IGN yanks GTAIV hooker sex, killing video

by Xav de Matos { May 1st 2008 at 11:30AM }

Up until last night IGN had a feature video dedicated to scenes that depicted GTAIV lead character, Niko Bellic, performing sexual acts and murdering prostitutes online. After questioning the validity of such a video from MTV Multiplayer Blog lead Stephen Totilo, and bringing up the video with a contact at Fox; who owns IGN, the video was removed from IGN's site.

"IGN's goal is to show our users all aspects of popular games on the market," an IGN spokesperson told Totilo. "In this case, we crossed a line in how we portrayed some aspects of the game and we've taken this video down."

The video begins with a montage of pole-dancing and lap-dancing and then spirals into violence with multiple shootings of scantily-clad women by Bellic.

Forgetting that such a specifically focused look at that small, and optional, portion of the game was featured in such a way and the irony of a Fox owned outlet creating and releasing the video, we're left wondering what the point was. Doesn't creating a feature that only looks at such a controversial part of GTAIV fuel the fire for Rockstar naysayers? Well, at least we know which video we're likely to see when Fox News tackles the content of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Tags: controversy, fox, grand-theft-auto, grand-theft-auto-iv, gtaiv, ign, rockstar, take-two

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

dr_wags @ May 1st 2008 11:42AM

That video was disgusting, it could have been produced by Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer.

No wonder politicians are targeting videogames. The videogame industry paints a big bullseye on itself with promotions like The Ladies of Liberty City.

If you find it entertaining to imagine you are killing hookers or running over innocent pedestrians that you should seriously consider some form of therapy.

TORO @ May 1st 2008 11:46AM

I hadn't seen the sex in in GTA either until now (YouTube), wow I'm completely shocked at this. Tonight, I'm going to pick up a hooker and pimp slap her...lol

TORO @ May 1st 2008 11:48AM

then I'll run her over and get my money back

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 11:51AM

Ya know, movies do just about the same thing in the trailers. They show stealth kills and crap blowing up all the time not to mention some of the romance part. GTA is a series that grabs bad attention no matter what! Making a video about killing hookers and strip clubs is not a bullseye for the game! It is part of the game and everyone knows it.

It kills me that people bitch about the video and then have it removed just to have it pop up on youtube where you can find a lot worse things than pixelated porn! Get over it :D

Pudge @ May 1st 2008 12:01PM

Any website with Two Girls One Cup could use a little stripper killing to balance things out.

and I hate dr wags for making me think about that again.

Doug @ May 1st 2008 2:08PM

X3F, you can backpedal all you want. That IGN video is gameplay. Stop making excuses for Rockstar.

D Boy Flex @ May 1st 2008 11:59AM

Personally, I would rather keep this out of the game. BUT, a lot of people do enjoy it so I am glad it is pretty much optional only. I do not need a hooker to up my health, I will pay a buck for a hotdog and then kill the vendor. Much more family friendly, right? Eh, it is no wonder there is so much controversy about video games, being that they are pretty much showing sex, and whether the game is M rated or not, it is going to get into the hands of kids. There is something called buying things online where they do not enforce age, or just telling mommy I want that game. Oh, what is it about, little Jonny? Oh, you get to drive cars around and stuff. Yeah, expound on stuff. Anyways, I knew a guy who let his kid play GTA 3 when he was only like 1 or 2 because he liked driving around. But actually pretty quickly did the kid learn how to shoot people and pick up hookers and do everything you would think a kid at that age wouldn't figure out. Well, he did and then they quit letting him play. point is, these games get into the hands of all ages one way or another, so there should be some way to block certain content with parental controls or something. I know you can prevent play of the game with them now, but something in game you can do to block that stuff, just because we all know little kids are playing this game also. Anyways, just my two cents. For the record, the GTA series is my favorite video game series of all time, more than Halo or CoD or anything else. I would like to see future sequals which are not rated Ao, and stuff like this are kinda pushing the limits I think.

