During a recent interview meant to answer questions aboutGrand Theft Auto 6, Take-Two Interactive’s CEO delivered a scathing rebuke to the enduring opinion that video games might inspire their players to commit violent acts. As one of the “video gamers” mainstream media seems to fear, I found his bluntness refreshing.
Strauss Zelnick is confident GTA 6 won’t drive people to commit copy-cat crimes
As part of the hype for the upcoming release ofGTA 6, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick sat down for an interview on CNBC’s Squawk Box program (the interview’s paywalled, so I’m getting a lot of my information fromVideoGamer, who covered it) The discussion touched on a few interesting subjects, including how the company has dealt withthe new administration’s tariffs on overseas importsand the publisher’s stance on using artificial intelligence in game design.
Eventually, the interviewer asked if Zelnik was worried thatGTA VIcould drive its players to commit acts of violence in the real world. Only someone tired of answering this question could craft an answer like Zelnik’s. After clarifying that he “wasn’t worried” aboutGTAVIfansgoing out and destroying snowmen, he dropped his opinion on the “Do violent video games cause violence?” debate like it was a chunk of red-hot lava.
Well, to be clear, entertainment doesn’t create behaviour. Entertainment reflects behaviour. Entertainment gives people an opportunity to release feelings and engage in feelings. Entertainment tells stories. The notion entertainment creating behaviour has been tested and disproved over and over again. We have a test case: when you watch TV and movies of any times they’re very realistic looking so I’m not worried about photorealistic video games
GTA has always been the poster child of the violent video game debate
The debate over violent video games has been raging for decades, andGTAhas always been a prominent topic of discussion. EveryGTAgame has had its turn in the pillory, accused by pundits and politicians of inspiring horrific acts of violence. I still remember the days when Jack Thompson,ex-lawyer and anti-video game crusader extraordinaire, was filing rapid-fire lawsuits against Take-Two, warning cable news viewers their kids will become killers if they playGTA, andeven sending mean-spirited letters to Strauss Zelnick’s mother.
Research into the supposed link between violent video games and real-world acts of aggression, like this one bythe University of Oxford, has thoroughly disproven the notion that playing violent video games makes people violent. Unfortunately, most anti-video game commentators are allergic to facts, and I’m willing to bet the issue will rear its ugly head again whenGTA VIfinally comes out. Hopefully, responses like Zelnick’s will help this frustrating false debate back to the retirement home.
