25 To Life

25 To Life is a third-person shooter video game for Windows, PlayStation 2 and Xbox released in 2006. The game was developed by Avalanche Software and Ritual Entertainment, and was published by Eidos Interactive.

Set in a modern environment, the game allows the player to play as both a police officer and a gangster, at different times, in a "cops and robbers" style game. The game can played online with up to 16 players using the network adaptor for the PS2 and through Xbox Live for Microsoft's Xbox, and there is online play for the PC version as well. In addition, the game features a variety of hip hop songs played during the game.

The name of the game comes from a typical "indeterminate life sentence" that is often given in the United States upon a defendant's conviction for a violent felony. See the article on parole for more information.

Weapons

Thump 'Em, Stick 'Em, Shock 'Em (Melee)

Baseball Bat
Tire Iron
Baton
Knife
Stun Gun

Handguns

9 mm Semi-Auto
.357 Cal
.44 Auto
Raptor

Rifles, shotguns and automatic weapons

Shotgun
Sawed-off Shotgun
MP Silenced Sub-Machine Gun
Uzi
AK Assault Rifle
SAW Machine Gun
Sniper Rifle
SWAT Sniper Rifle

Bombs

Concussion Grenades
Flash Grenades
Tear Gas Canister
Pipe Bomb
Molotov

Controversy

Criticism

25 to Life has drawn criticism from American politicians, particularly several in the state of New York and Delaware, for a feature which allows the player to grab nearby non-player characters and use them as human shields. After being released, contrary to hype, it has received very poor reviews. ^*

Jack Thompson's involvement

On January 12, 2006, outspoken anti-video game advocate Jack Thompson wrote a letter to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, where he strongly urged the Justice Department to prevent the game from being released, under California's public nuisance law. Failing that, he offered a justification for California police officers to steal copies of 25 To Life from stores.

Quoting Thompson, "Additionally, please know that California Civil Code Section 3495 enables and authorizes each and every law enforcement officer to walk into any video game store, without a court order, to seize and destroy each and every copy of 25 To Life. California law treats this as acceptable 'abatement' of a public nuisance by parties particularly endangered by such a nuisance."

An anonymous GamePolitics.com poster, saying that he was an attorney, posted the following rebuttal:

I research things before I make patently false or misleading statements. For your edification, Jack, I submit the following: Although California Civil Code does permit a person to abate a public nuisance, the remedy available for private individuals is by way of civil action. Private persons are not empowered to self-help. (See Miller & Starr California Real Estate (2005 3d Ed.) 8 Cal.Real Est. § 22:26.) When they choose self-help, they do so at their own peril. (Hill v. City of Oxnard (App. 3 Dist. 1920) 46 Cal.App. 624.) In addition, one is empowered to abate a private nuisance only when to do so would not result in a breach of the peace. (People v. Overacker (App. 1911) 15 Cal.App. 1620.)

As for a public agency's right to abate a nuisance, such an agency has 3 options: 1) a criminal proceeding, 2) a civil action for injunction, abatement, etc or 3) abatement. Where there are constitutional considerations, however, such as purported obscenity or matters which may implicate free speech rights (such as video games) the public agency may not act without a prior judicial determination. (Id. § 22:28.)(Internal citations omitted.)

It is believed that Attorney General Lockyer disregarded the letter, and no actions were taken.

P. Frank Williams's change of heart

According to a post on Opposable Thumbs, an Ars Technica blog, "apparently P. Frank Williams, the writer of 25 to Life and 'hip hop journalist' had some moral issues when he was working on the game," referring to an article in The London Free Press.

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund boycott

CNN's Showbiz Tonight reported on the controversy surrounding 25 To Life, including the involvement of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which demanded that people boycott the game.

Reaction

25 to Life was received poorly by critics, who lambasted it as a "GTA clone" ^*., and the game sold rather poorly, despite the attention brought to it by critics such as Jack Thompson.

Screenshots

Image:25 to Life 1.jpg Image:25 to Life 2.jpg Image:25 to life 3.jpg

External links

2006 computer and video games | PlayStation 2 games | Windows games | Xbox games | Eidos Interactive games Controversial computer and video games

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