What with the release of the new Grand Theft Auto game, I figured that there would be a flurry of chest-beating and fear-mongering. For the most part, I was right, but then there's this:
The attorney general of Rhode Island has warned parents about the mature content in Grand Theft Auto IV, according to Legal Newswire.It's surprising, and refreshing, to see a politician who isn't trying to shamelessly use this as a way to incite moral panic and score cheap points with scared-of-everything parents.
Of the best-selling, highly controversial game, A.G. Patrick Lynch (left), a Democrat, said:As video games become more realistic and in many cases, more violent, parents must become more vigilant before buying them or letting their children use them.
Also, retailers and salespeople have a responsibility to better inform parents how violent these games actually are. Grand Theft Auto IV is obviously rated ‘M’ for a reason, and parents need to keep a game like this away from their kids.
In August, 2007, GamePolitics reported that Lynch had joined with the ESRB in an effort to educate parents about the video game industry’s content rating system.
