Much to the pleasure of gamers around the world (except for those who play exclusively on PC), the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One version of Rockstar Games’ open-world criminal magnum opus, Grand Theft Auto V, was released today, November 18th. GTA 5 originally released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 during September 2013.
With the aforementioned release of the current-generation iteration of GTA 5 today, it seems that Rockstar’s GTA 5 is, once again, becoming the victim of controversy regarding the game’s sexual and violent content (i.e. having sex with prostitutes and subsequently killing them from a first-person perspective).
However, during a segment of Bloomberg TV’s “Market Makers”, it seems that Take-Two Interactive’s (GTA 5‘s publisher) CEO, Strauss Zelnick, had a few words to say about the general public’s concerns about GTA 5‘s sexual, violent content:
“This is a criminal setting; it’s a gritty underworld; it is art. And I embrace that art. And it’s beautiful art. But it is gritty.”
Read more on what Zelnick had to say about GTA 5‘s sexual and violent content after the break.
Take-Two CEO on GTA 5: “Gritty, Beautiful Art”
Zelnick went on to remind viewers that movies and television are also filled to the brim with violence, sometimes even more objectionable than what can be found in GTA 5 – stating the following on the matter:
“Let’s make no bones about the environment in which we operate. We stand shoulder to shoulder with other major motion picture releases, major television shows that explore a similar universe. So yeah, this is a tough universe because it’s a criminal universe.”
The Take-Two CEO also mentioned that GTA 5 offers players hours upon hours of gameplay, much of which has them doing many things other than simply killing prostitutes.
“There’s hundreds of hours of gameplay. People have been engaged with Grand Theft Auto Online for over a year and there are plenty of things to do. And it’s an incredibly exciting environment. Can it be rough? Absolutely.”
As previously mentioned, Grand Theft Auto V released today, November 18th, for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. PC gamers will be able to get their hands on the game early next year, January 27th, 2015, to be exact.
What are your thoughts on Strauss Zelnick’s remarks on people’s response towards the sexual and violent content that can be found in GTA 5? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?
Let us know in the comments section below! As always, stay tuned to GamerHeadlines.com for the latest in video game and technology news.