GTA: SA Gets booted from store shelves

[Jonatello]

http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/050720/205870.html

I think this is bad for the game because most stores refuse to sell AO rated games

[愛]

I think the game deserves it. I broke down and played it, and it's some vulgar sh*t. Like, even I blushed. The N word and F word are ALL over the place. And now with this mod, it just feels right to give it the Adult Only rating.

[Mikey the Party Turtle]

Meh. The game's already sold millions upon millions of copies.

[damnhooligan]

Originally Posted by Mikey the Party Turtle

Meh. The game's already sold millions upon millions of copies.

Yeah, this rating revision is a bit late. I seriously doubt if any of the execs are sweating this. Though it'll make them think twice when it comes to what they'll allow for the next GTA games.

But making it AO primarily because of an unauthorized modification is ********.

[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.

[Weapon X]

Ok, this sucks.

[愛]

Oh well. Life goes on, as always.

[Jester]

Quick question though: Is the game rating system totally accurate anyway...I mean why should the last 2 TMNT games have a "T for Teen" rating??

[ThirdMarioBro]

Because it has weapons, and we all know old people who rate games don't like weapons.

I think this'll all blow over. It's just gonna be messy for awhile though.The rating will probobly be restored after Rockstar removes th mini-game from the code.

[愛]

Yeah, and think about all the hentai games you can download online. They never have any ratings on them.....who said that?

[ThirdMarioBro]

threads merged

[Mecha Cow]

I think this is pretty funny actually. Shows that even GTA can only go so far. Come on, this was bound to happen eventually.

As said, this revoking is pretty pointless anyway, so might as well have a laugh about it.

[Spitfire]

AO ratings wont stop kids from buying it. Game stores will still have it and if a parent will buy a kid an M game after the cleark tells them it's an M game then what's an AO rating going to do? **** that's what. I don't mind though, I mean if they start giving games AO ratings. I always expected GTA to be the first anyways so good job GTA, your games still bore me.

Anyways I'm 17, I believe AO games can be bought by a 18 year old. I highly doubt I'll be wanting any AO games but by the time game companies start making them more often I'll be old enough to buy them. And unless Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, and Metal Gear Solid go AO I doubt I'll ever have to

[愛]

I'm 20, so I can buy any game I want. This has no impact on me, but if they intend on sticking with this decision, then sales will most definitely be hurt. But then again, the M rated game might be rare someday, and people will be willing to pay a lot of money for it. I dunno, though, and frankly, I don't care.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by Ai Takahashi

I'm 20, so I can buy any game I want. This has no impact on me, but if they intend on sticking with this decision, then sales will most definitely be hurt. But then again, the M rated game might be rare someday, and people will be willing to pay a lot of money for it. I dunno, though, and frankly, I don't care.

Yeah I'm wayyyyy to lazy to buy a M rated copy of the game real quick before the AO version comes out. It won't be worth squat because every butthole on Ebay will have it and they will all go for 50 or more I bet....like the RE games on GC. And I'm way to lazy to sell it anyways. I just don't care. Like VIce City, I have a uncensored copy but you can't tell >_> <_< This game has sold so many copies that it will never be rare with an M rating

[Tetsu Deinonychus]

The curiousity is getting to me. What exactly is so bad about this modification? (PM me if it's too dirty)

[愛]

I love pushing boundaries.

From what I understand, there's various missions throughout the game where you get girlfriends, and if you satisfy them enough, they'll take you to their house for "some coffee." Then you'll see a camera view of the house and you'll hear moanings and the like. What the "hot coffee" mod does is it lets you see what's going on inside the house. And since it's a mini-game, you can rotate the camera, and even change sexual positions. That's what's got everyone and their mother upset.

[Spitfire]

You forgot to mention you press the action button to spank her or do other such sexual things to raise her excitment meater until...well you know <_<

[ThirdMarioBro]

Yeah, and you also have to push buttons in beat in rythm with the pumping to get the excitement bar to raise.

Oh, and don't waste your time buying the junk for rariety's sake. 6 million + copies is no collector's item by any means. Ikaruga or Chrono trigger, now that'll be worth $$$ in a few years.

