GTA IV Angers New York Mayor

The Big Apple is in for another round of moral policing!

After the campaign against Kruger's 'iPod oblivion,' comes the ire of New York politicos over Rockstar's eagerly awaited 'Grand Theft Auto IV,' whose first trailer was released late last week.

The trailer features a fictional 'Liberty City,' the same as in the much violent prequel, GTA III. However, the look and feel of the simulated city is very much like that of New York. Even the buildings - some of them - look like - the Statue of Liberty or the Brooklyn Bridge or the Empire State Building.

No doubt, gamers are excited about the kind of violence Rockstar is promising in its sequel. But New York officials are not in the least amused...

Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, voiced the view that he does not support any video game where gamers earn points for injuring or killing cops.

Police Commissioner, Raymond Kelly, added he does not care where the game is set, but that its despicable to glamorize violence in games such as these, regardless of how far-fetched the setting might be.

Meanwhile, City Councilman and Chairperson of the Council's Public Safety Committee, Peter Vallone, made a cryptic comment that setting Grand Theft Auto in the 'safest big city in America' (read: New York) would be like setting Halo in Disneyland.

All said, Rockstar expects to release its already controversial Grand Theft Auto IV sometime in October 2007.