Fergie's Tech Blog

Update: FTC to Investigate 'Grand Theft' Mod

Yes, indeed--the issue that won't die.

Ed Oswald writes in BetaNews:

Just when gamers may have thought the controversy surround Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas may be over, Take-Two Interactive Software on Tuesday announced that the Federal Trade Commission is looking into the game and the "Hot Coffee'"modification.

The Hot Coffee mod allows the main character to engage in sexual acts, causing the ESRB to change the rating of the game from "M" for Mature to "AO" for Adults Only. The ESRB's action meant the game was pulled from a majority of retailer's shelves, including Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, and Circuit City.

The uproar even caused Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT) to jump into the fray, calling for the FTC to step in and investigate.

Update: It just... won't... die... arrrrrggh...

An AP newswire article, via ABC News, reveals:

Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. and its Rockstar Games subsidiary are being sued in federal court in Manhattan over hidden sexual content in their popular "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" video game.

The lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York on Wednesday is seeking class-action status for purchasers of the games. A Take-Two Interactive spokesman didn't immediately have a comment on Wednesday.

The plaintiff, Florence Cohen, claims in her lawsuit that she purchased the game for her teenage grandson in or about late 2004 when the game was rated "M" for mature by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and was damaged when it came to light that sexually explicit scenes believed to be inaccessible by players were left in the game by developers.

posted by Fergie @ 7/27/2005 11:09:00 AM