Grand Theft Auto

{{title-italics}}{{bronze}}
[[File:Grand Theft Auto logo series.svg|thumb|165px|in case you haven't guessed, this is its logo.]]
{{Video games}}
'''''Grand Theft Auto''''', often abbreviated to ''GTA'', is a popular series of open world, action-adventure [[video games]], developed by [[Britain|British]] studio Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of large publisher Take-Two Interactive. In the games, the player takes the role of one or numerous [[criminals]]. These games take place in large, explorable cities, which is usually a spoof of a real-world location, such as Vice City (Miami) or Los Santos (Los Angeles). As one of the most successful entertainment franchises in history, ''GTA'' has drawn everything from praise to criticism and the antagonism of media giants, including former lawyer [[Jack Thompson]].

==Short introduction to ''GTA''==
===Plot===
[[File:GTA IV Screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|A gameplay screenshot from ''Grand Theft Auto IV''. Aside from the shells of the remains of the cars on fire, it's actually quite peaceful.]]
The plots of each of the games usually follow conventional rags-to-riches stories for which crime films are commonly used as inspiration. The playable character starts out as a low-life thug and by accomplishing missions the main character can ascend through the criminal underworld of a given area to eventually become its [[Mafia|Godfather]].<ref>[http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24356537/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/whats-so-fun-about-grand-theft-auto/ What's so fun about 'Grand Theft Auto'?]</ref>
''GTA'' fuses these stories with humor and is usually satirical<ref>[http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review/1900-598/ Giant Bomb: Grand Theft Auto V Review]</ref><ref>[http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/technology/micwright/100010543/gta5-three-reasons-its-brilliant-and-two-reasons-rockstar-should-be-ashamed/ GTA5: three reasons it's brilliant and two reasons Rockstar should be ashamed]</ref> about [[American]] society. However, the attempts at [[satire]] have received mixed receptions.<ref>[http://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review/1900-598/ Giant Bomb: Grand Theft Auto V Review]</ref><ref>[https://screenramblings.wordpress.com/2013/09/23/grand-theft-auto-as-satire/ Grand Theft Auto as Satire?]</ref>

===Gameplay===
The gameplay focuses on a third-person action-adventure game in an open world. The series' initial standout feature was to steal and drive any car the player desired, hence the title. This concept of real-world impunity of carrying out crimes is largely followed in other aspects of the games, most notably the ability to kill nearly every non-playable character. However, not every gameplay feature is morally reprehensible, as it's possible to drive taxis, save people by escorting them to a hospital via an ambulance, extinguish fires, deliver pizzas, play golf, give money to the homeless, partake in races (which are peaceful and legal as long as the player doesn't run over pedestrians as traffic rules do not apply in the games), even become a [[Police|cop]] and be on the right side for once and capture criminals (which need to be killed), or simply just cruising around on the huge maps.

Due to the gameplay's violent and adult nature, the ''GTA'' series is the "go-to bad example"<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/sep/18/grand-theft-auto-5-under-fire-for-graphic-torture-scene?CMP=twt_gu Grand Theft Auto 5 under fire for graphic torture scene]</ref> of what is wrong with video games in general and its allegedly bad effects on children<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brad-j-bushman/dont-buy-your-kid-grand-theft-auto-v-for-christmas_b_4440477.html Don't Buy Your Kid Grand Theft Auto V for Christmas]</ref> (who shouldn't be playing the game in the first place, but still do anyway, despite the adult rating in front of the damn box being designed to keep parents from accidentally buying these games for their kids)<ref>[http://kotaku.com/11-year-old-kid-gets-grand-theft-auto-v-freaks-the-hel-1317048819 11-Year-Old Kid Gets Grand Theft Auto V, Freaks The Hell Out]</ref><ref>[http://www.kotaku.com.au/2013/09/i-sold-too-many-copies-of-gta-v-to-parents-who-didnt-give-a-damn/ I Sold Too Many Copies Of GTA V To Parents Who Didn't Give A Damn]</ref><ref>[http://venturebeat.com/community/2010/06/05/my-four-year-old-son-plays-grand-theft-auto/ My 4-Year-Old son plays Grand Theft Auto]</ref> and society alike.

==Objectionable content==
The series has been controversial from the beginning as the first installment already included many of the series' trademark features. However, it came to light that much of its initial controversy was [[Manufactroversy|manufactured]] by a [[PR]] agent named {{wpl|Max Clifford}}<ref>[http://gamerant.com/grand-theft-auto-controversy/ How Rockstar Contrived Controversy to Sell ‘Grand Theft Auto’]</ref> because, let's be honest, a pixelated game played from a high bird's-eye view wouldn't cause much outrage except for shoving the explicit content into someone's face.{{efn|In an ironic twist, Clifford himself would become the subject of controversy when his past crimes involving sexual assault of minors came to light in the 2010s.<ref>Richard Lister (28 April 2014). [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27192600 "Max Clifford guilty of eight indecent assaults".] ''BBC News.'' BBC. Retrieved 24 May 2023.</ref>}}

This changed with the third game, which switched to a behind-the-back camera, brought a noticeable graphical and gameplay improvement, and a lot of controversy with it.

===Prostitution and rape===
Starting with ''GTA III'', players can pay [[prostitutes]] in exchange for [[Sex|having a good time]]. More curious gamers may see that the player and the prostitute simply sit in a car, though this could come down to hardware limitations and/or development constraints.{{efn|''Grand Theft Auto III'' was Rockstar's first fully polygonal ''GTA'' outing; they were in the process of figuring out how to translate the series' gameplay into a third-person setting hence why some aspects were left unpolished.}} This looks so innocent that it could easily be used for an [[abstinence]] PSA if it wasn't for the shaking car. In the dawn of more powerful hardware, the interaction with prostitutes has become graphically more explicit. What makes this feature highly controversial is the option to kill the prostitute to get the money back, which many consider [[rape]]<ref>[http://mediaviolence.org/2011/09/there-is-rape-in-grand-theft-auto/ THERE IS RAPE IN GRAND THEFT AUTO]</ref><ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/articles/prostitutes-call-for-ban-on-gta/1100-6144286/ Prostitutes call for ban on GTA]</ref> (instead of what it actually is, an especially reprehensible form of robbery and murder). However, the player doesn't have to interact with prostitutes, and if the player does, is also not forced to kill the prostitute after they are done. Nevertheless, sex work advocacy groups such as the Sex Workers Outreach Project-USA (SWOP) have protested against the series' depiction of prostitutes as cheap, expendable objects to be disposed of when no longer needed, calling for a boycott of the series<ref name="swboycott">{{Cite news |title=Sex workers call for boycott of 'Grand Theft Auto' |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/gaming/sex-workers-call-for-boycott-of-grand-theft-auto/ |access-date=2024-12-04 |work=CNET |language=en}}</ref> if not an outright ban.<ref name="Gibson">{{Cite web |last=Gibson |first=Ellie |date=2006-02-15 |title=Sex workers' association calls for Grand Theft Auto ban |url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/sex-workers-association-calls-for-grand-theft-auto-ban |access-date=2024-12-04 |website=GamesIndustry.biz |language=en}}</ref>

===Ethnic discrimination===
[[Cuba]]n-American and [[Haiti]]an-American [[civil rights]] groups in [[Florida]] accused Rockstar Games of inciting violence towards people from those two nations in ''GTA Vice City'', claiming that the game "advocates the killing of Haitians as entertainment."<ref>Fahey, Rob. (November 26, 2003). [https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/vice-city-racism-sparks-protests-from-us-haitian-community Vice City "racism" sparks protests from US Haitian community.] ''gamesindustry.biz''. Retrieved February 11, 2018.</ref> The group in question was referring to a rival drug trafficking group, which were called the "Cubans" and the "Haitians" respectively, which were featured prominently in a mission strand given to Tommy Vercetti by Umberto Robina (voiced by {{wpl|Danny Trejo}}). After they threatened Rockstar Games with a lawsuit, the company reacted and edited out lines of dialogue which has largely appeased both of the organizations. Subsequent releases of ''Vice City'' have since come with the altered dialogue where Trejo's voice lines were hastily altered and cropped to remove any offending references; this may also account for a street gang called the "Cholos" standing in for the Haitians in the 2006 prequel ''Vice City Stories''.

