Luke, City Officials Speak Out Against Popular Video Game

Luke Campbell and Miami-Dade County officials have criticized popular game "Grand Theft Auto III," for it’s portrayal of Liberty City, a real neighborhood in Miami, Florida. "I guarantee no one in Liberty City is making any money off this," Campbell told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "That’s a disgrace," he said. "We know there’s violence […]

Luke Campbell and Miami-Dade County officials

have criticized popular game "Grand Theft Auto III," for it’s portrayal

of Liberty City, a real neighborhood in Miami, Florida.

"I guarantee no one in Liberty City is making

any money off this," Campbell told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "That’s

a disgrace," he said. "We know there’s violence but things like this

don’t happen every day anymore."

The game’s goal is to complete various missions.

Players are awarded points for stealing cars, killing people and avoiding the

authorities. The game has been banned in Brazil and pulled from the shelves

in Australia.

Dorrin D. Rolle, who is exploring legal options

to protect the real Liberty City’s name.

"I am appalled and offended, as are other

members of my community at the Grand Theft Auto video game inventors,"

added Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dorrin D.Rolle.

"Liberty City is a community of respectable,

hard-working and predominantly African American families. Their inclusion and

portrayal of this community as dangerous, is shameful."

In its first year, GTA III’ sold more than 6

million copies in the U.S. and Europe at $30 to $50 each.

Executives at Rockstar Games, the company that

produces GTA III had no comment. They previously issued statements saying that

the game’s designers did not intend for the game to be identified with actual

persons, living or dead, or actual events.