Australian censors investigate GTA mini-game

British censors have stated that the controversial Hot Coffee mod for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas won't change their rating for the title - but Australian censors may be on the verge of banning the title from sale.

Earlier this week the ESRB warned that San Andreas could be slapped with an Adults Only rating in North America after news emerged of the pornographic mini-game, which can be unlocked by downloading a mod from the Internet.

"We were not aware that the hidden content was in the game when we awarded the 18 rating, and our understanding is that Rockstar did not know the content was in the game," a representative of the British Board of Film Classification told GamesIndustry.biz.

"Even if we had been aware of it, we would not have had a problem," she continued. "From our point of view the hidden material does not contravene the 18 rating and so the rating stands."

However, unlike the UK, where the title is 18-rated, the highest rating which can be awarded by Australia's Office of Film and Literature Classification is MA15+. The board is notoriously strict when it comes to both violent and sexual content, previously refusing to classify titles such as Manhunt, NARC and Leisure Suit Larry and thereby effectively banning them from sale.

According to a statement issued by the OFLC, "The Classification Board is compelled to revoke a game's classification if it is found to contain undisclosed contentious material, whether activated through use of a code or otherwise."

OFLC director Des Clark commented: "Developments such as this are indicative of the increasingly complex technological world of entertainment in which we live."

"Our investigations show the National Classification Scheme at work and the Classification Board will take action, if required, when all the facts are established."