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Shame On You: Rockstar Video Games

This is Crap!!!!

a.. A CBS 2 Special Report

Nov 6, 2003 11:38 pm US/Eastern
NEW YORK (CBS) Brutal, bloody images and racist messages. It's all packaged in a popular video game. One outraged Haitian American viewer, who didn't want to appear on camera, says the message is unacceptable.

CBS 2's Arnold Diaz takes a closer look, but a word of caution, what he found is not appropriate for children.

It's the best selling video game of all time, and may be the most graphically violent. The object of "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" is to kill, kill again, then kill some more.

"This game is very extreme. There's a lot of blood, you can shoot people's heads off," says John Difenderfer

Difenderfer says he's addicted to the game, plays it for hours on end, and admits it can mess with your head, "I think you have to have a strong mind to be able to play this game and not want to go out and kill people."

While much of Vice City's violence is random and indiscriminate, Shame On You found as you get deeper into the game it takes an ugly, racist twist. Players are instructed to exterminate an entire ethnic group!

"My mission in the game is to kill the Haitians," says Difenderfer.

That's right, kill the Haitians! Just read to the game's dialogue:

"I hate these Haitians. We'll take them out, we'll take these Haitians down."

The Haitians are portrayed as evil drug dealers in "Vice City." the player's goal? Wipe them out, an order given both verbally and in writing:

"Stinking nest of Haitians. We gonna kill them all. Kill all the Haitians."

"This is a game that is not only racist, but it is dangerous," says Dr. Henry Frank.

Frank, Director of the Haitian Centers Council, was shocked and outraged when we showed him the game. He says this is a cultural attack on the one million Haitians living on our area. "To kill the Haitians like beasts, like nothing, you are attacking our self-esteem, our respect and everything that we have."

He fears the worst may happen, "You don't know where you are going to get some crazy mind who will apply exactly what they have seen on the game."

Why is Rockstar Games, the maker of "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City" using the killing of Haitians as entertainment?

The company is based right here in New York City. Its president, Sam Houser, is ranked as one of the entertainment industry's most powerful people. But he's hiding, refusing to speak with us at all, refusing to even acknowledge the community's concerns about the game.

"They don't care who they are offending," says Dr. David Walsh.

We spoke to Dr. David Walsh from the National Institute on Media and the Family via satellite from Minneapolis. He says while "Vice City" is rated M, inappropriate for kids under 17. Studies show the game is hugely popular among young teenage boys, and that's got him worried. "For them to be playing a game that dehumanizes and makes a whole group of people the object of derision and persecution, that's not the kind of message we want to be sending to our young people. "

Haitian leaders now say they won't stand for it. "When our self-esteem, our prestige is down, we'll fight for that. I'm going to mobilize my community, they have to do something," adds Frank.

So into the CBS 2 Hall Of Shame we induct Rockstar Games and its president, Sam Houser, for cashing in on racism and violence.

One thing is certain: The violence and racism haven't hurt the video's sales.

Estimates are that Rockstar Games has already made $260 million from "Vice City" in its first year of release.

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that is horrible

Wow. I've heard the beef about the game for years, and thought it was a little off, seeing as how even though it's violent, it can be prescribed only for adults. And that there are plenty of other violent outlets in media w/o singling out this one game.

But this?!? Sick, absolutely sick. I don't think many people know/talk about his 'feature' of the game. That is just ridiculous. Somebody's ass need to be handed to them for this crap.

well i play vice city an they say kill everybody ,that person just sick in they head cause

I didn't even know about that aspect of the game pretty irresponsible on their part :

I just went to the website and it sounds like "Vice City" is Miami in real life. I have heard about this game but didn't know that it was this bad. The people who make these games don't respect our whole community not just the Haitians. Look at their website and click on information and you will see what I mean.
http://www.rockstargames.com/vicecity/

Never played it...pro'lly never will. Random, mindless violence is the m.o. for a lot of these games so can't really single this one out for that. The racial undertones are disturbing though...and I was kinda turned off by the 'hero'...the Guido thing kinda threw me.

...I like racing games but GTA never appealed to me because I don't consider it a real racing type game, howevwer I had no idea this was the premise behind it....

