"Grand Theft Auto" Makes Crime Pay

Latest Version Of Controversial Video Game Rakes In $500M In Just One Week

(AP)  "Grand Theft Auto IV" raked in more than $500 million in its first week in stores, selling more than 6 million units worldwide, the video game's publisher said Wednesday.

The highly anticipated title from Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. has received stellar ratings along with criticism for its violent content. The game follows an Eastern European immigrant-turned gangster on crime missions around a fictional Liberty City.

The title sold about 3.6 million units on April 29, its opening day, bringing in roughly $310 million. This is $10 million more than what Microsoft Corp.'s "Halo 3," another blockbuster game, took in during its first week last fall.

New York-based Take-Two is the subject of a $2 billion hostile buyout from larger rival Electronic Arts Inc., which Take-Two has repeatedly rebuffed as too low.

Take-Two's shares were recently trading at $26.39, above EA's tender offer of $25.74 per share, which expires May 16. Unless EA is willing to offer more, it seems "increasingly possible" the acquisition attempt could unravel, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said in a note to investors.

Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter disagrees, however, saying the game's sales were well within his expectations.

"I don't think it changes the value of the company," he said. "I think we are going to end up with a Microsoft-Yahoo situation," with Take-Two Chairman Strauss Zelnick believing the company is worth more and EA chief John Riccitiello disagreeing.

Three months after it first made an offer, Microsoft dropped its $47.5 billion bid for Yahoo Inc. over the weekend after the companies couldn't agree on a price.

Pachter said he expects the game to sell 12 million copies by the end of 2008. GTA's previous versions have sold more than 70 million copies worldwide.

Already, the game seems to be living up to its juicy past, which includes controversy over hidden sex scenes, sharp criticism from Hillary Rodham Clinton and a 2006 lawsuit that blames the game for three New Mexico murders committed by a 14-year-old.

For one, Take-Two sued the Chicago Transit Authority on Monday for removing ads for the game because of its "Mature" rating, which means it is not suitable for people under 17. And the game also caught the ire of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which seeks an adults-only rating because it lets players drive after imbibing virtual liquor.

[hypnotoad72]

I''ll side with Hillary; the stuff that''s put into games goes too far.

It is not "free speech" if anybody bothered to think about it; and no way should a child have access to this sort of game. Children do see how adults act, and in turn tend to act similarly.

[msay3]

....and we wonder why kids are growing up with such little regard for human and animal lives...DUH!!!!!

[bgwinnett]

Great game. It''s satirical take on American society is hilarious too...granted minors should not be playing it though. There needs to be more awareness among parents, that video games are a media and therefore not all of it is suitable for children.

[excoachken]

A sick game for sick people who''s only life at age 28, comes from playing this *** in their mom''s basement.

[naucoming4u]

Great game. It''''s satirical take on American society is hilarious too...granted minors should not be playing it though. There needs to be more awareness among parents, that video games are a media and therefore not all of it is suitable for children.

Posted by bgwinnett at 05:21 PM : May 07, 2008
...........

I''ll agree with you highly!

I bought the game last week, and it is addictive to say the least.

Of course, it is the parents'' responsibility to ensure their children either do not play the game, or are taught to understand that the game (as with many forms of media) is a satirical/fantasy land... not to be taken seriously.

However, I''m sure old mother Hillary will disapprove. Boo hoo hoo.

[extradition]

Grow up you fv(ks that have nothing better to do then read gaming news and rant about your distaste for violent games.

***"Grand Theft Auto IV" raked in more than $500 million in its first week in stores, selling more than 6 million units worldwide, the video game''s publisher said Wednesday.***

Obviously you anti-gaming pri(ks area minority.

Please ****.

[bgwinnett]

NAUcoming4U -- 360 or PS3?

[naucoming4u]

extradition: We''''re not anti-gaming. We, the clear majority, are merely trying to protect the weak-minded---people like you---from yourselves. Judging by the literacy level of your post, I guess we were too late to help you.

