User modification, or modding of games in the open-world sandbox Grand Theft Auto series is a popular trend in the PC gaming community. These unofficial modifications are made by altering gameplay logic and asset files within a user's game installation, and can drastically change the gameplay experience: from replacing the player's character model with a fire breathing cat, to spawning zombies throughout the map.[1] Frequently created by anonymous 'modders', modifications are presented in the form of downloadable files or archives.[2] Third-party software has been indispensable for building Grand Theft Auto mods, due to the lack of official editing tools from the developer, Rockstar Games.[3][4] Mods for Grand Theft Auto are generally developed for use on the PC versions of the games, since the platform does not prevent modifications to installed software; however, similar content for console versions does exist to an extent.
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Apr 25, 2014 Report Video. Please select the category that most closely reflects your concern about the video, so that we can review it and determine whether it violates our Community Guidelines or isn't appropriate for all viewers. Installation Help GTA 5 Cheats Hot Coffee 1.3. Download Share. Hot coffee mod is good if you just wanna bang random strangers, but if you use these other mods as well, you can have any follower, including ones added with addon peds, who essentially becomes your partner/sex slave, which you can bang whenever you want haha. I make Trevor bang homeless people because.
While mods for the Grand Theft Auto have been developed by hobbyists since the release of the first game, it wasn't until the release of the wildly successful Grand Theft Auto III on Microsoft Windows, in May 2002,[5] that mods started to become both more accessible and more popular. The use of a 3D game engine (the first in the series[6]) allowed development of custom vehicles, textures and character models, followed by new missions and map modifications; the success of these new types of mods then started to attract widespread attention. In the following years the modding scene became more sophisticated and complex, as various aspects of the game's internals are gradually being discovered and documented by hackers. One of the best-known examples is the iCEnhancer graphics modification[7] mod by Hayssam Keilany, praised by reviewers and labelled as 'arguably one of the best mods of all time' by Polygon.[8][9][7]
In most of the games, certain data files were stored in simple archives or in plain text files, allowing modders to edit them using basic tools.[10] However, more complex modifications, such as changes to the gameplay mechanics or the addition of custom models and/or maps were not possible without more advanced tools specific to GTA, along with commercial-grade modelling programs such as SketchUp, 3ds Max and Zmodeller. For this reason modders would often collaborate on various fan sites, pooling resources and sharing documentation with one another. In a quote by Patrick Wildenborg, the modder responsible for unlocking the Hot Coffee mini-game, he stated that 'The modding community felt like a bunch of friends trying to solve a mystery'.[11]
Unnamed modder cited in Jacked: The Outlaw Story of Grand Theft Auto[11]
Grand Theft Auto fan communities have been essential to the growth of the modding scene. Modders were able to exchange knowledge and team up in order to create new tools, mods and documentation.[11]GTA communities, Internet forums, and fan sites have also been essential, as they serve as hosts for mods. Besides the video-sharing site YouTube, sites such as GTANet, GTAinside, GTA V Mods and The GTA Place served as platforms for content exchange, and discussion about modding and the Grand Theft Auto in general.
When GTA V was released on PC, the question of breakthrough of new mods depended on production of new GTA-specific tools for modification. While GTA IV is one of the games with most fan made mods,[12]GTA V modders had difficulties creating mods until completely new tools were made.[4][13] One of the most notable tools that initiated significant GTA V modification is OpenIV which provided database manipulation.[14] Many mods had compatibility issues with every new GTA V update patch.[15]
Matthew S. Smith and Gabe Gurwin of Digital Trends, 9 May 2015[16]
Mods are a part of the Grand Theft Auto franchise’s success on PCs.[17][18] Their popularity added on to the longevity and further success of the GTA series.[3][19] Complex modifications as is Zombie Alarm cause the effect of creating entirely new gaming experience.[20] Modding served as one of main channels for innovations in game play.[21] Best example is Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which has one of the biggest modding communities in PC gaming overall.[12] It is constantly being refreshed with new modifications despite being released on 7 June 2005 for PC.
As GTA Online is built as a component of GTA V, it has been a subject of modding which caused negative effects on player experience.[22][23] Because many mods in form of in-game cheats were added to GTA Online, Rockstar developed an isolated section where those who used cheats in GTA Online would temporarily be put in.[24] Prior to Grand Theft Auto IV and GTA Online, mods such as San Andreas Multiplayer[25] and Multi Theft Auto were developed and released in lieu of an official multiplayer component for previous titles.
Although major mod hosting websites (such as GTAinside or GTAGarage) often check mods for possible malware, there are times where content infected with viruses and rogue software slip through.[26] As such, modding websites began to screen content owners and their works for any malicious content or similar quality or security issues.
