Drugs in GTA NeXt

[major underscore]

Ok, so I read this article called Thou Shalt Deal, But Thou Shalt Not Use: The Curious Ethics of Grand Theft Auto, where the basic thesis is that selling and distributing illegal drugs is ok in the GTA universe, but not using illegal drugs:

 

 

Engaging a prostitute, stealing a car, and straight up murder are all forgivable offenses in the GTA universe.  They are the cost of doing business.  But the protagonists’ bodies are generally treated as if they are a temple as the main characters may serve as distributors of drugs but never as users of these products.

As I understand it from the article, GTA: Chinatown Wars actually went as far as having the dealing of drugs be a minor gameplay element rather than just a plot element as in several other GTA games.

 

What's your take on this general topic of drugs in the GTA games? Should the next GTA game feature such drug dealing minigames? Should the protagonist be able to use illegal drugs?

[Sanjeem]

Well, GTA IV allowed you to get drunk, and seeing LC all blury. So i think Druig dealing mini-games Small time drug dealing would be good for a few more errands. Also Lil Jacob gives you those kind of missions in IV. Take the Drugs? i mean i think their should be an option, and how much you take e.t.c if you take to much you get a nose-bleed, you have to make sure it's Cut cocaine. Mabey their should be a mini-game or side-mission or mabey just a mission that involves cutting some cocaine. It all fits in

[Skyline35]

I think no. Do you have any idea how many under 18 are playing games like this? Think about the results of a popular game like GTA.

[DanManUtd]

Saints Row did it.

[Sanjeem]

I think no. Do you have any idea how many under 18 are playing games like this? Think about the results of a popular game like GTA.

Whats your point? are you saying that mindless violence in a open GTA world is ok for under 18 year old Teenagers to play? It makes no difference, you go on rampages, you are involved in crime, Prostitution, Violence, you can get drunk and shoot people for no good reason, I dought it will have a massive affect on the game anyway after all of the above i mentioned.

[BrownBear]

in vcs there was the bit were you were in the van and you got high on the coke

[Skyline35]

 

I think no. Do you have any idea how many under 18 are playing games like this? Think about the results of a popular game like GTA.

Whats your point? are you saying that mindless violence in a open GTA world is ok for under 18 year old Teenagers to play? It makes no difference, you go on rampages, you are involved in crime, Prostitution, Violence, you can get drunk and shoot people for no good reason, I dought it will have a massive affect on the game anyway after all of the above i mentioned.

How old are you? That's right. You have no idea, what's in 13 year old's mind. Drugs are more more under pressure than murders, because you don't need any excuse to use drugs. I'm just afraid of our community after 10 years when the computer games clearly say "BUY COKE - 200$" or "USE COKE TO GET MORE POINTS"

Edited August 11, 2009 by Skyline35

[Sanjeem]

I think no. Do you have any idea how many under 18 are playing games like this? Think about the results of a popular game like GTA.

Whats your point? are you saying that mindless violence in a open GTA world is ok for under 18 year old Teenagers to play? It makes no difference, you go on rampages, you are involved in crime, Prostitution, Violence, you can get drunk and shoot people for no good reason, I dought it will have a massive affect on the game anyway after all of the above i mentioned.

How old are you? That's right. You have no idea, what's in 13 year old's mind. Drugs are more more under pressure than murders, because you don't need any excuse to use drugs. I'm just afraid of our community after 10 years when the computer games clearly say "BUY COKE - 200$" or "USE COKE TO GET MORE POINTS"

Oh really are you sure i don't know. I started playing GTA when i was thirteen, and i remember perfectly what was going through my mind. Their is violence in GTA, torture, drugs so what the hey! If you deal drugs in GTA it is as bad as taking drugs.

 

So 13 year olds shoudn't be playing GTA anyway, and besides if you can do all those other horrific things in GTA, then it won't have a massive affect. You can get drunk in GTA, alcohol ruins your life, It ruined my Dads life Just an example) and you can get drunk in IV, so in all seriousness Taking Drigs won't have a huge affect on GTA.

