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New Grand Theft Auto game raises concerns with psychologist Save Email Print
Posted: 5:45 PM Apr 29, 2008
Last Updated: 6:08 PM Apr 29, 2008

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(WVLT) -- There's concern about a new version of Grand Theft Auto out Tuesday, and the Washington Post says the video game has all the hot buttons: intense violence, strong language, use of drugs, sex, and nudity. Worse yet, even if you don't know about it, your kids probably do.

Grand Theft Auto IV is a game where you play the bad guy who steals and commits crimes to win.

A local child and adolescent psychiatrist says not only should children not watch such games, but also questions why any adult would want to.

He says the desensitization is just like what the military does to train troops to go into battle.

Grand Theft Auto 4 hit game store shelves today and some say it could break sales records.

But some are asking why? The game has nudity, strong language, strong violence, even alcohol and drug use. Some police groups have expressed their concerns.

Alcoa Police Chief Ken Burge says, "I think people really need to be cognizant of the fact that this game could desensitize them to the sex, to the violence, make them more aggressive."

A Knoxville child and adolescent psychiatrist agrees. Dr. John Robertson says watching such realistic games can have a negative impact.

He says, "There's a line between we think about something and then we plan to do it and we act upon that and that line gets more and more blurred is what's happening."

But Roberson feels it can have an affect on those besides children.

"Yes, they are for mature audiences but why would adults even be playing them. I have no idea."

Robertson says the games reward bad behavior, which is how you win the game.

"You get rewarded for going to the prostitute. You get more health benefits, and then if you steal her money, beat her up and steal her money, you get more."

The doctor feels it becomes more detrimental the more someone plays such games.

"Just going to church on Sundays isn't going to necessarily negate hours and hours of raping, pillaging, and murdering."

Robertson feels there's a big difference between rewarding for bad behavior and the days of Superman, Batman, and G.I. Joe.

"There was morality. There was a sense of justice. There was a sense of right and wrong in that. They have totally flipped that."

The video game industry expects Grand Theft Auto IV to sell six-million copies totaling $400 million in sales worldwide.

If the trend continues, experts believe it could break the record held by the game Halo 3.

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Posted by: Robert Location: Simi Valley on May 1, 2008 at 06:42 PM
Sigh, This exact same argument has been used to bash TV, movies, dungeons and dragons and even comic books. This game is far less violent than Saw and yet it's the one that gets all the ill-founded ire. You want to know why people want to play this game, ask someone or read a review. My theory is that gamers (me included) are sick and tired of always playing the good guy being the hero and defeating the evil villian. In fact it's become cliche.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 1, 2008 at 02:37 PM
When is the government going to stop telling people what they can or cannot do? If they enjoy playing that type of game let them cause they are adults and can make their own decisions. The sun causes cancer should we out law sun bathing? cigarettes cause cancer out law them 2? the point is that people are not always going to agree on every subject. So if it is not directly causing harm to others mind your own buisness. If video games are unhealthy for the people playing them then put a surgeon general warning on it but don't take it away cause it is our choice and our right to choose.

Posted by: Anonymous on May 1, 2008 at 02:24 PM
WHY DID U NOT POST MY COMMENT I MADE YESTERDAY, IT WAS APPROPRIATE?

Posted by: Joshua Location: North Carolina on May 1, 2008 at 01:55 PM
Maybe GTA 4s target was to the muture people WHO HAPPEN TO BE ADULTS as u said it's not for children. Your statement sounds like you wanted to find only children playing it not us mature adults.

Posted by: Galen Location: Newark, NJ on May 1, 2008 at 01:38 PM
First off, it's a game. I don't see you harping on Monopoly for giving people a false sense of how economics works or Charades for making people think they can be pantomimes. Why is that? Because you know that people understand it's just a game. They're not really buying property and extorting their neighbors: they're playing pretend. Have you ever asked one of your younger patients to play pretend? Besides, you are commenting on something completely out of your depth. Buy the game and play it yourself, then tell me if you want to go rape and pillage on your own.