===Hot Coffee Mod ===
Rockstar Games created a video game series for giving everyone the ability to live their dreams as sadistic video game criminals, but why not go even one step further? In ''GTA San Andreas'' (and later ''GTA IV'') the player can date multiple girlfriends, which lets minors or [[incel]]s finally experience a one-dimensional romantic relationship.

In all of the released versions of ''GTA SA'', you can pick up a virtual girlfriend and engage in various activities like going to a restaurant, dancing and even drinking a hot coffee at 
your
 the playable character's girlfriend's crib.
Eventually San Andreas was released for Windows and as virtually any PC game's code is dissected and reverse-engineered by hackers, a mini-game was found which is disabled in all versions which were released.

Promptly a patch was released to enable the mini-game. It turned out that hot coffee was merely a [[code word]] for sex and players could sexually interact with the girlfriends. Instead of only going inside the house and hear funny human sounds, the game now shows the girlfriend's bedroom. At first the girlfriend performs something that some people might identify as [[oral sex]], and afterwards Carl proceeds to dry hump the girlfriend in which the player is asked to move up and down in "rhythm" (depending on your kinkiness, there's also the option to change positions). After both Carl and the girlfriend are finished writhing, the latter will say that she loves the former, presumably because Carl is so manly to make her reach an [[orgasm]] without actually having any physical contact with her genitals.

====Reasons for creation and reasons for partial deletion====
Rockstar's original goals were to include all possible sexual content beyond the missionary position into ''San Andreas'' as a way to push the boundaries of the art form, where Rockstar was naive enough to believe that they could find a way to make it "work" without upping the age-rating and thus having the game available at retail without any issue.<ref name="hot_coffee_behind_the_scenes">[http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-30-who-spilled-hot-coffee Who spilled Hot Coffee?], 30 Nov, 2012</ref> Initially Sam Houser, co-founder of Rockstar Games, wasn't even afraid to become embroiled in a potential media turmoil "when [the US is] bombing the hell out of people in {{wpl|Operation Enduring Freedom}}"<ref name="coffee_explanation" />
Shortly before the release of the game, the higher echelons at Rockstar Games came to the realization that the graphic sexual content had to be cut if they wanted to avert the game getting an adults-only rating. Houser was angered that his artistic vision had to be sacrificed "at the behest of psychotic, mormon, [[capitalist]] retailers."<ref name="hot_coffee_behind_the_scenes" />
As Rockstar was only eight weeks away of shipping the game to stores, it was decided in an emergency meeting to simply make the mini-game inaccessible by regular means because it is expensive and time-consuming to determine the necessity of every single line of code and asset and subsequently test if a removal makes a game unplayable,<ref name="rockstar_chrono">[http://www.wired.com/2007/03/ff-160-rockstar-2/ The Road to Ruin: How Grand Theft Auto Hit the Skids], 27 Mar, 2007</ref><ref>[http://romsteady.blogspot.com/2005/07/my-take-on-hot-coffee.html My Take On "Hot Coffee"]</ref> especially in this short time-frame. Also Rockstar would have possibly missed the lucrative Christmas shopping season in the end.

Rockstar wasn't completely giving up on the mini-game as there had been plans to release two separate PC versions, the previously released version and the other where all the content was included in a special adults-only-edition, the way it was originally envisioned.<ref name="hot_coffee_behind_the_scenes" />

When the patch was released, Sam Houser was embarrassed that a "crude initial implementation" of the sex-game went public because he wanted it to be "more stylish, [...] more romantic, more chic, a little bit more Barry White."<ref name="coffee_explanation">[http://www.wired.com/2011/04/all-your-base-excerpt/ How ‘Hot Coffee’ Sex Scene Landed Rockstar in Hot Water], 05 Apr, 2011</ref>

Rockstar got in contact with the modder who released the patch, arguably one of the biggest ''GTA'' fans in the world, only to backstab him by telling the public that the person who created the raunchy content was “not within the company”<ref name="hot_coffee_behind_the_scenes" /> and that it was "[[bullshit|the work of a determined group of hackers who have gone to significant trouble to alter scenes in the official version of the game]]."<ref>[http://www.redorbit.com/news/sci-fi-gaming/173790/grand_theft_maker_blames_hackers_for_sex_scenes/ ‘Grand Theft’ Maker Blames Hackers for Sex Scenes]</ref> The mod's creator immediately defended himself, claiming that he merely found the content on the disk<ref name="rockstar_chrono" /> and Rockstar  was proven wrong not much later, when multiple ways were discovered to activate the mini-game by either editing the save file of the PS2 or Xbox version,<ref>[http://www.ps2savetools.com/wpfb-file/gtacensorremover17-zip/ GTA Censor Remover]</ref> or modifying the consoles' memory using a cheat device such as an Action Replay<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/articles/confirmed-sex-minigame-in-ps2-san-andreas/1100-6129301/ Confirmed: Sex minigame in PS2 San Andreas]</ref> therefore proving that the mini-game was indeed always present on the game's disc.

There are actually people who are so deluded to believe that the controversy was intentionally created by Rockstar Games or the {{wpl|ESRB}} (the latter only rates video games in accordance to their age-appropriateness; they do not have any hand in video game development) to incite media attention,<ref>[http://romsteady.blogspot.com/2005/07/my-take-on-hot-coffee.html?showComment=1121964420000#c112196443256744863 My Take On "Hot Coffee"] comment</ref> which absolutely makes no sense as it would make the ESRB look incapable in issuing correct age warning labels (possibly threatening its existence) or that Rockstar Games would be so ridiculously stupid in risking their major game franchise being removed from the shelves of Walmart. Totally plausible.

