Kotaku
For the likely millions of players embarking on tongue-in-cheek crime sprees in Grand Theft Auto IV's Liberty City this week, it's only a game. But a close look into some communities within New York City, the real-world inspiration for the Liberty City environs, reveals a different story.
Tens of thousands of New Yorkers live in neighborhoods where more than half of the population's median income falls below the poverty line. Prevailing terminology calls these neighborhoods "underserved," but denizens of these communities have no problem calling it like it is: the ghetto.
These ghettos may seem like a different world to those who may have only visited places like them in video games, but the communities that live here are just as excited for Grand Theft Auto IV as everyone else — and some say the widely-anticipated title holds special meaning for them.
In many of these neighborhoods in areas of Manhattan and in parts of the Bronx and Brooklyn, higher crime rates, lower education rates and diverse cultural allegiances often create a familiar, uneasy standoff between the community and the police, where racial tensions often play a role.
These tensions recently came to a head following a long-awaited verdict in an emotional police shooting case. Plainclothes undercover police officers had fired 50 shots at a trio of unarmed young black men outside a Queens nightclub following an apparent miscommunication. One of the men, 23 year-old Sean Bell, was killed that night; his two friends had been throwing him a bachelor party at the club. Bell would have married his fiancee, the mother of his child, on the following day.
The three officers charged in the "Fifty Shots Case" Sean Bell shooting, were acquitted of all charges on April 25th, prompting an outpouring of emotion largely from the black community in New York. Attorneys for Bell's family promise a civil suit will follow the criminal acquittal, but with the verdict still fresh, community anger and anti-police sentiment, along with civil rights subtext spearheaded by Reverend Al Sharpton's National Action Network, boil in the streets.
Spanish Harlem, known to its residents as "El Barrio," lies just east of Harlem proper in northern Manhattan, bordering the East River. It's a largely Black and Hispanic neighborhood where, according to the most recent census data, the average household income is just under $15,000 a year. More than 13,000 people in the community live below the poverty level, and many people rely on support from social security and food stamps.
Even Spanish Harlem has a video game store, though — everyone needs a little entertainment.
The staff supervisor at the Spanish Harlem Game Express goes by the alias "Dragon," and he says he's the go-to guy within his broad network of friends for news on the latest games. For the past several weeks though, he says, his friends, neighbors and customers have only been interested in one title.
"Everywhere I go, people want to know about GTA and what they can do in the game," Dragon says. In his store, he's taped several signs in every line of sight that point out GTA IV's release date, so that people will stop coming in and asking him. Dragon also showed us "sold out" signs he made in advance, just to be prepared.
He says his customers are especially excited to play GTA in light of the Sean Bell verdict — the judge's vote in favor of the police has not found much support in Spanish Harlem, to say the least. "GTA lets them do the stuff they can't do in real life," Dragon says. "Like, 'this one's for Sean Bell,'" he adds, imitating a beat-down in mid-air.
Dragon says customers have shared plans to form gangs online, and pressed him for details about the specific types of crimes they'll be able to commit in the game. It's not that these people want to be criminals, though — "It's a ghetto thing," Dragon says. "They just want to take their anger out... people are upset right now."
In a neighborhood where fear, resentment and anger toward law enforcement may come into conflict with urging by Sharpton, the Bell family and religious authorities to keep all protests and demonstrations non-violent, it seems many people are looking to GTA IV's fantasy environment as a form of catharsis.
So has Dragon sold a lot of GTA IV? Not yet, he says. He's planning on his highest-traffic period during the coming weekend, after the 1st of May when most people's Social Security checks arrive.
Near the store's exit, the GTA IV promotional mock "Wanted" poster art has been marked with a Sharpie: "This is not real," it says in one corner, and "Just a game," in the other. Dragon says a local sheriff had been alarmed to see the realistic-looking poster in the store, and he wanted to be sure no miscommunication occurred.
Further downtown, Tracy Gordon, a mother from the Bronx wearing a T-shirt airbrushed with the words "R.I.P. Sean Bell," was also more concerned with what her kids, aged 15, 9 and a year and a half, might face in the real world instead of what they could see in a video game.
