GTA's Lazlow: Parents who buy kids RDR, GTA are bad parents

With every game publisher Rockstar releases, it seems like the idea of videogame violence as "controversial" dies just a little. In fact, we've barely heard a peep from would-be culture critics over the release of Red Dead Redemption, despite ads for it being plastered seemingly everywhere we look. However, that didn't stop the question of violence from coming up in aBBC interviewwith Lazlow, who'sbeen all butsynonymous with Grand Theft Auto and Rockstar for nearly a decade now.

"Our games are not designed for young people," Lazlow said after being asked how he felt about accusations that games cause real-world violence. "If you're a parent and buy one of our games for your child you're a terrible parent," Lazlow said.

Violence wasn't the focus of the 13-questioninterview (which is almost surprising), and really, Lazlow was reaffirming something Rockstar's been saying for years: it makes adult games for adult tastes.But it's always nice to see someone like Lazlow telling a mainstream audience something it should already know (even if some of usdon't really agree)- and, reading his comments, it seems the hysteria over game violence and "controversy" has been dying down in general.

"I think ever since GTA IV came out and there were such rave reviews by major publications saying that this is actually art," Lazlow said,"the restrictions about being politically correct have largely fallen away."

Above: Even NPR loved Niko!

Be sure to check out the full interview for chat about Red Dead Redemption's long development, console wars and whether there'll ever be another GTA set in London.

Red Dead Redemption hoping for 'emotional response' (viaDestructoid)

May 21, 2010