Feminists call for Target to stop stocking GTA 5

[Clockwork]

https://www.change.org/p/target-withdraw-grand-theft-auto-5-this-sickening-game-encourages-players-to-commit-sexual-violence-and-kill-women

Even more stupid than usual this one.

[comrade_general]

Shouldn't it be "Feminazi"?

Also, didn't GTAV come out over a year ago?

Also also, portugal Target, we have Amazon.

[Clockwork]

Nah GTA V was Nov 2014.

The thing is Aus version of Target actually aren't selling it anymore. portugal these people entirely. And portugal Target for obliging them.

[comrade_general]

Nov 2014?? Surely you mean 2013? Because I've owned it at least a year.

[Clockwork]

Yep typo .

And I didn't realise it was december yet. These last 3 months have been so damn hazy. So you're right it has been over a year. /facepalm.

[Gen_Glory]

It has recently been re-released on next gen

[TTG4]

Let's ban a thing because people can't separate fantasy from reality!

Yup, that makes total sense...

[Jubal]

Thread title changed. I am not of the opinion that titles like that break the rules, but having specifically the titles of threads (which are visible on the front page and site index) written in quite that overtly partisan a fashion could, I think, be offputting to new users visiting the site. Thusly I'd rather avoid the use of inflammatory terminology in thread titles if we can manage it. Thanks!

[comrade_general]

Can you change it based on your personal opinion if it doesn't break the rules? Or is that abusing your power?

[Jubal]

As may or may not be surprising, I checked the constitution first.

My position is that I was acting under section 6c - that is to say, I was acting for what I believe to be the benefit of the site as a whole, and it's not something the citizens have told me I can't do therefore as long as I'm considered to be acting on behalf of the site, I can. The citizens can tell me to reverse my decision, or can decide that it was an abuse of power that I should be censured or removed for, should they so wish, and there's not much I can do about that.

Of course, if anyone wishes to run a test case past the tribounoi, or legislate against future occurrences of this, they're welcome. I just feel it's bad for the site to have "feminazi" or equivalent aggressive terms like "commie scum", "tory armadillobags" etc plastered over the front page, particularly at the moment when numbers on the site are low.


My position on the actual thread topic is actually moderate agreement - that is to say, I think to claim there was no link between games and real life degrading women would be a bit of a stretch, but I think it's primarily the reverse of the one being suggested. I do not think that fantasy games and books tend to cause problematic behaviour in real life, but I think they are always reflective of the culture they're made in. So I'm not much a fan of games where you get points by beating up hookers, but I think that (particularly with regard to sex work) changing the law and real-world culture is where attention should be focussed; moralising about product sales is probably largely counterproductive.

[comrade_general]

Maybe we need some controversy to scare up some activity.

Also just to point out; in this game you don't get any points for beating up hookers, just whatever cash they have on them, which is the same as you'd get if you beat up a big, burly man. Beating up hookers isn't required for any part of the game, nor is it encouraged. The ability to do so is there, just like in real life, and, just like in real life, there are consequences if you get caught.

[Jubal]

Noted - my statement was just broadly about the crime games genre, I don't know the GTA series specifically.

[Clockwork]

It's just more bollocks against gaming. There is no feminist agenda even going on here. Books, movies etc all get way more leeway when it comes to subject matter. If a movie depicts abuse against women, it gets praise as being 'moving' or 'edgy' some other crap. Also, there are no crime games I know of where beating up hookers is encouraged. The most successful crime games are GTA and Payday 2. One is a depiction of a criminal underworld where grim things like prostitution are a part of it, but certainly not the focus and are more a setting piece than anything else. Payday2 is just about stealing things, there are possibly 2 or 3 hookers in the entire game and the only way you can interact with them is by taking them hostage. Other games like Mafia 2, Omerta, Soul Suspect, Max Payne fit into one of the two categories.

Also there has been countless studies done, any ones with any credibility say there is no link between violence in real life and people who play violent games.

EDIT: Noted about the title by the way, but hey, clickbait works

[Flamekebab]

It has recently been re-released on next gen

Are they really "next" when they've been out for a year?

[Clockwork]

The problem with the current gen consoles is that they suck. They can't run 4kp, they're only marginally better than the previous gen at true 1080p and they still run at 30fps. The previous gen consoles were very much cost effective power-wise against a pc. This time there is no contest, even buying a branded PC for the same money will almost guarantee you get a better piece of equipment (unless for some ungodly reason you go for a mac).

My theory for them bringing a console out at this time is that they felt the need to compete with handheld devices, ipads, tablets etc which more and more people are using to play games on so that it's more difficult for them to get a foothold in the market (people who buy the consoles generally will buy games for the console to justify their buying of it, and not get those games for handhelds). And I mean 'real' games btw CoD clones, Total War: Rome 2 etc not just fruit ninja or jewel quest.

EDIT: On the actual topic I am disgusted at how Target has acted. Giving in to the few voices who never even played the game instead of listening to the masses of people who play it and want to play it. This is why I say that pushing different agendas in the name of 'feminism' is so damaging for what is otherwise a good thing. Feminazis suck and Target are cowards. I hope people boycott the armadillo out of them.