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

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.

[benjaminstraight]

shock value advertises itself because of articles like this.

[wcm75]

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.

[Matt Asay]

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.

[Kinowolf]

@Matt Asay

Go tell that to Wall Street. Buy, sell, sniff sniff, baby.

[amber-taylor]

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 ...