Gang Fights, Virtual 'Escorts' Woo Older Video Gamers

Oct. 18, 2005 — -- Controversy peaked months ago over violence and hidden sex scenes in "Grand Theft Auto," but the video game industry is steadily pushing ever further into "adults only" territory.

Gamers have been anticipating the release of "The Warriors," a "mature-rated" game from Rockstar Games, the edgy creators of "Grand Theft Auto," while a new football simulation from a different game maker lets players send "escorts" to an opposing team's hotel room.

"Games are maturing as an entertainment medium," says Dan Morris, associate publisher of PC Gamer magazine. "Companies like Rockstar are pointing the way to a greater variety of choices ... They're taking the same steps movies and music did -- appeal to a broader audience than the kids they were initially aimed at."

Criticism of the gaming industry spiked earlier this year when explicit sex scenes were discovered hidden in "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," a wildly successful video game that already had been criticized for excessive violence. The software industry quickly changed the game's rating to "Adults only," and retailers pulled it from their shelves while Rockstar scrambled to release a new version without the virtual pornography.

Many retailers will not sell mature-rated games to customers under 17 years of age.

Outrage over "Grand Theft Auto" may have cooled, but don't expect video games to return to any sort of age of innocence. Some of the latest titles suggest the industry is deliberately aiming for adult audiences -- with storylines that are much more edgy and gritty.

Rockstar today released "The Warriors," which lets players portray members of a multi-racial street gang in 1970s-era New York City. As in the 1979 cult movie of the same name, Warriors face off against rival gang members armed with chains and baseball bats and fight their way through a virtual cityscape littered with trash and graffiti to reach their "home turf."

And like the "Grand Theft Auto" line of games -- which have sold over 50 million copies since 2001 -- many expect this latest Rockstar title to do well.

"They have a track record of success," says Morris, "And if any company could bring a new game franchise to success in the market, they would be it."