Chicago transit bans GTA IV ads

by Alexander Sliwinski { Apr 21st 2008 at 10:45AM }

Using Chicago's street violence as a springboard, the city's FOX affiliate aired a piece about Grand Theft Auto IV ads on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). Thanks to the report, all the GTA IV advertising will now be removed.

As GamePolitics points out, the ads do not depict any scenes of violence and it's currently unknown what the CTA's policy is on advertising R-rated movies; the CTA also stopped an ad campaign back in 2004 for GTA: San Andreas. Boston, Denver and Portland, Oregon, have had similar issues with GTA ads on its public transportation system. Ironically, the FOX affiliate promotes alcohol on its website (picture after the break). Wonder how many people died of alcohol related incidents in Chicago this weekend?

[Via GamePolitics]

Tags: chicago, grand-theft-auto, grand-theft-auto-iv, grandtheftauto, grandtheftautoiv, gta, gta-iv, gta4, gtaiv

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Deck @ Apr 21st 2008 10:51AM

*sigh* And the unfair remarks about this game begin.

Just don't let young kids play it, that's it. We don't need to go to any more extremes.

PojoMofo @ Apr 21st 2008 10:53AM

its unfortunite that the "M" Rating isnt enough to do that.

Portland I can understand banning the ads, as Portland only allows ads for gay/lesbian, PETA, or extreme liberists content

Jeff @ Apr 21st 2008 10:53AM

Sensationalist trash.

Arttemis @ Apr 21st 2008 12:48PM

Does that mean Fox is advertising on garbage cans?

That notion is more offensive to me than GTA.

Sora267 @ Apr 21st 2008 4:56PM

Fox doesn't need to advertise on a garbage can, as every garbage can brings to the mind the Fox logo.

Co @ Apr 21st 2008 10:54AM

I don't know why everyone keeps comparing R rated movies to M rated video games.

As long as a 15 year old kid gets turned away at the theater for trying to see Saw 4 and is able to walk down the street and pick up GTA at the game store, the two are uncomparable.

I don't know how it is anywhere else, but in Gainesville, FL unless you are shopping at Wal-Mart, you can pick up an M rated game no matter what your age is.

Arttemis @ Apr 21st 2008 11:03AM

I've been carded at both the Gamestops in the Oaks mall and I'm 22.

Vidikron (FU) @ Apr 21st 2008 11:09AM

It's not difficult at all to buy R movies in stores. Some will turn you away, but some won't. It's the same with games. MAYBE movies are enforced a bit more than games, but the situations are indeed very comparable.

Co @ Apr 21st 2008 11:12AM

Arttemis,

Interesting... never once have they requested my ID. Maybe it's more hit or miss than I think?

Arttemis @ Apr 21st 2008 11:15AM

I think the situation is entirely dependent on the person working the register, regardless of location. Some follow policy, some brush it off when their managers aren't looking.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 21st 2008 11:18AM

They are comparable. Why? Well, when buying an R rated movie this weekend, I was carded. Same way I was carded when I bought COD4. Meanwhile, when I went to see The Ruins, the theatre was literally filled with a bunch of 15-17 year olds. Frankly, it ruined the film (well, okay... to be fair American Cinemas fascination to remove suspense for gore ruined the film) and reminded me why I usually go to midnight shows....

PojoMofo @ Apr 21st 2008 11:59AM

I agree Co, the ESRB should be enforced more than it is.

Anthony @ Apr 21st 2008 12:57PM

Co - You have to buy a game with a rating higher then eC to get carded.

FrankTheCrank @ Apr 21st 2008 10:55AM

The headline on the MyFox Chicago website doesn't make sense:

Violent Video Game Ads on The CTA.

So is the ad itself violent? Where's a good editor when you need one?

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 21st 2008 11:20AM

Dude, it's Fox News... might as well be getting your regional news from craigslist on the rants and raves board.

CGamble20 @ Apr 21st 2008 4:33PM

Every news source is bias. EVERY ONE. Stop singling out FOX News...typical from the leftist blogosphere

Sora267 @ Apr 21st 2008 4:59PM

There's a difference between bias and idiocy.

JimyD @ Apr 21st 2008 5:59PM

There's also a difference between bias and sensationalism. Defending Fox News is like defending the National Enquirer.

ScallionN @ Apr 21st 2008 6:25PM

No, Fox is especially biased, to the point of it being propaganda. Look at their non-stop coverage of that Obama kid. They've never done objective journalism in their 12 (?) year history. What can you call a news network that places higher priorities on tabloid stories than the War in Iraq, doesn't do any research besides Wikipedia for their daily broadcasts, and hires the former notorious chief of staff of a sitting president as the sole commentator for election coverage OTHER than biased? You've been drinking the kool-aid into diabetic blindness.

