Say Good bye to GTA:SA [Archive]

Stevevai9

07-22-2005, 01:13 AM

No, on the PC version and the other console versions, there is hidden code in there for a mini sex game. some smart people decided "hey, lets make a mod for this and send it across the web" Well, because f that mod, the Game was given an AO or Adults Only rating.

Hilary Clinton and her band of soccer moms banned the game from being sol to ANYONE under the age of 18.

Thanks Hilary.

oo yeah, for you guys who want to see actual evidence of video games not causing violence.

http://gr.bolt.com/articles/violence/violence.htm

kevinf

07-22-2005, 01:29 AM

i heard that they are making another version with a harder to crack code but not sure don't remember the link too

Jaggannath

07-22-2005, 02:59 AM

Incorrect... they're taking the version and removing the code that allowed the Hot Coffee mod to work, which had been coded around rather than removed. They will continue to sell the game unchanged aside from that to try get the M rating back

TennBikeBerk

07-22-2005, 03:15 AM

How come it can get an AO rating, when you need the mod to get to the AO content? Seems the mod should be AO, but not the game.

DonVito

07-22-2005, 03:30 AM

How come it can get an AO rating, when you need the mod to get to the AO content? Seems the mod should be AO, but not the game.

It dont matter, this is just the break the government was hoping for. Most people dont know what a hack or mod is. So all the government tells people is "theres porn on GTA". And after years of propaganda of how the game industry is only out there to turn kids into killers......this happens. :(

spyder003

07-22-2005, 03:41 AM

And after years of propaganda of how the game industry is only out there to turn kids into killers......this happens. :(

I guess they can add porn star to the list now :D

Oh well, I'm sure SA will be back.

wolfie

07-22-2005, 09:18 AM

this game was rated m already, nobody under 17, and not one thing on the news saying that. so to me its the parents fault if there 13 year old was playing it. it was really stupid of them for putting it on there but you can see more at noon on a soap opera then what was really on that game.

Jaggannath

07-22-2005, 10:22 AM

Yup... in all honesty, I don't see how they can alter the game rating because a mod could potentially be downloaded and unlock undesirable stuff. I really think parental responsibility is the exception rather than the rule nowadays, it's really sad

Ironsides

07-22-2005, 03:20 PM

Does this mean games like Call of Duty are up for a rating change because there are mods that make it more violent? Seems kind of stupid... although, I am kind of wondering how that "hidden code" just happened to be in GTA. All said, here's the lesson kids: don't vote for hillary in 2008!

Turbo91Bird

07-22-2005, 03:22 PM

she will never win.

And what does the mod do again? Show people having sex or something?

sdkfz

07-22-2005, 03:41 PM

Read the story carefully- the mod allows you access code that was left in the game when it went gold, but was not supposed to be used. This is an error and failure of the game company to issue a clean product. Think of it as an Easter Egg like when you could type ZZZZZ into Word's spell checker and the reply was 'sex'. Is it done all the time - sure it is- but it is no excuse -they were asking for this.

The only thing that the game company is doing now is to remove the code like it should have before it went gold. Of course at this point the whole excercie is purely punitive and essentially a monetary fine since I am willing to bet that the mod and the source code will be available from the web once the new version comes out.

Here is a screen shot from a newspaper -obviously not all that explicit if it can be there.
http://sfgate.com/columnists/morford/

Personally - the game is abhorrant anyway in that it glorifies lawlessness, I see no good that come from it.

Prew

07-22-2005, 03:46 PM

It was my understanding also that the explicit sex content was within the game- not a part of third party mod- I think the mod just unlocked it (as someone else pointed out)- or if using a PS2 using something like Action Replay Max (a cheat code module) would allow one to see it.

spartan015

07-22-2005, 03:47 PM

well the only thing is... u have to make yourself spend time to unlock it... on xboxes its commonly used w/ a mod chip which is illegal... and on the PS2 well it was... a simple memory hack... and pc its easier then that. but the only problem is its simply u have to make time to actually download and install it. now i want my revenge and i want some one to mod America's Army.. then see what happens lol.

Ironsides

07-22-2005, 03:53 PM

a mod for America's Army - haha, that would be funny, the government banning a government game?

the GTA developers were asking for this. this is one game i will not miss. seriously, what was so much fun about these games anyway?

spartan015

07-22-2005, 04:40 PM

exactly! banning a government funded game! slaps them in the face for creating it lol tho i enjoyed it.

hmmm its a matter of opinion... GTA series were great (for those who enjoy it) becuase of the creativity, the idea of being able to steal cars... shoot everyone lol... excessive voilence... but it was also had a interesting story. like vice city... it was alot like the movie Be Cool... thats why i enjoy it. i think some one mentioned gta SA as like scarface... but maybe it was adifferent game seeing that i nvr seen that movie. if u dont like voilence or cars... or both lol then ur not gonna like gta.

doctorgonzo

07-22-2005, 04:49 PM

What I want to know is what the huge difference is between an "M" rating, which means suitable for 17-year olds and up, and an "AO" rating, which means suitable for 18-year olds and up. One freakin' year means that nobody can sell it?! How can anybody rationally argue that this game is now OK for a person who is 18, but is completely inappropriate for somebody who is 17?

I'm not fond of the GTA series personally (sure, it's fun to blow people up and run away from cops, but it gets old pretty quickly), so this won't affect me, but I think it is incredibly stupid. I'm guessing that the stores that won't sell this game anymore are still selling "R"-rated movies with violence and nudity in them.

imbest123

07-22-2005, 05:34 PM

wait... so its still for sale as long as you are 18 years of age or is it banned completely? im 18 so its all good >=] plus there is always ebay.

Yuanji

07-22-2005, 05:59 PM

i don't think most stores in the US sell AO games and they made Rockstar stop production of GTA:SA

enhanced08

07-22-2005, 05:59 PM

wait... so its still for sale as long as you are 18 years of age or is it banned completely? im 18 so its all good >=] plus there is always ebay.

from what i understand its a little of both. you can't buy it unless your 18 but there is no store that will sell it at all! so you could be 30 and not able to get this game!

that is how i understand it anyway.

spartan015

07-22-2005, 06:07 PM

well i think M is like all the bad stuff and AO is something above it... like pretty much having excessive blood... close to pr0n

dierect quotes from ESRB
AO ADULTS ONLY
Titles rated AO (Adults Only) have content that should only be played by persons 18 years and older. Titles in this category may include prolonged scenes of intense violence and/or graphic sexual content and nudity.

M MATURE
Titles rated M (Mature) have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content, and/or strong language.

I don't much see a difference but yea... if u ever played postal 2 then u would wonder why it doesnt fit under AO lol... weird game

Two|Bit

07-22-2005, 06:49 PM

spyder003

07-22-2005, 07:10 PM

Its strange. If you mod a game you are changing what is intended to be shown on the screen. I have modded a game, for example Counter Strike. You can get Skins to change how the guns and players look. You can get a skin for the hostages to be naked women. This is a Mod. With the same theory behind GTA: SA, shouldn't Counter Strike get an AO rating? I don't think so because it is not what the developers intended to be shown on the screen.

No, it's not really a mod. The Devs put it in there. It was just a matter of someone finding it. I personally believe they wanted it to be found. If not, why would they bother? I think it was put in there knowing it would be found, with the expectation of having their ratings shoot through the roof when sales started to dip off. And they did, literally.

TennBikeBerk

07-22-2005, 07:23 PM

Correct me if I am wrong here, but can't anybody buy an "M" rated game, even though it is meant for 17+ year olds? I think with the "AO" rating, you legally have to be 18 to buy the game.

Two|Bit

07-22-2005, 07:36 PM

No, it's not really a mod. The Devs put it in there. It was just a matter of someone finding it. I personally believe they wanted it to be found. If not, why would they bother? I think it was put in there knowing it would be found, with the expectation of having their ratings shoot through the roof when sales started to dip off. And they did, literally.

Oh I see. I can agree with that than. They probably did this to be all over the news and to have people on message boards about PC Building talking about it to boost their popularity until they release the clean version, which EVERYONE who hasn't played will crave.

And I think they aren't supposed to sell them but they do anyways and nobody cares.

juppy

07-23-2005, 12:27 AM

I agree with whoever said its just a way they can start banning video games. Greece already banned video games altogether and there are people in this country that would love to do the same. I personally don't see how they can call it the game's fault when you have to download a hack YOURSELF to implement it. C'mon parents, take a little responsibility for what your kids do! And just for the record, yes I have the game (PS2 version) but I don't even have a desire to download the hack. Call me weird, but computer-rendered pixels made to look like a nude person do nothing for me. If this is the case of things, then they better start banning alot of other stuff. Like Campbell's soup products for instance....a friend sent me an email once that had the Campbell's kids in various sex acts with each other. You could download that, print it out, and glue it to your can of soup! DOWN WITH CAMPBELL'S CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP!!! [/sarcasm] :D

rackham

07-23-2005, 01:46 AM

Yeah Berk the store clerks are supposed to make sure you are of age when buying Mature rated games. There was a huge fuss a couple years back because of how they slacked off on that. What I dont understand is how you can come up with a system where different ratings (M and AO) are only one year apart.

bigandy

07-23-2005, 09:17 PM

It's just like the record store. I would go in and buy albums with the "Parental Advisory" sticker all the time, and they would sell them to me without question, even though I was only 13 or so.

Rockstar should have removed the code altogether before releasing the game, rather than just leaving it so that it had to be found/modded, but it's their game, so it was their choice. But one thing this does is just increase the noteriety and popularity of Rockstar and the GTA series. For every moral touting mother, there's a couple hundred kids who will want to, and find a way to, play GTA. And this just brings out more of them. I'd like to know though is what about things like the nude patches for The Sims? Shouldn't The Sims receive an AO rating then because it can be modded into a game which shows nudity? Sure it's not quite as "in-depth" as the mod for SA, but it's nudity none the less.

als814

07-23-2005, 09:33 PM

I'm glad when the re-release the game I'll be able to shoot cops, sell drugs, bang prostitutes and steal cars without this filthy smut of a hack in the game. /sarcasm

It is already filled with about as much filth as possible. It sure is a fun game, but I don't see why this is so much worse than beating up a cop with a sex toy.

Two|Bit

07-23-2005, 10:16 PM

spartan015

07-24-2005, 03:49 PM

you know this is a really good thing for rockstar... sure they getting all the bad stuff... but then more ppl find out about GTA... its like advertising... ppl would defy the rating to play it now lol.

