• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

House Seeks Probe of Grand Theft Auto

Dissipate

Dissipate

Diamond Member
House Seeks Probe of 'Grand Theft Auto'

Lawmakers Say Video Game Skirts Ratings System

By JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ, AP

WASHINGTON (July 26) - 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.
Click to expand...

Text

Have these politicians nothing better to do? The company is already changing the rating of the game, retailers are pulling the copies that have the sex scenes in them, and the company is coming out with a new version that doesn't have the sex scenes. Furthermore, the difference between the 'Mature' rating and the 'Adult Only' rating is only ONE year from 17 to 18. The outrage, the outrage! 😕
 
Maybe these people need to consider some important aspects of American Life and quit worrying about video games. I dont have this game simply because I dont like the concept of stealing cars and shooting cops. Many video games like the scantily clad females option and hidden extras. It is kind of a cheap thrill. But you can do the same thing with a barbie doll.
 
Yeah, I bet all those dirty dogs on capitol hill would like to "probe" it. Probe it good. . .oh yeah. . .that's it! Probe it! Probe it harder! Yeah Yeah!

errr. . ahem. . .Oh. .yes this game must be destroyed it is EVIL!! Now if you'll excuse me I have to get back to my "probe." Please shut the door on your way out.
 
I still don't really see the big deal.

I mean, if it can be proved that Rockstar went out of their way to circumvent the ratings system by knowingly releasing the game with easily accessible adult content to generate more sales, shouldn't they be punished?

the rating system itself is questionable, but that doesn't seem to be the issue here.
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
I still don't really see the big deal.

I mean, if it can be proved that Rockstar went out of their way to circumvent the ratings system by knowingly releasing the game with easily accessible adult content to generate more sales, shouldn't they be punished?

the rating system itself is questionable, but that doesn't seem to be the issue here.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they didn't "go out of their way." They were probably just too lazy to take out the offending code when the legal department wouldn't let the game out the door with the adult content in there. They probably just "commented out" the offending section of code and recompiled it so the part wasn't playable. They cannot be held responsible for the actions of the hacker who discovered it but it was a little lazy and irresponsible to leave that in there if they really didn't want it found. That leads to the supposition that suppose they did leave it in there intentionally as an "easter egg" of sorts? Whatever the case, they should have completely removed the offending code if they REALLY didn't want somebody to find it.
 
Originally posted by: zendari
TNDO. The New Democratic Order. Headed by Hillary and Joe Lieberman.
Click to expand...

Indeed. Except that of the 21 congressmen who voted against this silly decision, 19 were Democrats while only 2 were Republicans. But don't let that stop you 😀

That being said, I think this IS an issue. Hiding content isn't the same thing as not having it at all, and games should be rated fairly on ALL their content. Still, I'm not sure congress needs to be getting their panties in a bunch over this.
 
Originally posted by: ahurtt
Originally posted by: loki8481
I still don't really see the big deal.

I mean, if it can be proved that Rockstar went out of their way to circumvent the ratings system by knowingly releasing the game with easily accessible adult content to generate more sales, shouldn't they be punished?

the rating system itself is questionable, but that doesn't seem to be the issue here.
Click to expand...

I'm sure they didn't "go out of their way." They were probably just too lazy to take out the offending code when the legal department wouldn't let the game out the door with the adult content in there. They probably just "commented out" the offending section of code and recompiled it so the part wasn't playable. They cannot be held responsible for the actions of the hacker who discovered it but it was a little lazy and irresponsible to leave that in there if they really didn't want it found. That leads to the supposition that suppose they did leave it in there intentionally as an "easter egg" of sorts? Whatever the case, they should have completely removed the offending code if they REALLY didn't want somebody to find it.
Click to expand...

Lazy or not its still negligent to release a game with adult content code and fail to disclose that. If the code had been "commented out" it would not have appeared in the program. Commented sections of code are removed during the compile.
 
Reminds me of the scene from -Blazing Saddles-

Mel Brooks aka The Governor- "Gentlemen! We've got to protect our phony-baloney jobs! Harump! Harump!"
 
Originally posted by: loki8481
I still don't really see the big deal.

I mean, if it can be proved that Rockstar went out of their way to circumvent the ratings system by knowingly releasing the game with easily accessible adult content to generate more sales, shouldn't they be punished?

the rating system itself is questionable, but that doesn't seem to be the issue here.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't be, but it ultimately might be just the start of what really is "the issue here." The Janet Jackson superbowl fiasco is an easy enough example of how these things tend to play out. Few, at the time, would have argued against taking appropriate action against anyone who was directly involved in a plan to deliberately show nudity during the halftime show. And had it stopped there, all would have been find in most of our minds. But it didn't stop with Janet Jackson and/or the producers, then, and it won't stop with Rockstar/TakeTwo, now.

Instead, this will help a bunch of people with reactionary views (and those who choose to represent their interests) about gaming/entertainment to force their agendas and their views not only about "decency," but about "morality," on the rest of us. It'll go from being about the hot coffee mod in GTA:SA to being a crusade against any game with themes that offend certain sensibilities. And to some extent, it's all but inevitable that this is how it will play out.

Games like Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude and Playboy: the Mansion (which, btw, contains content that isn't much different from that which caused this uproar) will be the easy first step... and its debateable whether or not they should be. How can one ban one and not the other, after all. And what about television, and cable, and the movies? Why are racy scenes and simulations of sex acts impermissable, after all, in rated M games, and yet permitted in rated R movies? Why should they be broadcast into our homes, and potentially to impressionable young children, via network shows and, even worse, cable and satellite?

