The FTC Ruling Is In! Rating Options

[Pyrocy]

Some of you may remember about a little not-so-significant incident last year involving a certain not-so-significant hidden mini-game in a not-so-significant videogame called San Andreas. Horrible sarcasm aside, Democrack leader Hilary Clinton called upon a FTC federal investigation last year on the practices of Take-Two and their subsidary company, Rockstar Games. Well, the results are in and it's pretty much a proverbial slap on the wrists. Read on for the skinny....

Oh, and for the forumgoers, you can comment/rant/bitch about this in your fresh new blogs we have provided.

[Mekstizzle]

The land of the motherfucking free! USA! USA! USA!

[Miami13]

Given Take-Two's deep pockets, an $11,000-per-title-released fine would be little more than a slap on the wrist. However, if the penalty were per game sold, it could mean catastrophic costs for Take-Two. According to NPD Funworld figures ending April 2006, San Andreas has sold over 7.27 million copies in the US on all platforms. Were the FTC to retroactively levy the fine on every copy of the game today, Take-Two would be penalized over $79 billion dollars.

Thank God that didn't happen or Take-Two would be in SERIOUS trouble.

[Strike]

"Parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. "We allege that Take-Two and Rockstar's actions undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers."

The FTC ruling warns Take-Two and Rockstar that they "cannot misrepresent the rating or content descriptors for an electronic game." It also requires them "to clearly and prominently disclose on product packaging and in any promotion or advertisement for electronic games, content relevant to the rating, unless that content had been disclosed sufficiently in prior submissions to the rating authority." Lastly, it orders them to "establish, implement, and maintain a comprehensive system reasonably designed to ensure that all content in an electronic game is considered and reviewed in preparing submissions to a rating authority."

I find that comment remarkably stupid. Basically they're saying Rockstar and Take-Two should make sure the content is suitable for the rating the game is given. Now, considering every GTA has been given an 18-rating certificate, I would say Hot Coffee was perfectly suited for the rating. You'd hardly expect an 18-year old to giggle at the "boobies" on the game.

[Pecnut]

"Parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. "We allege that Take-Two and Rockstar's actions undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers."

The FTC ruling warns Take-Two and Rockstar that they "cannot misrepresent the rating or content descriptors for an electronic game." It also requires them "to clearly and prominently disclose on product packaging and in any promotion or advertisement for electronic games, content relevant to the rating, unless that content had been disclosed sufficiently in prior submissions to the rating authority." Lastly, it orders them to "establish, implement, and maintain a comprehensive system reasonably designed to ensure that all content in an electronic game is considered and reviewed in preparing submissions to a rating authority."

I find that comment remarkably stupid. Basically they're saying Rockstar and Take-Two should make sure the content is suitable for the rating the game is given. Now, considering every GTA has been given an 18-rating certificate, I would say Hot Coffee was perfectly suited for the rating. You'd hardly expect an 18-year old to giggle at the "boobies" on the game.

Well, don't forget it's a 17-rating in the US.

[Pyrocy]

I find that comment remarkably stupid. Basically they're saying Rockstar and Take-Two should make sure the content is suitable for the rating the game is given. Now, considering every GTA has been given an 18-rating certificate, I would say Hot Coffee was perfectly suited for the rating. You'd hardly expect an 18-year old to giggle at the "boobies" on the game.

No, you see here in America, people think backwards. Violent depictations of decaptations and genocide is all fine and dandy for unsanitized 18 year olds but the natural form of reproduction and pleasure is a dirty dirty sinful and immoral acts that should only be practiced by people of age 21.

Plus, GTA isn't for adults, it's for kids in the lines of irrational thinking.

[I Made Your Mom ...]

I'm kinda confused, all the comments on Gamespot act as if they ARE going to be sued. I'm too tired to read the atricle fully, could someone clarify?

[Pyrocy]

I'm kinda confused, all the comments on Gamespot act as if they ARE going to be sued. I'm too tired to read the atricle fully, could someone clarify?

No, they are not going to be sued. It's just that from now on, hefty violations will be put out for Take-Two if they have another "Hot Coffee" incident. Even then, this article pretty much implies that the FTC can have an opening to sue game makers for something petty. (Like a unused nude skin or something.)

[-IXION-]

The whole thing's fuckin' retarded.....if the kind of sex scenes you see in "hot coffee" were in a movie.....it wouldn't push the rating up to "adults only"...... fuckin' Jesus freaks making stupid laws...pisses me off!

[I Made Your Mom ...]

I'm kinda confused, all the comments on Gamespot act as if they ARE going to be sued. I'm too tired to read the atricle fully, could someone clarify?