Jaggannath

07-24-2005, 07:57 PM

I wouldn't mind the laugh of seeing it once, but I'm sure the novelty would be gone after that first viewing. In Australia, they can only sell a modified version of the game from the very beginning, which they removed the banging prossies parts from and the like. It's the same with BMX XXX, in which they toned down the movies with the dancing girls so that there was nothing shown (so dirty on that, by the way :D)

spartan015

07-24-2005, 09:05 PM

well BMX XXX had i think more adult content then SA but they still got a M rating...

doesn't really make any sense... God of War also has nudity and what not (dunno my friend told me this wehn we were discussion the situation of SA)

Jaggannath

07-25-2005, 08:50 AM

The XXX is BMXXXX says it all... the rewards for achieving stuff is a video of a chick stripping and dirty dancing
Not that I'm complaining

Stryker

07-25-2005, 09:06 AM

Watch the sunrise. It's more rewarding. ;)

spartan015

07-25-2005, 03:57 PM

Watch the sunrise. It's more rewarding. ;)

nice... the sunsets are nice too... at least you dont have to wake up to see it like i do for the sunrise... boy am i lazy...

Jaggannath

07-26-2005, 04:39 AM

Believe me, my job means I've seen plenty of sunrises and sunsets... besides it's better watching the sun rise with someone to share it with, and my someone lives 800km away. So I watch the reward videos on BMX XXX :)
In all honesty I'm not that depraved, I've only watched each one once, the time I earned it

nocturnx

07-29-2005, 12:52 AM

The reason why gta:sa is getting an AO rating and the sims 2 is not is because the sex mini-game "hot coffee" in gta is not a mod, it was actually part of the game and they disabled it before they shipped it so that it would get the M rating. To re-enable the "hot coffee" mini-game is simply opening the game in a code editor and changing a couple values. It can be done on current xbox and pc versions of the game but I have yet to find someone that has unlocked it on the ps2 version, and I have searched :)

In the sims 2, the nude content is not part of the game, you actually need to download or make skins for it. Yes you can disable the blurring effect, but the sims do not have human features if you know what I mean. So there you can see it is 2 totally different things.

The game with the most nudity I have seen is The Guy Game which includes live videos of women competing in topless games such as a sack race for example heh, much more nudity than BMX XXX. If you google "gta hot coffee" and look at some pictures of it you will see what the big deal is, the "hot coffee" mini-game is extremely graphic.

spartan015

07-29-2005, 03:47 PM

well in the first sims u could... i htink it was a move cheat. ah well its rather simple on the PS2, since on xboxes its commonly need a mod chip to this hack (i dont knwo how its done w/ out the mod chip) on the PS2 its the memory hack, using the memory card.

Two|Bit

07-29-2005, 08:29 PM

Yeah I heard you can buy a disc on the internet and could have the MOD on your PS2

nocturnx

07-30-2005, 02:24 AM

........memory hack? how do you do that? I googled it and cant find anything about it on the ps2. Both my ps2 and xbox is already moded so that would be no problem, but i only own the ps2 version of it.

spartan015

07-30-2005, 12:54 PM

simply look for the "patch" for ps2... then usually they give u how to instructions. i dont have a ps2 so yea it doenst really matter to me, my friend does tho and so he was bored and did that. (and an xbox... so unfair)

tomster2300

07-30-2005, 09:15 PM

Like somebody said before, this only happened because of the controversy already surrounding the GTA series. Sure there is worse stuff in other games, but this one is notorious for its violence and sex -- the game is permeated with it. GTA games have been banned on and off for years, but this specific incident allowed the game's opposition to finally make a viable attack at it. They now have proof that explicit sex exists and used it to their advantage. But just like any news story, they slanted the odds to their favor. The average parent doesn't care that you have to do this and that and bend over backwards to get the sex...it exists in some form or fashion, they have proof, thus the game, the company, and the entire video game industry must be bad. That's how today's reasoning works -- we're too busy to notice the details, if one person finds fault with it then of course it must be horribly wrong and drastically altered in order to please everyone.

EDIT: I find this phenomena in fast food, and it really bugs me. An example is I got McDonald's tonight for dinner. I dont normally eat at McDonalds, but when I do I know what to expect. I know that a fast food hamburger is greasy, filled to the brim with calories, will clog my arteries, give me a heart attack, and not to mention add a few pounds. I expect this when buying one, thus I don't there often. I have that common sense. Obviously others don't due to all of the law suits which have stemmed from people accussing fast food joints for their own personal health problems. Instead of telling those individuals to shut up, judges rule in their favor and continue allowing this insanity to occur. Thus the burger joints become health conscientious and serve much smaller burgers and an entire line of health foods. I know this is great for the health conscientious, but in my opinion the health conscientious shouldn't go to the burger joint in the first place. They ought to let it just stay a burger joint serving bad for you meals; McDonald's oughtn't have to cave into the stupidity of a few and alter their entire program. I was mad when I opened up my Big Mac and found it three times smaller than the last time I ate one - it's been awhile.