Posted by babykilller at 07:59 PM : May 07, 2008
.........

I can clearly see the anger in the post from "extradition" simply because the term "protect" is over used and over done. Sadly, too many so-called parents are trying to child-proof society so they don''t have to take the responsibility to protect their own. These so-called parents are both Conservative AND Liberal, and they all feel that various adult forms of entertainment should be banned and/or heavily censored.

I am 33 years old, and I, (along with "extradition" and many others) want the freedom to purchase and enjoy these adult forms of entertainment WHENEVER WE DAMM WELL FEEL LIKE IT! But at the same time, we are very well aware that these games should be limited if not completely restricted from children.

But that does not seem to be good enough for the average TV babysitter type of "parent"... who feels that they have done their job by merely feeding, clothing, and sheltering their offspring.

Alas, we have the types of crimes and school shootings that are a result of the aforementioned "parent"... NOT because of the VOLUNTARY CHOICES of entertainment available.

[naucoming4u]

NAUcoming4U -- 360 or PS3?

Posted by bgwinnett at 08:11 PM : May 07, 2008
.........

Xbox 360......

Xbox Live name: Destruct Zero

[naucoming4u]

We all know the types of people who are attracted to violent games and crass rap music and whatever brainless trend that comes along, and they are due a certain level of respect, as long as they get my order right at the drive-up window.

Posted by cneron at 08:08 PM : May 07, 2008
...........

I thoroughly enjoy violent video games (Call of Duty 4, Grand Theft Auto)...

...yet I enjoy classical music (Mozart, Chopin, etc.), and I am a marketing professional at a Fortune 10 high tech company.

I suggest you make sure those carts don''t touch my Acura when I shop at your grocery store!

[bgwinnett]

Xbox 360......

Xbox Live name: Destruct Zero

Posted by NAUcoming4U at 08:18 PM : May 07, 2008

360 too.

Can''t play at the moment though thanks to RROD, but I have played the game on friends consoles.

[extradition]

*"extradition: We''''re not anti-gaming. We, the clear majority, are merely trying to protect the weak-minded---people like you---from yourselves. Judging by the literacy level of your post, I guess we were too late to help you. -babykilller"*

--------
--------


That''s really interesting this should come from a user named "babykiller"...

You''ve obviously ignored what I wrote in my post, so I''ll mention this again:

****"Grand Theft Auto IV" raked in more than $500 million in its first week in stores, selling more than 6 million units worldwide****

Gamers are not a minority... just look at the sales revenue and think about how many people purchased GTA 4.

I have yet to hear and see great public outcry and action(s) taken against Rockstar and Take-Two.

You might hear a few peeps out of that tvvat, Jack Thompson... as always, he will fail. Outspoken antigamers are a minority. Don''t fight it. It is what it is. You lose, you fail. :c)

[bgwinnett]

Extradition -- Jack Thompson: enough said.

[extradition]

Extradition -- Jack Thompson: enough said.

-bgwinnett

--------------
--------------

:c)

[sverre5-2009]

If someone who meets the age and maturity required to play that game wants to, then I see no harm in letting them. Video games should not be blamed for all youth violence, as they aren''t the only contributor. If a violent video game has adverse effects on a minor, does that mean that an equally violent movie wouldn''t? Those who are influenced by a video game so heavily that it leads them to do that have something psychologically amiss in the first place. It''s also not right to generalize someone who would play a video game into a negative archetype. Would someone who watches The Godfather or other movies of the sort also be in this same group? While I agree that the game should not under any circumstances be given to a minor, I believe in the right for people above the 17 and older restriction to be able to play it.

