By RON HARRIS, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 31 minutes ago
SAN FRANCISCO - The video game industry on Wednesday changed to adults-only the rating of "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," a best-selling game in which explicit sexual content can be unlocked with an Internet download.
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The decision followed intense pressure from politicians and media watch groups, and retailers reacted swiftly — Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. said they would immediately pull all copies from their store shelves nationwide.
The game's producer, Rockstar Games, said it stopped making the current version and would provide new labels to any retailer willing to keep selling the games, which had been rated "M" for mature. The company also will offer a downloadable patch to fix the sex issue in PC versions, and is working on a new, more secure version, to be rated "M."
Rockstar's parent company, New York-based Take Two Interactive Software Inc., also admitted for the first time that the sex scenes had been built into the retail version of that game — not just the PC version but also those written for
Xbox and
PlayStation2 consoles.
Company officials had previously suggested that a modification created by outsiders added the scenes.
Take-Two spokesman Jim Ankner acknowledged in an Associated Press interview that the questioned scenes were created by Rockstar programmers. "The editing and finalization of any game is a complicated task and it's not uncommon for unused and unfinished content to remain on the disc," he said.
In a statement, the president of the Entertainment Software Rating Board said the sex scenes were programmed by Rockstar "to be inaccessible to the player."
But ESRB chief Patricia Vance also acknowledged that the "credibility and utility" of the industry-run board's initial "M" rating had been "seriously undermined."
Many retailers sell "M" rated games, which "may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older," according to the Entertainment Software Rating Board, but won't sell "AO"-labeled games at all.
"Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" was last year's top console game, selling more than 5.1 million copies in the U.S. after its October release, according to market analyst NPD Group. Xbox and PC versions were released last month.
Take-Two said net sales could drop by more than $50 million this quarter, and lowered its financial expectations for the year to set aside funds for returns of the games. Guidance was reduced to $1.05 to $1.12 per share on $1.26 billion to $1.31 billion in sales from a prior estimate of $1.40 to $1.47 per share and sales of $1.3 billion to $1.35 billion.
Shares of Take-Two rose 12 cents to close at $27.07 on the Nasdaq, but later dropped $1.81, or 6.7 percent, to $25.26 in after-hours activity after falling more than 11 percent when the decision was announced. The stock has traded between $19.26 and $29.60 over the past year.
The rating change is vindication for Patrick Wildenborg, the Dutch programmer who developed the "hot coffee" modification and made downloads freely available on the Internet. Wildenborg had told the AP that his "mod" merely allowed the user to gain access to pre-existing content in game.
Such "mods" are wildly popular among the hardcore gaming community, and have been shown to extend the retail longevity of games like "Half-Life," which is still sold years after its first release because of a popular "Counter-Strike" mod that allows for detailed counter-terrorist shoot'em-up action.
Take-Two president Paul Eibeler said in a statement that "the decision to re-rate a game based on an unauthorized third party modification presents a new challenge for parents, the interactive entertainment industry and anyone who distributes or consumes digital content."
The developments did little to appease Sen. Hilary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, who applauded the ESRB investigation but remained disturbed that the sex content appeared on store shelves in the first place.
"Apparently the sexual material was embedded in the game. The company admitted that," Clinton said. "But the fact remains that the company gamed the ratings system."
Clinton has asked the Federal Trade Commission to investigate, and said the ESRB must do more to police content.
"I think that the rating board has to be vigilant and really make sure that it's as thorough as it can be and not just take the game makers' word as to what's on there," Clinton said.
Best Buy echoed that, saying it hopes its decision to stop selling the game will "send a strong message to game developers encouraging full cooperation with the ESRB."
The Parents Television Council, one of several media watchdogs that have criticized Rockstar and the ESRB, called on the game publisher to voluntarily recall the game and offer refunds to purchasers. Instead, Rockstar has agreed to exchange unsold inventory with new, "M" rated versions that "have the hidden content removed," the ESRB said.
"I tip my cap to that first step of showing responsibility," said Tim Winter, the council's executive director. "Phase two needs to be absolutely getting to the bottom of this coding issue. How did it get into that game? How did it get past the ratings board?"
I'm going to buy that game tomorrow. I think I've waited long enough. Hope Gamestop hasn't pulled them yet
If it isn't in any stores they can't. If you go to bestbuy.com and put in GTA, it brings up all results, but the page for each San Andreas has been deleted completely. If Rockstar holds back on the GTA in the next-gen consoles, I'm going to be PISSED. I'm not going to pay $50+ for an EDITED TO SHIT game because Hillary Clinton is a LITTLE bit pissy.
