Same $#*@, different game
In just three days, Grand Theft Auto V almost made as much money as it has cost the United States government to shut down for a week.
However, GTA V, which is critically acclaimed and an insanely lucrative game, is simply another piece of garbage entertainment.
The wildly popular “cultural phenomenon” raked in more than $1 billion within the first three days of its launch, according to a press release from Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.
“We believe this marks the fastest that any entertainment property — including video games and feature films — has reached this significant milestone,” states the press release.
These astounding sales make the game the fastest-selling entertainment property in history, breaking all other previously set box office and video game records.
In comparison, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, the last mindless game where you shoot people in the head, took 15 days to reach the $1 billion mark.
While I myself have not purchased or played GTA V, I can personally attest to its popularity, having a deceased friend preorder the game before his passing.
However, it’s not just fan-boys clamoring for GTA V, game reviewers and critics are raving over Rockstar Games’ latest installment.
IGN’s official website gave the game a 10 out of 10, hailing it “preposterously enjoyable, breathtaking in scope and bitingly funny; GTA V is a landmark game.”
The only landmark I see is a new low being set for society. Driving around and shooting people is hardly breathtaking when I have already experienced the same gameplay four times prior.
I find myself questioning what makes this game so fabulous in the eyes of reviewers and gamers alike, when there isn’t a single new feature or innovative gameplay to attest to the hype.
Considering the fact that GTA V cost Rockstar Games $260 million to produce, the final product is lackluster. The gaming industry has set a new low for future generations of gamers.
No longer are games to be played for enjoyment, or to complete a hard challenge, or even showcase your skill. They are to be played out in a story mode where the self worth derived from playing lies in identifying with other people who play the game and talking about it.
The devotion to GTA V shown by gamers is disturbing. In our current social climate, what does the popularity of a game where your objectives are to commit felonies say about our society as a whole?
GTA V illustrates how quickly most of us are willing to escape the real world into a digital safe haven. GTA V is not inherently filth, however it panders to the lowest common denominator, with its simplistic entertainment that perpetuates negativity.
I am not out to vilify all video games, but unfortunately, I see no merit in wasting any fragment of time on GTA V, an alleged top contender for the game of the year award.
As a gamer and a former World of Warcraft nerd, I cannot justify logging in to play hundreds of hours of GTA. At the end of the day, all your time spent and virtual achievements earned are meaningless.
With so much wonder and beauty present in the real world, it is saddening to see mankind prefer to live life through crude simulations of life, created for profit by Canadian dorks.
If GTA V has taught me anything, it is that sex, guns and violence are cool, and that consumers are sheep. I will not be buying GTA V and have no plans to play it in the future.
The same recycled gameplay elements from the many other games in the series, hardly make for a revolutionary experience.
If I want to experience anarchy and chaos in the streets, I will just walk outside, where the government is shut down and killing civilians on Capitol Hill.
I guess even Washington, D.C. has been playing too much GTA V.