Related Sections: Culture
Grand Theft Auto IV "inspires" criminals
A publication that shall remain nameless because the last thing I want to do is contribute to their traffic – let's just say it rhymes with Spewsday – reported that six teens arrested for basic thuggery were inspired by Grand Theft Auto IV. The story is now making the rounds on various gaming sites such as this one. Because it is, after all, outrageous – outrageous, I tell you! – and it's just going to lead to the government not letting us play Gears of War 2 and other violent games.
However, the story is not true. Nowhere in Newsday's story – oops, I guess I let the name slip so I might as well link it – did the police in Nassau County say the teens were inspired by GTA4. The police said they were "emulating" GTA4. There's a difference. With "inspired", the prime mover is Grand Theft Auto IV. With "emulated", the prime movers are a bunch of a-hole kids who should be held accountable for their actions.
Of course, part of the difference is that one makes for a more dramatic headline. But the integrity and intelligence of the gaming press is pretty much on par with Newsday, so rather than reading critically, they're content to just parrot the dramatic headline. And this makes them part of the very problem they'll gripe about when these stories get unnecessary traction: that videogames are misunderstood.
By kentdog at 11:16 AM ON 06/27/08
The other day, my daughter was "inspired" by Viva Pinata and planted some flowers in our back yard. Put that in your headline and read it, Newsday!
By obonicus at 11:37 AM ON 06/27/08
Afterall, according to the gaming press, GTA IV is a game where you don't have to kill a single person! Hope you like POS cars and Broker, though.
By Weebork at 12:01 PM ON 06/27/08
After playing the game for several days, I was tempted, and only tempted mind you, during a trip to the store I was waiting at a red light. I had to turn into a driveway to get to the store but I would have had to drive past it first, and then turn around. Or, and this is where the temptation lied, I simply could have driven on the wrong side of the road and turned directly into the parking lot, thus saving me a lot of time. Needless to say, I still remember the difference between reality and games so I stuck to the law.
Somehow I believe that I am not the only one to have this capability to separate the two worlds. People who are inclined to break the law will do so without any motivation from any video games, or television. If in the happenstance they do, something would have motivated them to do it regardless of video games or television. If they are that influenced by something that's not real, then it is reasonable to assume just about anything would get them to break the law. In other words, their sociopathic anyway.
Weebork:
After playing the game for several days, I was tempted, and only tempted mind you, during a trip to the store I was...More »