In 2005, the PC game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas received worldwide attention not for its highly acclaimed game play, but for having adult content hidden in the game.
An unauthorized mod was released that unlocked hardcore pornographic mini games and caused outrage from the public. The incident was dubbed "hot coffee," and video games have been under intense scrutiny ever since.
Take-Two Interactive has been ordered to pay up over the hot coffee incident via class action lawsuits brought against it by those who purchased the game and were "offended and upset by the ability of consumers to modify and alter the game’s content using the third-party Hot Coffee modification," and "would have returned the game, upon learning the game could be modified and altered, if they thought this possible," according to the settlement outlines.
Under the settlement conditions, people can claim $35 or get a game exchange who can prove that they meet the terms. More details about the case can be found here.
Ben Feder, CEO of Take-Two believes that his company would have been exonerated if given more time on the case.
"If the case had continued, we believe the court would have agreed that Take-Two was not liable for consumers acting independently to modify their games with third-party hardware and software to access normally inaccessible content. Nonetheless, we believe it is in the best interest of the Company to avoid protracted and costly litigation to prove our case and to finally put this matter behind us."
Take-Two has had a hard time in recent years with its controversial games such as Bully, Manhunt 2 and the GTA series. While the publicity has been fast and furious over these games, the negative press has hit Take-Two in the pocket book with lost sales due to consumer activist groups and politicians protesting the content of these games.
