‘Sims’ family faces ‘adults only’ effort

Fresh from the fallout over some sex scenes hidden in “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” an anti-game crusader is pressuring Electronic Arts to take action against those who modify another game, “The Sims 2,” so that it can display naked characters.

Last week, a culture war erupted over “Grand Theft Auto,” which hackers had modified to play graphic sexual scenes. The game industry’s ratings board upped the game’s “mature” rating to “adults only.”

A New York grandmother sued the company Wednesday on behalf of consumers nationwide, after buying the game for her 14-year-old grandson.

Now Jack Thompson, a Florida attorney, says that “The Sims 2,” a teen-rated game, also should be re-rated “adults only.” That’s because it can be “modded” to show naked characters, instead of the blurred images normally shown as they change clothes, take showers or go to the bathroom in the simulation of ordinary life.

“This is nonsense,” said Jeff Brown, spokesman for EA. “Reasonable people understand there is nothing improper in the game.”

Labor

AFL-CIO re-elects embattled president

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, the center of a storm in the labor movement, was re-elected to a fourth term Wednesday – just days after the defection of two major unions that had sought his ouster.

One of those unions – the Service Employees International Union – was headed by Sweeney when he was first elected AFL-CIO president in 1995. It joined the Teamsters in leaving the AFL-CIO on Monday.