Modification of Grand Theft Auto is not endorsed by Rockstar and as such there is no official editor tool that allows manipulation of in-game files.[3][13] In an answer to a question made by a fan, Rockstar expressed their views on GTA modification, stating that they have always appreciated the efforts of the modding community and still gladly remember classic mods like Zombie Invasion or the original Grand Theft Auto III map on Grand Theft Auto IV. They also declared that their modding policy hasn't changed and is same as for GTA IV;[27] The end-user licence agreement contradicts this, however, as users may not 'Reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, display, perform, prepare derivative works based on, or otherwise modify the Software, in whole or in part'.[28]
Rockstar Games, Asked & Answered from 7 May 2015[29]
In August 2015, several members of the FiveM team had their Rockstar Games Social Club accounts suspended due to their involvement in an alternative multiplayer client for Grand Theft Auto V.[30][31][32] Upon being contacted by Kotaku regarding the issue, Rockstar stated that the FiveM client was an unauthorised modification 'designed to facilitate piracy,' They added that as such, it violated the terms of use and therefore members were banned from the Social Club service.[33]
Following the release of GTA V for PC, GameSpot interviewed its developers at Rockstar North. When asked about the extent of built-in support for modding in the new release, a Rockstar representative indicated that their primary focus was ensuring that GTA Online would be free of possible hacks and exploits, and that therefore modding of GTA Online would not be allowed.[34]
While Rockstar has previously provided some support with the original Grand Theft Auto and Grand Theft Auto 2, and has even used a third-party utility for developing the Grand Theft Auto: London expansion packs,[35] the only official modification tool Rockstar has released is Rockstar Editor,[36] a tool which allows users to record and edit videos in-game. Options such as effects, audio, speed, cameras and navigation tools are made available to the player.[37]
Illspirit, a modder and administrator from GTAGarage (where Hot Coffee first appeared), speaking with Gamasutra[38]
Hot Coffee is a normally inaccessible mini-game in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The mini-game portrays crudely animated sexual intercourse between the main character and a chosen partner.[39] After Patrick Wildenborg, who also went by the alias 'PatrickW', modified the game to make the mini-game accessible, Hot Coffee quickly gained notoriety worldwide, impacting consumer culture, politics and the video game industry as a whole.[40]
Rockstar initially blamed a 'determined group of hackers' for hacking the base game and creating the mini-game from scratch.[41] This claim was eventually refuted, as the mini-game's code and assets had been developed by Rockstar and were already present, unfinished and abandoned, on the game disc: the mod simply made the existing content available to players.[42][43] Rockstar would go on to indicate that they expected the ESRB rating to remain unchanged, as they had no control over the modifications applied to the game post-release.[44] However, ESRB chose to have the rating changed to Adults only, with the modding community taking the blame.[45] The perception of modders by both players and publishers has since harshened. ESRB later called on the video game industry to 'proactively protect their games from illegal modifications by third parties, particularly when they serve to undermine the accuracy of the rating'.[21][46] In his interview for CNET, David Kushner explained that some modders were 'scared' that Rockstar would prevent modifications to their games after Hot Coffee, but noted that once the controversy had passed the outcome was of refined ESRB guidelines rather that increased regulation, and a renewed public appreciation for mature content in Video Games.[47] Of the controversy and eventual fallout, Gamsutra wrote that 'The treatment left many in the GTA mod community with mixed feelings'[48]
A weapon replacement for GTA V which replaces the game's sticky bomb weapon with an exploding Samsung Galaxy Note 7 as a parody of the phone's battery explosion issue and subsequent recall, attracted controversy when Samsung Electronics America, Inc. reportedly issued takedown notices to YouTube demanding that videos depicting the phone be taken down as an alleged violation of its copyrights.[49][50][51][52]The Verge called this 'bogus', and a 'ridiculous overreach and misuse of the DMCA', while it was also believed that these takedowns would only draw further attention to the content. Although Samsung has attempted to take down videos depicting the mod, it has not yet targeted websites hosting the mod itself.[53][54]
On 14 June 2017, Take-Two Interactive sent a cease and desist to the developers of OpenIV, a program that allows users to install modifications for various Rockstar titles such as Grand Theft Auto IV, Max Payne 3 and Grand Theft Auto V, claiming that OpenIV allowed third-parties to modify and defeat the security features of its software.[55] Rockstar later responded by saying that 'Take-Two's actions were not specifically targeting single player mods... We are working to figure out how we can continue to support the creative community without negatively impacting our players.'[56] In a statement issued by Rockstar on 23 June, saying that Take-Two has agreed not to take legal action against third-party single-player modding projects involving Rockstar's games on PC. Rockstar has also contacted the developers of OpenIV, to attempt to resolve the dispute.[57] Although the details of said meeting remain undisclosed, shortly afterwards OpenIV was made available to download – and received a minor update – indicating the conversation with Rockstar was successful.[58]
Hot Coffee mod | |
---|---|
A screenshot of GTA: San Andreas with the Hot Coffee mod | |
Developer(s) | Rockstar North |
Publisher(s) | Rockstar Games |
Designer(s) | Patrick Wildenborg |
Series | Grand Theft Auto |
Platform(s) | Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 2, Xbox |
Release | See Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas |
Hot Coffee is a normally inaccessible mini-game in the 2004 video gameGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas, developed by Rockstar North. Public awareness of the existence of the mini-game arrived with the release of the Hot Coffeemod, created for the Microsoft Windows port of GTA: San Andreas in 2005. This mod enables access to the mini-game.
