Grand Theft Auto publisher tries to cool 'hot coffee' lawsuit

***wraggster*** · March 1st, 2007, 18:49

via register

Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the controversial Grand Theft Auto series of games may be close to settling a long running legal battle with a New York granny who attempted to sue the company after it emerged one of those games contained adult content.

This week, a Manhattan District Court judge order the case to be suspended pending the outcome of settlement negotiations between plaintiff and defendant, Reuters reports. The judge may review the stay after lawyers report on their progress on 12 March.

The action centres on Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' infamous 'hot coffee' sex scenes, originally hidden from players but exposed on July 2005 by a hack posted on the net. The game had been given a US Entertainment Software Rating Board 'Mature' classification, for its violent content. Once the blue material was revealed, the ESRB quickly re-rated the title 'Adults Only', causing some major US retailers to yank the game from their shelves.

Take-Two duly withdrew GTA: SA and reissued it with the offending eye-full excised, but not before an 81-year-old grandmother from New York, Florence Cohen, took the company to court, claiming she'd been misled into buying the game for her 14-year-old grandson.

As we noted at the time, the game's portrayal of murder, robbery, drug dealing, foul language and bad driving doesn't appear to have bothered her one jot...

In June 2006, Take-Two settled a similar case brought about by a Federal Trade Commission probe into the 'hot coffee' content.

**drock82** · March 1st, 2007, 19:36

this is crazy,that dumb old lady shouldnt never bought the game in the first place,and im sure her grandson knew about it and im sure the boy parents knew about the game before she bought it,the truth is that she been misled by her grandson,i think that there is tons of content thats not recommended for a 14 year old-murder,prositution,drug dealing,robbery,gambling,the N word, cmon she gonna lose and she should lose.she probably wouldnt even enjoy the money since her time is almost up

p.s. dont mature means 17+ and older!!!!!!and the boy is 14!!!!

**Airdevil** · March 1st, 2007, 19:58

god americans have it easy.... its just all moral issues when it comes to ratings for media.

In the UK its wayyyy stricter.

If the old woman doesn't like it, she should move to the UK before she dies.

**Buddy4point0** · March 1st, 2007, 20:03

people just need to chill out

**DarthPaul** · March 1st, 2007, 22:15

Wow! People still protecting about San Andreas' Hot Coffee lol. Very Funny. Don't tell me that 2 1/2 years later of the game been released she realized that it wasn't fit for a child of 14 years old. God...and if she bought it recently baddest! The game is A.O. now.

**requiem957** · March 1st, 2007, 22:46

darthpaul, I believe it's stated that this isn't recent but a long ongoing court battle and that she bought the game before it became Ao.

Oh and I'd think that she had bought the game for a 14 year old would discredit her. I mean the game is called GRAND THEFT AUTO and shows a guy with a gun on it. She's the type that ignores recommended ages and buys something because it's popular and wants the kid to enjoy it, which makes me sick. M is clearly marked on those kinds of games, and the titles usually give it away as do the box art.

Besides, you can only get to the (as far as I know) NON NUDE minigame through a hack, correct? Umm... well either she got the hack or the kid got the hack, one of the two. Because if either one did, I'd think that all she's entitled to is a good swift kick in the ass for being greedy and an exchange for a fixed copy of the game, minus 50 bucks and court fees.