Drug Use a Key Part of 'Narc' Video Game March 17, 2005
News Summary
'Narc,' a video game coming out on PlayStation 2 and Xbox next week, includes drug use as a key component of game play, with different drugs having different effects on characters, the New York Times reported March 17.For example, while the game involves arresting dealers, players also can sample their confiscated goods. Smoking marijuana temporarily slows down game play, while taking a hit of ecstasy mellows players out. Smoking crack temporarily sharpens focus, making the player a more accurate shooter.
The game is designed so that using drugs in small doses can improve play. On the other hand, drug use also can lead to addiction and blackouts, which can cause players to get expelled from the police force. Players who use crack twice get addicted; addiction to other drugs requires more use. To get "clean," players need to pass a coordination skill challenge while going through withdrawal.
It is possible to play the game without using drugs at all, according to officials with Midway, which publishes Narc.
The latest iteration of Narc a far cry from the original, 1988 arcade version of the game, which had an anti-drug theme and the message, "Say No or Die."
Another forthcoming game, Snow, will allow players to oversee a drug cartel. Snow will be published by Take Two Interactive, the creator of the controversial Grand Theft Auto series. Vivendi Universal is planning a game based on the cocaine-suffused movie Scarface, as well as Bulletproof, which follows rapper 50 Cent through his past profession as a New York drug dealer.
Some observers say that the trend in video games is not so much about drugs specifically but rather towards greater realism and more provocative content. "If you can blow someone's head off, I don't see why you can't have drugs, as long as it fits the context," said game designer Doug Walker of Guerrilla Games.
But industry analyst Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities said, "Narc was a bad idea. Violence is embraced in our culture, which is why you see violence in video games. I don't believe society believes drugs are an appropriate thing. I think that alienates consumers."
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