If you see the above graphic someplace, chances are that the individual who placed it there isn’t trying to bring back roman numerals. This is just one of the ways that Rockstar Games is promoting Grand Theft Auto 4. As of today, they announced the official release date for this anticipated title. It is due to hit the streets April 29th, 2008. If you’re interested, you can read their actual press release.

Before we go into a little history, let’s establish that the Grand Theft Auto series has been steeped in controversy since the original was released in 1997. In fact, I would venture to say that GTA is considered by many to be the most notorious gaming franchise on the planet. Many parent organizations point to this series when they want to criticize videogames. We expect that another wave of uproar will coincide with the imminent release of GTA4 - the first incarnation of the series on this generation of consoles (PS3 and Xbox 360).

We are not here to tell you what is good or bad. We’re here to help you make informed decisions for yourselves. The fact is that we have played these games over the years and we consider the Grand Theft Auto games to be some of the most impressive titles in the industry…for adults. These are very much mature games and are rated accordingly by the ESRB. These games are NOT intended for children. You should think carefully about the subject matter of these titles if you are considering bringing them into your household. They are violent. They include strong language. They involve drugs. They are filled with sexual subject matter. Yet the content is no stronger than most R-rated movies. Having said that, my children won’t be watching such movies or playing these games for many years.

The original Grand Theft Auto was released in 1997 and it was a top-down title. It found quite a following on the PC, but really garnered attention on the budding Sony PlayStation. It was followed by an expansion pack that added London Missions and, eventually, a sequel entitled Grand Theft Auto 2. This was available on the PlayStation and Rockstar Games made a graphically superior version for Sega’s newly released Dreamcast console. Like the original, GTA2 was a top-down game. Both of these titles concerned many parents because the gameplay involved stealing cars, committing robberies, and killing people. The more successful your criminal career, the further you made it into the game.

One of the greatest draws of these games was the gameplay approach. These titles were called “sandbox games” because of the freedom given to the player to roam a virtual city and do essentially whatever they want. It was this very freedom that concerned many parents. But this became even more alarming for many with the release of the next title in the series.

Grand Theft Auto III, originally available on the PS2 and later released PC and Microsoft’s Xbox, was the series first foray into 3D and it took the virtual sandbox one step closer to realism. Now, instead of looking down from above into a toy-like city environment, the player was much more immersed. No longer did shooting at people or running into other cars seem as abstract. If the public was concerned with the previous incarnations of the franchise, it was nothing compared to the wave of press that accompanied GTA3, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas. This was last generation’s GTA trilogy and it ruffled many feathers. In fact, San Andreas had its own controversy associated with a mini-game that was not intended to be part of the final release. This part of the game was discovered and through special cheat codes, it could be unlocked. It was dubbed the “Hot Coffee Mod” because the mini-game followed the invitation to join your girlfriend for coffee. Further information about this mod and the controversy surrounding it is available in this Wikipedia article.

In spite of the subject matter (or, in some instances, because of it), this series has been extraordinarily successful. But hype and controversy do not make a good game nor do they alone assure success. (See our comment on last year’s Manhunt 2.) The fact is that these games were cleverly-written. They’re funny and the gameplay is solid. In addition to this, they have used some excellent music in their soundtracks that grant a level of authenticity which has set the bar for the industry.

So we’d like to clarify that having mature subject themes neither makes a game bad nor good. What makes a superior game is the gameplay and the successful creation of a virtual experience. The GTA titles have been worthy additions to many gamers’ libraries based on this. However, they are not intended for younger players. With this in mind, if one of your children starts hinting that he/she wants GTA4 as the end of April approaches, consider all of this and decide what is the right answer based on your family and the maturity of your child.

Oh - one other item. Rockstar Games appears to have released the original Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2 as free downloadable games for the PC. If you’re interested in seeing the humble beginnings of this franchise, point your browser here.