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Rockstar Censors GTA After Haitian Outcry

Posted by simoniker on from the ulala-and-morolians-next dept.

Thanks to VE3D for carrying a statement from Take Two/Rockstar announcing the removal of alleged anti-Haitian content from future copies of Grand Theft Auto:Vice City, after a furore which started last month following a CBS TV segment on the game. The controversy, which even had New York's Mayor Bloomberg weighing in on the game's rival gang-related urgings to "Kill all the Haitians", has ended with Rockstar's press release indicating: "We believe that recent media coverage has taken certain statements made in the game out of context... nevertheless, we are aware of the hurt and anger in the Haitian community... we will remove the objectionable statements from future copies of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City."

3 of 171 comments (clear)

  1. Uh... what about the cops? by MBraynard · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Cop killing has been one of the most criticized aspects of this game, but the Hatian comment is what gets the changes made? And really, it's not that out of context of a statement, as there is an unfortunate and very strong anti-Hatian sentiment in South Florida that I have personally witnessed as have many who live down there.

  2. A Small "Victory"... by Monthenor · · Score: 3, Interesting
    ...but we still get to kill Cubans, right? Their lobby must not be as televised^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H powerful.

    Seriously, though, we should really be more concerned about the rampant genocide already present in gaming culture.

    One last thing: why is the "strike" tag not supported? I can't be the only one sick of seeing ^Hs.

    --
    Co-founder of GerbilMechs
  3. Re: Or how about this.. by Chuck+Chunder · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Brits call themselves brits, Scots call themselves Scots so those two are probably self explanatory.

    It probably doesn't help if you've been at war with someone in reasonably recent history as the abbreviated names tend to have retained their pejorative edge.

    It also has to be said that I don't think I've ever heard "nip", "chink" or "paki" said without a degree of ill-feeling behind it (GWB's "pakis" statement being the exception).

    It's not terribly unreasonable to accept that some shortened names have gathered a negative meaning while some haven't. Language evolves like that.

    --
    Boffoonery - downloadable Comedy Benefit for Bletchley Park