Up until last night IGN had a feature video dedicated to scenes that depicted GTAIV lead character, Niko Bellic, performing sexual acts and murdering prostitutes online. After questioning the validity of such a video from MTV Multiplayer Blog lead Stephen Totilo, and bringing up the video with a contact at Fox; who owns IGN, the video was removed from IGN's site.
"IGN's goal is to show our users all aspects of popular games on the market," an IGN spokesperson told Totilo. "In this case, we crossed a line in how we portrayed some aspects of the game and we've taken this video down."
The video begins with a montage of pole-dancing and lap-dancing and then spirals into violence with multiple shootings of scantily-clad women by Bellic.
Forgetting that such a specifically focused look at that small, and optional, portion of the game was featured in such a way and the irony of a Fox owned outlet creating and releasing the video, we're left wondering what the point was. Doesn't creating a feature that only looks at such a controversial part of GTAIV fuel the fire for Rockstar naysayers? Well, at least we know which video we're likely to see when Fox News tackles the content of Grand Theft Auto IV.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
5-01-2008 @ 11:42AM
dr_wags said...
That video was disgusting, it could have been produced by Gary Ridgeway, the Green River Killer.
No wonder politicians are targeting videogames. The videogame industry paints a big bullseye on itself with promotions like The Ladies of Liberty City.
If you find it entertaining to imagine you are killing hookers or running over innocent pedestrians that you should seriously consider some form of therapy.
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5-01-2008 @ 11:46AM
TORO said...
I hadn't seen the sex in in GTA either until now (YouTube), wow I'm completely shocked at this. Tonight, I'm going to pick up a hooker and pimp slap her...lol
5-01-2008 @ 11:48AM
TORO said...
then I'll run her over and get my money back
5-01-2008 @ 11:51AM
Nxs said...
Ya know, movies do just about the same thing in the trailers. They show stealth kills and crap blowing up all the time not to mention some of the romance part. GTA is a series that grabs bad attention no matter what! Making a video about killing hookers and strip clubs is not a bullseye for the game! It is part of the game and everyone knows it.
It kills me that people bitch about the video and then have it removed just to have it pop up on youtube where you can find a lot worse things than pixelated porn! Get over it :D
5-01-2008 @ 12:01PM
Pudge said...
Any website with Two Girls One Cup could use a little stripper killing to balance things out.
and I hate dr wags for making me think about that again.
5-01-2008 @ 2:08PM
Doug said...
X3F, you can backpedal all you want. That IGN video is gameplay. Stop making excuses for Rockstar.
5-01-2008 @ 11:59AM
D Boy Flex said...
Personally, I would rather keep this out of the game. BUT, a lot of people do enjoy it so I am glad it is pretty much optional only. I do not need a hooker to up my health, I will pay a buck for a hotdog and then kill the vendor. Much more family friendly, right? Eh, it is no wonder there is so much controversy about video games, being that they are pretty much showing sex, and whether the game is M rated or not, it is going to get into the hands of kids. There is something called buying things online where they do not enforce age, or just telling mommy I want that game. Oh, what is it about, little Jonny? Oh, you get to drive cars around and stuff. Yeah, expound on stuff. Anyways, I knew a guy who let his kid play GTA 3 when he was only like 1 or 2 because he liked driving around. But actually pretty quickly did the kid learn how to shoot people and pick up hookers and do everything you would think a kid at that age wouldn't figure out. Well, he did and then they quit letting him play. point is, these games get into the hands of all ages one way or another, so there should be some way to block certain content with parental controls or something. I know you can prevent play of the game with them now, but something in game you can do to block that stuff, just because we all know little kids are playing this game also. Anyways, just my two cents. For the record, the GTA series is my favorite video game series of all time, more than Halo or CoD or anything else. I would like to see future sequals which are not rated Ao, and stuff like this are kinda pushing the limits I think.
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5-01-2008 @ 12:00PM
Roto13 said...
Right, because outside of the debauchery, Niko can volunteer at the local animal shelter and help old ladies cross the street.
Face it. This kind of stuff is indicative of what the average GTA player loves about GTA. Why bother to pretend it's not there? Because IGN didn't want to do Fox News' editing for them?
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5-01-2008 @ 12:02PM
dr_wags said...
What movies glorify the killing of prostitues and innocent pedestrians?
Snuff films films do. Recent torture-based horror films, like Hostel and Wolf's Creek do. However, mature, rationale people reject this type of imagery.
I love videogames and I don't mind violent and sexual themes in them but GTA beyond the pale. It is basically a snuff film in videogame form.
I hear people argue that they can separate this imaginary world from the real world but I really question why anyone wants to spend their time imagining they are running over prostitutes to retrieve their money.
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5-01-2008 @ 12:10PM
Nxs said...
Oh how I love a good debate in the afternoon! :D I don't really care for torture films not horror films that much but, just because I don't like them does not mean other people don't I am a very open guy when it comes to these things and none of it offends me.
Video games are what I do for a living so, maybe I see them different than you do. And I sure don't think that the games make people violent. My 8 year old son plays almost everything I do and he is the nicest kid you could ever meet.
If parents take the time time to teach their kids right from wrong and tell them the difference between fiction and reality instead of wanting to blame everything on a damn game, the world would be just a tad better :D
5-01-2008 @ 12:28PM
AnOffday said...
