Dial M for Media Pressure
Rockstar Games is being forced to change the rating on their best
seller: GTA San Andreas to an Adults Only rating, up from Mature (M)
after weeks of pressure from the media, parental groups and politicians
stemming from a game hack that allowed the player to play sexually
explicit mini-games.
After several investigations by various organizations, the ESRB
(entertainment software ratings board) determined that the content
wasn’t created by a third party, but instead exists in every version of
the game, but only playable on the PC.
“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). 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.”
Rockstar Games has
promised to distribute a new version of the game and offered retailers
new packaging should they wish to continue selling the current version.
As a result, Rockstar and Take Two Interactive have adjusted their
fiscal predictions, cutting nearly 40 million from their projected
earnings.
Ouch.