Thank you Point-man. My boyfriend plays this game and I often watch him. The "object" of the game is not to "Kill all the Haitians" Yes the game is very violent. There are many different ethnic gangs in the game and at some point you're instructed to kill them off. This game is not targeted to just kill Haitians. This fool is just sick and stupid. No, you don't have to have a strong mind as he stated to play a video game that involves shooting and not want to go out and kill people. IT'S JUST A GODDAMN GAME. Normal, rational people know how to make the distinction between real life and a video game and are not tempted to go out and kill people after playing a game like this. So don't believe everything that you read.

I agree that the author of the article obviously included these specific dialogue or what not from the game that were just directed at Haitians. And also that the game is about gangs and what not of which a Cuban gang exist also...Definitely don't believe everything you read.
But...why are ethnic groups included in the game? Does the producers of the game know exactly what Haitians and Cubans are like and for that fact any other ethnic group in the game that was created? Maybe, Maybe not...There are still negative messages being put out there by this game. So maybe everyone in the world is insensitive to violence and shootings and what not because it is a huge component of today's media but I am positive that there are children playing this game out there.
Young vulnerable minds, who are aware that they are playing a game but who also retain certain things. There are some people who are ignorant about many ethnic groups and I think that even though it is a game...it can still contribute to the fostering of negative ideas about ethnic groups, in this case the idea that if there are gangs and what not in Miami then they are Haitians and Cubans or what not.
The game is not attacking one ethnic group but a whole host of them..so is this ok? That it is not a single group being discriminated against but rather a case of group discrimination or stereotyping. Maybe the creators of the game should have just made the game be just random gangs...no ethnic identity attached and then it would have just been the usual violent game and the issue of ethnic elimination would not have arose.
But hey I haven't played the game so I probably don't know what I am talking about anyway.

TiniTrini-

This game is not for children and states so on the case when you buy it. My daughter plays playstation and she is not allowed to play this game or even allowed to be around when the game is being played. There are like 3 different Grand Theft Auto games each one has different ethnic groups depending on the setting of the game. Vice City happens to be in Miami, which is why there are Cuban and Haitian gangs.

I don't know why people make a big deal about these video games. They are meant for adults and parents should be monitoring what games their children play. I don't see these games as being racist or targeting any individual ethnic groups. The game inludes black, hispanic and white gangs. These gangs are not made up, they exist in real life. The game is just a portrayal. Yes it is a negative one but gangs have a very negative aspect, do they not?

You make valid points, dougla, vis-a-vis whom the targeted audience is...but at the same time the discomfort is understandable in that kids will be exposed to these stereotypes regardless, and offsetting these negative impressions/characterizations way be doubly harder than instilling them. Then you have the people who are of age, but don't know better (we all know they exist) than to buy into these. Maybe it's an equal opportunity offender, I honestly don't know, but I don't think it's a stretch to say that exposure to violence (even the virtual kind) can in fact influence the negative actions/activities of some.

I can understand why some would be uncomfortable with it but the reality is that it's a vidoegame for adults and like DT say parents need to monitor what their children play. The game is more of an interactive movie than the games we grew up playing like pacman and galaxia but nonetheless it is a game. I haven't played much of GTA-VC yet but its a bestseller because it's controversial and is mature so that the adult gaming population can get into it. Other than being interactive how much different is this game than a violent movie? Remember Steven Segal in mark for death where he fightin ah ton of "jamaican" rasta men, he went after a jamaican gang and wipe dem out what's so different about that.

The article is written in such a way that you can be misled. That diologue in the game is reffering to a gang that's interrupting or making someone elses business difficult. Taken out of context it seems very racist but in the context of the setting in the game it really isn't. Weather it's a subliminal message I can't say but you can find all types of media from which to take a quote or two that if the context isn't explained the exact wording would seem racists, sexist an any other ist yuh could think about.

The report on CBS was totally blown out of control. I have very close affiliation with Rockstar Games as well as their parent Company Take Two Interactive Software. Instead of CBS going on just what was complained about they should of played the game to see the exact context the remarks were made. Rockstar Games is one of the few companies i would ever label a prejudice company.

I'm not sure this says what you intended....