'Grand Theft Auto' makers settle with FTC

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Open Letter to the FTC

Please feel free to contribute as long as you do so in a professional manner.

Dear FTC

The following subject that I wish to address is the maturity rating of games such as Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas that can be "unlocked," to reveal a portion that is of a much more mature matter such as sex. My interest in this matter is purely as a programmer and an avid game player rather than a parent.

The matter involves a so-called, "Easter Egg" which many programs include in them. Programmers do this to add an additional surprise. Microsoft has done such for years. Unlike most "Easter Eggs" though, this one required an external program to unlock. This means, that more was required than just to purchase the item and install the item to unlock the feature. Because of what is required to unlock the easter-egg, any litigation done can open up some serious consequences in the programming world. Consequences that can and possible will set back the programming world decades just to prevent some teenagers from looking at some pornographic material that they would probably have had access to anyway via a friend's parent's closet.

The loophole that this would open up is the possibility of modifications to a game. While the origin of the games intent is to be entertaining in a sense of child's play, Modifications can allow a PG 13 game to become an X-rated game.

Posted by: nucrash   Posted on: 06/09/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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