In the end Rockstar was still [[irony|forced to remove the problematic portions completely]] and recall any copy from stores which still featured them, which cost the company $25 million.<ref name="rockstar_chrono"/>
Rockstar issued both a version 1.01 patch<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20200519154440/http://nomorehotcoffee.com/ No More Hot Coffee]</ref> (which no one downloaded anyway) and a "Second Edition" re-release with the questionable scenes already excised. Both the patched versions contained code which deters players from modifying the game, though methods exist to downgrade newer versions to the more mod-friendly 1.0 release. Funny enough, the reason why the initial release with the Hot Coffee content was sought after wasn't necessarily because of the sex minigame itself, but because it allows for mods to be installed.{{efn|Besides outright downgrading the game to version 1.0, there exists another way to modify the Second Edition re-release by editing the <tt>GTA3.IMG</tt> archive just enough to disable the assets to be replaced without rebuilding to keep the game's integrity check from kicking in and thus crashing the game, and point the game to look for the edited files from a separate <tt>.IMG</tt> archive. Such a method is apparently considered as little more than a novelty as it is far more trivial to just downgrade the game anyway.<ref>[https://gtamods.com/wiki/San_Andreas_v2.0_Modding San Andreas v2.0 Modding - GTAMods Wiki]</ref>}}

===Drunk driving===
[[File:Grand Theft Auto IV drunk sequences.gif|200px|thumb|Niko Bellic having fun driving while drunk in ''Grand Theft Auto IV''.]]
''Grand Theft Auto IV'' and ''Grand Theft Auto V'' allows characters to drive while they are [[alcohol|drunk]], which heavily impairs their navigational and driving abilities. Niko, the main character in ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', if he steps into a vehicle while drunk, will admit that driving while drunk is not a good idea.<ref>NewGenGamers (May 28, 2008) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0DV4zAOzUU NGG - Grand Theft Auto 4 Drunk Driving.] ''YouTube''. Retrieved January 2, 2018.</ref> Additionally, the in-game hints discourage players to drive while drunk, giving players alternate ways to get around the city such as taking a cab or waiting for the effects to wear off. [[Mothers Against Drunk Driving]] has taken issue against the drunk driving in ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', described that drunk driving is "not a game, and it is not a joke." and has demanded that the game change its rating from M for Mature to AO for Adults Only.<ref>Sinclair, Brendan. (April 30, 2008) [https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mothers-against-gtaivs-drunk-driving/1100-6190213/ Mothers against GTAIV's drunk driving.] ''GameSpot''. Retrieved December 30, 2017.</ref> Rockstar has issued a reply to MADD, disagreeing with their assertions and believing that the game's audience is mature enough to understand the consequences of real life drunk driving.<ref> Lang, Derrik J. (May 1, 2008) [http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24405072/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/madd-attacks-grand-theft-auto-iv/ MADD attacks 'Grand Theft Auto IV'.] ''NBC News''. Retrieved December 30, 2017.</ref>

===Depiction and playability of torture in ''GTA V''===
[[File:GTA V Torture Scene.jpg|thumb|250px|left|The controversial torture scene in ''Grand Theft Auto V''.]]
In one mission the player, in the shoes of ''GTA V''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s notorious [[sociopath]] Trevor Philips, is forced by the FIB (''GTA''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ingame equivalent to the [[FBI]]) to [[torture]] a Middle Eastern man named Kerimov who has ties to an alleged [[terrorist]]. Available torture methods include electroshocking, pulling teeth and [[waterboarding]].<ref name="by_the_book">GTA Wiki: [http://gta.wikia.com/wiki/By_the_Book#Mission GTA V mission: By the Book]</ref> If the involuntary informant should die, the player has the option to revive him up to three times.<ref name="by_the_book" /> Afterwards as the valuable information is extracted, which is used to identify and kill the target, the FIB agent orders Trevor to kill Kerimov as he's useless from now on. Trevor decides to free the tortured man and drives him to the airport. During the ride, Trevor goes on to philosophize about 
Rockstar Games's
 his view on torture where he says that it's "useless as a means of getting information" because the torture victim would have told them the information ''anyway'' if they'd just kept asking him questions and maybe given him a cup of coffee.

As is expected, the mission has been heavily criticized by the media, as many noted that the mission failed as a critique of torture done by the US government due to the sheer fact that the player had to engage in the torture as a means to advance in the game.<ref>[http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/staying-in/video-games/gta-5s-most-controversial-mission-2279001 Why GTA 5's most controversial mission may be unpleasant and repulsive but there is a message behind the degradation]</ref>
<br clear=all>

==Grand Social Reaction==
===Jack Thompson's unhealthy obsession===
Very early on, (now former) lawyer Jack Thompson has set his sights on the ''GTA'' franchise and has been embroiled in a long feud with Rockstar Games and its publisher Take-Two which spans more than a decade.

====''GTA IV'' release====
{{Cquote|Grand Theft Auto IV is the gravest assault upon children in this country since polio. We now have vaccines for that virus… The 'vaccine' that must be administered by the United States government to deal with this virtual virus of violence and sexual depravity is criminal prosecutions of those who have conspired to do this.|20px|20px|Jack Thompson<ref name="jack_polio">[http://www.gamesradar.com/jack-thompson-fuelled-by-gta-iv-prostitute-killing-video/ Jack Thompson fuelled by GTA IV prostitute-killing video]</ref>}}

The imminent release of ''GTA IV'' was a reason for Jack Thompson to put all his eggs into one basket as an attempt to finally destroy his arch-nemeses Take-Two and Rockstar Games.
*In January 2007, Thompson urged [[Bill Gates]] to stop a ''GTA IV'' release on Microsoft's XBox 360 game console which possibly landed on deaf ears as Gates hasn't been the CEO of Microsoft since 2000 and he became a part-time worker for the company in 2006.
*He accused the developer of creating a character which was allegedly based on him, which the player needs to kill to advance. The character is a lawyer which holds views opposing video games.<ref name="jack_avatar">[http://www.wired.com/2007/09/jack-thompson-b/ Jack Thompson Believes GTA IV Character is Based on Him]</ref> To be fair to Thompson, he might not be wrong about this one.
*Thompson was outraged when gaming news site IGN posted a video titled "Ladies of Liberty City" showing the main character Niko committing violent and sexist actions towards strippers and sex workers.<ref name="jack_ladies_1">[http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/04/jack-thompson-targets-gta-iv-with-an-unlikely-ally-ign/ GTA IV sex video gives Thompson, other critics fresh ammo]</ref> To be fair ''again'' to Thompson, the video was so unapologetic in its sexism that even ''GTA'''s defenders thought it was unacceptable and IGN subsequently pulled the video, realizing themselves that they had crossed a line.<ref name="jack_ladies_2">[http://www.kotaku.com.au/2008/05/ign_crossed_a_line_with_gta_iv_hooker_shooting_clip-2/ IGN "Crossed A Line" With GTA IV Hooker Shooting Clip]</ref>
*If you thought Thompson couldn't stoop any lower, he sent a letter to the lawyers of Strauss Zelnick, the CEO of Take-Two, in which he directly addresses Zelnick's mother, letting her know that her son unleashes pornography and violence into the world, further questioning the upbringing of Zelnick, and ended his letter with "'Happy Mothers' Day, Mrs Zelnick, which this year is May 11, two weeks after your son unleashes porn and violence upon other mothers' boys. I'm sure you're very proud."<ref name="letter_to_T2_mom">[http://diehardgamefan.com/2008/04/22/jack-thompsons-open-letter-to-take-two-ceos-mother/ Jack Thompson’s Open Letter to Take-Two CEO’s Mother]</ref> Thompson made clear that the letter wasn't necessarily meant to be read by Zelnick's mother, but to make him feel ashamed of his work.<ref name="letter_to_T2_mom" />

==== Jack Thompson's cry from oblivion during ''GTA V'' release ====
Now reduced to a non-threatening barking puppy as he has been disbarred, Jack Thompson, still hell-bent on completing his mission to eradicate moral depravity, found himself in the media again when ''GTA V'' was released. He claimed that losing his "law license is a very small price to pay in order to stand against this [[evil]]" and that everyone enjoying ''GTA'' has blood on their hands for "killing real people", stressing that he actually doesn't mean "virtual people."<ref name="jack_gtav">[http://www.craveonline.com/site/573189-jack-thompson-tells-gta-5-players-they-are-killing-real-people Jack Thompson: GTA 5 Players Are "Killing Real People"]</ref> At this point, with Thompson's power reduced to a shambles, his diatribes have far less impact compared to his earlier outbursts of defending society from the wicked and evil ways of Rockstar Games.

