Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Hot Coffee Scene Update

Print this page

July 14, 2005

To: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton

From: David Walsh, Ph.D.

Re: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Hot Coffee Scenes

This document summarizes the work and position of the National Institute on Media and the Family related to the issue of the Hot Coffee pornography scenes available to players of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

What Is Known

1. It is indisputable that animated pornography is available for players of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
   
2. We know from our research that Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is popular with teenagers.
   
3. It is undeniable that links to directions and mods to activate the pornography are being promoted on sites visited by millions of teenagers.
   
4. Children and teens, therefore, can engage in cyber sexual activity including intercourse.
   
5. We know from research that video games influence the attitudes and behavior of young players.
   
6. This therefore constitutes a public health issue for America's youth.

The Questions

1. Where did the coding for the sexual content (the animations, the sounds, and scripting for the sex scenes) come from?
   
2. Did modders create it or was it already on the disc?

The source of the mod, Patrick W. from the Netherlands, continues to claim that his mod merely "tweaks" the code to allow the player to enter that branch of the story and that the content and scripting is on the retail disc being unknowingly sold by reputable retailers.

Rockstar Games, in a response to an online journal, says that the modder "altered" scenes. The term "alter" is vague. Tweaking the code to unlock scenes already on the disc could be considered altering. This does answer the question whether the Hot Coffee storyline exists on the retail version before modification.

What We Need to Know
America's retailers and parents need to know whether the coding for the sexual content is on the disc. They do not need to know whether it is locked, disabled, hidden or anything else. They need a simple yes or no; "Is the code for the sexual content on the disc?"

Next Steps
If the code is on the discs then we call for an immediate product recall for all units sold with a refund for those requesting it so that the game can be properly labeled as AO (Adults Only).

It may be more troubling if alternative is true. If the underlying code for the sex scenes has been created by modders and can be inserted into this game so easily, then such material can be inserted into any game. This means that the game that parents think their children are playing may not be the actual game they are playing. This makes the importance of the MediaWise: Watch What Your Kid Watch® program more urgent than ever.

We support your efforts and leadership to answer these questions and to take steps to ensure that this exciting new game technology benefits our children and youth and does not contribute to public health problems.