Once, it was vinyl singles that set youthful pulses racing. Now the most closely followed charts are those for video games. Titles such as Call of Duty, Super Mario and my grandson’s particular favourite, Minecraft, sell in their millions. But none is bigger, nor more controversial, than Grand Theft Auto (GTA).
Well before yesterday’s release of its latest incarnation, GTA V, it was guaranteed to speed its way to the top of the charts. It is estimated that more than 135 million of the previous GTA titles have been sold worldwide, providing bumper profits for its developer, Rockstar Games, and its ultimate owner, Take-Two Interactive.
In the nine months to June, the New York-based company’s revenue take was in excess of £530 million. And Rockstar’s income accounted for a healthy slice of that pie. GTA V, which retails at £44.99, will boost it still further.
The software success is, naturally enough, complemented by the huge popularity enjoyed by the makers of consoles such as Sony’s PlayStation — the current best-seller — Nintendo’s Wii and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Hand-held consoles such as the Nintendo DS are hugely popular too.
But the driving force, if you will forgive the pun, is Grand Theft Auto. It is restricted to people aged 18 and over because of its violent and sexual content, but plenty of younger gamers seek it as if it’s the Holy Grail.
The hype has worked, and they see it as a gaming rite of passage. But it is not for the faint-hearted. The lead characters tend to be assorted maniacs, sociopaths and drug-takers acting out a macho fantasy in a dystopic environment.
Meanwhile, the game offers a set of terrific challenges for players, and the Guardian’s review of GTA V notes the paradox. It is at once “fun” and “beautiful to look at” with “euphoric action” sequences. Yet it is also “a monstrous parody of modern life and, above all, a misanthropic masterpiece”.
Gamers seem to appreciate it despite the negative press it has received, especially from women who view it with disdain as a reactionary throwback. It has been routinely accused of sexism. For all that, the cleverness of the game — as with others in the genre — is the way in which it holds up a mirror to reality. There is subtlety amid the bullets and bombs. It is also technically proficient.
That’s why Richard Wilson, head of the games industry’s trade body, the Independent Game Developers’ Association, is able to talk of the game’s “cultural impact and artistic quality” without having his tongue in his cheek. He argues that video games “are now on a par with film, television and animation, and deserve to be treated as such.” And that is the point.
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Quietly, year by year, and largely ignored by adults, gaming has been growing in stature as young gamers have matured. It is no longer a freakish or nerdish activity played by solitary men in their bedrooms. Wilson is right — gaming has gradually moved into the cultural mainstream, with online and smartphones fuelling growth.
And then look at the money. Japan’s Nintendo, the world’s largest video game company by revenue, generates £4 billion a year. That is commercial mainstream.
Roy Greenslade is Professor of Journalism, City University London, and writes a blog for the Guardian
