Sued for Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

[difenbaker]

Los Angeles sues over 'Grand Theft Auto' game
By Gina Keating Fri Jan 27, 6:11 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The city of Los Angeles has sued Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. for selling pornographic video games to children with its best-selling game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas," which last year was found to have hidden sex scenes.

http://zorlac.ca/images/gtasa.jpg

Shares of Take-Two plunged 13.7 percent to $14.69 on the Nasdaq -- a level unseen since 2003 -- after an analyst downgraded its shares to "sell" from "neutral," citing a variety of financial, operational and management risks.

Los Angeles City Attorney Rockard Delgadillo, in the suit filed on Thursday, accused the game publisher of failing to disclose the pornographic content to get the game onto shelves of major retailers that do not carry games rated "Adults Only 18+."

Delgadillo said the company further deceived consumers by first claiming that hackers had modified the original version of the games, then announcing a week later that the sex scenes were written into the original game code.

The lawsuit demands that Take-Two and Rockstar Games, the subsidiary behind "Grand Theft Auto," one of the best-selling in video game franchises history, stop marketing the games to children, pay fines and return $10 million in profits.

A Take-Two spokesman had no comment on Friday.

more:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060127/wr_nm/media_taketwo_lawsuit_dc;_ylt=AgItYsi6w2fh6XXPrCmn zFqSxLEF;_ylu=X3oDMTBjMHVqMTQ4BHNlYwN5bnN1YmNhdA--



cheers!

[carcomptoy]

In cases such as these, I have mixed feelings, cause most of the time, the parents could exercise discretion. The thing is, most of the parents that have this problem don't, thus they have this problem where their children are exposed to this:cool:

[Jose_R.A.M]

If theyre not old/mature enough to view pornographic sex scenes then they shouldnt be old/mature enough to perform violent virtual killings.

While GTA shouldn't be marketed to kids (Im sure all the adds Ive seen has a big 18 plastered across it) the parents/guardians in charge should be doing something too.

Wasnt there some story about a guy who sued(or jst complained about) the makers of gta because whilst he ws blowing up and stabbing people in front of his child, the characters were swearing. Pathetic. They should know what to expect when purchasing things like this, especially when it says 18+. Its like buying a knife and complaining its sharp.

Anyways,

If Take-Two and Rockstar are failing to disclose it is 18+ well they should rightly be fined.

[carcomptoy]

Its like buying a knife and complaining its sharp.
HAHAHA RIGHT???

[Serifan]

I don't think the case has merit. Not only is the game labeled for people 17+, it is notorious for its objectionable content. Sure, the "Hot Coffee" code was left in the game, but not only do you have to hack it, it was still an MA rated game. Any parent who willing buys the game for a kid should be sued instead.

[carcomptoy]

Any parent who willing buys the game for a kid should be sued instead.

Most definitely:cool:

[666joe]

LOL WTF seriously - did Hilary Clinton have nothing better to do ?

I am sure loads of games have dodgy mods locked away - this one was cool however and was aimed at a mature market...

think they should offer an option refunds/exchange for existing owners...

[manav]

All this is stupid, for no reason at all. I really like GTA series and all the non-sense is for no reason.

[Jose_R.A.M]

All this is stupid,

indeed.

[Serifan]

Fate certainly has a sense of humor. As if some higher being was writing a parody for this case, earlier today I was in my local GameStop. I was on line, waiting to purchase a game for my nephew (Shadow of the Colossus). In from of me was a little boy, no more than 10 years old. He wanted to purchase the game 25 to Life, which is basically a Grand Theft Auto rip-off and a similar type of game in terms of content and rating. Rightly, the sales rep tells him that he cannot sell him the game, because he's not 18. Hearing this, his mother who seemed to emerge from the air, objected and asked why. Bill (let's call the sales rep that), who is also the manager, says that it is MA rated games and only people 18+ can purchase it. He also warns the mother of the content and how controversial it is and why he doesn't recommend it for a kid. Visibly and verbally offended, the mother still purchases the game and walks out the store, spewing all sorts of expletives at the store manager. I could not believe what I was witnessing. I wished I had a camera, so that I could film it and send it to Hillary.

[carcomptoy]

Visibly and verbally offended, the mother still purchases the game and walks out the store, spewing all sorts of expletives at the store manager.
How extremely utterly stupid!!! I can not just understand how parents justify buying their children these kinds of games...IT'S RIDICULOUS!!

