Here's something you don't see very often: a media watchdog group actually scaling back the Grand Theft Auto IV fear factor in the interest of presenting more accurate information.
But it's true. The Parents Television Council recently issued a a video alert which warns parents about the violence and sexual content in GTA IV.
On July 11th GamePolitics reported on the alert, which is narrated by PTC president Tim Winters. Among his criticisms of the game, Winters repeats the oft-heard, "You get points for [insert nasty activity of your choice]..."
In the latest edition of, the player is a thug who gets points for having sex with prostitutes, running over pedestrians and even shooting police officers.
There are no such points in the GTA series, of course. Never have been, despite the frequent assertion of such by watchdogs. At least two GamePolitics readers, hayabusa 75 and NecroSen, wrote to the PTC to voice their objections. Lo and behold, a few days later the PTC edited the "You get points for..." line out of the video.
GamePolitics received this comment on the change from Gavin McKiernan, National Grassroots Director for the PTC:
[Winters] misspoke. He knows there are no points in GTA and we of course want all of our productions to be completely factually accurate so we corrected it.
Catch the edited video alert here.
GP: While the viewpoint of the PTC is often at odds with that of gamers, credit is due for taking the trouble to correct this error. Kudos as well to the GP readers who contacted the PTC to point out the misinformation.
Comments
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
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Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Between the way the video was originally and the version up now, the only difference is the omittance of the line about points. You'd never really notice it if you didn't know it was there to begin with. One small step for gaming, I suppose.
I still take issue with the points they make about kids getting their hands on the game "too easily". Basically laid out the facts from the FTC secret shopper report for them. Nothing yet on that front.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
PTC is going to be too busy bitching that the fine against CBS for the Janet Jackson Super Bowl Half Time indecent was thrown out. They're already spazzing about it. Probably because they're the ones who went nuts over it in the first place and spammed the FTC with e-mails and phone calls.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
You mean the FCC, not the FTC.
They bitched when the fines against Fox for Cher and Nicole Richie saying one curse word each on an awards show got overturned(that case is going before the Supreme Court later this year).
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Yes, I meant the FCC, I didn't proof read what I posted or look at it after doing so.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
So, did they also issue a retraction/correction, or just delete the info?
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Unless they specifically mention it in the video, which it doesn't sound like they do but I didn't watch it, no they didn't. There is no retraction/correction posted on the site. The closest thing to a retraction is the message GP got about the edited video.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
"There are no such points in the GTA series, of course. Never have been, despite the frequent assertion of such by watchdogs."
Never have been? GTA 1 and 2 both had a point system, and yes, you did get points by running over and shooting people (not just police). Not that I'm trying to make less of the group's minor retraction, but don't
pretend that the whole series was never about running around and killing computer people.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
This is a surprise. PTC gains +1 respect. Total:-16 respect.
-Entertainment isn't the reason the world sucks. It's the reason we know the world sucks. For information on games and psychology, look up: Jonathan Freedman(2002)Block & Crain(2007)Grand Theft Childhood, by Harvard researchers Larry Kutner&Cheryl Olson
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
I don't like the PTC anymore than the rest of you, but remember: Baby steps, ladies and gentlemen. I'm also thinking that they must have received a LOT of e-mail about this, which too, is another good sign.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Very good, they don;t need to lie merely worry aloud about the reasons why and for, that alone will generate enough "concern" going for inflammable outrage will put you to the flame just as well.
I is fuzzy brained mew =^^=
http://zippydsmlee.wordpress.com/
(in need of a bad overhaul)
Copyright infringement is nothing more than civil disobedience to a bad set of laws. Let's renegotiate them.
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http://zippydsm.deviantart.com/
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
I don't mean to defend the PTC, but the GTA games still reward you with money for completing missions. That is about the closest thing to a point system you can get in today's M-rated games.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
You dont just 'get' money for killing hookers or people though do you? Driving your car along a sidewalk doesnt result in your money increasing.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
No, but random people you kill *do* drop money that you can take if you want to, hence the famous bang-hooker-then-kill-her-to-get-your-money-back "trick" that's been around since at least Vice City (can't remember if there are hookers in GTA3 or not).
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
There are hookers in GTA3(at least in the North American version).
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
"You dont just 'get' money for killing hookers or people though do you?"
