GTA 5 Online Gameplay & Sales: Grand Theft Auto 5 Rakes in $1 Billion, But Is It In Poor Taste?
Grand Theft Auto 5 has been out for a little more than two weeks now, and it has already forever made its mark on the video gaming community. From record sales to controversy, GTA V has experienced the highs and lows that come with being a video game juggernaut.
First up, the sales record. Before GTA V, Call of Duty: Black Ops had been the most successful video game of all time coming out of the gates, racking up a staggering $1 billion in sales in a mere fifteen days.
GTA V smashed that record. Obliterated it might be an even more appropriate turn of phrase. It took the latest offering from Rockstar Games a mere three days to eclipse the $1 billion, a mark that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.
That doesn't mean the game has come without its own fair share of criticism, however. Perhaps most notably, many people have chastised GTA V for its excessive violence and glorification of drugs and sex. Not everyone agrees with that assessment though.
"The biggest misconception is that it glamorizes violence. It really doesn't. If you look at my character, Michael, he's rich, but he's a miserable man. Even in the commercials you see that. This is a guy who's struggling with his life's decisions," says Ned Luke, who provided the voice for Michael de Santa in the video game.
Supporters of the game also fire back with the claim that GTA V is being unfairly singled out. It already carries a "Mature" rating from ESRB, and many believe it is hypocritical for people to judge GTA V but not the movies that similarly portray a more seedy lifestyle.
"Now, if it was a movie it would be a different story and these same people would be out there supporting it. GTA V is like a movie. Once they get the game in their hands, they'll see. It says it big as day-Mature. It's not for the kids to go get. It's for Mature audiences only. If kids get it, then that's on their parents," observed Shawn Fonteno, another voice actor in the game.
There was also an article written recently that suggested GTA V had transcended the realm of simply ignoring women, and had in fact achieved a status of being purposefully misogynistic.
"I commented to a friend that I was concerned about the treatment of women within the game, that there were few female characters drawn with any depth and that it felt a deliberate decision to avoid an attempt to do so," writes Tom Hoggins for The Telegraph.
What do you think? Despite its success, is GTA V too violent and misogynistic for its, and our, own good? Comment below and let us know how you feel.
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