GTA - Rhetoric Values

A common feature between most games that I have played such as Sonic, Mortal Kombat and Super Mario is violence, it is sad but the most popular games seem to be the most violent ones. Quite rightly Salen and Zimmerman (2004, p.613) state that “video games allow you to play a sinner as a saint”. These violent games have been the cause for much controversy and what Cohen (1980) calls ‘Moral Panics’ where the media fixates on a group or behaviour which then becomes a menace to society and dangerously deviant.

Rhetoric is behind these moral panics as the mass media hold certain values and beliefs about video games and express them to the public. Those whom do not know much about the games believe what they are told as they know no better. The information is also presented in the media as if solid fact. Salen and Zimmerman (2004, p.302) describes rhetoric as persuasive discourse or an implicit narrative that “persuades others of the veracity and worthwhileness of their beliefs”. Rhetoric is not just expressed through writing it may also be verbal or visual. Each video game expresses its rhetoric through visuals and instructions in the game. GTA or Grand Theft Auto is a very well known violent, ‘gangster’, morally incorrect game. Personally I am a big fan of the game GTA: San Andreas. As a player you become Carl Johnson whom has just been released from prison and whose mother has been murdered, you are encouraged to fight, steal cars, kill cops, use guns, gamble and kill anybody who gets in your way in order to gain respect and earn money. Obviously I know that the world outside would not except these behaviours but as long as I am in the world of GTA it is ok to behave like this and this is the message they send out. Salen and Zimmerman (2004, p.483) quite rightly point out that to be successful in games like this then you must follow their rules and beliefs whether or not you agree with what is being done you must do it to complete the game “they accept rules so that they can play a game, and they accept these rules so that they can play this game” (Salen and Zimmerman 2004, p.181). There is a suggestion that the world of GTA is much better than the real world as you can do what you want to get what you want. When watching the opening credits of Street Fighter the words “Show No Mercy” flash up on the screen, this rhetoric is much like GTA, also expressing the belief that you have the power to do what you want and not feel sorry for anybody that gets in your way.