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Say goodbye to nudepatches, thanks Temco & others.....
It seems the prudism and monopoly of greedy corporations have finally put an end to just about every nudepatches site by lawsuits. I quote the following news stories:
While many of you don't care about nudepatches; this is yet another step towards internet censorship and fascism. 
Some of these games now blocked were featured sanctioned by the game makers in issues of playboy magazine.
Just out of curosity I went to the following sites:
www.nudepaches.info(org/net/de) each one of them were suspended. These contained patches for hundreds of games...... with Jack Thompson's going after the sims series of games nudepatches CENSORSHIP is on the rise....Temco going after its series of games, and US gov't led by Senator Clinton going after Take Two Interactive (rockstar games, makers of grand theft auto).... what is next.... will all nudity become outlawed....... god I hate these fascist puritans, HEIL HITLER next!
Nude volleyball angers game makers
The game features voluptuous women on a tropical island
The makers of a video game which features cyber babes playing volleyball have been angered by attempts to remove the women's digital bikinis.
Japanese games developer Tecmo has warned of legal action against anyone who published information rendering the women in Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball completely nude during gameplay.
"We're watching you very closely! Please do not post things that infringe copyrights and other legal issues," said the firm on its official website.
This is not the first time that a video game featuring a cyber babe has been altered by game enthusiasts. Patches to remove the clothes of the most famous virtual heroine of all, Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider games, are widely available on the internet.
'Tracking a suspect'
Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball for Microsoft's Xbox console features characters from the cast of the Dead or Alive fighting game series.
Lara Croft: World's best known cyber babe
The title features voluptuous heroines who preen, sun themselves and play volleyball in bathing suits on a tropical island.
Since it was released in the US and Japan in January, several so-called game patches have appeared on the net.
The computer code alters the textures used to build the bodies of the women in the game to make them appear completely unclothed.
Nude images of the women in the game have also been published on the internet.
The makers of the game, Tecmo, have taken a stern view on the issue.
In a message posted to Tecmo's official forums on the web, the games developer warned Xbox hackers to stop developing nude patches for Xtreme Beach Volleyball
"Please do not post anything about nude patches and other hacked information or you will be punished to the fullest extent of the law," it said.
The warning went on to say: "So far we're tracking one suspect, anybody care to be the second?"
This is the second time hackers have tried to remove the clothing of the cyber babes in the Dead or Alive games.
In September, Tecmo won a court case in Japan over computer code which allowed gamers to create a nude model in one of its titles.
The game features voluptuous women on a tropical island
The makers of a video game which features cyber babes playing volleyball have been angered by attempts to remove the women's digital bikinis.
Japanese games developer Tecmo has warned of legal action against anyone who published information rendering the women in Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball completely nude during gameplay.
"We're watching you very closely! Please do not post things that infringe copyrights and other legal issues," said the firm on its official website.
This is not the first time that a video game featuring a cyber babe has been altered by game enthusiasts. Patches to remove the clothes of the most famous virtual heroine of all, Lara Croft from the Tomb Raider games, are widely available on the internet.
'Tracking a suspect'
Dead or Alive: Xtreme Beach Volleyball for Microsoft's Xbox console features characters from the cast of the Dead or Alive fighting game series.
Lara Croft: World's best known cyber babe
The title features voluptuous heroines who preen, sun themselves and play volleyball in bathing suits on a tropical island.
Since it was released in the US and Japan in January, several so-called game patches have appeared on the net.
The computer code alters the textures used to build the bodies of the women in the game to make them appear completely unclothed.
Nude images of the women in the game have also been published on the internet.
The makers of the game, Tecmo, have taken a stern view on the issue.
In a message posted to Tecmo's official forums on the web, the games developer warned Xbox hackers to stop developing nude patches for Xtreme Beach Volleyball
"Please do not post anything about nude patches and other hacked information or you will be punished to the fullest extent of the law," it said.
The warning went on to say: "So far we're tracking one suspect, anybody care to be the second?"
This is the second time hackers have tried to remove the clothing of the cyber babes in the Dead or Alive games.
In September, Tecmo won a court case in Japan over computer code which allowed gamers to create a nude model in one of its titles.
'Nude Raiders' face legal action
Nude Raider: Lara Croft's popular alter ego
She's scantily clad at the best of times, but when Lara Croft started appearing on the Internet without even the trademark hotpants and rubber vest, her creators stepped in with the threat of legal action.
Arguably single-handedly responsible for the term "cyberbabe", Lara became an overnight, worldwide icon as the star of the Indiana Jones-style Tomb Raider computer game.
