So, there’s yet another video game out there that’s getting some politicians panties in a knot (are we even surprised by this crap anymore?): “25 to Life” is a game that, according to Chuck Schumer, “makes Grand Theft Auto look like Romper Room.” In it, you take the role of Freeze, a drug dealer who gets into gunfights with police officers, and has the ability to use civilians as human shields.

“You certainly don’t need a degree in criminal justice to understand that when you make sport of behavior that is dangerous and destructive you reinforce it,” Schumer said. “The last thing we need here in New York is to reinforce a destructive culture of violence and disrespect for the law.”

First of all, you may not need a degree in criminal justice, but you sure as hell better have a degree in criminal psychology to understand what helps reinforce violent behavior. Neither Chucky-boy nor I posses degrees in criminal psychology, so until they provide me with a proper research paper (or two) that specifically links video games - especially free-form violence games, in the style of GTA - to violence, then do me a favor, Chuk, and shut up.

Next up, good old Chuck is trying to get retail outlets in New York to not carry the game. I don’t actually mind that he’s speaking out against such a violent game. In fact, I favor games that make me think over games that train me to have an itchy trigger finger; however, I loathe/hate/despise politicians that want to take choices away from me. You are a paid politician, backed by special interests groups that benefit from having you in a public office - who the hell are you to tell me what games I can and cannot buy? Granted, I probably won’t buy this piece of crap (just as I avoided NARC like the plague), but if I ever had the odd urge to pick up this game, I sure as hell don’t want to go out of state to pick it up, because you thought you were all holy and mighty in protecting my interests.

Finally, Chuck, you state that the game “sets gang members against police and sends them on a mission to fight their way through the streets, killing whatever gets in the way.” In case you’ve failed to notice, most of these games almost always have a very improbable scenario, like one person carrying an entire arsenal of weapons or being able to take multiple bullets in the head - these scenarios are possible because it’s a game. If someone goes out into the world and thinks that he’ll survive multiple headshots from a standard-issue handgun … well, that’s just Darwin’s theory being proven.

So do me a favor Chuck: go back to kissing your special-interest groups ass and leave my games alone.

Provided by Geekstreak