The Right Spin

LUNAR, an RPG first appearing on the undersupported Sega CD, was my first introduction into the worlderful world of video game RPGs. It's been my favorite "series" ever since. I say "series" because it pretty much only consists of two games (the made it to the U.S. anyway); LUNAR: The Silver Star and LUNAR: Eternal Blue. Both games were incredible. Then the PlayStation came out and both games were retooled and released for that platform as LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR: Eternal Blue Complete. Most of the retooling was done to the first LUNAR with the addition of many more anime cutscenes, characters and content. LUNAR 2, while getting upgrades of its own, stayed pretty close to the Sega CD version. Eventually LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete we retooled again and released on the GameBoy Advance as LUNAR: Legend. Two additional LUNAR games were released in Japan, only the first being a true sequel, and the second simply being a remake of that sequel.

It's been over a decade since a truly new LUNAR content has made its way to America's shores. Many were hoping it would be the much rumored LUNAR 3, something talked about since the Sega CD days. However, it's not. But that's not a bad thing! This game will take place 1000 years before the events of the first LUNAR and introduce a whole new cast of characters! Unfortunately, it's coming out for the Nintendo DS. I sat that because now I'm going to have to shell out $150 for that thing when the game is released in September of this year.

Anyway, head on over to LunarNET to learn more as they are the internet hub for all things LUNAR in addition to being the official site for this new chapter in the LUNAR saga; LUNAR: Dragon Song.

Ok, maybe that didn't happen by apparently Rockstar Games did lie. The issue that's got everyone upset, even Hillary Clinton, is this "Hot Coffee" mod for the PC version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. GameSpot has an article the pretty much sums up everything.

The mod, which is available on numerous Web sites, adds a bonus sex minigame as a reward for the numerous "girlfriend" missions in San Andreas.

Previously, when game hero Carl "CJ" Johnson successfully wined and dined one of several girlfriends a certain number of times, she would ask him into her house for "coffee." After entering, the game shows an external shot of the house with muffled sounds of a couple emitting moans in flagrante delicto. PC versions of San Andreas with the "Hot Coffee" mod installed show what goes on inside the house, treating players to a sexually graphic minigame of CJ fornicating with his girlfriend.

According to its creators, the Hot Coffee mod merely unlocks hidden, preexisting code inside San Andreas.

Anyone who knows anything about PC games knows that these games are often modded by eager gamers beyond what the publisher intended. Of course, the publisher cannot be held responsible for what these modders create with their property.

"So far we have learned that the 'Hot Coffee' modification is the work of a determined group of hackers who have gone to significant trouble to alter scenes in the official version of the game," the company said. "In violation of the software user agreement, hackers created the 'Hot Coffee' modification by disassembling and then combining, recompiling and altering the game's source code."

Rockstar's statement also claimed that the mod was the product of complex technical tampering.

That's entirely possible. Many companies try to make their games tamper proof for many reasons and making it difficult for modders to alter their product is one reason.

However, Rockstar Games' argument has been undermined by an increasing number of reports that claimed the sex minigame is in the PlayStation 2 version of San Andreas. Since the PS2 version comes on an unmoddable DVD, it cannot have any content added to it, although cheat codes--created either by the publisher or third parties--can unlock preexisting code on the disc.

Now we have a problem. If this minigame is appearing in the PS2 version of the game that means that Rockstar themselves created and imbedded it within their product.

After acquiring the "Uncensored Hot Coffee" codes from the respected tech-blog Kotaku, we entered them into an easily obtainable Action Replay Max cheat device...

After saving, our test editor had Carl visit the house of his nearest girlfriend, Denise... we completed a fourth date... after which she invited us into her house for "coffee."

The next screen proved that the PlayStation 2 edition of the game does indeed include a sexually graphic minigame, which plays almost exactly the same as the Hot Coffee mod.

God of War for the PS2 also has a sexually graphic minigame. It too has a Mature rating as GTA: SA had but I think that as the developers didn't try to hide it that must be considered. GameStop closes with:

Given that the minigame is about as raunchy as an episode of Sex and the City, cannot be accessed without entering a long string of cheat codes, and takes several hours of effort to access, charges that San Andreas is "pornographic" may seem extreme to some. However, its existence does appear to contradict Rockstar Games' carefully worded statement blaming hacker mischief for the existence of the Hot Coffee mod.

It's seems that Rockstar intended to place the minigame into their product at one time and changed their mind. I'm cool with that. And knowing what complications could arise by ripping out the code for the minigame I'm cool with the fact that they made it impossible to access it without the use of cheat codes. But that Rockstar lied shows that they feel guilty about something. I think it would have been far better for them to admit, "Yes, the minigame is there, we intended for players to be able to access it at one time but reconsidered. Removing the code would have been too difficult so instead we made it that the player couldn't access it outside of playing the game in a way we never designed it to be played."

I think had they said this the game wouldn't have been slapped with a new Adult label and yanked off the shelves of rental stores.

As Tycho at Penny Arcade notes:

It's unfortunate that in order to defend videogames, it usually means you're defending Rockstar specifically.