Think all this is far-fetched and beyond the scope of censors? Kevin Martin doesn't think so. And if you don't know who that is, then you should... because if you think the FCC overdid it with their reaction to the Janet Jackson incident under Michael Powell's, wait til you hear how Martin wants/plans to handle things.

The point is, loki8481, many (perhaps most) of us who are concerned about all this are not worried primarily about GTA:SA or even Rockstar/TakeTwo. They, ultimately, will be driven primarily by what sells. And if the public is upset by this and their retailers are, as well, then they're in trouble regardless of what legislative actions are taken. What concerns many of us is that we've seen how little such inquiries tend to have to do with specifics and how much they tend to be about the forced promotion of ideologies. To quote Oscar Wilde on the matter: "Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live."

Just my two cents on the matter,

cumhail
 
Originally posted by: cumhail
Originally posted by: loki8481
I still don't really see the big deal.

I mean, if it can be proved that Rockstar went out of their way to circumvent the ratings system by knowingly releasing the game with easily accessible adult content to generate more sales, shouldn't they be punished?

the rating system itself is questionable, but that doesn't seem to be the issue here.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't be, but it ultimately might be just the start of what really is "the issue here." The Janet Jackson superbowl fiasco is an easy enough example of how these things tend to play out. Few, at the time, would have argued against taking appropriate action against anyone who was directly involved in a plan to deliberately show nudity during the halftime show. And had it stopped there, all would have been find in most of our minds. But it didn't stop with Janet Jackson and/or the producers, then, and it won't stop with Rockstar/TakeTwo, now.

Instead, this will help a bunch of people with reactionary views (and those who choose to represent their interests) about gaming/entertainment to force their agendas and their views not only about "decency," but about "morality," on the rest of us. It'll go from being about the hot coffee mod in GTA:SA to being a crusade against any game with themes that offend certain sensibilities. And to some extent, it's all but inevitable that this is how it will play out.

Games like Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude and Playboy: the Mansion (which, btw, contains content that isn't much different from that which caused this uproar) will be the easy first step... and its debateable whether or not they should be. How can one ban one and not the other, after all. And what about television, and cable, and the movies? Why are racy scenes and simulations of sex acts impermissable, after all, in rated M games, and yet permitted in rated R movies? Why should they be broadcast into our homes, and potentially to impressionable young children, via network shows and, even worse, cable and satellite?

Think all this is far-fetched and beyond the scope of censors? Kevin Martin doesn't think so. And if you don't know who that is, then you should... because if you think the FCC overdid it with their reaction to the Janet Jackson incident under Michael Powell's, wait til you hear how Martin wants/plans to handle things.

The point is, loki8481, many (perhaps most) of us who are concerned about all this are not worried primarily about GTA:SA or even Rockstar/TakeTwo. They, ultimately, will be driven primarily by what sells. And if the public is upset by this and their retailers are, as well, then they're in trouble regardless of what legislative actions are taken. What concerns many of us is that we've seen how little such inquiries tend to have to do with specifics and how much they tend to be about the forced promotion of ideologies. To quote Oscar Wilde on the matter: "Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live."

Just my two cents on the matter,

cumhail
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. The real issue, as I see it, is in establishing the idea that groups of "concerned citizens" can censor anything they happen to not like. Rationally, this debate is stupid. NOBODY I've ever heard comment on GTA:SA is concerned about 17 year olds playing it, even with the sex stuff enabled. Logically, since 17 year olds are supposed to be the only ones buying it, there is no issue. Everybody asking us to "think of the children" needs to remember that "the children" aren't supposed to be playing this game in the first place.

But like most censorship issues, people aren't thinking or acting rationally. This isn't about keeping overly violent and/or sexual video games out of the hands of children, this is about keeping violent and sexual video games out of EVERYBODY's hands. Like I said, nobody who's making a big stink about GTA:SA and others seems to care about 17 year olds, but almost all of them don't seem to like the game at all, regardless of ages. This to me says quite a bit.
 
Originally posted by: Dissipate
House Seeks Probe of 'Grand Theft Auto'

Lawmakers Say Video Game Skirts Ratings System

By JUAN-CARLOS RODRIGUEZ, AP

WASHINGTON (July 26) - 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.
Click to expand...

Text

Have these politicians nothing better to do? The company is already changing the rating of the game, retailers are pulling the copies that have the sex scenes in them, and the company is coming out with a new version that doesn't have the sex scenes. Furthermore, the difference between the 'Mature' rating and the 'Adult Only' rating is only ONE year from 17 to 18. The outrage, the outrage! 😕
Click to expand...


what the fvck is wrong with this country
 
Originally posted by: Stunt
I bet this nudity issue is putting GTA:SA sales through the roof.
Click to expand...

as well as action replays to unlock them (well for the ps2 and xbox version I beleive)

Stupid legislation, stupid bureacracy, and stupid parents who let their kids buy any game they see
 
Most computer games have content floating around in their resource files that didn't make the final cut. This is nothing new, I highly doubt Rockstar stuck this content in there with the intent of it being found - far more likely that they just neglected to scrub it out, the PC version is a shoddy, hastily made port in many ways. They should have known the content would be found and a hack like this released though.

As for Hillary, she can join the other nanny-gov't morons on my sh!tlist like Loserman and Tipper Gore (not a politician, but I remember that PMRC garbage she started, I wrote a paper on that horsecrap back in high school). I think Hillary's stench is too strong to put me in her camp if she gets the nom in '08.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top