[nothappyatall]

I dont know svrrr, but in the National Geographic magazine March 2008 is an article about a place in India pop 100,000 that was remote and unchanged for 1,000 years, the king abdicated in 2006 and let the people have a democratic Govt. NOW roads, electric, Television and the internet are making their way in and showing them the outside world.
NOW in a place where no one locked doors there is theft of cell phones and other stuff going on, violence has begun and old people very worried about the "western influences" wrecking their country and social system.
A place that survived nicely for 1,000 years now under threat of being destroyed from inside by the corruption of the Western TV;

Bhutan''s Enlightened Experiment

Guided by a novel idea, the tiny Buddhist kingdom tries to join the modern world without losing its soul.

On the eve of the millennium, in 1999, Bhutan granted its citizens access to television%u2014the last country on the planet to do so. (The Internet trickled in the same year.) Euphoria reigned in the towns as the outside world in all its garish glory beamed into shops and living rooms. Pulling the lid off Pandora%u2019s box, however, raised concerns. What happens, after all, when an isolated, deeply conservative society is suddenly exposed to gangsta rapper 50 Cent and the World Wrestling Federation? Such questions carry extra weight in a vulnerable nation of 635,000 people, half of whom are under 22 years old.

[nothappyatall]

Nabji%u2019s isolation diminishes by the day: The booms reverberating across the valley are the sounds of a road being blasted through the forest several miles away. A rotating crew of 15 villagers from Nabji contributes labor, hauling 150-pound bags of plastic explosive up the mountain slopes. The new road won%u2019t reach Nabji for another year or two, but when it arrives, electricity, television, and commerce will follow. Some elders worry that Nabji%u2019s innocence will be lost.

Bhutan%u2019s traditionalists, however, see a darker force at play: the invasion by a materialistic global monoculture that is eroding their values. The government has banned channels deemed harmful, including MTV, Fashion TV, and a sports channel that featured violent wrestling spectacles. Sonam Tshewang, a junior-high teacher in Thimphu, believes something vital has already been lost. %u201CSome kids have become so Westernized that they%u2019ve forgotten their own cultural identity,%u201D he says. One girl in his class even changed her name to Britney.

Gangs with names like Virus and Bacteria have formed. Violent crime is still rare, but theft%u2014once absent in a country with few locked doors%u2014is becoming more common, as people covet their neighbors%u2019 mobile phones and CD players.

[nothappyatall]

Drug addiction is also on the rise. Near the entrance to Destiny Club, one of Thimphu%u2019s handful of new discos, three young revelers discuss the virtues of %u201Cpig%u2019s food,%u201D a potent variety of marijuana, abundant in the Bhutanese countryside, that is used traditionally as an appetite enhancer for livestock. %u201CDo kids in America also get addicted?%u201D asks the trio%u2019s leader, a 23-year-old with reddened eyes. Thimphu%u2019s drug scene might seem tame by international standards, but this can hardly be the kind of happiness the king envisioned. Ugyen Dorji, a former addict who founded Bhutan%u2019s first drug-rehabilitation center three years ago with the help of the Youth Development Fund, says it reflects %u201Cthe anxieties of a society in transition.%u201D

[nothappyatall]

" raked in more than $500 million in its first week in stores"

Whats REALLY hilarious is that half a billion dollars in one week is probably a lot more than the right wingers drop in their church collection pits the same week LOL
Goes to show video games are more popular!

[sverre5-2009]

Posted by newster1 at 10:10 PM : May 07, 2008

In saying that it is the choice of the people to watch or expose themselves to certain parts of media, I wasn''t necessarily saying I agree with it. I had heard a similar example, in which Television was first introduced to what I believe was a isolated Island nation for the first time. I''m at a loss as to its name though. Previously, the women didn''t particularly care about image to the extreme degree that the Western world does. But after two years of having TV, the women of the country were trying very hard to be thin and beautiful as television portrays they should be. Television and media in general has set stereotypical roles that we are required to fit, according to our gender.
Perhaps media really does have an impact, contrary to what I was saying. I believe the United States has the highest gun distribution per capita (I think 98 to 100 people?) and the second highest is India, which has maybe 4 to 100? I may be off but the statistic was still I still believe in the right to mature people being able view these things, but I also think that our society as a whole needs to seriously re-think its values.

