GTA's Hot Coffee settlement draws minimal response

Well maybe a waste in a case like this, which was an issue of "obscenity" which was only accessible by modding the game.

But what about a class action suit in a case like the 360's RROD. Or the drum pedal in Rock Band. Hardware wasn't properly tested and is known to break. Do you like being sold crap and having to pay the price for supporting these companies?

MS' RROD warranty extension was not as a result of a lawsuit settlement, it was a voluntary thing on their part.

The threat of class actions works better than the class actions themselves.

Class actions are just a scam to enrich lawyers.

But also keep in mind, the RROD extension program started as the fourth class action lawsuit mysteriously disappeared and the plaintiffs were once again tranformed from "enraged at the shoddy quality" to "very happy with the Xbox 360 line."

Player1, your comment doesn't change my mind about it at all. Whether I like crap sold to me isn’t dependant on class actions existing. (See warranty of merchantability, etc.) Also, you support companies every day with everything you spend money on - so I have no idea where you’re going there.

I see these class actions often, as it’s in my field, and the majority of them are total trash. So keep on supporting them if you like, but you end up absorbing the costs with your next purchase. In reality, class actions are not the savior of the working class – they only get large payoffs for the attorney who was able to keep them alive without bankrupting his own firm.

don't be an idiot, Player1. class action lawsuits typically drag on for many years, like this one, and are really in the interests of the lawyers involved. in the end, the consumers and everyday people only end up with a few thousand out of a multi-million dollar settlement.

and this is why people think lawyers are scumbags.

The way class action lawsuits are currently designed it clearly benefits the lawyers and even the defending company at the expense of the victims. Most class action lawsuits provide a stipulation that the defending company cannot be sued individually by any of those involved in the class action thus leaving all restitution up to the lawyers.

It's stated "...it's not par for the course that lawyers walk away with more settlement cash than their clients.", which is a half truth. Overall settlements generally provide the highest percentage to lawyers, frequently seeing 40% of a judgment fall into their coffers. While that's not more than half the judgment, that 60% remaining has to be split amongst the remaining plaintiffs. This means that in cases where it's actually important, say industrial poisoning that killed children, the restitution that accompanies a class action is nowhere near what an individual lawsuit would be.

Ideally, class action lawsuits have an extremely important role - they provide legal defense to even those who have no means of affording it otherwise and they prevent a company from being infinitely bogged down in case after case on only a single issue (and they have many, many other issues).

Class action lawsuits aren't inherently bad. The way it's set up definitely is.

Actually, I think these people should be documented and have voting privelages removed...

You speak sense, and bring a spotlight back over the fact that the original plaintiff was a woman who bought it for her twelve year old....

Of course this is the same demographic that, during a poll, stating two boys kissing in a game is more offensive to them than a highly graphic decapitation scene or heavy use of the f bomb...

Well Sheppy, that's because violence is totally masculine and heterosexual, but two dudes kissing is...well...kinda gay. I mean, we are talking about the same society that supports war over gay marriage. Isn't it better for our kids to be mindless killers than to have an affinity for the same sex.

I and my children are offended by your last comment, I think you should go for an out of court settlement, because if you wanna go, I'll take every dime you have.


/Enraged Soccer Mom who would probably buy GTA for her kids to shut them up but then freak out when a mature game has sex in it and try to sue a company over it.