=== Joe Lieberman ===
Lieberman, a permanent fixture of opposing violence in video games, believes ''GTA'' games are either "awful" (because if anybody saw the games' content they would be "disgusted and outraged")<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-11-03-lieberman-game-comments_x.htm Lieberman takes on video game violence in S.C. stop], 11 Mar, 2003</ref> and later "horrendous" as "the player is rewarded for attacking a woman, pushing her to the ground, kicking her repeatedly and then ultimately killing her, shooting her over and over again."<ref>[http://www.neowin.net/news/lieberman-denounces-grand-theft-auto Lieberman denounces Grand Theft Auto ], 26 Jan, 2004</ref> David Adams of IGN defended the games by assuming it isn't clear how much time Lieberman has spent with the games but that there wasn't a particular reward for attacking women.<ref>[http://www.ign.com/articles/2004/01/27/joe-lieberman-gets-huffy-about-gta Joe Lieberman Gets Huffy About GTA], 26 Jan, 2004</ref> All corpses do leave behind cash, however, but there is no specific reward for killing women.

=== Hillary Clinton ===
[[File:GTA IV Statue of Hillary Clinton.jpg|thumb|250px|Ever wondered what Hillary Clinton as the Statue of Liberty would look like?]]
After the cartoony crudely animated hint of what most people would consider actual sexual intercourse in Hot Coffee was revealed to the world, then-senator [[Hillary Clinton]], with the help of Jack Thompson, took on ''GTA'' to bolster her credentials as a potential commander-in-chief by pandering to the conservative moral vote because the innocence of American children was at stake.<ref name="clinton_gta">[http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/clinton-blasts-grand-theft-of-innocence/2005/07/15/1120934403919.html Clinton blasts 'Grand Theft' of innocence], July 14, 2005</ref> She sought to introduce legislation to legally prohibit the sale of violent and sexually explicit games to minors<ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/96892/Hillary_Clinton_Enters_Grand_Theft_Auto_Controversy.php Hillary Clinton Enters Grand Theft Auto Controversy], July 14, 2005</ref> as a way to keep "inappropriate videogame content out of the hands of young people,"<ref name="coffee_explanation" /> further calling ''GTA'' a "major threat" to morality.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20100115141246/http://www.igniq.com/2005/03/hillary-clinton-disses-gra_111211380243571428.html Hillary Clinton "Disses" Grand Theft Auto], July 14, 2005</ref>

Years after the controversy Rockstar had a special dedication to Clinton in the next game, by making the game's version of the [[Statue of Liberty]] (called the Statue of Happiness) holding a flaming cup of coffee and featuring a face with an uncanny resemblance to Clinton, even sporting her creepy trademark fake politician smile (The 3D model is named <tt>stat_hilberty01</tt> within the game files{{efn|The file extension may vary depending on the platform: the PS3 version uses <tt>.cdr</tt>, Windows uses <tt>.wdr</tt> and the Xbox 360 uses <tt>.xdr</tt>}}). Clinton has also largely been silent about video games since then.

=== Glenn Beck ===
[[Glenn Beck]] is startled at ''Grand Theft Auto'''s success and claims to not recognize American society any more because people are standing in line to purchase a game which allows them to have virtual sex with prostitutes that they are allowed to beat up.<ref name="glenn_beck_thoughts">[http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/9452/ Glenn Beck: GTA4], 01 May, 2008</ref> He believes it's impossible for people to distinguish between carrying out virtual crimes by pressing buttons on an abstract input device and killing people in the real world with tools which are handled completely different than a gamepad. According to him gamers would most likely start to act more in line with their playable characters after only short periods of time spent with the game.<ref group=note>Whether this means players of ''[[Pokémon]]'' begin to battle their pets with others and pick up animals out of tall grass is currently unknown.</ref> Also the games will desensitize players by inhibiting their "[[appeal to nature|natural tendencies to not squeeze the trigger]]" and cites a study by the Pentagon as evidence where military "virtual reality simulators" could successfully remove the natural reluctance to fire a gun to a "100 percent squeeze rate."<ref name="glenn_beck_thoughts" /> 

His reasoning fails for the simple reason that soldiers are conditioned to behave belligerently in a combat scenario because it is their job to complete their work satisfactorily and stay alive whereas ''GTA'' is not deliberately designed for altering a person's state of mind during warfare, and the majority of the game's players would only have an incentive to come in guns blazing if they found themselves in a firefight which could possibly never happen in their lifetimes. If his line of thinking had any merit we should be far more wary of any person serving in the military than an acne-faced teenager playing video games, because not only have they undergone training in "virtual reality simulators", they also have professional experience in handling firearms, both traits which are more beneficial in killing than tapping buttons in front of a screen and the inducement into fake masculine prowess.

===''GTA V'' Review controversy===
A reviewer for the video game news website Gamespot had the audacity to give the game ''only'' a score of 9 out of 10, technically telling its readers that the game is great.<ref>[http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review/1900-6414475/ Gamespot written review of GTAV]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw Gamespot video review of GTAV]</ref> As many readers considered this an act of blasphemy, 
diseased
 displeased gamers united, as an example of the proto-[[Gamergate]] movement, and set up a petition demanding the reviewer to be fired<ref>[http://www.gameskinny.com/b981o/petition-created-to-fire-gamespot-reviewer-for-grand-theft-auto-5-review Petition Created to Fire Gamespot Reviewer for Grand Theft Auto 5 Review]</ref> simply for stating a subjective opinion (which is the essence of any review for an entertainment product). According to the review aggregator website GameRankings, at least thirteen other websites gave the game an equal or lesser score.<ref>[http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/634490-grand-theft-auto-v/articles.html?sort=6 PS3 reviews of GTAV]</ref><ref>[http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/634491-grand-theft-auto-v/articles.html?sort=6 XBox360 reviews of GTAV]</ref> So why was this particular review singled out? Because the reviewer just so happened to be a [[Transsexualism|trans-woman]] who dared to mention her displeasure with the game's [[misogyny|negative portrayal of women]].<ref>[http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/gamers-petition-for-sacking-of-gamespot-writer-who-criticised-gtav-for-misogyny/0121238 Gamers petition for sacking of GameSpot writer who criticized GTAV for misogyny]</ref>

