I think it’s the fact that nobody has any qualms about labelling assualt, theft, killing etc as serious crimes. Society as a whole has never fully categorised drink driving in the same terms. People convince themselves it’s okay with thoughts like “I’ll drive home on the back streets, I won’t even see anyone” or “Well I might be over the limit, but I’m a better driver than those idiots in the paper” or they just plain don’t care. Nobody sane thinks to themselves “I’ll shoot this guy and steal his car and money. There’s nobody here to see me do it”.

The more obvious criminal behaviour in GTA is so clearly immoral that it can easily be dismissed as fantasy, not so much the drink driving.

In Rockstar’s defence, the game not only enables you to get a cab homoe instead, but encourages you to do so (”You’re pretty drunk. Maybe you should get a cab home”). Niko hails from a part of the world where drink driving simply isn’t taken as seriously as it is in Western Europe and the States. Conviction rates amongst migrant workers are startlingly high and perhaps Rockstar are reflecting this.

Yeah…it’s a choice in the game too, as well as a crime. You also have the choice of getting a cab.

But I must admit, the euphoria engine is so kick ass and makes walking/standing/running/driving drunk in GTA so much fun! and the camera wobble! Oh man, I really do get woozy

Sounds to me like MADD just trying to get in on the PR action.