Summary
Take-Two Interactive CEO Strauss Zelnick has addressed violence concerns surroundingGrand Theft Auto 6, claiming he’s “not worried.” Each release of aGTAtitle includes discussions about video games inspiring real-world violence, and that’s no different withGrand Theft Auto 6.
WhenGrand Theft Auto 5was released, it broke franchise records with a story that focused on three protagonists that the player could switch between. Like any other title in the series, it also featured a massive open world that gamers could immerse themselves in whether they wanted to progress through the campaign or not. Since its original release on Xbox 360 and PS3, it has been ported to PC and received remasters on modern hardware. The introduction to Xbox Series X/S and PS5 added a first-person mode, emphasizing the graphical and frames-per-second improvements. WithGrand Theft Auto 6set to innovateon some mechanics and improve the graphics even further, the debate about video game violence is once again at the forefront.
Media outletVideoGamerrecently reported on an appearance Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick made onCNBC’s Squawk Box program. During this segment, Zelnick was asked about howGrand Theft Auto 6could influence real-world violence. In response to this, Zelnick reminded the interviewer that this theory has been “tested and disproved,” and that he’s “not worried.” The Take-Two CEO also stated that “entertainment doesn’t create behavior,” but that the reality is the inverse of that thesis. He further elaborated that violent TV shows and movies don’t receive the same criticism despite being “very realistic-looking.” WhileGrand Theft Auto 6looks more realisticthan earlier titles in the series, Zelnick doesn’t believe that will affect the psychology of gamers playing it, or influence them to be more violent in real life as a result.
Take-Two CEO Disagrees That Grand Theft Auto 6 Will Influence Violence
The debate about video games causing real-world violence precedes the creation of the ESRB, which was a response to the release ofMortal KombatandNight Trap. These games may be considered relatively tame by today’s standards, but many people had genuine concerns about them at the time. With the release of eachGTA, this conversation rises again, and politicians occasionally suggest that it’s something they’re looking into. Giventhe popularity ofGrand Theft Auto 5and its wild success as an intellectual property overshadowing other major franchises, it’s unlikely thatGTAgames will stop releasing unless there are proven direct links to violence.
As Take-Two Interactivecontinues to advance theGrand Theft Autoseries, future releases will likely see similar scrutiny. Despite other games featuring similar violence,GTAseems particularly susceptible to discussions about violence in gaming.
Grand Theft Auto 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Grand Theft Auto VI heads to the state of Leonida, home to the neon-soaked streets of Vice City and beyond in the biggest, most immersive evolution of the Grand Theft Auto series yet.Jason and Lucia have always known the deck is stacked against them. But when an easy score goes wrong, they find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, in the middle of a criminal conspiracy stretching across the state of Leonida — forced to rely on each other more than ever if they want to make it out alive.
