Reader comments
'Grand Theft Auto IV' is alive, addictive

Why we are #1 in Violence | 7:00 a.m. May 8, 2008

How a father can play this, and how a wife can allow her husband to play this.
Hate to go down this road, but a LDS man has no business playing this game. The waste of time and messages it gives. There is a road rage story today in the D news, its stuff like this that make us #1 in violence. Men need to own up and grow up. Wives need a back bone to not allow this crap in the home.
A Father.

Anonymous | 7:29 a.m. May 8, 2008

GTA IV is alive, addictive...and a sad commentary on the state of our society. Glamorizing the life of a criminal? Sad.

placebo | 10:25 a.m. May 8, 2008

i'd like to know if the above comments were made by people who have ever played a Grand Theft Auto title. my guess is no.

funny how we form opinions about matters with which we have no first-hand experience. "i've never played or seen this game, but I know it's awful."

i won't bother trying to sell you the merits of the game (which far surpass its demerits), except to say that more often than not, it's parodying American culture ï¿½ our rampant religiosity, our excessive celebration of valueless objects and conceits and our pushy, know-better attitude in particular.

it takes morality seriously, recognizing, and unabashedly portraying, how hard it can be to do the right thing. unless one's head is buried in the sand, of course. then life's a breeze.

Comments continue below

re: placebo | 10:32 a.m. May 8, 2008

It sounds to me like you're trying to rationalize. This game is pure violence and hate. I've seen it played before. It's absolutely disgusting that we allow such filth in our homes.

RE: re: placebo | 11:09 a.m. May 8, 2008

How much nicer to have grown up playing "cops and robbers," "cowboys and indians," shooting birdies, torturing horny toads, and swiping watermelons from the neighbor's field. Reality mischief and mayhem. Those were the days.

Bryan | 11:22 a.m. May 8, 2008

iT's a game people. come on! their is a Mature rating on it for a reason. Don't let it end up in the hands of under age kids. If you dont like it, than don't paly it. It's very simple.

A Father | 11:47 a.m. May 8, 2008

yes going bowling and playing darts is pretty violent.

You can do "criminal acts" in GTA4, but you don't have to. Its an open world game where its your own choice. If you choose to steal a car, you can. However, you will suffer the consequence of that action.

I've seen worse material in PG-13 movies that what is in GTA4. So, before you start bashing a video game you know nothing about, take a look at your own DVD collection, and ask yourself if your a hypocrite.

Be a Parent | 12:28 p.m. May 8, 2008

To all of you who say "we shouldn't allow this in our homes." Please, don't tell me what is and isn't acceptable for me, a grown man, to have in my home. How quickly you all forget about "agency" that is talked about so much. If you don't like the game, don't play it. If you don't think it is good for kids, do whatever you need to to ensure that your children don't play it. If you don't want your husband to play it, that is your issue to work out with him.

People forcing their values on others is exactly the kind of thing that this game takes a satirical aim at.

To A Father | 12:29 p.m. May 8, 2008

I don't have any DVDs in my collection where one of the characters has sex in his car with a prostitute and then runs over her in his car... backing up and doing it again. I challenge you to show me a PG13 movie with this type of graphic sex and cold-blooded murder in it. I assume that by calling yourself a father, you must have children. Like pornography, this game does not belong in your home.

placebo | 12:42 p.m. May 8, 2008

to the person who claimed i'm trying to "rationalize." you know what i like about the word rationalize? it contains the word "rational" in it. yes, i'm trying to be rational, judging GTA in accordance with reason and logic (and standards as to what constitutes a good video game), not broad dismissals. i was raised to think critically and analytically.

for example, i stopped playing the PSP GTA because it crossed my personal boundaries of what i find to be offensive. there were parts about the game i liked a lot, but after a certain bestiality reference, i decided to stop playing. but that doesn't mean i'm going to throw out the baby with the bathwater, or tell other people they shouldn't play it. that's called fascism.

Hmmm | 12:50 p.m. May 8, 2008

There are several different sides to this that can be taken.

The one that needs to be addressed is, should we be watching rated R movies? And if this game would be considered a rated R if it had one, should we be playing it?

Have I played previous GTA games? Yes. Do I still play GTA games? No.

I have since given up rated R movies and inappropriate games, in an effort to rid myself of the adversaries influence over me. When I made this decision I ended up shredding almost 200 DVD's, this included GTA:SA.

One could say, "What a waste of money to shred all those DVD's". The real statement should have been, "What a waste to spend all that money on those DVD's in the first place".

I am not saying this is what you should do, only this is what I did. What is eternal salvation worth to me? More then a few DVD's. What is it worth to you? That is a decision you will have to make.

placebo | 1:10 p.m. May 8, 2008

ps - i'm not mormon, so maybe i'm just in the wrong forum altogether. the desnews' web site is just much cleaner than the trib's, that's why i come here.

TJ | 1:46 p.m. May 8, 2008

Have you ever noticed that the games that are violent get the best reviews? Wasn't Halo (1,2,3) all rated as the best of one of the best each time they were released? What do you do in those games? Run around and kill other people and aliens. I played GTA-SA and din't really like it. I got bored with it. I can stand and of the Halo games but that to me is all personal preference. The point of all of this is that I do not like a lot of violent games and would rather play NCAA football or Arena football but those football games do not get ratings anywhere close to the violent ones. Are violent games better? not always but people prefer violence the majority of the time. Some the movies with the highest ratings are rated R even though there are better movies that are rated PG. You can complain all you want but the point is that the people doing reviews prefer violence and controversy. It is all about controversy. We thrive on controversy in our society and this game is a perfect example. I do like Call of Duty games but they'e pretty violent

TJ | 1:47 p.m. May 8, 2008

Sorry my last comment should say

I can't stand all of the Halo games.......

