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.