Video games do not come without controversy. The "Grand Theft Auto" franchise in particular has spurred a great amount of debate regarding mature themes and game ratings since its first incarnation in 1997. The games are far from family friendly, with drugs, violence, sex and more violence taking center stage. Because of which, a large amount of criticism has arisen regarding the games’ influence on players.
When "GTA III" was released in 2001, it became the best-selling game of the year. But it also came with concern over the upgraded graphics, and therefore, upgraded portrayals of violence and sexual content. In 2008, Mothers Against Drunk Driving demanded a stronger rating for "GTA IV" because the game included a feature which allowed players to direct their characters to drive drunk. The "GTA IV" expansion "The Lost and Damned" featured a scene which included full-frontal nudity of a male character. Some groups began to warn against the game and urged that it be kept away from children.
As someone who’s played "GTA" since the tender age of seven, I can say that there are themes which can be shocking, frightening and confusing for young minds. That said, I continue to enjoy games of this franchise to no end. I remember watching my older sisters playing "GTA: San Andreas" for the first time after our parents had gone to bed. I remember coming home from middle school and spending hours just driving around the streets in "GTA IV" until I knew them better than my own neighborhood. Yeah, it was violent and I had to turn the volume down so my mom didn’t hear all the curse words flying out of characters’ mouths, but it was a stress release. Learning to focus on driving and shooting and dodging all at once was like multitasking training. When I got stuck on a certain level, I had to think of new ways to approach it. In a really weird way, it was stimulating.
Not only that, but the growth of the game’s franchise is a testament to the evolution of video games in general. The first two "GTA" games were top-down style and pretty basic compared to what many are used to today. The most current game is a beautifully animated 3D open world full of interactivity and dynamic features. You can climb mountains and watch the sunset from the beach and, for just a second, you can forget you’re playing a video game.
So, in short, not everything video games like "GTA" have to offer is bad. Will I be the concerned mother when my kids bring home their first M-rated games? Yeah, probably. But I’ll also remember all the good memories I have of my own experiences.
Life is all about balance. It’s not bad to play games sometimes, but don’t forget to enjoy the real world, too.
