GTA: San Andreas
p2pnet.net News:- Take-Two Interactive Software, owner of the odious Manhunt banned in New Zealand and which sparked the adoption of new video and CD buying and rental rules in Canada, recently announced a partnership with one of the members of the Big Four record label cartel that’s currently suing p2p users around the world.
Rockstar Games, Take-Two’s publisher, and Interscope Records, owned by France’s Universal Music Group (UMG), have a joint venture for the soundtrack to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, due for release on October 25.
PlayStation2 is, of course, owned by another member of the sue ‘em all cartel – Sony. The others are BMG (Sony-BMG, Japan, Germany), Warner Music (USA) and EMI (UK).
UMG’s estimated global market share in 2003 was 23.5%. It also owns the largest catalogue of recorded music in the world – that’s to say a major part of the dollar-a-download tracks that are sold on the likes of iTunes.
File sharing sites already have San Andreas listed for download, says SPOnG, “with one version weighing in at a whopping, not to mention credible, 3.95GB currently seeing a lot of activity. If this proves to be the game, it marks a worrying turn of events for Rockstar and the industry in general.”
That’s not all Take-Two / Rockstar has to worry about.
Manhunt is truly sick – sadistic, brutal and bloody. And it and other Take-Two ‘games’ are being played not only by adults, but also by kids.
Take-Two gave the exclusive UK magazine cover rights for San Andreas to GamesMaster, aimed at mid-teens.
ELSPA (the Entertainment & Leisure Software Publishers Association) is the UK’s computer and video games industry trade group – something akin to the music industry’s RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), with all that implies.
And yet, “There should be a cautious attitude targeting non-adults with adult content,” ELSPA director general Roger Bennett told English gaming mag MCV, states SPOnG. “It is up to the publishers what they do, but we would hope they would be careful and target the right audience – we don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot again. What we don’t want is a situation where the indefensible becomes indefensible,” he added. “We don’t want an Achilles’ heel like this given recent events.”
In San Andreas, “players build a crime empire by robbing banks, stealing cars, running drugs and killing the competition,” says a New York Post story, going on:.
“Over the past few years, New York-based Take-Two has endured SEC investigations, lawsuits and a big dip in sales. But ‘San Andreas’ may well reverse Take-Two’s recent fortunes. Sales of the last two ‘GTA’ games totaled nearly 20 million units, and according to analysts and game critics alike, ‘San Andreas’ looks to be the biggest game in the series so far.”
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See:-
Manhunt – Rockstar Games and Interscope Records Announce Partnership for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Soundtrack, TakeTwo
New Zealand – Sony sued: Manhunt murder, p2pnet, August 5, 2004
rules – New Cdn gaming ID rule, p2pnet, October 15, 2004
suing p2p users – Stomp file sharers: MPAA, RIAA, p2pnet, October 10, 2004
worrying – Embarrassment for Rockstar as piracy rumours surface, SPOnG, October 15, 2004
adult content – Publisher chooses magazine with younger readership for adult game, Spong, October 15, 2004
running drugs – BACK IN THE GAME, New York Post, October 17
October 17th, 2004 at 6:56 pm
This is the second time that a GTA soundtrack has been released through a major label. The first time, for Vice City, I believe it was released through Sony, and there were like 5 or 6 actual CDs, one for each of the game’s radio stations. I assume that this is the same sort of thing this time around. While I dislike the Big 4 as much as anyone with a working brain, they own what they own and I can’t hate Rockstar for wanting to put out a good period soundtrack.
Sidenote: Jon, I hope you aren’t turning into an advocate for non-violent entertainment…
October 17th, 2004 at 7:28 pm
Violence is like porn. It’s always been there and it’s not likely to go away any time soon.
And Nope, I’m not an advocate for non-violent entertainment.
But I draw the line at ‘games’ which feature snuff movies and brutality for the sake of it. I also think glamourizing organized crime, car theft, drug running, singling out racial groups for special attention, and on on, is way beyond the pale.
It’s especially true when impressionable kids can easily get their hands on the games.
Cheers!
October 17th, 2004 at 8:02 pm
The GTA games are great. I still play the original GTA once in a while. I like running over the Hara Krishna to get the Gouranga! bonus.
Drake
November 23rd, 2004 at 9:14 pm
I have yet to play San Andreas, but own and play Grand Theft Auto 3, and Vice City. I am a teenager and I am allowed to play these violent games. I realize these are only games and should never influence my actions. Many anti-video game parents say that kids are affected by video games. I believe this is completely untrue and is in fact, used as an excuse when people commit brutal crimes. Kids know what they are doing and know what the right actions and choices are. Everyone knows right from wrong, its just whether they do the right thing.
November 30th, 2004 at 12:48 am
i am a teenager from canada who recently purchased san andreas. i love killing all the people (the bloodier the better) and defineately am going to go downtown and shoot hookers for kicks. cause that is what these video games are supposed to do right? good thing i dont have a mind of my own, or else i wouldnt go on a violent rampage tommorow. i think ive killed about 30-40 hookers downtown since i started playing the game. morals? who needs them? ive got away with murder tons of times, in fact on the way home from school, i gunned down a few people, and stole a semi-truck. i wish my parents monitored my game play, because since they have stopped monitoring, i have suddenly lost all my morals, and murdered innocent people. well i think you people are doing wonders griping and groaning about kids playing violent video games, because we as youth don’t have morals or brains, so someone has to stick up for us. well i have to go now i am going to go steal a bus, run over some civilians, and gone down people in the street, join a gang, do drugs, hey i might even violate a few women well i’m at it. all in the name of violent games!!!i love you all