Hot Coffee mod

Hot Coffee mod
A screenshot of GTA: San Andreas with the Hot Coffee mod
Developer(s)	Rockstar Games
Publisher(s)	Rockstar Games
Designer(s)	Patrick Wildenborg
Series	Grand Theft Auto
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox
Release date(s)	See Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Hot Coffee is a normally inaccessible mini-game in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, developed by Rockstar North. Public awareness of the existence of the mini-game arrived with the release of the Hot Coffee mod, created for the Microsoft Windows port of GTA: San Andreas in 2005. This mod enables access to the mini-game.

The mini-game portrays crudely animated sexual intercourse between the main character, Carl "CJ" Johnson, and his chosen in-game girlfriend. The name of the mod is derived from the girlfriend's offer for the main character to come into her home for "coffee", a euphemism for sex.

Although the "Hot Coffee" mini-game was completely disabled and its existence was only highlighted after the mod's release for the PC version on June 9, 2005,^[1] the assets for the mini-game were also discovered in both the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game, and people found ways to enable the mini-game via console video game hacking tools. By the middle of July 2005, the mini-game's discovery attracted considerable controversy from lawmakers and politicians, prompting the game to be re-rated as an adult game, and pulled from most shelves. An updated version of San Andreas has since been released with the mini-game removed completely, allowing the game to regain its original rating. A patch for the original version of the game, Cold Coffee, was designed to counter edit the script and disable the mini-game and crash the game if one attempts to access it.^[2]

Mini-game overview and Hot Coffee mod

During the course of the main plot of the game, the player (as main character Carl "CJ" Johnson) may date up to six girlfriends, carrying out various "date missions" in order to improve his relationship with a particular girl. Once Carl has become particularly close to a girlfriend (or if Carl has collected all the game's oyster pick-ups), she may end a successful date by inviting him into her house for "coffee," from which Carl may choose to accept or decline. Improving relationships with girlfriends through successful dates and other related activities will eventually reward CJ with new items (vehicles and special wardrobes), along with pre-existing game-play benefits (e.g. dating a nurse grants the character free visits to the hospital, without losing his weapons, after dying).

In the unmodified version of San Andreas, the player sees an exterior view of the girlfriend's house while hearing the muffled voices of Carl and his girlfriend as they engage in sexual intercourse. However, the Hot Coffee modification replaces this with a mini-game which allows the player to actually enter the girlfriend's bedroom and control Carl's actions during sex with the same controls as dancing.

Rockstar Games, the publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series, initially denied allegations that the mini-game was "hidden" in the video game, stating that the Hot Coffee modification (which they claim violated the game's End User Licence Agreement) is the result of "hackers" making "significant technical modifications to and reverse engineering" the game's code.^[3] However, this claim was undermined when the user known as "gothi" from PS2 Save Tools released the "GTA : SA Censor Remover" for PS2 and Xbox in June 2005 which allowed the scenes to be accessed in each of the console versions. These new methods of accessing "Hot Coffee" demonstrated that the controversial content was, indeed, built into the console versions as well.

The PC mod itself is actually just an edited copy of the game script files with a single bit changed. The mod was also made possible on the console versions, by changing the bit inside a user's saved game file or by using a third-party modding device. Take-Two has stated that the mod constitutes a violation of the End User License Agreement,^[4] even though modification of the main.scm file is common within the mod community.

The oral sex animations are however clearly visible in the background of an early mission, "Cleaning the Hood", even in the re-released game.^[5] This may explain why the mini-game was not simply removed when the decision was made to cut it from the game: its assets were in use elsewhere.^[6]

Controversy

Wikinews has related news: Video game's secret sex scenes spark outrage Grand Theft Auto under fire

The revelation of the mini-game sparked a fair amount of controversy around GTA:SA, with some politicians firing harsh words at both the game's developer and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the organization which establishes content ratings for video games in North America. It also rekindled the debate over the influence of video games in general with new protests against several other games such as Killer7, The Sims 2, and Bully.

Jack Thompson was one of the first to criticize the game for its hidden content, believing violent media is one of the main causes of violent crime in America. Thompson lashed out against Rockstar Games on several occasions for previous games they have developed.

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton suggested that new regulations be put on video games sales.^[7] The ESRB conducted an investigation that ultimately changed the game's rating from Mature to Adults Only 18+.^[8] Also, Congress passed a resolution to have the Federal Trade Commission investigate whether Rockstar intentionally undermined the ESRB by having the content in the game.^[9]

In New York, a class action lawsuit was filed by Florence Cohen, an 85-year-old grandmother who purchased the game for her 14-year-old grandson (according to the old rating of "M", the game is typically considered inappropriate for this age). Cohen's lawsuit claimed that Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the game, are guilty of deception, false advertising, fraud and abuse. The accusation of deception is based on the change from M-rated to AO, meaning according to the lawsuit that the original rating was a deceptive practice.^[10]

A protest group known as the Peaceholics organized a protest on August 4, 2005 at Rockstar's headquarters. The group demonstrated against San Andreas as well as the upcoming game Bully, the latter due to fears that the content could inspire children to become bullies themselves.^[11][12]

Response

Product re-rating

On July 8, 2005, the ESRB announced that it was aware of and opening an investigation into the circumstances surrounding 'Hot Coffee.' The investigation examined "whether the mod unlocks preexisting code...or is actually a purely third-party creation."^[13]

