Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 1

Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis

Ethics and Communication/BSCOM 460

Rasan Aycox

August 15, 2016

Courtney Shobert
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 2

Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis

Since the inception of video games in 1971, they have given people an escape from real

life while testing their skills. However, controversy and video games met early on in its birth. In

1976, Death Race was pulled off the shelves as people complained about the sounds gremlins

made while they were run over by the opposing player. In 1983, the creators of Custer’s Revenge

were caught under fire as hundreds of protestors were upset at the depiction of General Custer

gaining points by raping Native American women. Ten years later, Sega was in the hot seat, as

their flagship title for the Sega CD entitled Night Trap was yanked off the shelves as the video

game content consisted of players trapping lingerie clad women to murder them. In the same

year of 1993, Mortal Kombat sent shockwaves throughout the industry as it was the first video

game to show graphic violence. Night Trap, Mortal Kombat and Doom, a violent first person

shooting game, caught the attention of congress. Congress sought the government regulation of

video games and in 1994, the Entertainment Software Rating Board was created. This self-

regulatory organization assigns ratings to video games. However, it was not until 1997 when

arguably the most controversial game of video game history hit the shelves. The video game was

Grand Theft Auto. There have been several iterations of Grand Theft Auto, and copycat games

as well. Although the game may influence children who are impressionable, ultimately

censorship of video games falls squarely on the adult (NCAC, 2016).

Grand Theft Auto

Living a life of violence, criminal activity, prostitution and drug deals were only seen in

the movies. This came to life in 1997 when Grand Theft Auto hit the shelves. It was truly the

first of its kind; a video game whose main protagonist was a criminal. Grand Theft Auto allowed
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 3

video games to shoot civilians and rivals, complete drug deals, steal cars and have sex with

prostitutes. Players have the option of following game missions or choosing to go rogue and

roam the fictional Liberty City, causing mayhem by shooting citizens and even running them

over. However, it’s not total anarchy in Liberty City as the more crimes you commit, the more

wanted stars you accumulate. One star will garner a police pursuit. Five stars means the National

Guard is looking for you. However, the downfall of the 1997 game was the graphics. The

gameplay was revolutionary but the graphics were definitely lacking. A sequel, Grand Theft

Auto 2 was released in 1999, with very little changes to the game itself. However, it was not

until 2001 when Grand Theft Auto 3 was released that the landscape of video games changed

forever. Released on the PlayStation 2, gone were the minimalist graphics and instead gamers

were treated to 3-D city, which mirrored New York city. Cars were realistic. All the nuances of a

bubbling city were present. With the realistic graphics meant that all of the activities of Grand

Theft Auto 3 were realistic. For example, soliciting a prostitute would play a scene where the

protagonist would honk his horn to signal the prostitute to come to his car. From there the player

would hear sounds and their car move from side to side. Missions in Grand Theft Auto 3 ranged

from picking up drugs to murdering rival gang members. As the years passed, Grand Theft Auto

evolved to various games and iterations. Due to its content, it has garnered quite a bit of

controversy (ITV, 2013).

Hot Coffee

By 2005, Grand Theft Auto as a game series was a worldwide phenomenon. Not without

its a share of controversy, Rockstar Games, the developers of Grand Theft Auto, were not sued,

yet. In 2005, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released for the PlayStation 2 and PC. A
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 4

tenacious gamer seemingly hacked into the game and discovered a hidden part of the game that

was not available in the regular setting of the game. In the regular setting of the game, when a

player is on a date, their female companion asks them if they want to come up for some hot

coffee. Once the players walks into the house, the player will hear sounds of a sexual nature. In

the hidden part of the game, the player actually gets to see the sexual rendezvous, albeit fully

clothed. The hacker released the patch to the masses which enraged many. The discovery

resulted in a $20 million class action settlement (Bailey, 2009). When the hot coffee mod

surfaced it was believed it was a simple carless error on Rockstar’s part. However, further

investigation concluded that the Hot Coffee scene was merely an Easter Egg, a hidden goodie for

gamers to find (Thorsen, 2005). This unethical action costed Rockstar Games $50 million dollars

in settlements and legal fees (Makuch, 2012).

Jack Thompson

There have been many crusaders against the Grand Theft Auto series but no one like Jack

Thompson. An attorney from the state of Florida, Thompson was a vigilante against obscene

media. He went toe to toe with radio stations who played obscene music and even ask the then

state attorney, Janet Reno to file lawsuit against them. When she declined, he opted to run

against her. The Florida Bar even questioned his sanity. When Grand Theft Auto 3 hit the scene,

many children played the game religiously (Benson, 2015). Some who played the game may

have had an indirect influence of violence.

