We all know by now that the Parents Television Council doesn't exactly understand what "reality" is, but unfortunately they prey upon those ignorant of the truth in order to continue their hypocrisy and express opinions based on a complete lack of fact. Recently, the PTC has been throwing around a press release about -- you guessed it -- Grand Theft Auto IV and made the mistake of showing it to journalist Phil Villarreal of the Arizona Daily Star.
Villarreal, unlike the PTC, actually plays GTA and decided to take the group's Dan Isett (not a parent) to task on some assumptions made in the press release, chief among them this idea that the notorious drunk driving feature "awards points" for engaging in the activity. Phil very kindly transcribed the most telling aspect of his conversation with the PTC member, which can be read after the jump.
Have you played the game?
“I’ve actually played ‘Grand Theft Auto IV,’ and it’s right in keeping with previous versions. The series continues to lower the bar and this is the first game that has an alcohol content warning. You get points for driving drunk in this game.”
You know that’s not true, right? The game doesn’t have points.
“If nothing else, it’s a rewarded activity. Necessary for advancement.”
I don’t think so.
“But there’s an alcohol content warning and a scene of drunk driving, correct?”
Yes. Did you play that part?
“No, no. I didn’t get that far.”
Are you a gamer at all? Do you play any games these days?
“I enjoy video games.”
What do you play?
“I have a lot of fun. I play all sorts of games. I actually have a Wii.”
What were the circumstances that you played “GTA IV?”
“I rented it at a friend’s house. I think that what’s important is it’s a horrifically violent game and if you want to quibble about extra points being granted, fine. It rewards every antisocial behavior.”
Isset also refused to give any details of the context of the "murders" he performed in the few hours of playtime he had with GTA IV, most likely because it undermined his argument. Good show, Mr. Villarreal! Yet further proof that as gamers grow up and become journalists, the anti-games lobby has fewer and fewer friends in the press.
Contest:
5:40 PM on 05.08.2008
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Great how even whistle blowers don't need to do research, they just need to make shit up and feed it to the masses.
This makes me feel bad about my Wii purchase.
but thanks for reporting these things
claiming to have played it yet not actually knowing anything about it...
i just cured cancer after watching house, so anything is possible.
If someone higher up (news worthy people...lol?) was actually smart they would play the game and take notes and do a PROPER fucking review on the game.
GTA4 "I shoot at people and it gaves me the pointzors"
FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK
I just bonus points for drunk driving!!!!
Fantastic!
"No, no. I didn’t get that far.”
This is my biggest problem with these anti-videogame groups. I don't care if you think the drunk driving portion of the game is inappropriate, but your opinion needs to actually be based on something factual. If you want to criticize the game, PLAY IT FIRST.
That's the best he could come up with? That's not shooting his argument down at all. How about instead of simply disagreeing with a childish retort, you correct your opponent with the truth, Mr. Villareal?
To be fair, while I don't agree with him at all, I think Isett got the better of that exchange.
Now that I think about it, I'm surprised the PTC didn't issue warnings about the dangers of flying wii-motes while playing the Wii. What happened to them thinking about the chillen's?
I probably shouldn't give him any ideas.
Really? I saw him letting Isett hang himself on his own rope, personally. Saying "I don't think so," was enough -- pretty much backhanded Isett's claims without giving him anything he could latch onto as a strawman.
ouch
Except Isett followed up with the "...if you want to quibble about extra points being granted, fine. It rewards every antisocial behavior." Anyone who played the games knows, that it doesn't reward you for drunk driving; it makes the cops chase after you and makes it hard as hell to drive. I think Villarreal should have been more assertive after Isett fumbled that question and drove the point home that he had no clue what he is talking about.
he can have buttseckz with me anytime
Frankly, the whole part of "getting points for drunk driving" wasn't being exact, seems he means more as rewarding, but just came out with points (almost like he couldn't get the exact words.) That's just splitting hairs.
At any rate, when the guy said he didn't have any children, Villarreal should have stood up, pointed at the guy, yelled "PEDO!!!1!" and pissed in his face.
Which is why I continue to despise 90 percent of Wii owners out there. Well, not this instance, but they continually douche it up by making Carnival Games a million seller, and No More Heroes...well...not.
Anyway, I have a feeling that this douchebag either doesn't own a Wii and just threw that out there to show some gamer-cred, or he does own a Wii and bought it for his kids...or for the kids he plans to lure into his home. The people that are really adamantly against something or are trying to protect the kids usually turn out to be the ones who have hard drives full of child porn.
I love his attempt at proving he played GTA IV: "Uh...I have a Wii, so I rented the game and played it at a friend's house". About as pathetic as the kids in school who would say they have a girlfriend, but you can never meet her since she lives in France.
Fuck the people that criticize games without actually playing them. Fuck 'em hard.
As far as the article, HAHA! I will still never understand how someone can criticize anything without having played it/watched it/tried it. I mean, I guess you can but at least be up front and honest about it so we know where your coming from. Of course, that would be a rational thing to do. People with an agenda/cause don't really care about rationale when trying to force their misinformed opinions on to others.
Keep 'em coming Jim! I enjoy reading about possible impacts on political/societal environments our games have as much as I enjoy reading reviews/previews/etc etc.
I may make some questionable judgment calls in real life, but I [s]seldom[/s] never want to drink in GTA IV.
It's very hard to drive, the cops are on your instantly, and if you get busted you lose all your weapons which cost a lot of money, and the visuals of it kind of make me sick.
As long as these idiots want to go trolling on about how GTA teaches people how to do things in real life then I think it is safe to say that the DUI minigame is effectively teaching people not to drink and drive.
The problem is, readers outside those already familiar with the game don't see the rope. All they see is a backhanded comment that really doesn't mean anything without presenting the proper context. He didn't actually counter anything except the fact that the game doesn't award points.
Read it as someone who only knows what they've heard in the news about GTA (which includes most people) and you'll see what I mean.