Roto13 @ May 1st 2008 12:00PM

Right, because outside of the debauchery, Niko can volunteer at the local animal shelter and help old ladies cross the street.

Face it. This kind of stuff is indicative of what the average GTA player loves about GTA. Why bother to pretend it's not there? Because IGN didn't want to do Fox News' editing for them?

dr_wags @ May 1st 2008 12:02PM

What movies glorify the killing of prostitues and innocent pedestrians?

Snuff films films do. Recent torture-based horror films, like Hostel and Wolf's Creek do. However, mature, rationale people reject this type of imagery.

I love videogames and I don't mind violent and sexual themes in them but GTA beyond the pale. It is basically a snuff film in videogame form.

I hear people argue that they can separate this imaginary world from the real world but I really question why anyone wants to spend their time imagining they are running over prostitutes to retrieve their money.

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 12:10PM

Oh how I love a good debate in the afternoon! :D I don't really care for torture films not horror films that much but, just because I don't like them does not mean other people don't I am a very open guy when it comes to these things and none of it offends me.

Video games are what I do for a living so, maybe I see them different than you do. And I sure don't think that the games make people violent. My 8 year old son plays almost everything I do and he is the nicest kid you could ever meet.

If parents take the time time to teach their kids right from wrong and tell them the difference between fiction and reality instead of wanting to blame everything on a damn game, the world would be just a tad better :D

AnOffday @ May 1st 2008 12:28PM

Obviously someone hasn't been to movies in awhile.

And to compare GTA to a video game form of a snuff film is retarded. Snuff films are real people who are really being killed. A video game or a movie form of a snuff film shouldn't even be considered to be a "form" of a real one. It's as complete opposite as you can get.

And I agree with Nxs. Too many parents today just flat out suck at being parents. That's why kids are messed up; not because they get their hands on M rated video games. Delusional, already messed up people can't tell the difference between video games and reality. But God forbid we blame parents for all this. They're the ones who keep voting for these crappy politicians. Why would they criticize their voters?

Tony @ May 1st 2008 12:36PM

If people think films like Hostel are a recent phenomenon they've not seen many movies. They've been around for decades. I'd agree they've seen somewhat of a resurgence, but two or three "big" movies is not enough to turn something like that into a scapegoat. Most of them are completely ignored like they should be because they're simply horrible movies.

Further more, I'm rational and "mature", whatever that really means, and I can enjoy these films on some level. Just like I can enjoy GTA4. I'm not running around glorifying killing prostitutes in my free time. No one I know would even call be mean spirited.

Most serial killers are so reclusive that I somehow doubt they're hanging out watching Hostel and Let Them Die Slowly to get tips to begin with. This is not some testing ground for any of them and to claim such ignores any serious case I'm even remotely aware of.

Taking this as what it is, you can do these things in these games. It's really that simple. It's going to offend certain people. Calling attention it isn't necessarily wrong, although I would also question why they bothered to edit that together in succession like that.

At the same time, does IGN have to put it alongside videos of Niko going on nice dates and playing Qub3d? Why is this their responsiblity, honestly? Why do they have to pretend this isn't something you can do in the game? To avoid controversy? Let's face it, the people who would bitch about it are the people who were bitching before this game was even announced. It wouldn't have mattered.

This video might provide some groups with an easy thing to cite and play when they're trying to rally support, but they could play the game for about 15 minutes and find more than enough to suit their cause.

Shying away from this stuff and pretending it isn't there is NOT the solution. It's never going to be the solution. It doesn't fix things in real life and it doesn't fix things in media either. It also doesn't help to insult those who are playing this and likening them to over the top rapists and murderers. No common ground is ever going to be found there if people keep going in those directions.

Digitalspirit @ May 1st 2008 12:14PM

I think you need to do some research on what a snuff film actually is before posting trash like this.

dr_wags @ May 1st 2008 12:18PM

I bet Ted Bundy would have loved to play some GTA and then watch Hostel.

