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.
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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
What "war on terror?" What are you talking about? We've got a "sexually explicit" game here!!! Hrumpf! Hrumpf!
She wasn't too concerned about Bill's sexually explicit acts in the oval office, was she... LoL!
I guess AJ getting a hummer is what got her all worked up.
If Roxio knew this would happen, they would have made AJ's girlfriends look like Monica.
The war on terror is never more important to a Democrat than scoring cheap political points, you should know that.
I can only guess what you mean about AJ getting a hummer. ROTFL!!! Is it a full size hummer or one of those new hummer 3s? You're talking to an old geezer here. ROTFL!!
Prayers for you sons.....
And thanks for the reply. I certainly knew what my boys were watching, listening to and playing. They weren't always happy about it, but too bad.....they turned out nice. lol
Yes, that's the problem. There should be no investigation in the game because adults like us are able to buy it. However, parents would discover that the games that the children play are "violent" and "dirty" because they did not take their time to look at the game just for a minute to determine if it's suitable for their kids to play.
Then the parents will "demand" the government to do something about it. This kind of mentality is common in socialist havens like in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Are you talking about Grand Theft Auto or the 2nd Clinton Administration?
I got mine at Walmart and was ID'd because of the M rating. When Doom 3 came out, I watched as two kids, they couldn't have been but eight and ten, run up and grab the game. The "father" didn't object a bit other than to the small amount of time the boys were taking to look over the cover. He evidently didn't care what they got so long as they hurried up and didn't take any more of his time.
LoL!
Well, unlike GTA, the Clinton's immorality was on public television for all our children to see.
"Gentlemen, we have to protect our phony balony jobs here!"
I just got the game so I stuck in SO CAL LOL or already that at
I wish I was in Frisco part of the game
The sex scene is probably the most benign part of the game!
We should be talking about how the game glorifies shooting cops, stealing cars, and beating up hookers.
The Senate IS starting to look and sound like something out of a Mel Brooks movie isn't it?
Exactly. So the game doesn't "teach" any more violence than you already would do.
Excuse me, I'm off to walk the parapet.
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