Grand Theft Auto IV Adverts Pulled After Fox Affiliate Links Them To Violence In Chicago
There is currently a spate of violence occurring in Chicago which has seen 37 people shot, 2 stabbed and 7 dead according to CBS News. Why is this happening? Well, who knows, maybe maybe its gang violence, the weather, or just a spate of unconnected crimes. Or maybe its because some poster adverts for Grand Theft Auto IV have started appearing on the sides of buses in the city to promote the Rockstar game due out next week?
Now, of course, I don’t believe for a minute that the last option has anything to do with the violence, as tragic and depressing as it is, is occurring, but that’s because I’m someone who has two brain cells. Unfortunately, Fox News doesn’t, and the local affiliate in Chicago brought up the adverts during a report in to the violence.
Instead of ignoring the scaremongering, the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) decided to remove all of the adverts. Just like that, they gave in, over one ludicrous claim as to the effect they were having on the city.
The thing is, you only have to look at the adverts to realise they or not offensive, violence inducing, or in any way to do with the current violent crime spree, so why have they been blamed?
Fox News should be ashamed of itself, as should CTA president Ron Huberman, who folded on the issue quicker than I usually fold during a poker tournament.
Again, gamers have to put up with our hobby being turned in to some kind of social pariah, and see it blamed for all of the ills in the world. Games don’t kill people, instead it makes people stay in their houses playing games and getting fat when others are outside enjoying the sunshine, and shooting each other, it seems.
[Story Source: GamePolitics]
[Photo Source: Joystiq]
April 26th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
[...] already seen adverts for the game being pulled off buses in Chicago due to a biased piece of reporting from Fox News, and now more opinionated people have decided to [...]
May 6th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
[...] of course, being the lily livered organisation that they are, the CTA removed the adverts post haste, even though none of the posters depicted any violence [...]