stupidest gaming article of 2K3
Jay Dub
http://www.nypost.com/business/14640.htm
December 29, 2003 -- IN this season of ecumenical brotherhood, here's a
suggestion for how to advance the cause of peace: Sell your stock in
Take-Two Interactive Inc.
In case you can't quite place the name, New York-based Take-Two Interactive
is a Nasdaq-traded company in the video game business.
Over the last couple of years, the company has been one of Wall Street's
hottest stocks, climbing by more than 500 percent to a high of nearly $42
per share earlier this year.
But Take-Two has lately gotten knocked around a bit, both in the market and
on the regulatory front, as a long-smoldering Securities and Exchange
Commission investigation into the company's accounting looks to be coming to
a head.
Yet that's not the only reason to stay away from this stock. Some
long-overdue questions are also being raised about the nature of Take-Two's
unusual product line, which is coming under attack by local and state
legislators around the country.
SO before turning to Take-Two's other problems, let's first pause for some
thoughts on the core question of what this company actually does - which is
to produce and market video games of such luxuriously violent and disgusting
content as to leave one simply speechless.
The latest installment in the company's best-selling "Grand Theft Auto"
series - "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" - has been on the market for a little
over a year now and has already sold more than 5 million copies.
Lately, the game has been in the news quite a bit - though not for any
reason Take-Two would have wanted - as leaders in the Haitian community and
elsewhere have gotten noticeably torqued up about a line of dialogue that
consists of the following: "Kill the Haitians."
The offending line has brought public rebukes of the company from both Mayor
Bloomberg and the Anti-Defamation League, and Take-Two has responded by
saying it will remove the words from future editions of the game.
But trust me when I tell you that considering what else goes on in "Grand
Theft Auto: Vice City," that phrase is nothing.
HERE'S the game's basic bit: You're a cocaine dealer, see, and you get
ripped off in a drug deal that goes bad. So your mission is to get your
drugs and your money back - by committing as many violent, homicidal crimes
as you can possibly think up.
You can pursue your goal by killing Haitians, of course, but you can also
kill anyone (or everyone) else. You can machine-gun them, beat them with
baseball bats, chop them up with machetes or run them over with stolen cars.
And when you do, everything will look incredibly and shockingly real, with
blood spewing everywhere.
You can kill a cop, steal his gun, and then use it to shoot someone else. Or
you can pick up a prostitute and have sex with her in the back of your
stolen car, then beat her to death - or shoot her, bludgeon her, whatever
you want.
In fact, "whatever you want" is what the game is all about. Thanks to its
artful and complex programming and its incredibly realistic graphics, the
game creates the impression of being inside a totally unscripted,
live-action drama in which you can manufacture your mayhem as you go along.
People, this is insane. This is 10,000 times worse than the worst thing
anybody thinks Michael Jackson ever did to a little boy - or than any lie
the feds think Martha Stewart ever told them, or any line in any song that
Bruce Springsteen ever sang that rankled a cop in the Meadowlands.
And trust me when I tell you, Mr. Mayor, what Take-Two Interactive is
blowing into your face every day is a whole lot worse than second-hand
cigarette smoke.
Out of that company is spewing the glorification of mass murder and the
celebration of death. And the fact that the game supposedly can't be sold to
anyone under 17 years of age is completely irrelevant and changes nothing.
FOR one thing, the age cutoff is totally unenforceable, and everyone knows
it. And cases surface constantly in which "Grand Theft Auto" has been linked
to violence and killing. In Tennessee last summer a motorist was killed and
his passenger wounded when two boys - aged 14 and 16 - played "Grand Theft
Auto" and then decided to go out and take sniper shots at cars, just like in
the game.
Besides: By what preposterous reasoning can one argue that once someone
turns 17 years of age it magically becomes OK to glorify mass murder? Are we
saying that it would have been OK for that Beltway Sniper guy - who was
apparently in his 40s - to have been allowed to play "Grand Theft Auto"
before going on his killing spree, but it wouldn't have been OK for that
young teenager who went along with him to have done the same?
This whole age-cutoff thing is simply garbage - just like "Grand Theft Auto"
itself - and sooner or later, I would imagine, we'll come to our senses and
ban these games from public commerce, just like we ban child pornography and
entertainment spectacles such as cock fighting and dwarf throwing.
Meantime, Take-Two is milking this product for all it is worth: Next year
the company will even be introducing a Gameboy version of the thing, so that
kids can carry it around with them wherever they go. This way they'll be
able to get re-stimulated, whenever necessary, with some of the most
menacing messages known to civilized man.
WHAT would be left of an outfit like Take- Two Interactive if its bizarre
version of digital snuff porn were outlawed?
Frankly, not much. The company's latest three-month and nine-month financial
results, covering the period through July 31, show "Grand Theft Auto: Vice
City" and an earlier version of the same ghastly program ("Grand Theft Auto
III") to have accounted for just under half the company's sales.
