Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2005/07/27/ftc_gta_probe/

FTC probes Grand Theft Auto

'Deceptive' claims cited

By Lester Haines

Posted in Personal Tech, 27th July 2005 11:05 GMT

The publisher of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas announced yesterday that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is probing advertising claims it made regarding the controversial game.

The FTC investigation follows a tough couple of weeks for Take 2 which ended with GTA reclassified from Mature to Adult Only after a Dutch modder unlocked explicit sex material in the best-selling game. The subsequent brouhaha provoked major retailers to pull GTA from the shelves, and Take 2's stock crashed 13 per cent, Reuters reports.

The assault on GTA continued when members of the US House of Representatives asked the FTC to investigate whether Take 2 "intentionally deceived the Entertainment Software Ratings Board to avoid a restrictive 'adult' rating".

For its part, Take 2 said yesterday it was co-operating fully with the FTC inquiry and added its belief that it had acted "in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations". ®

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