That's not entirely true.
Now I should state that I'm not the biggest GTA fan, I have no moral issue with them, I'm just not a fan.
However I did pick up Vice City stories for about $15.00 the other day and on more than one occasion while playing I've run over prostitutes, construction workers and just random citizens and had the kill spawn a little wad of cash.
It's not much and it's not consistant but it's still in game reward for random slaughter.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Im pretty sure if that if you murdered prostitutes, construction workers and random citzens in rl you could get some cash for it. It's just that in gta you don't have to search through their pockets to find their wallets.
Does that mean that i get rewarded for killing and mugging people in rl? I would think not, it's just cause and effect imao.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
But giving their site any hits so I dunno if they did it or not but they should have mentioned the error on the page. This isn't about accuracy, it's about covering their asses from potentially being sued.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
I'd have to agree considering that they paid $3.5 million to Vince McMahon and publicly apologize to him years ago to settle WWE's lawsuit against them.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Yeah, though I wish WWE wouldn't have settled and went to court. They could have potentially bankrupted these loonies.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Somebody should also tell them that having sex with hookers is not mandatory to completing a game. It's optional, and what it does is allow you to restore your health.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Acctualy Dennis, the first two games (the top down ones) DID give you points, it was listed as money (noway to spend it, and you got it for things that would never give you money).
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
There were points though. What he was refering to was in the menu, there is a section detailing how much damage you have done in the game (in terms of money). Stats are kept overall, with points or money, though no one I know actually gave a flip about them.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
No, actually, Money was spent on repairing vehicles, outfitting carbombs and using other shops located in the two first games.
Don't claim money was not needed in those games, because if you began getting the cops on your tail too often, you could easily expect losing more than 50 GRAND in the game in less than 30 minutes - That's 20 times more than you could possible earn on hit/runs and 'police shooting', the latter of which was more likely to leave you DEAD than a measly 1 grand richer!
So please. Do some research before you spout this blatant lie.
This is Jes, proud owner of a RELEASE DATE GTA1 disc, signing off!
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Who watches the watchdogs?
"[Winters] misspoke. He knows there are no points in GTA and we of course want all of our productions to be completely factually accurate so we corrected it."
If he knew there were no points, and you knew it was wrong to lie about (an admission by the fact you removed the statement), why then did he state it? Why didn't anyone catch it? If you want all of your productions to be completely factual, why didn't you research it? This goes beyond one man's misstatement. A video production passes through many hands, and yet no one noticed that he was lying?
And for the record, there's no such thing as misspoke unless you are speaking a foreign language, have a stutter, or tourettes. What this man did is called lying (a knowledgable misrepresentation of the truth). You may try to weasel out of your own responsibility but God will still hold you accountable.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
To bad they won't stick to the worthwhile fights like alacarte cable plans.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
So when are they going to fess up to using a pirated copy of Manhunt 2 in their fight against it?
When are they going to fess up to willfully using 3 year old FTC data in their form letters rather than the much improved 2008 report?
I could go on and on about how they have always used lies and deceptions to scare their supporters, but where will it end?
E. Zachary Knight
http://www.editorialgames.com
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1325674091
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Psst.... Zachary, that was CSM that used the leaked/pirated copy of Manhunt 2.
And while I appauld the PTC for correcting their information, I still condemn them for not condemning FOX News for the misinformation, lies, and deceit over Mass Effect.
Nightwng2000
NW2K Software
Nightwng2000 has also updated his MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/nightwing2000 Nightwng2000 is now admin to the group "Parents For Education, Not Legislation" on MySpace as http://groups.myspace.com/pfenl
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
My mistake. All these idiot watchdog groups just kind of run together.
E. Zachary Knight
http://www.editorialgames.com
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1325674091
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
Don't count on it. They never will.
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
This is the same Parent's Television Council that had a political cartoon type panel of them criticizing American Idol only to have an article on their website state that American Idol was a "family" show.
But this must be a first.....the Parent's Television Council accutally giving a damn about being truthful with its facts? If thats the case then won't most of the stuff on their site have to be deleted?
Re: Watchdog Group Deletes Misinformation About GTA IV From
This is surprising indeed. Usually they make a lie and commit to it, not lie, then backpeddle and do research.
Did a pig just fly by my window.....?