Is Grand Theft Auto GTA-5 Kid Friendly?

I work in a game store – I consider myself lucky. The customer base is friendly compared to other retailers because it's a place where people want to be. Many personalities are drawn to our quaint little store nestled between the post-office and the local coffee shop. Old folk wonder in to ask if we sell DVD's; we don't, so they stay for a chat about the weather or their families. Lonesome folk pass through every day; they take a moments reprieve to let their isolation dissipate as they share in a space with people who understand them. Some people come just to kill time -

On days where I haven't caught enough sleep my day-dreams render these customers as Piñatas, roaming my gardens, looking for a place to stay, like in the 2006 game 'Viva Piñata'.

My favourite part of the job - albeit, perhaps the most stressful part - is when customers ask for recommendations. It's my duty to find their perfect match, and there truly is a game for everyone... but not everyone should be playing the same game.

The highest grossing game in my store is Rockstar’s 'Grand Theft Auto Five'. An action-adventure game that allows you to roam the US committing shenanigans and embarking on quests of tomfoolery. You can have a street race! You can blow things up and, umm… uuuh… explore!

This is what Little Jimmy - aged 8 - explains to his Mum, as she eyes the case sceptically. I don’t think she notices the R-18 rating in the bottom corner... Even if she did it may not make a difference. The research says that parents aren't aware of the extent of strong impact themes playable in R-18 games (Kutner et al., 2008). "It's just a game" is how the argument goes, "how bad can it be?"

My heart sinks as I brace myself for the following conversation – I’ve had it a hundred times.

“It’s my obligation to let you know that this game involves some pretty intense themes”

Little Jimmy's mother let's out a sigh, “yes, yes I know, he’s told me all about it.”

I let the words spill before she has time to stop me, “There’s interactive drug-use, simulated torture, and you can hire a prostitute and watch her give your character oral-sex”. I don’t tell her everything; I choose not the mention the chance encounter of witnessing sexual violence, and the fact that researchers have correlated specific gameplay in GTA-5 with the endorsement of rape-myth acceptance (Beck et al., 2012). In a strew of interconnected scenarios, a player can hire a sex-worker, receive 'the goods', murder her afterwards, and take their money back.

Her eyes widen in surprise, and she looks at her son in horror. “Well,” she starts… “you didn’t tell me that”.

Little Jimmy adverts his gaze and is suddenly very interested in some tape stuck to the countertop. “Thank you, we won't be getting that one today.”

This is how the conversation sometimes goes. Occasionally, you’ll hear something like “oh, well he plays it at his friends house”, or “I don’t want him to play it, but his Dad lets him." But the most baffling response I've heard so far...

“He sees worse at home anyway”

In another encounter, I talked to a Mum, who - after walking in on her 6 year old watching an explicit sex-scene from GTA - was completely mortified and rushed to find him a more suitable alternative. My personal experiences at work reflect what has been found in the research; parents aren't deterred by a game cases or consumer rating, they're deterred only when they witness the strong impact themes that they hadn't originally thought to be present in video games (Becker-Olsen & Norberg, 2010). Perhaps it has something to with the fact that what once looked like this...

Now looks like this;

Which is all well and good if your Little One is playing a car chase, buuut... maybe less so if they're headed to the strip club.

I’m not here to debate the effects of violent media on children - researchers have done that at nauseum. I don’t believe this game should be censored, and I’m not trying to take it away from adults with fully formed frontal lobes. I'm here because of the interactions I've had and knowledge I've gained from my work. Both in what I have found in my time as a researcher and from my experience in working at a game store.

The good news is, there are plenty of games with similar mechanics that will engage your Little One and ensure a great time (tomfoolery included!) but without the explicit content.

Goat Simulator

If your child craves the destructive and absurd elements of GTA, then look no further. Goat Simulator allows you to explore a metropolis area from the perspective of a trouble-making (or law abiding, take your pick) goat.

Much like GTA, the player chooses their own path and finds enjoyment in watching the cause and effect relationship between their bad behaviour and the environment. It's sandboxy, too, which means the player is encouraged to play the game in a creative way. I once spent the better half of an hour angling my goat so that when he stepped onto a running treadmill he would shoot off like a projectile and land on a trampoline in the distance. Some other fun things you can do in Goat Simulator include; blow up a gas station, fly using a jet pack, crash a dance party, and complete a sacrifice to become a demon goat, to name a few.

If you’re looking for paid prostitution in this one though (although, I’d be worried if you were), I’m sorry to disappoint. There will be none of that here.

The Simpsons Hit n Run

Aaaah, nostalgia.

The Simpsons Hit n Run landed in 2003, so if you have a Game-Cube, PlayStation 2, or an Xbox Original I'd recommend giving this one a go. It might not be the photo-realistic graphic experience that your child is hoping for, but if it's gameplay they prioritise than this one is a great option.

Set in fictional Springfield, The Simpson's Hit n Run follows the mysterious events of Bart's abduction by aliens. It's absurd - as one should expect from The Simpsons - but the gameplay is allegedly inspired by Grand Theft Auto.

Similar to GTA, you can attack pedestrians, blow up vehicles, and cause havoc in the environment. As your threat level increases so does the chance of being pursued in a police chase. Gameplay focuses primarily on driving missions, and you play from the perspective of Homer, Bart, Lisa, Marge, and Apu.

