I really don't think we'll see much difference (long-term, though it may go for an inflated price RIGHT NOW) in the PS2 version since it's already sold like a hundred kajillion bajillion shabadoo copies by this point, but the PC and Xbox versions were only out for about a month...
I say, Rockstar could do an Uncut version, like movies that have the naughty parts taken out in the theatre but not in the DVD. If the stores dont want to sell AO, fuck em, sell it online. With all the hype around this game ppl wont`ve any problem to find it. :smt043
I think the issue of a young child playing this game together with the fact that Take Two/Rockstar lied does matter. I can't agree that just PLAYING violent video games can harm a child, but it can give them a false sense of reality. Also having a major studio not come out right away about questionable content in a game doesn't help the situation. They are going to get burned big time and they have no one to blame but themselves. As mentioned, this game has sold millions of copies, so I can't see the rating going from an 'M' to 'AO' hurting sales. The underlying issue here is that many parents aren't taking time, or even care what their children do as a hobby anymore. They buy their kids anything and everything to make them happy, not really seeing the implications of these vices. On the few times a year I go to a mall, I can't believe how children today are dressing and acting. It tells me parents are more concerned about making there child happy, or should I say making them 'artificially happy' then raising a child to respect themselves. I think the government/politicians do want to stop these games from being made period. Many people still consider the gaming industry ‘for kids’, even though it is now eclipsing the movie industry as a major entertainment cash cow. Btw, I think the ESRB is a waste of time, and really needs some revamping. ^_^_^
Analog Winter and JTI2K have pretty much explained it completely. The other underlying issue is the eskewed priorities in the public morality - which are as easier to pander to as parents wanting the government to take responsibiliti for their responsibilities. Mark30001 and Survival Tobita - the game would become rare if there were a Recall or if the original M version wouldn't have sold trillions of copies and then was changed. Having an original uncensored M version, though, might be a funny joke in some years, even if it's still worthless. I myself am not getting one.
I personally think that this is a great oportunity to start a line of Uncensored and Uncut games. For example, i read once that Jak2 had a lot of stuff cut from the final to get into "T", things like some blood, more dirty jokes and (just a rumor, not confirmed) some spicy scenes. Enough to make it into M Almost 80 percent of the market is well above 20, so uncut M and AO versions of different games, even when not for sale at stores ¿only online? could be a great oportunity to increase revenues. Im goin to start charging for this comments :-D
what i hate the most about this rating is the media part. They talk about how violent and bad this game is, and that it now features sex scenes that every kid could see, some goes to the point the film kids playing the game and all, to make ''sensationalism'', they talk about the fact that kids could own this game and all. What they're not speeking about though is that the game is RATED as it must be, and that parents can see this rating with a very quick look at the front and the back of the game (for a more detailed rating). Heck, this game is rated, why could the compagny that published it be bashed? it's not their fault if a parent buys this game without even looking at its rating, they can't be blamed because of this. Yes, some parents doesn't even know there's ratings on video games, and buys everything their kids want, but that's what upset me the most: Media doesn't even tell people games are rated! they don't tell you what's the meaning of the rating and where you can find it. Why? because they couldn't talk in bad about video games anymore? parents seems to like it when they're bashing video games without telling the whole story (ie: there's RATINGs on games!) (wich is, in fact, sensationalism). And at the end, they say your kids could have this game very easly, wich shock the public in general, but they don't say how you could easly stop this.
A lot of it really does come back to the "responsible parenting" issue. Look at what your kids are playing. If you don't like it, don't let them play it. These people shouldn't depend on the media to tell them what is right and wrong for their children. Obviously, if a game says "Mature 17+" on it, it probably isn't suitable for little 11 year old Timmy. I fail to see how an unused sex scene can bump the game up to an Adults Only rating, but then again, I don't really care, anyway .
The whole sensationalism, well, thats what press is: uninformation. They never tell you about how the stock market was full of opportunists bastards that whos work was creating ghost corporations to sell the shares until the market crashes. Neither the fact that a lot of the DrugWars laws were made by a series of lobbists so the RealState companies could get their hands in cheap (although pretty expensive) terrains in bad neiborhoods but closer to expensive areas, thus getting gains from the inflated real state market. Videogames are the "new thing" to blame for this fuck up, violent generation. In order, the scapegoats have been: *70: Violent movies (funny, becos thats was during vietnam :smt083 ) *80: Violent lyrics *90: pornography and the teachers *Now: violent games I would like to quote michael moore in BfC when he says: "its funny that after columbine nobody banned bowling, after all, thats what the [kids] were doing before goin to school and killing everyone in sight" Yet nobody sees the reality: what makes a kid a stone cold killer is no other thing that mediocre parents and other kids. Obviously, timmys dad isnt goin to accept his guilt in the suicide of his son, neither the jocks that molested him. Yep, maybe machines are (almost) never wrong, but humans are much more advanced: theyll never accept they were wrong :smt082
what i hate is that everything needs a reason now. a general reason. something you can blame everything on. not something specific to someone or something.
It's kinda funny to me reading about all this "controversy" and whatnot. In Europe, San Andreas is rated 18+ - that's already the highest rating there is for games here! All game retailers stock 18 rated games no probs (except maybe some toy shops who are more toy shops than videogame shops), though they will not sell these games to under 18s.
Thats how humans work: their brains are designed to blame all their problems to any external thing thats not realted to them And as stupid the human is, the more absolutist it becomes. But dont worry, Im working on that :smt045
Good luck over here in the states. I had san andreas for the PS2 but wasn't sure on the mod so I wanted an xbox version took some hunting but I found 1 game shop that was not afraid to sale it. During my search I think Target had the funniest response the older guy in there said he could not sale it to me or he would be arrested. That was real funny since I am way over 18. But to make it funnier a lady customer at the counter was horrified that I would want such a game. So after her horrified look I told her "Yes I want to see some tits in my game" her jaw hit the floor and when I walked out of target I just about busted a gut laughing. What can I say otherwise than you have to enjoy life.
Damn, JTI2K, the BFC comment was one of the things I was going to say, and you are once again right on the sensationalism issue - and about kids' and adults' mentality, as well. And yeah, blaming scapegoats has always been the political way to connect with some voters that might not want to accept their irresponsibilities. A "common enemy" makes political support easier. There's that Penny Arcade sticker that says "Guns don't kill people, Kids who play videogames kill people" - making fun of similar situations.
