Posted on 07/27/2005 11:16:08 AM PDT by TheOtherOne
Grandmother Sues Game Maker Over Hidden Sex in 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'
Published: Jul 27, 2005 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-N.Y., 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.
---
On the Net:
Federal Trade Commission: http://www.ftc.gov
Entertainment Software Ratings Board: http://www.esrb.org
Take Two Interactive: http://www.take2games.com
AP-ES-07-27-05 1355EDT
I have no problem with that.
Gasp! You mean she bought her grandkid a game where you steal cars and shoot at people, not knowing there might be a sex scene in there to corrupt his morals? Outrageous!
[snip]
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.
They should drop the suit and arrest her.
Oh, Come On!
This is so obviously a put-up job by someone in H. Clinton's circle.
Last week H. Clinton comes out against this very game and this week a grandmother from New York is suing the gamemaker.
I was born at night, but not last night.
The stupidity demonstrated here is without precedent.
"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."
????
He was still only 14. Didn't she check the rating BEFORE she gave it to him???
I still don't advocate a lawsuit for outrageous money in this matter as we are already an overly litigious society. A refund for those offended should be punishment enough.
A woman upset that she bought the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" for her 14-year-old grandson without knowing....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.
Anybody else see the problem here?
Suddenly Hillary is a crusader against elicit sex scenes. Right.
Now, now, now. Cut the old lady some slack.
How could she possibly have suspected that would be in a game called GRAND THEFT AUTO? I'm sure she just thought she was buying an innocent game about murder and robbery.
Yet she bought the game for her 14yo grand son knowing it was rated "M". but suiting anyway??
Is she suing because the sex was too hard to find?
Why was she buying a video game rated for 17 year olds for her 14 year old grandson?
Fraud?
Yeah, you have no problem with people making idiotic decisions. An 85 year-old woman actually went out and bought a violent video game for her grandson. My B.S. detector is overheating.
She's a dumbass? But that is a separate issue from what the game company did.
Stupid grandmother. Her grandson is 14 -- this was stated in the article.
She said the game was rated "M" (17 and over) when she purchased it for him.
Why did she knowingly buy him a game for 17 and older and then file suit about it?
No case here.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.