What started as a disagreement between a mother and her son led me into the controversial world of Grand Theft Auto. My fifteen year old son desperately wants this game. All I hear are the stories of violence associated with this game, which make this mother's heart shudder. Thus began the research to support my denials of his ownership of this game. The Grand Theft Auto game series has been surrounded by controversy, but research does not always support public opinion, as will be demonstrated This item. Grand Theft Auto debuted in 1998 with its original title released on PlayStation One. The game was controversial from the start, with many countries protesting and Brazil even going so far as to ban it. Interestingly enough, all this controversy caused the game's sales to skyrocket and it became the best-selling PlayStation One game that year, with sales reaching over 65 million copies worldwide to date (Gamesradar .com). The original title didn't rely much on graphics and they were visually unappealing. The premise of the game was there, the goal being to run over pedestrians, sell drugs, pick up prostitutes, steal cars and flee the police. The games all have these themes in common, often taking place in realistic cities with music and dialogue. In October 2001, Rockstar North, the game's developer, released GTA III for PlayStation Two, with one big change, 3D. Now the games had a more realistic environment with more advanced memory on the new system. According to Gamesradar reviews, "the city feels alive, almost real." This new game allows you to play in different ways: as the driver of the rescue team, put out fires with fire...... middle of paper ...... and consume drug. The warning is directly on the packaging. My son thought I would change my mind after doing this research, but I found that it only solidified him further. As with any form of entertainment, moderation is certainly important, but when it comes to children, it is essential that parents are informed about what their children are doing. Works Cited Colwell, J., Kato M. "Investigation of the relationship between social isolation, self-esteem, aggression and video game playing among Japanese adolescents. Asian Journal of Social Psychology (2003): 14-158. Article from journal, January 29, 2012. United Kingdom, CVG Games Radar April 25, 2008. Web January 29, 2012. Zin Teng, Scott et al. "Grand Theft Auto IV comes to Singapore: effects of repeated exposure. to violent video games on aggression." Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networks 14.10 (2011): 597-602. Journal article. January 29 2012.