At midnight Monday around the world, rabid video-game players will finally be able to exchange $60 for the fourth installment of the wildly popular series from Rockstar North, Grand Theft Auto. There is widespread expectation that GTA IV will sell more than six million copies in the first week, adding to its status as one of the gaming industry’s most successful franchises.

There are even reports that GTA IV is on the radar of the Guinness Book of World Records for a possibility that the game could set new marks for units sold around the globe.

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Not surprising, the release has renewed concerns about the game’s pervasive violence, aggressive game play, and rampant racial stereotypes. As New York Times game critic Seth Schiesel put it, “[h]ardly a demographic escapes skewering.” Associated Press reviewer Lou Kesten gave the game three and a half stars out of four, but noted the game “has lots of

blood, some nudity and a nearly constant stream of filthy language.”

The increasing realism of video-game graphics only heightens the concerns of observers. Last year, Rockstar North was initially blocked from releasing the second edition of its horror series, Manhunt, due to the game’s extreme violence and sadistic themes. After some minor edits, the game was released under the most restrictive “M” (for mature) category. GTA-IV will carry the same label.

Douglas Gentile, an assistant professor of psychology at Iowa State University and director of research for the National Institute on Media and the Family, said the success of the GTA franchise is as much about its game play as its substance. “When GTA III came out,” Gentile said, “it revolutionized games through its open architecture — that is, it allowed you to do anything you wanted … you didn’t need to follow a script. That was a great…

Orginal post by Top Tech News