San Andreas : AO!

[TheSmirk]

They went and changed it:

http://www.shacknews.com/docs/press/072005_gta_sa.x

Now, personally I feel that it is immensely stupid of rockstar to have left that in there, especially in this day and age.

But doesn't this then have to change the way ESRB rates the games? Are they going to have to hire their own hackers scan thru the data bit by bit looking for any buried "offensive" material? Otherwise their rating could not be trusted anymore.

[Griking]

Yep, it's official. HERE'S another link to confirm it.

And now that this is official it'll change absolutely nothing as adults, the audience that the game was supposingly always marketed to will still be able to purchase the game.

[TheSmirk]

It's all C.Y.A. especially that this has become so high profile

[Lemmy Kilmister]

Doesn't really matter seeing as the game has already sold millions of copies, however Rockstar has basically shot themselves in the foot for future releases of theirs.

[shvnsth]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050720/...video_game_sex

thats it off yahoo new. yeah i was really surprised, and a few stores will stop selling it. but that game sold so well already, and it really only affects the xbox game that they recently shipped, which will still sell prob 75% of what it would have sold as an m game.

[davepesc]

Well Holy Shit....








I just can't believe it

Although, I don't own the game, but I would like a copy with the AO sticker on it.
They've created a rarity!

[Griking]

Here's another article about the change with a lot more details.

I also believe that they NEVER would have agreed to this change unless they knew deep down that Rockstar was 100% wrong.

[pragmatic insanester]

i saw some 10 year old girl raving about how much she liked GTA: SA the other day. i was scanning through the snes archives and she was shopping with her mother and two brothers.

question: will the m-rated version ever be considered rare since about 898935893896 copies have been sold?

[davepesc]

For the lazy, from the associated press:

Rating board changes ``GTA: San Andreas'' to adults only
By RON HARRIS
Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The video game industry on Wednesday changed to adults-only the rating of ``Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,'' a best-selling title in which explicit sexual content can be unlocked with an Internet download.
The decision followed intense pressure from politicians and media watch groups.
The game's producer, Rockstar Games, said it stopped making the current version of the game and is now working on a new version. It said it would provide new labels to any retailer willing to continue selling the version currently on store shelves, which had been rated ``M'' for mature.
Rockstar's parent company, Take Two Interactive, 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.
``There is sex content in the disc,'' said Take-Two spokesman Jim Ankner. ``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.''
The sex scenes had prompted outrage from parent's groups and politicians, who are demanding federal oversight of video game ratings.
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.''

[Neil Koch]

In a way I think this is a good thing, maybe it will help to make the AO rating a more viable alternative...

[rbudrick]

I wonder if the stickers Rockstar will give to retailers are going to be rare. :-)

-Rob

[evildead2099]

I honestly feel that the game should've been rated AO to begin with, sex mini-game or no sex mini-game. I'm actually appalled that more fuss has been made over the inclusion of the harmless sex scene than has been made of the game's over-the-top violence and lack of respect for humanity (Not to sound as though I want the game banned or censored - I'm just saying that so long as games are rated according to their content, GTA:SA should've gotten an AO as per its very, very anti-social content).

In a way I think this is a good thing, maybe it will help to make the AO rating a more viable alternative

I should hope so. Those fucknuts running Wal-Mart stand to lose lot of sales if they continue to stand behind their hypocritically* blind policy of discrimination against all adult entertainment (magazines, music, movies, games, etc).

* I refer to Wal-Mart's policy of blind censorship of media as hypocritical since the store refuses to stock NC-17 films or sell Tipper-stickered albums for fear of the harm they could conceivably cause yet has no qualms about selling firearms nor cigarettes.

[kainemaxwell]

Well, the senators found something new to pussifiy America with, and here's another of their newest efforts:
http://www.pauseparentplay.org/

[Mr.FoodMonster]

I hope this dosn't negatively affect any future GTA release...

