Johnny is a veteran member of the LMC…aka… The Lost, a notorious biker “club”. Johnny has been rather busy these days creating “business opportunities” for the LMC in Liberty City. His loyalty is to the club’s patch and to Billy Grey, the club’s President. Billy just returned from rehab and is hell-bent on jacking up the level of debauchery. The LMC is in the middle of a vicious turf war with rival clubs for control of a city torn apart by violence and corruption. Can the brotherhood survive?
Does intimidation, drug possession, trafficking, homicide, drive-by shootings, child endangerment, and gang land struggles sound familiar? Whether it’s life imitating art or vice-versa this is the new story line developed by the creator’s of Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA4) – Rockstar/Take2 — the “Lost and Damned” add-on for the game features a new main character, Johnny Klebitz, and an Outlaw Motorcycle Gang plot that some might debate merges with reality.
As you may recall, Rockstar/Take 2 became world famous for developing the capability of letting players enjoy booty-bouncing lap dances in strip clubs followed with prostitute sex. Then afterward you could run her over with your car (and now your motorcycle?) or riddle with bullets – it all depends on how you roll. I’ve written previously HERE about how motorcycle clubs have become the new media darlings of the entertainment industry and this is nothing more than a gaming extension of that trend.
So, what’s next in the Rockstar/Take 2 gaming world? Outlaw motorcycle clubs sharing methamphetamine recipes and “how-to” online cooking guides via the in-game chat sessions?! Where does it end? Society is bombarding kids with music, movies and video games that glorify all types of gang lifestyle and criminal acts. Now it’s the outlaw motorcycle clubs time to shine in the spotlight. Sure it’s a mature rated computer game (meaning all 12 year olds will own a copy), but visit a suburban mall in any size city and you’ll find surprisingly large numbers of teens mimicking real gangs. From flashing signs to wearing the clothing culture…all of which contributes to the misidentification (false positives) of today’s youth.
I’m not on a motorcycle club witch hunt or attacking all video games. I acknowledge that this post could be viewed as capitalism at its best – my lamb blasting the lack of social morals at Rockstar/Take 2 will be viewed by many as marketing meant only to drum up parental outrage and make the game even more irresistible to kids. The video game market is a $20B industry (more than Hollywood box office receipts) and maybe it’s time to establish a motorcycle club advisor role/organization?
Job #1 would be to make sure that all motorcycle club colleagues are portrayed honorably, that no one would be embarrassed by the games portrayal and they would advise gaming companies to be as accurate as possible. On second thought, a game based on Hospital Toy Run’s or a Veteran’s Ride is unlikely to garner much sales volume from the teenage buying public, but it sure would have a lot more social redeeming value!
Photos courtesy of Rockstar web site.
Don’t forget about this one, http://ridetohell.deepsilver.com, although it does take place in the 1960’s unlike Rockstar’s take on the topic.
Thx Jonny. Good catch.
So…explain to me the difference between those teenagers you were sneering at for “mimicking” gangbangers and all of the fat, rich old men I see dressed in all black leather with patches all over their jackets and vests and riding brand new, chromed out H.D. junkwagons?
Who do you think those morons are “mimicking”?
And honestly, if TLAD actually did make kids want to act like outlaw bikers(which it doesn’t, anymore than GTA4 made anyone want to become an Eastern European thug), you should see it as a plus! Maybe they could save up enough lunch money to go out and buy a Sportster! Judging from their crap sales figures and plummeting stocks, Harley could use the boost.
Real bikers are about the ride. Criminals are about the crime. Put the two together and you have an outlaw. This is nothing new. Remember the Old West…….outlaws and lawmen. Take away the technology and things really haven’t changed much in the last 150 years. As long as there is easy money to be made, there will be criminals willing to take the risk as well as lawmen risking their life to stop them. I’m afraid that this is an endless downward spiral and all we can do is stay out of the way. The outlaws and lawmen are going to do it their way no matter what we say or think about the matter. As far as video games go, it’s a little late to start worrying about the sex and violence. We have to police our own now.
this is ridiculous, they’ve been saying the same thing about everything game since doom, and every piece of media in recent memory. All with the same dumb mentality, that it only takes one mishap for them to get stark raving mad.
By their logic, we should be pulling bibles out of schools, and banning sunday school, because they contain some pretty violent passages and damning material. Has anyone gotten their ass kicked or died because of the bible, sure. More than all the Marlyn Manson CDs, video games and the like COMBINED.
Mark Twain once said “The wise man speaks when he has something to say, the fool speaks when he has to say something.” Its been obvious for years its the same sort of self proffessed subject matter experts are making a lot of noise to get attention to themselves in hopes on getting recognized and getting some sort of grant/funding/political appointments, or just plain old attention.
Society is fucked up, and there ARE a lot of wanna be gang bangers, but I don’t think fictional video games have anything to do with it.
Funny that HD long ago was an all american bike, they no longer built in usa they are still crap, however, our goldwings keep on trucking, if you want a real motorcycle club to join, try gwrra,,,no outlaws here, just a bunch of fun loving people and very fine single women,,not like the fat hogs you see on harleys,
Except Harley’s are made in the US unless Pennsylvania isnt in the United States anymore. Look it up, Harley Davidson York, PA. As for your Jap junk that you ride with your knitting club oops my bad Riding club because no self respecting person would be seen on that without being a joke. but its obvious that one of us Harley Riders gave you vaginitis to sit here and spew your bullshit without doing research…SYLO 1% for Life