No more coffee in GTA San Andreas

Unless you've been living under a rock in recent weeks, a modder named PatrickW discovered some hidden sexual content in Grand Theft Auto 3: San Andreas. His mod, called Hot Coffee, activates this code and allows the player to simulate different sex acts after a successful date and is invited by the girlfriend for some coffee.

Of course, all the goodie goodies of the world, have come out to protest. It didn't help that the GTA series is already the posterboy for gratuitous violence in gaming. Parent groups, like Parents Television Council, have their panties all up in a bunch. Senators Hillary Clinton and Joe Lieberman have each other's panties all up in a bunch last week over having some hot coffee. Don't self-righteous people know that the more they cry, scream and yell foul, the more attention GTA is getting? Until yesterday, I didn't own a copy of San Andreas. I had wanted the game but just never got around to getting it. Because of the hype of threat of ban, I picked up a copy immediately after I learned that the ESRB re-rated the game to Adults Only. It must be worth some money on EBay some day. One of the last copies sold before the ban and its mine.

Yes, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) re-rated Grand Theft Auto 3: San Andreas from M (Mature 17+) to AO (Adults Only 18+) late yesterday. Most retailers like EB Games, GameStop, Best Buy, Target, even Walmart have pulled their copies from their shelves and websites as they do not sell AO games. This is the commercial kiss of death. Rockstar Games, GTA's producer, has acknowledged the hidden sexual content that the Hot Coffee mod activates and will re-release the game, with the content removed, to reattain its M rating.

I don't see what the big deal is really. The Sims can be modded for full nudity and sex acts yet its rated T (Teen 13+). And when I mean full nudity, I mean you see much more than some titties and ass. Its everything, including the dude's ding dong. The packaging on GTA clearly states the M rating and strong sexual content. I guess its now that we come to find out exactly what they meant by "strong", but regardless, this AO rating is ridiculous. Its not OK to sell this game to someone 17 or younger but its OK for someone 18 and over. Is there some physical, psychological or emotional change that occurs in everyone between 17 and 18 that makes them better abled or ready for GTA? If there is, enlighten me, because I don't know of any.

The goodie goodies have always wanted an AO rating for GTA because they claim that violent video games makes kids more violent and they know an AO rating will effectively kill any chance of commerical success GTA would have. Unfortunately they have won this round. And by the way, violent video games/movies/tv shows do not kill, irresponsible parents that let their under-17 year old child play this type of game at the first place kill, lack of education kills, drugs kill, guns kill. So while our Senators are wasting tax payer's time and money on trying banning violent video games, we have other legislation that turns Florida into the modern wild wild west. Instead of increasing gun control and reducing real life violence, our public servants are encouraging people to shoot each other. Public education is pathetic in Miami, where is legislation to improve our schools? When did a virtual person killed in a video game become more important than the death of a real person?

Oh and in case you have GTA San Andreas and don't or can't find the Hot Coffee mod for it, here it is...

Original Hot Coffee Mod v2.1 - no idea how to use it, I believe you need a modded PS2

GTA SA Censor Remover Tool v1.5 - you need Action Replay Max Evo Edition, modifies and removes the censor from your PS2 save file

AR Max Codes

And finally in response to Jack Thompson's open letter to the gaming producers and studios, Hillary, Lieberman and all the self righteous goodie goodie groups out there, I say keep rocking it Rockstar! Its not your fault that uncaring or ignorant parents choose to buy GTA San Andreas for their seven year old kid, then come to complain about the violence, gore and sex later. Hypocrites! GTA San Andreas is rated M for a mature audience, meaning its not a game for the little kiddies. Parents who care enough to know or research this will clearly not buy GTA for their children. I wouldn't if I had a seven year old son. In 2000, our then Governor Bush was asked about the link concerning violent games and Columbine. He simply replied, "Parents just have to be better parents." DOOM and the movie, The Matrix, didn't cause Columbine. The parents of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold ignored/missed the warning signs and had no clue what was really going on in their sons' lives. Parents just have to be better parents.

PS - Say NO to Hillary in 2008!