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| Rockstar hit by Grand Theft Internet! |
| Thursday, October 21, 2004 at 12:57 by Craig Beaumont |
Car Jacking, robbery, drive-by-shootings are many of the criminal activities that gamers are encouraged to partake in as part of the Rockstar Games best-selling game Grand Theft Auto, one criminal activity that hasn't made it into the game is the downloading of illegal software, but it seems that file-sharers already know how to do that activity anyway.
Continuing the current trend of long awaited "Triple-A" games being leaked such as Doom 3, Halo 2 and Half-Life 2, copies of the US version of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas have hit the file-sharing networks.
A statement from Rockstar Games said:
"Downloading, possession and distribution of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, including making the game available on the internet, is theft. We take the theft of our intellectual property very seriously and we are and will continue to diligently and aggressively pursue this matter."
It's hard not to see the irony about a game encouraging theft being stolen but the current trend must be worrying developers and publishers alike, with the loss in revenue putting at jeopardy new games in the pipeline and reduce the number of original games with publishers keen to cash-in on franchises and movie tie-ins.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is still due for release on Playstation 2 on 26th October in the US and 29th October in Europe despite the leak and is expected to become a massive hit.
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| I am sure that the statement for Rockstar Games is spoon fed to them by their lawyers, but a company who has made it gold mine by glorifying larceny, violence, rape and overall law breaking has no right to call foul when they become the victims. You don't see drug dealers calling the cops when someone breaks into their house and steals their Crack. So I say to Rockstar Games, "Good Luck" I am sure law enforcement officials are just dying to help you catch and prosecute the dangerous criminals responsible for this injustice. HA! |
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| I think there is a huge distinction between stealing a car then running down a cop, and downloading a game off the internet. In fact the difference is so big that the two are incomparable to the point that the "irony" pointed out is just an excuse to attack Rockstar. |
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| My irony comment was based on the fact the game encourages players to steal and this is what they are doing, especially as in May a group of US lawyers tried to hold Rockstar Games responsible for the content of their games and the copycat effect in it's gamers. This link between violence in games and in real life is as yet unproven (and in my opinion unture) but it doesn't seem to stop the media sensationalizing it. |
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