Last year’s release of Halo 3 marked a glorious moment for the gaming industry, setting an entertainment industry record and grossing $300 million in its first week. Business analysts and the mainstream press alike turned their eyes towards the industry and finally admitted, “Hey, there just might be something to those video things kids are playing.” Sure it wasn’t the first mainstream gaming property, but it was great to wake up on launch day (unless you were up all night playing) and see Halo being mentioned on the news before your local weather. Now in 2008, leading up to the launch of GTA IV (predicted to break Halo 3’s record at $400 million), is it likely we will see the same reaction from the mainstream media? While GTA probably won’t be as positively received as the Pope’s visit to the United States, we’re hoping that GTA’s success will overshadow the negative coverage that the series has usually received.

It isn’t farfetched to think that GTA IV will top Halo 3; after all, the game was only available on one system. Just imagine what it could have sold on both the 360 and PS3 and that should give you some idea of how well GTA IV is going to perform at retail. So if GTA IV has the success that it’s predicted to, will the media portray this event as a landmark for the status of gaming as they did with Halo 3? Or, will our local news affiliates report a massive affliction of immorality reaching an all time high, and that parents everywhere should make sure their own children are not infected.

When it comes to GTA, the press has never really had much of a soft spot for the franchise but rather a bucket full of rhetorical smear. Maybe it’s because of the sexuality and harsh violence, or maybe not as many people have blamed a murder on Halo, but when GTA is mentioned on the evening news, “success” isn’t usually a word that follows. Given the franchise’s history, it’s probable that a portion of the media will go the less gaming friendly route, and no doubt Jack Thompson is already booked solid to appear on television and radio across North America. To dismiss GTA’s unavoidable historical impact and opt for a smear campaign could be argued as a major disservice to the industry and breach of journalistic integrity, or does it merely fall under common practice for the press?

Is the public ready to accept games with a more violent tone? Realistically, it already has, since there are plenty of mature games that feature just as much harsh violence as GTA. However a sad truth about the media is that concentrating on the negative is always much more of a sure thing and even the gaming press give into it. We all know that a story about a quote from an analyst or plain rumor about a console in jeopardy will always get panic stricken fanboys rushing to that headline first. The same goes for telling parents everywhere a new product is out that can turn your sweet child into a carjacking, hooker slaughtering lunatic.

GTA does have a history that’s like Germany trying to shake WWII off of its shoulders; it’s probably never going to be gone for good. But due to the immense amount of appeal the series has, and revenue it will generate, the media will be tasked with either finally recognizing the appeal and popularity of gaming for adults, or it will maintain its ignorance and grieve that the franchise has sent society down a black hole of morality. GTA IV should be a poster boy for gaming; it should be representing growth and prosperity, not depravity and spiritual suffering. Rockstar may take some flak but that’s to be expected, and the long term reception for GTA IV could turn out alright as long as there are no hidden traces of caffeine to be found.