The Nude Raider web ring
But in recent months it seems that a section of her fan base has taken its devotion to the curvaceous archaeologist a step too far by creating an extensive web ring of Internet sites devoted to amateur images of the character's "Nude Raider" alter ego.
Core Design - developers of all three Tomb Raider adventures - have decided enough is enough and are considering legal action in a bid to clean up Lara's presence on the Web.
The company is concerned that Tomb Raider fans searching the Internet for legitimate Lara Croft information could accidentally access "pornographic material" - an association Core says it is keen to avoid.
Lara Croft as her creators intended
A spokeswoman branded the sites "completely irresponsible".
"We are looking in to taking legal action. There are a number of Websites featuring the character, but there is one particular site which is causing most of the concern.
"We have a large number of young fans and we don't want them stumbling across the pictures when they do a general search for Tomb Raider."
The unofficial nudes will be particularly embarrassing in light of Lara Croft's recently elevated status to "ambassador for British scientific excellence" - according to Science Minister Lord Sainsbury.
Speaking last December, he said: "I use her as an example of one of the great success stories in this country."
There have also been reports of a Tomb Raider "patch" - slang for computer code which changes a game's properties - which is capable of rendering Lara completely nude during gameplay.
Nude Raider: Lara Croft's popular alter ego
She's scantily clad at the best of times, but when Lara Croft started appearing on the Internet without even the trademark hotpants and rubber vest, her creators stepped in with the threat of legal action.
Arguably single-handedly responsible for the term "cyberbabe", Lara became an overnight, worldwide icon as the star of the Indiana Jones-style Tomb Raider computer game.
The Nude Raider web ring
But in recent months it seems that a section of her fan base has taken its devotion to the curvaceous archaeologist a step too far by creating an extensive web ring of Internet sites devoted to amateur images of the character's "Nude Raider" alter ego.
Core Design - developers of all three Tomb Raider adventures - have decided enough is enough and are considering legal action in a bid to clean up Lara's presence on the Web.
The company is concerned that Tomb Raider fans searching the Internet for legitimate Lara Croft information could accidentally access "pornographic material" - an association Core says it is keen to avoid.
Lara Croft as her creators intended
A spokeswoman branded the sites "completely irresponsible".
"We are looking in to taking legal action. There are a number of Websites featuring the character, but there is one particular site which is causing most of the concern.
"We have a large number of young fans and we don't want them stumbling across the pictures when they do a general search for Tomb Raider."
The unofficial nudes will be particularly embarrassing in light of Lara Croft's recently elevated status to "ambassador for British scientific excellence" - according to Science Minister Lord Sainsbury.
Speaking last December, he said: "I use her as an example of one of the great success stories in this country."
There have also been reports of a Tomb Raider "patch" - slang for computer code which changes a game's properties - which is capable of rendering Lara completely nude during gameplay.
Jack Thompson, the Florida-based attorney who has taken on many prominent games for their violence is now going after EA's The Sims 2 for its use of nudity, even though the game blurs out all privates by default:
Although there is no sex in the game, characters appear nude when carrying out activities such as taking a shower. Their breasts and genitals are blurred out to avoid offence - but Thompson claimed hackers could get around this by using a cheat code.
"The nudity placed there by the publisher/maker, Electronic Arts, is accessed by the use of a simple code that removes what is called 'the blur' which obscures genital areas," he said.
"In other words, the game was released to the public by the manufacturer knowing that the full frontal nudity was resident on the game and would be accessed by use of a simple code widely provided on the Internet."
Thompson went on to note that children can also be made to appear nude in the game - "Much to the delight, one can be sure, of paedophiles around the globe who can rehearse, in virtual reality, for their abuse."
However, as usual, Thompson seems to be shooting from the hip - and blindfolded, at that. Even if the blur is removed, the characters in the game have no visible genitals, publisher EA was quick to explain.
"This is nonsense. We've reviewed 100 percent of the content. There is no content inappropriate for a teen audience. Players never see a nude sim," EA executive Jeff Brown told US website GameSpot.
"If someone with an extreme amount of expertise and time were to remove the pixels, they would see that the sims have no genitals. They appear like Ken and Barbie."
Although there is no sex in the game, characters appear nude when carrying out activities such as taking a shower. Their breasts and genitals are blurred out to avoid offence - but Thompson claimed hackers could get around this by using a cheat code.
"The nudity placed there by the publisher/maker, Electronic Arts, is accessed by the use of a simple code that removes what is called 'the blur' which obscures genital areas," he said.
