So even little old ladies are trying to cash in on thisWoman sues video game manufacturer
NEW YORK (AP) -- A woman upset that she bought the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" for her 14-year-old grandson without knowing it contained hidden, sexually explicit scenes sued the manufacturer Wednesday on behalf of consumers nationwide.
Florence Cohen, 85, of New York, said in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan that the game's manufacturer, Rockstar Games, and its parent company, New York-based Take Two Interactive Software Inc., engaged in false, misleading and deceptive practices.
She sought unspecified damages on behalf of herself and all consumers nationwide, saying the company should give up its profits from the game for what amounted to false advertising, consumer deception and unfair business practices.
Cohen said in the suit that she bought the game in late 2004 for her grandson when it was rated "M" for mature, for players 17 and older. According to the suit, she directed that it be taken away from her grandson, which was done.
The game was released in October with an "M" rating. After a storm of negative publicity about the hidden scenes, the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, an industry group responsible for rating games, changed the rating to "AO" for adults only.
Laurence D. Paskowitz, the lawyer who filed the lawsuit on behalf of Cohen, said no parent would knowingly buy an adult-only video game for their children.
"They should really make sure this doesn't happen again," he said. "The least this company can do is offer refunds."
Hidden areas in video games that can be unlocked with special codes or modifications are not uncommon.
Take Two Interactive initially said the scenes were not part of the retail version of the game but later admitted they were.
A message left for a company spokesman was not immediately returned. On Tuesday, Take-Two announced that it had been notified by the Federal Trade Commission's Division of Advertising Practices that it was conducting an inquiry into the game's advertising claims.
The company said it planned to cooperate fully with the probe.
"Rockstar Games and Take Two Interactive regret that consumers may have been exposed to content that was not intended to be accessible in the playable version of 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'," it said in a statement.
The company said it had halted production of the game in the controversial form and was working on a version of the game without the hidden sexual content.
"Going forward, the company will refine the process by which it edits games and will enhance the protection of its game code to prevent such future modifications," it said.
Earlier this week, the House voted 355-21 for a resolution asking the FTC to investigate the company. Last week, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, asked the FTC to investigate Rockstar, saying the company had "gamed the ratings system" by concealing sex scenes in the game that can be unlocked by computer programs available on the Internet.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp., Best Buy Co. and Circuit City Stores Inc. have pulled the game -- last year's top-seller among console games -- from their shelves following the rating change.
Player-X
So even little old ladies are trying to cash in on this
You have to blame Rockstar/Take two equally as well...if said content wasn't placed in the game, even hidden, then there wouldn't be an issue. While I agree it is just a game and all and not "real". THe bottom line is it shouldn't be there to begin with. IF a game maker has to include all the violence and sex and such to sell a game then they are in deep, deep trouble. A game like DOA Vollyball comes to mind...one of the worst games ever made that included sex just to sell a few extra copies...
Sure the game maker has the right to include what they want. BUT when they do, they can and should expect to be regulated (Such as the porn industry) when the content is unsuitable for a family environment. And I am talking about extreme things here, not your run of the mill, action shooter/blood flying things..but the needless stuff like the hookers in GTA...they didn't need that crap, it was pointless. They just included it trying to sell more games not for the "Creative" content....
As the saying goes, Lay down with dogs, wake up with fleas... If they include it, then they have to deal withthe reprocussions...
Sure the game maker has the right to include what they want. BUT when they do, they can and should expect to be regulated (Such as the porn industry) when the content is unsuitable for a family environment. And I am talking about extreme things here, not your run of the mill, action shooter/blood flying things..but the needless stuff like the hookers in GTA...they didn't need that crap, it was pointless. They just included it trying to sell more games not for the "Creative" content....
As the saying goes, Lay down with dogs, wake up with fleas... If they include it, then they have to deal withthe reprocussions...
Wheres my cut?