*edit*

and so it continues...
____________________
Take Two In Hot Water? July 22, 2005

by: Larry McCormick

The 'Hot Coffee' fiasco may have further reaching implications than it first appeared.

"Hot Coffee" has cost Take Two dearly already. Shortly after the M - Mature ESRB rating of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was revoked and the game was slapped with the dreaded AO - Adults Only rating, several retailers announced that the title had been immediately pulled off of store shelves, mostly to stay in policy by not selling adult software. Take-Two reported that it expected the situation would cost them about $40 million.

The big concern right now, according to an article on GamesIndustry.biz is that Take Two has yet to implement any kind of return program for consumers who already purchased the game. A whopping 12 million copies of San Andreas are already in gamers' hands and there is concern that FTC will step in and that Take Two could even face a class action lawsuit.

Aside from those obvious problems, there may be other questions regarding stock sales by Take Two insiders. The COO of the company, Gary Lewis, sold 20,000 shares on July 13th and is seeking to sell an additional 40,000... an action he filed for on July 19th. It's possible that the Securities and Exchange Commission may investigate those and other trades.

AMN will be following the "Hot Coffee" fallout and report on new developments as soon as we are able.
source: GamesIndiustry.

___________________

Take Two is soooo gonna be on Rock Star's ass. We all know this was a publicity stunt, but with the Federal Trades Commission possibly sueing them, ohhhh man. This is bad. The gavernment is trying to step in and legislate gaming again, and not the flood gates have opened.
___________________
July 23, 2005

by: Matt Saunderson

Former "Censor of the Year" Jack Thompson calls the content in The Sims 2 "worse than Hot Coffee."

Miami, Florida-based Attorney Jack Thompson, a former ACLU "Censor of the Year," has lashed out yet again at another videogame with objectionable content. This time, Thompson isn’t targeting the violence of Manhunt or an Adults Only title like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, though. Thompson is going after EA's The Sims 2, a T-rated title.

In a statement today, Thompson called out The Sims 2 for having pornographic content, including full frontal nudity. "[The] Sims 2... contains... full frontal nudity, including nipples, penises, labia, and pubic hair," Thompson said.

Of course, those who have actually played the game know that any part of The Sims, which is a life-simulation game, involving nudity is blurred out, so that there is no actual nudity in the game. Thompson, however, cites a cheat code that can remove the blur that covers up any "private parts." "The nudity placed there by the publisher/maker, Electronic Arts, is accessed by the use of a simple code that removes what is called 'the blur' which obscures the genital areas. In other words, the game was released to the public by the manufacturer knowing that the full frontal nudity was resident on the game and would be accessed by use of a simple code widely provided on the Internet," Thompson said in his statement.

Thompson went as far as to claim that The Sims 2 is delighting pedophiles with child pornography. He said that the nudity of the Sim kids is, "much to the delight... of pedophiles around the globe who can rehearse, in virtual reality, for their abuse."

Thompson, however, appears to be wrong in his allegations of full frontal nudity, or the appearance of "nipples, penises, labia, and pubic hair." When the cheat is used to lift the blur in The Sims 2, all that appears is a mannequin-esque smooth body, according to EA. "This is nonsense. We've reviewed 100 percent of the content. There is no content [that is] inappropriate for a teen audience. Players never see a nude Sim. If someone with an extreme amount of expertise and time were to remove the pixels, they would see that the Sims have no genitals. They appear like [Mattel dolls] Ken and Barbie," Jeff Brown, Vice President of Corporate Communications for EA told GameSpot.

Thompson's response to EA: "The sex and the nudity are in the game. That's the point. The blur is an admission that even the 'Ken and Barbie' features should not be displayed. The blur can be disarmed. This is no different than what is in San Andreas, although worse."

Interestingly, confronted with the truth, Thompson came out and said that he is aware that the blur is only removed by certain mods and cheats, but still blames EA. "Electronic Arts has done nothing about this," Thompson said, adding that EA is, "cooperating, gleefully, with the mod community to turn Sims 2 into a porn offering."

We'll keep you updated.
source: GameSpot
_______________________

Now every single game on the market is gonna get nailed left and right for this sh*t. Goodie.

[The Stryker]

Great next thing you know they'll be getting on Donkey Kong for not wearing Pants