GTA gets slapped with ‘Adults Only’ rating
A ratings group said Wednesday it has slapped an “Adults Only” rating on the latest version of Grand Theft Auto after finding the video game’s maker, Take-Two, was responsible for inserting sexually explicit material in the game that could be seen with a simple software modification.
The move by The Entertainment Software Ratings Board could be a big blow to company revenue as many retail chains refuse to carry “AO” titles. The PlayStation 2 edition of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas accounted for more than 40 percent, or $306.48 million, of Take-Two’s sales for the six months ending April 30.
In response to the new rating, New York City-based Take-Two lowered its fiscal year earnings guidance by nearly 25 percent to a range of $1.05 to $1.12 from $1.40 to $1.47. The net sales projection was also trimmed to a lower range of $1.26 billion to $1.31 billion.
The company’s stock fell nearly 7 percent to $25.25 in after-hours trading.
Before the ratings board’s decision, Take-Two’s subsidiary Rockstar Games had maintained that “hackers” had created the software tweak that allowed the game’s character to have sex. The hackers said they had simply unlocked hidden graphic content that the publisher had included in the game.
