April 30, 2008 -
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has issued a statement critical of the opportunites for virtual drunk driving in GTA IV:Each year nearly 13,500 people die in drunk driving crashes and another half a million are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. This is why MADD is extremely disappointed by the decision of the manufacturers of the game Grand Theft Auto IV to include a game module where players have to drive drunk.
Drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke. Drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime and it is also 100 percent preventable. MADD is calling on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to reclassify Grand Theft Auto IV as an Adults Only game, a step up from the current rating of Mature and for the manufacturer to consider a stop in distribution – if not out of responsibility to society then out of respect for the millions of victims/survivors of drunk driving.
Comments
"GTA IV has a minigame where the child playing the game scores points for running over people while under the influence of alcohol."
Please. Spare me. MADD are a bunch of terrible people.
Vinzent: Sorry, but MADD has a horrible agenda. Yes, being anti-drink-driving is a worthy cause, but their methods are atrocious, plus they just flat out tell lies to promote their unfounded agendas such as keeping the drinking age at the ridiculously high 21, all under the guise of preventing drink-driving. They are disgusting and ought to be disbanded.
I'm not the least bit concerned about the Drink-Driving in GTA, it's a punishment, it's harder to drive when you are drunk, and I'd rather young people found that out from a computer game than real life.
Honestly, you'd think that some people who play this game would think "Damn, I can't stop running into crap while I'm drunk in-game. I'd hate to imagine what would happen if I drank and drove in real life? I guess this gives me more incentive not to do so."
"I don´t want to say it, but, you are wasting your time complaining for a videogame. One single videogame is not gonna be the cause of more car accidents or any tragedy you want to blame it.
And even if you can stop Grand Theft Auto of being sold, that doesn´t gonna avoid more car accidents.
Even when you are asking for respect of the victims, your claims are still wrong because is like to ask TV or movies or books to not use "tragedy-induced alcohol" or whatever writers can coming up to tell a story.
Why that fear for videogames?
Play a videogame don´t turn people in murderers like the media want to make you to believe, because is simply not logical.
You really want to believe your own children are dangerous if they play games? You don´t trust in your own sons and daughters?
You don´t trust in yourselfs as parents?
You are only spreading fear in something that is not worth it, not even the time or the mention."
I lost my nice red banshee :(
And then the police shot me...
Kids, if you drink and drive; the Police will shoot you in the face.
If they REALLY are about helping their cause and keeping people from drinking and driving then they should reitterate that driving drunk is a bad idea just as GTA IV shows. Instead of this venomous rant they do, they could have put together a VERY good, positive message to people about drunk driving.
HELL! Why don't they just get R* to add some MADD banners in game?
Oh wait... No... Nevermind...
THAT would be effective. Better not.
Continue with plan A: Putting out meaningless bulletins.
I think this all just a publicity for MADD to get attention, and not to incite any particular rage among gamers. (Despite my attitude on my previous entry)
Afterall, its not like they get a lot of media attention anyway.
Sure, they have a commercial or two, but not often enough to make the public aware of DUI consequences. So what better way to get attention than to piss people off, while understanding their plight.
This might not apply to most in MADD, but still the amount of assaults on GTAIV are to big to be coincedenses.
Then again, I'm a conspiracy theorist...
!We never landed on the moon, Elvis and Tupac are ALIVE, and Jack Thompson has sold his soul to Satan!! (OK, that last ones' true)
So of course MADD is upset at GTAIV. They're upset because of the light in which drinking alcohol is presented. The drunk driving matter is an angle that they can try to use in the press, but I have no doubt that MADD's real beef isn't with the possibility for drunk driving, but the non-negative light in which the consumption of alcohol is presented.
Also, remember the mission in Vice City where you drove under the influence of Boomshine? That mission was hard as hell.
As people have said, there is the explicitly stated choice when the user first goes drinking for Nico to hail a cab. And further, the police in game are very diligent in spotting potentially drunk drivers.
Although I haven't gotten to the portion of the game where you HAVE to drive drunk (if it exists), but either way if you are drunk in GTA IV it makes it harder to drive so wouldn't that support the notion that driving drunk is a bad idea?
Oh and retailers do not need to pull the game out of respect for drunk driving victims that's just stupid. (Next you're going to tell me that Blockbuster should no longer stock Jaws out of respect for shark attack victims).
I've been meaning to find a prostitute, do some business, and then beat her up and get my cash back ever since the news reports started, but I've been to busy going to the cabaret thingy.
The cowboy must die.
Violent crime my left foot, the only reason it's a crime is because you put yourself at a high risk of endangering other people. Although if I get drunk and drive my car into a tree how is that a violent crime?
Yeah that's just a terrible message.
Role playing isn't dangerous... Not role playing is, it's called being a psychopath (not having empathy for other human beings) and is a disease. Even if the entertainment you enjoy isn't interactive if you have felt emotion for one of the character isn't that an effect the movie, book had on you (it probably even shows activity on brain scans).
GTA isn't the most violent game ever or the worst but games that are really violent just for the sake of it don't sell well and are a niche market. I just tried Army of Two demo and the violence in this game and the character's reaction to it made me not like the game. I was like "I can't care for those two guys they are stupid to react like that it's humans they are killing". I ended up wanting to die instead of killing my foes.
My last point. Role playing is a proven learning tool. By watching your kid play games you will probably be able to learn his reaction to problems in life and teach him how to react according to the values you want to teach him (I suggest other games than GTA to start with).
