14 DAY TRIAL // The voice actors who have provided the dialog for the three main characters of Grand Theft Auto V do not believe that the game glamorizes violence and see it as an important piece of commentary about the state of modern life.
Ned Luke, who has lent his voice to Michael, is quoted by VG247 as saying that “The biggest misconception is that it glamorizes violence. It really doesn’t. If you look at my character, Michael, he’s rich, but he’s a miserable man. Even in the commercials you see that. This is a guy who’s struggling with his life’s decisions.”
He sees the personal story of his character as an important lesson on how society can make it difficult for even those who have the best intentions to act on them and create meaningful relationships with others.
Steven Ogg, the voice of Trevor, also believes that the focus on violence in video games is a sigh of hypocrisy because violent behavior has so many other potential sources.
He states, “Why not talk about gun control? Why not talk about parenting? Why not talk of lack of family values? There are so many other things to talk about. Look at what’s on TV.”
GTA V was criticized soon after launch for a sequence where gamers need to control Trevor as he uses torture in order to extract information that’s relevant to stop a terror-based threat.
The game suggests that the character enjoys what he is doing and that the things he finds out are ultimately meaningless.
Shawn Fonteno, who offers the voice acting for Franklin, also believes that video games like GTA V are offering players an important outlet to vent their anger, which prevents them from acting on it in the real world.
Despite criticism, the new Rockstar title has managed to sell more than 1 billion dollars’ (760 million Euro) worth of copies in its first week.