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NYC Pols Freaking Out About Grand Theft Auto IV
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 31, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 31, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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With the Grand Theft Auto IV trailer circulating a good six months before the game's release, NYC officials are giving the thumbs down. The Daily News has comments:
"It's despicable to glamorize violence in games like these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting may be," said Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
"The mayor does not support any video game where you earn points for injuring or killing police officers," said Jason Post, a spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg.
"Setting Grand Theft Auto in the safest big city in America would be like setting Halo in Disneyland," said City Councilman Peter Vallone, chairman of the Council's Public Safety Committee.
It's unclear what features the game will have, but some rumors say the game may allow "unique game moments" - as in no "canned animation" but different experiences for different users, per GTA4.net. And the mayor's office emphasized that NYC auto thefts are down 58% since Bloomberg became mayor.
And during the parts of the GTA IV trailer that swoop into the midst of skyscrapers, were you reminded of the Picture Mill-designed title sequence for Panic Room? Well, we were. Also, thanks to the reader who noted the music in the trailer is by/inspired by Philip Glass's score, for the film Koyaanisqati.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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