GTA 4, The Adult Crime Game Kids Love
Get ready: There's a new Grand Theft Auto game about to roll out this week, and we're probably in for a burst of discussion about violent video play.
I've never found it likely that bloody video games cause bad behavior in kids, but then again, I'd also never pass any of my old copies of the games to a child. So I'm a little unsure about how to react to a recent study showing that the game is more popular than any other among 12- to 14-year-old boys.
"GTA IV" is almost inevitably going to be one of the biggest game releases in a year that is already looking like a prosperous one for the industry. Market research firm NPD said that Americans expect to spend less on entertainment this year, yet they're also going to spend more than ever on video games. Video game sales jumped 57 percent in March, compared with the same month last year, according to the firm.
The Grand Theft Auto franchise is practically an industry unto itself. Electronic Arts has attempted a hostile takeover of the game's publisher this year with an offer valued at $2 billion. One analyst has even speculated that the new game could dampen opening weekend ticket sales for "Iron Man," the comic-book-inspired action movie starring Robert Downey Jr. The film premieres a few days after the game's release.
Like its predecessors, Grand Theft Auto IV is rated "M" (for "Mature"), and stores are only allowed to sell it to folks ages 17 and up. The game industry's ratings board has even spelled out the types of content that could make parents squirm. The game, to be released Tuesday for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, hits all the hot buttons: It contains "blood," "intense violence," "partial nudity," "strong language," "strong sexual content" and "use of drugs and alcohol."
The game's developer, Rockstar, has mostly kept quiet about the storylines of its latest game, set in Liberty City, a satirical version of New York City. Previous installments of the best-selling games have all followed the paths of young strivers who go from rags to riches, building careers as gangster kingpins. On the way, there tend to be a few zillion explosions, flattened pedestrians and rival gangs that need to get squeezed out.
If YOU want to get the rest of this story and check out a slide show from the game, go to Mike Musgrove - The Adult Crime Game Kids Love - washingtonpost.com . Can not tell a lie, I will be playing this as soon as I get a free moment. Hey, got to get the tension out somewhere, might as well be on this video game as opposed to being on YOU.
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Game On,
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