Justin Adams Posted July 27, 2005 Share Posted July 27, 2005 From Gamespot: Take-Two sued, confirms FTC investigation As the feds circle and as San Andreas TV ads continue to run, a class-action lawsuit against the publisher is filed in US District Court. The Hot Coffee scandal thickened on two fronts today. First, the parent company of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas publisher Rockstar Games, Take-Two Interactive, confirmed that its advertising practices were indeed the subject of a Federal Trade Commission inquiry. Last week, the US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of such an investigation. Specifically, the FTC's Division of Advertising Practice is looking into how San Andreas was promoted, and to whom, to determine if Take-Two was culpable in misleading the public. The company said it "intends to fully cooperate with the FTC inquiry, and believes that it acted in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations." The Take-Two statement went on to say that Rockstar and Take-Two "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." However, Take-Two reiterated its contention that the Hot Coffee code was the result of a "third-party modification." Despite such admonishments, Take-Two is facing legal trouble of another kind...in civil court. This morning, according to the Associated Press, a lawsuit was filed against the publisher in the Southern District of New York. According to the AP, plaintiff Florence Cohen claims she was "damaged" after learning of the sex minigames hidden in San Andreas, as she had bought what she thought was an M-for-Mature-rated game for her grandson. Her complaint seeks class-action status for purchasers of San Andreas and charges Take-Two and Rockstar with "unfair business practices, consumer deception and false advertising," according to the AP. Ironically, the charges of "false advertising" come as television spots for San Andreas continue to run. This week, GameSpot editors saw firsthand 30-second TV ads for the Xbox version of the game running on Comedy Central and MTV, both owned by media giant Viacom. As of press time, a Rockstar representative could not confirm whether the ads were running as the result of a media buy that occurred prior to the FTC investigation, which is likely the case. However, the ads have been altered since the ESRB revoked the game's M rating last week, so they now end with the words "Rated AO for 'Adults Only.'" Even before today's developments were known, one industry analyst said Take-Two is facing "headline and regulatory risks" as a result of the Hot Coffee scandal. In a memo to investors, UBS' Mike Wallace said the danger to Take-Two will persist until resolution is reached. "Whether or not the inquiry results in a penalty (that is, a fine) remains to be seen," Wallace said, "but if GTA needs to get reworked, this may impact the consumer appeal of the game going forward." From a purely financial perspective, Wallace said he believes the "numbers for TTWO could be at risk over the next few quarters." At press time, Take-Two was trading up just over a dollar at $24.63. :shock: Ok, so here's a BLATANT misuse of the legal system. The woman is claiming she bought the "M" rated game for her grandson, but then she goes on to say that she's "damaged" because of the sex minigames. COME ON LADY!! The game is about jacking cars, shooting people and being a gangsta. That's some wholesome entertainment right there, and it's definately ok to have the serious psycho violence, NO PROBLEM. However, as soon as you include sex, HOLY CRAP, stop the presses, it's SEX IN A VIDEO GAME!! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE!! THE MILITARY NEEDS TO BE CALLED INTO ACTION, SHUT DOWN ROCKSTAR AND TAKE-TWO!! BRING IN CONGRESS AND WASTE TAX PAYOR DOLLARS BECAUSE OF SOFTCORE PORN IN A VIDEO GAME!!! Hell, you can see softcore porn on daytime T.V. or on any cable network right now! Skinemax has almost HARDCORE porn on any given night. Sheesh... People like this need to be rounded up, dropped onto a desert island and then nuked. The world would be a much better place. Ok, I'm done ranting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kat11joe Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 People like this need to be rounded up, dropped onto a desert island and then nuked. The world would be a much better place. LMAO!! I agree According to the AP, plaintiff Florence Cohen claims she was "damaged" after learning of the sex minigames hidden in San Andreas, as she had bought what she thought was an M-for-Mature-rated game for her grandson. Damaged?!! That is so ridiculous! Especially if she was buying the game for her grandson. I can just see her in the store. "Hmm, a game about stealing cars and committing crimes, that sounds like a game my grandson will like. OMG IT HAS SEX IN IT?! :shock: I'm ruined for life now as sex is far worse than shooting people and running them over. OH MY VIRGIN EYES! I better file a lawsuit." Give me a break! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
it Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Weird how they show no nudity and America is all on it like fire ants on a popsicle stick! If you ask me,if they are going yo ban SanAndreas they might as well ban CBFD and larry lesiure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kroger8 Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 LMAO^ My thoughts exactly!!!! HAHA, Killing cops, stealing cars, and running around with guns, hmmm Johnny will love this!!, OH wait, OMG sex scenes!?!?!?!?!?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USCoaster Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 If the grandson is under 17, Take Two should be able to get it thrown out on the grounds that she bought the game with disregard for the "M" rating being placed on the front. As for GTA:SA being rated AO... I say leave it and make sure the next game has everything in it. Keep the AO rating and see how long before Target and Best Buy change their policy of not selling adult games. If one of the most popular games in the world is released only as and Adult Only rated version, stores like Gamestop/EB will have almost exclusive rights to sales and that would royally piss off the big box retailers. Target sells wine in many stores now, and is required to card for any purchases, how hard is it to extend the policy to a game that will be kept in a locked display case at all times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiCoastal Kid Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 She probably had a case of PTSD, with a couple flashbacks to her wilder days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin Adams Posted July 29, 2005 Author Share Posted July 29, 2005 She probably had a case of PTSD, with a couple flashbacks to her wilder days. Maybe she recognized something she used to do a long time ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyingScooter Posted July 29, 2005 Share Posted July 29, 2005 I say that lady seriously needs to have her meds checked. Death, destruction and Mayhem= okay. Horizontal Bop=Badbadbadbadbad! Hemroids, this countries full of hemroids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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