Gordon says her husband — her "big kid" — and her 15 year-old son were both looking forward to buying GTA IV soon, but she has no plans to allow the 9 year-old to join in. "[The 15 year-old] is very mature," she says.
Gordon says she is familiar with the ESRB's ratings system and closely checks every title she purchases. Her decisions about what games her kids may play are based less on age restrictions and more about her judgment of how the content meshes with her family's values. But from her point of view, if her kids must handle the things they see daily on the news, the goings-on in GTA IV are minor by contrast.
"I mean, what are kids seeing out on the street?" She countered, suggesting that shielding kids from certain kinds of media makes them less prepared to deal with harsh realities.
Allen Joseph, a 26-year old father from Brooklyn, said that the stress and poverty of New York City's ghettos leads many parents to simply overlook their kids' video gaming habits.
His 11 year-old nephew plays Grand Theft Auto Games, he says. "[His parents] don't really care... You know, in some places in Brooklyn, as long as the kids have something to do, they don't care."
Joseph has already purchased a copy of GTA IV for his Xbox 360, and while he says he won't give his 4 year-old son a turn, he doesn't mind if he watches. "It's no problem," said Joseph. "He won't get to actually control it."
Even despite challenging urban social issues, some parents still plan to follow the ESRB's recommendations to the letter. A Bronx dad who only offered his first name, Jorge, said he would "definitely not" be buying GTA IV for his children or allowing them access to it. "Any real parent wouldn't buy it for their kids," he stated.
Comments
Good read.
Apparently Leigh didn't get the memo that blogs aren't allowed to have things like reporting and feature writing.
Really good stuff here Leigh.
What a great article. Thanks Leigh... that was informative, entertaining, and thought-provoking at the same time.
Home sweet home... I still wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
Beautiful reading!
@ChaoticInfinityX:
ditto. I love NYC so much
thanks for that article Leigh. It's scary to realize how much tension a small section of a vast community can suppress.
nobody will deny these guys their GTA4 =[
Great article!
Good work Leigh!
R* has created a terrific antihero for everyone to live through too. You have a real sense of morality for the first time in the GTA series and it far from glorifies the brutal violence.
It's good to see 'normal' people realize that purchasing games like GTA are up to adults and not some politician who has no idea what art or entertainment is. Obviously people who comment somewhere like Kotaku feel strongly about the rating system, but it's good to know those who are less game savvy aren't infected by the Jacks of the world.
Spanish Harlem Game Express? I use to work for the one in Astoria, Queens. They're long gone now, but when I was younger, half my paycheck went right back to the store... haha
GTA IV does hold a special place for me as well. As soon I was able to roam the city, the first thing I did was go to my neighborhood in the game, then go to one of my favorites spots, Beer Garden, and the childhood public piss pool I use to love going to every summer, Astoria Pool. I wanted to see how true to life they are.
New York City is my home and the homage Liberty City pays too it with an extreme attention to detail makes it all the more satisfying to play.
As a ny native I must admit that all this is very accurate.
Beautiful and thought-provoking article as usual, Leigh.
I think this reinforces the notion that video games are beneficial as stress relievers. If you're frustrated with life, you can channel that anger into a game instead of blowing up at your family, friends, or just someone you pass by on the street.
Interesting read indeedie-doo. It's nice to see an actual reaction from public media that's positive.
This is a refreshing look at a game I've heard way too much about in the past few days.
So when people say GTA kills, I'll say it's keeping some kids off the real streets and on the virtual ones.
That was truly a fantastic read, Leigh. It definitely is an interesting point raised. Violence in games, film, and television really are relevant to geography. These parents are GLAD their children are interested in playing violent games just so they aren't seeing/doing worse things on the street. It really does make a lot of sense, and even opened my eyes a bit.
I like this sort of article on Kotaku.
A refreshing read. Its great to hear that those who aren't living in the greatest conditions are handling such things in a (to be honest) surprisingly educated manner.
well GTA always has been an over the top representation of culture, but people like JT turns that fact backwards to further his means
This is a great article, one of the better ones I've read on Kotaku.
Very very well done. Show that one to Jack!
