'Grand Theft Auto' Makers Fight Lawsuit

yahoo.com | Nov 11, 8:19 AM | DUNCAN MANSFIELD

[freepatriot32]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The creators of the video game series "Grand Theft Auto" want a federal judge to dismiss a $246 million lawsuit filed by the families of two people shot by teenagers

Rockstar Games and its New York City-based parent, Take-Two Interactive Software, said the victims' families were trying to hold them liable "based on the expressive content of the video game."

Retailer Wal-Mart and marketer Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc., are also named in the lawsuit.

Aaron Hamel, 45, was killed and Kimberly Bede, 19, was seriously wounded when their cars were hit June 25 by .22-caliber bullets while driving along Interstate 40.

Stepbrothers William Buckner, 16, and Joshua Buckner, 14, were sentenced in August to an indefinite term after pleading guilty in juvenile court to reckless homicide, endangerment and assault.

The boys told investigators they got the rifles from a locked room in their home and decided to randomly shoot at tractor-trailer rigs, just like in the video game "Grand Theft Auto III."

Responding Oct. 29 in U.S. District Court, Rockstar and Take-Two contend that such ideas and concepts as well as the "purported psychological effects" on the Buckners are protected by the First Amendment's free-speech clause.

A lawyer who represents the victims dismissed the claim, saying he would seek to move the case back into state court for consideration under Tennessee's consumer protection act.

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On the Net:

Take Two: http://www.take2games.com/

[wi jd]

I ate my own brain after watching "Hannibal."

But did you eat your liver with a side of fava beans?

[lowbridge]

Watching the movie Entrapment made me want to....slap Catherine Zeta-Jones' ass.

Get in line.

[xm177e2]

This case will get laughed out of court.

Unless the case was brought before an activist judge (and plaintiff's lawyers generally want this to happen).

[xm177e2]

Well it's a good thing I play counter-strike I guess...nothing like laying the hurt on a bunch of terrorists.

Ever since I started playing CS, I have been feeling strange urges to go to the desert and blow up some crates.

[Billthedrill]

I think with me it all began with Pong. Or maybe not - Mom always did say that anyone who played pinball was going to become a J.D.

Hey, anyone remember "J.D.?"

[KevinDavis]

I went to Mars to shoot some Demons after playing Doom.

[Oschisms]

GTA3 is boring.
You really want a cool game, play Medal of Honor: Allied Assault.
Now that's a game worth playing 18 hours a day for as many days as it takes you to finish.

[MattAMiller]

San Andreas (Which is based on San Francisco I think) was one of the cities in the first game. Liberty City and Vice City were also in the first game so some folks are thinking there's a pattern here.

I've also heard that it will be Sin City, which is based on Las Vegas. At any rate it sounds like it will be set in the Western US. Or maybe not.

[dfwgator]

The games were nothing compared to some of the songs elementary school kids would sing.

(To the tune of the Joy To the World)

Joy to the World
The school is burned down
The teachers are all dead

We're looking for the principal
He's hanging on the flagpole
With a rope around his neck
With a rope around his neck
With a rope around his neck

..or how about

Glory, glory hallelujah
Teacher hit me with a ruler
Shot her with a .44
and she fell to the floor
and she ain't our teacher no more

[GETMAIN]

Video games have destroyed me.

I smash bricks with my head in the hopes that gold coins will fall out.

I eat every flower I see, but they've never given me the power to throw fireballs. They just made me sick.

The same goes for mushrooms. None of them have made me grow 3x in size.

I have been arrested countless times for throwing large turtles at people.

[Dan from Michigan]

Tommy Vercetti is an innocent man!

When's VC II coming out? And I hope they bring Ray Liotta back.

[gcruse]

GTA is a pointlessly violent game, with absolutely no redeeming value.

Yes.  I'd have willingly paid double had I known how good it was.

[billbears]

Yeah and it took me all of yesterday to find the dern cheat codes for XBox. Hey anybody above the age of 25 should be given those with the purchase of the game :)

[gcruse]

Yes, paying $20 for the official walkthroughs made my initial gaming experience pricey! Then I found the online versions...

[billbears]

Tell me about it. It was so much easier back in the Pac Man days..

[gcruse]

It was making me crazy that school kids were playing and finishing Myst while I was struggling like heck. I mentioned this to an employee of mine who had kids in school. She laughed and said the little buggers have to cheat, too. Man, did I feel better. :)

[discostu]

What, you paid for a walkthrough?!

Info for everybody:
www.gamefaqs.com

They're not always great but there's usually more than one and you can figure things out from there, and they are always free, so far (never know on the internet).

[billbears]

It was making me crazy that school kids were playing and finishing Myst while I was struggling like heck

Wife and I struggled through for about 5 days, then went and bought the guide ourselves. BTW, even Dragon's Lair and Space Ace are out for the console games now..

[gcruse]

I was writing in the past tense. The last walkthrough I paid for was probably seven years ago.

[discostu]

OK, that's acceptable. I was starting to worry.