CGamble20 @ Apr 21st 2008 6:50PM

I just wonder...are they bias because the shows from the right (O'Reily, Hannity and Colmes [although Colmes sort of makes it non-bias]) are in their primetime slots?

Being a conservative, I disagree with Fox News all the time, they aren't just bias.

and actually they call themselves the "Election HQ" so the elections are going to be their primary focus.

I choose them over Clinton News Network, because at least they acknowledge the opposing view in most of their shows. You said they bring in a conservative as their political analyst, but does that mean that if any other network brings in a liberal that they are idiots too? That doesn't make sense...or maybe I am just confused with what you were saying.

Of course the liberals will now attack me and fling poo in my face, because even though I did not personally attack anyone, they love to come back at me with their insults...but really..I'm jsut trying to understand what exactly FOX news has done to make them evil, that no other networks have done BESIDES give another opinion.

Penguin Warlord @ Apr 21st 2008 10:03PM

Well reality seems to have rather liberal bias.

And it's wrong to singal out a new network like fox. If they want to broadcast sensationalist horses**t that's ill informed and incorrect, air primarily conservative pundits, call their moderate pundits extreme liberals, cut off any liberal who points out a different perspective, and not cover anything that occurs outside of the US and Iraq, well then that's their right.
(Sarcasm)
Half of the crap they air could be considered liable if anyone had the money to sue them.

If you want to see fair and balanced check out the CBC it's not all that good but still ten times better than fox. And If you want real news that is ACTUALLY fair and balanced watch the BBC.

Amadeus @ May 7th 2008 2:21PM

/agree about BBC. They are the only news station I have ever heard off who did a study on themselves to see if they were being objective. Result? They found that their reporting tended to the left a bit, a fact that they then went about trying to fix.

Jomolungma @ Apr 21st 2008 10:56AM

Some days I really wish my arm was thousands of miles long, so I could reach out and just punch these idiots in the face, wherever they pop up.

RudyHuxtable @ Apr 21st 2008 10:57AM

I feel bad for people in Chicago now, because since the transit board banned the ads, people there will not know about the game and, in turn, not buy it. That's just sad.

Unless, of course, the ads are instead on billboards, telephone polls, television stations, magazine pages,...

Britton @ Apr 21st 2008 11:06AM

Now see that's what I like about you: your silly and implausible thoughts! No one pays attention to billboards, uses telephones, watches TV, or (get real) reads! But ads on the sides of buses? Pft, sheer marketing gold. Someone just single handedly destroyed the potential for that indie game Grand Theft Whatevers-ma-jig.

I should really buy stock in Greyhound...

RudyHuxtable @ Apr 21st 2008 11:13AM

Could you imagine if we put ads on the side of a Greyhound? I mean, really? The possibilities are endless.

Ok, you but the stock, I'll buy the advertising.

Jerk Face @ Apr 21st 2008 11:15AM

Ha ha.. you guys win.

XanthouS @ Apr 21st 2008 10:58AM

It's not news, it's Faux.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Apr 21st 2008 12:15PM

I never get tired of that joke.

Roopatroopa @ Apr 21st 2008 10:58AM

Funny that the CTA banned the ads. This weekend, when riding the Brown Line train from Wrigley Field back to downtown, I saw no fewer than 3 GTA4 billboards on buildings. Does that mean that the CTA will cover the train windows so nobody can see other GTA ads?

NATO_Duke @ Apr 21st 2008 11:30AM

You know how this city is, the CTA, like the rest of the local government is reactionary as hell.

Expect Mayor Daley to say a snide comment about the game any day now. "Oh, some kids got in a fight in school? It must have been that GTA4, oh and the wild baby eating cougars - yeah the two together cause school violence."

danny. @ Apr 21st 2008 11:35AM

Yeah, the things are everywhere. I'm just relieved they seemed to replace all the damn Sarah Marshall billboards.

Britton @ Apr 21st 2008 11:01AM

Woah. People are offended by the Grand Theft Auto series? I thought everyone was out to get Spielberg's new game Boom Blox! What kind of backwards universe do we live in!? I mean you're KILLING animals by bowling them over into jagged clumps of death! How rude!

RudyHuxtable @ Apr 21st 2008 11:25AM

Don't you DARE make light of the crisis facing our nation: AKA Boom Blox! The future looks grim if we don't fight the threat now.