Even though this uproar happened roughly a year before Gamergate formally existed as a [[Misogyny|misogynist]] [[Hate_speech|hate campaign]], this incidence was probably all about "ethics in video game journalism" like some ''harmless'' comments suggest:
{{QuoteBox|Looking back, I felt like an idiot for defending this moron. The reason why you're giving this game a different score is because of violence against women? Can you think of a more bullshit excuse or did you actually play the game? Cause it sounds like you never played the game.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw&lc=z121e1urswm1ctp4c04cibzhkmioez24v3c dumb YouTube comment]</ref>}}
{{QuoteBox|What you obviously don't get is that this reviewer did something completely unprofessional for any review, this person brought into a game review their social justice political views that have no place in game reviews or the gaming industry. You know [[Appeal to tradition|there used to be a time where critics actually focused on reviewing games and not trying to be politically correct]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw&lc=z12gvxxo3wbqwtlbq04cd3nyplakjtubqgo dumb YouTube comment]</ref>}}
Then you have other comments which will let you lose all faith in humanity from the blatantly hostile ones:
{{QuoteBox|The proper pronoun is "it", in this case.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw&lc=z13yu1zowyzojnh4i04cidbj5yq3hjoacxk0k dumb YouTube comment]</ref>}}
{{QuoteBox|[[misogyny|Never let women review games. They will give a low rating based on something retarded.]] I still think she has a penis.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw&lc=z12jhfvxwsnohr1hm04chbugqrbuyf1heuw0k dumb YouTube comment]</ref>}}
to the really nasty ones:
{{QuoteBox|just because i hate weirdo fucks like this reviewer .? thats why i act like im 7 ? no matter how much you argue or try to prove a point , its still "gay" or a guy . [[transphobia|just because you cut your dick off , doesnt make you a women]] .<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw&lc=z13xwxowesjxebkwv04cjbn52u3wjlmxddw dumb YouTube comment]</ref>}}
{{QuoteBox|clearly he was messed up in the head if he wanted his penis chopped off. "it" lost her job because it was speaking about bs womens rights in this review like it has a right to defend women. just because he had a sex change dont make him a women . i will call it "IT" because this reviewer is neither male or female now.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw&lc=z13xwxowesjxebkwv04cjbn52u3wjlmxddw dumb YouTube comment]</ref>}}
But this outrage wouldn't be complete without at least one antisemitic comment:
{{QuoteBox|This is the result of the [[Jewish conspiracy|Jewish-led degeneracy program that has penetrated our media]]. People like this would be placed in mental institutions in a healthy society.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABiPHyaKgTw&lc=z12bfzprfruacff5o04chrsbwwfcifogshk dumb YouTube comment]</ref><ref group=note>Not helping matters is the fact that Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two's CEO, is Jewish, making him an easy target for antisemitic canards against him and his company.</ref>}}

==Grand Theft Capitalism==
===Litigation against modders===
[[File:Take-Two vs re3 developers lawsuit.jpg|thumb|350px|right|You can sue anyone for pretty much anything, and you might probably win!]]
Perhaps ironically enough, the community who previously defended ''GTA'' from conservatives ranting about its wanton violence and hedonistic themes would later turn against Rockstar's (or more accurately Take-Two's) anti-consumer practices such as the implementation of [[loot box|microtransaction]]s, in-game [[gambling]] and shameless litigation directed towards unofficial modifications, despite the latter being a common practice and a major contributing factor for the series' continued popularity.

Source code recreations of ''Grand Theft Auto III'' and ''Vice City'' named ''re3'' and ''reVC'', whose goal was a modernised and improved version of the games which can be ported and played on contemporary and future platforms, were the subject of a lawsuit by Take-Two who alleged that the reconstituted code facilitated piracy and "is not licensed in any way".<ref name="inquisition">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46aQHnBXDYM Take-Two VS Modders: The Grand Theft Auto Inquisition]</ref> Project leader Angelo "aap" Papenhoff initially believed that [[Nintendo]]'s non-action towards the ''Super Mario 64'' source code gave them a quasi-legal precedent as it did not contain any copyrighted assets, but this proved to be moot when aap and his fellow contributors were named in the suit.<ref>[https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/take-two-is-suing-the-creators-of-a-gta-3-and-vice-city-reverse-engineering-projects/ Take-Two is suing the creators of GTA 3 and Vice City reverse engineering projects]</ref> The defendants responded to Take-Two's claims with a counter-claim, arguing that the reverse-engineered code is of transformative nature and that contrary to Take-Two's claims of [[Bullshit|"irreparable harm"]], the project as well as the ''GTA'' modding scene in general have a positive effect on sales of the software, going on to say that Take-Two have showcased some notable mods on Rockstar's Newswire and even released portions of their code to the developers of Multi Theft Auto, a multiplayer modification for ''GTA''.<ref>[https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2021/11/gta-modders-behind-re3-and-revc-fire-back-in-court/ GTA modders behind re3 and reVC fire back in court]</ref> Take-Two has since dismissed their claims against most of the defendants, though the details of their settlement were not disclosed and the remaining (unidentified) defendants are still being sought for questioning.<ref>[https://torrentfreak.com/take-two-dismisses-claims-against-lead-defendants-in-gta-mods-lawsuit-230405/ Take-Two Dismisses Claims Against Lead Defendants in GTA Mods Lawsuit]</ref> 

In 2025 a small team of [[Russia]]n modders who call themselves the "Revolution Team" released ''Grand Theft Auto: Vice City - Next-Gen Edition'', an unofficial (and unauthorised) port of the original ''Vice City'' to the ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' engine aiming to address perceived shortcomings with the official remaster. Despite having went on a legal bulldozer rampage against every single mod they see as infringing their intellectual property rights, Take-Two is so far only able to file DMCA notices against sites providing direct links to the mod and most of the Revolution Team's social media pages (including even their [[Telegram]] channel and [[VKontakte]] pages), no thanks to a decree in 2022 which protected Russian companies from copyright enforcement by Western firms as a result of the Russian invasion of [[Ukraine]] (and subsequent sanctions and/or boycotts).<ref name="NGE GamesRadar 1">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/rockstar-literally-just-took-down-a-liberty-city-gta-5-mod-but-thats-not-stopping-these-modders-porting-vice-city-into-gta-4-and-they-might-just-get-away-with-it/ |title=Rockstar literally just took down a Liberty City GTA 5 mod, but that's not stopping these modders porting Vice City into GTA 4 - and they might just get away with it |last=Van der Velde |first=Issy |work=GamesRadar+ |publisher=Future plc |date=22 January 2025 |accessdate=26 January 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121175037/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/rockstar-literally-just-took-down-a-liberty-city-gta-5-mod-but-thats-not-stopping-these-modders-porting-vice-city-into-gta-4-and-they-might-just-get-away-with-it/ |archivedate=21 January 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NGE GamesRadar 2">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/gta-4-modders-lose-their-youtube-channel-as-take-two-seems-to-continue-its-quest-to-obliterate-every-gta-mod-but-they-still-plan-to-deliver-their-upgraded-vice-city/ |title=GTA 4 modders lose their YouTube channel as Take-Two seems to continue its quest to obliterate every GTA mod, but they still plan to deliver their upgraded Vice City |last=Bardhan |first=Ashley |work=GamesRadar+ |publisher=Future plc |date=23 January 2025 |accessdate=26 January 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124101419/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/action/gta-4-modders-lose-their-youtube-channel-as-take-two-seems-to-continue-its-quest-to-obliterate-every-gta-mod-but-they-still-plan-to-deliver-their-upgraded-vice-city/ |archivedate=24 January 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NGE GamesRadar 3">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/former-gta-dev-weighs-in-on-rockstars-attempt-to-silence-vice-city-mod-that-ports-the-whole-game-to-gta-4-this-is-what-companies-are-supposed-to-do/ |title=Former GTA dev weighs in on Rockstar's attempt to silence Vice City mod that ports the whole game to GTA 4: 'This is what companies are supposed to do' |last=Van der Velde |first=Issy |work=GamesRadar+ |publisher=Future plc |date=27 January 2025 |accessdate=29 January 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127142114/https://www.gamesradar.com/games/grand-theft-auto/former-gta-dev-weighs-in-on-rockstars-attempt-to-silence-vice-city-mod-that-ports-the-whole-game-to-gta-4-this-is-what-companies-are-supposed-to-do/ |archivedate=27 January 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NGE TE">{{cite web |url=https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/01/gta-vice-city-nextgen-edition-is-the-closest-thing-well-get-to-a-proper-remaster |title=GTA Vice City: Nextgen Edition Is 'The Closest Thing We'll Get' To A Proper Remaster |last=McFerran |work=Time Extension |publisher=Gamer Network |date=21 January 2025 |accessdate=26 January 2025 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121114249/https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/01/gta-vice-city-nextgen-edition-is-the-closest-thing-well-get-to-a-proper-remaster |archivedate=21 January 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="NGE TheGamer">{{cite web |url=https://www.thegamer.com/grand-theft-auto-vice-city-fan-made-remaster-gta-4-engine/|title=Fans Are Remastering Vice City In GTA 4 |last=Troughton |first=James |work=TheGamer |publisher=Valnet |date=21 January 2025 |accessdate=26 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250122052443/https://www.thegamer.com/grand-theft-auto-vice-city-fan-made-remaster-gta-4-engine/ |archivedate=22 January 2025 |url-status=live }}</ref> Many have felt that Take-Two's [[Nintendo]]-esque aggression towards modders shows how petty and flat-out greedy the company is for having lost touch of their community especially as they used to promote and feature noteworthy mods on their official Newswire blog–instead focusing more on the proverbial golden goose that is ''GTA Online'' and its lucrative market of "Shark Cards" and associated microtransactions,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_t0bdK1bZA Take-Two is Horrible..]</ref> though some–particularly former ''Vice City'' technical director Obbe Vermeij–defended Take-Two's actions as a business decision that is well within their right to protect their IP; Vermeij nonetheless acknowledged that the takedowns "would be easier to swallow if [Rockstar] produced competent re-masters".<ref name="NGE GamesRadar 3"/>