[darknut101]

Does this mean EB will be pulling it off the shelf? I thought EB didn't sell AO games or at least have them out on the shelves.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...960836-1038204

Look at the top 10 Amazon games. All three versions of GTA:SA are up there. Surprized?


/Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock... WTF?!?

[evildead2099]

Does this mean EB will be pulling it off the shelf? I thought EB didn't sell AO games or at least have them out on the shelves.

That's not the policy with EB stores in Canada (or so my local EB clerks tell me). I wouldn't support EB if I knew that they take the Wal-Mart / Blockbuster approach to media intended for adult entertainment. EB stocked copies of Phantasmagoria (1) back in the day as well as uncensored copies of Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh (The Wal-Mart copies of Phantasmagoria has the sexual sequences permanently censored out of the game, yet - surprise! - left all the violence and gore intact).

[Mangar]

EB and most stores will still stock the game. The only real "downside" for Rockstar is that Wal-Mart won't. But with such a high profile title, that really won't effect sales even a tiny bit. It's the lower profile games which would really suffer under an AO rating. GTA would not.

If anything - This does nothing more then increase consumer demand. More importantly, it also helps set future precedent. It's a popular title that sells very well, which means even stores that would be "open" to say - Not stocking a **TRUE** AO title, will still stock this one. Which does open the door to even more risque AO titles being made and stocked in the future. It also kills the idea of an EB, Gamestop, etc... instituting an "Ban on all AO Games."

If anything - The holy rollers who supported this and lobbied for it, pretty much just opened the floodgates. Especially if sales get a nice bump, and it remains stocked by retailers.

Side Note: Just to re-emphasise something. An AO rating is still non-binding and voluntary. Which means that if i wanna sell GTA:San Andreas to you're 12 year old - By law i still can

[zmweasel]

But doesn't this then have to change the way ESRB rates the games? Are they going to have to hire their own hackers scan thru the data bit by bit looking for any buried "offensive" material? Otherwise their rating could not be trusted anymore.

It sure does change things. The ESRB's own prez admitted that this unbelievable turn of events--and I am blown away right now--has "seriously undermined...the credibility and utility" of video game ratings.

And, as Rockstar's prez said, "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." No shit!

Doesn't really matter seeing as the game has already sold millions of copies, however Rockstar has basically shot themselves in the foot for future releases of theirs.

Not only will the ESRB shine a flashlight up R*'s ass forevermore, but R* has had to downwardly adjust its financial expectations by $50 million for the quarter to account for exchanges and returns of the now AO-rated version, and manufacture of a true M-rated version with the hidden content completely excised from the disc.

R* is also implying that it's going to sue the modders. From a press release:

"We are deeply concerned that the publicity surrounding these unauthorized modifications has caused the game to be misrepresented to the public and has detracted from the creative merits of this award winning product...Take-Two is exploring its legal options as it relates to companies that profited from creating and distributing tools for altering the content of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."

R* has a damn good case, too. I'd love to see a suit happen, if only 'cause then maybe we'll find out who came up with the sex mini-game and why it was ultimately hidden.

EB and most stores will still stock the game. The only real "downside" for Rockstar is that Wal-Mart won't. But with such a high profile title, that really won't effect sales even a tiny bit.

Wal-Mart represents about one-fourth of the U.S. video game market. Of course it affects sales. Target and Best Buy ain't exactly small taters, either.

EDIT: GameStop and Software Etc. have both pulled SA.

-- Z.

[Avenger]

i think its totally ridiculous that sex is so hush hush dont do it...but violence? sure you can blow off any many heads as you want, just NO SEX!!!!

Sex creates life.....murder (in real life) is sick, not sex, gimme a break....people are totally stupid...I think games like Manhunt need an AO rating...

this reminds me of Sin City, where I heard of kids being allowed to go see it, as long as there was no sex....Jesus H Christ...people have their prioritys totally fucked up...

note: I loved San Andreas, but it does deserve an AO...AO doesnt mean its a bad game, it can still be a wicked game...but violence is worse than sex anyday.

we live in a very upside down world...sorry if i rambled a bit, im being rushed :P