HA9 Task 2 - Secondary Research

Click the centered website names to be redirected to the articles. All the pictures etc. come from these websites unless stated otherwise.


This website contains the GTA V's rating and its purpose is to inform parents before they purchase this game. They clearly state that the game isn't suitable for younger audiences, because of lacking good role models and too much negative content.

"Playing as hardened criminals, players kill not only fellow gangsters but also police officers and innocent civilians using both weapons and vehicles while conducting premeditated crimes, including a particularly disturbing scene involving torture. [...] None of the main characters in the game makes for a decent role model. All of them are criminals who think of themselves first and others rarely at all. Few games are more clearly targeted to an adult audience."

This article informs us about the unbelievably massive popularity of GTAV thanks to the previous successful titles from RockStar of the same franchise.

"It turns out that everyone has a little bit of criminal in them, as Rockstar Games’ latest entry into its gritty Grand Theft Auto series, Grand Theft Auto V, has shattered seven Guinness World records with its popularity."

The awards were including GTA V's popularity and the money it gained in the first few weeks of its release, etc.

It shows that this game was very anticipated and people enjoy things that the game (and the whole franchise) has to offer - realistic city, gangs, gun shooting and vehicles. And the success wasn't just only because of precedessors but also because of how GTA V presented itself to the audience.



I have found that GTA V players are likely to be of middle age group and have children themselves. There is still very high percentage of young audience 18-30 as it's expected of this kind of game. I personally don't believe that the second most common age is 50s-60s, and if they did make any research then I think there could be many people placing fake answers as it happens in the online surveys.

The website also states other slightly surprising outcomes from the research, though there is no link to read where they did take it from.

"Despite the violent nature of the game, the majority of the Grand Theft Auto audience claims to be more interested in the arts and literature than in going to clubs and bars and have broad interests to reflect their family life.


Players of the game are five times more likely to be interested in reading books - particularly historical texts - than other gamers and particularly enjoy Finding Nemo and The Big Bang Theory when it comes to picking something to watch on TV." 



Exponential has more research results concerning its audience, which Daily Mail used in response to it.

The further results outcomes are more surprising, since they break this stereotype of gamers who play GTA overall. What majority of people thinks of them is that GTA players are gangsters themselves who have the similar interests to the characters inside the game. The truth is apparently different.

These results state that GTA players are more interested in adventuring and having healthy hobbies such as running or jet skying than an average gamer. They are also far less interested in bars and clubs than it's expected of them. From other media they tend to prefer more family-friendly titles, such as "Guitar Hero, FIFA, Finding Nemo and Big Bang Theory". 

The last results are about the employment. They show that "people working from home and job seeking still make up a high proportion of GTA players, but compared to most games we see a far higher interest from people working in a variety of industries".

Some people still associate this game as promoting violence. They think that violent and sexual content in a video game causes the consumers to become more violent and insensitive themselves. What they forget is that if it would be true then any other media text containing violent content would automatically make people violent. 

In this article as well, they seen few teenagers robbing and they associated this event as if these teenagers were influenced because of GTA V's release.

"The 23-year-old was attacked as he made his way home from a midnight launch event in the early hours of yesterday morning with the notoriously violent video game.
Detectives are questioning three youths, aged 15, 17 and 18, on suspicion of robbery at a north London police station."

This article also portrayed GTA as a horrifying game which puts teenagers onto a margin of society. The author of the article either hasn't played this game or subjectively loathes it, which I judge looking at the exaggerations he makes.

"In the GTA universe, players choose different missions and earn points by destroying parked vehicles, stealing cars, dealing drugs and killing pedestrians and police officers. Characters can regain health by paying to have sex with a prostitute, and can kill the prostitute afterwards to get their money. Happy holidays, everyone!"

There is, however, a little truth to not trusting children with playing the game alone. The age barrier is 18 and children as well as young teenagers tend to copycat things they see in games or films. In my opinion it is okay to let them play it as long as their parents or older siblings play this game with them discussing with them what is bad and what they shouldn't try copying.

Referring to previous comments above, I assume there is truth of older people enjoying the game. They also cross out this statement that playing a violent game makes you more violent. Even though this game contains such content, it is still 'fun to play' by majority of people, not just sadists.

"Most of them conclude that the game is fun and doesn't encourage people to violent, but they wouldn't want their younger grandchildren playing it. 


“I don't think this encourages crime. Anybody who does that is pre-determined to anyway," concludes one of the men."



Feminists were also encouraged to play the game, although they didn't engage in a variety of tasks. Because of that their views of sharing a damaging representation of women that causes people who didn't communicate with a woman before, so those people may supposedly act like men in this game.
As these feminists only shot people and engaged with prostitutes they still believe that this is all GTA V is about.

This mini-game is however optional and isn't required in a story progression, so people who don't want to experience it, don't have to. It's an open non-linear game after all and the player makes choices.

LINKS: