Grand Theft Auto V – Is It Anti-Advertising Or Good Advertising?

A Review of Satirical Billboard Advertising in the game Grand Theft Auto V - Is it Anti-Advertising or Good Advertising?

Summary Statement In the game Grand Theft Auto V the video game production house Rockstar games has an opportunity to make millions of dollars from its in-game advertising in one the the most popular and know games in the world, but instead Rockstar choses to fill its game with satire and parody of modern media and celebrity culture.

This essay will look at the specific design styles used to imitate and satirize billboard advertising and what the are commenting about in the real world. I will also comment on where this is a reflection of the opinion Rockstar have on modern media and celebrity culture of its just some

The mission ends with the player planting a bomb in the prototype for the new Life Invader phone and blows up the phone killing the CEO of life invader live on Weazel News, the in game version of Fox News. Rock star is out right calling Fox News reporters weazels which not many people would disagree with.Rockstar even takes shots at its own industry in one cut scene, a father tries to pry his son's attention away from a violent video game. When his efforts prove unsuccessful, the father smashes the TV screen to bits. (Mc Dermott, 2013). Some people say ‘the “Grand Theft Auto” series is the video game equivalent of a smartass in the back of the room making wisecracks at everyone’s expense.’ and that ‘just like we might scowl at the smartass without trying to understand what vulnerability he might be covering up with his hostility,” other say that the satire in gta is merely childish. (Scimeca,

Rockstar satirizes modern media and celebrity culture because they know their audience and they know thats a good way to communicate to them. Rockstar are criticized for adding all this satire and controversial scenes to their games as a means of free publicity, Grand theft auto V caused major controversy when the game was released because of a torture scene in the game, where the player gets to torture an unarmed man who you have captured for the FIB (the games version of the FBI) the player can pull out the mans teeth and electrocute him. People were horrified this act “Labour’s Keith Vaz added that he was “astonished at the level of violence depicted” (Hern, 2013) Rockstar may be adding scenes like the infamous torture scene just to just some great priceless publicity and promotion for their game, the scene itself does nothing and doesn’t advance the storyline of the game which would add to the argument. Rockstar have always caused some sort of controversy with their releases and this was no