Atari Gets Tagged

ASTORIA, N.Y., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- New York City Council Member Peter F. Vallone, Chair of the Public Safety Committee and leader of the fight against graffiti, has called for Atari to scrap plans to release a graffiti based video game that is described as "a groundbreaking graffiti game play system, designed to sharpen your skills as you tag with aerosol spray cans, rollers, markers, stickers and stencils."

"From what Atari's putting out, it appears they want to make crime exciting and to teach children how to get away with breaking the law," stated Vallone, a former prosecutor. "I'm just glad they aren't giving out cans of spray paint with this game."

"I think irresponsible corporations like Atari must get the message loud and clear, we don't want them supporting criminals and punks and if they do we won't support them."

Atari has announced that they plan on releasing "Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure" in September 2005. In this game players are encouraged to break the law by destroying property and hiding from the police. Vallone is threatening a boycott of Atari if they decide to release this irresponsible game.

"I think Atari will soon learn that they are going to be a 'Company Under Pressure,'" threatened Vallone.

Vallone recently blasted Time Magazine for promoting graffiti by displaying a gigantic billboard with various art and tags by infamous graffiti artists. One of these vandals Time hired had a long criminal record and was paid over $20,000 for his efforts. Vallone also called on Time to donate at least $20,000 for anti-graffiti and clean up programs throughout New York City. The same criminal that Time Magazine hired is also in this video game as a so-called "mentor" to novices.

"This punk is going to have an awful lot of money to buy spray paint and destroy our city because of two irresponsible corporate neighbors," stated Vallone.

As a result of this recent publicity Vallone's office received numerous calls from a publisher of a graffiti website http://www.animalnewyork.com/, stating that Vallone's name would be tagged throughout the city. The website also provided a link calling Vallone a "punk" and urging people to call his office.

Vallone has doubled the penalties for graffiti and introduced a number of anti-graffiti measures to help fight this quality of life crime. He recently drafted legislation banning the possession of spray paint and other graffiti tools by anyone under 21 years of age.

Over the last few years there has been a rise in graffiti throughout New York City. The Mayor even highlighted this growing quality of life problem in his State of the City, announcing a major graffiti initiative including creating an 80 member NYPD anti-graffiti task force with coordinators in every precinct.

"Graffiti is the classic example of a gateway crime. It lets crime and lawlessness get its ugly foot in the door," stated Vallone.

The following is the text of a letter sent July 18, 2005 from Peter F. Vallone Jr., Chair -- Public Safety Committee of the Council of the City of New York, to Mr. Bruno Bonnell, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer of Atari, Inc., with copies to Mr. Marc Metis, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Atari, Inc., Hon. Eliot Spitzer, Hon. Michael R. Bloomberg, Hon. A. Gifford Miller, Hon. Raymond W. Kelly, Hon. Richard A. Brown, Hon. Robert M. Morgenthau, Hon. Charles J. Hynes, Hon. Robert T. Johnson, and Hon. Daniel M. Donovan, Jr.:

I write concerning your intended release of a video game called "Getting up: Contents Under Pressure" in September 2005. I request that a copy of this game be sent to me so that I may review it. However, based on the advance promotion on your website, it is clear that it would be completely inappropriate for your company to release this "how to manual" for graffiti vandals.

  Your website boasts of the following:

  -- "A groundbreaking graffiti game play system, designed to sharpen your
     skills as you tag with aerosol, rollers, markers, paste, stickers and
     stencils"

  -- "Unique 'intuition' system allowing you to find ideal places to tag"

  -- "Authentic tags from fifty real life graffiti artists six of whom
     appear in game as mentors"

  -- "Sneak mode -- infiltrate areas and avoid capture as you creep
     silently through the city"

  -- "Create tags in pressure situations"

By copy of this letter, I am requesting that our law enforcement authorities also review this with an eye toward determining whether or not it gives specific instructions on how to commit a crime, which has been considered to be "aiding and abetting" in the past.

Interestingly enough, on your own website a debate is occurring between the criminals on one side who believe your game will result in too many novices spraying graffiti over the "tags" of the veterans, and the punks on the other side who believe that any game that promotes graffiti is a good game. What a wonderful debate you have sponsored! I hope you are very proud of the contribution you have already made to society.

We here in New York City are working diligently to stamp out this scourge of graffiti. I have written legislation which doubles the jail time for these criminals, and a second offense can now result in up to one year in jail. You are personally encouraging children to deface neighborhoods, break the law, and wind up behind bars. This is an appalling lack of responsibility on your part. If Atari sees fit to profit from criminality, then I will ensure that all law-abiding parents and citizens band together and refuse to allow this or any other Atari product in their homes. If this game is released, it will prove beyond all doubt that there is no depth to which a corporation such as yours will sink in search of profit.