GTA 4 Is Making Parents Go Crazy

CBS reports "A new version of the popular video game "Grand Theft Auto" is once again drawing fire"

[Ri0tSquad]

It's probaly driving parents that have kids begging them to buy this game go crazy.

[ASSASSYN 36o]

Parents that have kids is sort of a redundant statement don't you think? I wish people had to be licensed proving their literacy before they could post statements like this online.

[Cwalat]

this just made me cancel my preorder

[will11]

If you think parents are stupid agree with me and give me plus bubbles

[JOLLY1]

If you listen to the last words the male anchor says "A very very popular game".....Oh, ya think!

[C_SoL]

wow, theres something wrong with me I guess....>_>

[Timesplitter14]

The problem is with the American culture. Nothing else. Canada doesn't have that problem.

[ThatArtGuy]

Apparently you didn't see Global News pretty much saying the same things. Canada has as much PC Police as the US. In some cases, they might even be worse.

[BigKev45]

Wow what a genius statement, Riot.

[Yi-Long]

... excercise your power as an adult over your kids, by not buying them the game, and not allowing them to play it! It's that easy!

"Young people think this is reality"
NO. THEY. DONT. YOU. DUMB. DUMB. WOMAN. !.

This is just a digital version of cowboys and indians, cops and robbers, etc.

Also, it's aimed at adults, so if kids ARE playing it, it's the parents responsibilty, not Rockstar's.
It's like telling Scorsese he cant put violence in his movies anymore, because some kids might watch it.

Instead of scapegoating and blaming videogames all the time, why not take a hard look at politics. How can a parent point fingers at GTA for sending out wrong messages to the kids (who shouldnt be playing this game), and at the same time support Bush's illegal war in Iraq which has already resulted in many hundredsof thousands of innocent deaths, and which children are able to see on TV, or read in the paper or online, DAILY!?!

[Timesplitter14]

best reply on the subject yet

[Raptors]

If I could give you multiple bubbles I would.

[jessupj]

but it has saved countless more lives. You can not have peace if you do not have war. Don't be close minded.

[smirx]

That's why I pre-ordered and picking up 2marow. I have a bad feeling about the availability of GTA on store shelves this time around. I find it so ridiculous how they say parents are upset. WHY THE F*CK ARE PARENTS UPSET? This game is for adults. That's like parents being upset at pornography publishers because little johnny's friends older brother game a porno mag! The bottom line is in order to sustain freedom of speech, and protect children at the same time, parents need to really watch what their kids are playing and stop using video games as a substitute babysitter.

[t-0_ot-]

"Playing more than 15 hours a week, and you may have a problem." Wow, I used to play like twice that..

[Yi-Long]

... when I get GTA4 I'll play 15 hours a DAY!

;)

[C_SoL]

Starting Midnight...

[DrWan]

Other countries have violent games (such as Japan), and they don't seem to be affected by this. Children education, discipline, communications start in the family and at school. Society as a whole is to blame for violence, not some video games.

Don't tell me that you only spend a few hours a week with your kids and then later found ur kid beaten some other kid to death and blame GTA or games for it. Ask yourself why the kid is violent, maybe they are trying to get attention from you or the gang members which are like their family because you are too busy with your own crap in life to take care of the seed you spread without plans.

[Covenant]

Good points. There are two things that parents, society, and Jack Thompson need to remember:

--Don't want your kids exposed to GTA and other violent games? Don't buy or rent them for your children! Easy enough.

--Worried about violent behavior in American children? How about looking at the root causes--such as bad parenting, abuse, neglect--and addressing THEM, instead of using games, music, movies, the Internet, etc. as a scapegoat.

[MattFoley]

America isn't pro-active when it comes to violence and that is half the problem. We let things go until its unavoidable. We ignore things until whatever the issue is an epidemic. Cancer, obesity, and racism are only a few of the examples. The media uses games like gamesites use flamebait. It's the same thing. We fall for the same traps as everyone else.

The other half like you said falls on the parents.

