Grand Theft Auto has a lot to answer for…

Well, actually, no it doesn’t. Or at least, not the things that we’re lead to believe.

In my opinion, video games do not inspire violent behaviour, they do not incite any kind of hatred, and it is not the fault of a piece of electronic entertainment every time something bad happens. If someone were to play a violent video game and go out and ‘copycat’ the behaviour they had seen in it, then that is a sad indictment of our society in a number of ways, not least the fact that a scapegoat is needed in the form of the games industry. Far more violent and unpleasant things have been happening in literature, films and television for many years before video games came along, nevermind before they became violent, and nobody has ever been able to prove a link between violent content and violent behaviour.

For those who still believe in the link, though, indulge me a moment. If someone under the age of 18 gets in to see a film at the cinema, it is the cinema’s responsibility for not checking age. If it happens in your own home, then it is your own responsibility. Violent films and television shows are shown, for free, on televisions in virtually every home in the country, if you point your television at the right channel at the right time. This is content that is free and available at all times, and parents have to be prepared to police it.

There is a strict policy of adherance to the age ratings for the sales of video games – nobody under the age of 18 can purchase a copy of Grand Theft Auto over the counter (games shops were caught out with ’sting’ operations during the sales of GTA: Vice City and as such, nobody could purchase a copy of its sequel, San Andreas without valid photo ID), but many parents have knowingly bought these games for their children or allowed them to purchase them online with their cards. You can’t have it both ways, people. You can’t villify the games industry for violence, then give your kids access to the games. It’s not like TV, they can’t just stay up late or sneak downstairs after dark and the games will be on the box. Someone had to put it in their possession.

So what, then, does Grand Theft Auto have to answer for? The media circus that surrounds it, that’s what. Things had been fairly quiet on the Western front recently with regards the nay-sayers and anti-gaming lobbyists, but with 9 days to go until the release of the new GTA (on XBOX 360 and PS3), I’m getting worried. The industry has been doing well recently in public eyes – everyone is training their brain, we all want to be guitar heroes, casual gaming is taking off like never before, and this is largely down to the success of the DS and Wii as barrierless, user-friendly gaming. Things have been nice. Friendly. Pleasant. Sure, the publicity is great for GTA (in a similar way to getting a single banned from the radio) and Rockstar probably make as much money from the infamy as they do the quality of the games (and that is saying something as the games are always the highest calibre), but every time one of these titles is released, there is a media furore following, and I personally think the games industry could do with a little respite.