by a game than have a variety of weapons that I could use to "kill" others in the video game world. Plus, haven't we learned anything from the plethora of scientific studies that have yielded the conclusion that violent video games DO cause an increase in aggression in youth?

Have the increased school shootings not helped us realize that we need to be fighting AGAINST the promotion of aggressive actions as a positive thing in society? Like it or not, it's been shown that approximately 4% - 4 people in every hundred - are psychopaths. They don't regulate their emotions like most humans do. Are they going to realize the difference between pushing buttons on a controller and pulling the trigger of a gun if their brains can't process emotions? It's a scary thought, and the increase in these ultra-violent video games are frightening to me.

It's always fun to play the bad guy in a fictional world. It gives you the chance to let your imagination go wild for a few hours out of the day. Video games today have such intense story lines you just feel your character and the world that your in. The GTA series just sucks us players in, just like a good book. Once you start you just cant stop. It's all in good fun.

"plethora of scientific studies"

I did my own study and i found that when my cousins watched the power rangers there was an increase of me getting punched in the family jewels yet the power rangers are still around and kids still watch them. a big difference is that GTA games are for people 17 years of age or older. Nobody is saying that aggressive actions is a positive thing everyone is saying that you need to be a mature individual to play this type of game. That being said who better than a parent to know whether their 17 and under child is mature enough to handle a game like this. if they don't want their child playing it well don't buy it for them and try to sit and watch what their kid is playing on the $400.00 system that they bought him. Granted it is not easy for a parent to know everything that their child watches, reads, plays or whatever but it is not hard to sit them down and talk about life experiences, sex, drugs or even whats right and wrong. Talking and listening to their own children is the best way to prevent any of the violence that has been associated with younger people.

IMHO, video games were a creation of the government. People learned how to use computers in a battle-type scenario to kill or destroy whatever "enemy" was presented to the player. In the late '70s/early 80's, after the initial onslaught of games like "Asteroid", computer games started becoming more complex, and have become more complex and nuanced ever since then. The military, in cahoots with the government, saw the advances/possibilities that computerized warfare could accomplish , and promoted them in a very discreet manner. The end result? A whole generation of young adults who had no compunction against "killing" an "enemy" from a computer screen, and had paid for their own training!!!!! Every time they bought a new game, or played one in a bar or game house, they paid for their own training. So, now we have in Iraq, an army that has been basically self-trained in the use of computerized warfare devices, which has no qualms about pulling the trigger on whatever "enemy" is shown on the screen, and is more than able to walk away from it all with none of the mental after-effects that usually come with killing someone.

Think about this every time you read about those patriots who have come back from actual war and have not been able to quell their "killing".

Some may call this total bullcrap, but, do you have any evidence to prove this false? Let me hear some comments on this. I'm open to criticism/applause!

There certainly is a certain vicarious thrill out of playing in a consequence-free environment, but what makes sandbox games so fun (and how they got their name) is the sandbox. The plot to GTA games generally follows a formulaic path already treaded on by films like Scarface and Boys n the Hood, so I think what people really get enjoyment out of is the tools. Grand Theft Auto gives a linear plot path, but within those confines it's just a set of tools that they tell you to play with. Drive this car, make this jump, etc.

I picked up GTAIV today, but I'd really like to see Rockstar move towards a more mature story. Right now, they're at an odd crossroads where you can tell they're reaching for social satire in some respects, but at the same time in a pinch they tend to go for the easy, juvenile humor. We get it, guys, you like genital puns. A game with all the intriguing game design ideas Rockstar brings to the table with the plot nuance of a BioShock or Half-Life would hit the spot.

I agree that games such as the "Grand Theft Auto" series should not be played by children, but a large portion of these kinds of games are being played by adults. The label on the game clearly states that the game is not intended for persons under the age of 17. So maybe instead of blaming the game, which vast, vast majorities of the people who play them are responsible law-abiding citizens, maybe it's time to blame the parents who let their children play these games. Why should my freedom be hindered because of some irresponsible parents? Seriously?

I have heard complaints about these sorts of games from people who are die-hard fans of "Scarface" and other violent movies based on just the same concepts used in these games. The point is that this is fiction. If you are going to criticize this medium, be prepared to criticize the entire genre across all types of media. Personally, I like to play the "bad-guy" in video games, because guess what, I play the "good-guy" everyday in regular life. I never get the urge to put down the controller and go kill people, run drugs, or even patronize a prostitute. The people who may get that urge have plenty of other types of media to get their inspiration from such as television, movies, books, comics, abusive parents, music, school bullies, imagination, actual warfare, etc., etc. We live in a free and open society where, as long as we follow the rule of law, we are free to express ourselves and do pretty much anything we like. I seriously doubt that government censorship of these types of media is going to somehow make people less crazy and less violent. How many people would be acting-out if they are constantly being suppressed? In addition, I also enjoy other games such as sudoku, crossword, word-match, and even strategy RPG on a much more frequent basis than violent console games. If this game is not for you, don't play it and definitely don't let your children play it. Just don't try to take away my right to enjoy it.