[Jose_R.A.M]

Fate certainly has a sense of humor. As if some higher being was writing a parody for this case, earlier today I was in my local GameStop. I was on line, waiting to purchase a game for my nephew (Shadow of the Colossus). In from of me was a little boy, no more than 10 years old. He wanted to purchase the game 25 to Life, which is basically a Grand Theft Auto rip-off and a similar type of game in terms of content and rating. Rightly, the sales rep tells him that he cannot sell him the game, because he's not 18. Hearing this, his mother who seemed to emerge from the air, objected and asked why. Bill (let's call the sales rep that), who is also the manager, says that it is MA rated games and only people 18+ can purchase it. He also warns the mother of the content and how controversial it is and why he doesn't recommend it for a kid. Visibly and verbally offended, the mother still purchases the game and walks out the store, spewing all sorts of expletives at the store manager. I could not believe what I was witnessing. I wished I had a camera, so that I could film it and send it to Hillary.

lol. Maybe the game was for her and she was just too embarrased to be seen playing video games so she got some random kid to get it for her...

Seriously though..:rolleyes:..I bet she'll be the one blaming that game if her kid starts picking up stuff from it.

[carcomptoy]

"How did my child ever learn these vulgar things? I only gave him wholesome games like "25 to Life" and "GTA"...why oh why??"

REALITY CHECK LADY

[Jose_R.A.M]

Anyone played GTA yet on PSP?

[666joe]

All else aside your parents never snuck you some beer, let you dirve on your dads lap, stay out late on your own etc etc..

At least now programmers will remove/properly hide dodgy code....the game was nasty enough without the coffee mod....

[Jose_R.A.M]

People like bending the rules when things don't go their way, but if its the other way around...its like NOOOOO...LOOK, RULES! REGULATIONS!

I wasn't too fussed on the pornographic mods of the game. I didnt buy the game for that, I bought it for the guns and killing.

[MikeUK]

Last GTA I owned was 3, but the sheer fact you could get a prostitute in your car, and see the rocking motion of the car whilst you had sex with the prostitute, that's bad enough! And the game in UK has 18 rating, which means by our laws I don't think anyone under 18 should be allowed to play it at all (although they obviously do!).

[difenbaker]

LOL WTF seriously - did Hilary Clinton have nothing better to do ?


seriously, I think this doesn't bode well for the gaming industry...

this is just one game, what if Hillary decides to do the same for other games - saying that it's "too violent" to be released? Imagine playing DOOM 3 without the blood and gore... that'll be so boring, not to mention, unimaginative.


cheers!

[carcomptoy]

*sigh* that's why I never liked the Clintons:p

[Jose_R.A.M]

seriously, I think this doesn't bode well for the gaming industry...

this is just one game, what if Hillary decides to do the same for other games - saying that it's "too violent" to be released? Imagine playing DOOM 3 without the blood and gore... that'll be so boring, not to mention, unimaginative.


cheers!

Thats just another stupid decision if they do.

"too violent"...as long as it says 18+ then its the buyer's own fault if they get traumatised or whatever.

[carcomptoy]

Exactly! No one should be penalized for having their customers willingly try out their products when they've been full-warned about the consequences!

[Jose_R.A.M]

Last GTA I owned was 3, but the sheer fact you could get a prostitute in your car, and see the rocking motion of the car whilst you had sex with the prostitute, that's bad enough! And the game in UK has 18 rating, which means by our laws I don't think anyone under 18 should be allowed to play it at all (although they obviously do!).

My sister started playing GTA when she was 7(now 11). Probably younger.

She doesn't kill people though (and moreover not get involved with those adult things), she just drives cars. She hates doing stuff wrong even though I tell her its just a game. I don't think she has been affected by this game in anyway. She's got a good moral upbringing.

I never encountered those prostitutes either(I don't really like completing missions...just going around killing pedestrians and cops)

[carcomptoy]

She hates doing stuff wrong even though I tell her its just a game.I should hope that that continues for her teenage years haha

[Jose_R.A.M]

I should hope that that continues for her teenage years haha

I'm noticing slight annoying changes..I blame newly found hormones :mad:

But no, Mum's quite strict on her. She's gonna be A OK.

And so maybe, those parents/guardians/busy bodies blaming pc games on changing their childs behaviour should really question the childs relationship with their parents/guardians.

I think mostly responsible is how they have been brought up by their parents.