If you ask a gamer what he or she believes is one of the most controversial video games on the market, they will probably point in the direction of Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto franchise. Since the release of the first Grand Theft Auto for the PlayStation in 1997, the game franchise has been the subject of much criticism for its extremely violent content, suggestive themes, and for awarding players for committing in-game crimes as they shoot, fight, and carjack their way through various missions set in large urban cities.
The most recent game in the series, Grand Theft Auto V, was released on September 17th for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and when it comes to the violence and mayhem that has come to be expected from any GTA game, it has been no exception. According to businessweek.com, “Grand Theft Auto V cost $115 million dollars in development and $150 million in marketing.” However, the sales count heavily outweighs the price. In just the first three days the game made over $1 billion dollars in sales according to IGN.com and Rockstar Games’ sales records. So it’s safe to say that plenty of people are playing the game.
With so many people playing this game, controversy has continued to arise, and more stories about crimes being committed “because of the game” are popping up. An online news story from The Huffington Post features a twenty year old named Zachary Burgess, who allegedly went on a crime-spree, stealing a pickup truck, kidnapping a woman, and crashing into nine parked cars in an attempt to escape the crime scene. When asked why he had committed these crimes, Burgess said that he, “wanted to see what it was like to be a Grand Theft Auto individual.” This story has sparked a lot of controversy on the Internet over what should be allowed in these games, and what should be removed.
One of the most controversial moments featured in Grand Theft Auto V is an extended torture scene, which puts players in the role of one of the protagonists who is torturing a man for information about terrorists. Such torture includes the use of electric clamps and a wrench. One grotesque sequence has the player make a circular motion with the joystick in order to wrench the torture victims tooth out. These torture scenes disgusted some players even to the point of shutting their consoles off mid-game.
This controversy sparks the ever popular question; is it the game developers’ fault for exposing younger kids to such violence, or is it the parents’ responsibility to censor what their children play? GTA V Is rated M for Mature by the ESRB, the equivalent of an R rating for a film, however this question has surrounded the Grand Theft Auto franchise and many similar violent video game franchises since their releases. Only time will tell whether or not Rockstar Games will change their in-game content, but so far, they show no signs of slowing down.