She admits to buying an M rated game for a 14 year old. Wow, she is smart. Stupid people -_-
That reminds me, WITHOUT KNOWING THERE WAS SEXUALY EXPLICIT SCENES?
Goddamn, learn to read you stupid *****. Sorry about the foul language but maaan What the hell!? :cuss2: :cuss2: :cuss2: :cuss2:
-> STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT <-
Rockstar games has that one in the bag since they clearly mentionned it on the back cover.
Goddamn, learn to read you stupid *****. Sorry about the foul language but maaan What the hell!? :cuss2: :cuss2: :cuss2: :cuss2:
-> STRONG SEXUAL CONTENT <-
Rockstar games has that one in the bag since they clearly mentionned it on the back cover.
Man! How much more simple can the ratings be?! I guess the old b**** thought M stood for Minors. Wouldnt u think that the"blood and gore" "Intense Violence" "Strong Language" and "Use of Drugs" let alone the "Stong Sexual Violence" would be reason enough not to buy a 17+ game for your 14 year old grandson.plus look at the name of the game, "Grand Theft Auto". what do u expect from a name like that.she should get sued for being so damn stupid and wasting ppls time.its like smoking clearly labled cigarettes and then trying to sue the ppl who made them cause u got lung cancer.
Not that this will change the wind of any of this, but most 14 year olds have seen more graphic imagery than what GTASA had to offer. As TheCloudOfSmoke said, her son doesn't even meet the original rating so her case is already invalid.
Besides, this gives Take Two the opportunity to make a second edition with extra stuff in it, as well as less coffee, which could very well be a good way to get more profit. I hope Take Two realises this and works it to their advantage.
Besides, this gives Take Two the opportunity to make a second edition with extra stuff in it, as well as less coffee, which could very well be a good way to get more profit. I hope Take Two realises this and works it to their advantage.
Ummm, Cigarette makers purposely put in things that make them more addictive, so it is not a good analogy to use....TheCloudOfSmoke said:
Knowing that TV ads and shows have far more sexual content than any videogame,
they'd better sue the Fox, Paramount, and so on...
Anyways, she shouldn't even have bought it if she wasnt too lazy to read the ESRB rating details
Here in France we're less regarding of such things... Your average R movies are rated age 12+ (your PG13), but of course, USA is the country where suing for money/minor things is a trend ;p
they'd better sue the Fox, Paramount, and so on...
Anyways, she shouldn't even have bought it if she wasnt too lazy to read the ESRB rating details
Here in France we're less regarding of such things... Your average R movies are rated age 12+ (your PG13), but of course, USA is the country where suing for money/minor things is a trend ;p
video game maker purposely puts drugs sex violence and killing to make them addictive also.so it is a good analogy.the market for m rated games is much bigger than E rated market.just look at gamecube 4 instance (the kiddy konsole) and compare it to the more "mature consoles" ps2 and the xbox which sell more.
The japanese version of Final Fantasy IV was so much cooler. Rosa and Cecil make out on two occasions, where in the American version it was censored and they were left to just hug. They actually took the time to edit the sprites... Rediculous.
This kind of crap is just retarded.
This kind of crap is just retarded.
I thought the point was she was too dumb to see it was "M" and for 17 and up, the kid was 14, that alone meant the game was innapropriate. If he were a 17 year old and played the modified version maybe she'd have a case, but he was 14 and too young to play it to begin with, so why go any further than that?
Chances are SHE will lose the trials (word?) and the money spent in it... and she deserves it, what a moron
well, she is 85... she's probably just trying to cash in on some free money as her savings account is nearly empty. those pension checks just don't cut it anymore. damn those young whipper-snappers!
At least they won't lose too much sales people will buy it just to see what the fuss is all about. I have bought it recently before all this started and people ask me all the time if I have the hot cofee mod and everytime I say my game doesn't work properly yet a look of disappointment is seen on their faces. And isn't the rating between M and AO only one year difference?
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