As I was looking around on GameStop's website today, I came across two Grand Theft Auto bundle packs that have yet to be announced by Rockstar. One pack for the PC is exactly like the trilogy packs released for the PS2 and Xbox consoles. It includes GTAIII, Vice City and San Andreas. We're not sure at the moment if the games have been patched to correctly work on newer OSes. (Personally, I don't have a problem with the games on Vista but some have reported various problems) The other pack for the PlayStation 2 includes both Liberty City Stories and Vice City Stories. Both bundles will retail for $30. The PC pack releases on 30th of this month and the Stories pack releases on the 23rd.

GameStop: GTA PC, Stories PS2

Recently, a real-life strip club named PlayPen in East Los Angeles took Rockstar to court over the fictional strip club in GTA: San Andreas, The Pig Pen. The PlayPen believe that the strip club in the game, located in East Los Santos, violates their trademark on the "PlayPen" logo.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the claim last Thursday stating that Rockstar did not violate the PlayPen Gentleman's Club logo. Rockstar did admit that they were inspired by the real-life strip club, hint the fact it is located in the same place in game as it is in real-life. They also argued that that they are protected under the First Amendment.

Judge Diarmuid O'Scannlain's ruling was probably one of the best I have ever heard:

"Video games and strip clubs do not go together like a horse and carriage or, perish the thought, love and marriage."

Honestly, suggesting a strip clubs name and logo used in a parodic manner in a game violates the trademarks of the real-life counterpart is a rather far-fetched reason to take a gaming company to court.

Source: MercuryNews

If you have the GTA:SA First Edition Disc you may get a free replacement disc.  A detailed store recepit wil get you a cash payment up to $35.  If you paid with a credit card or check and have the proof, you could get up to $17.50  If you have the disc/purchase sales information you may receive up to $10, and if you have no disc but you have the purchase details they could offer you up to $5.

Plaintiffs claim that copies of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas First Edition manufactured before July 20, 2005 contained parts that could be modified and combined to display scenes of a sexual nature that have come to be referred to as the “Hot Coffee” content. According to Plaintiffs, the game should have been rated as “AO” (Adults Only) because of the Hot Coffee content. Plaintiffs claim that, by including the Hot Coffee content on the discs and marketing the game under an “M” (Mature) rating, Defendants violated consumer fraud statutes and misled consumers as to the game disc’s content.

Defendants do not dispute that the parts that were modified and combined to display the Hot Coffee content were present in the code of the game discs. However, Defendants vigorously deny each and every allegation of improper conduct, and they deny all liability.

Read the rest at www.gtasettlement.com/
Take2 Claim Forms: ir.take2games.com/ReleaseDetail.cfm

After almost two years in development, the MTA team has released a developer preview of Multi Theft Auto: San Andreas. The 2006 release of MTA:SA featured cars only but today's release let's you step out of the car for the first time. Something SA-MP fans have had ever since it came out. Personally, I haven't had much time with it but from what I played so far, It's awesome. If you would like to download, the links are below but remember, this is still just a beta and there are bound to be some bugs.

Download: MTA: SA DM Developer Preview 1
Source: MTA:SA

Take Two has just released a press release stating that the case against them regarding the GTA: San Andreas modification, ‘Hot Coffee’ has reached settlement. But it has come at quite a cost… over $1.025 million!

The actual value of all cash payments under the settlement will depend on the number of class members that apply for benefits. Take-Two has committed to spend at least $1.025 million on settlement benefits, and the settlement generally caps the defendants’ out-of-pocket costs at no more than $2.75 million, in addition to the costs of providing notice to class members and paying a fee to plaintiffs’ counsel.

Finally the ‘Hot Coffee’ fiasco is over… if you really want to [but why would you?], you can actually take your game back and either recieve a newer version of the game [one which cannot be modified] or up to $35 in cash payment. Here are the full terms:

Under the settlement terms, class members will be able to claim benefits if they swear that they: (a) bought a copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas before July 20, 2005; (b) were offended and upset by the ability of consumers to modify and alter the game’s content using the third-party Hot Coffee modification; (c ) would not have bought the game had they known that consumers could modify and alter the game’s content using the third-party Hot Coffee modification; and (d) would have returned the game, upon learning the game could be modified and altered, if they thought this possible. Settlement class members who attest to these facts may apply for benefits that range from an exchange of the game disk for an edited copy of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to a cash payment of up to $35 for consumers who submit detailed proofs of purchase.