Posted by: TJ Location: U.S.A. on May 1, 2008 at 01:17 PM
Why would a psychiatrist make public comments about a game he's never played? I've never seen a news story in which a psychiatrist makes comments about a book he's never read, a song he's never heard, or a movie he's never seen. - Why would a television station consider comments about a video game, made by someone who has never played the video game, to be newsworthy? - The release of Grand Theft Auto IV is significant across the entire entertainment industry. There are numerous perspectives a responsible news report could take. Why not more about the "$400 million in sales worldwide," or the records the game may break, for example? - Why, instead, does Channel 8 broadcast this report, which offers no new insight, and uninformed, unqualified opinions instead of facts? - Are you all really so lazy, or is it that you believe your viewers to be too dense to appreciate any story that does not sensationalize and fear-monger?

Posted by: Karol Location: Ireland on May 1, 2008 at 10:12 AM
The military do not use games to desensitize their troops. They use a heavily modified version of some games to teach hand eye co-ordination and teamwork, but nothing else. The man says that it's different to play G.I. Joe or Batman and be good than it is to play GTA and be bad. I've played both kinds of games and I haven't gone out "raping, pillaging and murdering", nor have I gone out trying to fight crime and be a superhero. It shows how little these people know about the game. There is no rape at all anywhere in it. Consensual sex acts (not actually displayed, but implied through story) between your character and a female one? Yes. Rape? No.

Posted by: Mike Location: New Jersey on May 1, 2008 at 09:26 AM
Let's turn that around shall we: I can't fathom why an adult would empathize with Ray Liotta in Goodfellas, or Michael Chiklis in the Shield...doesn't make sense does it? What an AWFUL psychiatrist...did he learn to understand the human psyche at a Monastery? No more films, tv shows or games without an explicit moral message...like dressing up in spandex to beat up criminals in complete disregard for the established justice system like those "healthy" super hero fantasies.

Posted by: Larry on Apr 30, 2008 at 06:29 PM
This happens EVERY time a new GTA game comes out. Just another wakko looking for his 15 minutes of fame. GET OVER IT ALREADY!

Posted by: Anonymous on Apr 30, 2008 at 03:31 PM
Do you like to ride go carts? How about riding go carts fast? I do, but when it is time to drive home do I speed like I did in th go carts...of course not. Who likes to play baseball. Just b/cause you hit a ball as hard as you can with a bat does that mean you can hit a person as hard as you can...nope. It is better to do it in a game as to in real life....that's my point. We could find negative in just about anything but then their would be nothing. Smoking causes cancer but is it illegal, nope. The sum cane cause cancer so why not extinguish it. Birds poop on my clean car so lets kill them all... that's stupid you say? So is blaming games for peoples actions. You are responsible for your own actions. If a person enjoys playing a video game on their day off work or laying out in the sun or taking a nice quiet drive in the country side that is their choice, as long as they do not harm anyone else. This is the land of the free so stop trying to oppress people and let them live their life

Posted by: danny Location: st. cloud on Apr 29, 2008 at 09:16 PM
The military has people who are going to war playing shooting games. Thats a fact. But the troops are not playing the game for fun. They play to help them train. They have a mindset that this is what I'm going to have to do. There mindset is much more different than mine when I play games like Halo 3. I play for entertainment. When people play Grand Theft Auto they do not use the game for training. They have the mindset of fun. Who doesn't like fun? If they do have a different mind set other than fun there are other more serious problems with them that need to be taken care of.

Posted by: danny Location: st. cloud on Apr 29, 2008 at 09:04 PM
Hello Mr. psychologist....... It's a video game. Is there much else to be said? Its not real life. Its not for children and I'm glad you at least realized that. Video games to not cause violence. If the person who is playing can be influenced by a game there is something wrong with them. Parents should teach a little right and wrong so there children can know the difference between a game and real life.

Posted by: Jesse Location: Wisconsin on Apr 29, 2008 at 06:00 PM
This is ridiculous - of course it's not for kids, that's why it carries a "Mature" rating. Just like R-rated movies are not for kids. But hey, let's jump on the game-bashing bandwagon to further our own agendas, right? As for the question of why you would want to play this - well, why go see an R-rated movie? It's about entertainment. Now if you'll excuse me; I'm on my way to pick up my copy of GTA 4. And I'm a 30-year-old, functional member of society.