Rockstar Games, the maker of "Grand Theft Auto," offers the same mobster movie comparisons, arguing that they are creating a fictional universe for adults such as those seen in "GoodFellas" or "The Sopranos." But because the venue is a videogame, perceived by some as a child's toy, they get pilloried.

"If this was a movie or TV show and was the best in its field, you'd give it loads of awards and put those awards shows on television," Rockstar Vice President Dan Houser said in an interview published by Variety. "What is it about the medium you don't like? Because maybe we should challenge those ideas. ... To us, it's way of experimenting with non-linear interactive story lines."

Here's the story line of "Grand Theft Auto IV," according to an early review by the Times of London online: Gamers play the role of Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant lured to Liberty City (New York in disguise), who must "climb the greasy pole of the underworld." Players will face choices, experience seaminess and sow mayhem with 15 different weapons, from a simple brick to a rocket launcher.

"Firing a rocket at a car and seeing the smoke trail with a spectacular explosion is very cool," Imran Sarwar, a developer with Rockstar Games, told GameSpot.com. "And when a (police) chopper has you cornered, seeing the rotors come off, the tail snap off and the (chopper) fall to the ground in a massive explosion is pretty cool too. ... It's all really cinematic."

The technical prowess is partly why DePaul's Burke requires his students play the "Grand Theft Auto" games for his Introduction to Game Design course.

"'Grand Theft Auto 3' had a huge impact on what could be done, technically, with videogames," he said. But because the game was filled with violence, including killing cops, those technical aspects that appeal to developers and gamers have been overlooked.

Burke, who won't allow his 12-year-old son to play, says he understands the controversy. With a game like "Halo," another violent and popular title, the enemies are space aliens.

"When people who are not players look at a screen shot of 'Halo,' they see immediately that it's a fantasy," he said. "Then they look at a screen shot of 'Grand Theft Auto' and see a snapshot of the violence we have on our streets. That can bother people."

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The debate about videogame violence reappears with each new, more realistic generation of games.

Violence in videogames can lead to more aggressive thoughts, feelings and behaviors, according to data cited by the National Institute on Media and the Family.