No, they are not going to be sued. It's just that from now on, hefty violations will be put out for Take-Two if they have another "Hot Coffee" incident. Even then, this article pretty much implies that the FTC can have an opening to sue game makers for something petty. (Like a unused nude skin or something.)

Ah right, thanks.
I don't know why they leave all that crap in there in the first place. It only takes up space on the disk which could be used for other things, plus it gets them into trouble.

[megabot]

R* made a mistake, I mean who wants to watch people fucking in a video game. I'm still glad that they didn't get the $80 billion dollar fine though.

[Nanook]

R* made a mistake, I mean who wants to watch people fucking in a video game. I'm still glad that they didn't get the $80 billion dollar fine though.

The Hot Coffee codes are, and have been for the last few months, the most viewed topic on the site every day except for a few times when it's been second or third!

http://www.big-boards.com/highlight/1362/

See for yourself

[Pyrocy]

R* made a mistake, I mean who wants to watch people fucking in a video game. I'm still glad that they didn't get the $80 billion dollar fine though.

Out of sheer curiousity, I'd imagine. I mean, this whole incident did make national news.

[-IXION-]

R* made a mistake, I mean who wants to watch people fucking in a video game.

I do!

and don't say I need a real girlfriend and immature shit like that....that's shit's old....and ignorant.

.....how did I know you were from Australia just by reading what you wrote?....
..mad about GTA being banned in Australia I think.....you should blame Australia...not Rockstar.

[megabot]

hahaha lmao, it doesnt matter if its banned in australia. whenever a game gets censored or banned i just get a copy shipped over from europe, usually for about $20 cheaper.

oh, and you need a real girlfriend

[-IXION-]

oh, and you need a real girlfriend

DAMN YOU!!!!

Edit: Hey!...what's up with that BibleForum shit in your sig?!?!

This post has been edited by -IXION-: Jun 11 2006, 08:55 AM

[The Porscheofile]

"Given Take-Two's deep pockets, an $11,000-per-title-released fine would be little more than a slap on the wrist. However, if the penalty were per game sold, it could mean catastrophic costs for Take-Two. According to NPD Funworld figures ending April 2006, San Andreas has sold over 7.27 million copies in the US on all platforms. Were the FTC to retroactively levy the fine on every copy of the game today, Take-Two would be penalized over $79 billion dollars."

GODDAMN!if that happened we wouldnt see another gta game for what, like 50 years hahaha. shiiiiiiiiiit, thats alotta paper for CJ, Tommy, n Fido to collect, no bank job would cover this one.

This post has been edited by d12rox: Jun 12 2006, 12:14 AM

[megabot]

I'm a very religious person, IXION. jk, sometimes i like to make fun of the people at that site.

and yeah, an $80 billion dollar fine would have been devastating to R*. Does anyone know what that would be as a percentage of the profit from SA? probably quite high

[ctlfreak]

"Parents have the right to rely on the accuracy of the entertainment rating system," said Lydia Parnes, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. "We allege that Take-Two and Rockstar's actions undermined the industry's own rating system and deceived consumers."

The FTC ruling warns Take-Two and Rockstar that they "cannot misrepresent the rating or content descriptors for an electronic game." It also requires them "to clearly and prominently disclose on product packaging and in any promotion or advertisement for electronic games, content relevant to the rating, unless that content had been disclosed sufficiently in prior submissions to the rating authority." Lastly, it orders them to "establish, implement, and maintain a comprehensive system reasonably designed to ensure that all content in an electronic game is considered and reviewed in preparing submissions to a rating authority."

I find that comment remarkably stupid. Basically they're saying Rockstar and Take-Two should make sure the content is suitable for the rating the game is given. Now, considering every GTA has been given an 18-rating certificate, I would say Hot Coffee was perfectly suited for the rating. You'd hardly expect an 18-year old to giggle at the "boobies" on the game.

Well, don't forget it's a 17-rating in the US.

if im not mistaken arnt NC-17 movies usually full of nudity? Showgirls is a good example.

the thing that still kills me is parents that buy the shti and then get offended at the content. you buy a game called Grand Theft Auto and expect it to be about what? picking dandilions? petting cats? no its a game with a crime in the title. one would assume the content is just as bad. but no they buy it for a 10 year old kid and then get made when lil johnny pissmeoff grabs a baseball bat and frees the beast all over the back of his dads head. what did you expect to happen. what happened to the rights america was supposedly founded over? i guess all that free speech shit only applies to the klan when they wanna march in washington. what a country. and they wonder why i refuse to join the military or even stand for a pledge, if i had it my way id burn this country to the ground and start over but thats just me.

cant wait to see how hilary will twist this to use as another excuse to take guns from US citizens, which if you didnt know is the first thing any good dictator does, look at hitler stalin ect.