I lot of people "enjoy" kiddie porn but we don't allow that to be sold legally.

The video game industry should show some self-restraint. I don't want the polititians to target videogames and blame them for all our troubles. But games like GTA make it easy to scapegoat videogames.

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 12:26PM

So what you are tellin me is that if I sit here for 12 hours a day playing violent games and watch crappy slasher films, I will become a mass murder? lol

I have been playing games since I was 8! I am 34 now and I don't plan to stop anytime soon. Hell, just finished a 12 hour GTAIV session and I don't feel like going out and humping a hooker then kill her to get my money back. lol

I would much prefer to have a beer or 24 and do what ever the hell I want in GTA with friends! I do not believe this violent games = violent people bullshit in the least! :D

AnOffday @ May 1st 2008 12:32PM

Politicians are ALWAYS going to scapegoat video games. Do you think they will ever admit to what the real problem is? Of course not.

Stating the real problem (crappy parents) = Making said crappy parents mad = less votes.

That's how our crappy excuse for a government works.

Patton @ May 1st 2008 12:18PM

If you don't like it, don't play it. It is that simple. Don't censor the game because someone gets offended by it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the ability to kill a hooker is art, but if you start out by censoring GTA, where does it end?

The rating system may be bunk because kids get their hands on the game anyway. But how is that the developers fault? Why should they be punished or censored because someone didn't obey the law? Why didn't the parents pay attention when little Johnny asked for the game?

For god sake, it's called GRAND THEFT AUTO, not "Fluffy Pink Bunnies Drive the GlowBus Around Happiness Island."

John @ May 1st 2008 12:32PM

The content of the game doesn't bother me so much because we are all just a few clicks of the internet away from access to that type of material. Personal choice if you want to entertain yourself acting out crime.

What disturbs me is how MANY people think this is fun and entertaining. That's more scary than anything.

ZEBRA NINER @ May 1st 2008 12:33PM

This again? Oh Fox, you sure are rascals! I seem to remember a few Family Guy episodes that feature such acts!

Anyway, I'm an adult. I like my violence, VERY violent. I should be able to indulge in whatever sick murderous fantasy I want with some jerk trying to ruin my fun (politicians and bible thumpers).

If I want to watch sex and murder all day long, I should be able to do that. Don't start censoring my content because you can't handle it, or because you can't control your children. That's not my problem, that YOUR problem. You can always go back to watching Gilmore Girls and playing Viva Pinata.

Tony @ May 1st 2008 12:41PM

I play GTA and Viva Pinata... it's a good game lol.

ZEBRA NINER @ May 1st 2008 12:57PM

Haha, I'm not knocking Viva, I just think if you can't handle GTA it's probably more appropriate. Some people don't have the mental capacity to understand that GTA is a video game, and It's not real.

I've never murdered anyone after playing GTA, now after watching Hillary Clinton speak for an hour... that's a completely different story.

dr_wags @ May 1st 2008 12:39PM

I'm not saying that playing violent videogames causes people to be violent. I enjoy playing Call of Duty and imagining I am storming the beaches of Normandy. That is not going to cause me to join the marines.

What I am saying that is you must seriously question yourself if you find it entertaining to imagine you are killing prostitutes and innocent pedestrians. Although the act of imagining you are doing these morally impugnant acts will not directly cause you to act in such a manner it will affect your sense of morality. It will make you feel less indignation toward real criminal behavior and real injustice.

Is having a sense of moral outrage toward criminal behavior and injustice important? Perhaps it isn't to you but I think it should be.

Tony @ May 1st 2008 12:43PM

"It will make you feel less indignation toward real criminal behavior and real injustice."

What are you basing this on? Most studies don't seem to support this.