Take-Two was founded in 1993 by a young fellow named Ryan Brant, who was
apparently raised in a family steeped in its own Vice City values. Ryan's
daddy, Peter, a polo-playing fop from Greenwich, Conn., did time in federal
prison for tax fraud after trying to write off $1.5 million worth of
massages, jewelry, scalp rubs and what-not as business expenses.
Last spring, Dad was hit with more tax woes when federal prosecutors filed a
suit against him and his partner - art dealer Larry Gagosian - alleging that
they owe $26 million in taxes on fine art sales dating back to 1990.
Dad was an original investor in Master Ryan's excellent adventure, and
currently collects $474,000 per year from the company in return for leasing
it some of the New York real estate he owns. That lease is set to expire in
the new year.
THE Securities and Exchange Commission got interested in Take-Two last year
after the company restated its financial results for most of the previous
two years. The restatement followed reports that the company had been
claiming revenues from fictitious sales.
Now the SEC seems ready to act. Earlier this month it issued the company
something known as a Wells Notice, which amounts to a "your time is up"
letter; its purpose is to inform the target of an SEC investigation that
fraud charges are about to be filed against it. Ryan Brant received an
additional Wells Notice himself, as did two former officials who the company
did not name - meaning that the SEC plans to include all three as defendants
in its complaint.
Bottom line: Stay away from this stock - far, far away - and you'll be doing
both your wallet and your fellow man a favor. Happy New Year.
* Please send e-mail to:
Brian
This is why I think I could make major bucks in investing.. I dont live
under a rock!
Jay Dub typed:
:: http://www.nypost.com/business/14640.htm
Upon Us
misinformation, generalized statements, and deception are enough to get
some idiot mom or pop to complain about GTA.
Aside from digging into someone's personal life for such a one sided
story, using the information to make blanket statements and hugely
distorted suppositions is RIDICULOUS.
Take Two should sue this guy for trying to encourage an undeserving
decline in their stock.
For one, the writer is highly bending the idea of Vice City. The deaths
are not gruesome or demented as this guy makes them out to be...he
probably played Manhunt.
Two, so what if a Take Two guy's dad was convicted of fraud. He isn't
partaking in Vice City values, he's only doing what the rich and
connected do and get away with. And even terming Vice City as the game
of sin is a joke, because the game is CLEARLY a game based around and
off of the portrayals of organized crime that we are all familiar with.
The guy who complained about the Haitians line in VC should be
shot...what happened to free speech, what happened to the common sense
that would tell anyone that Haitians aren't all dark skinned guys who
run around wearing purple, shooting at enemies in their neighborhood
with a wreckless glee. Furthermore, anyone with half a brain would
realize that the line 'kill the haitians' isn't some kind of subliminal
message or direct order to the gamer. It is simply game script taken out
and spun in a person's favor..just like how GTA3 is about fucking
hookers the entire time.
Three, when did the ESRB rating enforcement become a failure? ANY
Walmart or Kay Bee or EB or Toys R Us enforces the rules. What happened
to parents being responsible enough to actually help their children
grow? Why are we letting politicians and religious zealots govern our
privacy and 'pursuit of happiness'? I could have swore that parents
should at least be responsible enough to keep mature video games from
their children, if their panties are in such a goddamn bunch because
their child would play some 'permanently damaging video game'. Kids
aren't shooting sniper rifles because of videogames. It's because they
haven't been accustomed to the idea that shooting people is illegal and
wrong. It's because they have such easy access to a sniper rifle,
something no 'youngun' should be using.
It's sad to know that even in such a technologically advanced and
education driven society, its people cannot separate the truth from
fiction, and personal morals from humanitatian rights.
"Just say here, and let's consider 'here' to be short for 'here I am,
rock you like a hurricane.'"
Brian
It was a Left Winger who created the ESRB rating system.
"ANY Walmart or Kay Bee or EB or Toys R Us enforces the rules. What happened
to parents being responsible enough to actually help their children grow?
Why are we letting politicians and religious zealots govern our privacy and
'pursuit of happiness'?"
Walmart, Kay Bee, and Toys R Us are using their PRIVATE power to enforce
their opinion. If consumers start talking with thier money, they'll change
their policy.
As for governing our "pursit of happiness".. there's an issue in that.. You
CAN NOT pursue happiness when society doesn't work. So if GTA actually
causes people to go nuts, like crack and heroin do.. then they'll make it
against the law so people can pursue happiness. It's unfortunate government
may possibly have to control people's kids (soceity), but what's the other
option? Libertarian Utopias do not work.
I'm not saying that GTA is a problem, I'm just saying that's why the
government has to step in sometimes.
Why else is marriage a GOVERNMENT sanction, when marriage was originally
religious? because couples work better to raise their young with something
as simple a 'state of mind' bondage, and there's your argument for the fight
agaisnt gay marriage. The belief that soceity will fall apart with gay
marriages and we can not pursue happiness with confused kids running around.
although I disagree.. I'm for gay marriages, I don't see it as an issue.
"Upon Us"
Ronnie Motherfucking Dobbs
> Right wingers have a hidden agenda to get complaints about Grand Theft Auto?