[-EvoAnubis-]

Why do parents no longer do their jobs? I didn't know it was the gaming industry's job to make sure these games don't get played by children. I kinda thought (silly me) that the job of keeping questionable material out of the hand of children belonged to the parents. But apparently it's not.

HEY!! I got an idea! Why don't we let the government do it! Let's have the government decide what games are safe to put out. And let's not stop there. Why don't we have them make the same decisions regarding the music we listen to, the movies we see, and the books we read! That sounds like an amazing idea!

In fact, I think I saw a very old video on just this subject, made around around the early 1940s. It wasn't exactly hi-def . . . the video was grainy, it was in black and white, and it was very difficult to understand because the NARRATION WAS IN GERMAN.

I think I've made my point.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

We have 3 kids, we are parents, this
is complete BS, I bet It's not even
many parents that are angry or worried.

It's the crooked a** media that is really
to blame since not only do they spread
negative news but now they are also giving
rock* free advertisement, this makes the
kids want the game more.

The parents that are complaining needs
to do what parents are supposed to do
and exercise there rights as parents.

[jessupj]

Give this wise parent your bubbles :)

[Klopek]

I like the newsreader at the end of the video. "A very popular game" - which I translate to "I have my copy pre-orderd!"

[PSN-JeRzYzFyNeSt]

HAHAH i was gonna post somthing like what u said " Very popular game" translate to " You must GET THIS GAME"

[Sir Ken Kutaragi 1]

Drawing Fire??? ;-D
N4G please stop using that word (FIRE) you know it scares every xBot Lemming out there!!! ;-D

[InYourMom]

Wait!

No just wait a minute here!

Hold on!

Wait for it.. Wait for it..

Wait....

[wAtdaFck]

I don't know what i'm waiting for.

And fanboys are stupid. Both the 360, and PS3 kind.

Sir Ken, I don't understand how, with every story, you try to turn it into a flame war?

[Spinner]

Only the PS3 version is making parents go crazy, because it's so damn realistic looking. Better AA, better FR, better textures, zero pop-in. Total immersion.

The 360 version looks like a cartoon, so it's suitable for all ages. All the technical problems assure that players won't be immersed into the game, thus they won't go on killing sprees. :)

[ambientFLIER]

More realistic, sure, if realism includes orange skinned people and orange...everything :P

[Big Jim]

What would Jesus do?
(Just kidding.)

[Sugaruby33]

suck my balls you dang news and sheltering parents

[HelloBabe69]

i think it should be more on how mature the kids are to play the game.

[Skerj]

Good, be parents and not let your kids have it. Then realize that the rest of the world is not your kid and we're (most of us anyway) are adults and are capable of making our own damn entertainment choices.

Hell I watched the news last night and in the first 5 mins I saw murder, murder, hit and run, carnival accident, and rape. And that's viewable by ALL audiences.

[phctheone]

RATED M FOR MATURE

NOT

RATED E FOR EVERYONE..

I'm tired of this bullsh*t with games..
and this fuc**** reporters that don't know what the hell they are talking about..

[Chicken Eatin Nigger]

If you don't want your f*cking kids playing it....don't buy them it.

I hate the media. Its one of the biggest problems in America.

[fenderputty]

but I know that I would NOT let my kids get anywhere near this game if I did have some. I wouldn't b1tch and moan about the game's existence though. In fact, I would probably buy it and play it myself with the kids in another room or asleep.

[Covenant]

That's EXACTLY what I do. I allow my son to play Lego Star Wars, Viva Pinata, and certain Arcade games on my 360. When he goes to bed, that's when I break out Gears, Bioshock, etc. I've only allowed him to watch one PG-13 movie--Revenge of the Sith--and my wife and I minimize his exposure to other forms of media violence.

Imagine, if every parent did that...

[fenderputty]

People are lazy though. That's why the problem exists in the first place. Parents would rather the TV babysit then actually doing what they're supposed to do.

Props to you though!

[ambientFLIER]

Covenant, how old is your son? And why limiting the exposure to media violence? Shouldn't the kid know what's going on in the world.

