Here's the Video. Now What Rating would You Give GTA SA

[Half Japanese]

I think you're missing the trees for the forest. Sex is a perfectly normal thing (hey, none of us would be here if it weren't for some good ol' fashioned fuckin' would we?) that (most) everyone does in their life. Cop-killing, carjacking, beating your money back out of a hooker isn't generally so commonplace in society. What I think a lot of us are getting at here, is that something that's completely normal is being vilified while violence gets subverted and ignored. I'm not saying take games off the shelves because of violent activity, I'd much rather some loon take out his aggressions on his ps2 than on the streets, I'm saying that what the big debate is about here isn't all that risque. Also, what's there, and I feel like a broken record here, is cheesy, poorly done and pretty crude.

Another thing a lot of people are missing here is that, and it bears repeating, bolding and a big fat highlighter:

THERE IS NO ACTUAL NUDITY IN THE GAME.

THE CONTENT IS NOT ACCESSIBLE WITHOUT A THIRD PARTY DOWNLOAD OR DEVICE.

THE NUDITY THAT YOU SEE IN THE VIDEO IS NOT IN THE GAME'S CODE. THE NUDITY HAS BEEN ADDED BY SOME HORNY HACKER.

Some of you may remember this, some of you may not, but back in the late 90's when EA first started putting out their PGA games under the Tiger Woods brand, there was a mini-fiasco. Seems some of the programmers put an early episode of South Park on the disc. Some idiot parent bought their PC gamer son the PS1 copy of the game. He pops it in the PC and sees the episode of South Park. I don't know what episode it was, nor is that really relevant to the parable at hand, but what you see on South Park, on basic cable (some places) is generally more risque than the "Hot Coffee" mod has been built up to be. Hell, turn to any station with a strong male demographic late at night and you'll see far more than what you'll see in the hidden GTA code. It's a big fuss over nothing, and Rockstar is riding it all the way to the bank.

[Teo]

I can't read through all these threads (I just ate a big meal)

Is Hot Coffee actually even accessable on the PS2 Game? I think some people still don't know.

[Bluteg]

Hot Coffee is accessible on the PS2 version but it has NO NUDITY.

[Griking]

I voted M. Personally, I think there should be more strict rules on who can buy an M-rated game as it is. I don't see much of a reason for an AO rating, as M should cover all of that anyway.

Kids shouldn't be playing this game ANYway, I would hope parents would see a game named GRAND THEFT AUTO and thinkg "Hmm, maybe Junior shouldn't be playing this game... they steal cars..." Stupid parents.

You know what, I'd be perfectly fine with that but this just wasn't going to happen. Truthfully there isn't much difference between a 17 year old and an 18 year old kid. All the AO rating does is essentially force retailers into making sure that they don't sell the game to minors. If the retailers feel that the only way that they can ensure this is to take the game off of store shelves and not carry it well then that's their own decision but the government never said that they had to do this.

If GTA was left as a "M" rated game but the governement created a new law with teeth to it that forced retailers to ensure that "M" rated games weren't being sold to minors there would be even bigger problems because then there would be hundreds of games that retailers would have to closely monitor sales of and if retailers have already acknowleged that they can't monitor sales of one game how would they have monitored the sales of hundreds?

[Griking]

I voted M. Personally, I think there should be more strict rules on who can buy an M-rated game as it is. I don't see much of a reason for an AO rating, as M should cover all of that anyway.

Kids shouldn't be playing this game ANYway, I would hope parents would see a game named GRAND THEFT AUTO and thinkg "Hmm, maybe Junior shouldn't be playing this game... they steal cars..." Stupid parents.

You know what, I'd be perfectly fine with that but this just wasn't going to happen. Truthfully there isn't much difference between a 17 year old and an 18 year old kid. All the AO rating does is essentially force retailers into making sure that they don't sell the game to minors. If the retailers feel that the only way that they can ensure this is to take the game off of store shelves and not carry it well then that's their own decision but the government never said that they had to do this.

