Barry
Mr. Do It All
Oct 26, 2004, 2:04 AM
Post #1 of 1
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andrea's Violence Discussed
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"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas's" plot revolves around a gangster returning to a city modeled after Los Angeles, to find his mother has been murdered and the police have blamed him for another killing. What follows is up to 150 hours of story-driven "gameplay" in which users can steal vehicles, maneuver out-of-control car chases, shoot cops, beat random inidividuals on the street, and more.
Analysts expect "San Andreas" to stir up similar criticism to "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City," released in 2002, which was condemned by family values watchdog groups and Connecticut's U.S. Senator Joe Lieberman, an advocate of restrictions on violent games.
"Vice City" sales soared as game enthusiasts shrugged off the protests.
Like "Vice City," "San Andreas" carries an "M," or Mature, rating. According to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, M-rated games feature intense violence, contain sexual themes and strong language, and is suitable for persons over 17.
This time, the game will again benefit specialty stores Electronics Boutique Holdings Corp., and GameStop Corp., as well as larger retail chains such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which monitors the content of the products it sells.
Fueled by anticipation for "San Andreas," Take-Two shares have been strong this year. But they slipped 97 cents, or about 3 percent, to $31.58 on Monday after Banc of America Securities cut its rating to "neutral" from "buy," citing a lack of other hit titles in its pipeline.
"Beyond GTA, there remain no other blockbuster releases in Take-Two's lineup," said analyst Gary Cooper in a note to clients. "We have only moderate expectations for Rockstar's releases after San Andreas (such as "Midnight Club 3" and "The Warriors")."
What's your take? Should video games be subjecte to censorship? Should politicians have the authority to preven the sales of violent video games, or is it more of a parental guidance issue?
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