Video games do not increase aggression in are youth. Stop putting the blame on someone else. With everything going on in this world today do seriously think a video game is causing the problem? The youth today have no respect for anything, because there so protected, parents cant discipline their kids like they should. Parents today are so afraid to discipline there kids in the fear of going to jail or having their kids taken away. I think you need to do more research on video games before expressing your opinion on the subject. What do psychopaths have to with this topic anyway? I'm 35 years old i enjoy all types of video games, let my kids play all games,and they don't have behavior issues. Get real! Video games are fun, relaxing pure enjoyment for everyone.

The Game Is Rad.

I think that these kinds of games are a waste of space!!!!!!!! There are far more important thing in life to do and get done besides spending $60 on a vulgar & ignorant game that does nothing but show people how to pick up hookers, do drugs and kill! Don't we have enough of that going on already.....I mean really have you checked out the news lately????

I understand that it has a mature rating and that no-one under 17 should be playing this game, however, the idiot parents out there who buy this crap for their 13 year olds to play should have their head checked! Not to mention the parents who play these games in front of their children like it is nothing.

Kids repeat what they SEE AND HEAR!!! FACT NOT FICTION!!!!

So stop making the games so violent. Couldn't the story line be more MATURE as in the man is working everyday to support his family and has to side jobs for extra money and so forth.

As you can tell I think this game is TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR TO BE RELEASED ANYWHERE!!!!!

I used to love playing the GTA games, mainly for its gameplay. Then it dawned on me, especially when I had a kid that our attitudes as a human race need to change away from concentrating on violence & sex and to disrepect others lives & authority. You can say, if I was crazy and didn't care about life, this is what it would be like... but where's the real fun in that? We need to find better ways to entertian ourselves than this. We love freedom in this country but no one thinks that limiting our freedom could be a protection from things that are harmful.

April 29, 2008

C'mon dudes !!!!!!

That's a no brainer. Of course it feels good to play the bad guy/girl. As long as it is done safely within the constraints of the respective video game. In this case, I'm talking Grand Theft Auto IV.

The idea ain't new either. Remember the character of Cat Woman in the Batman series? Always tangling up with Batman, but to no avail. And how 'bout The Riddler, et al? I can go even farther back in time and take a glimpse at the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. The Bride of Frankenstein is a good character as well. Hey, I recently watched the movie Monster which portrays the life of convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos. And for those machos out there, let's see: Al Capone, the Son of Sam, Ted Bundy, the Boston Strangler, Marilyn Manson, etc. The list is long, guys. But I just thought to be nice for a change.

And on that note ...........

Cheers,

Emily

I used to object to the GTA games on a moral level. I felt that they were gratuitous violence with absolutely no redeeming qualities. I was right. And I was wrong.

They are definitely games for adults only. They contain adult themes and content that I just don't think anyone under the age of 18 should be exposed to (and yes, I think it's ridiculous that people don't have any problems with the violence in the games, but the fake, simulated sex was this huge controversy). But I'm 25 and my boyfriend is 32 - we're adults and don't need people to tell us what we can and can't watch and play.

What makes GTA so great is the huge, non-linear gameplay it affords. I was amazed at the size of the world in San Andreas. Especially since I grew up playing the GTA on my PC where the people shrieked pathetically when you hit them. I don't really like the shooting/beating up/general death and destruction part of the game. But I love stealing cars and seeing how the different cars handle and taking them all over the worlds. It's a driving game where you're not racing anyone in particular. And it's just fun to explore and hear the silly things that people say to each other and the dumb radio announcers. It's good for a laugh.

So, if GTA didn't have any violence at all, I'd be fine. I just want a crazy, fun driving game without rules, I guess. But I'm not going to tell my boyfriend he has to stop playing because he likes the violent part of it.

People just need to start taking responsibly for themselves and their kids and not expect businesses/schools/the government to do it for them. We were given brains for a reason. I was raised in a house where we didn't watch violent films or play violent video games - and now that I'm an adult, I still don't like violence in my media. But I don't think that others need to be restricted because I don't particularly like it.

