Outrage Begins over Drug-Dealing in GTA Chinatown Wars
Outrage Begins over Drug-Dealing in GTA Chinatown Wars
September 25, 2008
Given this week's revelations that GTA Chinatown Wars for the Nintendo DS will feature a drug dealing mini-game, it was only a matter of time before criticism began.
Today's edition of British tabloid The Sun covers the story under the headline Fury Over Drug Deal Vid Game and includes a comment by Darren Gold of support group Drugsline:
Anything using drug-dealing as entertainment is sending out the wrong message. Glamorisation doesn’t help our work trying to educate kids of the dangers of substance misuse.
Rockstar, of course, seems to revel in such controversy.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
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Comments
Once again Rockstar drives more hype by causing controversy. I wonder if the media, realize that they are being used.
I dobut it. There are a lot of morons in the media.
"We may be human, but we're still animals" -Steve Vai (World's greatest guitarist!)
It's a symbiotic relationship. The media knows they are being used. But in exchange, they sell papers and get more hits.
CSI, Law and Order, Cold Case, Criminal Mind, Numbers: All popular and award winning series that show drug useages and drug dealing and nobody gives a damn! They get praised and yet when a video game shows drug dealing, everyone and their mama goes in a shit storm!
"We may be human, but we're still animals" -Steve Vai (World's greatest guitarist!)
Arguably, it's different because you participate in the drug trade and get rewarded for it in GTA, whereas on TV those nasty dealers always get their comeuppance. If the game flashed "YOU ARE A TERRIBLE PERSON" and slapped you upside the head every time you pawned out a dimebag, the comparison would be more valid. I would go with someone the audience is expected to cheer for if I was picking an example -- maybe Cheech & Chong? ;D
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The Mammon Industry
Harold and Kumar =)
Glamorisation doesn’t help our work trying to educate kids of the dangers of substance misuse.
How silly I am. I didn't even realize GTA was a kids education series. I always thought it was an M-Rated game that was about an entertaining story and gameplay. I never knew it was actually a game used to teach children!
My mistake. Shame on rockstar.
Silly rabbit! Games are for kids!
..........all the widdle kiddies have to be protected from the big bad video game companies......
i guess they havent seen "Scarface:The World Is Yours".
Not popular enough.
I miss playing Gang Wars on my TI-83 during class. That was old school drug dealing right there.
Meh, more scapegoat BS. The game is not intended for small children, there are far bigger social and cultural issues that lead to drug use, other forms of media use drug imagery all the time, blah blah blah. We've all made these points before.
At this point I'm pretty much ready to just reply with "1st amendment. Suck it." Yeah it's not mature but I'm honestly getting tired of wasting my breath with these people. (This, of course, only applies to us Yanks. I'm sure you Brits have something similar.)
Tea and cake or death! Tea and cake or death! Little Red Cook-book! Little Red Cook-book!
I don't think we do have an equivalent of the 1st Amendment in the UK. Time was we were able to rely on common sense, the irony being that common sense now seems to be a rare commodity.
Really? I figured most European countries would have some law that protects freedom of speeh/press. Though to be fair I can't say I'm well versed in the laws of other countries.
I think we're in a recession when it comes to common sense and responsiblity these days.
Tea and cake or death! Tea and cake or death! Little Red Cook-book! Little Red Cook-book!
Where was the outrage over Drugwars? Most of the kids with a graphing calculator were playing it when I was in high school.
There was plenty of outrage over it, it brought a lot of attention to the game and I'm sure led to the eventual change from real, to fake/toy weapons that were used. Then of course a while later the fad died.
I've never heard of this calulator game till recently...
Media will always find something to get their panties in a bunch.
Was the story about the evils of narcotics before or after the daily exploitation of female mammary glands on page 3? Not that I'm calling them hypocrites at the Sun for liking boobs and hating drugs; I just think it's odd that they condone airbrushing the former but rag on the virtualization of the latter.
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The Mammon Industry
Really, it's anything to sell newspapers. If they could get away with showing female full frontal nudity, I bet they would.