[Skyline35]

I think no. Do you have any idea how many under 18 are playing games like this? Think about the results of a popular game like GTA.

Whats your point? are you saying that mindless violence in a open GTA world is ok for under 18 year old Teenagers to play? It makes no difference, you go on rampages, you are involved in crime, Prostitution, Violence, you can get drunk and shoot people for no good reason, I dought it will have a massive affect on the game anyway after all of the above i mentioned.

How old are you? That's right. You have no idea, what's in 13 year old's mind. Drugs are more more under pressure than murders, because you don't need any excuse to use drugs. I'm just afraid of our community after 10 years when the computer games clearly say "BUY COKE - 200$" or "USE COKE TO GET MORE POINTS"

Oh really are you sure i don't know. I started playing GTA when i was thirteen, and i remember perfectly what was going through my mind. Their is violence in GTA, torture, drugs so what the hey! If you deal drugs in GTA it is as bad as taking drugs.

 

So 13 year olds shoudn't be playing GTA anyway, and besides if you can do all those other horrific things in GTA, then it won't have a massive affect. You can get drunk in GTA, alcohol ruins your life, It ruined my Dads life Just an example) and you can get drunk in IV, so in all seriousness Taking Drigs won't have a huge affect on GTA.

I'm sorry for your dad, but everyone isn't like you. So doesen't everyone have clear minds.

[Sanjeem]

How old are you? That's right. You have no idea, what's in 13 year old's mind. Drugs are more more under pressure than murders, because you don't need any excuse to use drugs. I'm just afraid of our community after 10 years when the computer games clearly say "BUY COKE - 200$" or "USE COKE TO GET MORE POINTS"

Oh really are you sure i don't know. I started playing GTA when i was thirteen, and i remember perfectly what was going through my mind. Their is violence in GTA, torture, drugs so what the hey! If you deal drugs in GTA it is as bad as taking drugs.

 

So 13 year olds shoudn't be playing GTA anyway, and besides if you can do all those other horrific things in GTA, then it won't have a massive affect. You can get drunk in GTA, alcohol ruins your life, It ruined my Dads life Just an example) and you can get drunk in IV, so in all seriousness Taking Drigs won't have a huge affect on GTA.

I'm sorry for your dad, but everyone isn't like you. So doesen't everyone have clear minds.

Dont worry mate, I'm just saying that mabey it might not change GTA that drasticly Due to the stuff that already goes on in GTA

[BrownBear]

i started playing gta when i was about 7 and i watched scarface when i was 12 i saw godfather when i was about 10

my dad was a chain smoker and drinker and his dad was in the turkish mafia

so i couldnt care less if i playeda junkie

[Lunatic Brandon]

I think alcohol and marijuana would be good. Maybe something to make your character hallucinate, it would be hilarious. Go on a giant rampage while tripping balls.

[BigAmericanTitties]

a minigame would be ok, but actually doing the drugs might be too controversial (not to mention unecessary in gameplay). but getting high of pot or LSD and going on an acid trip as stated above would be hilarious! and getting drunk in IV kept me laughing for hours, i dont see why they should remove that.

[Mr.Bulgarin]

Deffo get bhigh liuke a Rasta Jamica Maun! ahahah

[xrk]

 

but getting high of pot would be hilarious!

How could you show being stoned (on weed) in a game?

all it really does is make you feel relaxed and hungry... maybe they could disable sprint or something? but I dont see how it would be fun in a game.

[Lunatic Brandon]

but getting high of pot would be hilarious!

How could you show being stoned (on weed) in a game?

all it really does is make you feel relaxed and hungry... maybe they could disable sprint or something? but I dont see how it would be fun in a game.

Funny character dialog but thats about it.

[BigAmericanTitties]

but getting high of pot would be hilarious!

How could you show being stoned (on weed) in a game?

all it really does is make you feel relaxed and hungry... maybe they could disable sprint or something? but I dont see how it would be fun in a game.

Funny character dialog but thats about it.

dialogue is what i meant. just imagine meeting a big mafia boss and being stoned.

