Grand Theft Auto for PS3 to be super duper violent (just a dumb rumor) [Update 1]

[Update: this is just an unsubstantiated rumor that enthusiast site GTASanAn does a good job of debunking. There is no reason to believe that anybody has any hard information about the next version of Grand Theft Auto.]

Word is that the next version of Grand Theft Auto to be released on the PlayStation 3 console is expected to feature even more realistic violence, according to website Scotsman.com.

Now, we're all for baiting ridiculous politicians into taking increasingly ridiculous (and increasingly inconsistent) positions on the issue of sex and violence in games, but we're a little puzzled by what, exactly, "realistic" means when applied to video game violence. In all likelihood, Rockstar will simply be adding more polygons to smooth out the dated look of the GTA series, and to that we say, "it's about time."

But let's not call the game more realistic just because some programmers and artists upped polygon counts. GTA is not a murder simulator as some critics have alleged. It's an interactive fantasy. Increasing fidelity of graphical depiction of violence brings gaming closer to Saving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down or Three Kings (or any other fantasy violence).