CNN claims GTA IV is training kids to kill
- Posted May 2nd, 2008 at 07:15 EDT by
- 7,855 views
- 111 Comments
CNN's Glenn Beck has launched an attack on Grand Theft Auto IV and modern pop culture, by saying that the game is helping train gamers to become killers, live on US television.
Kotaku spotted a video on YouTube of Beck’s rant, in which he encourages parents and members of the public to be weary about the game, which you can view below.
Beck said: "If you think that video games are just harmless fun, which everybody always says, you should know that our military and our leaders at the Pentagon have never seen it that way.
"GTA 4 is projected to sell nine million copies just by the end of the year. That's $450 million just in sales. And who says crime doesn't pay?
“It took 75 years and countless billions of dollars to train our soldiers to kill. Today 60 bucks buys your kid the same thing. Whatever happened to Pong?”
We think it's ridiculous, but we'd still love to hear what you think about this below.
Comments
-
1solidsnake |
solid1snake67- 12:02pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 51
my dad asked if i bought the game. i said yeah i did. he said to my mom ' did you know you can have sex with hookers in the game and blow up cops? my mopm kind of slapped me. i was like i'm 21. i think i know a video game from real life. the only time i might go crazy is when gas prices hit 8.00 per gallon or a little more. or when it's the end of the world and satin is there. and i want to make him even say "wtf? is your problem? lol if you can make him say that your pretty bad
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
TheRealCarbonfibre |
Carbonfibre- 1:43pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 59
Not sure how this game 'trains me' to kill, I use the controller not a gun, it would not improve my shooting accuracy at all, moral of the story is...If your a good parent you won't buy or let this game be played by your child
-
steven316 |
steven_316- 2:06pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 60
My god i've never heard such 5hit in all my life. I'm sorry if your that mentally unstable that you don't know the difference between right and wrong then you shouldn't even be allowed out in to the street, i've played all the nasties, manhunt, gta etc and not once would i consider coping anything thats in these games, by the time your 18 (the age of the game in the UK) if you don't have any sense of morality then these games are going to make no difference. When will people accept that the games are age rated for a reason just like films, i wouldn't let my 10 year old watch saw and damn sure i'm not going to let him play GTA yet, the whole reason for the age ratings i would have thought.
-
Wolf873
- 2:27pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 61
Not exactly true. But I have to say that games and movies are influential to a developing mind. Now, first of all kids should never play violent games and this comes down to parents. If a parent is repsonsible enough to teach his/her child to know the difference between right and wrong, then in that case even a 10 year old would have no problem playing games like GTA. Like my kid brother, he's way underage to be playing this game, but I and my parents have taught him enough to know what you can and can not do and he understands that.
But even so, video games do invoke aggression. For example, someone who is not a very good gamer or perhaps has anger issues might get frusturated at the fact that he/she can't accomplish a mission in the game and after playing the game that person might be in an unstable mood and punch someone, without thinking clearly, and later be sorry: I can testify for this. It is not made up, it is a fact. It is how one is nurtured is what determines that person's behaviors. This man has somewhat of a point but he is only talking through one perspective and obviously is not a right person to be saying anything about what causes what. They should have had a psychologist do the talking. Some people might not agree with me, but still, games aren't completely innocent of the fact that they do have a part to play in encouraging aggressive behaviors in us. But contrary to my own statement, video games also allow us to vent our frusturation or anger without any consequences, so obviously there are positives and negatives to the whole situation. -
Lozt_again |
Lozt_again- 2:46pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 62
I wouldn't last two seconds in a fire fight and could quite comfortably hold my own in a video game.
Some people just don't realise it's not real. No matter how much they tell themselves it isn't real. I just doesn't sink in.
I often wonder if this is because they are in fact hiding the demons. Not us gamers. What are they worried they'd do?
-
-
Xandure |
Xandure- 3:08pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 64
Ive already ranted about the Mothers thing; now this, i mean come on i guess we should be used to GTA getting all the media attention. But What about me? I mean come on look at MEDIA to begin with always showing us and telling us that people are dying and what not, what about movies no one ever complains about movies and i know minors who go to see movies that are not allowed to be viewed by minors. I guess our system is not working oh well, i'm done.
