Politician wants San Andreas rated Adults Only
California assemblyman and game-restriction advocate Leland Yee claims ESRB's "conflict of interest" is behind Rockstar game's M rating.
Having already tried to limit sales of M-rated games to minors in general, California assemblyman Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) is now lashing out at one game in particular. Yesterday, the politician and child psychologist fired a verbal broadside at the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) for "failing to appropriately rate" Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas with an AO for Adults Only rating.
Yee took particular exception with the PC version of San Andreas, which, like its Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions, is rated M for Mature, meaning no one under the age of 17 should play it without an adult's consent. Yee took note of the apparent discovery of sex minigames hidden in the game's code that can be unlocked by a third-party mod. The game's publisher, Rockstar Games, has yet to even acknowledge the existence of the X-rated minigames, saying only that it has "no comment at this point."
"Once again, ESRB has failed our parents," Yee said in a statement. "Plain and simple, parents cannot trust the ESRB to rate games appropriately or the industry to look out for our children's best interests." The ESRB was created by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA), the preeminent game-industry lobby and organizers of the Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Yee has long advocated local municipalities enact laws and other regulations when it comes to restricting the sale of games deemed to depict graphic sex and violence. The ESRB, on the other hand, encourages retailers to self-regulate and restrict the sale of games based on its ratings.
"Clearly the ESRB has a conflict of interest in rating these games," said Yee, who accused the body of shying away from an AO rating by design. Most major retailers refuse to carry games with an AO rating, making it impossible for games to get the widespread distribution needed for blockbuster-level sales. The PlayStation 2 version of San Andreas was the best-selling game of 2004, selling 5.1 million copies as of last December, according to NPD Funworld.
Yee says he has long advocated that the ESRB rate San Andreas AO, and his ardor was reinvigorated by recent reports of the game's hidden sexual content. "This particular game has been known to include extremely heinous acts of violence, and now it has been uncovered that the game also includes explicit sexual scenes that are inappropriate for our children," Yee said. "I have urged the ESRB on numerous occasions to rate this game AO based on its blatantly graphic nature."
Yee further reminds the public in yesterday's statement that bill A.B. 450, introduced by Yee in February, is still in play. Calling the bill "stalled on the Assembly floor," Yee says he "continues to work with various stakeholders on the bill." A.B. 450 would, in Yee's words, "prohibit the sale and rental of violent games that depict serious injury to human beings in a manner that is especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel, to persons who are 16 years of age or younger."
The ESRB says it will issue a response to Yee's statement before the close of business today.
Content you might like…
-
Bethesda responds to Oblivion rerating
Developer stands by its original ratings submission but will not contest the ESRB's decision.
- May 3, 2006
Users who looked at this article also looked at these content items.
Hot Stories
Newsmakers
-
World of Warcraft target of latest suit from PSN plaintiff
San Jose man adds Activision Blizzard to growing list of courtroom opponents, takes issue with MMOG fees, alleges ill effects on mental health, seeks $1 million. Full Story
- Posted Nov 24, 2009 4:58 pm PT
- 801 Comments
-
Top US Nintendo PR exec resigns
VP of corporate affairs Denis Kaigler leaves after less than two years at Nintendo of America; no replacement yet named. Full Story
- Posted Nov 23, 2009 4:26 pm PT
- 118 Comments
Featured Stories
-
Assassin's Creed II slays 1.6 million in one week
Ubisoft says internal sales reports shows critically lauded sequel outselling original by 32 percent. Full Story
- Posted Nov 24, 2009 9:22 am PT
- 316 Comments
-
Microsoft patents in-game guide system
Researcher's 2008 patent for "User-Powered Always Available Contextual Game Help" shows Microsoft is considering an in-game guide similar to that of New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Full Story
- Posted Nov 24, 2009 5:13 pm PT
- 262 Comments
-
2 million Xbox Live users Facebooked, a-Twitter
Microsoft announces around 10% of its subscribers log onto social networks during first week of 360 integration; 1 million check out Last.fm, 1.7 million peruse Zune video store. Full Story
- Posted Nov 24, 2009 11:27 am PT
- 144 Comments
-
Datel suing Microsoft over memory-unit lockout
British maker of high-capacity, low-price storage units takes legal action against software giant, accusing it of antitrust violation. Full Story
- Posted Nov 23, 2009 5:28 pm PT
- 521 Comments
-
Modern Warfare 2 classification appealed in Australia
South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson says game allows players to be "virtual terrorists;" Classification Board says no appeal has been received to date. Full Story
- Posted Nov 23, 2009 9:05 pm PT
- 275 Comments
Submit News
Related Game
- Rockstar Games
- Rockstar North
- Modern Action Adventure
- Release: Oct 26, 2004 »
- ESRB: Mature
Recent News
-
Blizzard game design chief Rob Pardo and lead designer Jeff Kaplan discuss acclaimed fantasy franchise's long history, from Orcs and Humans to the World...
5 Comments
Sign in / Sign up