Comments on: Clinton wants inquiry into 'Grand Theft' sex

In a letter to FTC, senator expresses concern over reports that anyone can unlock sexually graphic images hidden inside game.
The New York Times

One More thing...

One more thing: changing the rating will have an effect. Most retail stores won't carry "Adult Only" videogames. If GTA is reclassified, it would be largely unavailable until its content is "censored" back down to its previous state of crassitude. Depending on the ESRB's take, they could simply refuse to declassify it after the shift to "Adult Only", hurting the game's sales in a major way.

Parents are more prone to allow their young teenager to play a rated M game than an "Adult Only" game. I mean, my parent's let my younger brothers play Half-Life when they were 15, despite its "M" rating. GTA is so far removed from Half-Life in terms of inappropriate content that it's hard to fathom both games sharing the same rating. Yet, lazy parents will have a hard time telling their kid they can play one rated "M" game and not another. Most parents would be loath to allow their teenager to play an "Adult Only" game.

One More thing...

One more thing: changing the rating will have an effect. Most retail stores won't carry "Adult Only" videogames. If GTA is reclassified, it would be largely unavailable until its content is "censored" back down to its previous state of crassitude. Depending on the ESRB's take, they could simply refuse to declassify it after the shift to "Adult Only", hurting the game's sales in a major way.

Parents are more prone to allow their young teenager to play a rated M game than an "Adult Only" game. I mean, my parent's let my younger brothers play Half-Life when they were 15, despite its "M" rating. GTA is so far removed from Half-Life in terms of inappropriate content that it's hard to fathom both games sharing the same rating. Yet, lazy parents will have a hard time telling their kid they can play one rated "M" game and not another. Most parents would be loath to allow their teenager to play an "Adult Only" game.