Anyone else get their GTA San Andreas settlement checks yet?

[norkusa]

Last I heard, a judge said they didn't have pay these out but today I got a check in the mail today from the settlement administrator for $33.74 (had 2 copies, Xbox & PS2, both with original receipts). Came with a letter attached with a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo but basically said by cashing it, I basically agree to the terms of the settlement. No problem there.

Now I'm going to cash this and buy Episodes From Liberty City.

[Hawksmoor]

Last I heard, a judge said they didn't have pay these out but today I got a check in the mail today from the settlement administrator for $33.74 (had 2 copies, Xbox & PS2, both with original receipts). Came with a letter attached with a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo but basically said by cashing it, I basically agree to the terms of the settlement. No problem there.

Now I'm going to cash this and buy Episodes From Liberty City.

That check might end up being a nice piece of gaming history; you going to get it voided after cashing it and keep it?

[norkusa]

That's a good idea, I think I'll do that. With all the hoops they made people jump thru to get these checks, I can't imagine that many people got paid.

I'll put it the safe deposit box that came with my GTAIV CE so it'll finally get some use out of that thing.

[Bojay1997]

Are you sure you should be on this site or playing video games at all? To get the settlement, you had to swear the following under penalty of perjury:

You were offended and upset by the ability of consumers to use third party software and/or hardware to modify and alter the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition Disc to display the Hot Coffee content;
• Would not have bought the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition Disc had you known that consumers could modify and alter the game content; and
• Upon learning the game could be modified and altered, would have returned it to the place of purchase for a refund if you thought this was possible.

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to commit perjury to get a few bucks, especially from a company that makes some great games.

[Namnuta]

Are you sure you should be on this site or playing video games at all? To get the settlement, you had to swear the following under penalty of perjury:

You were offended and upset by the ability of consumers to use third party software and/or hardware to modify and alter the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition Disc to display the Hot Coffee content;
• Would not have bought the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition Disc had you known that consumers could modify and alter the game content; and
• Upon learning the game could be modified and altered, would have returned it to the place of purchase for a refund if you thought this was possible.

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to commit perjury to get a few bucks, especially from a company that makes some great games.

So true. But the leeches will do what ever they can to get money they think they deserve. Really make me loose faith in people.

[kedawa]

It's free money and nobody gets hurt. Have fun!

[98PaceCar]

It's free money and nobody gets hurt. Have fun!

So where exactly do you think this money comes from?

[portnoyd]

So where exactly do you think this money comes from?

A faceless monolith of a corporation. Sign me up!

Seriously... perjury? Being lawful to a fault is just stupid.

[8-bitNesMan]

A faceless monolith of a corporation. Sign me up!

Seriously... perjury? Being lawful to a fault is just stupid.

Which in turn increases prices for all of us. Frivolous lawsuits that only make lawyers richer are what's just stupid...

[norkusa]

Are you sure you should be on this site or playing video games at all? To get the settlement, you had to swear the following under penalty of perjury:

You were offended and upset by the ability of consumers to use third party software and/or hardware to modify and alter the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition Disc to display the Hot Coffee content;
• Would not have bought the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition Disc had you known that consumers could modify and alter the game content; and
• Upon learning the game could be modified and altered, would have returned it to the place of purchase for a refund if you thought this was possible.

I'm sorry, but I'm not going to commit perjury to get a few bucks, especially from a company that makes some great games.

I didn't commit perjury at all. A judge ruled against Take-Two Interactive in the settlement and everything in the claim I agreed to 100%. I did nothing wrong.

[98PaceCar]

A faceless monolith of a corporation. Sign me up!

Seriously... perjury? Being lawful to a fault is just stupid.

While I won't go quite as far as Bojay in my reasons for thinking this was a bad idea, I will say that it could have lasting effects that would be negative to gamers. If enough damage is done to the bottom line (unlikely, but possible given people's tendency to feel "entitled"), companies could start to limit their exposure to similar lawsuits and stop pushing the boundaries. I'm far from a fan of the series, but GTA would be boring as hell if it wasn't for the near limitless violence in it. If Rockstar/Take Two gets slapped enough times or for enough money, they could decide it's no longer worth it and start churning out the same rehashed crap year after year, not unlike EA.

I personally would rather see the boundaries pushed and developers willing to take risks as the end result will be much more interesting, but if people keep taking the rewards (profit) from the companies that do such things, there won't be any reason left to do it.

[98PaceCar]

I didn't commit perjury at all. A judge ruled against Take-Two Interactive in the settlement and everything in the claim I agreed to 100%. I did nothing wrong.

And yet you openly admit that you are going to take the settlement money and buy another product from not only the same developer, but from the same product family? You do realize it could have the same types of content in it that could futher offend you, right? I'd hate to see you waste your money on something like that, maybe you should consider a nice Wii family game or something a bit safer.

Oh wait, I know, you aren't really offended by the content. You just said you were (perjury) so that you could get the money (entitlement) that a judge said needed to be paid out based on someone else's definition of offensive (clearly, not yours as you are buying another version of the same product). That make much more sense.

