Grand Theft Auto: Vice city (mature)

Group, Mar/Apr 2003 by Belknap, Bryan

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City recently sold 1.4 million games in five days, which proves that plenty of people love to create mayhem. Players take on the role of Tommy Vercetti, a recently released excon looking to pay back the drug dealers who framed him. What sets this game apart is the fact that gamers aren't tied to a script. They can "live" independently of the game and spend countless hours committing heinous and violent crimes that have nothing to do with winning the game. Vice City (much like The Sims) gives gamers an after ego that allows them to live out "virtual" forbidden fantasies. It's difficult to hold a thoughtful discussion with fans because at the heart of the game's popularity is an undeniably powerful attraction: indulging our most primal instincts without suffering any apparent consequences.

discussion questions: Ask: What do you like most about playing Vice City, and why? Does committing crimes in video games have any consequences? Can "virtual" actions be sinful? Why or why not? Is playing Vice City anything like reading about the violent wars of the Old Testament? Why or why not? Read aloud Philippians 4:8. Can you live out this verse while playing Vice City? Why or why not? Is it okay if we do some things just for fun? How would you rate Vice City's value-positive, negative, or neutral? Explain.