San Andreas – Quick Questions?
1. Is it the case that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is the first big-ticket computer game in which the player character is invariably black*?
2. Does this matter at all? In particular does it matter given the ‘my life as a gangbanger’ subject matter? Is the can of worms that opened when the media noticed the ‘phenomenon’ of suburban white kids listening to hip-hop about to re-open in the videogame world?
The scandalised press that invariably accompanies GTA games is going to be very interesting this time, I think.
*(only in videogames with their customised avatars could this phrasing make any sense).