NYPD condemns Saints Row 2

By Ellie Gibson Published 16 October, 2008

Reckons it makes you depraved and that.

The New York Police Department has "popped a cap" in the "ass" of Saints Row 2, claiming it'll make people mad and wrong.

That's according to Ripten. Apparently NYPD union boss Patrick Lynch was speaking to the New York Daily News when he said that "horrible and violent videogames desensitise young people to violence, while encouraging depravity, immorality while glorifying criminal behaviour".

Quite a different point of view to our own Rob Fahey, then, who recently wrote that Saints Row 2 is "one of the most ridiculous and enjoyable games of the year".

Where do you stand, readers? We cannot guess.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (34) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • DFawkes #1 3 years ago

    Is this the same NYPD that regularly murders people in the name of "justice"? I'd rather take advice from Hitler, might have been a prick but he was honest about his policies.

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #2 3 years ago

    /lifts up gimp mask, takes out ball

    Cool - definately getting it now

    /puts ball back in mouth, postions gimp mask - goes back to work

  • Colin8703 #3 3 years ago

    At the risk of being a bit serious so early.

    A) People should be better educated by parents about right and wrong.
    B) The game is age restricted so only adults should be playing it anyway.
    C) Has this twat seen the amount of violence that populates his TV screen everynight?
    D) Anyone of a certain age in America can own a handgun and carry it around with them legally so already you have people desensitised to gun crime from an early age. Paricularly as mum probably has a Magnum (not the ice cream) in her purse.

  • Gearskin #4 3 years ago

    I've been playing it. I am now madder and wronger than I was after playing GTA4.

  • Ninja_Tino #5 3 years ago

    Man that bitch needs to stop sucking dick 'cus his brain is mashed up aiiiiii!

  • PearOfAnguish #6 3 years ago

    Did Mr Lynch say this before or after he kicked a black man down the stairs?

  • penhalion #7 3 years ago

    I often jokingly said to an old friend of mine that eventually American Gladiators would become Running Man for real. Looking at american society, I don't make that joke anymore as it seems way too close to reality these days.

  • Mr_Bison #8 3 years ago

    Anything to piss of Mr.Bloomberg

  • dazrichards #9 3 years ago

    Cartoon escapism. Next they'll be arresting Martin Scorcese.

    If people decide to kill someone because they were influenced by a game then perhaps they were fucked-up in the first place.

    We all know the arguments so I'll stop there

  • Vice.Destroyer #10 3 years ago

    These arguments always make me laugh, mainly for the fact that the city of New York routinely gives permission for film studios to film the most outrageously violent films in..., New York. I would have a lot of respect for the argument of violence desensitizing people to violence if they applied their complaints to films (which presumably don't desensitize because they pay for the priviledge of filming in NY), as well as movies.

  • jack_klugman #11 3 years ago

    Next they'll be arresting Martin Scorcese.

    I'd arrest Martin Scorcese.

    IN THE ASS!

  • Darren #12 3 years ago

    These kinds of stories always make me chuckle. Don't these people realise that by speaking out vocally about the games they don't like they're *actually* promoting and making more people aware of them? This kind of thing never did Rockstar any harm. LOL

  • The_Surreal #13 3 years ago

    Please don't report news with the word "apparently" in it.

  • kangarootoo #14 3 years ago

    "Is this the same NYPD that regularly murders people in the name of "justice"? I'd rather take advice from Hitler, might have been a prick but he was honest about his policies."

    /rolls eyes

  • NickJC1 #15 3 years ago

    I think Saints row 2 glorifies the scum of the earth a bit too much, and Eurogamer are all these gun toting shit for brains from Saints row 2 plastered all over your site really needed every day week in week out?.

    People look up to gold teethed, bling covered murdering scum bags with huge assault rifles?, no wonder the world is so fucked up.

  • kangarootoo #16 3 years ago

    "Please don't report news with the word "apparently" in it."

    Pedantic, but a very good point. Serious news or pub gossip?

  • NickJC1 #17 3 years ago

    Eurogamer have had that same gun toting yardie on the front page for a week now, two guns tucked down his trousers and a assualt rifle to finish off the look. It glorifies these pricks. And when another teenager is gunned down or stabbed in London Eurogamer should hang their head because they are part of the problem by giving so much advertising to a game that glorifies killing.

