GTA:SA uproar
This this and this represent the biggest bunch of stupid shit I've heard in a long time.
This is about a group of self-obsessed politicians (like Hilarly) taking up a NON-issue to appear good, pure and noble to a bunch of whack-jobs; morons who believe think that theft, murder, gang violence, drug dealing and everything else that was "M - mature" rating approved in the game are signifcantly less offensive than some characters having sex (while FULLY CLOTHED I might add)!
Oh puhlease. Why is it that sex is soooo taboo and soooo offensive in this country, while guns, guts, gore, death, violence, killing and murder are so relatively benign?
The politicians got the media drooling over this "story", and initially the ESRB said the same was appropriately rated. However, as the sex-mongering continued, the ESRB conducted an "investigation" and then reversed itself. They revoked the game's rating and re-rated it with the highest rating, AO.
The rating change means very little on the surface. Instead bearing the "M-mature" rating and being allowed for purchase only by those 17 years and older (they checked id's at Best Buy), the game now carries an "AO-adults only" rating which means no one under 18 may purchase the same. So, 1 year difference, how cares?!
Well, Walmart, Target, Gamestop, and a lot of other stores care, because they are no longer selling the newly re-rated game, not even the copies which they already had.
The most ridiculous truth in this controversy is that it concerns a part of the game that I've never even played! (I've only seen the screenshots) I haven't played it, because I can't play it! It is a locked-out, disabled, "censored" (if you will) part of the game. You would have to seek out and download a modification from the internet in order to be able to access the content that has everyone up in arms.
It's also curious that no one is holding protests over the Sims2 game, which features full frontal nudity. "Private" areas are of course censored, however the full human nude figure can be unlocked with a quick patch download from the internet. I suppose since those characters aren't having SEX that there is no problem. If you could hack their naked bodies to pieces with a machete, that would be equally acceptable with a "M-mature" rating. Just as long as their is no SEX. Children come from storks. SEX is evil. But I digress...
The point is, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is an awsome, excellent game (for ADULTS) from an incredible game designer. That politicians are soiling it for their own gain, that fruit-loops are smearing a game that was never intened for children anyway, just makes me sick.
gtasanandreas.net has a lot of good stories/commentaries on their front page about this fiasco.
