Feder credits gaming press for setting tone of GTA IV discussion

Take-Two CEO Ben Feder thinks that the social view of videogames is changing - something he credits the gaming press for.

"It's interesting, and I credit some of the magazines with respect to GTA - in the United States anyway - about setting the tone early on in the GTA discussion," he told GamesIndustry.biz.

"It was almost never about the violence, the drunk-driving - the sort of things people thought the journals would focus on."

Feder thinks that the art, the technology and the experience set the parameters of the debate, with the controversy almost coming second to that.

"Now, it's possible that the controversy is yet to come, and that every passing day is kind of less risk, but the tone of the conversations has change, the parameters of the debate have changed completely," Feder said.

"All of that noise seems to be behind us. I couldn't be more happy - and let me make clear, we encourage all of our developments teams to push the creative envelope - and the technology envelope as well - and create an experience that will amaze and wow the audience."

He said that technology is at a point where developers don't have to shock the audience to amaze the audience, and thinks people have experienced that with GTA and will continue to experience that with Take-Two's other games.

"I think we've moved the debate from 'Okay, it's not a game, it's interactive entertainment,' and it's not for kids. It's not for kids.

"And we can accept that. And then we can take the debate beyond that, and talk about creativity, and talk about this amazing medium."

Part One of our interview with Ben Feder is now online.