I'm sorry for the incredibly long rant, but I'm sick of people's stupidity making others drastically change their ways. We need to bring back common sense.

spartan015

07-31-2005, 01:38 PM

So true! tomster2300 i agree w/ u about fast food, its like those ppl who sue them, i think one incident a couple years back was the woman spilled hot coffee and got a burn and tried to sue mcdonalds, only problem is the cup said do not spill, contains hot liquid may cause burns, or something similar to that line. she lost the case lol.

Ok going back to GTA SA here are some of the letters they sent out to the senators and what not from the hackers.
http://www.gtagarage.com/letters/index.php

Below is the article on megagames.com

" The continuing saga known as Hot Coffee-gate took another unexpected turn as the mod community reacted strongly against the ESRB and U.S. senators that have gone after Rockstar and the community regarding the GTA: San Andreas sexually explicit material.

The entire gaming industry stood accused last week as US senators managed to point the finger at Rockstar and the modding community and claim that they both undermined the entire U.S. game rating system.

Some of the leading modders got together at GTAGarage.com and put together a variety of letters and a press release that were sent out to U.S. senators. The letter sent out to senator Clinton, Mr. Yee and Mr. Thompson states: In recent statements by the ESRB, they have accused the mod community of undermining their ratings by putting sexually explicit material into PC games, namely San Andreas, which was already rated "M". However, if you look into a game by the name of "Singles - Flirt up your Life", it becomes quite clear they are doing a good job of that all by themselves. This "M" rated game features full frontal nudity (and not androgynous "barbies" like The Sims) and characters engaging in interactive sexual scenes.

The letter also goes on to point out that other games are not treated in the same way claiming that: ...for that matter, what of the game "Playboy: The Mansion", which is based on the skin magazine, and is also rated "M"?!

The modding community has reacted and it has done so in style, in an attempt to expose the entire GTA:SA story as a hypocritical exercise aimed at what was considered a soft target and serving many purposes, few of which have anything whatsoever to do with decency.

All we can say is: Good Luck. " --megagames.com

Well i hope the hackers win cuz they the good guys here lol. well ill side w/ them even if they are the bad guys

spartan015

08-04-2005, 08:23 PM

ahahaha i finally got my copy of GTA SA... what a beautiful game. tho i havent bothered w/ the hot coffee patch maybe i will once i beat my game. (the other one i ended up giving to my friend for his bday which i forgot so it worked out lol)

THECOMPUTERN()()B

08-06-2005, 10:19 PM

all I can say is rockstar is Really smart, even though that coffee stuff is pretty bad :)

Lamilia

08-06-2005, 10:23 PM

well BMX XXX had i think more adult content then SA but they still got a M rating...
I played that game it was awesome. Ok now I gotta find out how to break the code I am really curious now.

Stryker

08-06-2005, 10:33 PM

I played that game it was awesome. Ok now I gotta find out how to break the code I am really curious now.
I thought you were only 14 or 15 years old.

THECOMPUTERN()()B

08-06-2005, 10:35 PM

why do people get excited of seeing polygons having sex. And killing cops with chainsaws is ok but having sex means an AO rating? This rating system does not make sense

Stryker

08-06-2005, 10:39 PM

why do people get excited of seeing polygons having sex. And killing cops with chainsaws is ok but having sex means an AO rating? This rating system does not make sense
I don't know about everyone else, but I NEVER said killing cops with chainsaws is ok.

It's not the ranking system that doesn't make sense to me, it's creating stuff that glorifies violence, sex and evil acts in general that doesn't make sense.

tomster2300

08-06-2005, 11:18 PM

I thought you were only 14 or 15 years old.

Remember when Mortal Kombat first came out on Sega Genesis? That was meant for much older kids...but it was all everyone ever talked about back in Elementary School. I remember I'd listen to kids sit at the lunch table and talk about the new button combination they had just learned and what it unlocked. (This was before the days where you could hop online and figure out every cheat in a second; you actually had to figure it out back then :) ). Young kids have a way of getting their hands on inappropriate content despite "ratings". To me ratings mean squat; I know that while I grew up, not many parents even knew that games had ratings, and these were very loving, nurturing parents. People just don't take the time to read the packages -- they simply think since it's a video game it's meant for children. (Also video games were invented around the time I was born...so maybe I was old enough by the time the really bad stuff rolled around, but still.)

I think this whole problem could have been avoided if they had a stronger means of protection for video game sales. Yes, you can only get a M rated game if you're 17, but there are many places who will simply sell an item without checking ID. Maybe this will get the word out and enforce stricter policies.

Parents ought to take the initiative and keep the game from their kids in the first place...but that's a whole other rant :confused:

David M

08-07-2005, 01:26 AM

digitalfreedom64

08-07-2005, 01:41 AM

Ok maybe I missed something but did someones kid get a hold of the cheat code or something. is that how this all got started I mean other than it being all over the internet. If so what kind of parent buys a Mature rated game for a kid. In my opinion if the parents bought this game for a kid then they are no better than the game company for putting the out with that little porn scene in it. Seriously these parents should be responsible enough to read what the rating means if they are going to buy video games for their children. Seriously, this reeks of bad parenting and a serious lack of judgement. I criticize the game company and the parents. In a situation like this neither one is any better than the other.

Marke522

08-07-2005, 01:58 AM

I still don't understand what the big deal is, we are really only talking about 1 year. Rated M - 17, Rated AO - 18. I guess this is a way of making the retailers more responsible since the parents don't seem to care what their kids play. I mean, more than half the time the parents are the ones buying the game in the first place.