GTA simulates crime and if you play it you will learn one thing. Crime has consequences and they are often death. If you don't want to die don't be violent like the caracters in the game.
*inserts spider man image*
The game should be applauded for giving a simulation that shows how bad it is to drive drunk.
With that said overall the game lives up to its M rating, and its up to the parents to monitor what their kids are watching and playing. This facist BS really irratates me.
As a parent of 3, I am my parents father, and they will not play the game or watch me play it.
This is also absurb to be focusing on this one element of GTA. I guess MADD won't have a problem with me running over virtual pedestrians while my virtual avatar is sober.
Oh yeah, a game released in early 2008 told them it was cool.
its not for kids anyways...
i seriously think they should just merge AO and MA, or boost MA to being 18+ and AO for XX rated crap like it sounds to be anyways.
but this bullox about getting it boosted is just a shot at getting it banned (like manhunt 2... i still don't see what was so big about it, the gfx are so low key its not that gruesome at all, i've seen PG-13 movies with worse scenes honestly.
From my local paper:
MADD had long claimed that about 84 cents of every dollar raised went to support its programs instead of 19 cents. The difference is because the organization was claiming its fundraising activities were also educating the public about drunk driving and, therefore, were not fundraising costs
Disgusting fucks. They have no right to preach like this.
----
Papa Midnight
They see it has all sorts of elements: drugs, alochol, guns, driving, crime, etc, etc, etec....you know this game as I do. But really, they do not understand what they are talking about. They see these things and made wild comments on what it HAS to be about, not WHAT it is about.
For instance. Lets say, instead of GTA4, we are cheering that the book "War and Peace" just came out. They see "War" an assume everything from death to nazis concentration camps....without even reading the preface! Maybe these people from MADD should examine the content in the game, before using that lump two and a half feet above their @sses (yes I know, GP, no swear words. Technically, I didnt write one. Your mind made the connection on its own).
I'm sure MADD isnt the last, igorant idiots to come out about GTA4 to advance their own agenda. I'm sure we'll have a few more. An after that, we GAMERS, will STILL be playing GTA4 for fun, laughs, and a few comical moments.
It's a pretty strong anti-drunk driving statement, but of course throwing brick bats at GTA is a popular activity so it's not surprising everyone wants to get in the news by taking a dig of their own.
MADD should shut the hell up, because if they don't then angry gamers will start promoting drunk driving to see how MADD likes it when stupidity is promoted everywhere...
Hey maybe we should ban water because it promotes drinking? It looks very similar to when people drink alcohol and people even do it in their cars. Ban water!!! "If not out of responsibility to society then out of respect for the millions of victims/survivors of drunk driving."
By the way I AM A SURVIVOR OF A DRUNK DRIVER ALMOST RUNNING ME OVER ON HER WAY INTO A BUILDING RIGHT BEHIND ME...
Pathetic.
Besides, as has been said before, there's strong encouragement to call a taxi when you're shitfaced and there's even greater encouragement to walk because its so damned funny.
@shady8x
I'm right behind you on that water ban. You know I heard that hitler, stalin, ghengis khan and the creature from the black lagoon all drank water!
Oooooo ... I can haz turf war? THAT would be funny!!!
Not once did I say "This is a brilliant idea!"
Believe me: I've played the game for a good 12 hours now and had the option of drunk driving a time or two, both as a result of going out drinking with Niko's cousin.
Here's something to consider: The game tells you immediately that it's probably a good idea to hail a cab and get yourself home that-a-way. It is. It will be the first action I take every time Niko drinks in the game, should it always be available.
You wanna know why? My very first STEP- not drive, I mean literally, Niko's first on-foot STEP- sent him crashing RIGHT to the ground. Driving went EVEN WORSE, with police coming after me on three separate occasions, WITH the camera swirling like a can of paint in a mixer, AND my controller taking my commands to go left or right as mere suggestions. I have no clue how in the blue blazes I made it back to Roman's pick-up point intact.
I PERSONALLY drive a $700 beater car I bought used and have put that much back into repairs for, with no means to get another car should this one crash. I think this game has proven quite well that nothing is to be gained from drunk driving except a smashed-up car and repeated threats on all nearby human life.
...'course, the fact that I can't stand the taste of most booze will only help me along the road...
If you get drunk in GTA4 and *walk* too fast, you fall over and lose a bit of health. If you're daft enough to drink drive after that (which, let's be honest, you'll do at least once ;) ) you will find several things impairing your ability to drive:
1. The screen tilts from side to side, at the same time zooming in and out slightly. It's very disorientating, to say the least. You will find your ability to judge speed is pretty much out the window.
2. The car "anti-steers", so even if you are driving straight (as in, leaving the left stick dead centre) you will be forced to take remedial action as the car swerves left and right.
All in all, it models real-world drunk driving quite well (and don't ask how I know).
Or the "tea" that Auntie gives Tommy, and he's all doped up, killing people?
Don't these incidents already occur in real life? [Pending that you didn't live a sheltered life...] Why should MADD get mad over GTA: IV, when drunk driving has occurred WELL BEFORE video games? And why didn't they rag on GTA: Vice City? Or any other games that may reference drunk driving? [Sorry I can't recall any, I'm mainly a GTA/RPG kinda girl. Heh.]
Instead of worrying about video games, how about MADD worry about real life? Obviously, they're just jumping on the "Let's Bash Rockstar and Take-Two!" bandwagon. What a drag.