GTA 4 Ads To Be Pulled from Chicago City Buses

April 21, 2008 1:50 PM

Advertisements for Rockstar North's upcoming Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, X360) will be pulled from city buses despite no explicit or otherwise inappropriate material in the ads, GamePolitics reports.

Chicago's local Fox News affiliate questioned the posting of ads for Grand Theft Auto IV on buses and buildings of the Chicago Transit Authority in the wake of a rash of shooting incidents in the city. Shortly thereafter, CTA president Rob Huberman told Fox News that the ads would be removed.

The ads include no overtly violent, sexual or otherwise graphic materials that would normally prohibit advertisements from running on city buses.

The report notes that GTA ads had been criticized previously in Chicago and other urban areas. In 2004, Governor Rod Blagojevich spoke out against transit ads for Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Two years later, Mayor Thomas Menino of Boston forced the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority to pull ads for GTA Vice City Stories.

Grand Theft Auto IV ships for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on April 29.

Aaron Linde

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MR 9000

 reply
April 21, 2008 1:56 PM

I wonder if the city also pulled ads for the following movies in theaters now?

Prom Night - violence and terror, some sexual material, underage drinking, and language
88 Minutes - disturbing violent content, brief nudity and language
Street Kings - strong violence and pervasive language

Oh, wait, probably not because movies aren't the current "evil" to attack for any reason whatsoever.
- dedgecko
  
   reply
  April 21, 2008 2:51 PM
  
  your logic makes too much sense and therefore it is useless in modern news propagation
  - sheepraper
    
     reply
    April 21, 2008 6:08 PM
    
    You sir are correct.
    - JimRune
      
       reply
      April 21, 2008 10:36 PM
      
      Mm, yes, shallow and pedantic.
      - tehdork
        
         reply
        April 22, 2008 6:56 AM
        
        Pea.... Tear.... Griffin!
- Detective Harry Bosch
  
   reply
  April 22, 2008 9:23 AM
  
  i, for one, love seeing calvin klein male models sprawled out in underwear with their balls hanging out on the side of busses.
- mysteryperfecta
  
   reply
  April 22, 2008 10:25 AM
  
  Your logic would only apply to ads that the city of Chicago was being paid for. The city was being paid for these particular GTA4 ads; if the CTA has also received money to display ads for the violent movies you mentioned, then you're right, it would be a contradiction to let those ads be.
  
  Chicago is not forcing the removal of GTA4 ads from privately-owned billboards/buildings/storefronts.