You can be darn sure my wife knows what's in our house. I can't even have a beer without getting a lecture about setting a good example and being a role model and "Do I want the kids thinking it's ok to drink alcohol?"

I think if the parents were more observant at the begining, the rating change would not be needed.

And to answer someone else's post about the same retailers selling rated "R" movies, yes, they are rated "R", that means 17, just like "M" for video games. But I think you would be hard pressed to find an NC-17 movie in the store.

HyperTF

08-07-2005, 02:06 AM

I was reading the newspaper here in Australia and they were talking about removing it from sale... I went out and bought it that day (ironically enough it was sitting next to an imported copy of Postal 2 which is also banned)

After I bought SA, it was banned from sale within the week...

I just don't understand why they can't slap a R18+ sticker on it and restrict sale... lets face it, many adults play games, it is sort of denying us the option... I agree that younger kids need to be protected from certain imagery, but it's like anything else, the responsibilty falls back on parents monitoring (as best they can) what their kids are exposed to and doing, and it should be the responsibility of shop sellers to restrict sale... if they cannot manage it then they can just opt not to sell it!

I just don't think it's rocket science really.

tomster2300

08-07-2005, 03:10 AM

Parental responsibility is valid only if the parents knew beforehand that cartoon porn was in the game. Its the fault of the company for sneaking that garbage into the game without a label on the front of the box stating that it has that crap. Encoded or not, it was a deceptive practice.

People sure bitch about Microsoft possibly putting in hidden code in their OS's but you guys have no problem with San Andreas having something hidden in it.

I dont think the cartoon porn mattered David. The game is about killing cops, doing hit jobs, making cash anyway you can (including robbing stores and killing people) and is stock full of violence and gore. It seeps with vulgarity and profanity. If this isn't enough to prevent parents to buy it for their children, then the sex is merely icing on the cake. If it was a game about bunnies frolicking in a field then they suddenly stopped and had explicit sex then yes, it ought to be on the box. But this game had so many other wrong things which weren't encoded; all of the above listed actually make up the basis of the game. They are what you play when you get the game, not after doing extensive hacking and searching on the internet.

nocturnx

08-07-2005, 04:06 AM

Alright, I gotta rant because this is total BS. Us adults should be allowed to have our entertainment. If I want to play a game about killing cops, stealing cars, and doin 'tutes, then I should be able to. Its dumb parents letting their kids get their hands on things they shouldnt have is the problem, not the game. If you find your kid with this game, take it and burn it, do your job as a parent instead of blaming the video game industry. I could go to the video store and rent movies which depict more violence and more nudity than this game and its all realistic, not simple polygons which seriously dont even look like the real thing. If this game were a movie, it would be rated R anyway so whats the fuss. Why would you take this game off the shelf for content thats not any worse than anything else in the game. Are you really gonna tell me a couple love making mini-games are worse than sniping, burning, and beating police officers and bystanders to death and running people down on the sidewalks, hell no. Last I heard murder and car theft was a crime and sex wasnt, so what the heck is the deal here. Games arent for kids anymore, when are stupid people gonna realize this and move on with the times like any other aspect of the entertainment industry. Movies, games, and music are all much more explicit than what they used to be. There should be more adult games like this, put them in black plastic bags on the top shelf like a penthouse if you need to, i dont care, but dont make me play kiddie mario rip-offs forever, I out grew those 10 years ago. Just let me have my adult fun and go away!

Marke522

08-07-2005, 07:44 AM

Last I heard murder and car theft was a crime and sex wasntIt is interesting how people seem to accept things that are wrong, but ban things that are only labled "inappropriate".

I had Vice City for about a week or so, my wife pleaded with me to take it back or sell it. Well, I got on eBay for $10, sold it for $40. So should I feel bad about making money on a product like that? I did tell everyone on my site that it was a rated M game and not bid unless you were 17. I never found out how old the guy was but his credit card worked. :D

I thought it loads of fun and enjoyed it very much, but my wife knew I would never be able to play it without having the kids watch, and since they are 9, 6, and 2, we agreed they don't need to see anything like at this time. So I bought Call of Duty instead. :D Still killing, but the whole theme is different. It's ok to shoot Nazi's, but not innocent people. ;)

So if my kids get into high school, and bring a gun, the Nazi's better watch out, cause my kids will think it's ok to shoot them in the head. :p

spyder003

08-07-2005, 08:42 AM

Bottom line - If you don't like it, don't play it and don't buy it for your kids. You don't need to get all "Hillary Clinton" and start a Democratic convention about it. There are much worse things out there than an animated sex game that was originally rated for 17+ anyway. Get over it.

sdkfz

08-07-2005, 09:12 AM

The bottom line issue here is that there are lots of groups here in the US with agendas and several of them have been using violence in it's artistic forms (movie/TV/video games) as part of their tactics of getting attention directed to their groups so that they can gain an audience for their platforms.

I am one that is willing to believe that the makers of the game knew that this content was in the game, knew that it would get out and where willing to take the heat for it for the publicity and increased sales. Maybe not the ones at the very top knew, but some one made the content, saw it and made a decision not to include it in the final release.

They are playing a dangerous game though, the 'protection of our children' is an easy rally cry and one that gets legislation passed- who is not for protecting our children- our future?

