FTC Issues Ruling on Grand Theft Auto 'Hot Coffee' Controversy
- June 08, 2006 15:36 PM PST
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Today, the Federal Trade Commision ruled that Take-Two Intertainment, publisher of the popular Grand Theft Auto series, "undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers" about the hidden sex game within GTA: San Andreas infamously dubbed Hot Coffee.
Although Take-Two was not fined, the FTC ruled that the company misled consumers by "representing that [Grand Theft Auto] San Andreas had been rated 'Mature'" but failed to disclose that the game contained "potentially viewable nude female images" as well as "potentially playable software code for a sexually explicit mini-game that the ESRB had not rated." The ruling also provided that any future offense by the Take-Two will result in a fine of up to $11,000 per violation.
Take-Two "undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers."
-- FTC ruling
The problem started last year, following reports of sexual content buried inside the PC version of GTA: San Andreas. Take-Two had initially denied that the smutty content didn't exist at all, only to be proven wrong when a PC hack unlocked the infamous "Hot Coffee" sex game hidden deep in the game's code. Take-Two and developer Rockstar Games later said it was unused code that had been left behind, not meant to be seen or played by the consumer.
The ESRB quickly responded, retroactively slapping the game with an "Adults Only" rating. Most retailers removed the game from store shelves, prompting Take-Two to release a "Special Edition" of the game that removed the offending content.
While the Hot Coffee cools off, Rockstar Games has recently released its latest game, the non-controversial Table Tennis.
The official "duh" factor of the day. Sure, Take-Two undermined a lax (at best) rating system and "deceived" gamers into buying a game that snuck a little sex into a world about violence, gangs, drugs, and car theft.
The result? Take-Two will get fined $11k per each new violation. Yeah, because that will really keep 'em at bay. They spend more than that on cafe lattes.
