T Nation

Grand Theft Auto

Off Topic
#1

I saw in the news the other day that a new mod has been released for GTA, which allows the main character to have sex. Suddenly there are a whole lot of people trying to get the game banned, and it has had it classification lifted from 17+ to 18+.

It seems a bit odd that a game which allows you to carjack a car and run over the former occupant, shoot cops etc is now too hot to handle because of the addition of a sex scene.

One is tempted to think that the game makers knew the kind of response that this new mod would get, and were banking on the great publicity for the game. It’s also reminiscent of the Paris Hilton burger commercial.

If certain people really are opposed to sexual content in games and ads, then maybe they should just shut up about it, because getting all worked up only draws attention to the issue, and encourages other companies to use similar methods.

#2

[quote]Augustus wrote:
It seems a bit odd that a game which allows you to carjack a car and run over the former occupant, shoot cops etc is now too hot to handle because of the addition of a sex scene.
[/quote]

This is just too weird. Having sex is far more natural, and is much more part of life, than shooting cops and stealing cars. Hence one should probably inverse the ratings. Something like 16+ for sex and 18+ for extreme violence. The people who create ratings should rethink their priorities. Now.

#3

[quote]DAN C wrote:
The people who create ratings should rethink their priorities. Now.
[/quote]

No, the people dumb enough to ignore the MATURE rating on a game and buy it for kids are the ones who should rethink their priorities. This game surprised me when I first got it and I know people who used to regularly do some of the things shown in that game. You have to ask why parents would be upset in the first place since no kids should have access to it if their parents don’t buy it.

Why do people insist on censoring the entire world instead of actually being a parent and paying attention to what their kids are doing?

#4

Many kids have access to it without buying it. They download it from the net, copy it and pass it around at school. They play it at a friend’s house, etc.

You can’t shield your kids from the world; I’ll echo your sentiment about being a parent and being involved in your kid’s life.

There’s now law forcing anyone to procreate; if you don’t plan on spending at least 20 years of your life caring and working for the development of a human being, then don’t have a kid.

As for the original post, yes it is quite stupid to raise the limit from 17+ to 18+ because of a sex scene. Little Tommy can steal cars, kill thousands of people, etc; but it’s a 10 second sex scene that’s going to “disturb” him?

#5

[quote]Professor X wrote:
DAN C wrote:
The people who create ratings should rethink their priorities. Now.

No, the people dumb enough to ignore the MATURE rating on a game and buy it for kids are the ones who should rethink their priorities. This game surprised me when I first got it and I know people who used to regularly do some of the things shown in that game. You have to ask why parents would be upset in the first place since no kids should have access to it if their parents don’t buy it.

Why do people insist on censoring the entire world instead of actually being a parent and paying attention to what their kids are doing?[/quote]

So you play videogames as well??

Is your GTA character all buffed up and a regular eater at
“Burger Shot”??

LOL

#6

I can imagine some T-Nation guys didn’t do the missions. Just spent all day at the gym, benching and curling away!

#7

[quote]chirag wrote:

So you play videogames as well??

Is your GTA character all buffed up and a regular eater at
“Burger Shot”??

LOL
[/quote]

Actually, yes, he is. Unfortunately, there is a limit to how big he can get.

#8

[quote]pookie wrote:
Many kids have access to it without buying it. They download it from the net, copy it and pass it around at school. They play it at a friend’s house, etc.
[/quote]

And if your kids are old enough for that, chances are, they are old enough to learn about sex. By the time I was spending time at friend’s houses like that, I was driving over there, copying friend’s rap tapes and watching porn videos. There is tons of shit that my parents will never know about. Perhaps there are too many parents who are lost themselves about the real world.

From one cuss word used at a music concert to this, you would think kids are angels whose purified little ears (at the age of 13) are too fragile for reality. Does anyone with any sense at all think that any kid past the fourth grade has never heard cuss words on a regular basis or used them regularly themselves?

I don’t know about anyone else, but most guys were lying about having sex as early as the 5th grade…and this was in the late 80’s. Parents today are stupid.

#9

I saw the scene yesterday. I really don’t see why folks want an xxx rating put on it because it’s nothing more than a digital version of Showtime porn.

A friend of mine took his PS2 and his game collection in to get store credit on a new Xbox, and they wouldn’t take San Andreas because of it.

It just goes to show you how laziness and apathy are running rampant today.

#10

[quote]jmott1 wrote:
I saw the scene yesterday. I really don’t see why folks want an xxx rating put on it because it’s nothing more than a digital version of Showtime porn.

A friend of mine took his PS2 and his game collection in to get store credit on a new Xbox, and they wouldn’t take San Andreas because of it.