Failure to police themselves effectively will eventually result in increased oversight that the game companies will decry as unfair, but in the end an event that they brought down on themselves. It will probably be ineffective, but will add to the cost of the game and that is where we will feel it, right smack in the pocket book.

Jaggannath

08-07-2005, 09:28 AM

A well reasoned opinion sdkfz, I applaud you. Interestingly, I believe your name comes from a German anti-aircraft weapon category, so you'd better watch out for Marke's kids when they grow up :)

I think it's interesting to see the different perspectives here, and in a way it therefore means that something good has come of this whole debacle. Some (especially the younger members of us) are of the opinion it's a parents responsibility, and that if it's an issue don't buy it. A few of the older guys think that appropriate warnings should be on the label, and that the game maker should take more responsibility. At the end of the day, everyone has their own opinions, and GTA:SA has caused us to assess our opinions and at least evaluate them, so that they can be applied to other games in this genre

Marke522

08-07-2005, 09:48 AM

I think it will be awhile before another game of this magnetude is made. It doesn't seem as though people welcome once they realize what it's actually about. I would think it's safe to say that most of the sales came from parents trying to please their kids, thinking "It's just a game, how bad can it be?" Once they realize what they have in their house, I think they'll be little more weary in the future, and I think companies are aware of that, and will likewise tune down a bit of the objectionable material.

My wife had trouble with StarCraft for the longest time, because of the ugly cover, and also the little splatters of blood after the marines died. She tought I should play Mario or Madden NFL. :(

sdkfz

08-07-2005, 10:28 AM

I believe your name comes from a German anti-aircraft weapon category, so you'd better watch out for Marke's kids when they grow up :)

It actually should be Sd. Kfz. which in German is Sonder Kraftfahrzeug or 'special vehicle number' i.e ordnace designation. It is not specific to any one vehicle until you peg a number on the end like sdkfz 251 which was the German medium half track http://militaryphotogallery.com/Pages/Sdkfz%20251.html -

David M

08-07-2005, 03:20 PM

Tomster,
Yes it is a degenerate game. My point still remains that the software writers have a responsibility to the consumer to disclose all content of the product, otherwise it is consumer fraud...passcode protected or not.

Force Flow

08-07-2005, 03:59 PM

do your job as a parent instead of blaming the video game industry
If anything, this is the most important point to make.

People always look to someone else to blame, and rarely take responsibility for their actions or inactions.

spartan015

08-07-2005, 04:03 PM

woah u guys have been typing away... i was what away for 2 days and i come back to look at the post... lol.

anyhow for the most ppl, when u restrict something ppl want it even more. for exp. underage drinking... its for ppl 21 and above right? well there are plenty of teens today (ages 13-17... well others too but this is younger then 18) who drink or have become alcholohics... becuz its soo restiricted they get curious.. try it out... and bam they get addicted. lol same w/ drugs but that really doesnt matter of what age, i mean its worse if u start early but its just as bad when ur older...

well for me when u restirct something i want to go against it. usually not always. like fireworks lol...

Zeppelin1432

08-07-2005, 04:08 PM

It now has an AO rating, no U.S. retailers are selling it, not EBgames, not Newegg, not no one.

What if you went to the used stores like cd warehouse or gamestop, etc... it would still be rated MA if the game was old enough....would they still take it off the shelf?

spartan015

08-07-2005, 04:41 PM

doesnt matter... most stores pulled it out whether or not it had the M setting. THe M setting has the coffee thing in it. Gamespot currently where i am doenst have it, they pulld out. some of the stores that are like not chain sometimes has it but alot of the big chain stores stopped selling it. Rockstar is currently creating a version where the coffee is supposely removed. im not sure. or make it harder to hack... cant remember which it was.

digitalfreedom64

08-07-2005, 06:54 PM

The Gamestop where I am pulled it the day after the rating change. I found this whole mess rediculous to say the least. I mean the game has already been out for a while now. It's a little too late to be pulling it now. Sure Rockstar should have told ESRB about this so the proper rating could have been applied. On the other hand as I have said before his shows how irresposible, some parents are for buying a game that is rated for age 17+ for a kid. Or could it be that they just don't pay attention to the ratings and then claim that they don't know what the rating system means . In any case ignorance is not an excuse.

Force Flow

08-07-2005, 10:35 PM

http://forum.pcmech.com/showpost.php?p=959897&postcount=20

----

becuz its soo restiricted they get curious.. try it out... and bam they get addicted. lol same w/ drugs but that really doesnt matter of what age, i mean its worse if u start early but its just as bad when ur older...
Not quite...it's because of the lack of guidence and the presence of peer pressure of folks the same age who have no guidance or half way decent role model. That, and simply boredom.

David M

08-08-2005, 01:13 AM

Good riddance to porn snuck into video games.

spartan015

08-08-2005, 08:58 PM

well its how things go... but how some of the senators are acting is rather strange lol... shouldnt they be worried about something real? for example... health care... then there is a war going on... or is it a war? has it ended? i havent really kept up on current events.

RazorDX

08-08-2005, 11:28 PM

tomster2300

08-09-2005, 08:09 AM

I think high schools should have an AO rating. That's what's really ****ing kids up. There are hidden not-so-mini sex games everywhere, more drug dealing than GTA:SA could even touch, and even more rough violence.

