MINNEAPOLIS, MN – A family advocate group issued a “nationwide parental alert” recently after it discovered that the PC version of Rockstar Game’s popular but controversial video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas contains hidden pornographic scenes that can be unlocked by a special mod available online. The mod, called “Hot Coffee,” was developed by Patrick Wildenborg of The Netherlands.Although the M-rated game has always featured scenes of graphic violence, including the ability for players to make money by brutally murdering prostitutes and other citizens of the fictional town San Andreas, it was not the game’s violence but rather the sex mod that prompted the alert.
The alert was issued by The National Institute on Media and the Family.
“It should be clear to everyone by now that video games do influence young people,” said Dr David Walsh, founder of the group and author of best seller Why Do They Act That Way?, a book that tackles teenage brain development. “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas never belonged in the hands of kids. We are taking the unusual step of alerting parents to the pornography available through this game to any child or teen who is internet savvy.”
Others also expressed their outrage.
“Plenty of parents have no clue that Grand Theft Auto even exists, that the game even without the sex borders on the upsetting, and even worse, that the technology exists that allow gamers to perform simulated sex acts by activating the software with a mod,” said columnist Steve Sabludowsky of Bayou Buzz.
California politician Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) issued a press release criticizing the Entertainment Software Ratings Board.
“Once again, ESRB has failed our parents,” said Yee. “This particular game has been known to include extremely heinous acts of violence, and now it has been uncovered that the game also includes explicit sexual scenes that are inappropriate for our children.”
The ESRB, however, could not have known about the sexually explicit content when it rated the game, as the scenes can only be viewed after the special software modification code, or “mod,” is installed. The mod is called “Hot Coffee” because the sex scenes can be unlocked after the main character shares a cup of coffee with a girlfriend. Girlfriends can be earned in the game by completing certain activities.
For those who wonder if the mod somehow adds the explicit scenes to the game, the mod’s author Wildenborg wants it known that his mod merely unlocks what was already present in the game’s code.
“My mod does not introduce anything to the game. All the content that is shown was already present on the DVD,” said Wildenborg. “If Rockstar Games denies that, then they’re lying and I will be able to prove that.”
“Rockstar built all this stuff in the game, but decided to disable it in their final release for unknown reasons,” he added. “If the censor flag is set, all the sexually explicit scenes are blocked from the normal flow of events. That makes a difference in a game scene when the hero visits his girlfriend’s house for a cup of coffee. In the censored version, the game shows the exterior of the house while suggestive sound effects are heard. If, however, the censor flag is cleared, all the explicit scenes are tied into the normal gameplay.”
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) is investigating the claims, and could decide to change the game’s rating from “mature” to “adults only.” Rockstar Games has stated that the original rating should stand since it has no control over the activities of mod authors.
“The ESRB has opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the ‘Hot Coffee’ modification for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a game published by Rockstar Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., to determine if there has been a violation of ESRB Rules and Regulations requiring full disclosure of pertinent content,” read a statement from the ESRB.