Jak 2 and Jak X

I never once asked my parents for Grand Theft Auto. I think it may have been because my desire to watch the world burn was satiated by these two games from the Jak and Daxter collection.

A bit of a throwback, but well worth your time if you have a PlayStation 2,3,4, or 5, The Jak 2 follows brothers Jak and Daxter who fall under the control of Nefarious Crime-Boss, Baron Praxis. You are tasked with completing his dirty work, but are free to roam the fictional Haven City as you please. There's plenty of opportunity for criminal activity; you collect an arsenal of guns as the game progresses and can hijack civilian cars, causing police to chase after you once you've become too high a threat.

Jak X focuses solely on driving and destruction; you are one of eight racers vying for first place in the Combat Racing Championship. The catch? Each contender is equipped with weapons of mass destruction. Let the chaos ensue.

Minecraft

Minecraft? You scratch your head. How can a peaceful building game be compared to the likes Grand Theft Auto? Peaceful, I scoff. I flash back to memories of falling down a giant pit, prepared as a bobby-trap earlier so that when I look up I see my brother lobbing sticks of T.N.T toward me, laughing manically. When I die and respawn I take a moment to mourn the loss of my DIY Victorian home which was scorched to the ground while I was stuck. Now... nothing but a pile of ashes danced upon by a twelve year old boy.

Of course, Minecraft can be a relaxing game, if that's how you choose to play it. But the most attractive element of Minecraft comes from the ability to play it in a number of ways. It's a sandbox game, like Grand Theft Auto. For me, this means exploring the depths of the underground dungeons and mining precious minerals. For my brothers, this means suiting up to go head-to-head with exploding creatures, known as Creepers. The good news is, there is no blood and gore here folks. Just your friendly neighbourhood puff of smoke.

Also, the soundtrack is a masterpiece.

Lego City Undercover

"But Mum, Lego games are for babies!" No, no they're not, Little Jimmy. And don't speak to your mother that way.

The Lego game franchise has done a fantastic job at creating fun and engaging co-op games for all-ages. They're a big seller at my store, popular amongst parents, friends, and romantic partners looking for something to play during lockdown. Surprisingly more like GTA than one might think, Lego City Undercover is an open world action-adventure in which you take on the role of revered police officer, Chase McCain (think, the antithesis to every GTA hero ever).

Gameplay centres around criminal activity, with a focus on combat and driving, and it is said to have borrowed heavily from elements of GTA. In a reversal of roles, however, it is your job to put a stop to the fresh wave of crime plaguing Lego City.

Just Cause 4

I don't have much to say about this one other than 'Explosions'.

Just Cause 4 is a good option for more mature children. Although the suggested audience - according to the consumer rating - is fifteen and above, Just Cause is a more palatable option for kids hell-bent on Grand Theft Auto. The open-world map is divided into five main biomes, which you can traverse in a number of ways. Dive over cliffs using your wing-suit; explore the mountains in a helicopter; and unleash your inner Spiderman by swinging from your grappling hook.

The gameplay focuses largely on finding creative ways to destroy the environment. Luckily for the NPC's, none of this destruction involves the terrorising of a down-town strip club (Yay!), and the violence is generally light-hearted and devoid of sadism (also yay).

It is my genuine hope that every customer who comes into my store can leave with something they’ll love, even if that means momentarily shattering the dreams of Little Jimmy and handing him a copy of Goat Simulator instead of GTA-5 (he'll thank me later). If you are still set on your original purchase, don’t let me stop you! I’m just here to pass on some things I have learned.

And on that note, OOOPS I dropped the classification system! Silly me.

• Media with an MA (mature) rating: This media is expected to have a strong impact on the consumer
• Media with an R (restricted) rating: This media is expected to have a high impact on the consumer

The content that we see in MA or R rated media such as illicit drug use, torture, and sexual violence takes a new form in videogames. You are no longer simply an observer. Sometimes you are, but other times you are an active participant – It is your character that is committing strong or high impact themes. You (the consumer) are engaging in a simulation of drug-use, sex, torture, and the like. I see no issue with this for adult consumption, but the problem becomes more nuanced when young children are involved.

Unfortunately, it is not the obligation of developers to divulge all illicit content within their games (see the Entertainment Software Rating Board for more information). For example, the content warning on GTA-5 does not mention prostitution, sexual violence, or torture. So - as a general rule - it is safe to assume that any game given a rating of MA or R has been assigned that classification for a good reason. So take note of the rating, and when unsure of a particular game, google is your best friend.

Thanks for reading! See you in the garden.

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References

Beck, V. S., Boys, S., Rose, C., & Beck, E. (2012). Violence against women in video games. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 27(15), 3016-3031. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260512441078

Becker-Olsen, K. L., & Norberg, P. A. (2010). Assessing the Efficacy of Violent Video Game Rating. Journal of Advertising, 39(4), 83-94.

Kutner, L. A., Olson, C. K., Warner, D. E., & Hertzog, S. M. (2008). Parents' and sons' perspectives on video game play. Journal of Adolescent Research, 23(1), 76-96. https://doi.org/10.1177/0743558407310721