If GTA was left as a "M" rated game but the governement created a new law with teeth to it that forced retailers to ensure that "M" rated games weren't being sold to minors there would be even bigger problems because then there would be hundreds of games that retailers would have to closely monitor sales of and if retailers have already acknowleged that they can't monitor sales of one game how would they have monitored the sales of hundreds?

[Cmosfm]

Yep, I agree, this is 18+ material, as is the whole game. I'm glad the game is finally getting it's deserved rating.

[pixelsnpolygons]

I don't see a problem, I wouldn't buy it for my kids but that stood before the sex material. IMO, this thing is incredibly stupid - blown way out of proportion.

[Griking]

I voted M. Personally, I think there should be more strict rules on who can buy an M-rated game as it is. I don't see much of a reason for an AO rating, as M should cover all of that anyway.

Kids shouldn't be playing this game ANYway, I would hope parents would see a game named GRAND THEFT AUTO and thinkg "Hmm, maybe Junior shouldn't be playing this game... they steal cars..." Stupid parents.

You know what, I'd be perfectly fine with stricter enforcement of selling 'M' games but this just wasn't going to happen. Truthfully there isn't much difference between a 17 year old and an 18 year old kid. All the AO rating does is essentially force retailers into making sure that they don't sell the game to minors. If the retailers feel that the only way that they can ensure this is to take the game off of store shelves and not carry it well then that's their own decision but the government never said that they had to do this.

If GTA was left as a "M" rated game but the governement created a new law with teeth to it that forced retailers to ensure that "M" rated games weren't being sold to minors there would be even bigger problems because then there would be hundreds of games that retailers would have to closely monitor sales of and if retailers have already acknowleged that they can't monitor sales of one game how would they have monitored the sales of hundreds?

[fpstream]

I wasn't impying that the video game system should MIRROR the movies. I said it should be the same. Parent's are often claiming, at least around this area, that the system is confusing and they don't understand what it means. Everybody knows what the movie raitings mean though so just go with those because that would elimante parents "I don't get it" cop out when they are buying these games for children. It would also make an easier arguement between M and AO. If they can prove movies are getting away with more than they are, then some blame or heat can be shifted to THAT media instead.

I fear for the children of parents so rock-stupid that they can't fathom the ESRB system. The rating and its related age range are listed on the front and back of the box, and content descriptors are listed in plain English on the back.

As for movies, studios are happy to work within the boundaries of the MPAA, and more than willing to cut content in order to obtain certain ratings. Especially now that they can later release an unrated DVD, put all the content back, and make another boatload of cash.

Movies also have the defense of using violent and sexual imagery in the name of "art," while video games are strictly for children (or didn't you know?).

-- Z.

The parents really do understand the rating system, it's just that they use it as an excuse for bad parenting. This what began all this, they blame video games for them being bad parents.

[hezeuschrist]

This is an incredibly fascinating thread. I am in serious shock that the "AO" option of the poll is getting more than a half dozen votes.

Are the entire lot of you so horribly opposed to sex? The analogy of sitting a kid in front of a gun and a girl is fantastic. Whats going to happen? The child will research the girl. Why? It's a baser instinct. Head on out to Europe, and you'll see far better tits on the networks out there than you will in any game in the states.

It's disgusting how much Americans in general despise all visual sexual conduct, yet the most horrid violence is completely acceptable. That's horrendous. Sex itself is a completely natural act, and if it weren't, there would not be 6 billion people on the earth. If violence and homocide were a natural act, there would be FAR less than 6 billion people on the planet.

Ending a life is a horrible experience, and I pray to God none of you have to witness or perform it. It'll not only change your life, but it will seriously deform your mentality until your own death.