-
-
TRUE_CHAOS |
True_Chaos- 3:18pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 66
glenn beck needs to drink a can of sprunk and shut the Fu*k up before all our trained gta killer children come for his blood.
-
zombieking36
- 3:19pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 67
Niko Belic... He is an illegal immigrant, a person in real life could be just like him... He does drug runs, Mexicans that come an illegally do them! This is real life in a lot of it, obviously mowing down people on the streets is more of dictator agression, but stil this guy dosn't realized the big picture! This is just like New York's crime, the mafias, and so much more!
-
yoboyrob9041226 |
BIGROB904- 3:19pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 68
all of this is a bunch of bull, i have said this countless times that movies have been doing the same thing for years and nobody complains but if a game has it it training us to kill , forget about the bull they are just trying to censore our world to much children are exposed to violence just about everyday of their life get over it get use to it because its not stopping no time soon
-
MrGrimmace
- 3:23pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 69
It's funny that the news media, activists, lawyers, parents, and politicians constantly attack the "Grand Thet Auto" video game series for promoting violence, and yet, none of them say a damn thing about video games such as "Call of Duty," "Saints Row," "Army of Two," etc. If these people want to "clean up" the video game industry, they shouldn't based their opinions of the entire industry on one video game series. Also, there are many active video game players that play violent video games and don't turn into killers. I'm living proof.
-
Dreamseller21 |
Dreamseller21- 3:24pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 70
If that dumbass was in relation to me I would disown him.
-
-
*Chris*
- 3:48pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 72
"Hire a prostitute, have sex with her, and beat her to death with a baseball bat"
This doesn't mean that everybody is going to go out and do this in real life. It's just a game, and to be honest I'm sure peoples girlfriends etc would be a LOT happier with there boyfriends / husbands commiting these VIRTUAL acts instead of going out and doing it for real.
-
InfernoReaper |
GrimDarkling- 4:05pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 73
I tried to shoot someone once but I couldn't find the O button on the gun!
---
Eastern European thug? He's trying to assimilate into America. It amazes me that people can find so many things in today's culture that is wrong, but the music of their generation was as bad, if not worse. Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb? Taking cocaine. Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze? You get the picture. I guess they should change GTA to Manslaughter or First Degree Murder. I'd go on but I left a huge rant yesterday for MADD.
-
Retaliation |
Rider797- 4:13pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 74
They are for sure going to be trying to trash GTA IV;it got a 10 out of 10.We saw the **** they gave GTA SA and it nowhere near as good as this one.
-
-
-
blueberry_buds
- 5:53pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 77
if the USA wants kids to stop thinkin gof killing and being in gangs and such. USA SHOULD MAKE FIRE-ARMS ILLEGAL- BUT THEY DONT BECAUSE THEIR MAKING MONEY OFF EVERYTHING- USA GOVERMENT IS JUST A BIG GAME
-
Odium_Generis_Humani
- 5:56pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 78
He's absolutely right and it's why I stopped getting the game. I stopped at Vice City. Everbody knows that every geek is just one heart break away from shooting up a school. And no, I'm not being sarcastic. At least 6 of you dudes are future killers and you know it.
-
crucianfyah |
crucianfyah- 5:59pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 79
That's a good thing so the next time your child goes on myspace or get pick up by a total stranger just think " What would Nikko Bellic do in this situation." When Saint Rows came out no one said anything or Kayne and Lynch, Hey you know what blame GTA on global warming or the price of gas, or even worse putting president Bush in office and the JFK assassination while your at it you pricks.
