id Software Comments on GTA: SA

[XxSATANxX]

Gamecloud has posted an article that looks at Wednesday's decision to change the rating of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas from a M to AO rating. Burned Over Hot Coffee? (http://www.gamecloud.com/article.php?article_id=771) includes comments from id Software's CEO Todd Holleshead and Running With Scissors CEO Vince Desi.

[Evil Avatar]

To answer your question, XxSatanxX,

Yes, there are some amateur mod authors that we don't mention here on EvAv.com to keep them from spamming us with their useless commentary.

[XxSATANxX]

I suspected as much. Thanks for fixing ;-)

[Varsity]

Could the ESRB make the leap from mods uncovering content that could affect a game's rating to mods that add content?Eh? Of course not.

It's an interesting article (they've been coming out with a string of good ones recently), especially the RWS guy's suprising opinion. Rockstar are really not popular...

[kokyunage]

Yes, there are some amateur mod authors that we don't mention here on EvAv.com to keep them from spamming us with their useless commentary.

Hmm...who would those be? ;)

[bapenguin]

This whole situation...it's really going to totally fuck up the gaming industry...mark my words. Everyone is suddenly going to have to pull back even further on what they make as to appeal to more of a mass market everyone age group.

[Deadend]

So, can we get a AO version that enables the sex and has nudity just to go all the way?

[Sir_Brizz]

no matter what you think of the mod, it was retarded of R* to leave the content in the game.

[51|RandoM]

hey, not just Todd H., they got commentary from Derek Smart, PHD. too.

All three of them said that we need the ESRB and that Rockstar basically screwed the pooch. Todd is just the least blatant about it, while Derek comes out and calls them liars because of the recent press releases.

DS comes across as a bit of an annoying prick in the article, which I got a chuckle from, till I noticed that we write in a similar fashion. doh.

[Liquidize105]

id practically didn't comment at all.

[51|RandoM]

no matter what you think of the mod, it was retarded of R* to leave the content in the game.

-and they compounded the retardedness by repeatedly lying about it in press releases.

[Goronmon]

Honestly, when it comes down to it, I think the reason the rating got changed to AO was to punish Rockstar for allowing the game to ship with that material present and then still lied about it later.

[bapenguin]

hey, not just Todd H., they got commentary from Derek Smart, PHD. too.

That's not saying much.

[Mrbunchypants]

Nice read. nothing really new. I like how those guys know that for games to sell well they need user content.

Maybe if the US wasn't so up tight about sex things would have been different.

This could open the door for more adult games. it could....... untill then guess i'll stick with my hentia. :D

[F3nyx]

The whole concept of mods is unique to the game industry, its a great addition that other forms of entertainment cannot provide. You dont see anyone writing addon chapters to Harry Potter do you?What the hell? He's either being extremely sarcastic or hopelessly naive... Harry Potter fanfiction is an awful, horrible thing.

[51|RandoM]

That's not saying much.

It is saying there will be at least some entertainment value in the article, which was my point.

His flamewars on Usenet are legendary.

[XxSATANxX]

Actually I'll be watching for the net net on all of this. I'm thinking GTA sales will sky rocket.

Look on ebay for pre-scandal copies etc.

Having actually seen the hot java mod in action I have to say it's really lame. I agree Tod lays down the cappiest non comment. Kinda shows how out of touch id has become. (Then again he was an exec at Aurthur Anderson). Desi got someone to actually notice him and he laid out the argument and actually made a point while mentioning his dumb ass game POSTAL like 20 times.

Someone else commented as well and rambled on and on frankly I forgot it already.

If this was a mistake R* would have played it a might differently. If this was I think it was you would have laid it out just as it happened. I think the bit about Hillary even caught them by surprise.

Wait is there more of this content in other GTA games???

Yes...someone is checking....

[Mrbunchypants]

I don't think there going to find anything in any other ones. this is the first one that let you pick the GF. all the other just stuck you with some lady.
Favorit part in GTA VC was the end when he......
Guess you'll have ot play the game. :p

[splatstick]

Rockstar really should use this to start making two versions of their games: an M and a AO, with added content accordingly. How many people would buy two copies, one for their kids and the other for themselves? An AO game from Rockstar could be pretty fucking sweet, if you ask me.

[Kefkataran]

Very interesting article. It's nice hearing the reactions of the people this is quite likely going to affect the most -- the developers.

[kokyunage]

Kinda shows how out of touch id has become

More like crappy editing or a crappy interviewer. Why post Todd's interview when he says pretty much "I haven't played it, I don't really care, and finally I'm too busy with my own game production to care." They are basically just using his name and name of "id Software" to promote the article. Nobody would give two shits if it was only Derek Smart or the developer from Postal.