===Milking a franchise===
[[File:GTA V ports.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Rockstar's cash cow.]]
The re3/reVC suits coincided with Rockstar's announcement of ''yet another port'' of ''Grand Theft Auto V'' for ninth-generation platforms such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, which did not sit well with audiences who criticised Rockstar for milking a once-respected gaming franchise for money, ironically going against the satirical message Rockstar espoused against corporations who are just as guilty of doing the same thing.<ref>[https://www.gamingbible.co.uk/features/games-re-releasing-gta-5-again-is-ruining-a-great-games-legacy-20211011 Re-Releasing 'GTA 5' Yet Again Is Ruining A Great Game's Legacy]</ref> Despite promises of an "expanded and enhanced" gameplay experience, the re-release trailer was dislike-bombed on YouTube as the ports' graphics were no better than the PC and previous-generation releases, and was essentially the PC release with some minor enhancements and vestigial ray tracing support (i.e. barely noticeable ray traced shadows instead of the expected reflections, though a later update to the game in 2022 did add a form of ray-traced reflections;<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgIDzZQojQA Grand Theft Auto 5's Ray Traced Reflections Upgrade Tested on PS5 and Xbox Series X]</ref> the PS5 and Xbox Series conversions still get the same cube map<ref group="note">To be specific and technical, they're actually [http://graphicsrunner.blogspot.com/2008/07/dual-paraboloid-reflections.html dual paraboloid reflections] which are cheaper than cubemaps but produce similar results with just two facing images instead of six.</ref> reflections as seen from previous-gen releases).<ref>[https://youtu.be/AYTRJY9zG38 The Problem With GTA5 Next-Gen]</ref> Oh and the music was censored too, which is ironic considering the game's mature tone.

It also did not help matters that a supposedly enhanced remaster of the 2000s era (aka the 3D universe) games entitled ''{{wpl|Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition}}'' was released in a woefully broken state, with a litany of technical problems and poorly-recreated character and environment models. The re-release was review-bombed<ref>[https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2021-11-14-gta-the-trilogy-has-a-metacritic-aggregate-score-of-0-5 GTA: The Trilogy has a Metacritic aggregate score of 0.5]</ref> and savaged by audiences who felt that it was disrespectful towards the series' legacy, not to mention that the delisting of the original trilogy releases brought concerns regarding video game preservation. Strauss Zelnick's reactions to user criticism (e.g. claiming that the trilogy remasters "experienced a glitch") were also similarly ridiculed for being completely myopic, out of touch with the actual situation and downplaying the concerns of players, further reinforcing the fact that he is more of a greedy douchebag bean counter than an entrepreneur who is actually knowledgeable with the wares he is selling.<ref name="inquisition"/><ref name="zelnickgreed">{{Cite news |date=1998-03-30 |title=THEY’RE PLAYING HIS SONG BMG U.S. MUSIC BOSS IS IN LINE FOR WORLDWIDE JOB |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/1998/03/30/theyre-playing-his-song-bmg-us-music-boss-is-in-line-for-worldwide-job/ |access-date=2024-10-24 |work=New York Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2022 Rockstar announced GTA+, a paid subscription service for ''Grand Theft Auto Online'' which offers in-game credits, new properties and vehicles at $5.99 a month.<ref>[https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/ak748a241k42kk/introducing-gta-for-gta-online Introducing GTA+ for GTA Online]</ref> Unsurprisingly, fans were irate about the move and viewed the service as nothing but unabashed greed, with concerns that Rockstar may end up gating new content under a paywall to GTA+ subscribers.<ref>[https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/gta-5-online-gta-plus-announcement-angers-rockstar-games-fans GTA+ Announcement Angers Rockstar Games Fans]</ref>

==Grand Theft Conspiracy==
[[File:Shawn Fonteno NWO Facebook post.png|thumb|110px|right|Can a loc come up in yo crib and discuss about the New World Order?]]
A recurring theme throughout the series is the discussion and portrayal of government conspiracies as part of the series' satire of American culture. A great number of characters such as the aptly-named The Truth (played by {{wpl|Peter Fonda}}) in ''San Andreas'', as well as Lester Crest, Trevor Philips and "Nervous" Ron Jakowski in ''GTA V'', are shown to be believing in conspiracy theories to varying extents. Trevor for one took his anti-[[Illuminati]] activism to the extreme by attempting to attack facilities and personnel of Merryweather Security, which is alleged in the game's lore to be a front for the Illuminati. In addition to Merryweather, countless other conspiracist symbolism could be seen throughout the game. While some see this pervasive use of symbolism as intentional and a satirical commentary on the paranoiac tendencies of conspiracy theorists, others have apparently believed that Rockstar did it unironically and is part of the NWO plot itself.<ref>[https://gtaforums.com/topic/694383-gta-v-and-the-illuminati/ GTA V and the Illuminati]</ref>