Dustin Lynch

In November 2002, fifteen-year-old Dustin Lynch killed his friend, seventeen-year-old

Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 5

Jolyn Mishne, by stabbing in side of a head with a knife and beating her over the head with a

bedpost. Grand Theft Auto 3 did not enter the equation until a neighbor advised the media that

the two teens had been playing Grand Theft Auto 3 days before the murder. Jack Thompson then

reached out to the Mishne’s and advised that Grand Theft Auto was the reason why their

daughter was murdered. Due to certain Ohio legalities, Thompson was not allowed to join the

side of the Mishne’s, so he attempted to join the side of Lynch (Benson, 2015). Lynch turned

him down and advised Grand Theft Auto did not make him kill Mishne, he wanted to do it: “I

killed JoLynn for my own personal satisfaction. I yearn to see blood, it’s a need or an addiction

and also a fetish. I’m just obsessed with it all. Old man Mishne and whomever else believes that

GTA III influenced me to brutally kill JoLynn … they are all idiots! I killed JoLynn Mishne for

my own personal satisfaction, not because of a video game. Ever since I was 6 years old, I’ve

wanted to kill someone” (WND, 2013). One may question the ethics of Jack Thompson, using a

veil reference to a violent video game for his own ambitions. In 2013, Dustin Lynch was

convicted of murdering a fellow inmate, and assaulting another. He was sentenced to 20 years to

life for the murder of Jolyn Mishne (Feehan, 2013).

William and Joshua Buckner

On June 25, 2003, two step-brothers, decided to go driving one night, shooting at

innocent civilians driving by in their vehicles with a shotgun. They claim they were influenced

by Grand Theft Auto 3. In the game, the character is able to shoot at other vehicles while driving

and even able to perform drive-by’s. The Buckner’s stated they did not intend to hurt anyone, but

unfortunately Aaron Hamel was killed, and Kimberly Bede suffered serious injuries. The

Buckner’s, aged fourteen and sixteen, plead guilty (ABC News, 2003). Jack Thompson sued
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 6

Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, Sony and Walmart for $246 million on the victim’s

behalf. However, Rockstar and Take-Two contended “that such ideas and concepts as well as the

‘purported psychological effects’ on the Buckner’s are protected by the First Amendment's free-

speech clause” (Mansfield, 2003). The case was eventually dismissed (Benson, 2015). As with

most criminal cases involving minors, the parents are ultimately responsible for any civil

damages. The Buckner’s tried to use their home owner’s insurance to help alleviate some of the

financial responsibility. Unfortunately, a court of appeals reversed a decision which placed the

financial burden on their insurance company (Satterfield, 2009).

Devin Moore

In June 2003, eighteen-year-old Devin Moore was arrested for auto theft. While waiting

to be processed in the police headquarters, Moore stole an officer’s gun and murdered two police

officers and a dispatcher. “Moore said at his arrest, ‘life is a video game, everybody has to die

sometime’” (Smith, 2005). Moore’s defense was that he was abused as child and his violent

ways were a result of playing Grand Theft Auto nonstop (Smith, 2005). During the trial

Thompson confessed the following: “But things didn’t go as planned, but after I got his pistol,

(Strickland) started screaming and I freaked out and started shooting” (Beyerle, 2012). Moore

then stole a police car and took police on a high speed chase from Alabama to Mississippi.

Moore was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He is currently on appeal (Beyerle,

2012).

Do Video Games Cause Violent Behavior?

There is no secret that video games have become increasingly violent with realistic

images. Too much of anything is not a good thing. However, one begs this question, do video
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 7

games cause violent behavior? The American Psychological Association found there is

insufficient proof that links video games to violence: “"Scientists have investigated the use of

violent video games for more than two decades but to date, there is very limited research

addressing whether violent video games cause people to commit acts of criminal violence," ‘said

Mark Appelbaum, the task force chair. ‘"However, the link between violence in video games and

increased aggression in players is one of the most studied and best established in the field”

(Casey, 2015).

Ethical Issues

If a person digs deep enough, they may find many ethical issues with video games as a

whole. From a utilitarian perspective some may argue that video games are good at teaching

reasoning and logic. However, there is an unknown as to how one would weigh the pros and

cons of sharpening their critical thinking skills when playing violent video games. From a rights

and fairness perspective, there are not many women characters nor are there many women video

game developers. From a common good perspective, playing video games excessively is not

exactly good for one’s overall emotional and sometimes physical health (Markkula Center for

Applied Ethics, 2005).

