120°

Children playing Grand Theft Auto: a study into violent gaming and child mentality

GGTL: "Jack Thompson's argument has one vital flaw; it's hard to prove that violent video games 'damage' children, because you have to let them grow up. Finding out whether a childhood obsession with Grand Theft Auto leads to the cultivation of a hooker-beating, car-jacking, tracksuit-wearing 20-year-old maniac means that you have to both actively let a child play GTA, and then wait until he's a grown adult. It's time consuming, messy, morally objectionable and a bit weird."

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gamersguidetolife.com
HarryMonogenis4831d ago

Parents shouldn't be letting their children play a Grand Theft Auto game in the first place -- that's what it always falls down to.

Yi-Long4831d ago (Edited 4831d ago )

... on the age of the kid, on the intelligence of the kid, if the kid knows fantasy/fiction from real life, if the kid has been taught decent morals and values, etc etc.

Every kid is different. Every parent is different. Soms kids can handle mature entertainment and some kids aren't ready for it yet. Hell, even many adults might not be ready for it yet. It really depends on the individual.

I think it's your job as a parent to make that assessment, and decide what is suitable, and what isn't.

And if you know your kids, you will make the right decision.
If you hardly spent any time with them and don't know them, then violent videogames is the least of your problems.

We need to grow up and understand that '18' is not some kind of 'magic' number. It's really a case of looking at the individual.

HappyGaming4831d ago

I used to play Vice City when I was young 7-8 now am 17 and I am the most calm person in my family.

An old friend of mine who also used to have a PS2 at the same time that I did and who I used to play GTA SA with now breaks into stores and steals stuff so he can buy cocaine.

I don't know if its the game I really doubt that I think spoiling your kids letting them walk over you (or not letting them do anything which can also be bad because at some point they might explode when they find their own freedom) can be much more serious than play some games...

dangert124831d ago

I was playing GTA since GTA had a top down view can't remember how old i was then but im 19 now and ive played every GTA since and I'm just over the legal age for that game and i have never felt the need to joy ride run over a hooker take over stripe clubs gang bang for my grove etc,blaming peoples behaviur on games needs to stop yes we can learn an aweful lot from them but at the same time people know what is right and what is wrong etc

iLLMATICxKiNG4831d ago

I played just about every GTA when I was little.
I didn't grow up to shoot or kill anyone. I never once ordered a prostitute. I don't steal cars.

It's just common sense on what not to do. Kids know it's a video game. If anything, it's better to get their anger out in a game like this than to bottle it up and maybe do some crazy sh!t. That's just my input though..

TenSteps4831d ago

Grand Theft Auto 4 Rated M(17+) for Mature...

Key things to look into that are "mature" and "17+" the latter shows that you must be at least 17+ to play so why would children be exposed to this if it were not for the parents.

The former is Mature meaning a person who understands the differences between fiction and reality and what's right and wrong. You can be 17+ but if you let you're better judgment get clouded by something like a bad breakup then you're not really Mature if you look into violent video games for damn advise.

Long story short I'm not saying children shouldn't be playing this game I'm saying immature people shouldn't play this game because I've played violent video games when I was a kid and I've never had urges to kill.

Yi-Long4831d ago

... but it's not because of videogames, but because we live in a frustrating world full of stupid people.

However, like pretty much everyone else, I bottle up those frustrations and urges to kill, so I'll just pop a vein in my head by the age of 48 or something...

cowkimon4831d ago

It's funny - when I play GTA IV I usually end up following the rules just like this four year old.

Hazmat134831d ago

who ever does this shit in real life is fucking stupid. its a video game.

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130°

Looking Back At 2008, An Unbelievably Incredible Year Of Video Game Releases

Huzaifa from eXputer: "2008 was home to the likes of Call of Duty: World at War, Dead Space, GTA 4, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and many other hits, which is outright remarkable."

ChasterMies3d ago

Some of these low paid video game “news” writers weren’t born before 2007.

just_looken2d ago

Here here

Those that were around before 2000's i am sure are like me that think we entered a world of non readers or those that follow without question.

I can not wait to see fallout 3 a goty game even though it was about water with non content until you add the dlc/updates then you got the performance/crashing

CrimsonWing693d ago

I don’t think anything can compare to 2023

lucasnooker3d ago

1998 - the best year in gaming! Metal gear solid, crash bandicoot 3, medievil, half life, ocarina of time, thief, tenchu, resident evil 2, Spyro, tomb raider 3, oddworld abes exodus, banjo kazooie.

