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Does GTA IV promote drunk driving? photo

Rockstar just can't help themselves, it seems. As well as all the SORDID HARD SEX (i.e, some strippers and dry humping) and the REALISTIC MURDER SIMULATIONS (i.e, being able to work a sniper rifle without any prior experience, just like real life), Grand Theft Auto IV also promotes another great sin ... drunk driving?

Yes, both Mothers Against Drunk Driving and, more recently, the police force, have expressed their concerns over the fact that main character Niko Bellic can get himself half-cut and then attempt to drive a car. Funnily enough, I never even thought of the outrage it would cause when I first saw the sequence, although to be fair, I was too busy trying to make Niko walk straight.

Because of the sequence, MADD wants to have GTA IV re-classified as an Adults Only game -- an unrealistic goal, of course. "Drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke," states the group. "Drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime and it is also 100 percent preventable." Furthermore, the traffic commander of the Savannah-Chatham Police Department, Lt. Scott Simpkins is worried that the game will encourage drunk driving:

How many people are going to go ‘hey if I can master this, I can go out and instead of having a glass of wine or a beer with dinner, I can have 2 or 3 because I’ve been training how to drive intoxicated’?

Personally, this reminds me of the idiots who believe Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas encourages people to use drugs more. Just like Fear & Loathing, GTA IV does not make the portrayed act look like fun in the least. Since I had my first taste of drunk driving in GTA, I have not currently done it again -- it's frustrating, it's aggravating, and the cops get on your case in no time. I personally feel that Rockstar made drunk driving look pretty stupid. That said, sometimes I think the developer is just begging for trouble.


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71 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Rifter01's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 04:37
Rifter01
But...but, I drive better after a few -hic- drinks than -hic- most people while sober! -hic- o.O
exodus1925's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 04:48
exodus1925
Well I'm convinced. It's 11am here, time to get twatted and go for a little saturday drive.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 04:50
Samit Sarkar
I knew this was going to ruffle some feathers when I first heard about it. Hell, I’m surprised it even took this long. I agree with you — I’ve only driven drunk once, and it just wasn’t fun crashing into everything that was in (and out of) my way. I managed to avoid the cops, but that was because I took the entire trip back to Michelle’s at, like, 5 mph.
Veck's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 04:51
Veck
Have to admit, when I first heard about this I winced a little. The devil's advocate in me wants to argue that it's much easier for an average person to get in a car drunk than it is for them to go on a killing spree or beat up hookers. The ethical/moral dilemma that stops most sane people doing those things isn't so apparent when it comes to drink-driving.

Still, I'm not saying I agree with this line of thought. Fundamentally you'd have to be pretty fucking stupid to get behind the wheel drunk -- in the same way you'd have to be already pretty insane to go on a killing rampage. Deferring responsibility to a video game is scape-goating of the highest order.

Yet this worries somewhat. All the other bullshit criticism people level at GTA has been so up in the clouds that it's been easy to ignore. This just feels like it has a stronger footing in reality, and with it the anti-GTA lobby have something they could really get some mileage out of.
Boolean's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 04:57
Boolean
*sigh*
Lanae's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 04:59
Lanae
"Drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke,"

oh but knifing random jazzercizers in the middle of the park and making humans explode with your front bumper....is DEFINATELY a joke.

i laughed.
Vitamin Awesome's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 05:02
Vitamin Awesome
I tried the drunken driving in the game and ended up getting assaulted by the cops. It took me forever to lose them because the controls are horrid when drunk. It's certainly something that isn't "promoted" in the game.

What about vigilante missions, where you go out and clean up the mean streets? where are the raves about that? Just because I have the option to do something doesn't mean It's being promoted, it's just as absurd as saying Life promotes me to be a serious sex offender, after all, I always have the option for it.
Mutant Pope's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 05:11
Mutant Pope
RockStar set out to make a game with a real city, real people, real choices and real consequences. Drunk driving is one of those choices. Although by the sound of it, just like in real life its not a very smart move to make. I don't think they were wrong to include it. I think it's wrong that people are making a big deal out of it.
Cowboy TTop's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 05:18
Cowboy TTop
A stronger footing in reality indeed, as we can't all be space marines and sword wielding elfs forever playing it safe.

While Rockstar are the masters of pushing the bounderies, its stupid but also brave what they are doing. With all the controversy, if this were part of a film (which I'm sure has een done a few times before) or book, not a soul would bat an eyelid.

I in no way promote drink driving and I don't think Rockstar do either, as its clearly part of an adult story (and as usual, it will be taken out of context and whipped up). To not let games tackle these kinds of subject doesn't help anyone. We can't have war games and not learn about the horrors and consequences of war (CoD4, MGS), so the same rule applies here too.

And if not Rockstar, who would raise these kinds of topics in games? Few are brave enough to do so, for fear of being stung, and that just hold the industry back (cue debate for games to be taken seriously here).