It just goes to show you how laziness and apathy are running rampant today.[/quote]

It also shows how this game will go down in history and the creators will never have to work again.

#11

[quote]Professor X wrote:

It also shows how this game will go down in history and the creators will never have to work again.[/quote]

Yep, that was exactly my point.

As someone who has only been living in Nth America for 6 months, I can see a similar approach to what is shown on television. A show I was watching the other night cut out the word ‘nipple’. Not a picture mind, but just the word.

I’m all for keeping kids away from graphic stuff, but not even letting the word nipple be heard? Come on

#12

Professor-
You got any kids?

[quote]Professor X wrote:
pookie wrote:
Many kids have access to it without buying it. They download it from the net, copy it and pass it around at school. They play it at a friend’s house, etc.

And if your kids are old enough for that, chances are, they are old enough to learn about sex. By the time I was spending time at friend’s houses like that, I was driving over there, copying friend’s rap tapes and watching porn videos. There is tons of shit that my parents will never know about. Perhaps there are too many parents who are lost themselves about the real world.

From one cuss word used at a music concert to this, you would think kids are angels whose purified little ears (at the age of 13) are too fragile for reality. Does anyone with any sense at all think that any kid past the fourth grade has never heard cuss words on a regular basis or used them regularly themselves?

I don’t know about anyone else, but most guys were lying about having sex as early as the 5th grade…and this was in the late 80’s. Parents today are stupid.[/quote]

#13

[quote]Scottish 190 wrote:
Professor-
You got any kids?
[/quote]

Not that I know of.

#14

[quote]Professor X wrote:
No, the people dumb enough to ignore the MATURE rating on a game and buy it for kids are the ones who should rethink their priorities.[/quote]

I bought the game for my son. He’s 14, he saved the money for it on his own, and he likes to drive around and stockpile cool cars. I’m not dumb enough to beleive he doesn’t know about the sex scene, but I don’t subscribe to X-Box live, so he can’t download it anyway.

He knows I don’t like the game, but I’m not going to forbid him from playing it, just like I’m not going to ban him from the internet because I found a porn site in his history.

#15

[quote]Slaughter wrote:
Professor X wrote:
No, the people dumb enough to ignore the MATURE rating on a game and buy it for kids are the ones who should rethink their priorities.

I bought the game for my son. He’s 14, he saved the money for it on his own, and he likes to drive around and stockpile cool cars. I’m not dumb enough to beleive he doesn’t know about the sex scene, but I don’t subscribe to X-Box live, so he can’t download it anyway.

He knows I don’t like the game, but I’m not going to forbid him from playing it, just like I’m not going to ban him from the internet because I found a porn site in his history.

[/quote]

Are you sure you are talking about GTA-SA? This particular game is a tad bit different than the others and there is no way I would let a 14 year old play it. The language alone is too much for that age.

#16

[quote]Slaughter wrote:
he likes to drive around and stockpile cool cars.

[/quote]

Also, you can’t stockpile cars in GTASA and the sex scene is available on the PC version of the game.

#17

It shows. Not that I have a problem with that, but you giving advice about how parents should raise their children makes as much sense as someone who’s only read Flex magazine giving you advice on how to work out. You would laugh in his face because he’s never been there in the pits to see what really works. You see what I’m saying…

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Scottish 190 wrote:
Professor-
You got any kids?

Not that I know of.[/quote]

#18

I think Professor X was trying to say that people should exercise a little common sense when buying video games, movies, music, etc., not conduct a parenting seminar.

#19

http://gorillamask.net/gtasex.shtml

#20

mmm i think its more of what just last week i heard seth macfarlane, creator of “the family guy” talking about : post janet jackson society. seth was talking about how the censors kept him from doing a bit where peter tries to break the world nickel eating record and when he goes to the can it sounded like a slot machine paying off. they wouldn’t let him do it. also post janet jackson cartoon nudity is blurred out… a cartoon is blurred out !! the example he gave was homer simpson was able to show his bare ass in 1990 but now no longer. way i see it this post janet kackson stuff and the GTA stuff is all the same and these are steps backward. y’know like howard stern getting fined for talking about an oprah show where they were talking about teens having rainbow parties and tossing salad. oprah had the show about it , stern was talking about oprah’s show about it , stern gets fined not oprah . frickn f’d up huh ? this is censorship of the worst sort encroaching on us and if we don’t nip it in the bud we’ll soon all lapse into uncontrolable fits of blandness , be driving rovers and bowing in prayer toward suburban connecticut every day at 4. i sorta feel like i need to learn to start doing things like calling my congressman. i guess before i do that i’d need to learn who he/she is though.