This isn't going to go down well with the cry-babies who made the 'Hot Coffee' incident into such a scandal. But now that the embargo for reviews has just lifted here's ours , we're able to report for the first time that GTA IV: The Lost and Damned - the first of two downloadable episodic expansions to last year's phenomenal Grand Theft Auto IV - contains a scene of full frontal male nudity. It's the first time we've ever seen a fully realistic 3D penis, complete with pubic bush. And in our review, we describe it as the most alarming scene in the entire Grand Theft Auto saga to date - not because it's as 'extreme' as some of the violence and torture on show in the game, but because it's just so completely unexpected, and bound to cause some sort of outcry in the vein of San Andreas ' "Hot Coffee". The scene, which players will encounter about a third of the way into the game's substantial hour-plus story, sees protagonist Johnny Klebitz' first encounter with a new character, Congressman Thomas Stubbs.
Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned
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The video game series for which there is never a lack of controversy can now claim to be the first modern gaming franchise to feature the full monty. A politician's, no less. At the end of the scene, Stubbs turns in full view of the game's "camera" and shows us his stuff. Full-frontal male nudity is extremely rare in video games. You'd have to go back to a notorious Atari video game called "Custer's Revenge," which featured a playable scene of a blocky General Custer appearing in just his boots, hat and scarf in a scene that amounted to interactive sexual assault. Since then, even female nudity in games has been uncommon, with topless women appearing only occasionally in non-porn games, such as in love scenes in the "God of War" games or as an optional outfit choice in "Age of Conan. Guys, however, have kept their clothes on in most games. Often they've been able to fight demons and crime and whatever else in just their underwear. But taking the underwear off? That doesn't happen.
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The game's depiction of violence received mass commentary from journalists and government officials, occasionally being referred to as a "murder simulator". Similarly, some gameplay features were censored for the Australian and New Zealand versions of the game, though these censors were subsequently removed. Several crimes that were committed following the game's release, such as murder and sexual violence, were attributed to the perpetrators' experience with the game, generating further controversy. Former attorney Jack Thompson , known for his campaigns against the series, heavily criticised Grand Theft Auto IV prior to its release, filing lawsuits against parent company Take-Two Interactive , and threatening to ban distribution of the game if some gameplay features were not removed. The game also generated further controversy and lawsuits from city officials and organisations. Grand Theft Auto IV has been widely criticised for its depiction of violence and murder. On his program , conservative American talk-radio host Glenn Beck used Grand Theft Auto IV as an example to make wider claims about the use of violent video games by the US military, repeating claims made by Lt. Dave Grossman that the military uses shooting games to desensitise soldiers to killing.
It's probably safe to say that Grand Theft Auto is a series that is not family friendly. Ever since its start back in the late '90s, it's been mired in controversial themes while delivering a "go anywhere, destroy anything" sort of vibe. The series really picked up steam in with Grand Theft Auto 3 and has continued to skyrocket since.
