Grand Theft Auto IV may (or may not) be responsible for instigating violence amongst the world’s impressionable youth, but one thing it can’t be blamed for (not yet at least) is teaching gamers how to cook their own batch of Crystal Methamphetamine --or just meth.
According to the Times, prior to Grand Theft IV’s release in the UK in 2008, the British Board and Film Classification investigated the game after catching wind that it contained a recipe for the illegal drug.
However, after discussing the matter with Rockstar, the developers of the Grand Theft Auto series, the BBFC discovered that the recipe was inaccurate, and they allowed the game to be sold in the UK without any changes being made.
The suspected recipe for crystal meth can be discovered in the video game as a posting on the fictional Web site Craplist --a parody of the popular real life Web site Craigslist.
Grand Theft Auto IV, however, did not fare as well with the censorship board in Australia, and the game was only allowed to be released there after Rockstar made minor modifications and remove the offending content.
Fortunately, according to a statement made by Rockstar, “[the changes] are not significant.” Whether some of these changes involved the meth recipe is unknown.
Grand Theft Auto is a video game franchise that has become infamous for allowing gamers to act out violent crimes such as carjacking, killing police, running over pedestrians, dealing drugs and more.
It has been accused numerous times of inspiring violent acts, particularly amongst minors. All Grand Theft Auto titles, however, are rated Mature and are not legally allowed to be sold to anyone under the age of 17.
According to Ars Technica, relatives of a family shot and killed by 14-year old Cody Posey sued Sony, Rockstar and its subsidiary Take-Two for $600 million, claiming that the murder would never have occurred if the shooter hadn’t been obsessed with the game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
The suit was ultimately dismissed in 2007, and the plaintiffs declined to appeal the ruling.
In a report made by Joystiq, Posey, who was accused and convicted of murdering his father, stepmother and stepsister, told investigators that he was tortured by his father and coerced into have sex with his stepmother.
When he refused, his father would burn him with a heated metal rod. Posey was sentenced to a juvenile facility until he turns 21.
Our Take
This kind of reminds me of the time when people freaked out because they thought Fight Club was teaching people how to make napalm. Besides, how stupid do you really have to be to take your meth cooking tips from Grand Theft Auto IV? I mean, an episode of “Breaking Bad” might be a little more understandable, but a Grand Theft Auto game?
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