Release of latest 'Grand Theft Auto' comes under fire

— -- A best-selling video game series, Grand Theft Auto, is releasing a new version Tuesday amid a firestorm of concern about the impact of violent games on children.

The Chicago Transit Authority is pulling ads for the game off its buses. The Parents Television Council is calling on retailers to keep it away from children. The PTA has a campaign to explain ratings.

More than a dozen bids in five states and four in Congress would limit sales of some games to children. Since 2005, nine states have passed laws to restrict game sales but none survived court challenges.

"These games are patently offensive and violent," says Minnesota Solicitor General Alan Gilbert, who is appealing a court ruling that found no "incontrovertible" proof the games trigger violence in kids.

Rockstar Games, the series maker, declined to comment. The video game industry has responded to critics by agreeing to restrict the advertising and sale of M-rated games. Most major retailers say they won't sell them to anyone under 17. Yet random checks by the Federal Trade Commission found that 42% of retailers did.

Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumers Association, says generational bias fuels the criticism: "People who haven't grown up with games won't understand them."

A new book, Grand Theft Childhood, says games, even some violent ones, may have social benefits.

"Video games are now a social tool for boys," who use them to interact and build friendships, says co-author Lawrence Kutner, who is on the Harvard medical school faculty. The games also teach kids to solve problems, the book says.

A study for the book found Grand Theft Auto, rated "M" for "mature," was the most popular game among boys and second among girls, whose favorite was The Sims (rated "T" for "teen").

The Grand Theft Auto series, which has sold 30 million games since its launch in 1997, includes the all-time PlayStation best seller San Andreas. In the new version, an immigrant is dragged into a bloody criminal underworld. The rating warns of "intense violence" and "strong sexual content."