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New York appalled with GTA IV setting
The latest version of an ultraviolent video game will unleash its murderous mayhem on the streets of New York.
And outraged political leaders say the rampant brutality of the game, Grand Theft Auto IV, has little in common with reality.
"Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland," said City Councilman Peter Vallone, chairman of the Council's Public Safety Committee.
In its first trailers released this week, Grand Theft Auto is set in a mythical city that bears a striking resemblance to New York.
As the trailer shows well-known landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Cyclone in Coney Island, a character voiceover warns: "Life is complicated. I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different."
"It's despicable to glamorize violence in games like these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting may be," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
In previous incarnations, players advanced through the game by killing cops, selling pornography to children and killing prostitutes. Details of the latest version have not been released.
"The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers," said Jason Post, a spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg.
He noted that auto thefts have dropped 58% since Bloomberg took office, and so far this year New York City's murder rate is down 28%.
Jim Ankner, a spokesman for Take2 Games, declined to comment yesterday. Trailers from the latest version were released on the Internet Thursday. The game hits the stores in October.
New York was also the inspiration for an earlier version of the game, under the name "Liberty City."
"We've seen games that have been set in real cities, and that has been a weird route to take. By setting it in Liberty City they can get away with that satire," said Jeff Gerstmann, an editorial director from Gamespot.com.
Source: nydailynews.com
And outraged political leaders say the rampant brutality of the game, Grand Theft Auto IV, has little in common with reality.
"Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland," said City Councilman Peter Vallone, chairman of the Council's Public Safety Committee.
In its first trailers released this week, Grand Theft Auto is set in a mythical city that bears a striking resemblance to New York.
As the trailer shows well-known landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the Cyclone in Coney Island, a character voiceover warns: "Life is complicated. I killed people, smuggled people, sold people. Perhaps here, things will be different."
"It's despicable to glamorize violence in games like these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting may be," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
In previous incarnations, players advanced through the game by killing cops, selling pornography to children and killing prostitutes. Details of the latest version have not been released.
"The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers," said Jason Post, a spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg.
He noted that auto thefts have dropped 58% since Bloomberg took office, and so far this year New York City's murder rate is down 28%.
Jim Ankner, a spokesman for Take2 Games, declined to comment yesterday. Trailers from the latest version were released on the Internet Thursday. The game hits the stores in October.
New York was also the inspiration for an earlier version of the game, under the name "Liberty City."
"We've seen games that have been set in real cities, and that has been a weird route to take. By setting it in Liberty City they can get away with that satire," said Jeff Gerstmann, an editorial director from Gamespot.com.
Source: nydailynews.com
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