Satire and Terrorism

[Typhus]

This is a subject which really interests me.

As we all know, the GTA series has always been known for its social and political satire. But, over the years, they have moved on from the controversy they used to engender. At one stage, a GTA game could cause calls for its banning, or allow lawyers and shysters to launch spurious moral crusades against the video game industry as a whole.

Nowadays, it seems as though the hysteria has died down, and whilst the games remain popular, far fewer people seem to be coming forward to condemn them.

With that being said: Do you think that the there are some issues which the series could tackle, which could stir up the same controversy as before?

 

For myself, I believe that one thing they have been skittish about and may still cause a problem is the issue of terrorism.

Cast your mind back to 2001. In Grand Theft Auto III, there was originally a character called Darkel, who would instruct the player to commit various acts of domestic terrorism around Liberty City. Then 9/11 happened, and, for obvious reasons, the character was pulled.

Even in 2017, with terrorism still very much a thing, I am unsure if the wounds have yet sufficiently healed to allow for a character like that the player could work for.

[DOUGL4S1]

Actually, Darkel's files use a format that is not used in the final game, and it would take more than a few weeks to make his chage to all characters indicating that it was cut maybe months before 9/11.

 

And yes, we did have terrorist acts, or actions that would be considered as terrorism in recent titles. In GTA IV, bridges are closed because of a terrorist threat or an attack, similar how Manhattan was closed from the rest of NY and Jersey in 9/11, Faustin tells Niko to blow up a garage with a truck full of explosives, Niko and LJ take down a helicopter with a rocket, Luis explodes a crane, a train and an airplane, etc, etc, etc. In GTA V, among other things, Trevor blows up the O'Neil's house, Michael takes down a plane with a sniper rifle, Trevor hijacks a Merryweather plane mid-flight and the trio blows up the FIB building to take a hard-drive.

 

And GTA still generates as much, if not many more controversy than it ever did. Watch VadimM's vid in

. Edited June 3, 2017 by DOUGL4S1

[Typhus]

Actually, Darkel's files use a format that is not used in the final game, and it would take more than a few weeks to make his chage to all characters indicating that it was cut maybe months before 9/11.

 

And yes, we did have terrorist acts, or actions that would be considered as terrorism in recent titles. In GTA IV, bridges are closed because of a terrorist threat or an attack, similar how Manhattan was closed from the rest of NY and Jersey in 9/11, Faustin tells Niko to blow up a garage with a truck full of explosives, Niko and LJ take down a helicopter with a rocket, Luis explodes a crane, a train and an airplane, etc, etc, etc. In GTA V, among other things, Trevor blows up the O'Neil's house, Michael takes down a plane with a sniper rifle, Trevor hijacks a Merryweather plane mid-flight and the trio blows up the FIB building to take a hard-drive.

 

And GTA still generates as much, if not many more controversy than it ever did. Watch VadimM's vid in

.

I see your point, but I'm sure you can differentiate between criminal acts which bear similarities to terrorism via mass-murder and explosions - and the game allowing you to work for a character solely interested in mass murder for ideological/political/religious reasons.

[Mister Pink]

Yeah I think many of the things DOUGL4S1 mentions in IV are external, as in, you're not really having control over the bridges being closed due to terrorism etc. So there are themes of terrorism, which is normal as terrorism exists.

 

However, I'm not sure Typhus if you are talking about committing acts of terrorism as the character? Or maybe not necessarily committing acts of terrorism but at least working for a terrorist.

 

4 Lions was a pretty good film that humanized terrorists as well as satirizing them which could make for interesting story in GTA but for the most part I would want the satire to cover the world around the story and not the story itself. Satirize local politics, consumer culture and pop culture but the story for me would have to remain dramatic with a few laughs for comic relief.

 

Going back on topic, Mafia III, you worked for IRA connected Thomas Burke. That was interesting but there was never any question of your motives for associating with him nor did much terrorism related issues come up really as he was more just a mobster than anything else. There's also Derrick McGreary, Aidan O'Malley we apparently members of the IRA before coming to he US in GTA IV but that's just backstory really.

 

If anything Rockstar has dealt with a lot of systemic corruption in law enforcement than with actual terrorism. I'm not sure which is more scarier but I guess it's OK to criticize the system that deal with actual terrorists in videogames.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Mister Pink

[Zello]

They kinda did already...

[Video]

 

[Video]

[The Time Ranger]

Terrorism is a very current and global issue, a constant threat. I could see Rockstar tackling the issue to a larger degree. V touched on it with the torture mission. Regarding treating the issue with satire there are different avenues to choose from. They could examine the warping of religious ideology to fit a violent agenda or the increased surveillance on citizens because of the actions of a tiny minority, to give two examples.

 

Would there be controversy if there was a story arc revolving around the player getting involved in terrorism, either directly of indirectly, for example procuring and delivering a container of some suspicious chemicals for a contact, asking no questions on delivery? It could prove an interesting moral choice for the typically amoral Gta protagonist.

 

However is a crime game the right platform to explore the roots of terrorism, how it spreads and it's impact, and then to tear it apart, ridicule it with wit, irony and logic. Hard to say, it's a tough issue to satirise. Tougher than previous issues Gta satirised such as advertising, consumer culture, politics, social issues, those are a different kettle of fish to satirise compared to terrorism. For a far reaching look at terrorism it would take more than a few advertisements in the in game radio.

 

Would there be outrage if terrorism featured in a Gta title, possibly so, while I believe the misjudged moral crusade against video games has largely died down, there are plenty of publications who would try to stir the pot and make a controversy where there is none, looking for a cheap headline, video games are not the easy target they once were but they are still open to a clickbait article and the ill informed backlash which will follow.

Edited June 3, 2017 by Neon_Dreaming

[DimitriFaustin]

My speculation is that If GTA 3 had been released with Darkel and all the terrorist activities, it would have been game over for Rockstar and the GTA series.

I reckon that in today's climate, which is arguably more politically correct than ever before (even in the post-9/11 hysteria), it'd still be lights out for Rockstar.

I remember reading a report where back in the late 1970s and 1980s, terrorism was acutally worse than it is now along with the cult raids of the 1990s, yet people

are much more paranoid now than back then.

Considering the response the torture scene in GTA V generated, if I were Rockstar, the commentary on terrorism offered by IV and V to an extent would be as far as I'd go.

As others (i.e. DOUGL4S1, Mister Pink, & Neon Dreaming) have pointed out here, terrorism would be extremely hard to cover nowadays. And there's not really much difference

between criminal acts and outright terrorism anyway, especially if the perpetrator has any motives on mind.

Edited June 3, 2017 by DimitriFaustin