Grand Theft Auto IV — with strip clubs
p2pnet news | Games:- “Blowing stuff up, driving drunk, meeting someone online, going on a date, hailing a cab, listening to the radio, killing innocent bystanders, patronizing strip clubs, flying helicopters, earning cash for criminal activities, running from the police and, of course, hijacking lots of cars.”
Normal leisure time activities.
When you see a list like that, topping a Canadian Press story, you know Take Two Interactive-Rock Star’s GTA has to be in it somewhere.
“Players will be tempted with such seedy choices in Rockstar Games’ wildly anticipated ninth entry in their controversial but lucrative ‘Grand Theft Auto’ franchise, set for release April 29,” says CP.
And there’s a better-than-even chance the game’s viral marketing campaign will upset people of eastern European descent, especially if they’re living in the Brooklyn area of New York.
Convincing wanted posters on Brooklyn-area telephone poles feature Niko Bellic, the game’s protagonist, says Kotaku.
The poster warns Bellic is, “wanted for questioning in connection with a shooting at a nightclub in the Hove Beach area of Broker” and explains the perpetrator is of eastern European descent, “which narrows it down to about 95% of the Hove Beach community.”
The poster ‘jokes,’ “Even we can’t arrest that many foreigners” and suggests Bellic be shot on sight.
Conventions found in a totally dissimilar gaming franchise, The Sims, are, “heavily embedded” throughout GTA IV, says CP.
Like what? Bellic can, “go online at Net cafes in Liberty City and access over 100 fictitious websites. He can cultivate relationships with other characters through cell phone calls, e-mails and quality time at bars, comedy clubs, cabarets, bowling allies and …
“… strip clubs.”
The story has Rockstar Games founder Dan Houser saying he expects an “angry reaction from certain corners of the media when GTA IV is released this April”.
“I expect it because we’ve had so much of it in the past.”
‘Fatally flawed’
Manhunt 2 is another Rock Star game featuring criminally insane murderous psychopaths.
US Megastore Target took a pass on the game and Britain banned it altogether.
It’s the most, “senselessly violent and offensive thing I’ve ever watched,” said James Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media.
Take-Two said it’d toned the game down, but mods featuring the full-frontal violence showed up online.
The Video Appeals Committee (VAC) lifted the ban following an appeal, ruling the game was “unlikely to cause harm to adults or children” and awarded it an 18 certificate, says Digital Arts, adding
“But at a High Court hearing in London, Mr Justice Mitting branded the game ‘dark and violent’. He told the VAC to revoke the classification as their decision was fatally flawed by ‘a clear error of law’ when it came to the test for assessing the question of harm.
“During yesterday’s hearing, the BBFC expressed concern that the VAC decision could have serious implications for its watchdog role ‘not only in relation to video games, but generally’.”
Also See:
Canadian Press - ‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ adds drunk driving, strip clubs to franchise, January 30, 2008
Kotaku – Grand Theft Auto IV Wanted Posters Popping Up In Brooklyn, January 31, 2008
murderous psychopaths – Target dumps Manhunt 2, November 8, 2007
banned it altogether – Manhunt 2 not for Adults Only, November 6, 2007
Digital Arts – Judge bans Manhunt 2 in the UK, January 29, 2008
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January 31st, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I am from the Eastern Europe and I honestly can say I don’t care if the main character is from there. Rockstar is known to have different easter eggs of such but I don’t think they will be forcing as much insults as possible just to insult.
January 31st, 2008 at 10:58 pm
My goodness, shoot em up games are always about going after some character in the game. Even fantasy and role playing games are the same. If kids and other game players can’t figure out there is a difference between a game with a reset and real life without one, they got more problems than just a game.
*fourth attempt to post. Wordpress starts out saying you are posting too quickly with the first attempt to post.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:55 am
Strip clubs? What video game have I seen that before? Oh wait… “SHAKE IT BABY”!!!!!
May 14th, 2008 at 11:53 am
So there are a lot of GTA tutorials posted, but they’re all incredibly lengthy text (usually in 5-point font) with the occasional screengrab. I found this site, which has a pretty good intro to GTA & some cheats–the phone cheats are pretty good: http://www.monkeysee.com/play/9320-how-to-play-grand-theft-auto-iv
Anyone found something else along these lines, or perhaps a full-blown video walkthrough (salivating at the thought!)?
Matt
August 22nd, 2008 at 7:16 am
i am a murderer dont talk to me