The U.S. organization Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has expressed consternation over Grand Theft Auto IV‘s content, effectively calling for a ban.
In a short release, the group sternly and soberly said it deplored the depiction of drinking and driving in the game, whose sales have broken day-one records in Europe and will likely land at or near the top of the charts in the U.S.
“Each year nearly 13,500 people die in drunk driving crashes and another half a million are injured in alcohol-related traffic crashes. This is why MADD is extremely disappointed by the decision of the manufacturers of the game Grand Theft Auto IV to include a game module where players can drive drunk,” the release said.
“Drunk driving is not a game and it is not a joke. Drunk driving is a choice, a violent crime and it is also 100 percent preventable.”
MADD called for the ESRB to rerate the game Adults Only, which would effectively ban it from the U.S. market altogether.
However, drinking and driving does not exactly receive a ringing endorsement in the game. Ars Technica editor Ben Kuchera noted, “[T]he game will warn you that this is probably a good time to simply get in a cab. Not only that, but if you do decide to get into a car, you’ll find it nearly impossible to drive; you’re asking for an accident. If anything, I’d say the game does a pretty good job of proving that getting behind the wheel after a few drinks is a bad, bad idea.”
Source: Ars Technica
