They have made up controversy to sell GTA since at least the second or 3rd game, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all. Even the hacker’s group sounds like some bullshit made up for the game’s universe. Like LifeInvader or GruppeSechs.
The entire premise of the first game was designed to create controversy. This game was one of the OGs that local news would run stories about to showcase how violent media was bad for kids. This was in the long long ago though, when companies that served up content were held to standards
The first GTA was originally meant to just be a racing game. A bug with how the cops chased you got them to pivot and focus on that as the central mechanic. They also leaned into PR gained by a parents group who were outraged by the violence after the game’s release, but didn’t manufacture their own controversy until the second game.
They have made up controversy to sell GTA since at least the second or 3rd game, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all. Even the hacker’s group sounds like some bullshit made up for the game’s universe. Like LifeInvader or GruppeSechs.
The entire premise of the first game was designed to create controversy. This game was one of the OGs that local news would run stories about to showcase how violent media was bad for kids. This was in the long long ago though, when companies that served up content were held to standards
The first GTA was originally meant to just be a racing game. A bug with how the cops chased you got them to pivot and focus on that as the central mechanic. They also leaned into PR gained by a parents group who were outraged by the violence after the game’s release, but didn’t manufacture their own controversy until the second game.