Chicago CTA Outfoxed by GTA

Here we go again.

Posted by Staff
This woman and her CTA t-shirt could have been exposed to GTA adverts!
This woman and her CTA t-shirt could have been exposed to GTA adverts!
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Fox News - that ever-expert friend of the gamer - is slapping its corporate spine at the news at the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is pulling ads for GTA IV.

This apparently follows a Fox News report from Sunday 20th.The report used footage from San Andreas to illustrate GTA IV and then leapt to the statistic that Chicago's weekend had been especially violent - "with over two dozen people shot".

How did the intrepid Fox News crew respond? Did it head down to the 'projects'? Did it seek out explanations for the SHOOTING crimes (maybe, the easy availability of GUNS?) Did it question the police force? Did it compare and contrast the same weekend last year or even the previous weekend?

No. It 'spotted' adverts for the "unapologetically violent video game Grand Theft Auto". That's right students of journalism, the Fox News team 'spotted' some adverts. Observe closely how a cut to governor Rod R Blagojevich talking about how evil these adverts for GTA are adds to the issue ("..targeting to kids as they go to school". Even if that cut was to footage of the governor talking about how evil adverts for San Andreas were... in 2004.

Then - keep reading students - cut to a gentleman in the street for some economic analysis, "It's all about money", before cutting to 'a parent' who advises that parents should "censor" children. Such censorship should not regard blocking adverts though.

Then announce that, "the advertisements will be coming down" and greatly emphasise the word "will". There is no need to point out that the adverts in question showed character images from GTA IV rather than any of your actual in-game violence. Equally there is no need to point out that when the advertising will be coming down.

There you have it. A Fox News story about video games.

FYI, CTA advertising is handled by Titan Worldwide (the largest privately held Out-of-Home advertising company in the world) which took the deal on April 11, 2008. As part of the Titan and CTA deal, the former is paying the latter more than $10m (£5m) a year for the next ten years to sell ads on "eight 52-inch screens in every rapid transit station"

Comments

deleted 23 Apr 2008 12:32
1/6
Faux News! <\sigh>

Fox Keep It Up Your Just Selling More Copies!
majin dboy 23 Apr 2008 13:14
2/6
this is just getting ridiculous.

i have played GoW, Ass Creed , CoD, Zelda, etc etc etc, never once have i.......omg. there is actually no point in going into that arguement, it wont help.


Fox news can suck me.
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Fred 23 Apr 2008 13:42
3/6
Violence is a part of human nature, it has played a part in every culture, religion and civilization in the history of our species.

It was here and more prevalent long before Music, Movies, TV and Video games ever existed.

Violence will be here, and a part of human nature, up until the end of our species.

Video games are not the cause of violence, crime, shootings or racism, Humans are!
tyrion 23 Apr 2008 14:01
4/6
Fred wrote:
Video games are not the cause of violence, crime, shootings or racism, Humans are!

Quick! We must ban these "humans" that our children are being exposed to!
joesomelono 23 Apr 2008 15:16
5/6
Its right what this says, when i first saw an advert for GTA4 i had shot about half a dozen people before i realised what had happened.
deleted 23 Apr 2008 15:22
6/6
joesomelono wrote:
Its right what this says, when I first saw an advert for GTA4 I had shot about half a dozen people before I realised what had happened.


Well I saw my first GTA ad, today in the Metro and I was glad to see that DLC was promoted as coming for Autumn 2008 (its was an MS based Ad) in fact I was so glad I took a shotgun that was revolving on the floor on its own aimed at the Driver who jumped up and ran off the bus with his arms in the air, I took control of the bus (it was slow at accelerating) and I drove over some people smashed up a few cars hit a wall at 100MPH and jumped out and jumped on someone’s bike ( after hitting them off ) pick up a armour I saw hidden behind the bike then did some wheelies over people and made tyre marks with blood, unfortunately I was busted by the local authority and fine £100 and then released within an hour (that hour only felt like 10 seconds though)! Then I went home and let my kids play GTA SA while giving them gifts of guns and blades and after a showing of Battle Royal let them lose on the streets of Wigan!


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