I find it interesting that a great number of the respondants appear to never have actually played GTA. That makes me so very prone to utterly ignoring their opinions regarding the game.
I'm a female bookseller in my mid-thirties. I'm a pacifist. I have never killed anyone. I have never run anyone over. I have never felt the urge to pick up a hooker then beat her up for her money. But golly gee it's fun after a long day of dealing with idiot dealers, even more moronic customers, and the really really annoying computer issues to go home, turn on the Playstation, and just run down a few animated cops for fun! It's a game. For adults. And it's really very fun.

It's a game. It's fun. It's pretend. My son and I play games...I have a good job and he gets good grades. It's a way to pass some time...IT"S A GAME....

well before this gets me too annoyed. Video games aren't meant for everyone, Just as one said they would rather do something that challenges the brain. Games challenge the mind, just in different ways. I enjoy learning the different strategies a game has to offer, i also enjoy how games these days allow almost limitless game play ( can do more than just the same mundane objective over and over). .

Now for the part where I'm Annoyed,

Video games are just another form of entertainment, they all have ratings, Like GTA, is meant for the age group 17 and older. If I recall, game retail stores require ID to purchase these games, correct? If a child is becoming to aggressive because of a video game, maybe the PARENTS should have paid attention to the rating and should not have purchased the game in the first place. Which brings up another peeve of mine, parents inability to raise a child correctly, then blaming stupid things like video games, movies, and music for their short comings. Americans just need to toughen up and discipline their children when they act up. No that doesn't mean beat them, that teaches no value.

The CIA has a brain washing technique called mind compartmentalization. You take a subject and create a honeycomb of alternate personalities that can be activated and come to the fore as if the original personality never existed. One of the ways that this can be done is by disassociating reality. GTA could have the same effect on an young mind. Not that i care because i rather enjoy the damned game even though i might be addicted to doing drive bys on a bike.

An earlier comment by a poster named Starchild69 literally made me "laugh out loud," and I'm sure I'm not the only person who got a hearty chuckle from this:
"Kids repeat what they SEE AND HEAR!!! FACT NOT FICTION!!!!

When I was about thirteen years old, a game came out called "Doom." Everyone and their mother (well, mostly their mothers) said the game was far too violent, and would turn children into bloodthirsty maniacs. I played the game thoroughly, and to date, I've never committed a crime. Okay, that's a lie... I've jaywalked before, and once I accidentally ran a red light. Either way, it wasn't games that influenced me to do these things, it was being late for something.

My younger cousins, one of whom is only seven years old, play Grand Theft Auto religiously. I'm a game developer, and they're better at these games than I am! They're outstanding students in school, athletic, respectful to their elders, and all-around good kids. They HAVE NOT been influenced by these games in any way, shape or form. If you go around the world, you'll find millions... yes, millions... of cases EXACTLY like this, where the kids are smart enough to play the game and not be "influenced" to run around stealing cars and capping cops.

The FICTION is that children are easily influenced by the media. That kids will play GTA, then run out and commit mass murders. It isn't a cute misnomer... it's a flat-out insult to people like myself, who toil lovingly to produce games that people enjoy. We don't make these games for kids, hence the "M" rating. Parents need to accept responsibility for what their children do, and if they don't think their kids are mentally stable enough to play games like GTA, then they should be vigilant in keeping such products out of their hands.

But the FACT is this: if you'd played any of the Grand Theft Auto games, then you'd know that there's no such thing as action without consequence in that game. When you break the law, the police try to arrest you, and if you break a serious law (or keep breaking laws), the police will lay down a manhunt the likes of which you'd never see in real life. So if kids do take influence from Grand Theft Auto, I think it's safe to say they'd learn that "crime doesn't pay." And if your kids believe that if a SWAT team fills you full of lead, then you're going to "re-spawn" at the nearest hospital, then they lack the common sense and mental stability to play a game like this in the first place. As a parent, it's your job (and no one elses) to determine whether or not your children are stable enough for a game like GTA, and to teach them the rights and wrongs of what it is they're playing.

Instead of mindlessly attacking games, you should try playing them! Pick up a controller and have some fun with your kids, and you'll soon be enlightened to why your kids are enjoying these games so much. If you play Grand Theft Auto for just thirty minutes, you'll see why this game is nothing more than harmless fun. And if you can't determine this on your own with a little research and practical experimentation, then it honestly isn't your child's mental stability I'm worried about.

Ok, I'm a frequently teased student at school and one day I can't take it anymore so I go in a shoot up a school.

The only thing is...it's a virtual school, I have taken out my rage and anger in a videogame instead of physically.

