The Curious Case of Manufactured Outrage: How Rockstar Games Played the Media
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Did you know that Rockstar Games Used Right-Wing Outrage To Trick You All Into Buying Grand Theft Auto in 1997?
In 1997, the video game industry witnessed an unprecedented PR strategy that would forever alter how controversial games are marketed. DMA Design, now famously known as Rockstar Games, teamed up with notorious publicist Max Clifford to promote their new game Grand Theft Auto (GTA) in a manner that sparked a media frenzy. But the question we need to ask ourselves today is: Did this move set the industry back in its ongoing battle to prove that video games don’t cause violence?
Max Clifford, a master of manipulating the tabloid media, was hired by BMG Interactive (Rockstar’s precursor) to market GTA, a game that was bound to raise eyebrows with its violent and criminal themes. Instead of downplaying the game’s controversial content, Clifford leaned into it, feeding stories to right-wing UK Parliament members, including Lord Campbell of Croy, who then publicly condemned the game. This calculated move ignited a firestorm of outrage that propelled GTA into the spotlight, ensuring it was on everyone’s radar even before its release.
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Clifford's campaign was deceptively brilliant. He recognized that controversy sells, and by stoking the flames of moral outrage, he ensured that GTA became a household name. Headlines like "Criminal computer game that glorifies hit-and-run thugs" and "Sick car game boss was banned from driving" filled the media, feeding public hysteria and, as a result, boosting the game’s sales.
However, this tactic of creating fake outrage is not without consequences. For years, the video game industry has been engaged in an ongoing struggle to prove that video games do not lead to real-world violence. Scholars like Chris Ferguson, a Professor of Psychology at Stetson University and co-author of Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong, have worked tirelessly to debunk the term he coined "Grand Theft Fallacy"—the erroneous belief that violent games cause violent behavior. Ferguson has highlighted methodological flaws in studies that attempt to link video games to aggression, such as improperly matched game variables and unstandardized aggression measures.
The case of GTA's 1997 marketing campaign raises important questions:
Did this manufactured outrage undermine the industry's efforts to combat the stereotype that video games incite violence?
By capitalizing on the controversy, did Rockstar Games inadvertently give credence to the very arguments that the industry has fought to disprove?
Moreover, is this tactic of feeding false outrage still in use today by other game developers to drive sales?
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One can’t help but wonder what Chris Ferguson would say about this.
How does the manipulation of public opinion through fake outrage tie into his research on the "Grand Theft Fallacy"?
Did the success of this strategy have any lasting impact on public perceptions of video games and violence?
Lastly, is this tactic of feeding false outrage before a game release still being used today?
These are critical questions for both the industry and academia to consider.
While Rockstar’s strategy undeniably succeeded in making Grand Theft Auto a cultural phenomenon, it also set a troubling precedent. The industry’s credibility in arguing that video games do not cause violence may have been compromised by such tactics. Instead of fueling the debate, the focus should have been on dispelling myths and presenting factual evidence.
As we reflect on this PR maneuver from the late 90s, we must ask ourselves if the short-term gains of heightened sales were worth the long-term challenges the industry continues to face in defending its products. Today, with the vast reach of social media, the consequences of manufactured outrage could be even more profound. The video game industry must navigate this complex landscape carefully, balancing the need for publicity with the responsibility to maintain integrity and truth in the face of persistent myths about video game violence.
The GTA saga serves as a cautionary tale, reminding us that in the fight to protect the reputation of video games, feeding into false narratives can sometimes do more harm than good. As the industry continues to evolve, it must learn from its past and strive for a future where games are celebrated for their creativity, not vilified for the controversy that surrounds them.
