[ThirdMarioBro]

GTA: San Andreas Rating Revoked July 20, 2005

by: Larry McCormick

BREAKING: The ESRB has issued a formal statement revoking the M-rating of Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.

UPDATE: Wednesday, July 20th, 2005 @ 7:34 PM
Advanced Media can confirm that the retail sector is indeed following the ESRB direction to remove Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from shelves for all platforms.

AMN staff happened to be visiting one GameStop at the same time employees were told to "stop selling" copies of GTA: San Andreas. "We've been told to not sell the game until further notice is given," said the store manager.

An EB Games store, however, was unaware of any plans to pull the game. A Wal-Mart store has not yet pulled the title, but does have a policy of not selling AO-rated games.

Best Buy, on the other hand has pulled the game from shelves and put out an official statement to announce that it has pulled Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas both online and in stores.

In compliance with our policy not to carry adult-only (AO) games, Best Buy is immediately taking steps to remove all copies of the now AO-rated game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" from all of our North American stores. Earlier today, the ESRB adjusted the game's rating from Mature (M) to AO. We also have stopped selling the game on bestbuy.com, bestbuy.ca and futureshop.ca. This decision applies to both the game console and PC formats. Our decision reflects the commitment we have to our customers to help them make informed decisions. Best Buy is a strong proponent of the ESRB ratings system. We will continue to work with them to ensure that the ratings system is a meaningful way to help customers make educated video game purchases. With our decision to stop selling "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,"we hope to send a strong message to game developers encouraging full cooperation with the ESRB.

We'll keep you updated.

ORIGINAL STORY
The "Hot Coffee" controversy has continued to percolate, leading to a very extreme measure. The ESRB said last week they would investigate whether or not the retail versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas contained all the data to render sexually explicit scenes that were discovered in the PC version by a mod author, who claimed all he did was create a mod that unlocked content already in the game.

The ESRB has concluded its investigation and issued a press release just a short while ago, which we present to you in its entirety:


ESRB CONCLUDES INVESTIGATION INTO GRAND THEFT AUTO: SAN ANDREAS; REVOKES M (MATURE) RATING

NEW YORK – The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) today announced the findings of its investigation into the "Hot Coffee" modification for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and its immediate revocation of the game' M (Mature 17+) rating1. The game's publisher, Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., will immediately advise retailers to cease all sales of the game until corrective actions, as mandated by the ESRB, can be taken.

"After a thorough investigation, we have concluded that sexually explicit material exists in a fully rendered, unmodified form on the final discs of all three platform versions of the game (i.e., PC CD-ROM, Xbox and PS2)," said Patricia Vance, president of the ESRB. "However, the material was programmed by Rockstar to be inaccessible to the player and they have stated that it was never intended to be made accessible. The material can only be accessed by downloading a software patch, created by an independent third party without Rockstar's permission, which is now freely available on the internet and through console accessories. Considering the existence of the undisclosed and highly pertinent content on the final discs, compounded by the broad distribution of the third party modification, the credibility and utility of the initial ESRB rating has been seriously undermined."

In addition to directing retailers to cease all sales of the game, Rockstar has agreed to take the following ESRB-mandated corrective actions:

• Offer retailers the option of either re-stickering existing inventory with an AO (Adults Only 18+) rating, or exchanging all unsold inventory for new versions of the game that has the hidden content removed and the original M rating intact.

• Make a downloadable patch available to all consumers who have previously purchased the PC version of the game, which will make the modification that unlocks the material inoperable. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was originally released with an M (Mature 17+) rating with Strong Sexual Content, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Blood and Gore, and Use of Drugs.

Going forward, the ESRB will now require all game publishers to submit any pertinent content shipped in final product even if is not intended to ever be accessed during game play, or remove it from the final disc. Furthermore, the ESRB calls on the computer and video game industry to proactively protect their games from illegal modifications by third parties, particularly when they serve to undermine the accuracy of the rating.

"The integrity of the ESRB rating system rests upon its accuracy and reliability, and we will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect the public's trust in it. Independent research confirms that the overwhelming majority of consumers find ESRB ratings to be an effective tool to help make informed purchase decisions," continued Ms. Vance. "We encourage every parent to always check the ratings before bringing games home for their families, and to actively monitor what their children play."

About Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) is a non-profit, self-regulatory body established in 1994 by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). ESRB independently assigns ratings, enforces advertising guidelines, and helps ensure responsible online privacy practices for the interactive entertainment software industry.

source: ESRB Official Statement



Rockstar left that in because they knew someone would find it and stir up conterversy for them. Bet they didn't know this was going to happen though.