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 12:56PM

So, you are telling me that playing CoD is fine but GTA isn't? That makes no sense to me. How can you put one violent game above the other? Is is because in GTA you have the choice to do more things than just follow a war story taking out only the bad guys? GTA is popular because you can do things that you can't in real life and most people understand this. I kill a hooker in a game and jump off a skyscraper in a game because it is fun! Knowing full well I can't do these thing in real life :D

SadisticHam @ May 1st 2008 12:53PM

I played viva Pinata the other day and then proceeded to smash my neighbors cats head in with a spade. Please, ban viva Pinata and save me from myself. 8-)

dr_wags @ May 1st 2008 12:56PM

I have read the research literature on this topic and frankly the results are mixed. However, there is not enough research to draw any strong conclusion one way or the other. Does that mean I can't rationally draw a conclusion about the effects of GTA? Of course not. We all have mental models of what is right and what is wrong (i.e., morality). Spending hours and hours engaged in imagining that you a vicious criminal is bound to affect your sense of morality and justice. If you find yourself laughing at the Ladies of Liberty City video then I think you have a problem. If you enjoy playing GTA so you can run over innocent pedesrians then I think you have a problem. That is only my opinion and you can feel free to ignore it but it doesn't make my opinion any less valid.

Tucker @ May 1st 2008 1:24PM

Maybe that's the crux of the matter right there - I enjoy playing games as games. I don't "imagine" I'm Niko Bellic running around stealing cars. I have the cognizance to understand that I am an adult, playing a game - a simulation - of something occurring. It's a game, period. All new forms of media get scapegoated with sketchy "evidence" and half-assed "research" to show they make kids violent, dumb, whatever. Are some people already twisted, and do these activities perhaps indulge their already existing twisted fantasies? Maybe they do. But healthy, normal people who are of the appropriate age to enjoy these things for what they are should not be punished by people who can't grasp the concept that games are games, parenting should be done by parents, and spending time bitching about a GAME is time that could be spent working on real problems like war (or stopping PHONY wars *cough*) and corruption.

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 1:28PM

I don't think just because you laugh at certain things warp your morality. Just because I find the humor in it does not mean my sense of morality is twisted. When I see these things in a game, funny. When I see them in real life, not funny. I know the difference as do most gamers cause we are in our thirties now which means that devs need to make games that cater to us! GTA, RE, Silent Hill, Age of Conan, Saints Row, etc. all cater to 18-30+ males and we like violence and boobs!

You can sit there and tell my that these games make a difference to the mental state of mental people but, I am never ever going to believe it cause it is not due to the game, it is dependent on the mental condition of the person that plays it :D

AnOffday @ May 1st 2008 2:39PM

The fact that I doubt the Dr. on the front of your name is real, actually does make your opinion less valid.

pop culture philosopher @ May 1st 2008 1:37PM

Alright ladies and gents, I must say that I agree with Dr. Wags. I'm a huge 360 fanboy but I won't touch GTA4 with a ten foot pole, and this out of principle.

Instead of making an argument here, I'll simply make my point with an illustration aimed at the GTA defenders. Suppose a game came out where the protagonist could molest children. Would you support such a game? Would you play it? What would you think of the people who did? What would you think of the people who actually enjoyed that portion of the game? Couldn't people who enjoyed such a game use the EXACT same arguments that you use to defend GTA?

If it's OK to commit virtual assault and murder, why wouldn't it be OK (in your opinion) to commit virtual child molestation? After all, it could easily be argued that murder is significantly more evil than sex abuse, since it ends a human life and the other doesn't. Hence, if it's wrong to commit virtual child rape (or adult rape, for that matter), it should also be wrong to commit virtual murder.

And please don't respond by telling me it's a free country and no crime is being committed in either GTA or the fictional child-molestation game. I'm not talking about the legality of playing GTA but the ethicality of it.

Cheers.

