Boys Will be Boys or How Stupid can They Get?

From the NY Times:

The video game publisher Take-Two Interactive said yesterday that it had received a grand jury subpoena from the Manhattan district attorney's office, seeking information about a range of its business practices dating back to 2001 and the inclusion of sexually explicit material in one of its games.

Edward Nebb, a company spokesman, said the district attorney had not told Take-Two whether it or any of its executives or directors were targets of the grand jury investigation. A spokeswoman at the district attorney's office declined to comment last night.

If Take-Two is the focus of the investigation, as the depth and nature of the questions it is being asked by prosecutors suggests, it would be the first time that a criminal inquiry into the activities of the company and its directors and executives had come to light. The company, which is based in New York, said it was cooperating with the investigation.

So basically, we have here a company that has a "bad-boy" reputation in the gaming industry. How does one get a "bad-boy" reputation? First, by creating a game that defies all conventional thoughts - The Grand Theft Auto series is about stealing cars and doing other anti-social behavior. Secondly, within the game itself, hide a section for the uber-dweebs for them to "uncover" so to speak. This scene will have sexually explicit material. Then lastly, lie about inserting the section.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Grand Theft Auto series. I own three of them and one of them on two different platforms.

But the company needs to grow up. If your hand is caught in the cookie jar, admit it! *sigh* but then look at our administration. Maybe these producers at Take Two looked at the Bush administration and said, hey, they lied about WMDs and look, they're still not getting subpoenaed.

Take Two, I hope you're being open and honest with the courts because I do not want to see your company go bankrupt or stop producing games. You've made some really great games. Good luck with this subpoena