Conclusion

So where does the responsibility lie when it comes to the actions of teenagers influenced

by violent video games? Ultimately, it falls with the parent. There are parameters in place,

mainly video game ratings, which alert people the content of a video game by the rating. For

example, the Grand Theft Auto series is rated M for Mature. Only people eighteen years of age
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 8

or older can purchase the game and only people over the age of eighteen should be playing the

game. However, we have seen time and time again children who are barely out of the second

grade for example, playing violent video games. Parents need to be accountable and responsible

to making sure their child is not exposed to violent images they may understand. A child playing

violent video games for long periods of time may become desensitized to violence. They may

also feel that life mirrors video games, and if they make a mistakes they can simply “restart the

game.” That is not the case. Any sort of interactive media can be influential. The same can be

said regarding violent movies. Children exposed to violent movies are not able to separate reality

from fantasy and at times will act out what they just saw on the big screen. In regards to the

ethical ramifications of video games, video game developers are not exactly in the clear, as they

have some culpability. Video Game makers understand that the content they produce is explicit

in nature and could wind up in the hands of a young child one way or another. Retailers such as

Walmart or Game stop also needs to do a better job at checking identification when a child under

the age of eighteen attempts to buy a Mature rated game. There are also ethical issues in regards

to opportunists, such as Jack Thompson who use video game related tragedies for their own

personal vendetta against obscenity. In closing, we cannot hide everything from our children, but

we can try our best to make sure they are exposed to age appropriate material.
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 9

References

ABC News. (2003). Did Video Game Drive Teens To Shootings?. Retrieved from

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=124797&page=1

Bailey, K. (2009). Take-Two Settles 'Hot Coffee' Lawsuit. Retrieved from

http://www.1up.com/news/take-two-settles-hot-coffee-lawsuit

Benson, J. (2015). The Rise and Fall of Video Gaming's Most Vocal Enemy. Retrieved from

http://www.kotaku.co.uk/2015/09/15/the-rise-and-fall-of-video-gamings-most-

vocal-enemy

Beyerle, D. (2012, February 17). 'Grand Theft Auto' Killer's Sentence Upheld. The Gadsen

Times. Retrieved from http://www.gadsdentimes.com/news/20120217/grand-

theft-auto-killers-sentence-upheld

Casey, M. (2015). Do Violent Video Games Lead To Criminal Behavior?. Retrieved from

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/do-violent-video-games-lead-to-criminal-

behavior/

Feehan, J. (2013, June 20). Toledo Inmate Indicted In Prison Attack, Murder . Toledo Blade.

Retrieved from http://www.toledoblade.com/Courts/2013/06/20/Toledo-inmate-

indicted-in-prison-attack-murder.html

ITV. (2013). From 1997- 2013: How The Grand Theft Auto Series Has Evolved. Retrieved from

http://www.itv.com/news/2013-09-13/a-brief-history-of-the-grand-theft-auto-

series/

Makuch, E. (2012). Rockstar: GTA 'Hot Coffee' scandal was 'draining and upsetting' . Retrieved

from http://www.gamespot.com/articles/rockstar-gta-hot-coffee-scandal-was-
Grand Theft Auto: An Ethical Analysis 10

draining-and-upsetting/1100-6400383/

Mansfield, D. (2003, November 11). 'Grand Theft Auto' Makers Fight $246M Lawsuit. USA

Today. Retrieved from http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-11-11-

gta-lawsuit_x.htm

Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. (2005). Unavoidable Ethical Questions About Video

Gaming. Retrieved from https://www.scu.edu/ethics/focus-areas/internet-

ethics/resources/unavoidable-ethical-questions-about-video-gaming/

NCAC. (2016). A Timeline of Video Game Controversies. Retrieved from

http://ncac.org/resource/a-timeline-of-video-game-controversies

Satterfield, J. (2009, May 1). Parents Would Pay Damages For 'Grand Theft Auto'-Inspired Teen

Snipers. Knoxville News-Sentinel. Retrieved from

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/local/parents-would-pay-damages-for-grand-

theft-auto-inspired-teen-snipers-ep-410094482-359435191.html

Smith, T. (2005). 'Grand Theft Auto' Cop Killer Found Guilty. Retrieved from

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/08/11/gta_not_guilty/

Thorsen, T. (2005). Confirmed: Sex minigame in PS2 San Andreas. Retrieved from

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andreas/1100-6129301/

WND. (2013). Boy Who Killed Girl: 'I Did Her A Favor'. Retrieved from

http://www.wnd.com/2003/12/22266/