Since its humble Dundonian beginnings in 1997, the Grand
Theft Auto series has attracted just as much criticism as it has praise.
However, this criticism doesn’t come from disgruntled professionals like myself.
Rather, these condemnations come from concerned citizens of the world who feel
that the games makes light out of violence and crime, and sadistically
influence the youth of today. As Grand Theft Auto V surely rockets its way to
the top spot of video game charts across the globe, I wonder if the orchestrators
of this never-ending witch-hunt have only themselves to blame for the series’ phenomenal
success.
Long before appearing in the headlines himself, renowned
publicist Max Clifford had a reputation for quite literally making the
headlines. In an interview with the Sunday Times, David Jones and Mike Dailly, the
creators’ of the first GTA game revealed that Max Clifford “made it all
happen.”
Released back in 1997, the game immediately caused an outcry
by turning deplorable criminal acts of violence and carnage into an easily
accessible video game. Thanks to Clifford, the game was even subject of debate
within Parliament, thrusting it into the public spotlight for the entire world
to judge. Despite receiving mixed reviews upon release, the controversial
nature of the first GTA led to it becoming a cult classic, proving that there
really is no such thing as bad publicity.
2001’s GTA III pushed the series forward leaps and bounds by
substituting the initial birds-eye perspective for a three-dimensional third
person approach that also ushered in a sprawling map, a vibrant city and of
course, an extra serving of bloody violence. As the series evolved from one generation to
the next, the series was demonised for inciting gang violence, endorsing drunk
driving, breeding contempt for authority figures and glorifying prostitution.
The series soon caught the intention of outspoken American
public figures such as disbarred attorney Jack Thompson and conservative shock
jock Glenn Beck who publically cried for the series to banned, blaming the game
for number of murders and breeding “cop killers” out of America’s youth. It
didn’t stop the series from continuously breaking sales records upon release
and becoming a household name for both gamers and non-gamers alike.
Launching worldwide on September 17th, GTA V will
no doubt once again make the blood of hard-line conservative types boil.
However, the majority of gamers are much more intelligent than the
fear-mongering fundamentalists would have you believe. The series pioneered the
sandbox genre, giving us fans absolute freedom to play as we see fit. The
storylines have become less a parody and more of a peer to the gangster
thrillers and Mafioso dramas that inspired the games in the first place.
Characters were given a breath of life in the form of three-dimensional
personalities and well written dialogue demonstrating the moral consequences
that came along with their criminal escapades. In fact to list all the reasons
why GTA is so much more than a crime simulator would be nearly impossible,
given that the series has always strived to push the combination of technology
and entertainment to the absolute limits of our imaginations.
Given the modest upbringing the first instalment to the
series had, Rockstar Games must be pretty proud of themselves for becoming one
of the lucky few developers to see their greatest creation become front page
news worldwide, whilst others struggle to make it anywhere near the back
pages. For every Grand Theft Auto game,
there’ll always be a shocked opinionated figure waiting in the wings calling
for its head, bringing with them enough free advertising to send the game right
back up to the top of the video game charts. And for Rockstar Games it only
serves to prove one valuable point – that crime does indeed pay.
Originally featured in The Big List Issue #239
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