When Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars was first explained to us, one of the features that was promised was the inclusion of “tasteful” minigames.  If this is what they had in mind, I’d hate to see what they deem “tasteless.”  According to an Edge magazine interview with Dan Houser, Vice President of Rockstar Games, GTA: Chinatown Wars will include a drug dealing minigame.  Cocaine, LSD, heroin, marijuana and downers will be available to sell to Liberty City’s residents.  Said Houser, “We wanted to have a drug-dealing mini-game in lots of the GTA games … It works well with what GTA is, with driving around the map, and it gives you another thing to think about - another layer or piece of the puzzle to keep you motivated."

Houser stated that the drugs will not only provide a new revenue stream for the player, but will intersect with the main story.  Odds are, it will also provide plenty of controversy once the mainstream press gets a hold of this.  The prospect of selling virtual drugs on the same system your kid plays Imagine: Babyz on will ruffle more than a few feathers in the “family values” camp.  So, what do you think?  Is this a good idea for the game?  Will the inevitable controversy help sales or hurt them?  Does the idea of a drug peddling simulator on a DS offend you in any way?  Or do you feel like this is all just Rockstar making up controversy for the attention?

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