Controversy: Grand Theft Auto IV to include Ho-llary Clinton?

By Stevie Smith Jan 15, 2008, 8:27 GMT

With the race for the Whitehouse most definitely on (every TV in the United States), you’d be well advised to file the following distasteful story under ‘sensationalist tripe’ until further notice:

An article appearing this week on Seriously News is claiming that Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s ongoing drive against the effects of violent videogames is about to be thrown to the street and given a good shafting… and not in a metaphorical sense.

Specifically, the article suggests a blog-posted press release (which is neither posted nor linked) has revealed that controversial studio Rockstar Games is to include Clinton as a prostitute in the hugely anticipated Grand Theft Auto IV on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. And not mapped onto the face of just a single woman of the night in the upcoming sandbox epic, but as all of them.

That last detail is more than enough to suggest this particular nugget of speculation is little more than bad taste publicity - not least because the same NPC character used repeatedly (Clinton or otherwise) would look truly generic and goes against the franchise’s longstanding ethos of variety and ambition.

However, without going into too much detail, the report goes on to say that players will be able to engage in sexual acts with the in-game version of Senator Clinton, after which the sated prostitute will ask: "Will you still vote for me?" And, in typical GTA style, should the player choose to murder the prostitute rather than issue payment for services rendered she will whimper: "Now I’ll never get to be president."

Disgraceful. Presently, there is absolutely no proof to suggest that this supposed story is anything but a complete work of fiction - especially considering that the apparent source of the article has been conveniently misplaced.

It’s also worth bearing in mind that any such move by Rockstar Games has the words ‘impending lawsuit’ stamped all over it. With the studio already saddled with the Hot Coffee debacle and no-end of persistent controversy regarding its Manhunt franchise, mapping the likeness of a presidential candidate onto the faces of GTA’s prostitutes could be considered an act of suicidal proportions.

And, finally, Grand Theft Auto IV - of all Rockstar’s games - certainly does not need controversial jibber-jabber such as this to ensure it sells units upon release.

Expect fervent denials from Rockstar and Take-Two in the not too distant future.