Sometimes I pine for the days when mainstream media ignored videogames. In those days, I never stumbled across this sort of blather while perusing Time Magazine's annual list of the world's most influential people.

Was it a prominent film or book or record that defined how we look back on gang-era Los Angeles? No, it was a video game that uses movies, music and writing to a greater effect. Who better summarized and satirized the drug-dealing Miami of the '80s? Or the New York City of now? The Housers are doing the work of Tom Wolfe, creating tapestries of modern times as detailed as those of Balzac or Dickens. At least, I assume that's true. Instead of reading those guys, I've been in Liberty City stealing tanks.

The least of my problems with that assessment is that there hasn't been a tank in Liberty City since 2001. However, if you're going to reference Balzac, Dickens, or Tom Wolfe, I'd figure eight years should be plenty of time to read them first.