GTA: San Andreas to be Re-Released Next Week

404Ender writes "According to GameStop and EB, the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas will finally be re-released without the controversial "Hot Coffee" content and clean of anything that might demand an AO rating. Will this be the first game in a series of many to come that will be pulled off the market to be changed due to questionable content? How long before a Hot Coffee replacement mod is produced?"

Comments

GTA: Old England released

[HugePedlar]

"Warm Tea" mod. Controversy ensues.

So it'll be an empty box then...

[laptop006]

Otherwise how will it be "clean of anything that might demand an AO rating"?

Moot point?

[Max Romantschuk]

Um, I don't know about you guys, but as I see it GTA is not something suitable for kids regardles off the amount of booty shown.

Any game with that amount of violence should be adults only. It's funny as hell, but it really does demand a mature mind... IMHO anyways.

IN OTHER NEWS

[Anonymous Coward]

This just in, Rockstar North pulled a "Speilberg" today by re-releasing their "GTA:San Andreas" game without any guns, sex, or even reckless driving available.

First impressions of the game seem to be mixed, as you're only allowed to walk around town and wave to people.

More news, as this develops.

Double standards

[Durzel]

The crazy thing about GTA:SA is that speaks volumes about the differences in cultures between the US and other countries.

For example, here in the UK, GTA:SA - and its predecessors - got an 18 rating straight off the bat. That's the highest rating ELSPA (The Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, equivalent to your ESRB/IEMA) gives to video games over here. I guess its functionally equivalent to your AO rating.

Although I'm not an expert on classifications I'm sure it earnt its 18 rating here due to the strong content - extreme violence, grand theft auto, prostitution and so on. The fact that some time down the line a hidden pixellated simulated sex mode was unlocked was just icing on the cake - the game was already strictly limited to adults anyway.

I am presuming therefore that your M (17+) rating is equivalent to our 15 rating, which presumably means you are quite happy for 15 year old American youths to play out scenes where they can mug people, shoot cops, steal cars, use the services of prostitutes and so forth - but God forbid they see some pixellated nudity and crudely simulated sexual acts.

Will someone please think of the children! (and give them some guys to protect themselves while you're at it)

Re:Double standards

[ivan256]

I am presuming therefore that your M (17+) rating is equivalent to our 15 rating, which presumably means you are quite happy for 15 year old American youths to play out scenes where they can mug people, shoot cops, steal cars, use the services of prostitutes and so forth

Yup. That "17+" clearly stated in there means 15 over on this side of the Atlantic. In fact we subtract two from all positive European integers.

Re:Double standards

[lowrydr310]

When the whole outrage broke out, I was in Target looking at video games and noticed a sign in place of the GTA:SA stock that read, "Due to mature content, Target will no longer carry Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"

While I was reading it, I noticed some little kid buying the latest Fiddy Cent CD. Target stocks a ton of rap CDs, and doesn't restrict sales. I find it odd that a kid can't buy GTA because of some pixellated pr0n, but it's perfectly OK to buy a CD of someone rapping about sexual acts (in some cases violent sexual acts).

The mod was laughable anyway

[DrXym]

If anyone has seen the sex scene in "Team America" between puppets then you know what the "Hot Coffee" mod looks like. Except the mod doesn't even bother to make either participant naked. CJ keeps his clothes on, his girlfriend wears underwear. It's no wonder it was left out because it's pretty lame.

It's laughable that religious nuts and publicity whores from both parties should seek to decry this tame, lame, disabled mod when the actual:

• Glorifies gangs
• Offers numerous ways to murder people including slashing their throats, setting them on fire, cutting them to bits with a chainsaw or just shooting them./li>
• Murdering cops
• Doing drive bys
• Stealing cars
• Robbing houses
• Firebombing houses
• Running people over
• Pimping hookers
• Blowing up vehicles including aircraft

Personally I think GTA is a blast and GTA: SA is nothing short of a classic, but the hypocrisy concerning this mod is pathetic.

Re:This could lead to...

[jcuervo]

Have one version M, which is like its now and another version as AO with everything the designers ever wanted and thought was taboo.

...Replacing the chick with a goat?