Last week, our Gamesblog looked at the introduction of calorie-counting in the new Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas game. It stirred up some interesting debate, which you can follow at masl.to/?C54E253A9
Keith Stuart: "GTA: San Andreas's lead character must eat regularly to stay alive, but everything available for consumption has a calorific attribute. Stuff his face with french fries and burgers, and he'll put on weight and be laughed at by other characters. Starve him and he'll be too scrawny to pick up heavy objects. Body image has become a game feature. Is this a good thing?"
James: The only disturbing factor is the characters laughing at the lead man if he gets fat. That is a form of bullying, which we could do without in the escapist world of gaming.
However, the eating/exercising thing is a good thing. Most people can keep their body in shape as long as regular exercise is a part of their life. If a video game instils this notion in the minds of the gaming population, then it's good.
Tom: Surely the real concern is the violence, not one or two characters eating a balanced diet?
Benj: I think it's a laudable idea in principle, and of course adds another dimension of realism to the game. But therein lies the problem: there is a fine line between realism and tedium.
Don Carlos: I hope they offer a few restaurants to eat at, other than McDonald's and Burger King. A nice Italian or Indian would go down a treat.
John: I want to see how they make this feature - needing to eat and spend time in the gym - fun. It sounds really dull.
Callum: This may hint at what is to come: game worlds that have sociological messages and political points to make. We could find our industry taking some unexpected turns in the near future; unexpected investors as well!
Lupo: The idea of obese kids sitting at home keeping their virtual character fit through dieting and exercise while their own bodies swell embodies our modern consumerist society.
AC: So let me get this straight. GTA is all about gang warfare, drugs, drive-bys, cop-killing and speeding. And we're worried about "body image"?
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