It was a different breed of a gaming era. You’ll never understand what it was like back then. The aura of gaming, it was different!

KyRo3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

I second this. Gaming was a lot more varied and fun than it is today. I'm 35 so getting on compared to some here but I got to see all the changes from NES up to now but I've never felt so disappointed in any generation than I have this current gen. I was expecting more from this generation rather than prettier versions of games that came before it. Game mechanics have become so refined that alot of games feel the same and has done for a while now.

Maybe it's time to have a break for a while. I love gaming but I don't feel I get much fun in the traditional sense out of it anymore.

CrimsonWing693d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil 2, Abe’s Exodus, and Ocarina of Time are the only things from that list that I liked.

Here’s the 2023 game releases that I personally liked… and big releases that I didn’t care for:

- Dead Space Remake
- Wo Long Dynatsy
- Resident Evil 4 Remake
- Diablo 4
- Fire Emblem Engage
- Hogwarts Legcay
- Street Fighter 6
- Hi-Fi Rush
- Like a Dragon: Ishin
- Octopath Traveler 2
- Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters
- Final Fanatsy XVI (actually ended up not liking this, but it was still a big deal release)
- Baldur’s Gate 3
- Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon
- Lies of P
- Mortal Kombat 1
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
- Starfield (Ended up hating this one, but big release)
- Super Mario Bros. Wonder
- Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (I’m an old-school Zelda fan, but didn’t really enjoy this game)
- Alan Wake 2

I mean, honestly I’ve never seen a year of major IP releases like that, ever.

Profchaos3d ago (Edited 3d ago )

Isn't it just a generational thing realistically.

I've been gaming since way back and I some of my favourite games go as far back as the late 80s for me each generation has a year or two of game changing releases one after another before an inevitable dry spell.

I kind of agree gaming had a different feel games hit different because we didn't have the internet nothing got spoiled and you really had to put in the effort to beat a puzzle which could set entire groups of people looking for a solution. But most importantly games were experimental and not as cookie cutter as today even basics like controls were not universal today r2 is shoot l2 is ads garunteed you can't deviate from that in a shooter back then it could of been square, R1 or R1 and circle nothing was standard.

But as time moves on a new generation picks up their controller they are going to be interested in different things that PS1 demo disc with the t Rex blew our primitive 16 bit brains back on launch but to kids today it's laughable.
The new gen of kids coming into to hobby seem to value different things to us there seems to be a huge focus on online play, streamers, gaming personalities, and social experiences, convience of digital downloads. To me I value none of that but that's ok like my parents not liking the band's I would listen to its just the natural cycle.

Gameseeker_Frampt3d ago

Just about every year in the 7th generation was great and something we most likely won't experience again.

2009 for example had Assassin's Creed 2, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Dragon Age: Origins, Uncharted 2, Halo 3: ODST, Killzone 2, Borderlands, Bayonetta, and Demon's Souls to name a few.

just_looken2d ago

It still amazes me we got over 7 rockstar games ps2/ps3 but 3 for the ps3/ps4/ps5

Dragon age 1-3 and mass effect 1-3 in 7ish years what a generation.

100°

Mainline Grand Theft Auto trailers ranked from best to worst

As we have all been graced by the release of Grand Theft Auto 6's trailer, we're ranking the best and worst GTA trailers to date.

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videogamer.com
purple101145d ago

We be getting these posts All week now lads. Someone noticed a number plate ... Someone noticed a billboard... I can see it now

Just go on YouTube and watch one of the many videos dissecting the whole 1minite 30secs worth.

This site supposed to be for news.

roadkillers144d ago

These updates on N4G are going to ruin whats rest of this site. Unfortunate since I was one of the first members.. The site shows unsecure when i login as well.

130°

Grand Theft Auto 4 Anniversary: The Beginning of the Age of RAGE

Grand Theft Auto 4 is an important game for Rockstar, not least because it was the first title in the franchise to use the newly created RAGE engine.

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gamerant.com
franwex362d ago

Wasn’t the Table Tennis game the first to use RAGE?

isarai362d ago

Was about to say the same, but they do say first "in the franchise" so 🤷

cammers1995362d ago

The fact it hasnt been remastered is insane.

Abear21361d ago

Rage engine made driving on the sidewalk in cinematic slow motion camera a blast