Posted on 07/25/2005 5:34:05 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON (AP) - An uproar over hidden, sexually explicit scenes in the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" spread to the halls of Congress on Monday.
On a 355-21 vote, the House passed a resolution asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the game's manufacturer, Rockstar Games, and its parent company, New York-based Take Two Interactive Software Inc.
"If that company purposely hid that information or material to make a sham of the ratings, it is nothing less than deceptive advertising, and should be punished, in this case severely," said Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., last week also asked the FTC to investigate Rockstar. She said the company had "gamed the ratings system" by concealing sex scenes in the game that can be unlocked by computer programs available on the Internet.
Video games usually have layers of content, and sometimes there are hidden areas that can be unlocked with special codes or modifications. A program known as "Hot Coffee" allows players to download the "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" modifications, or "mods," that reveal the dormant scenes.
The game was released last October with an "M," or mature, rating, for players 17 and older. In the wake of a wave of negative publicity about the hidden scenes, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, an industry group responsible for rating games, changed the "M" rating to an "AO" rating, for adults only.
Take Two Interactive initially said the scenes were not part of the retail version of the game, but were created by third parties. Later the company admitted the scenes were contained in its version.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp., Best Buy Co. and Circuit City Stores Inc. have pulled the game - last year's top-seller among console games - from their shelves following the rating change.
Rockstar Games has stopped producing the alterable version of the game and is working on a more secure version that will qualify for an "M" rating.
Take Two Interactive was unreachable by phone for comment.
---
On the Net:
Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov
Entertainment Software Ratings Board: http://www.esrb.org
Take Two Interactive: http://www.take2games.com
get yours now, the decency nazis are out....
While we're at it, let's have the FTC review the Clinton presidency.
NOrm I might be only female that play that game I have admit it is violent
I wouldn't let my five year nephew that game so hey parents have about control what your kids get
This Hillary shift from far leftie to center is a doozie!
She's probably p'd-off no one will give her the password to view the nitty gritty scenes.
I'm so glad our Congressional representatives are paying attention to what's really important.
NOT
HA!!!!
My wife LOVES the first two. I haven't bought this one yet, but I am going too....
Hey, it's easier than guarding the borders. ;)
Whew, glad to see that DC is focused on the issues that are upper most in the minds of all concerned citizens.
I have the game too. Yeah it's violent but same time the parents should have the common sense not to allow their young kids to play it. There's no need to get the government involved.
But then again, parents nowadays are too busy or too lazy to supervise their children properly and depends on the government to do the job for them.
Stop wasting my money and get back to work you slugs
One would think Congress has more pressing business than immersing themselves in the minutiae of what should be nothing more than a civil product disclosure lawsuit. Evidently not.
How bout a review of the ways the FTC wastes our money on asinine studies.
At an opportune time, it allows Hillary be be associated with something of a sexual nature, and we all know, just the mention of sex sells these days.
What I find interesting about the GTA series is that the game can be played without any violence. There are no set levels or storyline. So you can work a simple job and live a "normal" life in the game without ever buying a gun or hitting anybody. Of course it's more fun to have shootouts with cops but the game never requires it.
the game is friggin awesome!!
You know when I bought the game I was in line at Mall I was shock to see kids buy the game
Yeah you are right there are some parents who give the kids their credit card they go to the mall they buy the game
Tell JR whatever you buy is your Birthday wish
Let me see if I understand. Murdering pimps, beating prostitutes to death, stealing cars, evading or killing cops and terrorizing innocents is all fine and good in a game. But crudely animated sex scenes are over the line?
The game is rated "M" for "Mature" for a reason.
"This Hillary shift from far leftie to center is a doozie! "
IMO, she's just shifting farther to the left with this move.
more gov't control over content is by no means a shift to the right.
NORM how I got password for sex scenes my brother did research for me on his home pc so he did search mode on password hey you could find anything at GOOGLE.com LOL!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.