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 1:48PM

Well pop culture philosopher, you bring up a good point. Where do you draw the line? Myself, I have kids, so, a child molesting game would not be high on my list of games to play. Unless, it was really really good :D

All jokes aside, it really depends on what kinda of person you are. I am really laid back and GTA kinda games do not bother me in the least. Never have and never will. I am a mature adult and I know what my limits are. So far, no game has came out that has offended me. They are after all, just games.

For some ppl this is just not their style. I am ok with that. But, don't tell me and everyone else that it is bad for everyone just because you dont agree with it. I severely hate PETA but, I don't goto their site and post pics of my with a beer up a cats ass! :D

ZEBRA NINER @ May 1st 2008 1:51PM

That's interesting that you mention that. I think there are still somethings that are distasteful to most people. That's probably why I haven't seen children wandering the streets of Liberty City. I don't know if you agree with me, but a child's life has more value that an adult's life would.

As far as your child molestation comment goes, when was the last time you saw a movie glorifying child molestation? I know I've seen tons of movies or tv shows that glorify killing. I think society sets bar for what's acceptable and what's not.

I will say, that if such a game ever existed, I wouldn't be interested. The same way you aren't interested in GTA.

ZEBRA NINER @ May 1st 2008 2:04PM

My girlfriend pointed out that you might be on to something with this child molestation game idea. That would be a BIG seller in Colorado City! :D

ZING!

dr_wags @ May 1st 2008 1:41PM

Tucker's comment support's my argument.

Why don't more people feel a sense of indignation that our government is corrupt and fighting a phony wars on terror?

People, especially young people, have dulled their sense of morality and justice through games like GTA and movies like Hostel.

Perhaps it was true the religion was the opiate of the masses, in the past. Today, MTV and GTA are the opiates of the masses. Keep telling yourself that it is just a game or just a silly television show. When you spend more time on that game and television show then you do actually engaging in real life where people truly suffer because of crime then you are not just playing a game. You are truly influencing your own sense of right and wrong.

I don't want to censor anything. I'm just sharing my opinion in the hopes that some of you will become a little more enlightened. Many of the opinions I've seen others post are as polarized as any right-wing extremist that believe that all video games are evil. I'm not saying that. But I do believe that some videogames have the potential to be destructive and GTA fits the bill.

ZEBRA NINER @ May 1st 2008 1:54PM

Left wing extremists are against video games too. :)

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 1:58PM

Anything has the potential to be destructive dr wags! The problem here is that the world is becoming so pussified that it is turning anything and everything into some argument.

Holy crap! I killed a hooker in a game. I am mentally unstable now. Oh dear Lord, I said black person! I am racially insensitive now. I ate a piece of bacon and now PETA is protesting in front of my house.

The problem is, is that the world is so politically correct and no one can say or do anything without looking over their shoulder because they might offend someone. I for one, don't give a shit.

The point remains, if you don't like it, don't play it. Afterall, it is your choice and it is a game :D

AnOffday @ May 1st 2008 2:11PM

Some of you people need to understand politics a little better before you start talking.

Right Wing = Republicans
Left Wing = Democrats

Left Wing = People who want to ban everything. Fast food, guns, video games, etc. You name it.

The biggest Republican conservative who ever lived is even on our side.

http://gamepolitics.com/2007/04/18/rush-limbaugh-pooh-poohs-video-games-involvement-in-va-tech-rampage/

Get your freaking facts straight.

Vcize @ May 1st 2008 2:43PM

AnOffday, both sides would be against this.

Far right wing is generally associated with over protective, heavily religious, against any form of sin, don't live with anyone or have sex before you're married, the value of a human life is worth more than anything (hence the anti-abortion route), etc etc.

The Fox News Mass Effect debacle was a perfect example of right wing extremism as it relates to something like this. "OMG ITS A SEX SIMULATOR IT JUST TREATS WOMEN LIKE OBJECTS THINK OF THE CHILDRENNNNN!!!!!!" when any rational person could see that one digital butt is no big deal. But "OH NOES WE MUST PROTECT THE CHILDREN FROM THE SINNARS AND THE TERRORISTS THAT MADE THIS GAME!!!!".