[major underscore]

 

dialogue is what i meant. just imagine meeting a big mafia boss and being stoned.

Yeah, that would be pretty funny. I can imagine a scene with Niko being high with Roman and Little Jacob and then that Pegorino mob boss comes knocking, with Niko trying to get his act together but failing miserably.

[Torchwood]

we all remember taking pills in vice city slowing down time and super punches!!

[Sanjeem]

we all remember taking pills in vice city slowing down time and super punches!!

Woah!

 

I actually forgot about That, Good one. So yeah drugs have been taken before just not in a proper like way

[[SM]CJZera]

I think they should be like in Fallout, but having a limit of like 10 packets, I mean, they should have good effects, but also side effects that could be worse AND the risk of getting addicted aka the oposite effect of drug unless you keep using, however, the more you use the less effective the drug becomes up to the point taking drugs would only raise up a bit your degraded stats, like having a drug that increases your max hp by 50, making it like 150hp, but after heavy using the max hp should go down up to 50 or even less, up to the point of using only to have a hp of 75 and having 15 without it

Edited August 11, 2009 by [SM]CJZera

[Jelle147]

I think no. Do you have any idea how many under 18 are playing games like this? Think about the results of a popular game like GTA.

I play GTA, and I am 13 years old, when the San Andreas could take the drugs would be a little fatter. Can understand what you say and that. But it must be good enough stupid if you take drugs because of GTA

[mkey82]

Well, as is see it, hiring prostitutes doesn't really enter into the same sphere as killing and doing drugs. And since there are a lot less people who are killers or drug dealers then there are drug users, I kinda see where they are coming from. I mean, it's easier to encourage someone to smoke or inhale some funky powder then it is to kill or deal drugs.

[sam33]

Never get high on your own supply.

 

The real life MOB and gangster disciples will enforce beatings on members who use the drugs they sell as they dont want to become crack addicted messes.

[DanManUtd]

That's what Dwayne says aswell.

[eastcoastboy17]

Rockstar most likely wont let you do drugs on the next gta i mean killing hookers and getting drunk bad enough but who knows they probably will let you smoke pot or whatever. .

 

[Sergi]

This is a long read so if you don't care don't read it. I see no problem why not. R* and other video game developers always talk about wanting to be considered equals of sorts to how movies are perceived but R* and other studios come off as complete pussies when it comes to trying to get that credibility. Why shouldn't an M-Rated game that is for ages 17 and up have drugs in it? By the time most people are 17 they've either done 1 or more types of drugs or been around drugs or know people that use drugs. Parents that want to bitch about it have no reason to bitch about it. You can't blame another for your parenting skills. The game is rated MATURE for a reason. Granted kids under 17 will play it just like kids under 17 will get in a R rated movie but what ever consequences come from that is not the people involved with the development's fault. If you're a parent and you don't want your kid playing a M rated game yet you don't monitor them but if they go on a killing spree and blame it on the game you want to blame the game for it when it's your bad parenting that caused the situation. Have interaction with your kids and make sure your kids have things to look up to and they wouldn't or at least shouldn't be so easily influenced by very fictional material.

 

That whole bullsh*t about "well videogames are interactive" is some of the dumbest sh*t ever said. What's the point? It still doesn't take away that the game is aimed at a older audience and people younger then that audience getting that material is nobodies fault but the people who don't want the kids seeing that material. Most people I know who play GTA started with III in 2001 and around that time they were 11-13. I never heard of GTA until 2001 and I was 13. I knew what was real and what wasn't and wasn't easily influenced so my parents didn't care that I played a game where I was killing hookers mainly because they knew it didn't influence me and it was nothing worse then what I had been seeing my whole life through various forms of entertainment or what I saw around me.

