The folks at Rockstar Games are not new to controversy or having a target plastered on their back. They have been taking heat ever since they released Grand Theft Auto III, since then everyone from legislatures to angry parents run through the streets crying for their blood. But I can understand why. I wouldn't want my twelve year old kid playing GTA III, soliciting prostitutes, dealing drugs, robbing banks, murdering innocents, going to strip clubs.... I think its pretty safe to say that a good parent shouldn't let their young kids playing Mature games especially if it is Grand Theft Auto III.

So when Rockstar announces that they're pushing the envelope once more with a Nintendo DS game called “Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars”, the anti drug and parent groups are up in arms. But this time in addition to what I like to call “mindless violence”: soliciting prostitutes, dealing drugs, robbing banks, murdering innocents, going to strip clubs.... , Chinatown Wars will include a drug dealing minigame. Previous games did not focus as much on drugs as Chinatwon Wars will.

In the game, the players can deal drugs like heroin, marijuana, cocaine, downers, ecstasy, and LSD. While in Grand Theft Auto III: Vice City, you could deal drugs, but it seems not to the extent in this new game.

Bottomline: Rockstar isn't breaking any laws by making this video game, and really is up to the parents to raise their kids, not video game developers. Besides the ESRB already does enough to inform parents, and it is, again, the parent's job to monitor what their kids are doing.