"In other words, the game was released to the public by the manufacturer knowing that the full frontal nudity was resident on the game and would be accessed by use of a simple code widely provided on the Internet."
Thompson went on to note that children can also be made to appear nude in the game - "Much to the delight, one can be sure, of paedophiles around the globe who can rehearse, in virtual reality, for their abuse."
However, as usual, Thompson seems to be shooting from the hip - and blindfolded, at that. Even if the blur is removed, the characters in the game have no visible genitals, publisher EA was quick to explain.
"This is nonsense. We've reviewed 100 percent of the content. There is no content inappropriate for a teen audience. Players never see a nude sim," EA executive Jeff Brown told US website GameSpot.
"If someone with an extreme amount of expertise and time were to remove the pixels, they would see that the sims have no genitals. They appear like Ken and Barbie."
The introduction of the Hot Coffee mod sparked a fair amount of controversy around GTA:SA, with some politicians firing harsh words at both the game's developer and the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), the organization which establishes content ratings for video games in the United States. It has also rekindled the debate over the influence of video games in general with new protests against several other games such as Killer 7, The Sims 2, and Bully.
Jack Thompson, a lawyer and anti-video game activist from Florida, was one of the first to criticize the game for its recently found content. Thompson believes that violent media such as video games are one of the main sources of violent crime in America and has lashed out against Rockstar on several occasions for previous games they have developed.
U.S. senator Hillary Clinton has jumped into the fray by suggesting new regulations be put on video games sales[7]. The ESRB is also conducting an investigation into whether the game's publisher lied about the game's content in an attempt to avoid the Adults Only 18+ rating. Also, Congress just passed a resolution to have the Federal Trade Commission investigate whether Rockstar intentionally undermined the ESRB by having the content in the game[8].
In New York, a class action lawsuit has been filed by Florence Cohen, an 85-year old grandmother who purchased the game for her 14-year old grandson (according to the old rating of M, the game is typically considered inappropriate for this age). Cohen's lawsuit claims that Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the game, are guilty of deception, false advertising, fraud and abuse. The accusation of deception is based on the change from M-rated to AO, meaning according to the lawsuit that the original rating was a deceptive practice[9].
There was also a recent protest that occurred at Rockstar's headquarters. A protest group known as the Peaceholics organized a protest on August 4, 2005. The group organized against San Andreas as well as the upcoming game Bully, which they want cancelled because of fears that the content could inspire children to become bullies themselves. The protesters had signs that read "Put the Cuffs On Rockstar", "Prosecute Rockstar Games; they are felons", "Hey hey, ho ho, Rockstar Games has got to go".[10] Peaceholics had several demands for Rockstar:
Not to release Bully under any circumstances
Volunteer to sell its violent and sexually explicit games in adult video stores only.
Let parents return Grand Theft Auto for a full refund until they do a national awareness campaign to educate parents of content and possible effects.
Create a fund for victims of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and car-jackings, etc.
Make a national apology for misleading and lying to children, parents, and legislators about their intentions and causing insurance premiums to sky rocket.
Give a written response within five business days of receipt of these demands.[11]
However, there are many who disagree with these critics and feel that the attacks on video games are unfounded. While not as organized as the anti-gaming groups some gamers have decided to counter their activities. A few sites have emerged as beacons of pro-game activism such as GamePolitics [1] and Gamerandy [2]. Gamerandy even has a petition to combat Jack Thompson and other anti-video game activists.
These sites provide sources to support their arguments. One particular article circulated by video game proponents cites the diminishing crime rate as one of the major distortions that have emerged in the new fight against violent and sexually explicit video games. This recent article details how the overall crime rate has actually gone down since the fighting game, Mortal Kombat, caused a major controversy in the early '90s. The youth crime rate has diminished as well[12].
GamePolitics has also launched some attacks of their own directed at Jack Thompson because of alleged distortions he has made about their reporting. Thompson has apparently taken information out of context from GamePolitics to claim that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City also has a sex minigame.
Some have also argued that the code is not as pornographic as claimed, since no genitalia are shown. Many people claim that the content unlocked by the mod is no worse than what someone would see in an R rated film.
Some critics have also claimed or implied that the Hot Coffee mod involves rape. This is not the case as the sexual content is depicted as being consensual, between CJ and one of six in-game girlfriends. In order to get to the Hot Coffee minigame, players must take the woman of their choice on several virtual dates first. While there may be merit to claims that it objectifies or demeans women, assertions of rape are misguided.