The mini-game portrays 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-assessed with an 'Adults Only (AO)' rating by the U.S. Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), and refused classification in Australia, resulting in its removal from sale.
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]
Throughout the game, Carl 'CJ' Johnson, the game's protagonist, may date up to six girlfriends, carrying out various 'date missions' in order to improve his relationship with a particular woman. Once CJ has become particularly close to a girlfriend, or if he has collected all oysters in the game, his girlfriend may end a successful date by inviting him into her house for 'coffee,' from which CJ may choose to accept or decline. Improving relationships with girlfriends through successful dates and other related activities will eventually reward CJ with new items, such as vehicles and special wardrobes, along with pre-existing gameplay benefits (e.g. dating a nurse grants CJ with free visits to the hospital without losing his weapons after dying).
In the unmodified version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, players see an exterior view of the girlfriend's house while muffled voices of CJ and his girlfriend engaging in sexual intercourse are heard. However, the Hot Coffee mod replaces this with a minigame 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 License 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 a user known as gothi from the website PS2 Save Tools released the 'GTA:SA Censor Remover' tool for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions in June 2005, which allowed the minigame to be accessed on consoles. 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 only an edited copy of the main game script file ('main.scm') 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.
However, the oral sex animations are clearly visible in the background during one scene of the mission 'Cleaning the Hood,' even in the re-released game.[5] This explains why the minigame was not simply removed when the decision was made to cut it from the game; its assets were already in use elsewhere.[6][7]
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The revelation of the mini-game sparked a fair amount of controversy around Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, 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. SenatorHillary Clinton suggested that new regulations be put on video games sales.[8] The ESRB conducted an investigation that ultimately changed the game's rating from Mature to Adults Only 18+.[9] 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.[10]
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.[11]
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 game Bully, the latter due to fears that the content could inspire children to become bullies themselves.[12][13]
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.'[14]
On July 20, 2005, the ESRB announced that it was changing the rating of GTA:SA from Mature (M) to Adults Only (AO), making this the first and only Grand Theft Auto game to receive an AO Rating.[15] 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.[16]
On July 29, 2005, as a result of the newly discovered scenes, the Australian Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC) revoked the game's 'MA15+' classification (the highest rating then available for computer games in Australia) and changed the game's rating to Refused Classification (RC), which officially banned the original version from being sold in the country. The patched version was given an 'MA15+' classification on September 12, 2005.[17]
On August 10, 2005, Rockstar Games officially released a patch for San Andreas.[18] 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 rated '18+' by PEGI prior to the release of the mod. Furthermore, PEGI ratings are enforced by law in many European nations, making it a criminal offense to sell 18+ games to minors. In the United Kingdom, the BBFC similarly gave the game an '18' rating (as of 2012, the BBFC no longer classifies video games, and PEGI was adopted instead).
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, re-stickered the box with the new rating, or returned 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.[19] 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.[citation needed]
On August 24, 2005, Rockstar announced a mandatory recall for all games still owned by the general public.[citation needed] 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.
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[20] by two members of the unofficial Grand Theft Automodding 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.
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.[21]
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.[22]
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.[23]
In 2006 attorneys brought several class actions alleging Take-Two committed consumer fraud. In December 2007, a settlement of the litigation was reached.[24] 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.[25][26] A court hearing was already scheduled on June 25, 2008. Frank previously told GamePolitics that the lawsuits were meritless and extortionate.[27]
As part of the settlement, Take-Two will pay a $873,000 cy-près award to the National Parent-Teacher Association and the ESRB.[25][26]
As of June 25, 2008, fewer than 2,700 claimants responded to the settlement, for which the plaintiff's attorneys expressed disappointment.[28] 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.[29]