Controversy and the games industry have sat hand in hand for years, the most famous and historic example being the Grand Theft Auto series. So many gameplay decisions made by GTA’s creators whether made to be satirical or not have been contested by the media. The biggest scandal surrounding the 2004 adaption Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and it ‘hot Coffee’ Feature.
Naturally when its latest instalment Grand Theft Auto 4 hit shelves April 2008, it was going to also meet the same fate at the hands of the media. However another game that shares countless similarities to the Grand Theft Auto series has emerged and has been able to avoid the controversy scapegoating by the Media, this game in question is Saints Row 2.
Through comparing the four biggest elements to Grand Theft Auto’s controversial status, Violence, Sexual Content, Drug and alcohol abuse with strong examples in Saints Row 2 to reveal in what ways volition Inc, Saints row 2 developers, tackled these highly taboo elements in the media’s eyes and were able to dispense the controversy. As well as the controversy angle both games will be summarised in their genre role to discuss which matches it the best.