The "Hot Coffee" controversy dashed financial expectations for Rockstar Games parent Take-Two Interactive, which lost $28.8 million in its fiscal 3rd quarter of 2005 (May to July) partly because of the rerating; the company lost $14.4 million in the same quarter in 2004. The effect on San Andreas sales is as of yet unknown, but Take-Two has revised its projected financial statement for the quarter to reflect a further anticipated loss.
Jack Thompson, a lawyer and anti-video game activist from Florida, was one of the first to criticize the game for its recently found content. Thompson believes that violent media such as video games are one of the main sources of violent crime in America and has lashed out against Rockstar on several occasions for previous games they have developed.
U.S. senator Hillary Clinton has jumped into the fray by suggesting new regulations be put on video games sales[7]. The ESRB is also conducting an investigation into whether the game's publisher lied about the game's content in an attempt to avoid the Adults Only 18+ rating. Also, Congress just passed a resolution to have the Federal Trade Commission investigate whether Rockstar intentionally undermined the ESRB by having the content in the game[8].
In New York, a class action lawsuit has been filed by Florence Cohen, an 85-year old grandmother who purchased the game for her 14-year old grandson (according to the old rating of M, the game is typically considered inappropriate for this age). Cohen's lawsuit claims that Rockstar Games and Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the game, are guilty of deception, false advertising, fraud and abuse. The accusation of deception is based on the change from M-rated to AO, meaning according to the lawsuit that the original rating was a deceptive practice[9].
There was also a recent protest that occurred at Rockstar's headquarters. A protest group known as the Peaceholics organized a protest on August 4, 2005. The group organized against San Andreas as well as the upcoming game Bully, which they want cancelled because of fears that the content could inspire children to become bullies themselves. The protesters had signs that read "Put the Cuffs On Rockstar", "Prosecute Rockstar Games; they are felons", "Hey hey, ho ho, Rockstar Games has got to go".[10] Peaceholics had several demands for Rockstar:
Not to release Bully under any circumstances
Volunteer to sell its violent and sexually explicit games in adult video stores only.
Let parents return Grand Theft Auto for a full refund until they do a national awareness campaign to educate parents of content and possible effects.
Create a fund for victims of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and car-jackings, etc.
Make a national apology for misleading and lying to children, parents, and legislators about their intentions and causing insurance premiums to sky rocket.
Give a written response within five business days of receipt of these demands.[11]
However, there are many who disagree with these critics and feel that the attacks on video games are unfounded. While not as organized as the anti-gaming groups some gamers have decided to counter their activities. A few sites have emerged as beacons of pro-game activism such as GamePolitics [1] and Gamerandy [2]. Gamerandy even has a petition to combat Jack Thompson and other anti-video game activists.
These sites provide sources to support their arguments. One particular article circulated by video game proponents cites the diminishing crime rate as one of the major distortions that have emerged in the new fight against violent and sexually explicit video games. This recent article details how the overall crime rate has actually gone down since the fighting game, Mortal Kombat, caused a major controversy in the early '90s. The youth crime rate has diminished as well[12].
GamePolitics has also launched some attacks of their own directed at Jack Thompson because of alleged distortions he has made about their reporting. Thompson has apparently taken information out of context from GamePolitics to claim that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City also has a sex minigame.
Some have also argued that the code is not as pornographic as claimed, since no genitalia are shown. Many people claim that the content unlocked by the mod is no worse than what someone would see in an R rated film.
Some critics have also claimed or implied that the Hot Coffee mod involves rape. This is not the case as the sexual content is depicted as being consensual, between CJ and one of six in-game girlfriends. In order to get to the Hot Coffee minigame, players must take the woman of their choice on several virtual dates first. While there may be merit to claims that it objectifies or demeans women, assertions of rape are misguided.
The "Hot Coffee" controversy dashed financial expectations for Rockstar Games parent Take-Two Interactive, which lost $28.8 million in its fiscal 3rd quarter of 2005 (May to July) partly because of the rerating; the company lost $14.4 million in the same quarter in 2004. The effect on San Andreas sales is as of yet unknown, but Take-Two has revised its projected financial statement for the quarter to reflect a further anticipated loss.
Some of these games now blocked were featured sanctioned by the game makers in issues of playboy magazine.
Just out of curosity I went to the following sites:
www.nudepaches.info(org/net/de) each one of them were suspended. These contained patches for hundreds of games...... with Jack Thompson's going after the sims series of games nudepatches CENSORSHIP is on the rise....Temco going after its series of games, and US gov't led by Senator Clinton going after Take Two Interactive (rockstar games, makers of grand theft auto).... what is next.... will all nudity become outlawed....... god I hate these fascist puritans, HEIL HITLER next!
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