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September 29, 2008 10:55 AM PDT

'Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars' to have cocaine dealing

by Dave Rosenberg
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I've written a lot about monetizing video games, but Rockstar is taking it to a whole new level, bringing drug-dealing into the new version of Grand Theft Auto for the Nintendo DS.

Rockstar Vice President Dan Houser explained to Edge magazine why the company included this feature in the game:

"We wanted to have a drug-dealing mini-game in lots of the GTA games," Houser said. "We played with it a little in Vice City Stories, because it worked really well juxtaposed with the main story. It works well with what GTA is, with driving around the map, and it gives you another thing to think about--another layer or piece of the puzzle to keep you motivated...It does intersect with the main story and things you learn from it work with the story, but it mostly runs on its own."

If nothing else, you have to admire the guys at Rockstar for their willingness to do pretty much anything to make GTA interesting and controversial.

Found on PC World via Pocket Gamer.

Dave Rosenberg dishes up "Software, Interrupted" with nearly 15 years of technology and marketing experience that spans from Bell Labs to multiple start-up IPOs to open-source enterprise software companies. He is co-founder of MuleSource and currently serves as the general manager of Hardy Way. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure. You can contact Dave via e-mail at softwareinterrupted@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @daveofdoom.
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by benjaminstraight September 29, 2008 11:32 AM PDT
shock value advertises itself because of articles like this.
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by wcm75 September 29, 2008 11:57 AM PDT
The entire purpose of the game 'Scarface' was to build your drug empire, but I do not recall seeing anything negative about the game. As soon as Rockstar does something "controversal" the media sticks to it like a magnet and the company makes millions, great strategy.
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by Matt Asay September 29, 2008 3:23 PM PDT
Yes, very laudatory. Maybe when child porn works well within the theme of the game they'll add that, too? Seriously, just because you can doesn't mean you should. This is worse than juvenile.
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by Kinowolf September 29, 2008 4:56 PM PDT
@Matt Asay

Go tell that to Wall Street. Buy, sell, sniff sniff, baby.
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by amber-taylor September 29, 2008 10:08 PM PDT
Sex, drugs, and Top Models (http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2008/09/americas_next_top_model_become.html) - what ever happened to Mario and Sonic? Hooked on ...
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About Software, Interrupted

In "Software, Interrupted," Dave Rosenberg discusses disruption in the software market, as well as the products and services that keep business technology norms in perpetual flux.

With nearly 15 years of technology and marketing experience spanning from Bell Labs to multiple start-up IPOs, Dave co-founded open-source software company MuleSource and now serves as general manager of Hardy Way. He also happens to be a U.S. patent holder and a workaholic. Technology is his best friend and mortal enemy.

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