Yet, some cheesy sex scene is worthy of an AO rating? That's completely absurd. I undersand some of you are parents, but your blame lies soely on the government. The MPAA ratings are enforced by law, yet the ESRB ratings are simply guidelines. I could send a five year old girl into Gamestop and tell her to buy GTA:SA and they would not be able to deny the sale, by law. They may actually deny the sale, but I could sue and I would have a completely valid case; I would win, hands down.

The bottom line is this; until there are hardcore graphic sex scenes in a video game, there is no reason for the AO rating. This cheesy crap displayed until now is completely worthy of an 'M' rating, so don't be so quick to sell out your hobby as a childs passion. Rating this game 'AO' is completely detrimental to the industry and is a horrible event for all gamers.

Moreso than that, it's horrible that the ESRB holds no weight in the legal realm. If it were able to LEGALLY serve it's purpose, it would be fine. Retailers would stop selling 'M' games without ID, but until then they've got no choice but to sell anything to anyone.

[Gamereviewgod]

Are the entire lot of you so horribly opposed to sex?

I believe most of the people who voted did so because they felt the game deserved it BEFORE the sex scene.

[NE146]

hahah what is this.. the new GTA? LOL Do you play the negro guy throughout the game?

[mezrabad]

I'm still trying to figure out why DOAXVB got an "M" rating.

If Diablo and GTA can get this rating because of tons of violence, why does a game with women playing volleyball in bikini's get the same rating? :roll:

I've asked myself and this forum that same question. It really doesn't make any sense that Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball gets an "M" when there is no sex or violence, just pretty girls in bikinis buying each other gifts and playing volleyball together.

GTAs should be AO from the get go. I've no problem with that at all, and I had a great time playing GTAIII and Vice City.

[portnoyd]

I am 100% agreement with zmweasel and TheRedEye.

This was not in the game. It was in the source, but the game, as the end user plays it, does not feature it. Anyone calling it as such is an idiot. (Various senators, groups with too much time on their hands, etc)

To trivial this, so should we go back and scan all the source code of every rated game, and see if a programmer coded a remmed out suck my balls or eat my cock, and bump up it's rating? What if someone jammed a unaccessible pic of titty into Barney 3: Tons of Purple Fun for the hell of it three years ago? Better make that EC rating a M!

As far as giving it an AO when it was released before this sex thing happened, let's be realistic. This is the U.S. - that wouldn't happen.

I want to start a new poll. That being 'How soon do you think the shitwave of media attention will last before things go back to normal?'. I say 2-3 months. I mean, boo hoo, no more Leisure Suit Larry: Magna Cum Laude 2. Other than that, the proponents for being annoying don't have much more ammo to fight this. Zach may go ahead and prove otherwise, but ... unless they take this to the violence level, which damns the hell out of movies too, it's going to peter out.

Hell, even GTA:SA wasn't hurt by this. 5 million copies already sold? Oh noes, looks like Rockstar will have to only buy the small island nation as opposed to the big one!

dave

[Eternal Tune]

Hell, even GTA:SA wasn't hurt by this. 5 million copies already sold? Oh noes, looks like Rockstar will have to only buy the small island nation as opposed to the big one!

dave

They can still purchase their big island nation....seems like everyone and their brother is scramper around store to store trying to buy up as many copies as possible for that "OMG RARE" reason. I know you can still purchase it from someplaces, IE EB, as long as you ask. They have them hidden behind the counter.

As far as everything else goes....the game was given a mature rating based on all the violence, which I think far out weigh some "fake people" dry humping.

Another thing, parents put the game in their kids' hands 90 percent of the time. I know that stores like EB, Gamestop, Gamerush, and Gamecrazy all have props in their computer system that say "hey fucktard, this game is naughty are you selling it to a four year old? yes/no" Then again a parent will go ape shit once they discover what their kid is truly playing, no matter how many times you say "that game is rated M which means mature." "Oh thats ok, Billy likes him some video games." Then they allow mister Playstation to babysit, only when something happened, GTA made him do it because they can't take the blame for not raising their child.

I hate mini van moms.