Wow, you're absolutely right.

There are more important things for ole Hillary to worry about then a stupid video game...perhaps she ought to start thinking about her other responsibilities.

Lamilia

08-09-2005, 02:09 PM

I think high schools should have an AO rating. That's what's really ****ing kids up. There are hidden not-so-mini sex games everywhere, more drug dealing than GTA:SA could even touch, and even more rough violence.

woo post against public schools (I really really.....really hate public schools). anyways they should get rid it completely and not leave bits in and just make it harder to get to

digitalfreedom64

08-09-2005, 07:49 PM

Wow, you're absolutely right.

There are more important things for ole Hillary to worry about then a stupid video game...perhaps she ought to start thinking about her other responsibilities.

Yeah, like using that thing between her ears for something besides holding her hair up. Nothing political about my statement. I just flat out think she's an idiot.

Jaggannath

08-09-2005, 08:59 PM

Be careful ppl... this may be construed as political by the mods, so leave the Hilary bagging there, no matter how justified.

And Lamilia, why do you hate public schools?? It's not their fault, they're doing the best they can with limited funds. You want to read a good book (although I know you don't like reading books), then try reading Don't Push Your Teacher Down The Stairs on a Thursday

spartan015

08-09-2005, 10:08 PM

RazorDX

08-13-2005, 03:05 AM

oooh lol my public school was pretty weird... went to place where the PO office was. lol some pretty dangerous ppl went to my school but some of them were really nice ppl... they just got into some trouble here and there. ah well the other one i got into (after that one, it was in the middle of the seimeister so i couldnt get in) well the securuity guard there has a gun cuz well there ahve been some gangs (there are no real gangs in seattle... i mean gangs sure but they arent like the LA gangs)

id give the rating a M tho... even tho its prolly more messed up then GTA SA its still pretty much what is called life...

Your closing statement makes a good point. GTA:SA is not a fantasy world... it's based on reality, yet the "angry parents" go after the digital version rather than the real deal.

If I didn't want my kids around the influence of gangs, drugs, and hookers I would rally against gangs, drugs, and hookers... not a video game.

spartan015

08-13-2005, 01:38 PM

Your closing statement makes a good point. GTA:SA is not a fantasy world... it's based on reality, yet the "angry parents" go after the digital version rather than the real deal.

If I didn't want my kids around the influence of gangs, drugs, and hookers I would rally against gangs, drugs, and hookers... not a video game.

i agree... yet here we are... discussing this. you know what game they should make? one about the workigns of DC. ur a senator clawing ur way up the ladder. lol that would be just as realistic lol, and in the game u have a influential dad that has connections to everyone lol.

Jaggannath

08-21-2005, 06:48 AM

Another bloody study (http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=58540)
A study has found a kid in the middle of a slaughterfest is more likely to feel aggressive than one playing with dolls... that's about how good this study is IMO

spartan015

08-21-2005, 11:47 AM

thats a bad test... is the boy playing w/ dolls asking for a beating or what? not good for him, i mean sure u shouldnt have him in a slaughter fest but dolls? wtf is up w/ that? make it like a test, racing games (or sports games) and compare that w/ a GTA type game. then we shall see.

Force Flow

08-22-2005, 01:01 AM

Most of these studies are based on loose facts that you can drive an 18 wheeler between.

CaptTuna

08-22-2005, 01:09 AM

<sigh> Just by telling the little kiddies it is a bad/nasty game just makes them want it that much more. What a great marketing ploy, kiddies fall for it every time.

nocturnx

08-22-2005, 05:55 AM

I give Rockstar props for sneaking porn into their game. More companys should do it, adds replayability....lots of replayability.....lol

Jaggannath

08-22-2005, 09:48 AM

hehehe fair call noct :D

Spartan, that wasn't the literal study that was done, but it summarised the essence of the basis for their study... that kids feel more aggressive just after playing an aggressive game. What a waste of money

spartan015

08-22-2005, 02:30 PM

yea i kinda figured that now lol. anyhow like iwas saying before and some ppl mentioned, when u dont want ppl to have something they want it, its reverse pyshlogilly or something lol. so if this is bad and the parents dont wnat their kids to play, then the kids want to play. :D

nocturnx

08-24-2005, 10:18 PM

http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/c.cgi?u=ticket_to_hell

Pretty funny, makes fun of the silly whole blown out of proportion issue.

rspassey

08-24-2005, 11:05 PM

Thats golden, just the right amount of sarcasim to show that this issue, if you want to call it that, is blown out of proportion and that, yes, beleive it or not, there are bigger problems that should be dealt with instead of worrying about little kids seeing material they shouldnt be seeing in a game.

spartan015

08-25-2005, 11:53 AM

heh good times... im still thinking about patching mine, the new patch from Rockstar... i havent put the coffee patch yet so maybe... Want to beat the game first, 49perecent there! :p

Jaggannath

08-26-2005, 12:45 AM

Nocturnx, I'm a regular reader of Maddox, when I saw that it made me laugh but I hesitated to post it here. I find him so funny most of the time

bigandy

08-26-2005, 11:00 AM

I read that a bit after it was posted and found it to be hilarious (as just about all of Maddox's stuff is). But like Jaggannath said, Maddox is usually a little too...harsh for PCMech, so I held off on posting it or anything else he's written.

