When I was in my early teens, I harboured a vague interest in video games. Whether it was because of my burgeoning but unrequited sex drive, or because of my rapidly diminishing sporting prowess, I would occasionally sit indoors and play games on my computer, or some console.
One of my childhood friends had a Playstation 2- something that God had not blessed me with- so I’d head round to his house and play games on that, which had more advanced graphics than the Miniclip platform games that I was used to. And, during those grotesque adolescent sessions, we played Grand Theft Auto III, and, ten or so years old, we would routinely beat prostitutes to death with a baseball bat.
Now, this isn’t designed to be a standard Daily Mail diatribe against violent video games. I haven’t gone on to kill prostitutes in real life, or even steal cars. Nor did I find the game particularly exciting, possibly because I got the biggest thrill from trying to observe the rules of the road (waiting at traffic lights in that game is how I developed patience). But with the release of Grand Theft Auto V, and the news that a man was stabbed for a copy, I’m slightly concerned that we might all be missing the point of what immersive game playing is.
At this point, I should point out that the last time I played a video game was several years ago. I find them extremely hard and frustrating, and, frankly, I’d rather watch repeats of The Office. But, once upon a time, I did play Red Dead Redemption, which has been described as ‘Grand Theft Auto in the Wild West’.
I played that game, and even, at one point, hog-tied someone and left them on the railway tracks to be flattened by a steam train. It’s a worryingly violent game, but one whose saving grace is the fact that we can’t actually go back to 1911 and ride around on horses. It’s basically the same thing that stopped me worrying about my friend massacring cave trolls in Oblivion.
But with Grand Theft Auto V, we have a game where players are positioned in the role of the ‘everyman’. No superpowers, no real backstory, just an ordinary guy. And then they’re let off the leash to commit whatever atrocities they desire. If I wanted to go out and recreate the Washington Navy Yard shootings, I could. If I want to slaughter pedestrians for money, I can.
Which, in itself, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Moralising creative art is an unsophisticated way of tackling the topic. Grand Theft Auto V may have many other virtues as a piece of storytelling that focuses on the decisions of the gamer, rather than the pre-ordained narrative (whereas American Psycho or Complicity wouldn’t give you the option to avoid that path).
What worries me is the fact that the game is unrivalled in its popularity. The game is expected to gross over $1bn and the release has been met by feverish, fetid fan boy fanaticism. People are so overwhelmed by the release of this game that they’re willing to stab someone to get a copy of it. This isn’t life imitating art, it’s just life being shit.
The video game that inspires the greatest level of devotion by its acolytes is the one that most closely resembles the taboo possibilities that are out of reach in real life. I’m not so much worried that the game will breed a generation of prostitute-killers, as I’m worried that we live in a community where that is the fantasy. Nor riding horses, not slaying cave trolls, but having unrestricted access to an enormous arsenal that can be used to level and destroy buildings, vehicles and puny human lives.
It’s not the fault of Rockstar Games, who developed the franchise. It’s the fault of a consumer base who crave unmoralised violence. Sure, I could get knifed for a copy of Rollercoaster Tycoon, but at least my muggers wouldn’t be further dislocating themselves from society when they go home later and play it (unless they’re actually aspiring rollercoaster tycoons, in which case they’ll become hopelessly deluded).
The problem with video games is not that they’re artless or mean-spirited; it’s that the most popular title taps into our darkest fantasies. If Crash or Irreversible were the top-grossing films, then I’d argue that we have a problem there. Likewise, if Earl Sweatshirt were topping the album charts, I’d be slightly concerned (although Robin Thicke is worrying in many of the same ways). If Grand Theft Auto V is a barometer of the moral standards of our society then we should probably be extremely worried, and go out and dig bomb shelters.
And even if it is ‘just a game’, aren’t there better ways to waste your life? Go out and carjack a hoop and a stick, kids.