===Maybe Franklin ''deserves'' to be roasted after all===
Intriguingly enough, ''Grand Theft Auto V'' cast member {{wpl|Shawn Fonteno}} (who portayed Franklin Clinton) appears to be a firm believer in the [[New World Order]] and other conspiracies. Fonteno posted [[anti-vaccination]] and NWO screeds on his social media pages, one of them being a rant about the "one-world government" and "universal currency" malarkey that both conspiracists and [[Millennialism|millennialist]]s have been so afraid of. Fonteno's sociopolitical views comes as being both [[Irony|ironic]] and [[Hypocrite|hypocritical]] considering how he regularly cites his success from a multi-billion dollar media franchise<ref>Fonteno, Shawn 'Solo'; Jah, Yusuf. (2021) [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60716372-game-changer ''Game Changer: My Journey From the Streets to Your Video Game Console''.]</ref> produced by the same elites and [[Jewish]] businessmen<ref group=note>{{wpl|Strauss Zelnick}}, the current CEO of Rockstar's parent company Take-Two Interactive, is of Jewish descent.</ref> he claims to resent, just as how rapper and fellow conspiracy theorist [[B.o.B]] has also expressed his anti-Masonic and antisemitic views on the back of his Billboard chart success. Fonteno's [[COVID-19]] conspiracism apparently bit back on him when he posted a status update on his Instagram showing him lying on a hospital bed as he was treated for COVID<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/GTAV/comments/saecpo/anyone_know_whats_up_with_shawn_fonteno_franklin/ Anyone know what's up with Shawn Fonteno? (Franklin), Ned luke told everyone he had COVID but I can't find anything on Shawn]</ref> much like fellow ''GTA V'' alum {{wpl|Ned Luke}} who was also hospitalised for the same disease.<ref>[https://www.gamespot.com/articles/gta-5-actor-is-out-of-the-hospital-after-battling-covid-19-and-pneumonia/1100-6486510/ GTA 5 Actor Is Out Of The Hospital After Battling COVID-19 And Pneumonia]</ref>

==Side effects of ''GTA'' on behavior ==

=== Studies ===

One study suggests that playing action games like ''GTA'' could improve decision-making skills, as judgements made by the gamer volunteers in the study outperformed the ones made by the non-gamers. Non-gamers who were forced to play action video games for 50 hours also got better at making informed decisions.<ref>[http://www.livescience.com/10748-grand-theft-auto-improve-decision-making-skills.html 'Grand Theft Auto' May Improve Decision-Making Skills]</ref>

There are conflicting studies on how much a game like ''GTA'' can change social behavior, where one study suggests that the game could lead teenagers into becoming reckless drivers.<ref>[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2202105/Teenagers-play-risk-glorifying-video-games-like-Grand-Theft-Auto-likely-reckless-drivers-claims-study.html Teenagers who play 'risk-glorifying' video games like Grand Theft Auto are more likely to be reckless drivers, claims study]</ref> One study which attributes a positive influence was called out by ''Scientific American'' for sugar-coating and ignoring its negative side effects.<ref>[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/grand-theft-auto-is-good/ Grand Theft Auto Is Good for You? Not So Fast…]</ref>

=== Real-life events ===

There are events which are claimed to have been inspired by the game either directly or indirectly.

==== Correlation where perpetrators imply causation ====

*In one ''relatively'' harmless instance Zachary Burgess, a young university lacrosse player in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, stole a truck, kidnapped the seated woman and rammed several parked cars before he was arrested. He cited that he wanted to know how it was really like to be a ''GTA'' character as a reason for his stupidity.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/25/zachary-burgess_n_3991963.html Zachary Burgess Allegedly Stole Truck, Kidnapped Woman, As Part Of 'Grand Theft Auto' Reenactment], 23 Sep, 2013</ref>
*On another occassion, Polwat Chino,<ref>[http://www.cyberspacers.com/news/grandtheftautobanned/ Grand Theft Auto Banned After Copycat Killing]</ref> a disillusioned teenager in Bangkok, wanted to know if it was as easy to rob a taxi as depicted in the games. He found out by killing a cab driver.<ref>[http://www.reuters.com/article/us-crime-thailand-grandtheftauto-idUSBKK22888820080805 Thailand halts Grand Theft Auto sales after murder], 05 Aug, 2008</ref> What the ruthless idiot also found out is that he now faces the death penalty in the real world, an aftermath which isn't included in the games even if you should be caught during a six-star wanted level.
*Once while bored, teenagers William and Joshua Buckner decided to mimic their favorite video game ''GTA III'' by firing a .22 rifle at passing cars on the highwaay, killing a 45-year-old man and injuring a woman.<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/09/11/grand_theft_auto/ Grand Theft Auto in the dock over US road killing], 11 Sep, 2003</ref> Jack Thompson represented 
Rockstar's
 their victims in court.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3680481.stm Grand Theft Auto comes under fire], 04 May, 2004</ref>

In all of these cases it's impossible to determine if there has been a direct causation, because it's not implausible that all these young males are lying by claiming "''GTA'' made me do it" in the hope of receiving a more lenient punishment.

==== Correlation, not necessarily causation ====

*An eight-year-old boy in Slaughter, Louisiana shot his 87-year-old grandmother to death after he played ''GTA IV'' and found a .38 caliber handgun at his home.<ref>[http://www.msnbc.com/thomas-roberts/did-grand-theft-auto-turn-8-year-old Did ‘Grand Theft Auto’ turn an 8-year-old into a killer?], 26 Aug, 2013</ref>

*Ryan Chinnery, a wannabe thug (according to a picture of his<ref>[http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20081206214656/gtawiki/images/5/55/Ryan_Chinnery_-_Sun.jpg Ryan Chinnery picture]</ref>), sexually assaulted two women whom he thought were prostitutes<ref>[http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/11/07/gamer_jailed/ Grand Theft Auto obsessive jailed for sex attacks], 07 Nov, 2008</ref> because apparently as long as a woman just ''looks'' like she takes money for sex, a man can do anything he pleases with her. It's said that he has been an avid ''GTA'' player... but also a binger, pothead and a massive consumer of [[pornography]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/kent/7713991.stm 'Porn' man jailed for sex attacks], 06 Nov, 2008</ref> Take your pick of what could have been the cause, including the possibility he's just a selfish asshole.

*Internet [[troll]] and inventor of Rickrolling cites the then-upcoming release of ''GTA IV'' as the initial opportunity to people by tricking them into watching an irrelevant video of Rick Astley, thinking it was instead a new trailer of the upcoming game.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/mx53y/i_am_youtube_user_cotter548_aka_the_inventor_of/ Definitely not a rickroll link]</ref> Whether or not the phenomenon would have otherwise taken off will forever be unknown.

==== Correlation and definite causation ====

Another side effect has been the release of shameless cookie-cutter ''GTA'' ripoffs by other video game publishers. Some have the good humor to acknowledge their inspirations (such as the ''Saints Row'' games, which evolved from a straight ripoff of ''GTA'' to a parody of the series<ref>Lundberg, Josh. [http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Review/280766,saints-row-the-third-is-an-offensive-and-childish-game-what-of-it.aspx "Saints Row: The Third is an offensive and childish game. What of it?"] ''PC Authority'', 21 November 2011.</ref>), others tried to put a spin on the formula (putting you on the side of [[law enforcement]], having you play as an Old West outlaw), and still others basically rehashed what they thought made the ''GTA'' series successful. What they all have in common is that they are far less successful (in one case even a disastrous flop)<ref>Thorsen, Tor. [http://www.gamespot.com/articles/true-crime-and-gun-sequels-stillborn/1100-6236582/ "True Crime and Gun sequels stillborn?"], ''Gamespot'', 11 January 2006.</ref>, even if they try their hardest to be more offensive than the blueprint. The term "''GTA'' clone" was even coined to describe the glut of violent open-world action games in the 2000s<ref>[https://gta.fandom.com/wiki/GTA_Clone "GTA Clone".] ''GTA Wiki''.</ref>, though with open worlds becoming a much greater part of the gaming landscape, such as in racing games and even games intended for children such as those from the ''LEGO'' franchise like ''LEGO Island''{{efn|Predating the original ''GTA'' by just mere months.}} and ''LEGO City Undercover'', the term has since fallen from use.