-
Totally Twisted
- 6:38pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 80
The d umbest rebutale line ever --> PEOPLE K ILL PEOPLE!! LMFAO....YA people who are influenced by these types of media...LISTEN UP YOU M 0R0NS..think about other people for once in your self centered life. All that "idi0t" is saying is AND PAY ATTENTION...The less fortunate ...The kids without 'proper' guidance...The mentally unstable..ect ect ect ..can AND are being affected by these types of media....FOR F)CK SAKES grow the h ell up and relize that SOME people actually care about other people...WHILE we are passionate about gaming ..so are people passionate about helping and preventing troubled kids from negative distructive material....CAN YOU REALLY BLAME THEM??? ...This game is completely NEGATIVE from start to finish...it's our discretion to keep these things only infront of people who are stable and mature enough to identify the difference between wrong and right (I have it :) ....you guys act like he's attacking you!! Some of your comments are so F'ing rediculas it's like caveman 101..... RELAX!!
Tommyboy ;)
-
-
selfish
- 7:26pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 82
If GTA IV will help train me to become a kill.er then so be it! With all of our troops away in the middle east who's to protect us but ourselves? Isn't that how it use to be in the john adams days? Any man cabable of bearing arms defended this country long before us. Anyway all jokes aside, the Taliban literally have training camps that are training their next terrorist group as we speak! Kids my son age (9 yrs. old) are being trained on how to shoot people, fatally and d umb@ sses like this guy is worried about a game? Let''s be real here, we as a country do so much in trying to protect our kids from violence yet you see it in your neighborhoods, your nightly news, etc. but no one is fighting against that. They rather blame something instead of someone. LMAO at this sad case of a guy!
-
-
-
-
-
I95SOUTH |
I95SOUTH- 8:52pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 87
If your kid try to kill someone its your fault for being a dead beat parent. I have three kids, yes THREE!!! And they know better. I got gta4 and been playing since gta1 and never had a problem. train your kids to do the right thing. woop that a.s.s and they will learn. no time outs, that s.h.i.t. dont work.
psn id: I95SOUTH<--- Learn from the best
-
-
-
-
vonzar
- 11:06pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 91
So what about all the people who have comitted murder and have never played grand theft auto. What about those people who have been in prison for murder since before the first grand theft auto was ever even thought of. It's not like the idea of killing someone has never occured to anyone before, and grand theft auto introduced this idea to us. It's not like kids haven't killed before. I've never played grand theft auto before, and probably never will because I don't believe in the things it portrays, but I will never be so arogant as to say that playing it is going to turn any kid into a cold heartless killer. If a kid goes out and kills someone, I guarantee you there were other things going on in his life than just grand theft auto. And if it ever occurs that grand theft auto does cause a kid to kill someone, should we allow that one case be a stepping stone to censoring all forms of media? I remember when I was a kid hearing that some kid set his sister on fire because he heard beavis from beavis and butthead say fire. I must have heard beavis say fire hundreds of times when I was a kid and I never set anyone on fire. These acts all boil down to one thing, bad parenting. If parents did their jobs, kids would never play games like this. I know that I would never in a million years let my kids play grand theft auto. But the sad thing is many parents don't monitor what their kids are playing. And that neglect, which probably runs into other areas of these kids lives, is the cause of these few cases where kids commit these acts. So why should everyone suffer because parents aren't doing their jobs? What happens if we hear of some 10 year old killing his parents and he's never played grand theft auto? I guess they'll search out some other video game as a source. Say Mario Galaxy maybe? Stop me if I'm wrong, but doesn't mario kill mushrooms and turtles in this game. Maybe these kids are taking acid or mushrooms and hallucinating that their parents are a giant walking mushroom. So yeah, they had to take them out! That's what Mario Galaxy trained them to do. Down with Mario!
-
falky64
- 11:13pm BST - May 2nd, 2008
- 92
You are F*N kidding yourself arn't you??? I can say right now no amount of computer games has trained me. All I can say is F U and get a life. CNN can shove it because there abuse against GTA IV will be what causes people to go out killing so shut ur trap or there wont be a CNN left!