Obviously someone hasn't been to movies in awhile.
And to compare GTA to a video game form of a snuff film is retarded. Snuff films are real people who are really being killed. A video game or a movie form of a snuff film shouldn't even be considered to be a "form" of a real one. It's as complete opposite as you can get.
And I agree with Nxs. Too many parents today just flat out suck at being parents. That's why kids are messed up; not because they get their hands on M rated video games. Delusional, already messed up people can't tell the difference between video games and reality. But God forbid we blame parents for all this. They're the ones who keep voting for these crappy politicians. Why would they criticize their voters?
5-01-2008 @ 12:36PM
Tony said...
If people think films like Hostel are a recent phenomenon they've not seen many movies. They've been around for decades. I'd agree they've seen somewhat of a resurgence, but two or three "big" movies is not enough to turn something like that into a scapegoat. Most of them are completely ignored like they should be because they're simply horrible movies.
Further more, I'm rational and "mature", whatever that really means, and I can enjoy these films on some level. Just like I can enjoy GTA4. I'm not running around glorifying killing prostitutes in my free time. No one I know would even call be mean spirited.
Most serial killers are so reclusive that I somehow doubt they're hanging out watching Hostel and Let Them Die Slowly to get tips to begin with. This is not some testing ground for any of them and to claim such ignores any serious case I'm even remotely aware of.
Taking this as what it is, you can do these things in these games. It's really that simple. It's going to offend certain people. Calling attention it isn't necessarily wrong, although I would also question why they bothered to edit that together in succession like that.
At the same time, does IGN have to put it alongside videos of Niko going on nice dates and playing Qub3d? Why is this their responsiblity, honestly? Why do they have to pretend this isn't something you can do in the game? To avoid controversy? Let's face it, the people who would bitch about it are the people who were bitching before this game was even announced. It wouldn't have mattered.
This video might provide some groups with an easy thing to cite and play when they're trying to rally support, but they could play the game for about 15 minutes and find more than enough to suit their cause.
Shying away from this stuff and pretending it isn't there is NOT the solution. It's never going to be the solution. It doesn't fix things in real life and it doesn't fix things in media either. It also doesn't help to insult those who are playing this and likening them to over the top rapists and murderers. No common ground is ever going to be found there if people keep going in those directions.
5-01-2008 @ 12:14PM
Digitalspirit said...
I think you need to do some research on what a snuff film actually is before posting trash like this.
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5-01-2008 @ 12:18PM
dr_wags said...
I bet Ted Bundy would have loved to play some GTA and then watch Hostel.
I lot of people "enjoy" kiddie porn but we don't allow that to be sold legally.
The video game industry should show some self-restraint. I don't want the polititians to target videogames and blame them for all our troubles. But games like GTA make it easy to scapegoat videogames.
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5-01-2008 @ 12:26PM
Nxs said...
So what you are tellin me is that if I sit here for 12 hours a day playing violent games and watch crappy slasher films, I will become a mass murder? lol
I have been playing games since I was 8! I am 34 now and I don't plan to stop anytime soon. Hell, just finished a 12 hour GTAIV session and I don't feel like going out and humping a hooker then kill her to get my money back. lol
I would much prefer to have a beer or 24 and do what ever the hell I want in GTA with friends! I do not believe this violent games = violent people bullshit in the least! :D
5-01-2008 @ 12:32PM
AnOffday said...
Politicians are ALWAYS going to scapegoat video games. Do you think they will ever admit to what the real problem is? Of course not.
Stating the real problem (crappy parents) = Making said crappy parents mad = less votes.
That's how our crappy excuse for a government works.
5-01-2008 @ 12:18PM
Patton said...
If you don't like it, don't play it. It is that simple. Don't censor the game because someone gets offended by it. I wouldn't go so far as to say that the ability to kill a hooker is art, but if you start out by censoring GTA, where does it end?
The rating system may be bunk because kids get their hands on the game anyway. But how is that the developers fault? Why should they be punished or censored because someone didn't obey the law? Why didn't the parents pay attention when little Johnny asked for the game?
For god sake, it's called GRAND THEFT AUTO, not "Fluffy Pink Bunnies Drive the GlowBus Around Happiness Island."
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5-01-2008 @ 12:32PM
John said...
The content of the game doesn't bother me so much because we are all just a few clicks of the internet away from access to that type of material. Personal choice if you want to entertain yourself acting out crime.
What disturbs me is how MANY people think this is fun and entertaining. That's more scary than anything.
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5-01-2008 @ 12:33PM
ZEBRA NINER said...
This again? Oh Fox, you sure are rascals! I seem to remember a few Family Guy episodes that feature such acts!
Anyway, I'm an adult. I like my violence, VERY violent. I should be able to indulge in whatever sick murderous fantasy I want with some jerk trying to ruin my fun (politicians and bible thumpers).
If I want to watch sex and murder all day long, I should be able to do that. Don't start censoring my content because you can't handle it, or because you can't control your children. That's not my problem, that YOUR problem. You can always go back to watching Gilmore Girls and playing Viva Pinata.
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5-01-2008 @ 12:41PM
Tony said...
I play GTA and Viva Pinata... it's a good game lol.