I think Condemned 2 recently also done a great job where you play an alcoholic cop, a character that is flawed like all of us, but still has a job to do, at the end of a bender. Hooray for adult games, I say. Kids, while its not aimed at them, might actually learn that drink driving is bad too.
OrangeGoblin's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 05:22
OrangeGoblin
When you get drunk, Niko often says things like "I'm too drunk to drive" and "maybe I should get a cab home". If you are seen drunk-driving, the police will immediatly come after you. Sounds like a pretty reasonable message to me.
mistic's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 05:44
mistic
I find that being drunk in GTA4 is quite a pain in the ass... more then enough reason NOT to do it in real life... but then again I've never driven drunk in real life and probably won't ever do it either... I've seen way to many young guys destroy their own life (and sometimes some others too ) to be driving drunk :-)
Macca's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 06:15
Macca
If being drunk made driving easier in the game, then maybe, just maybe I could agree with them. But it doesn't, which kind of makes their argument seem stupid.
Fading Star's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 06:43
Fading Star
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/IndustryInfo/Story?id=4767635&page=1

More nonsense(probably.)
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 06:45
BlackSunEmpire
GTA IV will make the world end. Just like you can complete the game, you can complete the world, and in doing so the credits will roll. Protect the children.
Mxyzptlk's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 07:02
Mxyzptlk
What I want to know is why hasn't PETA started throwing attention-whoring bitch fits about the game encouraging players to hunt down and kill pigeons?

Just like Greenpeace, MADD is an organization founded with good intentions that has since been twisted so much they've become a joke.
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 07:04
EternalDeathSlayer
Yes, it seems they are begging for trouble. But why should they be persecuted for putting something M rated into a game, a game for adults? They are totally within their rights, and I find it odd that none of these asshats made a big stink when you could get intoxicated in Saints Row. If I remember correctly, you could both drink and smoke pot in that one.

I guess they didn't care because it wasn't high profile enough. Assholes....
Vigor's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 07:21
Vigor
I used to be a little above par on drunk driving, but now that i got gtaiv its a breeze. Thanks ROCKSTAR, gotta go back to practicing, gotta carpool my family soon cant mess up, KguYZSLolOL.
Dennen's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 07:48
Dennen
I haven't driven drunk in the game yet. But when I did first get drunk, I recalled Nico commenting that he shouldn't drive. It was then that I got out of the damn car and prominently drunkenly yelled at a cab.
Morrius's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 08:02
Morrius
Aaah for gods sake. You get too drunk and suddenly it becomes fucking impossible to drive without crashing into things. There is no reward for doing so and it is much, much easier to just call a taxi. Sounds more like an in-game lesson that drunk driving causes you to fail hard.
bmdubya's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 08:11
bmdubya
How come no one got on Saints Row's ass for drunk driving? I mean, I know GTA is more popular, but you could drive drunk in Saints Row, and I don't remember anyone making a big deal about that.
EternalDeathSlayer's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 08:14
EternalDeathSlayer
Drunk driving is a choice? Really?
Remz's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 08:24
Remz
I always sober up at a burger joint before I drive.

In the game I mean, it works well, lol. GTAIV certainly doesn't glorify it, it's an absolute pain in the ass to do anything drunk in the game, and as others have said, the cops bust you.
Eschatos's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 08:27
Eschatos
If anything it's against drunk driving.
Jim's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 08:39
Jim
IMHO the sequence where you go to the bar and walk around in "shakycam" mode and then even drive in that mode... whoa, I was almost physically sick and had a great time playing it, because it's just silly.

MADD (I have respect for you guys it's really one of the worst crimes to drink drunk...) should probably join South Park's Mothers Against Canada and BLAME CANADA.

--

Drunk driving is the sad result of alcohol beeing sold everywhere and to everyone (and drunks even more) and a whole industry lives from it... not a video game!
Professor Pew's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 08:53
Professor Pew
When I read Samit's comment, it took me a while before I realized he was talking about GTAIV :)

I actually thought it was pretty thoughtful that Niko says "I really should drive". I mean what more do you want? If you don't add any negative element for driving drunk, people would whine that there is no penalty for it and that it reinforces drunk driving.

Screw these moms. Screw them in the butt.

On another note, watching Fear & Loathing sober is like the worst idea ever. Requiem for a Dream though, ugggggggggg.
Pagster's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 09:07
Pagster
Its not as though this is a new thing.Carmageddon 2 had power-downs where you could "drink drive" or "drive on drugs" and that was released years ago, and since then i have never drove while on either!

These people should relise that though these things are in the game, they are far from being glorified
Slacker's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 09:09
Slacker
Being shitfaced and pants-less behind the wheel with a fifth of Old Crow between your legs while you're puking out the driver's side window at 85mph is still easier to do than driving drunk in GTA4. If those MADD broads would chill out and go have a drink, they'd see that being drunk in general promotes drunk driving. Things that are fun to do sober = things that are even more fun while drunk. Driving just happens to be one of the more dangerous ones.
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 09:17
TheStripe
"How many people are going to go ‘hey if I can master this, I can go out and instead of having a glass of wine or a beer with dinner, I can have 2 or 3 because I’ve been training how to drive intoxicated’?"

