According to a report on Monday from GamePolitics, the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has caved to minimal pressure from FOX News regarding the use of advertisements promoting the latest installment of Grand Theft Auto IV on public transportation throughout the city. The local Chicago affiliate of the controversial news desk questioned the city's use of the ads, stating, "With so much focus on kids and violence these days, we wondered why ads for a violent video game have begun popping up again on CTA buses and train stations." Days later the ads were pulled.
This isn't the first time public Grand Theft Auto ads have been pulled, previously similar instances have occurred in Portland, Denver and Boston, the latter of which saw Massachusetts transit chief justify the decision by issuing a policy which equated M-rated games to pornographic films.
While the title is known for liberal helpings of violence the ads themselves have never depicted the content of the game (as seen above). We're used to certain politicians, lawyers and family groups blaming our industry for every violent incident that happens, but when an entire city sides with the issue we can't help but feel a little shafted.
[via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
4-23-2008 @ 1:09PM
Perno said...
Well there goes most Chicagoland purchases of GTA IV. I hope they can find another way to get the word out. /sarcasm
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 1:12PM
Josh said...
...to pornographic films?
How about R rated films. If they don't allow advertising of R rated films, then fine - don't advertise GTA IV. If they do allow R rated film advertisements, then this is an unfair bias against video games and a clear lack of understanding from the ultraconservatives.
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 2:27PM
Neuromancer said...
You took the words out of my mouth. I'd be OK with this if they don't advertise R rated movies either, somehow I have a feeling they do though.
Also more city buses advertising porn would probably be OK in my book, as long as it was tasteful. ;)
4-23-2008 @ 1:15PM
ZEBRA NINER said...
Geez... Fox news sucks. People are so touchy about things.
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 1:56PM
xenocidic said...
Seriously, there's not even any sideboob in GTA IV.
4-23-2008 @ 4:10PM
James said...
As someone who actually watches more Fox News than any other news network (since they can usually manage to spend at least 5 minutes of every hour *not* talking about how the Bush administration is driving the country straight down the shitter), this makes me sad. It sucks when otherwise-reasonable people latch on to crazies like Jack Thompson or whoever started this cluster-fuck.
4-23-2008 @ 5:46PM
anthonyjh said...
Ah yes, fox news. I loved the piece they had about a year back, "Bush: Great president, or greatest president."
Gotta love that fair and balanced news.
4-24-2008 @ 11:33AM
ZEBRA NINER said...
Well... yeah, I mean... it's OBVIOUS that Bush is the GREATEST President.
4-23-2008 @ 1:15PM
shottyd said...
Wow... portland too? I really like that city and typically there very liberal with things... guess even liberal politicians believe they should impose their beliefs on us. I hate when they talk about what is right... even if VG's were on the same level as porno... it wouldn't be bad. Because everyone watches porn too... this fag ass politician can hide behind his home beating off to gay porn, then turn around and condemn GTA all he wants. I don't care, because I know his wife and kids are a sham to cover up his own homoerotic insecurities. And this isn't a slam on gay people, this is a slam on gay politicians that place themselves up on a pedestal but are too insecure to flip it over and get some real satisfaction for themselves. Fucking uptight POS's.
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 1:16PM
Steffen said...
This ticks me off, because Faux News has now run three separate stories on "girl fights" these last few days and their network is being pumped into places like the YMCA here in Burbank, where its mostly teenage kids and the like, being exposed to this "glorification" of violence, while lifting weights and running in place. What a load of b.s.
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 1:17PM
Gemini Ace said...
More negative press for the gaming industry thanks to Rockstar.
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 1:45PM
TORO said...
So are you buying the game? Are they not allowed to advertise?
4-23-2008 @ 1:52PM
Gemini Ace said...
I'm not buying it.
4-23-2008 @ 2:42PM
TORO said...
Well it sounds like your interested in the "gaming industry", but I think you'll agree that GTA IV is revolutionizing the sandbox genre :)
4-23-2008 @ 6:35PM
Gemini Ace said...
The only thing they're doing is bringing heat from the media and the senate.
4-23-2008 @ 11:06PM
Rob said...
"Thanks to Rockstar"? You make it sound negative. What are they suppose to do? No longer create any games that "push it" because people will get mad? These games are no worse than anything else you can watch in a movie theater, GIVE me a BREAK! "Well, lets throw our 'freedoms' out the window because Mr. Thompson is mad his son got a copy of GTA IV." Maybe if parents would fucking watch their god damned kids like they are SUPPOSE to this wouldn't be an issue. Like I said, No worse than movies.. blame the retailers, the ESRB, and the parents when 7 year olds are playing this game.
4-24-2008 @ 7:40AM
Gemini Ace said...
I blame Rockstar. A blight on the industry.
4-23-2008 @ 1:18PM
BuckWIlde420 said...
Something to consider folks... There has been an upward spike of gun related violent crimes in and around Chicago in the last couple of weeks. 9 people killed in 36 separate shootings IN ONE WEEKEND! See for yourself:
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iDjMOLSNXltH3_3ACdJgHr0ivfNgD90741H00
Thus, the reason behind their madness.
I cant wait to buy GTA IV and shoot some @#^%$'s though.
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 2:33PM
Mark said...
Yeah, and I bet Fox put all that up on their news feed. So it's OK for them to report on violence, but to advertise a videogame is wrong because it's violent? Does Fox want a monopoly on violence?
4-23-2008 @ 1:19PM
refinedsugar said...
FOX News dictating moral and upright marketing policy. Right.
Reply