On July 20, 2005, the ESRB announced that it was changing the rating of GTA:SA from Mature (M) to Adults Only 18+ (AO).^[14] Rockstar stated that it would discontinue manufacturing the current version of the game, and produce a new version that would not include the content that is unlocked by the Hot Coffee mod. In the fourth quarter of 2005, Rockstar released this "clean" version with the "Hot Coffee" scenes removed (Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 1.01), allowing the rating of the game to be reverted to its original Mature rating.^[15]

On July 29, 2005, as a result of the newly discovered scenes, the OFLC revoked the game's "MA15+" classification (the highest rating then available for computer games in Australia), and changed the game's status to "RC" (Refused Classification) meaning that the original version could no longer be sold in Australia. The patched version was given an "MA15+" classification on September 12, 2005.^[16]

On August 10, 2005, Rockstar Games officially released a patch for San Andreas.^[17] The patch fixed many performance issues and bugs. However, the patch also disabled the controversial "Hot Coffee" scenes, even if the "Hot Coffee" mod was re-installed.

There was little reaction in Europe. The game was already classified as PEGI 18+ prior to the release of the mod. Furthermore, unlike the United States, many European nations have the PEGI ratings backed up by law, making it is a criminal offense to sell adult-only games to minors. For example, the UK version of GTA:SA as with all previous incarnations of the series all the way back to the original GTA, was rated as 18 by the BBFC. Similarly, news of the mod made minor impact in Japan, where the game was released by Capcom.

Product withdrawal and recall

Wikinews has related news: Stores drop game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" after given 'Adults Only' rating

The day after the rating change, several North American chain stores, and IEMA retailers, which accounted for every major retailer in the United States and approximately 85% of the game's market in the country, removed the PC and console versions of the game from their store shelves, either re-sticker the box with the new rating, or returning it to Take-Two Interactive. These included major chains such as GameStop, Sears, Hudson's Bay Company, Zellers, Hollywood Video, Blockbuster, Wal-Mart, Target, Best Buy, and Electronics Boutique.^[18] Rockstar gave some retailers ESRB "Adults Only" rating stickers to put on their copies of GTA:SA, should they decide to keep selling the original product.

eBay removed copies of GTA:SA that had been reported by the eBay community. eBay claimed that GTA:SA violated the terms of the eBay seller policy and could not be sold unless it was located in the Everything Else > Mature Audiences section. This section requires a credit card to validate the age of the eBay user.

On August 24, 2005, Rockstar announced a mandatory recall for all games still owned by the general public. Consumers who had already purchased the game were allowed to keep it in certain areas, but with the patch installed, although players cannot be forced to return (or destroy) existing copies. Given the higher value of the "uncensored" versions, it is doubtful that many gamers will return their copies voluntarily. However, those who were over 18 (or 21 depending on region) have grandfathered these copies of the game to their collection.

Version 2.0 of GTA:SA, which omitted the sexual mini-game content, was designed by Rockstar to crash if the game data files were modified. This made it necessary for players to use a previous version if they wished to install multiplayer game modifications such as San Andreas Multiplayer or Multi Theft Auto and other game modifications that include new scripts or vehicles. Certain pirated or illegally distributed versions of the original game may also be made available on the Internet or from illegal retail outlets. Downgraders are also available to unpatch and revert the game version and support the Hot Coffee mini-game again.

This limitation later was overcome^[19] by two members of the unofficial Grand Theft Auto modding community, who discovered a method of creating modifications which would work with version 2.0. Users of version 2.0 might still need to use previous versions or use a downgrade in order to install a mod not created with the new method.

Federal and legal action

In December 2005, Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh introduced the Family Entertainment Protection Act, which called for a federal mandate enforcement of the ESRB ratings system in order to protect children from inappropriate content.^[20]

On January 27, 2006, the city of Los Angeles filed a lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive, the game's publisher, accusing the company of failing to disclose the game's sexual content.^[21]

On June 8, 2006, Rockstar, Take-Two and the FTC settled. They are required to "clearly and prominently disclose on product packaging and in any promotion or advertisement for electronic games, content relevant to the rating, unless that content had been disclosed sufficiently in prior submissions to the rating authority." Should the companies violate the settlement they are liable for $11,000 in civil penalties.^[22]

Civil class actions

In 2006 attorneys brought several class actions alleging Take-Two committed consumer fraud. In December 2007, a settlement of the litigation was reached.^[23] In 2008, Ted Frank filed an objection to the settlement on the grounds that the settlement sought $1 million for attorneys' fees, but the total payout to class members was less than $27,000.^[24][25] A court hearing was already scheduled on June 25, 2008. Frank previously told GamePolitics that the lawsuits were meritless and extortionate.^[26]

As part of the settlement, Take-Two will pay a $873,000 cy-près award to the National Parent-Teacher Association and the ESRB.^[24][25]

As of June 25, 2008, fewer than 2,700 claimants responded to the settlement, for which the plaintiff's attorneys expressed disappointment.^[27] Frank expressed that this was further proof that the case had no merit.

As of September 1, 2009, Take Two agreed to settle a securities class action suit related to the controversy over the game and over backdating allegations for just over $20 million.^[28]

See also

• List of AO-rated products
• The Gamechangers

References

External links

• PatrickW's Website (creator of original mod)
• PS2 Save Tools (home to GTA:SA Censor Remover)
• Hot Coffee Modification on Grand Theft Wiki
• GTA: San Andreas Hot Coffee guide at StrategyWiki
• New York Times article about Hot Coffee Mod controversy
• Igniq.com article on the code's existence in the PS2 version
• IGN: Rockstar Responds to GTA: SA's AO Rating
• Who spilled Hot Coffee? at Eurogamer
• Rockstar's anti Hot Coffee game patch