[Skerj]

Certain things kids aren't ready for, let them be kids and keep their innocence for as long as they can. They'll see how screwed up the world is soon enough.

[SwiftArsonist]

here we go again. if u dont want ur kids to play dont let them. simple. gamestores wont sell GTA games to minors anyway so whats the big deal with this. this is an excuse just to have 15 mins of fame.

[ScentlessApprentice7]

"Even though its rated "M" meaning mature, it remains very popular with boys and young adults"

Call me stupid, but doesn't the fact that it is made for mature audiences mean it would NATURALLY be popular with young adults?

That stupid anchor lady said its popular with young adults like if that was some inappropriate phenomenon. Its MADE for adults, so young adults would naturally be playing it. Stupid B**ch.

[Skerj]

Yeah she left out the part that says "Meaning anyone under 17 should not be playing it". They wanted ratings, they got ratings, now they refuse to use them.

[Liquid Dust]

Grand Theft Auto is rated M for mature, players need to be the age of 17 year or older in order to purchase this game here in the US. To make sure that this stays this way PARENTS are responsible to keep this out of the hands of their children. This is the same as it always has been whether it be rated R movies, explicit material on the internet, and graphic programs on TV. Banning this videogame would have a small impact on a child's life. Parents can have a bigger impact on their child by being more involved in their kids life.

Also, I have read some of the research on videogames and if anything videogames like GTA provide an outlet for young adults to take out their agression in a virtual world instead of someone in real life.

I am looking forward to midnight to pick up a copy myself, and I swear to god I better not see some mom there with her 10 year old kid picking it up too.

GTAIV ON THE PS3

[Covenant]

"I am looking forward to midnight to pick up a copy myself, and I swear to god I better not see some mom there with her 10 year old kid picking it up too."

You will...I am sorry to say, but you will.

Believe me...I've worked in gaming retail for more than five years, and I am amazed at the parents who will buy M-Rated games for their 9-year-old kids. They either don't care, or don't want to be seen as "unhip" for restricting what they buy for their kids.

[Liquid Dust]

"They either don't care, or don't want to be seen as "unhip" for restricting what they buy for their kids."

Yea I agree, when I was a kid this is exactly how I was exposed to mature content, through parents who didnt know what the hell they were buying and didnt want to upset their kid. In my case it did no harm, but in general parents need to wise up and actually know what their kids are getting before they buy it.

Wise up people

[ambientFLIER]

Or in some cases the kids are mature enough to handle it. A good parent would know that.

[fenderputty]

OK stupid .... you're correct! =P

Even when you're younger then a young adult, things of adult nature appeal to youth. I spent my entire youth wanting to be an adult only to grow up and want to be a kid again. lol ... it's just the nature of things.

[Lionsguard]

GTA will always attract controversy it's just a part of what GTA is all about. It was a huge controversy when GTA1 came out and 2D sprites were blasting each other into pixel oblivion and it's been a controversy ever since. If no one tried to ban or censor the game then it's just not GTA and Rockstar obviously did something wrong.

[599 US Dollars]

lmao. this sh1t is f*ckin hilarious. just made my day :)

[SacT0wnF1n3st]

In my opinion, 17 is old enough to know what is fantasy and what is reality.

[Timesplitter14]

11 would be old enough. Less in many cases. I've played all the most violent games on the market ever since I'm 5 years old. Today, at 19, I'm one of the most peaceful and anti-violence person I know. I'm almost TOO calm. Seeing an insect being killed on purpose can ruin my day.

[kalistyles]

Games like GTA have been out for years and years. The fact of the matter is when games before came out on the PC there were no signs of stories or articles coming out to prevent your kids from playing these types of games. It just goes to show you how popular console gaming is now compared to PC gaming. Even with a rating system and all. They feel the need to report such garbage on the news. Its no different than the movies. It's a form of entertainment. Just because its a "VIDEO GAME" does not make it for everyone. So says the rating. Parents should should show the same amount of precaution as a R rated movie as they would with this game.

