GTA:SA re-rated AO!

And the other shoe drops.

Time to jump on the bandwagon it seems.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/fun.games/07/27/game.lawsuit.ap/index.html

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 (eg. all the money the company's worth) 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.
--

Looks like it's open season for the lawsuits to start piling up. Chances are if it were just her, i'd say it was nothing to worry about.. the part that changes this from a .22 to a MOAB in terms of legal lethality is that it says "all consumers" meaning it's trying to be a class action suit, which generally speaking.. win. -- either in the courts or through out of court settlement.

The part that really bugs me about this is that everytime you read about this in the press they always say that the game has "unlockable" content or some such misleading term that seems to suggest that you simple need to enter the correct "key" to unlock the content. Using the word unlocked in that phrase is about the same as saying that a car theif unlocked your car... with a crowbar.

Well america is somewhat unique in that it takes a big helping of puritan (aka sex = sin) values mixed with cowboy diplomacy (shoot to kill). A perfect example is the old John Wayne western movies that were popular in the 50's. John Wayne would be a nearly perfect gentelmen around any ladies, but then he'd turn around and gun down 3 indians & someone wearing a dark hat without blinking an eye.

As a result violence is generally far more socially acceptiable (espically if it's a function of good vs evil) , than say nudity which by puritan definition is automatically evil. Generally the purtian view on sex is utilitarian.. meaning that it's strictly a fuction of reproduction, and thus... sex that isn't in the function of raising a family.. is considered a sin. So basically any intercourse that isn't a husband and wife attempting to produce a child is wrong...

Even Americans that aren't religious do tend to agree that sex is more offensive than violence. Which of these two people would you prefer less to have as a neighbor. A man who has been arested for domestic violence, or a registered sex offender? Without knowing the details or the situation, which would you choose if you had to. We consider the sex offender more of a threat, the crime whatever it was more severe, more offensive....

What is ironic is that America is also quite possibly the single largest producer (and purchaser) of pornography, and that it's also one of the bigest businesses there are, with many large companies that you probably wouldn't think being heavily involved in funding "the dirty busniess". Intell, AMD, IBM, Microsoft, Verizon, Comcast, ect. all invest heavily in the porographic industry but will never publisize it, but their business completely depend on it.
You honestly think broadband became as popular as it has because people wanted their email to load faster, or to let their kids play videogame with complete strangers? The honest TV comercial from a Broadband provider would likely read something like "Why waist your time with pictures when you'll be able to download massive movies of hot wet nakid whores doing stuff you didn't think the human body was even possible of all in the complete utter privacy of your own home all streaming faster than you can imagine.. No more weird looks from the video store clerks, just the souless non jugemental glow of your monitor... FILLED with more slutty girls than you'd ever possibly be able to see in a lifetime! - (imagine James Earl Jones voice for best laughs)

The bottom line is that Americans as whole, just have a very unhealthy view on sexuality.