[XxSATANxX]

More like crappy editing or a crappy interviewer. Why post Todd's interview when he says pretty much "I haven't played it, I don't really care, and finally I'm too busy with my own game production to care." They are basically just using his name and name of "id Software" to promote the article. Nobody would give two shits if it was only Derek Smart or the developer from Postal.

You are correct.

You have earned your fanboi points for the day ;)

[ÜberJumper]

I don't like Derek Smart's games, but he entertains the hell out of me.

DEREK SMART DEREK SMART DEREK SMART

[UnderHero5]

I personally think the rating system needs an overhaul anyway.
Games that simulate war (like Battlefield 2), but simply do not contain BLOOD, should STILL be considered Mature games. It should be based on the context of the gameplay not whether or not you see fake blood.

Games WITH tons of blood/gore/fighting/ware should be considered Adult games.

No, I don't think games are warping childrens minds, but I do think that if they are going to have a rating system they should at least stop the BS and rate them the way they should be rated.

As far as sex goes... I think what is in the Hot Coffee mod should be considered M. From what I've seen the most it shows is some nipple slippage. Not like 14 year old Timmy isn't already downloading porn from the same internet that he downloaded the mod from.

I did like the article though. Nice seeing some of the dev's thoughts. I'd like to see more articles like this.

[Voodoo]

I think that after this, Rockstar ought to make a game where you are a porn movie producter/director and have it called Pornstar with, of course, an AO rating! Whoota!

[RicoSuave77]

I was amused by the Running With Scissors guy playing the martyr card. At least Rockstar publishes games people want to play, jackass.

[RicoSuave77]

Rockstar really should use this to start making two versions of their games: an M and a AO, with added content accordingly. How many people would buy two copies, one for their kids and the other for themselves?
Not many, I'd wager. Most truly "mature" people probably couldn't care less about some pitiful polygonal sex scene.

[XxSATANxX]

I don't like Derek Smart's games, but he entertains the hell out of me.

DEREK SMART DEREK SMART DEREK SMART


Damn you Uber Jumper! DAMN YOU TO HELL ! !!!!!!!

[Heretic Machine]

Rockstar really should use this to start making two versions of their games: an M and a AO, with added content accordingly. How many people would buy two copies, one for their kids and the other for themselves? An AO game from Rockstar could be pretty fucking sweet, if you ask me.


LOTS of people need to start doing that.

[splatstick]

Not many, I'd wager. Most truly "mature" people probably couldn't care less about some pitiful polygonal sex scene.

Most "mature" people wouldn't automatically dismiss a fun game because of it.
It might also help establish the appropriate age guidelines that people might USE, heaven forbid.

[ElPresidente]

Since when is Derek Smart the kind of guy you go to for authorative opinion? That's what I wanna know. :D

[QueQueg]

There's something about the way Derek Smart writes... he's got that classic forum troll flair.

It makes me just want to punch him in his mouth.

Am I the only one that gets that vibe?

For example:
"Games are censored all over the world (look up Germany or China on the map somewhere) regularly."

In that sentence he appears to be suggesting that one would have to look up Germany or China on a map to know that they censor games, or that the reader wouldn't know what "Germany" or "China" is, without looking at a map.

Has he ever actually finished a game that was worth a damn? The battlecruiser games were like expensive tech-demo's, if memory serves.

[ElPresidente]

Expensive, buggy, boring tech demos.

It is still beyond me how this man has a 'name'.

[mister_slim]

I wonder what the ESRB and the Darkwatch developers are talking about right now.

[IndependentGMR]

God of War showed boobies. And also had a sex mini-game.

[Kefkataran]

God of War showed boobies. And also had a sex mini-game.

You are correct, sir. Wonder why this didn't raise a ruckus.

[Liquidize105]

Theme of the game, my friend.

You think a game set in mythilogical times is gonna raise a ruckus or eye brows on capitol hill?

[Cuba]

You think a game set in mythilogical times is gonna raise a ruckus or eye brows on capitol hill?Shouldn't that be irrelevant?

[Varsity]

'Should' doesn't really come into it.

[steve]

In that sentence he appears to be suggesting that one would have to look up Germany or China on a map to know that they censor games

And Derek is a bit behind, too. Germany's rating system was revamped, brutal games might now get an 18+ sticker when being rated. This simply means "dont sell to anyone under 18", and does not have the stigma the American AO seems to carry.

In addition, those 18+ games cannot be "prohibited" anymore ( happened to id stuff in the past etc). It just means "brutal game, please be 18". Censorship? Yeah sure...

[Kefkataran]

Liquidize is 100% correct again. Hm.

[OUX]

(I am late comin in so if I repeat I apologize.)This isn't gonna be a big deal, if the American President can get a bj in the oval office and then lie on the stand a game developer can get by. Not saying its right, just not important.

[splatstick]

Theme of the game, my friend.

You think a game set in mythilogical times is gonna raise a ruckus or eye brows on capitol hill?

Fo' serious, everyone knows that people don't have sex nowadays.