Wal-Mart, (no shock), Target, and Best Buy pulled it from their shelves, now you'd have to go to Toys R Us and smaller stores I guess. I hope San Andreas still sells platinum and be the most successful GTA ever just to spit in Hillary Clinton's face.
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I dunno who they think they're "Sparing" from the adult only crap.. most of the people who wanted san andreas had it since midnight the day before its release.. not to mention most of them will never see hot coffee mod since they're little kids who dont know how to hax0r their ps2
What do you expect. Its not Clinton's fault that Rockstar decided to put something like that in a videogame, even if it takes awhile to do it. Its still there. What do you expect Clinton to do?
Rockstar isnt going to hold back on the next GTA, they just wont include any sex, like this cheat code has. Oh well, I find that Hot Coffee rather stupid because I dont get off from pixelated boobs.
well.. considering most of the kids who havent seen it.. or werent allowed to.. got a nice glimpse on gametrailers.com for free without even having to own the game.. and yes pixeled boobies are dumb
plus that dude was fully clothed.. so basically he was dry humping her which doesnt exactly equate to porn
Gender: Male Location: Chaos.
There can only be CHAOS!
Alright, went on a little run. I went to one of the local malls, where a Gamestop, EB Games, KB Toys, and FYE are. All had it pulled, except for EB Games, where you had to be 18 to buy it now (I'm 17 ) Went to Best Buy and Circuit City, had it pulled. I go into Wal-Mart and... it wasn't pulled. I try to buy it, and it rings up as "can not sell." The guy working there had no clue what was going on, but as the thing said, they couldn't sell it, so I didn't get it then. I'm hopefully on my way to the local Strawberries music store to see if they've got it. And if not, to Newbury Comics. And if not, then E-bay. Because I've waited too damned long to try and get this game
Yeah, I heard about this yesterday when I was at Gamestop. My friend works their and told me about it, I was floored. Hopefully this will just allow AO games to be sold in major retailers and will allow Rockstar to put whatever the hell they want into the game.
Could we see virtual rape in the next GTA game? Here's hoping.
It's not IN the game, some nerd found it in the internet, and then they made a MODIFER that you can download and it plays on the Ps2, XBox & PC versions. Without the modifer there is no change, which is why I don't see why Hillary is being so retarded about it.
I say we buy a store of all it's copies, and sell it on the street to teenagers!
__________________ Feel free to shop at any T.J.Maxx other than mine.
You can only see it to begin with with the modifier downloadable online, you can't see it at all without it.
Also most people who didn't want it for Ps2, probably grabbed it as soon as it came out for PC & XBox. Now I'm going to buy it for PC, so I can play it on my future laptop, and have an AO only game and give rockstar more money!
__________________ Feel free to shop at any T.J.Maxx other than mine.
Come on, you know that would be a landmark for gaming, and it would generate so much word of mouth, it would be insane. And it would be a great way to spite Clinton for making such shitty decisions.
Gender: Male Location: Chaos.
There can only be CHAOS!
Good point.
I finally got a copy, the local Strawberrie's apparently is oblivious about the pull, they didn't even check my ID to make sure I was 17. They just said not to shoot anyone in real life, only in the game. Then I was given advice on how to stab a hooker
But after I told them about the pull, and I mentioned Gamestop, which is about eight stores down, they were pretty floored too. I was going to be waiting for the game to go on sale, or reach Greatest Hits status before I was going to get it, but that's obviously not going to happen before the edit. And I wasn't going to pay for an edited game. Plus, now I have the forbidden game.
i've just read that the rating system is under scrutiny.... its cleary the parents who should be scrutinsed. i've seen parents but this game for ten year olds. makes me disgusted. why should video games be just for kids? games is a moniker, they are interactive entertainment, they're films that you play. just kill every parent who buys it for their little kids. that'll teach em
KMC Community Forums
GTA San Andreas: Rating Changed from M to AO
Jul 21st, 2005 04:46 AM
) Went to Best Buy and Circuit City, had it pulled. I go into Wal-Mart and... it wasn't pulled. I try to buy it, and it rings up as "can not sell." The guy working there had no clue what was going on, but as the thing said, they couldn't sell it, so I didn't get it then. I'm hopefully on my way to the local Strawberries music store to see if they've got it. And if not, to Newbury Comics. And if not, then E-bay. Because I've waited too damned long to try and get this game 
