When Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas came out on Oct. 24, 2004, 20 years ago this month, it was considered nothing short of revolutionary for the gaming industry for a few reasons, but the most important arguably was how it pushed the moral limits of what a game could do.
Within two days of its predecessor, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, coming out in 2002, it sold around 1.4 million copies, making it clear that the mature alternative to the gaming experience was picking up traction. It also set the stage for anticipation of the release of the series’ next entry set in a fictional version of California, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
“Nowadays we’re used to games that are most marketing towards adults, with subject matter that isn’t kid-friendly, it wasn’t as common [in 2004], so the idea that there was an unapologetically violent video game was something that wasn’t seen much,” said OH social studies teacher Aaron Henricks, who played the game during its release.
The moral boundaries were overstepped by this game by complete accident, leading to one of the most important controversies in gaming history, the “Hot Coffee Controversy”. Rockstar North wanted to test the limits as far as they could, so they created a mini-game where the protagonist could do “adult activities” with people, this idea was shot down by the Rockstar North team and was not playable in the game. However, traces of the mini-game’s code were discovered and implemented through mods, leading to intense outrage from parents and politicians alike.
The “hot coffee” controversy changed how the ESRB rated games, and the standards of the “adults only” rating. It was also the first time a video game managed to anger politicians and the Federal Trade Commission, and most importantly for the game’s legacy, it drew even more attention to San Andreas by people uninterested in the game industry.
The impact of the game is not limited to the 2000s, as many people in this generation have their experiences with the game too, including OH graduate Christian Ortiz, who said, “I grew up playing PS2 and PS3 games, and I was probably like 6-8 when I played [San Andreas].”
The game is not only influential to the gaming industry but also influential to individual people like Ortiz: “I love the story, and it brings back a big wave of nostalgia whenever I play it.”
San Andreas is a central part of the gaming industry’s history, and a core memory for many teenagers who grew up in the PS2 era of gaming. Although it is 20 years old, it is still worthwhile to check out because of gameplay, which holds up still, albeit seeming clunky at first, its movie-like story, and the seemingly unlimited amount of optional side content to do.
howdy ho, this is matt. i am a senior at oswego high school, i like hanging out my friends, parakeets, and fortnite.
