A litigious 81-year-old New York granny has zimmered her way gently onto the "bash Grand Theft Auto" bandwagon by filing suit against the game's manufacturer for engaging in "false, misleading and deceptive practices", AP reports.
Florence Cohen says she bought GTA: San Andreas for her 14-year-old grandson "without knowing it contained hidden, sexually explicit scenes" at a time when the controversial game was rated M (Mature), for gamers 17 years and over. Her suit is reported to be "on behalf of consumers nationwide".
GTA was recently reclassified AO (Adult Only) following the discovery of sexually explicit scenes unlocked by a Dutch modder. The game's manufacturer - Take Two - admitted it would take quite a hit in the pocket as a result of the Entertainment Software Ratings Board's decision, but once the US media got hold of the story, major stores added to Take Two's woes by pulling GTA completely.
Take Two is also facing a Federal Trade Commission probe into advertising for the game, and its assertion that it is now working on a new, rumpy-pumpy-free GTA will do little to convince Middle America that it is anything more than an emmissary of Satan.
Which is where Florence Cohen comes in. She claims that she bought the game in late 2004 and - apparently realising only after getting home that it was rated M - she "directed that it be taken away from her grandson, which was done".
Cohen's lawyer, Laurence D. Paskowitz, said: "No parent would knowingly buy an adult-only video game for their children. They [Take Two] should really make sure this doesn't happen again. The least this company can do is offer refunds."
So, while US teenagers can, in the words of one Reg reader, "pimp hos, pop a cap in a drug dealer while driving a car stolen at gunpoint", they may not indulge in sexually explicit acts with their virtual girlfriends because "that threatens the very fabric of American society".
As for the sex-free version of GTA, concerned parents can rest assured that after shooting up drug dealers with a semi-automatic rifle, their wide-eyed and innocent teen gamer will in future have to wind down with warm milk and cookies rather than an explosive climax with his bitch. ®
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