I like this different view, GTA IV is the first one I've really been interested in playing simply because it seems to be a better representation of reality, instead of the "look ma, I'm supathug" that San Andreas had or the general absurdity of Vice City and III. If they can make me care about a character I haven't even played as yet, then maintain my interest through the rest of the game, then I'm really in. If I want a huge sand box, I'd play Crackdown, where the unreality is quite obvious, and I get superpowers, which makes running around a free world much better.
@bangbangblah: He'll comment here eventually, leave some spam, then be out the door before anyone can type a rebuttal.
@ggodo: Sorry to multi post, his showed up while I was typing. What causes the time lag anyway? I've been curious if it was server troubles because it seems to be a fairly recent thing.
Wow, very good read. It offers a great insight to how the rest of the world outside of those FOX-News types, who are concerned over this "murder simulator", are viewing this game.
that was a great article :)
although, the title got my hopes up :(
Fantastic article. I never really thought about how it would be received in those areas.
Wow, really great read.
I don't think many of us realize how close to home, just picking up a controller can be.
What's with the Digg link basically bitching about this article? I want to digg it as interesting, not in the way the submitter has put it.
Thank You.
/NYC Born (Bronx)
We have a record low crime rate. I wonder if it has to do with console sales.
Another great article Leigh!
I'm a bit bummed that Staten Island wasn't included in the game ... but whatever.
Damn, took me back to my young[er] days of living in the Brook. Everytime I start up GTA4 and start cruising through NY I always have that weird feeling of being able to connect and put myself in the driver seat.
This was a great article, it is nice to see some one bringing these types of issues to the public eye outside of the regular media [which growing up in NY, I have learned it is not based on the truth at all].
@Trowble (XBL/PSN):
yup, I definitely always do the same. It just does not feel right to be in NY without seeing the place you grew to knew. So the attention to detail of everything in GTA4 is just remarkably astounding and gives me a very homey feeling whenever I go by a hot dog stand or drive by a familiar area.
Uh except the murder rate was lowest last year since they started keeping records. Crime is down is on a massive scale.
Manhattan has a murder ratio the same as Delaware. Look at Chicago when you want to freak out.
It's fricking safer then my hometown of Toronto in Canada. I'm there 5-7 times a year and Harlem and El Bario are nothing like they were back in the 70s-80s. Banks are being put back in those areas , Brownstones are quickly being bought up and gentrification is racing past old boundaries.
The old stereotypes no longer apply, sure you'll get the odd thing once in awhile as you cited the 50 shot case but those are rare and hardly the norm anymore.
Man, the story about the shooting made me sad...
Glad to know that there are people who can face reality.
@ggodo: haha, yup. I guess I just had the hope that maybe someday something will get through to him.
hey!! that's 116st and lexington!!! six blocks from where i live.
"A Bronx dad who only offered his first name, Jorge, said he would "definitely not" be buying GTA IV for his children or allowing them access to it. "Any real parent wouldn't buy it for their kids," he stated."
Good for him I say!!! Better than the Joseph guy that doesn't mind his 4 year old son watching the game because "it's no problem" and "he won't get to actually control it" (which I think is lame, then again he can do what he wants to ... it's his kid).
damn Leigh Alexander where the hell you get your info about spanish harlem? i live in spanish harlem and your article makes it sound dirty and there's so many poor ppl in the neighborhood. i would love to take pictures for you so you can see for yourself.
oh and mr. "dragon"....he doesn't know crap. Just a loser who talks a lot.
"GTA lets them do the stuff they can't do in real life,"
I think this says it all. To say that people playing a violent game is unable to realize that there is a separation between what can be done in a video game and what can be done in real life undermines the intelligence of people. Even people who are not educated can be intelligent. Not everything is learned in school. No matter how real video games are, people are going to play them for the aspects that are not real. While the people in these areas may sincerely want to beat down a cop because they feel they have been discriminated against and are frustrated, the people who are playing this game are not the ones who are actually going out and doing such an act. While every person who plays a game like GTA and then goes out and shoots a cop is going to be heralded as an example of how video game violence leads to real violence, no one points is going to showcase a person who plays GTA and doesn't shoot a cop as an example of how video game violence prevents real violence. At times, playing a video game can be just the stress reliever that keeps someone from going out and committing real violence. The pleasure that comes from playing video games is enough to alleviate anger.
