Does Grand-Theft Auto Promote Violence?

Yes, thats why it's rated M for Mature audiences.

Yes, thats why it's rated M for Mature audiences.

Sajo7

Space Invaders promotes violence.FragStains

Agaisnt illegal aliens.

[QUOTE="FragStains"]Space Invaders promotes violence.Sajo7

Agaisnt illegal aliens.

[QUOTE="Sajo7"]

[QUOTE="FragStains"]Space Invaders promotes violence.FragStains

Agaisnt illegal aliens.

And they're very strategic, dropping down one row AND reversing direction?! I can never keep up.

And they're very strategic, dropping down one row AND reversing direction?! I can never keep up.Sajo7

[QUOTE="Sajo7"]And they're very strategic, dropping down one row AND reversing direction?! I can never keep up.Jandurin

It does not promote violence anymore then Ghost Recon promotes war.

Anyone remember that Furby craze. There was a lot of violence around those things and they dont even look violent.

Yes it does, but no more so than violent instances of other media (movies, music, books etc.)mattyftm

I'd say the "no more so" part is debatable. I don't think it's that big a stretch to say there's a difference between watching a simulated violent act versus partaking in one. I'm no psychologist, so I won't pretend to know whether the difference is significant or not.

I'm no psychologist, so I won't pretend to know whether the difference is significant or not.Oleg_Huzwog

Do you think violent movies are promoting violence?bloodling

Yes, of course.

[QUOTE="bloodling"]Do you think violent movies are promoting violence?Oleg_Huzwog

Yes, of course.

I think there is a difference between presenting and promoting.FragStains

I think those differences are blurred when a character is rewarded for his deeds, or when his deeds are meant to evoke a positive response from the audience.

[QUOTE="bloodling"]Do you think violent movies are promoting violence?Oleg_Huzwog

Yes, of course.

So, ocean eleven promotes robbing banks? The movie/gaming industry has nothing to do with promoting violence. Just because some idiots are influenced by it the wrong way doesn't mean it promotes it.

[QUOTE="FragStains"]I think there is a difference between presenting and promoting.Oleg_Huzwog

I think those differences are blurred when a character is rewarded for his deeds, or when his deeds are meant to evoke a positive response from the audience.

So, all violence needs to have consequences so that it doesn't promote violence? That's not how reality works.

[QUOTE="FragStains"]I think there is a difference between presenting and promoting.Oleg_Huzwog

I think those differences are blurred when a character is rewarded for his deeds, or when his deeds are meant to evoke a positive response from the audience.

I think we are in agreement, then.

So, all violence needs to have consequences so that it doesn't promote violence? That's not how reality works.

bloodling

If your goal is to avoid promoting violence, then yes - consequences must be shown. But why do you think promotion of violence must be avoided?

Hm, tricky question. The game itself doesn't really force you to do any violence at all when you think about it. It's only when you choose to steal cars, hit people or do "favours". Erasorn

you could always follow the law and not get money....but not running red lights will pay off eventually.

Hm, tricky question. The game itself doesn't really force you to do any violence at all when you think about it. It's only when you choose to steal cars, hit people or do "favours". Erasorn

Sure, the game promotes stealing cars IN-GAME, which has nothing to do with stealing real cars. It doesn't show you how to steal a real car.

Hm, tricky question. The game itself doesn't really force you to do any violence at all when you think about it. It's only when you choose to steal cars, hit people or do "favours". Erasorn

I'm not saying that I think violence in games is bad...I love it. But I think we need to realize the violence is promoted with games. But it's nothing a little common sense can't overcome.

[QUOTE="Erasorn"]Hm, tricky question. The game itself doesn't really force you to do any violence at all when you think about it. It's only when you choose to steal cars, hit people or do "favours". bloodling

Sure, the game promotes stealing cars IN-GAME, which has nothing to do with stealing real cars. It doesn't show you how to steal a real car.

all it show you how to do is a break a window. Everyone should know how to do that by now

[QUOTE="bloodling"]

So, all violence needs to have consequences so that it doesn't promote violence? That's not how reality works.

Oleg_Huzwog

If your goal is to avoid promoting violence, then yes - consequences must be shown. But why do you think promotion of violence must be avoided?

Why? They don't have to add useless consequences in-game. It's not a movie, and we're not idiots...

The promotion of violence barely exists in the gaming/movie industry. It's not because they're showing really bad things that they're promoting it, it's just the opposite, they show people the consequences of doing it, or simply show the harsh reality.