[sverre5-2009]

Just realized I sort of got distracted and ended a sentence before it should have been, typical. "I may be off but the statistic was still indicative of what our society has come to be." is what I should have added in there.

[nothappyatall]

I meant 600,000 not 100,000 pop.

"But after two years of having TV, the women of the country were trying very hard to be thin and beautiful as television portrays they should be. Television and media in general has set stereotypical roles that we are required to fit, according to our gender.
Perhaps media really does have an impact, contrary to what I was saying.

Posted by Sverre5"

Think of it this way, TV is a powerful machine, it flits images into your eyes and brain rapidly assaulting them with all kinds of stuff, you take impressionable kids and teens, park them in front of this box all day, and video games at night where they are assaulted with gore, violence, death hour by hour long term, I don''t see a way that couldnt have a negative effect.
Spending more time with TV and video games than instruction in SCHOOL is another way to look at it. The school day, maybe 6 hours of actual instruction at best- teaches a babbling blank slate who cant add 2+2 to become a Boeing engineer in a relatively few years, MEANWHILE alongside that 6 hours is at least that much parked on the TV, video games watching Joe gang member in the ''hood'' blow away Mary with a gun after robbing her money, the blood splattering on the wall in slow-mo, meanwhile Joe is hailed a hero by his fellow gang members as they go out to spend the stolen loot, you don''t see that having an effect?

[nothappyatall]

I may be off but the statistic was still I still believe in the right to mature people being able view these things, but I also think that our society as a whole needs to seriously re-think its values.

Posted by Sverre5"

Rights are one thing, but do we really NEED video games like this? what kind of a twisted mind comes up with a game like this in the first place and then thinks it''s something that should be produced at all?

[michellem99-2009]

I am lucky I never worried about what I can''t see but today it is crazy,,The values. WE were taught differenly. newster as always I fine ye educacational, Play the game but ''member it is not real.

[cmb3587]

To all of you who thinks this game has a negative effect...you are idiots. And to the people suing them for there 14 yr old killin someone, they are looking for someone to blame for their bad parenting. its up to the parents to teach these kids that its just a game. and newster ..I am in school to be a Systems Engineer...and i find this game fun but it doesnt make me go out and kill people. If it does influence a kid then their parents should have noticed this kind of behavior before hand and not bought the game.

[nothappyatall]

"its up to the parents to teach these kids that its just a game."

Parents? what parents? you mean the ones who dump junior off at all day day-care while they work to let some employee of the center raise their kids?
You mean the parents who are out on bail or probation for drug or other offenses? will they have time to teach junior about the game in between court appearances and shooting more drugs?
Remember; these are the SAME parents who dont seem to know how to teach their kids about S3X and how not to get pregnant! The SAME parents who expect the schools to be their personal baby-sitter, feed, dress and care for their kids.

"and newster ..I am in school to be a Systems Engineer...and i
Posted by cmb3587"

It might not make YOU do it, but there''s a LOT of unstable kids out there as well as plenty high or stoned who are NOT like you. Remember- Jeffrey Dahmer was a child too, how do YOU think he got the idea to do what he did? What about the old man Albert Fish who kidnapped kids and ate them? What about the two teens who stole a puppy and thought it would be a good idea to shove the puppy into a hot gas oven?
How about the teens who thought they should put a stray dog in a coin-op laundromat dryer and turn it on?

There''s deranged kids out there who grow up to be deranged adults and THOSE are the ones you dont want exposed to games like this one, so when you figure out a way to tell which kids will become Dahmer types you let us know

[nothappyatall]

Ok cmb3587, as Ricky Ricardo would say: ''splain how this happened"

Note where it says THIS:

"Not only did they not have an explanation, apparently they went out and bragged about this to other young people in the community, brought them back and showed them their work,"

===
Puppy bound, set on fire, baked to death in oven
Atlanta, GA (US)

Incident Date: Wednesday, Sep 6, 2006
County: Fulton

Two Atlanta brothers are in custody at the Fulton County jail charged with the torture death of a five-month old puppy and trashing a local apartment complex.

