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RockStar Speaks

Posted by Zonk on from the it-wasn't-us dept.

JamesO writes "The alleged sex mini-game on the GTA San Andreas game disc, unlocked using the "Hot Coffee" mod, has been the news story of the week. Several investigations are now underway to determine if the allegations are true. Having kept pretty quiet on this issue, Rockstar has issued a statement clarifying their situation. Meanwhile, in Britain, GTA San Andreas was released with a BBFC rating of 18 in the UK, which makes it illegal to sell the game to anyone under the age of 18. The BBFC has stated that, as a result it does not feel they need to take any action, even if the sex mini game claims are found to be true. Such content would not require the game to be reclassified as it would in other territories where the game had not received a strict adult only rating."

5 of 156 comments (clear)

  1. its funny how... by jolande · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The most bizarre part of this whole story is how some people find sex the most objectionable part of the game.

    1. Re:its funny how... by Jim+Hall · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree. Allow me to re-post a comment I made the other day about this topic:

      I had a conversation about this topic with a guy on the bus the other day (he saw me with my GBA, asked me about gaming, then jumped right to the GTA thing.) This guy said that he was upset about "those game guys" (Rockstar) selling a game like that, with sex and stuff in it. He said he was really worried about his 12-yr-old son, who plays the game on his XBox.

      My response: people are trying to get GTA:SA moved up to a "Adult Only" (AO) rating. That means 18 and over. But it's already got a "Mature" (M) rating. So kids under 17 shouldn't be playing it anyway, and did he know that before he bought it? (Emphasis mine.) The guy got real quiet after that.

      I wonder how many parents just bought this game for their kids because it was "hot", not realizing what the game was about, or even checking the rating.

      (Disclaimer: I loved GTA3, got bored in GTA:VC, haven't gotten GTA:SA yet.)

    2. Re:its funny how... by jclast · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Even if parents are ignoring the rating system (which they obviously are), the name of the game is Grand Theft Auto; you know, the name of a fairly substantial crime (in the US, I don't know what other countries call stealing cars). I know I won't be buying my hypothetical 7 year old Attempted Arson: Phoenix or Solicitation: Salt Lake City. In what universe does Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas sound like a wholesome game?

      --
      e2 | LJ
  2. Why take it out? by alvinrod · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Personally I think this whole uproar has done nothing but sell more copies of GTA:SA. Someone might have been thinking about it before, and now the novelty of being able to have sex in a video game might just convince them to buy it. The idea that it's rebellious and angers adults only makes kids want to play it more.

    Personally, I think the whole thing is a non-issue that's being stirred up by a few crazies who would like to see games banned. The game is rated M in America and shouldn't be sold to anyone under 17. The AO rating just bumps that up to 18. Anyone who's playing this game has more than likely seen porn on the internet, TV, or in a magazine that was more hardcore than the silly minigame you'd find in GTA:SA.

    I'd be willing to make a bet with anyone that if the next GTA game was released with an AO rating that included some sexual material like the "hot coffee" mod and an M rating lacking said content, that the AO rated version would sell more copies if distributed almost as widely as the M version.

  3. News Story of the Week? by ndansmith · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The alleged sex mini-game on the GTA San Andreas game disc, unlocked using the "Hot Coffee" mod, has been the news story of the week.

    Maybe that is a bit of an overstatement.