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Now that Grand Theft Auto IV is out, the
fight is on! And we’re not talking about any of the game’s missions, but about
the efforts of organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) that
want more severe restrictions on the game’s rating, in order to prevent in-game
behavior to transpose into real life for reckless kids.
MADD warned about the thousands of victims
that die each year in drunk driving accidents, saying the manufacturer of the
game shouldn’t have introduced the game module that allows players to drive
while drunk, saying “drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke. Drunk
driving is a choice, a violent crime and it is also 100 percent preventable.”
The organization said in a press release: “MADD
is calling on the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to reclassify Grand
Theft Auto IV as an Adults Only game, a step up from the current rating of
Mature and for the manufacturer to consider a stop in distribution – if not out
of responsibility to society then out of respect for the million of
victims/survivors of drunk driving.”
The game’s content has been under constant
fire from organizations and politicians who believe the game is inappropriate for
under-18 buyers. In this game, players have the option to drive under the
influence of alcohol after leaving a bar, but they also have the choice to
walk or take a taxi.
Rockstar Games answered MADD’s request in a
statement sent to the Associated Press on Wednesday, saying: “We have a great
deal of respect for MADD’s mission, but we believe the mature audience for
Grand Theft Auto IV is more than sophisticated enough to understand the game’s
content. For the same reason that you can’t judge an entire film or television
program by a single scene, you can’t judge Grand Theft Auto IV by a small
aspect of the game.” MADD didn’t respond.
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