Rockstar themselves banked heavily on the reputation of ''GTA'' in the 2000s with the other games that they made. Their games typically met better fates than those of the competition, with most of them winning praise from critics, selling quite well, and whipping up their own controversies.
* ''Manhunt'', released in 2003, was a survival horror/stealth action title in which you play as a death row inmate dropped into a [[snuff film]] operation by a disgraced former Hollywood director, who forces you to brutally murder a bunch of criminals and psychopaths across the run-down Rust Belt dump of Carcer City. Immediately notorious for shocking violence far in excess of anything in the ''GTA'' games, the main controversy around ''Manhunt'' came in the UK when, in 2004, it was connected to the murder of a 14-year-old boy named Stefan Pakeerah by his friend. Police argued that the murder was a gang-related robbery gone wrong (in truth, it was Pakeerah who had played ''Manhunt'', not his killer),<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/leicestershire/3538066.stm "Police reject game link to murder."] ''BBC News'', 5 August 2004 (recovered 19 June 2019).</ref> but that didn't stop some of the UK's largest games retailers from voluntarily pulling the game from shelves to avoid outcry and boycotts.<ref>Thorsen, Tor. [https://web.archive.org/web/20130314112253/http://uk.gamespot.com/news/manhunt-blamed-for-uk-murder-6103718 "Manhunt blamed for UK murder."] ''GameSpot'', 29 July 2004 (recovered 19 June 2019).</ref> The game was also banned in New Zealand and refused classification in Australia, effectively making it illegal to sell. The sequel, ''Manhunt 2'', wasn't released in the UK until 2008, a full year after its American release, due to battles with the British Board of Film Classification. On both sides of the Atlantic, the game had to be heavily censored in order to avoid an AO rating in the US (a kiss of death, as retailers will not stock games rated AO and video game console manufacturers will not allow them to be released on their platforms) and refusal of classification in the UK, particularly where the much-ballyhooed execution sequences were concerned. Interestingly enough, the game even garnered controversy well within the Rockstar studios: former Rockstar employee Jeff Williams revealed that some of his colleagues were uncomfortable with the idea of a snuff film simulator, stating "there was almost a mutiny at the company over that game." They were able to justify GTA's violence as the series is meant as a parody of modern society and is more free-form in its gameplay in that it is entirely possible to just cruise around the game's world without killing or maiming anyone.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://badasscat.blogspot.com/2007/07/rockstar.html |title=Life During Wartime - Working at Rockstar Games |author=Williams, Jeff |date=July 24, 2007 |website=Alphabet City |publisher=[[BlogSpot]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20070804084043/http://badasscat.blogspot.com/2007/07/rockstar.html |archive-date=August 4, 2007 |url-status=dead |access-date=September 2, 2010}}</ref> Williams explained that the game "just made us all feel icky. It was all about the violence, and it was realistic violence. We all knew there was no way we could explain away that game. There was no way to rationalize it. We were crossing a line."<ref name="GRadar+">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/manhunt-nearly-caused-a-mutiny-at-rockstar/ |title=Manhunt nearly caused a "mutiny" at Rockstar |author=Cundy, Matt |date=July 26, 2007 |website=[[GamesRadar+]] |publisher=[[Future plc]] |access-date=March 29, 2013 |archive-date=October 6, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121006015432/http://www.gamesradar.com/manhunt-nearly-caused-a-mutiny-at-rockstar/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''Bully'', released in 2006, can be seen as an epic troll job on the part of Rockstar. When it was announced that Rockstar would be making a ''GTA''-esque open world adventure game set in a high school, their critics immediately feared the worst, with Jack Thompson calling it a "Columbine simulator" sight unseen.<ref>Sinclair, Brendan. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060820151153/http://www.gamespot.com/news/6155892.html "Thompson wants to get hands on Bully."] ''GameSpot'', 16 August 2006 (recovered 19 June 2019).</ref> The actual game, however, turned out to be a lighthearted homage to '80s teen comedies that was deemed worthy of only a T rating in the US and a 15 rating in the UK, the protagonist using weapons like a slingshot, stink bombs, and a potato cannon and essentially being a video game version of [[The Simpsons|Bart Simpson]]. That said, they did have to change the title to ''Canis Canem Edit'' (Latin for "dog eat dog") for the initial PAL release due to fears that it would be seen as glamorizing school bullying.
* ''Red Dead Redemption'', released in 2010, can be summed up as ''"Grand Theft Horse,"'' an open-world game in the ''GTA'' mold set in the Wild West in which you wield Colt revolvers and Winchester repeaters from horseback as you fight outlaws and lawmen alike. Often ranked as a rival to the ''GTA'' games as Rockstar's masterpiece.<ref>Metacritic: [http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/red-dead-redemption ''Red Dead Redemption'' (PS3)]</ref> It later received a prequel in 2018, to similar acclaim.<ref>Metacritic: [https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/red-dead-redemption-2 ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' (PS3)]</ref> The only controversy around either game seems to relate to things that happened behind the scenes, specifically long hours and grueling work conditions at Rockstar's studios<ref>Rockstar Spouse. [https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/RockstarSpouse/20100107/86315/Wives_of_Rockstar_San_Diego_employees_have_collected_themselves.php "Wives of Rockstar San Diego employees have collected themselves."] ''Gamasutra'', 7 January 2010 (recovered 19 June 2019).</ref><ref>Schreier, Jason. [https://kotaku.com/inside-rockstar-games-culture-of-crunch-1829936466 "Inside Rockstar Games' Culture of Crunch."] ''Kotaku'', 23 October 2018 (recovered 19 June 2019).</ref> — issues that are, sadly, not at all unique to Rockstar within the games industry. It's likely that the Old West setting silenced anybody trying to raise a stink about the violence, lest Rockstar and its defenders point to not only the decades' worth of Westerns (especially the violent and gritty "spaghetti Westerns" of the 1960s and '70s) that the game homaged, but also the [[Manifest destiny|general mythologization of that time period]] in American culture.

== See also ==
*[[Video games]]

== External links ==
*{{wpa|Grand Theft Auto|''Grand Theft Auto''}}
*[https://feministborgia.wordpress.com/2013/10/19/grand-theft-auto-v-a-feminists-review/ A feminist review of ''GTA V'''s story and characters], complete with the [[Anita's Irony|usual comments]].
*[http://www.somethingawful.com/game-reviews/jack-thompson-gta/1/ ''GTA IV'' review by 
Jack Thompson
 Something Awful]
==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}
==References==
{{reflist|3|80%}}

[[Category:Video games]]
[[Category:British comedy]]
[[Category:Crime]]
[[Category:Moral panics]]

Categories: Video games, British comedy, Crime, Moral panics