Grand Theft Auto III

Grand Theft Auto III, or GTA III, is a video game developed by DMA Design, published by Rockstar Games in October 2001 for the PlayStation 2 video game console, May 2002 for Windows-based PCs, and in November 2003 for the Xbox video game console. It is the third in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Controversy

GTA III is controversial because of its violent and sexual content, and it generated moral panic upon its release. For examples of video game violence, many TV news channels often show a play session of GTA III where the main character is gunning down pedestrians and blowing up police cars. The player is rewarded with cash for various illegal and immoral actions: one allegation, frequently cited in the press, was that in the game, players had to carjack a car, pick up a prostitute, have (implied) sex with the prostitute, and then kill her and steal her money. This action, while permitted ("sex" restores the player's health, up to 125% of its normal maximum), is never actually required and like all in-game crimes incurs the wrath of the police. Non-mission crimes such as this also lower the player's criminal ranking in the statistics screen. It is possible to play without committing any actual criminal acts.

Related Topics:
Controversial - Moral panic - Prostitute

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After its initial release in Australia, the game was banned—the only country to do so—and a censored version of the game was released in its place. A key reason why this course of action was taken was that Rockstar did not submit GTA III to the Office of Film and Literature Classification, the body that, among other things, rates videogames according to their content in Australia. Lacking a suitable R18+ rating (the highest rating being MA15+), the game was 'Refused Classification' and banned for sale because it was felt that the game was unsuitable for an audience older than 15, but younger than 18. Australia still does not have a R rating for videogames like it does for movies. Interestingly, whilst the sequel Vice City was censored, the next sequel San Andreas was not (despite featuring more 'mature' content), leading many to conclude that the only reason the game was banned in the first place was that the OFLC was angry at Rockstar for not submitting the game for review.

Related Topics:
Australia - Office of Film and Literature Classification

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Among other things, the censored version removed the ability to pick up hookers; however it was later found that standard gore was still available if unlocked by entering what in other countries' versions was a "more gore" cheat code, and the uncensored version was also playable by changing the computer's time zone to that of the USA.

Related Topics:
Cheat code - USA

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Various critics hypothesized that if children were to play the game, they might acquire sociopathic attitudes toward others. Several minors arrested for car theft in the United States claimed their motivation was derived from playing the game.

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It was because of GTA III that the Wal-Mart chain of retail stores announced that, for games rated "M" by the ESRB, its stores would begin checking the identification of purchasers who appeared to be under 17.

Related Topics:
Wal-Mart - ESRB

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On October 20, 2003, the families of Aaron Hamel and Kimberly Bede, two young people shot by teens William and Josh Buckner (who in statements to investigators claimed their actions were inspired by GTA III) filed a USD$246 million lawsuit against publishers Rockstar Games and Take Two Interactive Software, retailer Wal-Mart, and PlayStation 2 manufacturer Sony Computer Entertainment America. Rockstar and its parent company, Take Two, filed for dismissal of the lawsuit, stating in U.S. District Court on 29 October 2003 that the "ideas and concepts as well as the 'purported psychological effects' on the Buckners are protected by the First Amendment's free-speech clause." The lawyer of the victims, Jack Thompson, denied that and is trying to get the lawsuit moved into a state court and actioned under Tennessee's consumer protection act. The lawsuit is still pending as of the end of 2004. For similar reasons, a lawsuit has erupted over GTA Vice City, the sequel of GTA III.

Related Topics:
October 20 - 2003 - Rockstar Games - Take Two Interactive - Wal-Mart - Sony Computer Entertainment America - U.S. District Court - 29 October - First Amendment - Jack Thompson - Tennessee - 2004

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A number of changes were made in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. Precisely what these were is not well known, but this may explain the absence of aircraft missions in the game. An obvious change was the new colour scheme of the LCPD which is modelled after the black and white like the LAPD, while the old colour scheme of blue stripes (seen in previews and the manual map) resembles that of the NYPD http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,46971,00.html?tw=wn_story_related:.

Related Topics:
September 11, 2001 attacks - World Trade Center - LAPD - NYPD

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