An uproar over hidden, sexually explicit scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas spread Monday into the halls of Congress.
On a 355-21 vote, the House passed a resolution asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the game's manufacturer, Rockstar Games, and its parent company, New York-based Take Two Interactive Software Inc.
"If that company purposely hid that information or material to make a sham of the ratings, it is nothing less than deceptive advertising and should be punished, in this case severely," said Representative Fred Upton of Michigan.
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York also asked the FTC last week to investigate Rockstar. She said the company had "gamed the ratings system" by concealing sex scenes in the game that can be unlocked by computer programs available on the Internet.
Video games usually have layers of content, and sometimes there are hidden areas that can be unlocked with special codes.
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