Can Grand Theft Auto Go Christian?

The Christian set has a message-filled, re-skinned doppelganger of almost every form of entertainment these days. The most recent, relevant to our interests? Guitar Praise: Solid Rock, the Guitar Hero knockoff with a positive message from Digital Praise, maker of all things fun and biblically inspired.

And while Christian targeted games are nothing new — see Left Behind: Eternal Forces, Bible Adventures and Catechumen — there are some genres that escape its influence. The sandbox style crime spree, for example, popularized by Grand Theft Auto.

MTV Multiplayer asked the CEO of Digital Praise Tom Bean just how feasible a project that might be.

"It comes down to what kind of things do you want to do in that world," Bean says, noting that the developer has designs on such a thing, "But creating those kinds of games is not inexpensive." We say go for it, Tom, but lets do this Crusades-style. Keep it fun.

‘Guitar Praise’ Developer Ponders Christian ‘Grand Theft Auto’ [MTV Multiplayer]

Rockstar: Wii "Didn't Feel Natural" For GTA

Yup, more from the big GTA: Chinatown Wars blowout that dominates the latest issue of Nintendo Power magazine. While the Wii would seem the most obvious Nintendo system to bring the GTA franchise to, Rockstar boss Dan Houser instead says the DS was the more "natural" fit:

[The Wii] didn’t feel natural to us, I guess. It really was that the DS felt like it had a lot of interesting challenges that would be totally different from what we’d done in the past. The stylus and the chance to use minigames in that way was really interesting and exciting to us, and we thought we could integrate seamlessly between those two modes. And it would be the chance to make something really good on a handheld with our handheld-focused team. That was really why we went that way. We haven’t really done any concrete, major thinking about the Wii, one way or another. They’re sort of separate issues.

That and the money, Dan. Don't forget the printing of money.

GTA: Chinatown Wars [Nintendo Power, via Nintendo Everything]

GTA Weekend Coming to Xbox Live

Next weekend the Rockstar's development team is hopping on Xbox Live to take on all comers in Grand Theft Auto IV.

The special Xbox Live Weekend runs from Friday, September 26 through Sunday, September 28 in the United States and Canada and is only open to Xbox LIVE Gold members.

Members of the team will be online between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Friday to hand out ass-whoopings. There will also be a sweepstakes, which anyone can enter by registering online at www.xbox.com/causechaos before midnight on Sept. 28. You can also register by downloading the free GTA IV Live Weekend Gamer pic before the deadline. Prize packs include Rockstar gear and an Xbox 360 Elite with a 12-month Live Gold subscription card.

Another contest, held on Rockstar Games webportal Social Club, will hand out prizes to some of those who sign on to their web accounts anytime between today and September 28. Those prizes include a home entertainment system worth more than $6,000, a GTA-branded Xbox 360 and other GTA merch. Hit up the Social Club for more details on that.

Arrested Teen Blames GTA For Hit Firebombing Spree

Three teens were arrested Thursday in connection with the firebombing of three cars with Molotov cocktails, devices one of the suspects said he learned to make by playing Grand Theft Auto.

The 15-year-old and two 16-year-olds face 57 felony counts of first- and second degree arson, first- and second-degree criminal damage to property and possession of explosive devices.

While the Milton (Georgia) police chief was quick to blame violent video games for the spree, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution made sure to balance to the story by interviewing someone who actually knew what they were talking about.

Lawrence Kutner, co-director of the Center for Mental Health and Media at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, disputed the police chief's claim that the firebombings were "another strong example of the serious ramifications that can come from letting impressionable teens play violent video games like this one."

From killing sprees to the decay of society, Grand Theft Auto has been blamed for a lot of things. Add destroying plants. Swedish park supervisor Gert Axelsson is tired of the plants being destroyed in the park he oversees in Lulea, northern Sweden. "I am very much considering getting surveillance," says Axelsson. And what does he blame for the plant destruction and increased vandalism? GTA "where you wreak havoc in the city." He's totally right, you know. Because the potted plant mission is my favorite. Heck, I've been kicking over plants all week. Whenever I see a flower bed, I immediately think uproot uproot. Just like I was taught in GTA. We're surprised that people are just catching onto this now. People are so slow sometimes.

Meningslösa skadegörelser i blomsterlådorna [NSD Thanks, John!]

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Details Allegedly Leaked Via Survey

A report from UGO, sourced from a reader submitted survey, hints at unreleased details on Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars for the Nintendo DS. It's worth mentioning that virtually no details have been released on the game so far, so anything we hear will be considered "unreleased." We should also consider it rumor for now.

According to the UGO post, Chinatown Wars focuses on "an outsider navigating the criminal underworld of a major city", with the player controlling "a young gang soldier involved in the internal power struggle for control of his gang."

The survey also allegedly spills details on what that Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support will be.

Thailand Pulls Grand Theft Auto After Murder

Sales of Grand Theft Auto have been halted in Thailand. On Monday, a teenager confessed to robbing and murdering a taxi driver in attempts to recreate a scene from GTA reports Reuters. The game's Thai distributor is pulling GTA from Thai game shops and replacing them with other games.

According to police, the youth wanted to find out if it was as easy to rob a real taxi as it was in Grand Theft Auto. Newspapers are reporting that the teenager didn't plan to stab the driver, but only did show when he retailiated. The teen was arrested on late Saturday when he was found trying to drive the car backwards out of a Bangkok city street. The driver was found severly wounded and in the backseat. Ladda Thangsupachai, director of the ministry's Cultural Surveillance Centre, scaremongers:

This time-bomb has already exploded and the situation could get worse. Today it is a cab driver, but tomorrow it could be a video game shop owner.

The police stated the boy showed, and we're quoting Reuters, "no sign of mental problems during questioning." Meaning that the mental problems were only visible when he was stabbing a taxi driver?

Thailand halts Grand Theft Auto sales after murder [Reuters] [Pic]

Burger King Welcomes Germany to Veg City

Over in Germany, Burger King is running an edgy Vice City inspired campaign called Veg City. The website has a true Grand Theft Auto-style map, and there are mini games like a sniper games, red light district multiple choice game minus vegetable fucking, and an airport baggage game. Nothing quite like pickle hookers and capsicums getting cavity searches! Imaginative stuff.

Welcome to Veg City! [Official Site via Marblehead Blog via GamePolitics]

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