It is amazing how often controversy is created from someone trying to speak on behalf of others. Many activists groups are going to attempt to say that GTA is racist and that it is going to offend people living in these ghettos. However, in the end, I think the people who are "supposed" to be offended by this game will find this as an homage. It is a window into their lives. It allows people to see what people living in the ghetto live through.
Bravo leigh, thanks for the read!
50 shots? That's a major communication.
Er, sorry, I meant miscommunication
@dead_red_eyes:
I have to absolutely agree with you. Jorge was the only responsible parent in the list. The others fall in the numbers of the "who cares" which is part of the reason why violent games are criminalized.
The true criminals, though, aren't violent games, but the careless parents that buy them for their kids.
@Abriael: - "The true criminals, though, aren't violent games, but the careless parents that buy them for their kids."
Damn straight.
I can stumble home drunk from the Beer Garden! Just like I do here in Astoria! Works for me.
I liked the article. I didn't like the malicious intentions some of them have for buying the game though. Their anger is justified, but wanting to live out fantasies of revenge in the game brings them one step to closer to doing it in real life.
Leigh, you should submit this to NPR it so sounds like something they would do and their reporting style.
Great read :)
@resetbutton: It is clearly stated that the info comes from the most recent census. Your photographs will prove nothing. Nowhere does the article say that there is trash everywhere and dead bodies lying on the ground. You may think that your comment is improving the image of el barrio, but it only spreads the stereotype of poor people committing crimes and being dirty. If the neighborhood is clean, it does not mean that there are no poor people in the neighborhood. Also, just because you live in the area does not make you the authority of everything that happens in the area.
written gold. Didn't leigh also write that fantastic bit about the trip to the Nintendo factory/store in Japan? The one the no one ever went to?
NYC is the new Ancient Rome, the good and the bad all rolled together. LA has nothing on the city.
@Green-clad Gamer Dude:
I have to agree on this as well. Games aren't made for living fantasies of what you would like to do in real life but can't, games are made for entertainment, and entertainment alone. If someone told me "i play GTA4 because it lets me take a fictional revenge on the police" (or anything similar, targeting any specific group or race), I'd sure as hell steer clear from him.
Great article.
@dabu: That was Ash.
Yeah, living here in Brooklyn, I can contest that the outcome of the Sean Bell murder case was a very emotional one that left allot of people here disgruntled; including myself. I wasn't angered solely as a black man, but as a human being and American citizen for singlehandedly witnessing the justice system fail utterly. Incidents like those definitely contribute to why gaming is a preferred choice for many. When alcohol and drugs isn't an option for many as a release from reality, games make a nice substitute, and oh yes, Grand Theft Auto IV stands at the pedestal.
Nice article Leigh. Despite the dilemmas many New Yorkers face on a daily basis, there isn't anyplace else I could imagine myself living in besides the Big Apple. I love the NYC, and I'm loving GTA IV.
Definitely will be forwarding this to my grad-advisor. He will enjoy it, I'm sure.
Great read!
@male roof blower (CFB): That was a little bit harsh for a man trying to show that not everyone in the neighborhood is broke, or dispelling the image of rundown buildings with broken cars and bikes in the streets. Some people have that image, especially those who have never been there.
@Abriael:
There really isn't a problem with parents buying them for their kids. The problems lie with the parents when they do not talk to their children about these things. Growing up in bed-stuy for the girth of my childhood, things were not exactly too pretty, but luckily for me I had people in my life that talked to me about some things and a mother who tried to make sure I kept on the right path. The parents of today really do underestimate the power of a simple conversation. And regardless if they buy them the game or not, they will be exposed it in one way or the other which is why parents should discuss these things with them no matter what. Curiosity is a bitch, as for it got me in trouble A LOT of times, but the things that were discussed with me were not things of curiosity and were not things I got involved with because I already knew why that particular thing was bad or why I should stay away from it as opposed to being curious as to why it is considered "bad" and going off and doing it. So, with that said, it is alright if they buy them the game, after all, video games did keep me from running the streets more than I did when I lived in NY, but it is not alright to let your child go on without explaining things to him/her and discussing things with him/her. Coming from a 16 year old who at one point did not really have any direction at all at one point in his life, discussions are really a powerful tool.