Probably the same number that think "Well, if I can master this, I can go out and gun down a whole load of police officers, jump in the river and swim away." So, statistically speaking, very, very, very few. And they'd be doing crazy, sociopathic shit anyway.

Remember: GTA = Not for Kids.
TheStripe's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 09:19
TheStripe
@ Samit - I know your pain. I wanted to just call the dumb bitch a taxi; the drunk driving minigame makes me nauseous. Literally gives me the spins.
Demtor's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 09:23
Demtor
Hell, that part of the game pretty much taught me the value of taxi cabs. Before that I never used them in the game. Now I take them a lot, ESPECIALLY after drinking.

"Yeeellow caaaarr!!"
HawtPawkitHero's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 09:42
HawtPawkitHero
OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD
parrothead's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 11:30
parrothead
It is worse when you get in a cab drunk. The cab just drives around in circles and takes your money. Kind of feels like my real life!
Kaspar's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 12:02
Kaspar
I really think that Rockstar should invite all these bitchwiners to a "LETS PLAY GTA AND LEARN WHAT THE GAME IS REALLY ABOUT" camp...
mix's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 12:13
mix
Drunk driving was HARD and I hated it.
The game suggests you take a taxi as you should't dirve in the current state. Plus the cops know that your drunk (somehow) and start chaseing and driving away drunk was more than a headache.
Corak's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 12:29
Corak
If anything I think it shows what it would be like if you attempted to drive drunk and just how stupid it is. If you went out drinking in the game and then were able to drive perfectly then yea I'd partially agree. Did any of these people actually sit down and play it or watch someone try to drive drunk in the game? I'm guessing no.

I remember back when I was young on a field trip to a museum where they had a drunk driving simulator to attempt to show what it was like to drive while intoxicated. Where were these people then?
Respectable Gentleman's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 12:35
Respectable Gentleman
What you talkin about? Drunk drivin was fun for me.
stevenjazz787's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:04
stevenjazz787
Seriously, If you don't want your kids playing it, then you find out they play it at a friends house isn't this a good excuse to talk to them about it?

The problem is the parents who don't want their kids playing games with violence, sex, or drinking are the same ones who don't talk (and listen) to their kids.
Projectexodus's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:07
Projectexodus
"How many people are going to go ‘hey if I can master this, I can go out and instead of having a glass of wine or a beer with dinner, I can have 2 or 3 because I’ve been training how to drive intoxicated’? "

Wow! There must be so many retards in this world...
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:23
Volomon
I have to agree with your last statement I've only done it a few times beyond that it was just to much of a hassle, if anything it gets you to not do it.
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:25
Volomon
Oh, oh, if you have the time Jim. Look to see if you can find MADD associated with a VR simulation of drunk driving. They had a showcase one time where they showed the effects of being drunk with a VR helmet and you got to drive.

THE IRONY, JIM, THE IRONY, you must find it, cause I can't.
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:27
Volomon
http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=23685 It was something similar to this.
AndyCat's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:33
AndyCat
A couple friends of mine went to Vegas to "reenact" fear and loathing.

so ... there you go
ajaxender's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:39
ajaxender
I love drunk driving in GTA IV, in an in-game sense. Its funny and quite a challenge to go a long distance, as fast as usual.

I think its actually quite a good way to show how much of a bad idea it is. Anyone who thinks they can do it for real because they can do it in the game is dragging the human race down, and im only saying they shouldnt go and die in a car crash because chances are theyd take someone with them.

Heck, its not like Rockstar encourages you to do it in game, even. The first time you get drunk, a message suggests you get a cab, and Niko even comments that he shouldnt be driving.
Volomon's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 13:51
Volomon
MechaMonkey's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 14:04
MechaMonkey
I drove drunk in the game and now I don't drive in real life unless I've downed at least three beers. I am a hero.
Milkman519's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 15:04
Milkman519
The game actually suggest to not drink and drive. It tells you to call a taxi instead. Fucking mothers are stupid.
ghnvt's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 15:12
ghnvt
I hate driving drunk in the game, it gives me the worst fucking headache and it reminds me of the spins, which are awful.
The Grudge's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 16:09
The Grudge
MADD needs to play the game and STFU. Drunk driving in real life is no joke, but this is a game that clearly indicates that it is better to not drive drunk. Now walking around and falling like a doofus, now that is funny.
bluesquareapple's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 17:07
bluesquareapple
I just had to take a break from the game because the drunk driving gave me the worst headache I've ever had. Also, I'm pretty sure that driving drunk in the game is nothing like real drunk driving. Unless one of those can confirm it for me...
PaperBowser0's Avatar - Comment posted on 05/03/2008 17:24
PaperBowser0
Yeah, I think I'm gonna go get drunk now after I play GTA IV.....what bullshit.
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