Seventeen-year old Joshua Molder and 18-year old Justin Molder are being held without bond.

The Molder brothers stand accused of covering a puppy with paint, hog tying it, trying to set it on fire and when that didn''t work, baking the puppy to death in an oven.

%u201CThey just totally demolished the community center,%u201D said Marshal.

She said she%u2019ll never forget finding the puppy the boys stand accused of torturing and killing.

%u201CHe was still in the oven; he was tied,%u201D said Marshal.

%u201CAll four feet were tied together, his mouth was duct taped and he was dipped in beige paint,%u201D she added.

"Not only did they not have an explanation, apparently they went out and bragged about this to other young people in the community, brought them back and showed them their work," said District Attorney Paul Howard

[nothappyatall]

So, these two teens age 17 and 18 were not little kids who didnt know any better. Raised in a culture of violence, and exposed to it every hour from all directions is what caused this.
NORMAL people dont break into a community center in their own apartment building to destroy it, or hog tie and duct tape defenseless puppies and bake them to death for kicks, entertainment or fun, nor do they go get others to show them their "work."

[nothappyatall]

Puppy severely beaten, kicked - leg snapped
Uniontown, PA (US)

Incident Date: Thursday, Jan 10, 2008
Charges are pending against a Uniontown man the Humane Society said abused his puppy so badly, veterinarians assumed the dog had been hit by a car.

Five-month-old Callie has trouble standing, and she can''t walk, because her right rear leg was snapped.

"It''s traumatic," said veterinarian Don Tummons.
According to the Humane Society, all of Callie''s injuries were caused her owner. They said they were told the owner grabbed Callie by the scruff of the neck, carried her outside, slammed her onto the concrete porch and then kicked her, breaking her leg.
===

[nothappyatall]

cmb3537 explain THIS one then;


Dog thrown from overpass, kicked repeatedly
Kalama, WA

Incident Date: Friday, Jan 4, 2008
On January 24, 2008, Kalama Police arrested Ryan Tyler Fraser, 18, of Kalama, Washington, on suspicion of 1st Degree Animal Cruelty which is a felony.

It is alleged that on January 4, the suspect took the family''s recently adopted 11-month-old chocolate Labrador to a train/pedestrian overpass near Elm Street and Interstate 5 and purposely threw the dog from the 37-foot-high overpass onto the asphalt roadway below on Hendrickson Drive.

The suspect, believing the dog may still alive, as it was lying on the pavement twitching, descended from the overpass and kicked the dog repeatedly in the ribs and chest area which contributed to the dog suffering life-threatening injuries that included a double ruptured bladder, soft tissue damage, pulmonary contusions and a broken femur.

The dog has since survived after emergency surgery. It was fortunate the owners had animal insurance to help cover the $6,000 in veterinary expenses.

During an interview of the suspect, the suspect claimed he could not remember what had occurred but never denied his involvement. At the time of arrest, the suspect was carrying a small amount of marijuana.

He was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail on the felony charges.

[nonayabiness]

It''s an adult game, for Christ''s sake. It''s no different than attending an R or X movie.

What worries me more is with the economy in a virtual tailspin, that people are paying 60-90 bucks for a game.

[emelder]

I teach violence awareness to court-adjudicated youth ... clearly, violence is learned and violence is a mindset. They learn violence from many sources ... video games like this contribute mightily.

[excoachken]

cmb3587: We are the "idiots,"ehh? And, so are all the corporations that spend millions on advertising to get dumb schmucks to buy trash like this game you bought. Somehow they have "convinced" enough "idiots" to spend their money just by showing them videos on television. Just who IS the idiot?

[extradition]

Violent games alone are NEVER the reason for youth violence. There''s always something bigger that causes an individual to become senseless and violent.

