GTA Creators in trouble again...

[Spunkey]

FFS this stuff just gets right on my goat.

Take Two, the publisher of the Grand Theft Auto game series, is once again facing a lawsuit that alleges its software was complicit in murder.

The legal action was filed on behalf of the families of police force staff shot dead in Fayette, Alabama in 2003, allegedly by one Devin Thompson.

Thompson was apprehended on suspicion of driving a stolen car. He is claimed by state prosecutors to have snatched a policeman's gun and shot officers Arnold Strickland and James Crump, and a dispatcher, Leslie Mealer.

The lawsuit maintains that Thompson's actions that day were inspired by the GTA series, games he is claimed to have played obsessively. The games amount to "training" for the alleged killings, the families' lawyer told local paper the Tuscaloosa News.

Thompson is now 18 years old, but at the time of the shootings he was 16. As such, the lawsuit claims, he should not have been sold GTA III and GTA: Vice City, which carry an M rating - for 'mature audience only', ie. anyone 17 years old or more. On that basis, the plaintiffs requested that the book also be thrown at retailers Wal-Mart and Gamestop for allegedly allowing Thompson to buy the games.

It also names Sony, as manufacturer of the PlayStation 2 console on which Thompson is said to have played the games.

This isn't the first time GTA has got its publisher and retail partners in trouble. At least two lawsuits relating to the game are currently pending against Take Two and, separately, BestBuy.

The lawsuit was announced in the same week that the US Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA) publicly criticised the California legislature's attempt to ban the sale of violent games to children.

The proposed bill, dubbed "redundant... frivolous... irresponsible [and] unconstitutional" by the IEMA, seeks to amend existing state law concerning content harmful to children to include games which "depict serious injury to human beings in a manner that is especially heinous, atrocious, or cruel". If the bill becomes law, retailers caught selling such material to children could faces fines of up to $1,000.

The bill was proposed by California Assembly member Leland Yee who last year suggested a similar bill only to have it voted down.

The IEMA said that games are already sufficiently labelled, though the US ESRB ratings scheme, to show the ages for which they are suitable. It claimed that it is already working hard to ensure its members do not sell games to under-age customers. ®

For gods sake, there just so many things wrong with that to highlight the stupidity of some people.

1) They want to sue Take Two for publishing a game which clearly has age ratings on it. Do they sue Warner Brothers/Universal etc. for selling 18 rated films which end up in the hands of 10 year olds?
2) They want to sue Sony for making the console able of playing the game (or because a Sony console was sold to a potential murderer, Im not sure which dumbass reason they were going for). VCR manufacturers must be sh***in g themselves.
Fair enough, sue WalMart for selling it in the first place, they are the people who are supposed to be checking ages on boxes.

But of course, lest we forget the whole point of the action is to point out, yet again, that all people who play videos games become mindless murdering zombies.

[directhex]

remember the Stefan Pakeerah murder? (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/l...re/3934277.stm)

the violent & evil game that was obsessed over was not owned by, or ever played by the murderer. the (14 year old) victim was a fan (of the 18-rated game). the killer wanted drugs money, full stop.

similarly, we have a recent case with the Jodi Jones murder (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4187007.stm) where Marilyn Manson was to blame, because the killer bought a Marilyn Manson DVD 2 days after committing the murder.

[schmunk]

How about suing the car's owner for not taking action to prevent it being stolen...

Or perhaps the Police training team for not training the Police Officers to keep better control of their guns...

[shiato storm]

how about suing the police for stopping the stolen car? ... seeing as we're going on about dumb things.
how can you blame your actions on a computer game? that alone says to me you're a week-minded fool and should be put away as a consequence, for the safety of everyone if for nothing else

[Tifosi]

[OV3RCL0C3R]

oh no, not this again.

[mrpete]

Why do people hate games so much however they hardly ever moan about films (yea i know they get a few films banned etc, but games do get worse press).

Its always the same. Lets blaime GTA, Manhunt or any other 18rated game that the 10 yr old kid has played.

[Cichlidash]

Come on its well known that Jack the ripper played video games and watched 18 rated dvd's before carrying out his well known murders.

[kalniel]

*flicks on the spotlight with the card cutout*

[Barakka]

I remember talking to a girl at work a few years ago about her 10 year old son playing GTA on his PS2, I calmly pointed out the rating of said game to which she responded "Oh well, it's only a computer game, and it keeps him quiet"......

I told her to ask him if he'd "found the power-up by sha**ing a prostitute" I think she was a bit embarassed.

Edit: Just noticed ! Holy Thread Revival Batman !

[MadduckUK]

I remember talking to a girl at work a few years ago about her 10 year old son playing GTA on his PS2, I calmly pointed out the rating of said game to which she responded "Oh well, it's only a computer game, and it keeps him quiet"......

I told her to ask him if he'd "found the power-up by sha**ing a prostitute" I think she was a bit embarassed.

Edit: Just noticed ! Holy Thread Revival Batman !

card cutout!

[lodore]

I played GTA when i was 15 and im fine. think about how many people play gta and how many people complain to of killed because of the "game"
may as well ban all video games,computers ,tv's,gun's,cars etc

oops didnt relise it was an old thread.

[Clunk]

[samcross]

You don't watch QI by any chance Clunk......

[Clunk]

Nope, can't stand it

[MadduckUK]

thats the first thing i thought of as well sam, was batman watching when robin signed that?