Hot Coffee, If You Know What I Mean Quiz

Answer: Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

While the "Grand Theft Auto" series, over the years, has pushed the envelope with mature themes due to the general gimmick of navigating an open world environment, usually in seedier cityscapes and criminal underbellies, "San Andreas" was the first one to face severe backlash when a quick mod released for the game (known as 'hot coffee') allowed players to engage in a gratuitous encounter.

Its existence fuelled discourse about appropriate content for gaming media and countries had the game re-rated to avoid those under the age of majority getting their hands on it. Later versions of the game were released with the assets of the in-game event removed altogether, but not before civil lawsuits could sink their teeth into the developers at Rockstar Games.

The "Grand Theft Auto" series has since gone on to release new titles to record-breaking sales, often being cited as a reason for devastating blows to periodic blockbuster film intake at the box office.

Answer: Lara Croft

When Lara Croft first showed up as a character in the PC game series "Tomb Raider" in 1996, her creator allegedly never intended for her to become a symbol of female sexuality, and one would argue that the graphical capabilities of PCs and consoles in the mid-1990s wouldn't have created a flattering character. That said, Croft became exactly that, often being one of the most familiar faces in discussions about sexism and female figures in video gaming because of her often exaggerated figure and the reaction it elicited from a subgroup of players. Arguably, the film adaptation of "Tomb Raider" complicated the issue when Paramount put Angelina Jolie into Croft's role (twice). That being said, the game's publishers cited that one in four players of the "Tomb Raider" franchise, back in the late 1990s, were female.

The number only increased when the franchise was overhauled in 2013. The series, since its initial release, has become one of the biggest gaming franchises in the world and Croft herself is a recipient of a number of Guinness World Records.

Answer: Livin' Large

Releasing for the first time in 2000, "The Sims" was a big deal, bringing the popular EA/Maxis title "SimCity" down tot he personal level and allowing players the opportunity to control the smaller aspects of peoples' lives from building and furnishing their houses to sending them off to work or school or developing their talents.

It wouldn't be life, however, without the ability to make babies, and the game presents opportunities to do that in spades provided you're able to raise your social standing with your prospective partner to a high enough ranking.

The game's first expansion, "Livin' Large", introduced the Vibromatic Heart Bed, which allowed Sims to pop a quarter in and 'WooHoo'. Sure enough, there would be a bit of fun under the covers, and as people are wont to do, there became scandalous ways to take advantage of the option. "The Sims", unlike many games of the time, developed a very active mod community who not only spent endless hours creating new items to pop into the game's code, but remove aspects as well-- including the pixellation that automatically appeared when Sims shed their clothes.

It didn't stop EA Games from bringing the bed back for "The Sims 2" and "The Sims 3". The series became one of the fastest and largest sellers in PC gaming history, beating the original record-holder ("Myst") and, eventually, selling more than a hundred million units.

Answer: Leisure Suit Larry

"Leisure Suit Larry" was somewhat of an institution back when floppy disks were on the way out and CD-ROMs were becoming the primary form of game distribution in the 1990s, mainly because the low-effort plots, most of which were about a 40-something guy named Larry Laffer trying to strike it big by going after buxom women, were just enough to grab the attention of early computer adopters.

Their parent developers, Sierra, were also known for major releases like "King's Quest", "Space Quest", and "Phantasmagoria" before they went defunct in 2008. "Leisure Suit Larry", however, made it to six official releases under Sierra becoming one of their flagship releases and providing a bit of a window into the type of market being advertised to in PC gaming's early days.

Other games ended up pushing the envelope further, but "Leisure Suit Larry" usually didn't. When it finally went raunchier in "Love for Sail!", it was finally shelved.

Answer: Samus Aran

It's a bit tough to suggest that a Nintendo character stripped down, but context is everything. "Metroid" was one of the earliest sci-fi hits for Nintendo way back on the NES, back when games were just laying out the foundations for the franchise juggernauts they would become. "Metroid", taking several nods from Ridley Scott's "Alien", ended up making the main character female (not unlike Ellen Ripley) though players never knew until they beat the game in under five hours at which point Samus would remove her space suit and wear little more than a bikini.