*deep sigh* It was just a matter of time. A whole bunch of people are gonna bitch that it'll give kids the know-how to sell drugs for real, we gamers will try our best to fight this assumption by saying that this game is obviously not for kids and parents should regulate their kids play time (which, IMHO, they should), and I'm sure at least one nation (maybe Germany or Thailand) will ban the game outright...
Dammit, if we're ever gonna change things for the better, we have to become more politically active. We can't just sit on our duffs and wait for those in power to dictate what we can and cannot do! Hey! If anyone's listening out there, please contact your State Representatives, senators, politicians, whoever, and tell them about the ridiculousness of the opposing views and about the kind of money that would be wasted if regulation laws were enacted. If there was ever a good time to make an impact, now is that time! Gamers around the world, we must unite!
Game on, brothers and sisters.
While you may be right, I'm going to sit this one out. I feel like we are being used this time. While I respect their right to use such in a game if they want, I just think after the 6th or 7th time, it's just a gimmick for them. Somewhere there is a powerpoint presentation and on page 7 is the words "Media Controvercy Hook: Drug Dealing Minigame."
Of course back in the late 90's (I think) there was Orion's Wing Commander: Privateer. I made a lot of money drug dealing, granted that ticked off the local militia and police force, but after shooting them out of space, some of them ejected and were floating about, ready to be tractor beamed in and sold as slaves. After that, it was easy to run guns back to my starting point for my very own Golden Triangle.
All this taught me was the value of money, and now my wife and I live comfortably on a low income salary, relatively debt free, with only a mortgage. Funny how I didn't turn to crime, huh?
Fail... again. Another person who thinks all video games are ment for kids. This guy is totally ignorant to the M rating and the fact that it is aimed toward adult gamers with a DS.
We are all going to die someday. The trick is not to rush it.
"The Stun" is hardly a news source. Expecting "The Stun" to act responsibly towards video game issues is like expecting Faux News to do the same.
Does anyone else think it's way too early for this sort of controversy? I mean we're not sure how it's going to protray the drug trade in this game.
Although it sure seems like they try to protray it as a very unstable industry that you should only get into if you're desperate because of the risks involved.
It has begun...
rockstars reply:
‘Nintendo wanted us to make GTA, and we wanted to make a game on their platform. They didn’t want us to make a GTA for kids, and we weren’t interested in making a game we wouldn’t normally make.’
yay for rockstar
Good to know this. Suck it, Jack Thompson.
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
Indeed, but to be totally honest, it doesn't take much to stand up to the sun ;)
I stopped reading at 'tabloid.'
Also what's that loud sobbing sound coming from Florida? .... Took em long enough!
-- "Jack and listen are two words that don't go together...just like Jack and sanity, Jack and truth, Jack and proof, Jack and win..." -- sortableturnip | http://www.orangeloungeradio.com/
Yay at Nintendo for asking T2 to make a M rated DS game and YAY for the Moron to finally been given the pink slip!
When Life gives you lemons, you find a new god.
I can't imagine how much money Rockstar saves on advertising and publicity just by having the media trumpet all of their games for them.
M. Carusi
Capitol Gaming
http://capitolgaming.blogspot.com
Anything using drug-dealing as entertainment is sending out the wrong message. Glamorisation doesn’t help our work trying to educate kids of the dangers of substance misuse.
Holy cow! Something used as entertainment does show the accuracy of a situation as educational materials do? Video games do not have to fulfill any "education" quota whatsoever. I guess that's why they call video games "entertainment" and not "education".
I'll admit that I've never watched the show, by the rest of my family always watches The Wire... Isn't that kinda based around the illegal trade of various types of drugs? Because, if so, the show is a form of entertainment...
And I thought that the mini-game was being taken out of it?
Edit Addition: Wait a minute, they're commenting on how it sends kids the wrong message, but it's rated M! When will the media start doing research!
Can Rockstar please learn some new tricks? It's getting old.
As I was trying to say....
This isn't new.
In Vice City you did drug deals using an ice cream factory and truck as a front.
This is like complaining that there's nudity in a Playboy Magazine
This post makes no sense to me
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