Rockstar Games sued

[Guest Grim Reaper]

There's a whole slew of Extreme Violence CD games which use death and mutilation as if they're normal components of having fun. And that's normal. (Thanks a bunch, 'entertainment' industry.) Moreover, these 'games' are being heavily marketed to kids and adults alike. (Thanks again ...)

One of the worst is a Rockstar's Sony Playstation 2 production called Manhunt in which the player 'takes over' death row inmate James Earl Cash.

Rockstar's, "recent claims to fame - Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto III: Vice City - have done pretty well for the company," says CNET Networks' GameSpot here. "Manhunt ... serves up a disturbing blend of third-person stealth action that's equal parts Splinter Cell, Tenchu, and, because Rockstar loves its disturbing influences, snuff film".

Snuff film? That's a grotesque 'home movie' in which the victim - usually a young woman - is video-taped while she's being horribly mutilated and/or murdered. The resulting 'snuffy' is then sold to very sick people.

But "Rockstar loves its .. snuff film".

New Zealand's Office of Film and Literature Classification banned the game because it's so bloody and violent.

And another Rockstar game, Grand Theft Auto III, is already being blamed for inspiring two brutal murders in California where deputy district attorney Darryl Stallworth wants death penalties for reputed killers Leon Wiley and half-brothers Joe and Demarcus Ralls, "the most malevolent members" of a gang linked to about a half-dozen slayings, scores of robberies, and a set of shootings," says the Alameda Times-Star here.

Now, Haitian civil rights groups have filed a lawsuit against Grand Theft Auto: Vice City because they say it instructs players to "kill the Haitians" and awards points for each kill.

New York's Rockstar Games agreed to remove the offensive line from future versions of the award-winning video (that'as sold 11 million copies) reports an Associated Press story here, "But the Haitian organizations, led by the Haitian-American Coalition of Palm Beach County, have also asked for more than $15,000 in damages."

The suit was filed December 23 in state circuit court in Palm Beach County, says the report, adding: "Attorneys for Rockstar Games opted to move the case to federal court, and that motion was granted Tuesday. No hearing dates were immediately set.

"The lawsuit takes on heavyweights in the video game industry, including Rockstar Games, its parent company Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment, the Microsoft Corp., and retailers Target, Wal-Mart and Best Buy."

No doubt they think they and their lawyers will do better in a federal environment which is used to caving in to Hollywood.

P2Pnet.net

[ranger]

I know the argument that people wouldn't buy it if they didn't like it, but companies have to draw a moral line somewhere and stop leading people by the nose, in todays world , the next biggest thing is generated by fashion, hype, advertising and who can shock best, I don't know how many films I have been told are fantastic and you go and watch them and they are a big let down , but still people go on about how great they are, and it's mainly down to the hype and advertising, IMHO it's the same with the Video games industry, especially the shock part, and these companies think they can do what they like without thought of consequences, only profit, so as far as I am concerned the haiti's should be suing them for more, also, when these big companies like Sony - Walmart etc. get to move everything to suit themselves and use their money to buy justice and walk over the little people IE Joe public, it's then that you think, stuff it! C'mon the people using the Kazaas,Groksters and other P2p's in piracy, and in the words of Lance Corporal Jones "stick it right up em"

[grim_reefer]

there is no point hiding these things completely and tryna pull a sheet of wool over people's eyes because you only have to pick up a newspaper to read about these kinda happenings in real life - and children are tought about violent events in school - such as historical events and wars - violence goes back a long, long way in history - so it aint gonna be forgotten, and will never go away

if violence is removed from video games - then it should be removed from films, music, and all forms of entertainment/art.... but it isnt removed because it is a real part of life - and there are also films based on true and violent or sick events/stories.. its the way the games are marketed thats the problem - films of the nature wouldnt be marketed to kids or in the same way as a game at all - if you took ideas directly inspired by one of the "said" games, and make it into a film, marketing would be very restricted and limited! but games tend to be marketed for "all"