The True Crime:NYC Rollout Continues

Here we go again. It's probably just that with most of the news media's attention focused on Hurricane Rita metro reporters are trying to find an easy, catchy story, but to be honest Gothamist has very little patience for the non-story that is being set-up around the launch of True Crime: New York City. Let's review.

The game company Activision has been working hard to muster up press for its new "True Crime:NYC" game, a sequel to the so-so crooked-ish cop game "True Crime:LA." Initially this meant making sure that people and the press were aware of its fidelity to the "real New York" (for instance, here's our post on the topic). And now the second act of the PR blitz is on, as Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly has fallen for Activision's bait and, in the words of the Post, "lashed out at the makers of a controversial new video game that depicts NYPD cops as lawless and corrupt rogues who routinely trample upon the rights of criminal suspects." Specifically he said that he thinks "it's an outrage. I think it disrespects all police officers. It's just done in extremely poor taste as well."

Now come on people. There is nothing outrageous here (just as really there was nothing outrageous in the "GTA" scandal or the "Getting Up" party scandal). Videogames, despite what some people seem to think, are essentially the same as any other media from comics to movies. If you don't like it, or don't think you'll like it, don't buy it for yourself or your family. All that you accomplish by making a fuss about a product that hasn't even come out yet is that you provide the creators and distributors of said product an excessive amount of very free publicity (for instance, this post).