The significance here is that the makers intentionally led players to believe Samus was male; they even put it in the instruction manual! Since then, Samus has led a group of strong female Nintendo characters, often appearing without her suit since her debut in stylized and unique depictions (though the suit is forever!).

Answer: Catherine

"Catherine" is a unique game in that the storyline doesn't really match up with its gameplay all too much. You play as Vincent, a man who gets himself into a predicament when he sleeps with a young woman named Catherine. The problem is that his one-night stand is a clear issue when his long-term girlfriend, ironically named Katherine, comes into play.

As the story progresses, Vincent experiences nightmares that involve him climbing towers of blocks to avoid being killed in his sleep and consumed by his dreams like other men in his life.

The game dwells on ethics, fidelity, gender, and sex in ways unlike most other puzzle games, and because of choices and decisions made, often in regards to relationships built throughout and answers to questions posed at certain points, Vincent can either find redemption, at least to an extent, or fall victim to a succubus from Hell.

While very well-reviewed, the game ended up becoming a focus for discussion, especially in the gaming industry, for the perception of women in the gaming world and in depicted forms.

Answer: Bayonetta

"Bayonetta", created by the man who brought the world "Devil May Cry", was a bit of an odd departure from his original series though the elements of the fantastic are still there. Envisioned as a sexy, original idea based on European folklore and with modern aesthetics, Bayonetta doesn't stray away from overt sexuality.

Besides her attacks literally being formed by the hair covering her body (as stylish clothing, of course), she bleeds rose petals. Players looking for the highest difficulty can also play 'Non-Stop Infinite Climax' mode. You can't make that up.

But what "Bayonetta" also couldn't make up was the stellar reviews. Despite the obvious sexuality baked into the game, its camp was overtaken by a clear style and innovative battle designs.

Despite the content, the "Bayonetta" series was quickly and surprisingly picked up for Nintendo exclusivity on the Wii U and Switch leading some to believe in a more mature side of the often less rugged brand.

Answer: Second Life

Created by developers using a gaming engine in the early 2000s, "Second Life" was made more as a simulator than as a game because while you create avatars who react to inputs, there's no discernible goal; you decide exactly what you want to do. Interestingly, it's created a program that has a multitude of uses and it's not surprising that it's been used for marketing, education, and networking of all types (relationships, friendships, etc.).

The game also has an adult-only section in which you can create avatars that can act out fantasies both sexual and violent.

The platform, however, is focused on in the media mostly for two reasons-- the adult-only side and the inherent negativity associated with it and the breakthrough steps that it's made to bridge gaps between the real world and the virtual world.

Although there's a clearly present novelty to it, "Second Life" has also featured virtual embassies for the nations of The Maldives, Sweden, and Estonia (amongst others).

Answer: God of War

The "God of War" series turned out to be the right time to loosen the rules against because despite the original game's M and 18+ ratings, it became a fast bestseller and one of the tentpole franchises on the PlayStation across a number of generations. If anything, "God of War's" criticism was moreso levelled towards the level of violence therein.

The series features a lot of bloodshed, often as the main character travels through ancient settings facing off against mythical creatures. The original series (before a reboot in 2018) was set in Ancient Greece, so gorgons featured heavily, often without clothing. Sony's rules slacked further for highly-atmospheric, story-driven hits like "Heavy Rain", often to high critical praise for uncompromising vision.

Answer: Dead or Alive

While the "Dead or Alive" series is known for being an intense fighting franchise, there's a bit more to question with their "Xtreme" side-brand, which places the characters onto tropical islands for games of beach volleyball and general interaction. Though earlier games in the series were a bit more straightforward in creating a suitable team for technical volleyball play, later ones developed a highly-sexualized oeuvre.

Although very popular with players in Japan, the general quality of the series game after game has been known to dwindle with many players likening them to the equivalent of expensive anime pin-ups.

The game even features (sigh...) 'butt battles'. But it's interesting to note that the market for these games still runs strong and their success points to strong social throughlines in certain nations, especially in regards to virtual depictions of women in video games. Sure, they're critically panned, but they still manage to fill a niche that exists and, to an extent, prospers as video gaming becomes more immersive and popular. Whether or not the tides will change with society's values...I mean, that's the catch, right?