Saturday 24 July, 2010

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas is an oldie but a goodie. I originally bought the game when it came out. In 2004 it was considered a sleek looking impressive game. I've beaten it several times since then. What makes San Andreas special in my eyes other than the other Grand Theft Autos is the customization of possibilities of C.J . It was almost RPG like in how you could increase C.J's hit points and physical damage by playing little min games in the weight rooms to make him stronger. And as C.J got strong his actual appearance changed from a skinny guy to becoming completely ripped. Then in the opposite direction by not working out and eating too much C.J becomes over weight and his hit points and appearance reflect that. Then beyond that there are a lot of different cloths and accessories for C.J to purchase and wear.
I played the game for about an hour tonight. I started the missions out the gate with C.J following his fellow Groove St. hoodlums on bike and the driving them to this destination and that and so on. Yet it was the very beginning of the game that caught my eye this time. The game starts out with C.J in the airport grabbing his bags and through narration it is clear that he has come home to LA to be at his moms funeral. C.J then proceeds into a taxi that is quickly pulled over by the police. The police lead by Officer Tenpenny get C.J out of the taxi and on to the ground. The confiscate what money they find on him cuff him then put him in the back of the squad car. Once in the car Officer Tenpenny proceeds to blackmail C.J by threatening to plant this gun that was recently used to kill a cop on him. Forcing C.J to do what Officer Tenpenny says or face his life in prison. Initially this scene reminded me of the popular FX show from a couple years ago, the Shield. A police detective that plants evidence, makes deals with drug dealers, and commits murder all in the name of the greater good. It was then that it hit me that they were both examples of Utilitarianism. When confiscating C.J's money Tenpenny mentions that it is drug money. In confiscating that money Tenpenny is taking the amount of money out of the drug trade circulation, which increase the greater area's happiness. Then when Tenpenny is blackmailing C.J it could be seen as his attempt to keep a known felon and murder from committing more crimes, which increases the greater area's happiness. Yet in doing so Tenpenny is breaking the law, decrease of Tenpenny's happiness. The increase happiness have the decrease 2 to 1. Then even further the two increase of happiness effect the greater area as a whole while if Tenpenny gets caught breaking the law it only effects that one individual. So in terms of Utilitarianism what Tenpenny does to C.J in the very beginning of the game could be seen as moral.

Your analysis of Tenpennys' actions would depend on the assumption that CJ will end up committing more crimes though, right? Doesn't that imply that people don't change? (once a criminal, always a criminal)