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GTA IV features Pedophilia: Is Rockstar pushing it?

April 30, 2008 in News comments 12

In the game, Grand Theft Auto IV, there is a feature that if players visit the site(via the 'fantasy internet' in-game) "www.Littlelacysurprisepageant.com" which showcases child beauty pageants, they are immediately wanted by Liberty City Police. Are they hinting pedophilia or it simply another one of Rockstars] funky 'just-for-laughs' jokes?

These are pretty tame elements, and nothing we haven't seen before in previous GTA games. The real issue comes from the game's obvious attempted humor in regards to the touchy subject of pedophilia. If players visit a particular website described as a site for child beauty pageants (www.Littlelacysurprisepageant.com) using the game's in built fantasy Internet, they instantly become wanted by the in game police for viewing questionable material.
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  • 3
    Subtle Demise May 1, 08
    Wow, people never run out of things to whine about with this game, do they? Wow, a joke about pedophilia, you don't hear those all the time.
  • 0
    The Don May 1, 08
    Haha, funny stuff by Rockstar although this is a "touchy subject" (no pun intended). This feature will certainly raise some eyebrows, especially parents.
  • 0
    Distortion May 1, 08
    This is another one of Rockstar's way of shoving it in the critics' faces.

    They want the attention. If only so they can shoot it down.
  • 0
    GameFreak101 May 1, 08
    It seems like more of a joke to me. Nothing really too bad.
  • 3
    VeGiTAX2 May 1, 08
    Nothing worth really getting an uproar about, it's not like the game actually makes players take on pedophile acts. If they did then it'd probably bring up some kind of red flag. Apparently the ESRB saw it and probably had a laugh at it as well as it never faced a cut by them.
    • -2
      Existenz May 1, 08
      They don't see everything, there are over 200 websites in this game and most of them are hidden like this one, you need to have the exact URL to get onto it...
      • 1
        VeGiTAX2 May 1, 08
        They do see quite a considerable amount of the game through the development process, it's not like a week before release they ship the game over going "zomg plz give us gud mark k?" Given the history of the ESRB and GTA it's not like they'd be as reluctant to review a large sum of the content this time around.

        Like I said it's not like they make the character do pedophile acts. It's a wonder why this is even a concern to people. It's more of a sad reason for people to kick up a fuss about nothing, I mean really they might as well have had Chris Hansen approach in and it'd still a play on the topic.
  • 0
    StarJet May 1, 08
    Hahahaha!!!
    Wonder why cops come after you for looking at child beauty pageants.
    I mean how does the police know whether Niko is a pedophile or not?
  • 0
    Final Blade May 1, 08
    I wonder how many more complaints we will see from GTA4 in the next 9 hours.
  • -2
    White Ice May 1, 08
    I love this game as much as anyone else, and I am also fed up of all these bull*%"^ accusations of GTA causing problems in society, but I think R* have taken it a bit far by including something like this in their game...too far.
  • 0
    Shadow of Death* May 1, 08
    Lol, I have to check this out I wonder what is actually on the site? Just a few digital character images of a girl or something? No children in GTA, so it is quite possible there isn't any pics on the site, it is just a small space with some pageant (spoof) junk on it.
    • 0
      Xenctuary May 3, 08
      Sound like someone's worried about real life "wanted stars", eh?

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