[Alpha_Gamer]

ESRB: Entertainment Software Rating Board
E: Everyone
T: Teen
M: Mature
A really easy system to follow if you don`t want your kids playing violent video games.
Also, 15 hours a week? Thats SLIGHTLY more than 2 hours a day. Seems like a perfectly legitimate hobby to me.
All of this stupid violent video game controversy bugs me.
:/

[Jinxstar]

The book is great. I suggest it to everyone.

[wAtdaFck]

Let the media do what they want...

They can't deny the growth of the video games industry.

[Timesplitter14]

What's the biggest gaming country? Japan. How many murders occur each year in Japan? Something like 30, compared to 200 000 in the US. OK, GTA isn't THAT popular in Japan, so I guess Canada could be an example then. They play GTA just as much as the US and they have a very low criminal record.

This means the problem is the culture and/or the politics in the US and CANNOT be videogames unless there's a virus in the US making people more affected by virtual violence.

[iamtehpwn]

to summon Jack Thompson*

[Timesplitter14]

*uses Holy Water against Jack Thompson.

It's super effective!*

[CoBrAbOy]

They all should just shut tha kcuf up! It is the same if I watched news all the damn time. Violence, violence, violence...it's everywhere. I have never put down my controller and said hey I'm gonna go and shoot somebody. GTFO with that mess! Idiots!

[ElementX]

Here's an idea... Parents, buy the game for yourselves, leave the box laying around, and hide the disc. Your kids will just love knowing that you play the game but they can't.

Or, set your console to only allow them to play E games without a password and leave the game laying out for them to drool over. Ok, those ideas are mean :(

[Rapture333]

According to the "evidence" I have a problem telling the difference between virtuality and real life. Atleast we can be thankful they told both sides of the story. It's just horrible how false ideas about games get some much enthusiasim by the media. Cooper Lawrence for instance, the whole anchorcrew with the exception of one man and the Geoff where all over their hosts idea that Gaming is bad, which it is not.
"Games are only as violent as you are" - Postal

[Rapture333]

Dont be a fanboy on topics that effect ALL US GAMERS

[Ali_The_Brit]

pathetic. the devs have the game at an 18/M what else do they want? if kids are playing it its the parents problem

[psnDevistator356]

Teach your kid whats right and wrong and theres no problem

[Huntmaster17]

Yea another case of its never the parents fault so lets blame something or someone else. Some parents are crazy enough to be a friend to their child before being a responsible parent.

[LinuxGuru]

As a parent, I would NEVER, EVER, EVER buy this game for them.

Also, I warned my mom to not buy this for my 14 year-old half-brother, and to talk to the parents of his stupid little buddies, just to make sure THEY don't buy it either.

This game is NOT for children.

[bootsielon]

But blaming games is NOT the answer. If my kid was murdered, I'd seek revenge against those that are guilty, not against a form of media. You could blame the internet, movies and TV shows for other murders if you actually had a valid claim. There is no evidence that games create murderers; however, there is evidence that psychopaths and other criminals usually come from traumatic childhoods. A child with a healthy social life could go unaffected by these games.

Attack lunacy, stupidity and ignorance with education, not games with censorship.

[oaktown23]

If a kid that is like 8 to about 15 years old has gta IV and there parents picked it up for them then its the parents fault not the kids and you should also watch what kinda games your sons pick up if it is rated M some parents need to read in the corner it has a ESRB rating some parents are just to stupid to look at the rating on the game when there kid try's to pick it up so parents need to stop whine about gta Iv like jack thomason does and get over it.I played gta and it has not made me go crazy in learning how to kill people even though im a man if I was a kid this would not make me go crazy and for that lady saying that her son died from a gta game I dont by that story at all I beat jack thomason send her out there to go on tv to tell people not go get gta IV lol

[AliC]

Say after me

The game is NOT for children, it has ratings on the box that retailers of the game are binded by law to abide and should not be selling to kids.

Parents are responsible for the games their children play, hell the PS3 has parental controls, I suspect the XBOX360 has the same.

There is honestly no excuse that parents can't wake the hell up and take responsibility and stop blaming others for there short-comings.

[THESWAT]

schoolwork