I would really, really like to just point out that not all men are these sex-driven, murderous, power-hungry lunatics that treat women as objects and are supposedly taking out their inner frustrations vicariously through GTA. There are actually some of us who are decent and, you know, aren't psychopaths?

Why is any form of violence acceptable entertainment?  What a weird race we are to think that violence is okay but consensual sex is not.  Scenes of people killing people are all over the TV and movies but, god forbid, that anyone has consensual sex.  Now, there is something that very few people really know how to do and might actually come in handy some day: sexually satisfy their partner.  Sorry, guys, if you are lasting about two minutes (as 75% of men do), it's not going to be very satisfying.  

So, people are worried that kids might get the idea of having sex and, yet, there is no way that violence might also give them ideas.  Oh, yeah, and it's okay for adults.  Thank goodness nobody used the word mature instead.  I think that only mature people should be allowed to watch any form of violence.  They wouldn't.  I only wish I were that mature.  No, I grew up with shoot-em-ups, just like a grew up with American football.  And, I still watch both, even though both are totally ridiculous and a waste of time.  And, the violence in movies is always so well "justified" by the unbelievably improbable actions of the bad guy.  As well as cars that blow up (which they don't) and tires that squeal on dirt roads.  Does it ever cross your mind that, if we could ever have a society that we didn't go about promoting bad guys in movies, games, and the media, that maybe they would wither away?  Nah, probably not realistic, right?  Of course, there is war and war means killing, which is why I was very careful to specify entertainment in the first sentence.  Nowadays, you know how they prepare soldiers for battle and killing?  By conditioning them through simulations of the event, so that when they go into the real-world situation, they don't hesitate.  Without that, most folks just won't get around to actually shooting another human being.  I guess that means we aren't completely stupid, just well programmed.  Hmmmm. 

Well, I'll stop there.  I could go on for hours.

Urban_Tribesman said:

Me to Low. In fact, I have never seemed to pick up the video game/ on line game bug. I could only take 30 minutes of Space Invaders/Breakout at the pub. That's showing my age!
I did take to Pinball for a while but, ultimately not cerebrally challenging enough.

I once (and only once) played Space Invaders in a pub.  The game lasted no more than two minutes (maybe less) and ended without my gaining any clear idea of what I was supposed to have been doing.  I felt that I'd been swindled out of whatever coin I put into the machine.  Still, in so far as this experience steered me clear of video games, it may have been a good investment.  I hate to think of what monsters Space Invaders has turned into.

This is a worrying thought, but... I wonder whether, if children are sufficiently determined to have such games, it is possible to prevent them from doing so.  There are always going to be adults prepared to provide them.  The more difficult they are for a child to procure, the more effective a weapon they are in a pedophile's grooming arsenal.  I'm sure I'm not the first person to have thought of that.

Let's take a slightly different example.  I think that most people would agree that cursing is immature and, yet, most everyone does it.  Interesting thing, that in Japan about the most offensive cursing is something like monkey-face or bell pepper (i.e. empty) head.  That is because only children are allowed to curse.  It does not become a "sophisticated" thing that adults do to show off how impressive they are.  As a western culture, we are sooooo confused.

Call me a stupid . ignorant twat , I`ll add it to my CV .

I know some of you guys got a little whacked out that I brought up the male psyche. I'm not trying to generalize..I was talking about the game. I do have an interest in the subject though. The game featured soliciting strippers and prostitutes. One of my friends recently came back from Cuba- he was doing Missionary work, building a church. He's 25, married and has two young children. He bragged to me how he paid for two 19 year old prostitutes and had sex with them. He said alot of the men do it. He said he felt "guilty" but wanted "no strings" sex. I've been solicited by young prostitutes too and have also been to the "back room" of strip clubs. Being a woman, I have an entirely different take on the subject.

The girl on girl clip of GTA interests me, because as you see..she wants the experience too. She also objectified the characters in the game. She wants sex..and I guess if I played it, I would too. The part that I just don't get, is the violence. I could go on a feminist rant about sex trafficking, poverty and drug addiction..but I won't. The game just seems to me to glorify power at any cost. Anywho, I've played Skyrim too...it took me a whole fucking hour once to get off the side of a mountain.

As for cursing- it's done for effect. It just kind of intensifies what you're doing or saying..albeit funny, angry, passionate- it's exaggerated expression, if you will. Yes, I use it from time to time :D

A_is_A said:

(Great discussion!!)

YEAH