Why? They don't have to add useless consequences in-game. It's not a movie, and we're not idiots...

The promotion of violence barely exists in the gaming/movie industry. It's not because they're showing really bad things that they're promoting it, it's just the opposite, they show people the consequences of doing it, or simply show the harsh reality.

bloodling

Why? They don't have to add useless consequences in-game. It's not a movie, and we're not idiots...

The promotion of violence barely exists in the gaming/movie industry. It's not because they're showing really bad things that they're promoting it, it's just the opposite, they show people the consequences of doing it, or simply show the harsh reality.

bloodling

If they're showing really bad things, and doing said bad things result in rewards for the character, then yes - they ARE promoting it.

Correlation doesn't equals causation.

Maybe people who are already prone to violence are just more likely to play Grand Theft Auto 4 than they are say, "that sissy Zelda game."

George Bush will be condemning Grand Theft Auto in his next sermon..

Does Grand Theft Auto promote Violence, Today May, 1st 08 there were stabbings and 1 death of people who were trying to get the new release of a game. I watched the story on the news, the reported suggested to order the game online due to this outcome.PurelogicsBack

There was an interesting bit on The Daily Show about this with how some of the same politicians who make the GTA games an issues will also have little problem condoning torture.

On another somewhat unrelated bit, they had a clip one of our fine supreme court justices (a real one, not an actor) go on about how waterboarding is not a cruel and unusual punishment for the role reason that it isn't a "punishment"...

[QUOTE="bloodling"]Why? They don't have to add useless consequences in-game. It's not a movie, and we're not idiots...

The promotion of violence barely exists in the gaming/movie industry. It's not because they're showing really bad things that they're promoting it, it's just the opposite, they show people the consequences of doing it, or simply show the harsh reality.

Oleg_Huzwog

If they're showing really bad things, and doing said bad things result in rewards for the character, then yes - they ARE promoting it.

As I said before, they are promoting stealing cars and killing people IN-GAME. Like all games! It has nothing to do with reality. Reality isn't a game that you have to go through and earn rewards.

It's a game, you can't show a decent picture of what are the consequences, unlike a movie. If there were such consequences, the game would be terrible and nobody would buy it. They're not promoting, but making the game fun. You have to kill a lot of people in RPGs, don't you? Do you think it promotes violence? No, it promotes strategy. violence is there to make the game work, that's all. It sure can influence dumb people, but that's not the point.

It's a game, you can't show a decent picture of what are the consequences, unlike a movie. If there were such consequences, the game would be terrible and nobody would buy it. They're not promoting, but making the game fun.bloodling

Why are you so adverse to the fact (yes, fact) that certain video games do promote violence? You're right - they are making the game fun; but they are doing so via the promotion of violence. GTA - Boy Scout edition would be terribly boring. Perhaps you are confusing "promote" with "cause"?

[QUOTE="bloodling"]It's a game, you can't show a decent picture of what are the consequences, unlike a movie. If there were such consequences, the game would be terrible and nobody would buy it. They're not promoting, but making the game fun.Oleg_Huzwog

Why are you so adverse to the fact (yes, fact) that certain video games do promote violence? You're right - they are making the game fun; but they are doing so via the promotion of violence. GTA - Boy Scout edition would be terribly boring. Perhaps you are confusing "promote" with "cause"?

As I said twice, yes, it does promote violence IN-GAME. Some people play that game because they love that violence. That has nothing to do with promoting violence in the REAL WORLD. How could it promote real violence? Yeah, it does promote it if you like robbing a car and getting chased by police officers and killing them all... Everyone knows that there are consequences to violence, and it's not because you're not punished for killing someone in a game that it promotes killing people...

I'm not confusing promoting and causes, since I mentionned that people can be influenced by it, but the game itself doesn't promote violence. Violence is a tool the game uses.

As I said twice, yes, it does promote violence IN-GAME. Some people play that game because they love that violence. That has nothing to do with promoting violence in the REAL WORLD. How could it promote real violence? Yeah, it does promote it if you like robbing a car and getting chased by police officers and killing them all... Everyone knows that there are consequences to violence, and it's not because you're not punished for killing someone in a game that it promotes killing people...

I'm not confusing promoting and causes, since I mentionned that people can be influenced by it, but the game itself doesn't promote violence. Violence is a tool the game uses.

bloodling

The game does promote violence. Real or fake doesn't matter. Whether or not a person equates fake game violence with real life violence is their own problem.FragStains

Bingo. The line between real and fake applies in the discussion of cause, not promote.