[Bojay1997]

I didn't commit perjury at all. A judge ruled against Take-Two Interactive in the settlement and everything in the claim I agreed to 100%. I did nothing wrong.

Oh really? Let's take a quote from your post of January 2008 where you state the following:

Looks like the whole Hot Coffee thing is finally settled. People who bought the unpatched version of the game get up to $35 back if they still have original proof of purchase:

http://www.gtasettlement.com/

I still have my original receipts for the PS2 & Xbox versions of San Andreas but I don't know if I'm going to file a claim form. One of the requirements is that you must swear under penalty of perjury that you "were offended and upset by the ability of consumers to use third party software and/or hardware to alter the GTA:SA first edition disc to display the Hot Coffee content" and "Would not have bought the GTA:SA first edition disc had I known the content could be modified".

You didn't seem offended then. You even seemed to have some hesitation based on the fact that you had to swear to the statements under penalty of perjury. You went on to joke about the fact that you bought both the PS2 and Xbox versions of the game. Did you all of a sudden become offended or did you intend to commit perjury all along? Based on the evidence in the previous post, I am leaning toward the latter.

[norkusa]

And yet you openly admit that you are going to take the settlement money and buy another product from not only the same developer, but from the same product family? You do realize it could have the same types of content in it that could futher offend you, right? I'd hate to see you waste your money on something like that, maybe you should consider a nice Wii family game or something a bit safer.

Oh wait, I know, you aren't really offended by the content. You just said you were (perjury) so that you could get the money (entitlement) that a judge said needed to be paid out based on someone else's definition of offensive (clearly, not yours as you are buying another version of the same product). That make much more sense.

Yes. As long as there's no Hot Coffee in Episodes, I have no problem with playing it. It's just San Andreas that offended me and I have every right to this settlement. Don't know why you have an issue with that.

[98PaceCar]

Yes. As long as there's no Hot Coffee in Episodes, I have no problem with playing it. It's just San Andreas that offended me and I have every right to this settlement. Don't know why you have an issue with that.

See above post from Bojay. I think that sums it all up nicely.

[Kamille01]

I don't know the ramifications that will result from norkusa's actions but in my opinion I think a few people here are overreacting.

However, I could be terribly wrong and norkusa could end up being arrested by the many federal agents that are currently checking this website. Or suffer an equally horrible fate that this thread makes me feel could happen.

Whatever happens, I guess he will get what he deserves?

[98PaceCar]

I don't know the ramifications that will result from norkusa's actions but in my opinion I think a few people here are overreacting.

However, I could be terribly wrong and norkusa could end up being arrested by the many federal agents that are currently checking this website. Or suffer a equally as horrible fate that this thread makes me feel like could happen.

Whatever happens, I guess he will get what he deserves?

Nobody here believes that the cops are going to show up and run Norkusa through the system. But, if anybody believes that lawsuits like this are victomless and have no ramifications, they are just fooling themselves. The simple fact is that as more and more people participate in lawsuits like this, the impact to the bottom line of the companies being sued is increased and they will eventually need to either raise prices (we pay $60 for new releases now) or stop taking risks in what they develop. Either way, there is a cost and we all get to pay it.

[Famidrive-16]

the many federal agents that are currently checking this website.

*quickly deletes posts about sega cd emulators*

[Kamille01]

Nobody here believes that the cops are going to show up and run Norkusa through the system. But, if anybody believes that lawsuits like this are victomless and have no ramifications, they are just fooling themselves. The simple fact is that as more and more people participate in lawsuits like this, the impact to the bottom line of the companies being sued is increased and they will eventually need to either raise prices (we pay $60 for new releases now) or stop taking risks in what they develop. Either way, there is a cost and we all get to pay it.

That's understandable.

Though I think the issue you're talking about isn't what this thread was made for. The first post simply asked if anyone received their check. It then evolved into what you're saying.

[portnoyd]

But, if anybody believes that lawsuits like this are victomless and have no ramifications, they are just fooling themselves. The simple fact is that as more and more people participate in lawsuits like this, the impact to the bottom line of the companies being sued is increased and they will eventually need to either raise prices (we pay $60 for new releases now) or stop taking risks in what they develop. Either way, there is a cost and we all get to pay it.

This is total bullshit. It is victimless.

For one thing, if companies raise prices of new games, it sure as hell won't be because of this lawsuit or any other. It'll be because of rising development and marketing costs.

Since when was a poorly done, only available by hacking mini-game "taking risks in what they develop"? Last I checked, hiding the mini-game is not taking a risk. It was a mistake not removing it from the game entirely. Also, the lawsuit was about sex, not violence. If you want the bar pushed on violence, it most definitely still is and no one gives a shit.

There is no cost. Consider it a freebie from our pussified society. Take your check, cash it and call it a fucking day.

If Rockstar/Take Two gets slapped enough times or for enough money, they could decide it's no longer worth it and start churning out the same rehashed crap year after year, not unlike EA.

Oh, you mean like Liberty City Stories, Vice City Stories, GTA Tales from Liberty City DLC, GTA Chinatown Wars....