That something bigger being:
*The individual is fv(ked up in the head (suffers from some sort of disorder)
*Substance abuse/mood altering drugs
*Abusive/violent parent(s)
*The individual is Bullied/Fv(ked with at school.

Most of the problems listed above can be prevented or coped with... the reason these problems persist is due to STUPID PARENTS who aren''t involved in their child''s life, haven''t taught thier kids any values, haven''t spanked thier kids, haven''t recognized that their child has problem and is a danger to society.

Violent games [possibly] add fuel to the fire to such disturbed individuels. Regardless, these individuals would still commit their violent crimes with or without video game influence (so stop with your senseless video game bashing).

One reason for having little or no time for their kid(s) is parents are too busy... posting their retarded and baseless opinions on how bad violent games are, instead of taking responsibility and disciplining thier child. Stop the finger pointing, blame your own fv(king selves.

Violent games rock. It''s all about who''s behind the keyboard/game-controller. Gaming has been a major part of my life for about 12 years now. In the real world, I''m not a violent person at all.

[extradition]

We are the "idiots,"ehh? And, so are all the corporations that spend millions on advertising to get dumb schmucks to buy trash like this game you bought. Somehow they have "convinced" enough "idiots" to spend their money just by showing them videos on television. Just who IS the idiot? -excoachken

========
========
========

Obviously the idiot here is you excoachken. These corporations were able to convince us to purchase games with their advertisements (thus making them smart). And then there''s you who''s calling us idiots but cannot convience us that video games are bad and that we should stop buying them. :c)

So who''s smart?

obviously the people who can change or influence people (hint: NOT You).

[nothappyatall]

he reason these problems persist is due to STUPID PARENTS who aren''''t involved in their child''''s life, haven''''t taught thier kids any values, haven''''t spanked thier kids, haven''''t recognized that their child has problem and is a danger to society."

Thats right, but child "abuse" laws now forbid spanking- the parent or teacher can go to jail and be sued and the kids KNOW it.
Maybe the answer is you need to have a LICENSE to be a parent and take tests like you do for a driver''s license. You have to license your DOG, I say license parents!

[theantirick]

Dog thrown from overpass, kicked repeatedly
Kalama, WA
Incident Date: Friday, Jan 4, 2008
On January 24, 2008, Kalama Police arrested Ryan Tyler Fraser, 18, of Kalama, Washington, on suspicion of 1st Degree Animal Cruelty which is a felony.
posted by newster1

I CAN SEE NEWSTER1 WRITING THE NEXT WEB MD ARTICLE FOR CBS.
grand theft auto video game may be linked to dog abuse!!!!!
You gotta love cbs health section for all the studies with such and such ""MAY BE"" linked.

[theantirick]

gta games rule

You may hear what one can do in the game if they choose to. ( sometime after failing a quest or whatever you get the urge to go on a rampage and see how high you can get ur WANTED lvl with the police...aka stars. Just to see how long u can last with 5 stars. It gets pretty intense. ) Yes things like that can be fun at times but for the most part its gets old fast.
The thing that makes any game more playable for longer is kicking other peoples butts in the multiplayer section. but chucking 15 people in a small section of the city to duke it out is just plain fun. he who finds the rocket launcher first and a roof has alotta fun. Granted their has to be a spot to get the hapatachi (however you spell it). I haven''t played enough to know where to get that at.

[theantirick]

GTA is not in the adult video game class by any means. C-mon tho the game is not very gorey at all. And as for the sxeual content its amimated girls in a bikini and its not like u watch them make babies.
If anything it can teach the kids how to date and how to score points with your girlfriend (granted in gta4 u can have several girlfriends at once) but hey if you wanna get lucky with them you gotta take them out on a few dats and show up in sweet cars to increase your chance of getting laid after the date. And if you show up waring the same clothes a few dates in a row she notices and dosent like it.

just because you can do this its not like its worth your playing time except to take her on a date and then start shooting up bowling alley and having her freak out and head home. PS this works well if you find your phone ringing all the time annoying and wanna remedy it a little.....