The youth in America are screaming for help, and it's high time we give it to 'em... therefore I'd like to announce here for the first time I'm working on an update of the NES classic "Chubby Cherub". Only this time, you can't die or injure others. You can only become more blessed and chubby.

Now that's good quality entertainment. Your prayers have been answered.

Jody Anthony (cookingrebels.com) @ Apr 21st 2008 11:05AM

nevermind the fact that they will advertise violent movies EVERYWHERE in chicago. nevermind the fact that some ten or so people were murdered over the weekend in chicago. no, lets go after advertising for some stupid fucking videogame.

i watched that fox chicago news report and the ONLY thing about it that made a single lick of sense was the woman that said that we shouldn't be cracking down on some advertisement because parents can't do their job.

SmokestormX @ Apr 21st 2008 11:21AM

Yea, that Woman was the only sane person in the clip.

The way the whole news item was delivered made me sick, and how they use the GTA4 ads as a scapegoat for already existing crime & violence in the city.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 21st 2008 11:25AM

Dude, how you can live in that city is beyond me. I headed south...

I mean, no offense, I'm sure Chicago may turn itself around but considering a local cop got caught using her ability to own handguns in city limits to supply her gangbanging boyfriend, not seeing it anytime soon.

Jody Anthony (cookingrebels.com) @ Apr 21st 2008 11:41AM

don't forget the off duty cop that beat up that female bartender because she refused to serve him any more drinks, THEN sent someone to try to pay her off.

NATO_Duke @ Apr 21st 2008 11:41AM

Wong, I wouldn't agree that this city is as bad as you make it sound. Detroit needs to turn itself around; Chicago is rather nice for a large city.

They just need to learn there is more than one party in an election. As it sits, this is like a dictatorship. There is no real discussion or action here, as the democrats run everything unchecked. No matter what your political side, you should understand that decades of one party rule leaves a lot of issues unresolved.

Sir Fidlious Wong (Zeon Defense Force) @ Apr 21st 2008 12:13PM

Okay, granted. I only visit nowadays. Basically my family moved out when we were broken into three times within a month, knew who was doing it, and the cops did nothing. Then of course there was the wonderful time I went up to see the Cleopatra exhibit, and was stabbed for $5.

But other than that, I don't care for the general unfriendliness. I mean, I can take the driving, but when I went up for Acen, some friends and I were walking from the convention center to the McDonlads. Nodding our heads, saying Hi to anyway we passed on the sidewalk, etc. I foudn it 100% remarkable that, during the entire convention, the only people who were friendly or returned the "hi's" were out of towners. Seriously? A friendly Hello is dead in town?

NATO_Duke @ Apr 21st 2008 12:23PM

Wong, totally agree with you there. I am not from here originally, but moved here a few years back. Though I think the city is relatively safe for its size, and is very clean - the people are overall some of the most petty and unfriendly around. I have been arguing with folks for years about it, and they all think they are nice as hell. Nobody says thank you, excuse me, or hello.

Yup, in that sense, this city blows. That and the fact that only criminals can get a firearm for protection.

ck @ Apr 21st 2008 1:38PM

Can't we just agree that every damn city in the US has its problems and "needs to turn things around" in certain areas? I live in metro Detroit and the city is just fine. There are parts that are awful and unsafe, but I've been to other cities with the same problems: Atlanta, Columbus, Indianapolis, Portland.

Ninjakamster @ Apr 21st 2008 11:06AM

The picture of the ad is blurry as well, but I don't see the 360 logo on it, only the PS3 logo.

I thought Microsoft made sure that all ads so far would only endorse the 360 version?

I'm not being sarcastic, really all the ads I've seen only endorsed the 360 version, or I'm missing something.

t_m @ Apr 21st 2008 2:57PM

Its cos joystiq is so bias on teh 360 an they only post nuws stories about PS3!!

ChuckD @ Apr 21st 2008 11:08AM

The hypocrisy continues...

Will video games ever be completely respected? When will games be considered at least on par with alcohol?

nmezib @ Apr 21st 2008 11:10AM

Thank God for Fox News! Without them, the Godless Liberal Satan-loving game developers at Rockstar would have gotten away with making our dear innocent children commit rampant violent crimes!

We all know Chicago is the safest city in the world, and if these ads were to have continued for much longer, maybe a REAL Al Capone would emerge, copying the fictional persona from the movies, history books, and let's not forget video games!

God, I really wish it's possible to have HTML tags for sarcasm.