>
Well, I did make a very generalized statement, and I can understand
why you think I felt that...but I mostly was angered by the fact that
the Post is known for some of its usage of extreme right-wing
journalists, and somehow when it comes to videogames we have a person
who not only has taken a bias, but has apparently written an article
to smear and slander. The bias is immediately noticable, when the
writer is clearly taking sides, making brass and uncouth
generalizations, clearly forgetting what REAL journalism is about.
> It was a Left Winger who created the ESRB rating system.
>
Under fervent pressure from republicans and even some democrats (like
Joe Lieberman) who were ready to push for regulatory action that could
have dramastically changed a mature gamer's ability to play games
tailored to their age range. The ESRB was a compromise.
> "ANY Walmart or Kay Bee or EB or Toys R Us enforces the rules. What happened
> to parents being responsible enough to actually help their children grow?
> Why are we letting politicians and religious zealots govern our privacy and
> 'pursuit of happiness'?"
>
> Walmart, Kay Bee, and Toys R Us are using their PRIVATE power to enforce
> their opinion. If consumers start talking with thier money, they'll change
> their policy.
My point here is the fact that these anti-gamers are clearly making
themselves ignorant about the FACT that the ESRB system does work,
when retailers enforce it. It SHOULD be enforced. Kids shouldn't be
allowed to play games that aren't age-appropriate for them unless the
parent allows it (and hopefully that parent has made sure that their
child knows the difference between games and real life). I am angry
because the person who wrote the article is clearly bending the facts
to convey a point that's poorly supported. They just aren't in to the
fact that a company has produced such a massively playable, yet
violent, adventure that has you working your way up in organized
crime. They can't grasp the fact that no harm is being done by it,
even with its HUGE success there aren't many times you'll even HEAR
GTA as part of a court case, unless it's like the case a couple months
ago with the kids who obviously couldn't take responisbility for their
actions and still decided to blame a video game for their fault. The
ESRB ratings are there to TELL YOU WHO SHOULD BE PLAYING, WHO SHOULD
NOT. GTA VC is M. Mature. 17+. If children or teenagers are playing
this game, and they're not supposed to be, it's the fault of either
whoever sold them this game improperly or who is letting them play it.
There's no reason to further infringe on the rights of regular,
NORMAL, intelligent people who have to deal with censored and changed
product material. That's my point.
> As for governing our "pursit of happiness".. there's an issue in that.. You
> CAN NOT pursue happiness when society doesn't work. So if GTA actually
> causes people to go nuts, like crack and heroin do.. then they'll make it
> against the law so people can pursue happiness. It's unfortunate government
> may possibly have to control people's kids (soceity), but what's the other
> option? Libertarian Utopias do not work.
Government, in some form, is necessary to prevent chaos. Anybody knows
this. I'm not libertarian or even liberal...I prefer to examine issues
closely instead of adopting a broad platform to state views that may
partially be mine and partially may not. However, this type of "we're
pushing you although if you follow the rules there really is no
pushing" government we have is ridiculous...look at the school system
nowadays. Pushing uniforms, extracurricular activities, and community
service upon children before they can even get jobs. How nice. We can
actively recruit them when they're young children, so they will come
work for us before they can even legally drink, but we can't expect
them to know the difference between gameplay and real life? That's my
point.
> I'm not saying that GTA is a problem, I'm just saying that's why the
> government has to step in sometimes.
>
Our government steps in to solve the wrong problems. To prohibit us
but never empower us. To arrest us but never enrich us. To beg for our
vote but cater to the corporate interest. Perhaps if our government
had focused on the welfare of its citizens, we wouldn't be dealing
with a war on terrorism. Perhaps if the government focused on spending
our taxpayer money more efficiently, to benefit not ME but US, we
wouldn't have to be in a trillion dollar deficit because we're trying
to take it to terrorists that wouldn't have hated us in the first
place had our government not shook the bee's nest. In this case, with
a HIGHLY religiously motivated and right-wing administration, our
government would most likely censor games outright, just as abstinence
has been funded millions (to be taught in SCHOOLS) while public
programs can barely afford to help supply communities with condoms.
Brian
pushing you although if you follow the rules there really is no
pushing" government we have is ridiculous...look at the school system
nowadays. Pushing uniforms, extracurricular activities, and community
service upon children before they can even get jobs. How nice. We can
actively recruit them when they're young children, so they will come
work for us before they can even legally drink, but we can't expect
them to know the difference between gameplay and real life? That's my
point."
What's the big deal? you said it yourself.. "Government, in some form, is
necessary to prevent chaos" That's what all that's for.. Children can't make
informed decesions, they haven't even got emotions in control yet, but if a
child is doing something productive, why stop them? There's no earning a
rational mind with working hard. Rational minds come with only time and
experince, NOT hard work. Hardworking Adults have enough trouble thinking
rational, we can't except a child to.
Good responce BTW.
"Ronnie Motherfucking Dobbs" <upo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6e3b71af.04010...@posting.google.com...