Escape from Reality?

Get ready for the controversy to start brewing again. Love it or hate it, the latest iteration of the wildly popular Grand Theft Auto series is hitting the stands today and unlike previous releases, this one seems to have been launched with not as much hoopla as the previous edition. Part of the reason being that the last time there was so much controversy brewing prior to release that people were set to ban the game even before it officially went on sale. Not the case with this latest version. For those not familiar with the series, it's a type of role-playing game where the player takes on the role of a criminal (with a title like Grand Theft Auto... what did you expect?) and goes on various missions that help push the story forward.

The series has long been applauded for the dynamic cities in which the stories take place. Most times these cities are very loosely based on actual cities. For example, in the latest game, the city being portrayed is called Liberty City but even looking at the commercials that have aired, you can tell that it's supposed to be New York City. Be that as it may, the general purpose in these games is to complete some criminal enterprise and win the day, no matter how vile a person you must be within the game world to achieve this goal. Now because of this main thematic element, many people are against the idea of these games. I don't wholeheartedly agree that they should be completely banned but I also don't agree with those who say that these games don't have some degree of influence on the people who play them.

As with most games out there, the most popular ones are usually the ones based in some sort of virtual reality. First-person shooters are among the most popular and though many of the games take place in fantasy locations, the realism that is often portrayed in these games is what leads many to feel that these games tend to de-sensitize the people who play them. Now I have never been in combat and I'm quite sure that were I to be in combat, it would not be with an XBox controller in my hand. I would think that most everyone would realize that. Still, the power to regenerate health by ducking down behind cover or 'absorbing' health packs is enough to convince many out there that the real world isn't so tough. That assumption couldn't be farther from the truth.

While these games do a great job of portraying reality, it is still only virtual and nowhere near what the real-world is like. Now while you may not agree with the portrayal of a criminal as the protagonist of a game, I think it's far healthier than having a kid actually going out and being an actual criminal. I remember a friend of mine in school who used to play martial arts games like Mortal Kombat all the time; he was a pro who seldom failed to beat the game no matter what version it was. The unfortunate thing was that he couldn't fight worth a lick in the real world and when he actually got in a fight at school, he had his butt handed to him. No matter how realistic, one should remember that they are only games and are in no way proof positive that you can lead a squad of marines into combat or that you can run a successful criminal enterprise.

I think parents who don't want their kids exposed to this type of material should take charge and ensure that their kids don't have access to them. While I agree that game makers shouldn't necessarily glamorize such themes in their games, they should also realize that these games are meant as diversions from reality. The real world is tough enough and it's nice to be able to live out childhood fantasies or be a hero for a short time where all the time it takes to make a difference is the time it takes to make it to the next level. I guess the main concern is that people don't take their virtual reality to be more important to them than their actual realities.