Grand Theft Auto IV expansion bares all

Ready for another Grand Theft Auto controversy? No, us neither, but it looks like one's happening anyway.

Fans of Grand Theft Auto IV who download its newly released first episodic expansion, "The Lost and Damned," might get more than they bargained for. About five hours into the game, during a cozy pre-mission chat between star Johnny Klebitz and a corrupt Congressman named Stubbs, players are greeted by the sight of Mr. Stubbs in the buff. It's not just an accidental or brief glimpse, either. We're talking full-frontal, digital male nudity.

Although such things are comparatively unremarkable in mainstream cinema or theater, they're still a tremendously rare sight in video games, even Mature-rated ones like Grand Theft Auto IV.

GTA: Lost And Damned Screenshots (No Nudity)

Astute readers will be reminded of the infamous "Hot Coffee" incident, where an enterprising Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas consumer discovered how to access a deleted sequence which featured the protagonist and a young lady enjoying what for the sake of decorum we'll call "some personal time together." The ensuing brouhaha resulted in copies of San Andreas being re-rated with the almost unheard-of "Adults Only" certificate, and consequently pulled from store shelves around the country. The game was eventually re-issued without the offending scenes.

The Lost and Damned's content is a different kettle of fish, however. It's not a deleted sequence that requires unsanctioned modification of the game code to access, and the Hot Coffee sequences didn't actually feature any nudity. The ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) typically requires downloadable content like The Lost and Damned to conform to the same age rating standards as the original game. No word yet on how -- or, indeed, if -- they'll respond to the latest incident.

Update: Grand Theft Auto developer Rockstar contacted us to let us know that the scene in question has indeed been rated by the ESRB.

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