 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
Full of graphic violence, packed with explicit sex and full of expletives, Grand Theft Auto 4 is the red-hot, just released video game kids are asking for.
From killing cop after cop to mowing down a crowd of people in a stolen police car and even sex with hookers, Grand Theft 4 is definitely not for kids, but at the same time, it's a must have for teens like 15-year-old Andrew Hall.
"They knew we were getting it, but they probably didn't know what it really was," said Andrew. His dad Gary was clueless. "I've seen him drive around town. It doesn't look that bad when he's just driving around."
D.C. Mom Brenda Easton watched the game play and couldn't believe she just bought the game for her 15-year-old son. "I didn't know what was on it. He just asked for it and I got it for him."
She had a hard time picking picking what is worse: the sexual overtones or the violence. Some of the violent acts include taking a baseball bat to a woman or assassinating a stripper.
"I think it's too violent, not only for 18, but for anybody. If it was up to me, there'd be no violence," said Jeanne Olsen. Besides the violence, young players can be heard in the on-line chat room cursing and name-calling.
For Laura Dawson, president of northern Virginia's chapter of MADD, it's not the sex, violence, or language, it's the game's depiction of drunk driving. The main character goes to a bar and comes out drunk. The screen moves and blurs, simulating conditions a drunk driver would experience. Dawson said it goes too far. Her 18-year-old son Matt was killed in a drunk driving accident. "I'm appalled by it. There's nothing funny about driving drunk."
Andrew's dad Gary said the game is going for a ride and not coming back. "That's ridiculous. It's going away. I'll tell you that right now."
The game's makers said the game will be as violent or non-violent as the player wants to make it, but you can't get through the game without killing someone. Grand Theft Auto 4 is intended for an adult audience and has an over 17 mature rating but plenty of younger kids play the game.
NewsChannel 8 to leave comments on news stories.