Hot Coffee forces developer and publisher to apply an "Adults Only" rating for the newest game in the GTA series
The bruhahah surrounding the "Hot Coffee" mod for the PC version Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has forced Take Two and Rockstar to ultimately change the rating for the game from "M" (Mature) to "AO" (Adults Only). Originally placing the blame for the saucy mini-game content the mod unlocks on the mod author, Rockstar finally admitted that they were the ones who left the content hidden in the original source code.
Rockstar has promised to release a "new" version of the game that will conform to the ESRB guidelines for an "M" rating, and ship "AO" rating stickers to retailers that still plan on selling the game as it is. That said, the publisher still stands to lose a bit of revenue, as many retailers like Best Buy and Circuit City are expected to pull the game from shelves until that new "M" version launches.
Many retailers sell "M" rated games, which "may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older," according to the rating board, but won't sell "AO"-labeled games at all.Take-Two also said Wednesday that it expects to suffer financially. It lowered its expectations for its current quarter and fiscal year to set aside funds for returns of the games, and figured that net sales could decrease by more than $50 million during the quarter ending July 31.