GTA V

There are very few influential video game commercials to me. The original super smash bros commercial, the halo 2 I need a weapon commercial  and the GTA 3 commercial. There's an opera song in the background and at the highest pitch you see a car in the air.  The game was the first mainstream "open world" game. It was a full city with things to see that had nothing to do with completion of the game. It was new, it was fresh, it was exciting, and I was too young to play it. My mom refused to allow me to play grand theft auto at all, even though my younger brother was allowed to play and own it. As I grew older I mostly ignored the vice city sequel, because it didn't matter to me anymore. The luster was lost. Then GTA San Andreas was released and everything changed. CJ was the protagonist. A different take on crime. Funny commentary on the legalization of marijuana, and the rap based soundtrack.  It was also the one of the first M rated games I bought when I came of age to buy them.

Now, I don't want to say that GTA was the reason why I majored in criminal justice, but it was a piece of that and a substantial piece of my own views of criminal activity. We as a society are against crime, yet we root for CJ and Nico Bellic and Omar Little in the wire. We buy documentaries and read books about sensational crimes. Crime sells newspapers and TV shows. GTA represents a maturing of the video game industry. It's one of the first occasions where the person you're using has nuance. Usually if you have a gun, you're a cop or a soldier. Now you're a street criminal.  People on your side die during the commission of a felony, and you're supposed to feel bad. The GTA series has done a good job of eliciting that emotion.

Of course, as every GTA player knows, the story isn't even half of the game. There's also the side missions and the pieces that you make up. Do you want to pick up a hooker? Do it. Ram a police car? Do it. Steal one? Go ahead. There are consequences for these actions, but the fact that it is a video game reduces the impact of those consequences. Do you want to steal a car and race it at top speed? Use it for a drive by? Take a boat? Fly a plane. Beat a drug dealer with a bat? Rob someone? Do it. There is a level of freedom I  the game where you can utilize the game mechanics and have fun playing a game you want to play. How long can you survive a six star wanted level? Can you collect every car? Can you buy all of the available  property in the city? Can you keep you girlfriend(s) happy? Can you do all of the ambulance missions? Can you get to that building? Can you land a plane on it? A tank? Do you want to put in a code to create a tank? A jet pack? Unlimited ammunition or health? Can you play the game without running red lights? Its like being a kid again and being in the park with your friends and trying to create a game to play.