True Crime: NYC Targeted By NYPD Commissioner News

With the Hot Coffee â??scandalâ?? dieing down it was only a matter of time until another videogame was identified by high-powered officials and derided in the media. This week, itâ??s the turn of Activisionâ??s True Crime: New York City. In an announcement to the New York newspaper â??Daily Newsâ??, NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly condemns the forthcoming title commenting that, â??"I think it disrespects all police officers and it's done in extremely poor taste as wellâ?¦It's totally inappropriate. It's a tough job, a dangerous job, and this undermines what police officers try to doâ?¦I'm saddened that even some former members of the department are linked to that video game."

The key â??former memberâ?? in question is Technical Adviser on the game, retired Detective Bill Clark whoâ??s also worked on the hit TV series NYPD Blue. As well as defending his role in the development of the game and the title itself Clark said in a telephone interview with the Daily News, "It's a game, not a training video for the NYPD,â? whilst at the same time commenting that NYPD Union officials who also back Commissioner Kelly should be focusing on, "â?¦getting cops more than a $25,000 starting salary."

The whole problem seems to stem from the ability of players to control PDNY (a subtle yet different arrangement of letters) cop Marcus Reed who disregards the need for warrants and other such obstacles â?“ though the fact that gamers can also clean up the otherwise mean streets of New York is ignored by Commissioner Kelly and the fact remains that any such scandal that may or may not arise from this will only serve as free publicity for the gameâ?¦

Weâ??ll have more on True Crime: New York City shortlyâ?¦