Steve's Defending Video Games...Again
If you've been paying attention to the news recently, they've been discussing the "Hot Coffee" mod for newest Grand Theft Auto game. I really, really wish that the media would educate themselves on the gaming scene prior to reporting it but they are too lazy to do so.
First, some clarifications. A "mod" is any change or modification to a game's compiled code used to customize or change how the game looks, sounds, or acts. Every game can have a mod. Some mods will change how a character looks or what they wear (their "skin"), while other mods will make the sounds change to sound more real. Other mods may add a new map or level to play on.
I remember modding the PC version NHL Hockey to include the real ads/scoreboard animation at the stadiums to make the game feel more real. That was very difficult since the game was not built to allow easy access to this data.
Nowadays, companies have learned that allowing gamers to mod the games increases the shelf life and profits of games. If there will be new content by many fellow gamers, other gamers will be more likely to buy the game.
In this case, RockStar Games (who makes the GTA series) created this "Hot Coffee" scene and then removed the in-game access to it. Now they either thought that removing the normal playable route to this mini-game/scene was enough or they were under a time-crunch and decided to do the easy way of removing it rather than the spending time ensuring the code was removed. They may also have done this intentionally and it has now backfired on them. I don't know as I'm not a mind reader.
Really, I wish that the media would look at the facts first. A rated "M" game (ages 17 or higher) with hookers who "work for a living", ability to car jack, hurt or kill people or cops, and language at home in a R-rated movie, included a short topless consentual sexual mini-game in which no genitals appear which took an internet mod and several hours of gameplay to find, got its rating raised to "Adults Only" (ages 18 or higher) because children, who shouldn't be playing this game anyway, might be able to find some blocky breasts. If they spent that much time trying to unlock the mini-game, they would have easily found the hardcore porn images floating through the internet.
Short version: A mod is the equivalent of you buying a book I wrote from my bookstore and writing in the margin a comment about the book. You are modifying the book that I wrote but I have no control over what you (my customer) do with the book once it no longer in my possession.
First, some clarifications. A "mod" is any change or modification to a game's compiled code used to customize or change how the game looks, sounds, or acts. Every game can have a mod. Some mods will change how a character looks or what they wear (their "skin"), while other mods will make the sounds change to sound more real. Other mods may add a new map or level to play on.
I remember modding the PC version NHL Hockey to include the real ads/scoreboard animation at the stadiums to make the game feel more real. That was very difficult since the game was not built to allow easy access to this data.
Nowadays, companies have learned that allowing gamers to mod the games increases the shelf life and profits of games. If there will be new content by many fellow gamers, other gamers will be more likely to buy the game.
In this case, RockStar Games (who makes the GTA series) created this "Hot Coffee" scene and then removed the in-game access to it. Now they either thought that removing the normal playable route to this mini-game/scene was enough or they were under a time-crunch and decided to do the easy way of removing it rather than the spending time ensuring the code was removed. They may also have done this intentionally and it has now backfired on them. I don't know as I'm not a mind reader.
Really, I wish that the media would look at the facts first. A rated "M" game (ages 17 or higher) with hookers who "work for a living", ability to car jack, hurt or kill people or cops, and language at home in a R-rated movie, included a short topless consentual sexual mini-game in which no genitals appear which took an internet mod and several hours of gameplay to find, got its rating raised to "Adults Only" (ages 18 or higher) because children, who shouldn't be playing this game anyway, might be able to find some blocky breasts. If they spent that much time trying to unlock the mini-game, they would have easily found the hardcore porn images floating through the internet.
Short version: A mod is the equivalent of you buying a book I wrote from my bookstore and writing in the margin a comment about the book. You are modifying the book that I wrote but I have no control over what you (my customer) do with the book once it no longer in my possession.
posted by Steve | 8:47 PM
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