-
ladellb
- 1:02am BST - May 3rd, 2008
- 93
The game is WAAAY over-rated anyway! Training is the wrong word, and it does reduce the level of importance young kids put on life and respect for others. Adults know better, but blame parents for buying and letting their kids play this game to begin with. Just playing it though, doesn't make the average kid a killer, no more than watching a violent movie. Most of you missed the point. He says it's not just this game, or games in general, but a combination of media. This is not a one-sided issue. And to those comments about the U.S., don't pretend we're the "only" ones with political, moral, and military egos! Stick to the topic please.
-
Zadok |
Zadok- 3:00am BST - May 3rd, 2008
- 94
He actually has a point. I will be buying the game and have as yet remained murder free after playing games for years. But what he is talking about is the training of unconscious responses, and there's no doubt movies, video games etc have all played their part in 'normalising' violence and sexual activity. Movies that are rated M15+ today would have been rated R18+ 30 years ago.
Either way, all the crying in the world isn't going to stop people buying this sort of entertainment, and playing and viewing it isn't going to turn you into a killer or anything of the sort, but it does make it 'easier' to kill someone.
-
dragonkiss
- 3:33am BST - May 3rd, 2008
- 95
So if a game that depicts killing, teaches children to be killers. Does a news story that depicts what a rapist did or what a KKK member did teach children to be rapist and hate mongers? Or does a book that depicts magic automatically bring a child to the rational that he is the grand-masha of the elfin people.
Everything in life is a choice. If playing a game like GTA “teaches a child to kill”, it wouldn’t matter if he had played that game or not. He would have seen this in a movie or on a news story of our current peace mission. Media does not drive peoples actions, their rational and personal interest drive their actions.
-
SkyRider |
SkyRider- 4:59am BST - May 3rd, 2008
- 96
GTA4 has an 18 rating. So if kids are playing it then it is the adults who are to blame for buying it them.
Seems to me the people who are having the rant about violence in a game are not stable people themselves if they think a game will turn everyone psycho.
I see no mention of TV programs such as CSI that teaches what evidence can catch you or any of the 18 rated killer movies being banned. -
jphuff |
jhuff- 5:08am BST - May 3rd, 2008
- 97
Well, I actually agree with this guy on most of his point. As he says, our entire culture and it's media is very violence oriented, and that does make people more disposed to engage in violence, at least in general.
However, it's still a parent's responsibility to measure what their kids watch, play, read or whatever. The rating system is there....use it. It's foolish to pick something out by itself like GTA and say it's "training kids to kill." But, our culture and media in general IS exposing everyone to more violence on a daily basis and while it won't make the average person more likely to kill someone, it HAS been proven that people become "de-sensitized" to violence through exposure. For some deviant people or certain personality types, this may make them more likely to do something, but again, you can't hang the blame on just one or two sources..
Hey, if I had a young kid under 10 I probably wouldn't let them play GTA, but it all depends on the maturity of the person and how they have been raised, etc. Leave the choice to the citizen just like with porn and other "hot-button" issues.
-
nemesiswes2
- 6:05am BST - May 3rd, 2008
- 98
he does make a good point there about videogames training people to be killers and the point about the military first time killing rates because i have to say that i myself after playing games since i was like 7 (i am 18 now ) am way more likely to shoot someone if i have to ( war ) or it could just be me but it is not just gta and in fact gta never really made me think about that stuff really but it is games like call of duty and things like that that actually made me think it wouldnt be so bad to shoot someone . lmao, i know all that stuff probably makes me look crazy
-
-
Maxkiller |
Maxkiller0- 6:18am BST - May 3rd, 2008
- 100
I got the game im not even 18 the game does not do anything to your Brain people need to learn from what is real and what is just a game i play the game and shot people in the head does not mean i can do that in real life i mean where am i going to get a gun in the 1st place lol but really the news this days are full of sh.it just to piss people off they would anything to take off the game rockstar games are just making a game what about other games and movies that is about killing and again its not like this game has no point in why he kills theres a story and aswell theres no chainsaws and flamethrowers maybe if they really do play the game they would know aswell what they said you can see them having sex and stuff that is bulls.hit you don't see anything you can only hear it aswell this game is rated 18 i think its allowed to put whatever they want.
Advertisement