Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ["AO" Version]

Synopsis

by T.J. Deci

Rockstar Games' cornerstone Grand Theft Auto series returns for a third run through the 128-bit generation, with this violent, mature-themed third-person shooter and mission-based driving game. Set in the early-'90s gang culture of "San Andreas," a fictional U.S. region modeled after California, the adventure plays out across the entire virtual state, with action centered in its three main cities: Los Santos (based on Los Angeles), San Fiero (San Francisco), and Las Venturas (Las Vegas).

Like its immediate predecessor, Vice City, San Andreas strives to provide a wide, deep foundation for its free-form criminal gameplay by setting the story in a slightly exaggerated representation of a familiar (if not glorified) American subculture. As Vice City seemed inspired by Miami Vice, and the pastel-decked, "me generation" ideals of the early '80s, San Andreas is set in a time and place suggested by films like Boyz N the Hood, Menace II Society, or Colors, where riots eventually brought a whole city to a halt and awakened new consciousness across the country.

Players take the role of a young man named Carl "C.J." Johnson, who thought he had escaped the gangland lifestyle by moving away from his Los Santos home. When his mother is murdered, he returns to the neighborhood of his childhood, only to become embroiled with threats and danger from all sides. Because of his family and friends who remained in Los Santos, he's considered an enemy-on-sight to rival gang members. Even worse, perhaps, the corrupt local law enforcement frames him for a crime he did not commit.

To clear his name and save his family, C.J. sets out on a long journey that will lead him all across the state. More than any earlier GTA game, San Andreas features strong elements of role-playing and character development, encouraging players to customize their version of C.J. as they play through his adventure on their own terms. Unlike the protagonist of GTA 3, or Vice City's Tommy Vercetti, C.J. isn't really working for some underworld organization or crime boss mastermind -- he's out to take care of himself and his own family. He is not driven by the immediate promise of wealth or promotion; his goals are far more personal. He must steer the direction of his exploits, to follow them to a satisfactory end.

Also in the theme of giving more control over the lead character's development, players will take care of C.J.'s day-to-day needs. Food presents the easiest way to replenish lost health, so when he is hungry, he'll need to eat -- perhaps at one of San Andreas' fast food chains, like "Cluckin' Bell" or "Burger Shot." If he doesn't eat enough, C.J. will become thin and weak, but too much fast food without any exercise will cause him to grow fat and slow. Players can also choose the clothes that C.J. wears, and have him get customized tattoos.

C.J. has to come up with any money he needs for these things on his own, however, since there won't always be some boss character waiting to pay him off as he completes his missions. One way to scratch up some quick cash is by robbing homes at night. When he jacks the right kind of van and puts on his ski mask, C.J. enters a stealth mode, and is more likely to be able to sneak into a house, nab some valuables, and head off to the local fence before the residents even wake up.

Overall, San Andreas is in the same format and style that won millions of fans for GTA 3 and Vice City, but it features a number gameplay adjustments and improvements. In addition to C.J.'s stealth mode, he can also swim; a wrong turn off the pier will no longer result in an instant trip to the emergency ward, and if all else fails, the protagonist may even be able to evade pursuers by taking a quick dip. The game's targeting system has also been adjusted. Using triggers and both analog sticks (à la Manhunt), players take more complete control of C.J., and can have him run and strafe, change targets, and shoot in almost any direction, even while moving in another.

Extra Credits

by T.J. Deci

In the summer of 2005, public revelation of a hidden, locked gameplay sequence called "Hot Coffee," which was buried deep in the code of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, caused a stir among many interested politicians and public figures. It also led to an extraordinary action by the Entertainment Software Rating Board and an unusual financial loss by publisher Rockstar Games.

The name refers to narrative leading up to the controversial sequence, in which the player's character is invited back to a girlfriend's apartment for "coffee." The sequence features interactive, graphic scenes depicting the game's lead character, CJ, engaging in sexual relations with his girlfriend. The sequence was initially brought to public attention by Patrick Wildenbourg of the Netherlands, who wrote a computer program "hack" which unlocks it for play in the PC version of the game.

Wildenbourg's hack first appeared soon after the release of the PC version in June 2005, leading to speculation that the hidden code might also be present in the PS2 and Xbox editions of the game. In the publicity following initial reports of the "Hot Coffee" sequence, a number of prominent politicians made statements calling for government inquiries, condemning the Grand Theft Auto series, and suggesting new regulations.

Despite any precedent First Amendment protections, California Assemblyman Leland Yee, media attorney Jack Thompson, and then-rumored 2008 Presidential contender Hillary Clinton (among others) each used the publicity generated by the "Hot Coffee" controversy as an opportunity to propose content-based legal restrictions on the distribution of video games in the United States.

Meanwhile, the more practical issue of the controversy, regarding the agreement between publisher Rockstar Games and the ESRB, was resolved with considerably less grandstanding. After a short period of review, the ESRB determined that the "Hot Coffee" code was present in all three released editions of San Andreas, and that Rockstar had failed to completely fulfill its good faith responsibilities.

According to the standard agreements between game publishers and the ESRB, publishers are required to submit video depicting all of the most potentially offensive aspects of their games for review by an independent panel of three or more content judges. At issue was whether or not the buried, locked "Hot Coffee" sequence should have been considered as part of the game's content.

Rockstar did not include the "Hot Coffee" scenes in the San Andreas material it submitted for review, ostensibly because the publisher did not consider the hidden, "broken" code that allowed users to access the "Hot Coffee" scene to be a playable part of the game. It is impossible to access the "Hot Coffee" sequence without altering the games' code (or downloading a patch that does so), which technically violates the End User License Agreement (EULA) imposed on anyone who plays a retail copy of the game.

Because it was determined that the "Hot Coffee" code did exist on the retail game discs, however -- playable or not -- the ESRB judged that Rockstar had failed to meet its terms of the agreement, by not including footage of the explicit scene among the other material it submitted to be rated. In an unprecedented action, on July 20, 2005, the ESRB changed its letter rating of the already-released retail versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, from "M" for "Mature" (17+) to "AO" for "Adults Only" (18+). It also added another content descriptor, "Nudity."

Even though only a year separates the recommended minimum age between an "M" and "AO" audience, the difference is enormous in the marketplace. "M"-rated games are generally considered rough equivalents of "R"-rated movies, as far as the age-appropriateness of their content goes, and they are sold by nearly all major retailers. However, just as fewer large retail chains are willing to sell "unrated" or "NC-17" movies, there are essentially none that will sell "AO" rated games.

The ESRB's decision to change its rating called on compliant retailers to either alter the game's packaging (with new labels or "AO" stickers), or to pull the game from their shelves altogether. Meanwhile, Rockstar went to work on a new "M"-rated version of San Andreas, in which all "Hot Coffee" code would be removed (or immutably disabled).

Eventually, two versions of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas would exist. The original release, now rated "AO," and the newer version with the "Hot Coffee" code completely suppressed, rated "M." To anyone who does not purposefully take measures to unlock the "Hot Coffee" sequence, these two versions will be exactly the same.

In the past, sales of Rockstar games were often invigorated by the publicity gained from such content-related controversy, but the "Hot Coffee" situation may not prove so profitable for the publisher. Following the ESRB's announcement to change the game's rating, stock in Take 2, Rockstar's parent company, fell 11 percent overnight. Some analysts predicted that it might cost Rockstar as much as 40 million dollars in lost sales to reprogram, re-manufacture, and re-distribute the title on all three platforms.

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