Tom Fudge: The new video game Grand Theft Auto IV came out last week, and it's expected to be the biggest seller of all time. If you've heard of this game you certainly know that it's notorious. Not doubt, that's one of the reasons it sells so well. In GTA-4, the player assumes the character of Niko, a Russian immigrant who's just moved to a city that looks a lot like New York.
He is there to make his way in the new world. But, as you can imagine, making his way ultimately means beating people up, gunning them down and running folks over with some car that he's stolen. He gets involved in a wide variety of criminal schemes. And if you want to go to a strip club and hire a prostitute, well that can be part of the game as well.
Grand Theft Auto is lambasted by political conservatives and parent organizations, while being praised by gaming and entertainment critics. The new game has an astonishing technical ability to create a very real-looking world. It's like being able to step into a movie that you watch on your TV, as you sit there punching the remote control.
Guests
- Jonathan Sidene, reporter for the San Diego Union-Tribune covering technology
- Dr. Karen Dill , professor of psychology at Lenoir-Rhyne College in North Carolina who serves on the American Psychological Association Committee on Interactive Media.
