Grand Theft Auto IV conjures up ambiguous feelings for me. Yeah, I can enjoy simulated violence, mayhem and even sex, but there's just something about the ads I've seen around Chicago. I can't remember any specifics, and I can probably shrug off most of them, but one of them, even though I can't remember what it looks like, instantly popped into my head as a provocative ad, but almost too provocative, so provocative in fact that a part of me wouldn't want any of my own kids (if I had any) to see it, and I consider myself rather liberal about that type of stuff.
--The_Lex Tue Apr 29 14:25:01 2008
Bleh looks like the spam bots might be at it again, maybe the GTA4 reference.
Haven't noticed many ads around Boston.
Only had a little bit of time to try it last night. They say, story wise, the series is starting to grow up. It's tough though, because they still leave some of the "random violence to strangers mayhem fun" in.
--Kirk Wed Apr 30 10:07:35 2008
Anyone ever make a comment or study on whether GTA reflects reality or if it goes a little far with the mayhem at any point. . .or if it might be tame compared to reality?
--The_Lex Wed Apr 30 11:04:58 2008
I think there was a super saucey ad with a little tart making mouth fun time with a lollipop....I was kinda suprised..not even a screenshot.
I have been neck deep in Mario Kart for the Wii. Basically the same game. Jump in my kart, chase sucka MC's down, pull out my blue turtle shell, then POW! Original gangsta baby.
--Craig @ thehighernest.com Wed Apr 30 11:14:28 2008
Hiya Craig -- interesting site you have there.
Lex: for me the biggest disconnect with GTA-land and reality is the ultimate lack of finality in the latter. In the real world, you can also do anything as stupid as you want - once. In GTA, you don't die or get arrested for a significant amount of time.
So part of the fun of this kind of game is running around trying things you would (wisely!) be much too conservative to do in real life. The problem is, these things often (purposefully, or as a side effect of sloppiness) don't take into account the well-being of the virtual people in these cities.
So as these games get more realistic, and more compelling, there's also a danger that they become more of a negative lesson about human compassion.
As for "tame vs reality", there are war-torn areas, and places where genoicdes etc have occurred, that surely dwarf what this game produces. But those places aren't, usually, NYC, LA, etc, at least for the kind of reasonably well off people who play this game.
--Kirk Wed Apr 30 11:31:56 2008
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