Grand Theft Auto for Beginners

5 comments

April 28, 3:17 PM

by David Thomas, Video Game Examiner

 

 

With Grand Theft Auto IV hitting the shelves tomorrow, you might feel like you’ve wandered into a dark alley in a bad part of town. Confused, worried , maybe a little bit scared. What’s the fuss all about? Should I lock the doors and windows and call the police? Is it time to buy a PlayStation 3?

Don’t worry. With the launch of what might be the biggest videogame of the year in less than 12 hours, all you need is someone to answer a few basic questions:

Q: What is Grand Theft Auto? Isn’t that a crime?

A: Well, uh, yes, “grand theft auto” is the crime of stealing cars. But “Grand Theft Auto” is a series of popular videogames. GTA IV (as it’s known), is the fourth major iteration in the game series. And game fans are excited because GTA III was one of the most impressive sets of games of all time (including the titles Grand Theft Auto III, GTA III Vice City and GTA San Andreas). So, the anticipation for what happens when the series jumps to the latest generation hardware (the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360) is running pretty high.

Q: So, isn’t GTA IV one of those “murder simulators” that make kids into crazed maniacs?

A: You are actually thinking of "A Clockwork Orange". 
I won’t bother to go into the research on games and violence at this point. But a few quick points should suffice:

• ·         GTA IV is rated M for mature. This is the videogmae equivalent to an R rating in the movies. That means, it wasn’t designed for kids. It’s up to parents to decide whether or not this game is appropriate for their kids.
• ·         The themes the game explores revolve around crime and violence. Sort of like “The Godfather” or “Scarface” or “Dog Day Afternoon” or “Magnum Force” or, you get the idea. Yes. This isn’t a game for everyone.
• ·         Besides, no one has established a causal link between fantasy violence in games and real life violence. That’s not to say that games can’t get under your skin and make you think. But that’s true of books and movies, musical theater and competitive ice skating. Treat this game as a form of dramatic art. That’s what it is.

Q: So, should I wait in line tonight at my game store to make sure I have a copy as soon as it comes out?

A: That depends entirely on how important it is to you to brag at work that you stayed awake for 3 days straight to be the first in your group of friends to finish the game. Unlike gaming hardware, game software rarely is out of stock. The Nintendo Wii has been notoriously hard to get your hands on. And conspiracy theories aside, that’s because hardware is expensive to make and requires specialized factories to crank out the units. So when there is a run up on demand, it can easily overwhelm the factories. Game software, on the other hand, is a commodity that can be produced just about any place at low cost. So, publishers tend to print lots of discs.

That is to say, you shouldn’t have much trouble getting your hands on a copy over the coming weeks. So, get some rest tonight. Head to your local game shop this weekend.

Q: Will GTA IV live up to the hype?

A: Probably. The game’s developer, Rockstar, has a well-earned reputation for putting out great products. GTA IV has been delayed many times in its development. And the reason given every time was that they needed more time to get it right. Early reviews have already come back glowing. So, even if this isn’t the greatest game of all time, you can bet that it will be fun to play.

Q: Do I need to play Grand Theft Auto, Grand Theft Auto II and Grand Theft Auto III to enjoy Grand Theft Auto IV?

A: Nope. While each game shares a relationship to previous games in terms of themes, settings, characters and game play, each is a standalone title. You can get started in your own life of virtual crime from roughing people

Q:  Anything else I need to know?

A:  It turns out that stealing cars is a lot of fun. At least in a videogame. I wouldn’t recommend it in real life. That would be wrong.

   Subscribe   Feed

Include other special offers from Examiner.com
Terms of Use