Please don't give that "get your freakin facts straight" line when you clearly have no idea what you're talking about in that delusional little world of yours.

c4v3man @ May 1st 2008 1:52PM

Some people believe that killing people, even in war, is wrong. So should we ban those games? Some people think that driving sports cars is bad because it damages the environment. Some people think Soccer is bad, because it causes riots (all just generic examples, not trying to single anything out). So does this mean that there shouldn't be games made about these activities, because some people find them to be questionable?

And about hitting innocent pedestrians... That's one of the reason's I play GTA. It's fun. It's like carmageddon. If you think that makes me a morally questionable person, then what about a little boy with a hot wheels car, and a little girl with a barbie doll. What if the boy drives over the barbie doll? Is that morally questionable? I think actual acts of vehicular manslaughter are horrible, like that old fart in Florida who drove into a bunch of people a couple years ago. But I'm not running into innocent people. I'm using a joystick to manipulate a metallic object that is being rendered onscreen to collide and interact with NPC's on the screen. It's A GAME.

And I wouldn't play a game simulating Child rape, because I would find that disgusting. I suggest people who find running over pedestrians to be disgusting to do the same... don't play it. Problem solved.

Patton @ May 1st 2008 2:02PM

I'm not going to argue with you about the molesting children comment. There's no reason to. You could just continue down that slippery slope, naming increasingly morally repugnant acts and crimes as you slide.

What I will argue with you about is your comments regarding the ethicality of playing such a game. Why is that relevant? You may not think that playing GTA is morally or ethically "right," but I disagree. Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do, where the law is not concerned?

I guess what it comes down to is this: when I sleep with a hooker, then kill her and take my money back in GTA, am I hurting anyone? Stop trying to protect people from themselves. It doesn't work, and it never ever will.

pop culture philosopher @ May 1st 2008 2:16PM

Patton,

Three points. First, my aim was not merely judgment but persuasion. If we as members of a society can't have a normal conversation about morality and try to persuade the other party of our views without one of the parties crying, "You can't judge me!" then there is absolutely no point in even having a conversation about ethics. Taking attempts at ethical persuasion merely as instances of moral judgment is a sure conversation stopper. And conversation is what we need more of.

Second point. That being said, however, I do not think you can hold to your own ethical views consistently. You seem to be saying that the only legitimate arena for moral judgment are immoral acts condemned by the law. That is, I can only tell you, "You're immoral," if you're doing something illegal. Alright, on that account, you yourself can not judge lying, adultery, racism, hatred, sexism, arrogance, etc. etc. as immoral because none of these things are prohibited by law.

Last point. This irrational fear our culture has against "judging" does no one any favors. Certainly wrong moral judgment can have nasty consequences, but so can failure to judge. If one tries to be Mr. Nice Guy and always tries to minimize the amount that he is "judging" someone, he is inevitably going to let some pretty wicked things slip through the cracks.

Further, if I myself am acting wrongly by judging you and other GTA players, then by your own moral standards you couldn't even judge my own judgment to be wrong. That is, you would be judging judging, which would be self-referentially incoherent. Instead of engaging in pretentious moral games that border on relativism, I think we should all just admit that "judging" is perfectly normal, then duke it out with reason and logic to determine who is judging correctly and who isn't.

Later.

dr_wags @ May 1st 2008 2:21PM

What I hear from many of you is it's the parents fault and corporations should cater to our basest instincts in order to make a profit.

Both parents have to work more than ever just to generate enough income to survive and all the while the media is selling the most morally repungnant garbage. So let's blame the parents -- those terrible parents who don't care about their kids, right?

