May 12, 2008 -
Writing for Slate, Sudhir Venkatesh, a professor of sociology and African-American studies at Columbia University and the author of Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets, discusses the portrayal of underworld relationships in Grand Theft Auto IV:I found that Grand Theft Auto actually offered a less sensational portrait of gangland and ghetto streets than the one put out by most cops, politicians, policymakers, and even academics. There is nuance in the game that exceeds most of the conventional portraits of American cities...
Not that I'm suggesting that we turn to GTA IV to solve the gang problem... The game is a carnival of violence, deceit, and cruelty that makes you slightly nauseated after playing for only a few hours... But I have to admit that I was surprised a video game had such a well-developed, fine-grained understanding of human nature.
The game's success can be traced to a simple principle: Niko Bellic, the protagonist who roams around Liberty City, making his way in the world by building relationships... the point is that a lone wolf can't survive. Niko has to take a risk and trust somebody...
Comments
That's what I call dedication.
But the rest of it...very well done. Good to see that blind opinions aren't the only way to report on video games anymore.
Dude, that's only his opinion. =/
@ Article:
Im astonished that someone found something POSITIVE about the game.
For whatever reason, it just amazed me. Here he was, 4-years-old, and he understood that there were consequences for what you do in a video game like GTA. It just made me think "Wow... all these politicians say you can do whatever you want, get points for killing in GTA, and there are no consequences for it. How can a 4-year-old have a better grasp of the game than them?"
I just liked that story and thought I'd share it with y'all.
I sense your question was rhetorical but, if not, here's your answer: it's because the average 4-year-old's way sharper than your average politician.
I have rolls of toilet paper more intelligent than your average politician, a 4 year old is no contest.
I am of the understanding that children tend to develop an extremely zealous view of morality early on in life, given that they come from the right background, therefore he would have grasped the general idea that bad things have consequences in real life and that would probably translate over to whatever was happening in a videogame.
By the time we are older (say 10 years old) we have had much of our morality and sense of right/wrong affected by the real world, becuse the more we watch the news and look about on the streets we see the true evil nature of our race, we eventually realise just how immoral the world really is, so when you think that a politician, someone who has to have no morals in order to get to that position, someone who can lie, steal and cheat an entire country with a straight face, they would have forgotten that in the real world, actions have consequenses, in their political bubble they are free from too much police attention, and as such they would expect the same of videogames, something that they already see as childs entertainment, they would not expect morality and consequences to be a part of a videogame.
@ Article
Nice work by the man, at least he tried the game before casting his opinion on it, and he actually tried to live the life for a day? That is good reporting!
"As you can see, Britain is now firmly in the grip of gang culture.
This is John Simpson FOR THE ITN MASSIV!"
Mock the week joke (EDIT BUTTON PLEASE!)
I just love how he has just notice this. Other games does this like the Metal Gear Solid games, Mass Effect, Most RPGs, and Final Fantasy games.
It seems to me that many people don't see games as a respectable storytelling medium. Because they only see them as mindless violence, they never actually see the brilliant stories that some games actually have.
In my belief, Videogames have violence in them because society is violent.
And also, I feel that when kids are young, when their parents let them know that actions have consequences in real life, they somehow seem to understand that in their own little way like we did when we were kids.
I know that is a bit generalization but I stand to my own view that the greatest role model for any kid is their parents. and it reflects in what they say and do.
And also when you are a parent, it is good to let your kids know that no matter what they do in a Videogame, it is only make believe and that is the same with TV, but real life is real life and you just can't do those same things in real life like you do in a Videogame.
I am happy to know that there is some hope out there that some people speak about positive things about Videogames but are often not heard that much in this day of age.
@ Delin People don't see games as a respectable story telling medium because society is incredibly reactionary when it comes to art. Being a new medium, games cannot possibly be seen as legitimate. I'm an English Lit. student and believe me, it is hard to get anyone to consider a source that has not been around for centuries as a legitimate text. Hell, modern poetry (music) is just barely being accepted as worthy of study.
It concerns me slightly that everyone is being so critical of him saying he was nauseous. Maybe it reminded him of things he had really seen. Maybe it really was too close to the reality he had experienced in Chicago. Or maybe some people have a harder time doing immoral things, even in a simulated world. We are not helping the "video games don't make you a violent freak" argument by mocking everyone who expresses discomfort over it.
I just love how he has just notice this. Other games does this like the Metal Gear Solid games, Mass Effect, Most RPGs, and Final Fantasy games.
I assume, that as a professor of Sociology he didn't have to try those games out see what the fuss was about. :) But you are correct, there are games with amazing storylines everywhere.
Interesting article GP, thank you for linking it.
I mean, how can ones say that GTAIV has "such a well-developed, fine-grained understanding of human nature" and at the same time try to claim that the game has no value and could not be considered a form of art? That comment alone just screams of literary value.
Bravo for a great article, all the same.
Mind you I could jsut be being charitable because he is not spewing misinformation. Well that and his idea of gangs with actual territories in GTA sounds very interesting.