 

Drugs are a vocal point in the criminal world and for a so called game that is based off that world to not have the option to sell drugs or use them isn't realistic. Granted I don't think they should be there just because they want to be hip or get attention. SR had you able to smoke weed and drink well before IV came out yet there was no media attention on SR. Why? Because the so called people who are looking out for their communities, race or in that case of violent videogames aren't really looking out for anybody but their specific group or themselves. If GTA wasn't a world known brand then MADD(Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) wouldn't have cared. It's all about getting attention when it comes to these things. Eminem who's the shock jock of rap got no attnetion by certain groups with the Slim Shady LP because he wasn't known. They weren't out there petitioning his album get pulled off shelves. However when the Marshall Mathers LP came out they had whole groups petitioning that cd and lawsuits popping up out the ass because this cd was highly anticipated and they would get attention by boycotting this and thus forth putting their organization in the media world, enabling people in that organization to get attention and money and so forth.

 

When it comes to drugs in GTA yes it should be there. Not because it needs to be there for attention but because it represents the world that it's trying to replicate. Now if drugs popped up in Pokemon then there'd be an issue because drugs have never been represented in Pokemon. However in the criminal world drugs are a common thing. Drug trafficking doesn't need to be in GTA if they plan on going down say a Niko or Claude route where the character has no intentions of being a criminal underworld big shot. however for a CJ or Tommy drugs should have been there by name for you to traffick because that's what really goes on. That whole CJ against crack thing was alright because in the 90s some gangs really were like that but they weren't anti drugs in general so CJ should have been able to sell weed or something. Not to mention gangs that were antt crack back then either don't exist or are pro crack like a crack head in modern times. R* seems to understand that drugs needed to be represented directly and we had that in CTW. So drugs do need to be properly represented if the character wants to have an Empire or better yet if R* allows choice down the line. On the usage of drugs it should also be in the game. Why not? What was the point of drinking alcohal? Drugs could over various elements. Smoking weed would allow you to feel less pain and move in slow mo. Doing coke would allow you to take way more damage and move alot faster. Ecstacy would make colors more vibrant and make you feel less pain. Drugs do serve a purpose for GTA and need to be included. It's just like sex should be in GTA. Not just because but because it's a real representation. Now there may be the perverts who want it just to see pixels having sex but there is no reason a M rated game coulnd't have sex. R* should have toughened up and kept sex in SA even after the scandal. Hell if the game stayed AO I guarantee you there'd still be people finding ways to get it just because of the publicity and it would have found it's way into the Top 20 somehow. After the scandal SA was in the Top 20 for both PS2 and Xbox so it didn't hurt the sales in the least.

 

Fable II had sex and you could even have babies yet there was no media uproar on that game or that content. CTW had drug trafficking which is a huge step for GTA and you'd think it would have been extremely controversial yet there was no media focus on CTW at all. Hell it was on the DS so that alone should have caused a buzz. But the game flopped so there was no buzz. If it would have sold 500k 1st month then I guarantee we'd have heard focus groups speaking on CTW. All in all that controversey would not hurt GTA what so ever. All that buzz would do nothing but get the game more sells. So as I've said before in this post, yes drugs NEED to be in GTA for BOTH recreational use of distribution.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Sergi

[cornedbeefsandwich]

i think that you should be able to use drugs, because (just like stated earlier) most 17 year olds have either already tried drugs, or know people that do. hell, some of the kids parents do drugs, so i don't see why this is a problem. and also, scarface:the world is yours had a drug dealing mini-game, and really, that entire game was about drugs. and instead of the ending they had in the movie, the one i liked, which was that crime doesn't pay (because tony montana dies in the end.) in the game, he got away with it! he lived! and that game was released, i played it, and i'm no coke head because i played the game. and, 12 year olds shouldn't be able to play it. or at least mentally insane 12 year olds shouldn't play it.

[02134]

I can just imagine all the people saying "GTA made me do it!" when they are caught with drugs.

 

The thing I don't understand is that it seems like *most* people only want GTA to let you use drugs for the sole purpose of using them. I'd rather not play as some high idiot who can barely walk in the next GTA.

 

 

[Flesh-n-Bone]

I think Sergi is fully correct. Poor parents shouldn't blame anyone but themselves for having kids that have chosen to live the wrong lifestyle.

 

I wouldn't mind the main character being against drugs either though.