Essay Introduction:

How and why do games like 'GTA V' negatively impact youth audiences?

Grand Theft Auto 5 is one of the fastest selling piece of entertainment ever. Within just 24 hours of its release on September 17th 2013, it made up to $800,000,000 in sales revenue, within three days it reached the $1,000,000,000 mark, breaking records worldwide. So what makes this video game so successful? Why is GTA one of the best selling entertainment franchise to date? Well, GTA is known for its violence, sex, crime and drug style of narrative in its games. Its one of the first video games to have such adult themes in such realistic measures. Its a role playing game which isn't set in medieval times or in a galaxy far far away, its a game that is set in todays world, which makes it unique and much more open and easier for players to escape into this graphical version of their world. It allows players to do what they please with what is given to them in the game, whether that may be mass murdering a bunch of civillians, killing a bunch of cops and gaining a five star wanted level, stealing millions from banks, breaking into and hot wiring supercars, purchasing properties and even taking your dog for a walk (or even being able to let him rip up civillians faces apart). The decision is endless. Although GTA games are certified as a 18+ (M) video game by PEGI (Pan European Games Information) there is still a very high number of children below that age consuming the negative entertainment that GTA V has to offer. During the week of release, a cashier at american video game store Gamestop said that “Last week my store sold over a thousand copies of GTA V, at least a hundred of which were sold to parents for children who could barely even see over my counter.” With more and more youth gamers being able to play video games like GTA V, it can cause a growing threat to the minds of these children.