Force Flow

08-26-2005, 11:34 PM

Yes, his articles are taken waaay to the extreme side of things, but that's what makes them entertaining reading :p

spartan015

08-26-2005, 11:47 PM

Yes, his articles are taken waaay to the extreme side of things, but that's what makes them entertaining reading :p

couldnt put it better my self... gotta love the extremists at times... :rolleyes:

JTH

08-31-2005, 04:46 PM

In what way exactly does this "Hot Coffee" patch make the game explicit? I'm just curious as to how bad it actually gets.

bigandy

08-31-2005, 05:06 PM

I have not played it myself, but what you do is play a sex mini-game and you control your player during "the act".

Jaggannath

08-31-2005, 09:33 PM

If you've played the game... the part where you go into the house with the girl for some coffee, instead of just hearing the moaning you actually control the player and what he does with the chick. I think the characters are semi-clad, wearing a shirt and a g-banger, but I'm not sure of that, not having played using the crack myself

Techdec42

09-01-2005, 12:05 AM

I have the game and played it, but when i found out about that Hot coffee I uninstalled like I want to look at porn while playing a game. And Ive seen a recording of that and it is graphic.

Jaggannath

09-02-2005, 05:54 AM

Huh?? You have to patch the game with the Hot Coffee mod to watch the explicit scenes... you can still play the games without it

Stryker

09-02-2005, 08:16 AM

I have the game and played it, but when i found out about that Hot coffee I uninstalled like I want to look at porn while playing a game. And Ive seen a recording of that and it is graphic.
So this sexually explicit content is absolutely unacceptable as it caused you to uninstall the game, but you're fine with killing cops and stealing cars... as long as there's no sexual content? :confused:

Force Flow

09-03-2005, 11:02 AM

As a fresh installation, you do not see the scene in question.

If you apply the downloadable custom patch, you are able to see the scene in question.

If you apply the downloadable patch put out by rockstar, this will totally lock out the scene in question.

Marke522

09-03-2005, 04:31 PM

but you're fine with killing cops and stealing cars?Let's not forget selling and buying drugs, shooting innocent people, driving with absolutely no regards for saftey, causing hit and run accidents, I mean, aside from the polygon porn, there's more than enough in the game to make a NORMAL parent tell the kids to stay away from it. There's also enough in the game to make normal parents to stay away from the game themselves.

I had Vice City for about 2 weeks, then sold it on eBay ( I did tell the bidders that they must be 17 to purcahse this game from me). Just can't play games like that with 3 kids in the house. My wife says, if they shouldn't do it, then we shouldn't either. Most parents aren't involved enough in the kids lives to know what they are getting into, they also don't understand the ratings or think they are just silly.

I still don't understand the big deal about M and A. 18 or 17, what makes that ONE YEAR so special. What is it that a kid does between those 12 months that makes them so different from the way they were earlier? Maybe the M should just be taken out, I really don't see any point to it. It would at least make parents a LITTLE more aware of what goes on in the house.

Jaggannath

09-03-2005, 10:57 PM

It's a legal difference, rather than anything else. However, in terms of maturity, you can usually tell the difference in Australia between a 17, 18, 19 and 20 year old just by how they speak and carry themselves... it's weird how much difference a year can make sometimes

spartan015

09-04-2005, 04:42 PM

yea thats strange... the new patch... heh my game runs smoother now so yea great for Rockstar. no audio glitches for me

ghost_of_war

09-05-2005, 09:36 AM

Once again, the government has taken responsibility away from parents in raising their kids and monitoring who their friends are, what they watch and listen to, blah blah blah. Once again, the media has twisted everything upside down and only shown us the negativity of one topic and not the actual positive that may come from a situation. ONCE AGAIN, ONE STEP CLOSER TO CENSORSHIP IN FASCIST AMERICA. What is our beloved country coming to?!

Jaggannath

09-05-2005, 07:48 PM

I hardly think this is fascism, seeing as it's prolly a popular move.

Force Flow

09-05-2005, 11:30 PM

I wouldn't say it's outright censorship, since laws clearly state that the legal minimum age for viewing pornography is 18. And since the MA rating says that, legally, nobody under the age of 17 should be playing, there still exists the delema of pornography existing in the game (albeit only accessable with a mod). Since the AO rating is 18+, the game's rating was bumped from MA to AO so that it would be legally addressed under the under 18 legal restriction for pornography.

spartan015

09-08-2005, 10:37 PM

was talking to a couple of my friends today at school on this... yea im just trying to beat the game so i dont want to do every little thing... lol so yea dont have time for mini games lol. plus i tried it awhile back... and the thing wouldnt work like i had to start over... ahaha no im not gonna do that its not worht it.

mysterio2099

09-13-2005, 01:24 PM

I have GTA:SA for Xbox and I love it. Sure it gets repetitive after awhile, but you can turn it on anytime you want and live that crazed fantasy of roaming the city streets doing whatever you please... like shooting the hot ex g/f that left you for the hot stud... then beating that stud's face in with a bat... then chunking a grenade into a populated public park and watching the bodies fly...

And just for the record, I am 18 and I know it's virtual reality :cool: (unlike kids)

glc

09-13-2005, 02:47 PM