    When your 17 year old son is killed by a gang banger I don't think you will be playing Saints row 2 on the day of the funeral. Will you?.

  • The_Inquisitor #18 3 years ago

    Games like this don't make me want to shoot and kill people, London Transport does.
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/08 @ 11:04

  • agparrot #19 3 years ago

    Ban this Sick Filth!

  • paulf #20 3 years ago

    has jack t changed his name and got a new job?

  • KreyAtiv #21 3 years ago

    Games get the blame again for people's depravity. If games teach us anything it is that you can't get away with much.
    I'd much rather engage in a virtual police chase than a real one. At least if you get caught in the virtual one you just restart,
    not spend so many years in a cell with some guy who wants to lick your "pretty face" when you are asleep.
    I don't see why games get the blame when films portray similar things, in a lot more graphic detail.
    I've played plenty of games and watched quite a few violent themed films, yet I don't go out on a killing spree.
    Some people just don't know right from wrong, that's why they do depraved things, nothing to do with video games.

  • Ninja_Tino #22 3 years ago

    Books are never shouted at. Anyone read 'American Psycho'? That's the only form of media that has made me want, a little bit, to murder someone!
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/08 @ 12:16

  • JedEvangelion #23 3 years ago

    "Serious news or pub gossip? "

    Gossip. Checking the Ripten piece, it's unsubstantiated and it doesn't mention Saints Row 2, just 'violent video games'. I suspect someone's using this to generate a bit of media attention on Saints Row 2.

  • HiddenPooh #24 3 years ago

    I was reading "American Psycho" on the train and some dungaree wearing bean flicker accused me of "hating women".

  • Hunam #25 3 years ago

    Women are bitches, tbh.

  • bad09 #26 3 years ago

    Zzzzz another idiot who knows nothing, is it in the job description for roles of authority to be clueless about real life?

    Besides I reckon there was a lot more crime in NYPD's good old corruption days, and not a 360 in sight back then ;)

  • ParanoidZombie #27 3 years ago

    If I was a cop, I probably wouldn't be a fan of a game where you kill cops, be it saint's row, gta, kane&lynch, etc. If I was mexican, I wouldn't be a fan of GRAW or R6V. If i was a mexican cop, I would hate most videogames .
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/08 @ 14:43

  • loopholezero #28 3 years ago

    @ParanoidZombie: i'm a stoner and i liked total overdose. does this mean there's something wrong with me, doc? :D

  • Redeye #29 3 years ago

    People who don't get videogames in videogame-condemning non-shocker.
    Edited by 1 at 16/10/08 @ 15:19

  • ParanoidZombie #30 3 years ago

    @loopholezero: no, I love Dead rising despite the fact that I'm a zombie. That's because I'm a tolerant ghoul.

  • Nithron #31 3 years ago

    Prove it.

  • RESIDENT_nEVILe #32 3 years ago

    Doh! I thought the police were all in favour of gang violence :(

  • Windsong #33 3 years ago

    "violent videogames desensitise young people to violence"

    Um..kinda like adult porn eventually desensitizes adults enough to persuade them to view child porn...right? Right??!

    Sharp as an orange.

  • Krun #34 3 years ago

    Okay from now on to protect us all.

    all games must be like
    Mario

    All TV must be like
    The Vicar of Dibley

    All Films must be like
    Mary Poppins

    All magazines must be
    Hello

    All Books must be
    The wind in the willows

    And the everyone must smile all the time under punishment of death. Remember happy Happy happy thoughts everyone, your life depends on it.

  • Albull #35 3 years ago

    The only piece of media which has made me want to be violent is Dexter but I'd want to keep the rule of only killing other killers.

    That and the head to head races on Burnout 3... they used to make me very angry.

  • metalangel #36 3 years ago

    Can I be immoral and depraved without also being a criminal?

    EDIT: Which is to say, continue to be?

    Hang on, someone at the door. Oh look, it's the Gordon Brown Secret Police, they're arresting me for having heard of Bittorrent, and are giving my house to a family of illegal immigrants!
    Edited by 1 at 17/10/08 @ 12:28