To hmmm | 1:51 p.m. May 8, 2008

I'm not sure what most of what you said even means, what your motivation is. However, good for you for being congruent with your principles. We only screw up when we live in ways we personally believe are wrong yet do it anyway.

Don't like the genre but... | 2:17 p.m. May 8, 2008

I'm a gamer personally I don't care for the GTA games because it's not my style. I wanted to comment on all the delusional parents out there who don't think there kids will play a game without violence, unless you have a total stranglehold on your childs life they have play GTA or another game with violence. I am tired of people (neighboors, ward members etc.) who tell me to my face how evil I am for allowing it into my home, I keep my games locked away from my daughter, if I polluting my mind and soul as you say, telling me I'm 'evil' is not the best way to get me to listen to you. Comes down to this, YOUR the parent, YOUR the adult, well SO am I and I can make my choice without anyone telling me that I'm evil, and for those people who say how can your wife allow...leave her out of it, she probably knows so its none of your buisness.

Assume | 2:23 p.m. May 8, 2008

Why does the first poster imply that everybody at the DNews or readers of the web site are LDS? I find that annoying and I promise there are lots of LDS folks who watch "The Sopranos" and other violent TV shows and movies with harsh language and killing. The DNews also runs reviews of them.

jesus | 2:40 p.m. May 8, 2008

I want the new grand thef auto 4 for psp

Love It | 2:47 p.m. May 8, 2008

Grand Theft Auto 4 is the best videogame ever made by anyone. Everyone and their brother should be buying this game, and playing it with their children.

Hero of Canton | 3:26 p.m. May 8, 2008

This game is great as were the previous incarnations of this series. It's full of mischief, sex, murder, drugs and rock and roll and I like it just like I liked the others. And just like the others, I will be BitTorrenting this when it comes out on PC but I digress...

I am a gamer, have been for going on 18 years now, and I still can't understand the need for whiney people to force their ethics on me as a gamer. I am a returned missionary, active church goer, eagle scout, active in the community blah blah blah blah...I watch rated-R movies, I drink my mnt. dew like its water and I spend time with my wife watching Sex In The City and you know what? I still know the difference between right and wrong and I choose my own path in life. If you can't man/woman up and be responsible parents when it comes to your children then stop talking and start doing. I don't need self-righteous individuals forcing their choices on me, I need them to start with their own lives and their own families and stop bothering me.

And to the reviewer, well done.

PG-13? | 5:35 p.m. May 8, 2008

Somebody asked for an offensive PG-13 movie (although this has little to do with the game). How about one in theaters right now: Prom Night "Rated PG-13 for violence and terror, some sexual material, underage drinking, and language."

PG-13? | 5:42 p.m. May 8, 2008

I decided to look up an offensive R-rated movie to see what its content was. It is R-rated which is the equivalent of the game. I actually can't reprint what the content was because the moderator wouldn't approve it. The language part, for a 90 minute movie says this, "94 F-words, 20 sexual references, 23 scatological terms, 10 anatomical terms, 6 mild obscenities, 1 derogatory term for homosexuals, 1 religious profanity, 10 religious exclamations."

The movie is based on the idea of torture for money. Which is worse?

R, even | 10:28 p.m. May 8, 2008

"What is eternal salvation worth to me? More then a few DVD's. What is it worth to you? That is a decision you will have to make."

Well, perhaps you were watching the wrong films. I, for one, have quite a few rated-R DVDs in my collection (though there are many other films I wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole.) And do you know what? I feel that I am a better person for having watched films like "L'enfant" and "Fanny and Alexander" and other such works of art. Because the fact is, some of the greatest films ever made are R-rated - the most enlightening, the most spiritual, the most intelligent - and I do not feel that watching them "compromised my salvation." We should be careful in our media choices, but remember that the MPAA is a secular and arbitray organization, and their ratings are not an indication of quality or morality. You may not choose to watch them - you probably wouldn't like them anyways - but don't think that those who choose to do so are "giving up their salvation" or something nonsensical like that.

R, even | 10:35 p.m. May 8, 2008

"Some the movies with the highest ratings are rated R even though there are better movies that are rated PG."

You're absolutely right - there are some wonderful PG-rated films. But there are also some wonderful R-rated films. And many (or even most) of the greatest films being made today are R-rated. It's not that they're "controversial" (you probably haven't heard of most of the greatest films coming out) or particularly violent (though some are) - but it's that they're among the most spiritual, and humanistic, and intelligent works of art being made today. Some of them do depict immorality (while others are very mild), but remember that the mere depiction of something does not make a film evil. Just as many of the greatest works of literature depict immorality and extremely evil behavior - and still, somehow, remain spiritually uplifting.

Hypocrites | 6:35 p.m. May 9, 2008

The most violence I experience comes from people who fancy themselves as good christians.

They tailgate, slide through stop signs, speed, change lanes into me. They do all this as my precious little kids ride with me in my car.

You have no business criticizing a GAME when many of you will hop in your cars and REALLY put others in REAL danger with your rotten driving habits. Clean up your dangerous REAL habits before you gripe about a FANTASY GAME.

AHHHH!!!! | 11:03 a.m. Aug. 6, 2008

WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOO

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