Post by leunas on Jul 23, 2006 1:57:13 GMT -5
Take-Two announced last year that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was investigating the company's handling of the "Hot Coffee" incident. If you guys remember, Take-Two was accused of not disclosing the sexually explicit content that was found in the Hot Coffee mod. Gamers were able to access the scenes in the PC version through a patch available on the Internet, and a method was discovered to unlock the scenes in the Xbox and PlayStation 2 versions of the game as well.
Today, the Grand Theft Auto publisher revealed that a final resolution has been reached with the FTC. They also disclosed that "all outstanding matters pending before the FTC have been settled and no penalties or fines have been assessed".
Here's a brief statement from Take-Two, courtesy of 1UP:
We are extremely pleased that the FTC has concluded its very thorough investigation, and that the matter has been resolved. We recognize the importance of maintaining public confidence in the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) rating system and helping the ESRB educate parents and consumers about the rating system. We look forward to putting this behind us and focusing on what we do best - creating video games.
Be that as it may, the resolution comes with the stipulation of a Consent Order. It states that Take-Two will "not misrepresent a video game's ratings or content descriptors" and "implement a system to ensure that all game content is reviewed in connection with submissions to ratings authorities." Essentially, the FTC is telling Take-Two to shape up and to not screw up again, else the Commission will bust down their doors and go GTA on their poor behinds.
www.qj.net/Final-Resolution-Reached-Between-Take-Two-and-FTC/pg/49/aid/59540