The House of Representatives voted Monday night to back an investigation into Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The bi-partisan vote tallied at 355 to 21 (click here to see how your Congressman voted). Representative Fred Upton, a Republican from southwestern Michigan, authored the resolution. A press release from Upton read:
…the Federal Trade Commission should investigate the publication of the video game “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreasâ€? to determine if the publisher intentionally deceived the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) to avoid an “Adults-Onlyâ€? rating. The bestselling game had been rated “Mature,â€? but it was recently discovered that the game was manufactured with hidden, sexually explicit graphics.
“I am outraged by the brazenness of Rockstar Games in their effort to do an end-run around the ratings system,� said Upton . “Parental involvement is the most important line of defense in determining the type of content suitable for children, and the ratings system empowers parents to do just that. Unfortunately, Rockstar Games’ deceit has severely undermined the integrity of the ratings system. What good are ratings that parent’s cannot put their faith in?�
“The release of ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ was widely anticipated, but an Adults-Only rating would have severely limited its sales in retail outlets,� said Upton . “It appears that the publisher has blatantly circumvented the rules in order to peddle sexually explicit material to our youth, and they should be held accountable. A company cannot be allowed to profit from deceit.�
