Chicago transit bans GTA IV ads

Funny if GTA were a book, album or a movie it would not be banned. Fuckin' bullshit is what it is.

Saw the ads this weekend - they're pretty cool. They also have smaller versions at entrances to the L downtown Chicago. In SF and Portland I see oversexualized GLBT ads all the time - must be all the enlightened people who see above the fray of videogames.

In this case, Chicago is not Blaming GTA4 or Rockstar Games for any cause of violence. Chicago within the last two weeks has been hit with a rash of shootings and murders, I think 38 victims in two weeks. The public is just being cautious and making all efforts to stop the rash of violence. This is not a blame video games campaign. I live in Chicago, and I have to watch my back just to go to the bathroom. The block is Hot!

I am all about advertising being fair, and will play the game when I can afford a copy, but in the last week, we have had something like 30 gang related shootings in Chicago. There have been a record number of Chicago Public School students gunned down this year. It is a kinda sensitive time in the city about this sort of thing. I think it's just in good taste to take these off the busses that travel through the neighborhoods where so many have been killed recently. The people who want the game know about it being out...it won't hurt sales to show some class on this one.

There's a visible GTA billboard as you're going westbound on the Queensboro Bridge into NYC. It's to the left.

re: the flippant "Wonder how many people died of alcohol related incidents in Chicago this weekend?"

I dislike sensationalism, but maybe they have a point: 32 shot in city, six of them fatally, since Friday -- http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/905988,CST-NWS-shoot21.article

I've banned GTA ads from my back garden, can I be in teh nooze?

You kids get offended too easily.

Some of you seem like youre about to explode.
Sure I see the stupid irony in this report but seriously, no need to cry too much. What good is it doing besides you having fun sharing sarcasm/insults on here? Do any of you get this ballistic over anything that doesnt deal with video games?

No but you can fail for the purposeful lack of grammer you use and the fact that you purposely try and sound like a retard/child the way you talk. (TEH? NOOZE?) seriously, i know you kids like your internet speak but when it makes you look like a toddler trying to talk, it gets a little rediculous

You know, I might actualy sympathize a little bit with FOX on this one. There is a big uproar here in Chicago on how we've already had 27 or some violent deaths in schools since the school year began. But then again, drawing a connection between that and GTA is just sensationalist media. It's wrong

Meanwhile the CTA is going through a horrible budget crisis. They are shutting down certain bus routes and cutting back on train schedules. Sad.

I dont think they are drawing a connection to the ads. They arent saying "look ads of a violent game is making our city more violent"
Its just the fact that, Chicago is a violent city as indicated by the shooting deaths this past weekend. Advertising a game that is full of violence and targets kids/young adults to partake in video game extreme violence, should not be promoted by the city. Sure there are other things as far as ads that need to be toned down as well like alcohol ads everywhere in the US, but I dont fault them too much for wanting to yank the ads.

Joystiq your alcohol comparison is incredibly stupid. It’s an ad for a game about crime on a city bus with a lot of crime. I know you guys are obsessed about the oppression videos games face but come one this is reasonably inappropriate. Besides, I don’t think Grand Theft Auto really needs to advertise too much. As for the alcohol comparison, are you guys really advocating the banning of alcohol now? I bet Fox also advertises cars, do know how many people die in car accidents? Oh man they’re such hypocrites. Give it a break, an interesting observation here or there but Joystiq’s political commentary is predictable and idiotic.

the gta games are all really awesome, I loved em all.
the problem is clearly that m-rated games can be bought or rented from kids and also from paents for their kids.
games wth a lot of sex, durgs alcool or violence should be rated as such.
If somebody sells a porn tape, a gun, beer, smokes or whatever to a 14 year old, they can be punished. The same should apply to videogames, movies and all things that get "rated".
and the policy should be if you look younger than 25, they wll check your ID. End of story !!!
then Ill know that when I hear crazy talk on XboxLive its actually a adult acting like a child acting like a stupid S0B !
when I see a horror movie at the theater, do I have to listen to babies crying next to me ??????? I prefer middle-aged men and women crying by a mile !

Theres been some problems with school shootings and stuff around here lately, but I agree with Joystiq on this one. It showed nothing more than any other ad, and I believe they do advertise R rated movies (such as forgetting Sarah Marshall)

Rockstar needs to make better Ad deals.

You guys are being a little synical and insensitive. Gun violence is a pretty huge issue in Chicago. I'm not saying sensorship is good, but advertising GTA on busses when kids are killing each other or hospitalizing each other with guns is a little bit of a more complicated issue.

I support freedom of speech in games, but we don't need to be reactive to EVERYTHING as if it's a hit on games specifically.

This, coming from Chicago? The same place where over 31 people were shot over the weekend? Maybe they played too much GTA and got gun crazy!

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/905411,wknviolence042008.article

I think they need to stop worrying about ads on buses and start working on keeping their city safe.

I saw the same add here in the local busses.