Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas could well be one of the greatest games ever made. It could also
mark an important moment in the industry. For many years, comparisons have been made between the video game
business and the movie business. However, the latest iteration of GTA could be the breakthrough where comparisons are
no longer mere hyperbole. The size of the industry has started matching, and in GTA's case, beating that of
movies.
On its UK debut, the amount of money laid down by the public was more than "Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban" earned on its opening weekend. A movie which just happens to hold the record for the highest opening weekend gross of all time in the UK.
Does this mean video games and gamers may be taken seriously now, and not frowned upon by society in general? Why is it socially acceptable to watch three hours of TV slumped on your couch, but if you spend three hours playing Grand Theft Auto, you're somehow maladjusted in the eyes of a good portion of society? With the industry reaching the level it's at now, both media and government interest will no doubt increase. With great power comes great responsibility as the saying goes. GTA has already been linked to criminal behaviour. The increase in profile that banner titles like GTA garner, while good for gamers as a whole, could ultimately have the reverse effect, and attract a whole lot of attention the industry could do without.
