To me, Grand Theft Auto is about freedom, not violence. As the name of the series suggests, the best way to spend time in this virtual, “no-consequence”, world is to steal yourself a nice car and drive it through the miles and miles of urban and rural landscape.

The size of GTA IV is incredible – to run from one side of the city to the other takes well over an hour. This is in fact a very good video game.

That’s not to say, of course, that I don’t enjoy flicking on the PlayStation, waltzing into the local stripclub, pointing a gun at the genitals of a rival crimelord and firing – taking both his life and his dignity. I find such things to be hilarious. To some, this may cause confusion or even shock. But seriously, don’t worry. And don’t you dare disapprove. To be honest, I find it rather insulting that certain people think that I, as a teen-ager, lack the ability to distinguish fiction from reality.

Although you may not realise, we are in fact aware of the controller in our hands and the television in front of our acne-ridden faces. And incredible as it may seem, this game would not give me reasonable cause to somehow find a gun and actually shoot a man (in his genitals).

Yet there is still such a thing as an antisocial video game. In my primary school years, it was common for a bunch of guys to play video games all day (yes, GTA included), taking turns or playing two-player – fun was had by all. Now, with a mere “7+” rating, World of Warcraft, the online fantasy adventure, is the most dangerous video game I have ever encountered.

Confining you to a swivel chair, it robs you of any social life you may have previously had, and fools you into thinking that your playmates from Japan are actually friends of yours.

Being a sentimental guy, I think of Grand Theft Auto and remember my old friends and the good times we had stealing cars, running red lights and committing the occasional homicide. We were 9 when we played it – and I’m doing all right.

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