Political correctness means rejecting portrayals of women as whores who deserve no better than death after they have sold their bodies for sex. Wow, I'm sorry if I've been pussified -- I guess I better lighten up. Maybe if I played some GTA and ran over some innocent pedestrians I'd be a more balanced person. Right!

I think so many of you live in a bizzaro world of moral relativism and apathy. It is a shame.

AnOffday @ May 1st 2008 2:30PM

Uhh. Yeah. Let's blame the parents. The parents who are buying the "garbage." Am I suppose to feel bad for hard working parents who spend their money on violent games for their kids?

I don't even understand where you're going with this? So parents have to work hard to make a living, while the media is selling violent games...ok...what's your point?

No one is being hypnotized by the "evil" media into buying GTA IV. I don't even know why you're blaming the media. They have the same backwards thinking as you. They hate GTA. They aren't selling it.

Nxs @ May 1st 2008 2:43PM

lol! You are killin me here dr wags! Seriously, even if I wasn't drinking, snorting coke, and telling the four hookers I have here to lay in front of my car so I can run them over after I was done with them, I would still be laughing!

Even though none of the above is true, aside from the drinking, to understand that not everyone is the same? Just because I don't find GTA in the least bit offensive and you do, does not mean that I think you are wrong. I just think you are a wacko! :D

Not everyone that plays violent games has something morally wrong with them! Do you not understand even a little that is just fun? I am guessing you don't judging by your posts. Still, not everyone goes playing GTA just to get an idea how life is.

I know this is off subject, again, but, the political correctness is just stupid. I am so sick and tired of all the things I can't do and say cause it might hurt someones feelings. Well guess what? That is the way life is! I am trying to be as nice as possible here cause I really don't like people telling me what I can and can not play. I know you are just stating your opinion but, as far as I am concerned, you might as well be Jack 'ass' Thompson.

Feel free to argue with me more as I have the time and the beer to do so :D

Digitalspirit @ May 2nd 2008 6:57AM

dr_wags, you need to open your eyes and see what the real world is like, it's not the politically correct nirvana you make it out to be, it's full of depravity and evil far in excess of what is portrayed in GTA IV. The game is for adults and is not real. Anyone that feels the need to act out sick fantasies in reality has far more serious issues than this game could ever portray and if a game makes you want to do these things in real life, then you shouldn't be in society anyway! You need to get a life sir, your views are weak at best and I suggest you take your preaching elsewhere, because no one here cares. We are adults with morals and no game will turn us into the next Jeffrey Dharma! Get a grip!

Rob @ May 1st 2008 2:24PM

Wow, it's a game/video. People need to relax. There is always a difference between real life and a movie.

In movies/games anything goes. Killing prostitutes, who cares. There is no level of "morality" involved as long as you know it's a game.

The more people complain about violent games and movies the more there will be, because more than anything people enjoy expressing their rights. Their right to play violent games, and watch violent films.

If you really care about violent games and want them to stop or at least "reduce" stop bitching about them. Then maybe they won't be so well known and popular.

Seiggy @ May 1st 2008 2:41PM

all I have to say is..."Oh yeah..thats my Soul Pole!"

You can't tell me that's not the funniest thing a hooker has ever said in a video game!

Tiggle @ May 1st 2008 3:18PM

The video was good for one thing: Knocking the games industry back a couple of rungs on the ladder. There's been a lot of work to make games mainstream and if this video were seen on a mass scale it would do more damage than good.

People have said for years that GTA is a big open world where you can do just about anything you want. Obviously that's not true. The only choice we have with the prostitute is whether or not to use them for health and whether or not to kill them afterwards. We have no other options. We can't be a bad guy with a heart that takes them to some shelter to get help and job training... no, it's very black and white. Same with many of the other "choices" in the game. This is why I prefer the morality of Crackdown... will I play GTA IV? Yes... when I can afford it. Will I use the prostitutes? No. Will I pick them up and try to create my own prostitute shelter with basic job training? You're damn straight I will.