AliEnvy said:
The article that was linked was pretty critical and I'm sure there are others.
I don't particularly have a problem with GTA or other video games but for those that do and make a media stink about it, would be nice to hear what Bono's response would be since the day before that was announced, he was asking Americans to rise to a higher standard.
i guess when i asked "what criticisms" i meant "why the criticism"
personally i just dont see the issue here.
its a video game for crying out loud, its not like Bono has endorsed gang violence and run around waving an automatic rifle. hell, he's only on the board of a company thats probably made countless other games, he's not animating the pools of digital blood himself.
while i don't know what this call to rise to a higher standard was, i dont see how anyone can draw parallels between the humanitarian efforts bono makes and the reflection of a video game on soceity.
i think my problem with it is that i've never bought any of this "video games/movies endorse violence" bullshit and therefore i dont see any conflicting mesasges between bono's debt relief/save the world efforts and being part of a video game company.
and there'll be those that argue that kids shoot their friends after playing video games, but thats why games, like movies, have ratings and kids shouldn't be playing them.
people need to be responsible with that.
and as for the article and the story of the gang going on a rampage in the style of the game, i refuse to believe that, had these guys not played that game, they wouldn't have hurt a fly - people like that have violence in them, it was gonna come out with or without GTA. no originally stable person sits down, watches something and decides its a good idea to re-enact it, those issues are there long before they pick up the PS2 controller.
And yes, i love GTA - i get a kick out of running over policemen and starting a rampage on opposing gang members with a flame-thrower.
does that mean that i'm not allowed to do anything worthwhile with my life now beacuse i'd be contradicting the message!
no
why??
BECAUSE IT'S A FICTIONAL GAME!!!
why don't people get that?
as for Bono having to answer to this bullshit...
if i were him i'd just pull out my uzzi and blast the heads off the nearest bastards before running over them repeatedly in my stolen gang-car