There have been studies that have shown violent videogames ease stress and help manage anger.

I have played GTA "Miami Vice" and I found it a kick. Years ago I played "Duke Nuke'em," which was also fun. Are they for kids? Probably not--but then neither are cigarettes and whiskey. Those are decisions responsible and informed parents should be making, not some congressional committee or church group. As a university professor, I found the immersive environment a nice break from the tedium of grading mountains of student essays. As for those who complain about the violence, I wonder if we should excise Shakespeare, the Grimm's fairy tales, and all that begetting and genocide in the Old Testament. I seriously doubt a game creates a desire for violence. On the contrary, by studying the differences between ordinary "beer and pretzel" gamers and obsessive-compulsive types who think they'd like to actually carry out in real life the fiction they experience in the game, we might learn something about how to help those who have serious troubles. Meanwhile, I would like to congratulate the makers of the GTA series as offering one of the more creative and artistic games of the shoot'em up genre.

Why is it fun for otherwise law-abiding citizens to roll hookers, shoot at cops and steal helicopters?

I think you just answered your own question.

It's not just about playing a bad guy that's fun. What's fun is the fact the player believes they are working for a "just cause" in the world.

Even though the main character is a thug, the gamer becomes the character (and ignores the fact they are playing a criminal), and fights to create a world that is "right" in their eyes.

The freedom of the game world just adds to the feeling they are actually making a difference.

I've been an avid gamer for over ten years. I have played every console based iteration of the GTA franchise since GTA 3. I have never finished one. I start out playing by the rules until I get bored with the mission parameters. Then I tend to haul off and blast and police car with an RPG. I'll get my wanted level up to 4 or 5 stars, then run. Or get killed. Then do it again. In the games I've also done the Jack the Ripper thing and the DC sniper thing. Why? Because in the games you can. That's not to say that you should. In fact, my point is simply to illustrate the level of freedom afforded by the extraordinary level of detail and complexity one can find in a fully realized fictional world. Not just simulated actions and interactions initiated by the player, but simulated reactions from the Artificial Intelligence, simulated consequences (try brandishing a pistol in front of a cop in the game and see what happens), along with simulated lighting, textures, and physics. It is far easier to tear something down and destroy it than to make something, and the developers of GTA IV have indeed made something spectacular.

I feel proud every time I fire up my PS3 and witness the evolution of video games, from 2D lines and sprites to pixel shaders and normal mapping, to a mainstream social networking infrastructure and 4D (time contextual) mechanisms to further enrich the experience. I'm proud because while people love riffing about "stupid games", I have always seen the potential of this pastime beyond it's most simplified application and, as the technology has progressed, the intellects behind the games have been allowed to exercise their collective consciousness as an industry and ours by extension. Today we have GTA IV. To some it seems a hyper-stylized microcosm of the universe they inhabit, an over-the-top representation the environment and choices that they're faced with everyday. To a vastly superior majority it represents the immoral, wretched underbelly of our society in that many of the reprehensible actions executed in the game have no place in civilized society. Is it entertaining? That depends on who you ask. Is it profitable? Indubitably. Is it right or wrong? Is it right or wrong to make light of crime, poverty, and misfortune. Is it right to profit from that. What of GTA's satirical value?

To the people who live the kind of life glorified in GTA games, right and wrong are generally not elements of the equation. The focus tends to be, "Will I eat or will I starve?" or "Will I shoot first or will I get shot". I for one am all to happy that I'm not stuck living that life, although I have grown up seeing it in my community. I am truly grateful for the combination of fortuitous circumstances and choices that have lead me clear of it. But let's say I'd like a peak at the other side. Yeah, it might be fun to play the bad guy. And to do it, all I've got to do is pop in a disc and pick up a controller, instead of crossing the street and picking up a gun. Wow, would you look at that. I can take part in all of these socially unacceptable activities, and there are no enduring consequences? Shoot a cop and no guilt? Beat a hooker and no remorse? Malatov a taxi and no prison? Drive drunk and no lawsuits? Hmmm, then why would I ever want to do that stuff in real life? So why is it fun to do it in the game? Because you can. Who doesn't like that kind of freedom. And the best part . . . when I get bored with all the "stupidity", I just push a button to turn it off.

i called gta 3 a "gangsta' simulator," i cant wait to see what this new one is like.

first of all when the author said "think about the children." CHILDREN ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYING THIS GAME. IT IS RATED MATURE. THIS GAME IS MADE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE 17 YEARS AND OLDER NOT CHILDREN. DONT START TO BRING THE GAME DOWN IF YOU CANT GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT.