Chicago hates Grand Theft Auto IV

By Mike Bantick
Tuesday, 22 April 2008 03:58

Entertainment

Well to be specific, the Chicago Transit Authority(CTA) is not wrapped with advertising the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto IV on city buses.

Maybe it is just me, but you could think that a company relying on public transport commuters would be okay with a game that partly involves the stealing of private cars.

But no, despite not containing any law breaking violent, political or sexual imagery or wording, the CTA has removed ads for the game.  CTA president Rob Huberman making the decision after criticism from the local Fox News affiliate.

Fox News questioned the placement of the ads in the aftermath of a spate of shootings in the city, in which 9 people have died since Friday.

Huberman gave the actual reason for the ad pulling as “… that M-Rated ‘violent video games’ ought to be banned from its premises as they compare similarly to X-rated movie”

GTA ads have fallen foul of Chicago and other U.S city leaders in the past with both Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and GTA Vice City Stories having advertising removed at some point in their marketing careers.

Grand Theft Auto IV hits retail shelves on April 29th - For the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 platforms.