Thousands claim Hot Coffee compensation News • News • Eurogamer.net

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Tens of millions don't bother.

It's been revealed that only a few thousand people have claimed compensation over the Hot Coffee mini-game that appeared in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Hot Coffee, you may recall, saw your character having consensual sex with a naked lady. This apparently "offended and upset" some gamers, who filed and won a lawsuit against Rockstar.

As a result, anyone who purchased San Andreas with Hot Coffee included (the mini-game was removed from future versions) was able to claim up to USD 35 as compensation.

As reported by the New York Times, the deadline for submissions came and went on May 16th. It turns out just 2676 people were indeed traumatised enough to bother putting a claim in. That's 2676 people out of the 21.5 million people who bought Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

"Am I disappointed? Sure," said Seth R. Lesser, lawyer for the people who filed the suit. "We can't guess as to why now, several years later, people care or don't care. The merits of the case were clear." As is the fact no one cares.

Meanwhile, Eurogamer is offering a shiny ten pence coin to anyone offended by the use of the word "toss" in my Destroy All Humans: Big Willy Unleashed review. But as proof you must post a video of yourself crying on YouTube.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

Comments (48) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

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captaineurogamer #1 4 years ago

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Creates video. But remember its not the hot indian curry that is making me cry.
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andromeda #2 4 years ago

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first.

arse.

third?

Edited by 1 at 25/06/08 @ 12:41
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NewbieZilla #3 4 years ago

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And about 2500 of them thought, "Sweet, 35 bucks".
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will. #4 4 years ago

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The people who complained don't play computer games silly! That's why they were pissed off in the first place!
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DFawkes #5 4 years ago

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First only works if you're actually first, andromeda

I've still not played San Andreas, and I'd still buy that before GTA4, but if I had, it's an 18. Sex can be in 18 games. I have no idea how the case was even won, but at least only 2676 people claimed. I bet not one of them was actually offended, but claimed to get cash to put towards GTA4!
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jaywalker3010 Verified Mastering Manager, Square Enix #6 4 years ago

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Main reason was so few was that the rest were under 18 so werent allowed to be compensated
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Corben_Dallas #7 4 years ago

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those 2676 are a bunch of tossers.

They should also be forced to return their PS2's
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asphaltcowboy #8 4 years ago

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Hot Coffee, you may recall, saw your character having consensual sex with a naked lady.

Was she naked?

Regardless, I really don't understand this. It required quite some effort to be able to access the content, so if you thought you would be offended by it, why go and find it and then complain that it offended you? Seriously, someone please explain because money-grabbing opportunists aside, some people must have gone out of the way to be offended?
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udat #9 4 years ago

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Just how shiny?
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BobsUncle #10 4 years ago

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Did they also return their copy of the game? Of course not, now that's just stupid.
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Zomoniac #11 4 years ago

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For the good of mankind, is there a way to stop anyone who finds sex offensive from having it?
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DonnieDarko333 #12 4 years ago

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I wasn't at all bothered by any of this....the 2000 odd people who claimed in my opinion are scroungers trying to get some free money, how sad must they look?! lol
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Moz #13 4 years ago

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And yet the sex.... sorry I am woohoo scene in The Sims 2 is perfectly fine because it done "in a comic manner"
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Azazel #14 4 years ago

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For the good of mankind, is there a way to stop anyone who finds sex offensive from having it?

lol!
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Darren #15 4 years ago

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I seriously one single one of those 2,676 people were actually traumatised... they were just in it for the free money!!! LOL
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the_dudefather #16 4 years ago

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2500 people downloaded the mod, hacked the iso, burnt a copy, booted it on their chipped ps2s, then got offended at nudity
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optimusprym8 #17 4 years ago

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2676 people then got counter-sued by Sony for admitting to having modified consoles
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dloob #18 4 years ago

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@the_dudefather
It wasn't that complicated, if you had an action replay disc there was a code that enabled it.
No chipping or ISO burning required.
I tried it. It wasn't that shocking.
The lady was clothed by the way.
The naked version required modifying game files.
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SeesThroughAll #19 4 years ago

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It required quite some effort to be able to access the content, so if you thought you would be offended by it, why go and find it and then complain that it offended you?

In the same way people shelled out so much money for a PS3 knowing that it didn't have too many games out yet and still complain.
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Gnort #20 4 years ago

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@asphaltcowboy
It required quite some effort to be able to access the content, so if you thought you would be offended by it, why go and find it and then complain that it offended you?

For 35 bucks, obviously.
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JJrabbit #21 4 years ago

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They should release a list with the names and location of everyone who claimed. They iz s0 c00lz.
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superdelphinus #22 4 years ago

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poor lawyer with his borked mass tort dreams
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anomagnus #23 4 years ago

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if anyone reads over lawyered, you'll see just what a farce and a disgrace this case was

now they want a million dollars for a payout of about 30,000 dollars

fucking knobjockeys
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kangarootoo #24 4 years ago

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"some people must have gone out of the way to be offended?"

I was offended at having to out of my way to be offended. I expect offense to be delivered to my door, preferably to my chair.

Who can I sue for me being lazy? There must be someone.
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thepiedpiper #25 4 years ago

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seriously, who wants to see pixels doing it?
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thesombrerokid #26 4 years ago

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other pixels presumably
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the_ring_of_fire #27 4 years ago

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High-larious - they probably sold ten times (at least) more copies due to the publicity anyway (creating more revenue far outweighing the compensatory payouts).
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Restart #28 4 years ago

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Here I am crying on YouTube!

Can I have my 10p now? Pretty please?!
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menage #29 4 years ago

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Where can I sign up for the 35 bucks? Oh shit, I never actually saw it.
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smelly #30 4 years ago

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I was playing mario the other day. Half way through i accidentally decided to pause the game, and turn on my pc. While i was there i accidentally surfed to redtube.com and watched some DISGUSTING imagery which shocked me to the core!

Can I sue nintendo, for allowing me to go out of my way to download something which i found offensive?
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SpyroViper #31 4 years ago

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how stupid. It should be more of a SWEET I GET THIS FOR 60BUCKS! Not omg that's disgusting, ick, I'm never doing that! Shrood numpties.
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bitesize #32 4 years ago

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@ smelly: that's nothing - i once opened up the browser on my wii, and went over to megarotic.com. there, i saw some graphic pornage - ON THE WII!!! surely that's nintendo's fault right there...
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Bumhug360 #33 4 years ago

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The best part of the story is the lawyers wanting $1.3 million to claim the compensation. Take-two are trying to settle by paying $30,000 compensation to the poor victims (thats not $30,000 each obviously) and a $900,000 donation to charidee
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SpyroViper #34 4 years ago

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Numpties. Why bother protesting over that. Everyone does it. If you don't, your either religious or a fool
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Ryze #35 4 years ago

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@DFawkes

It's rated M in the US, and there's no law to stop kids from playing. Recommended for 17 years and older, apparently.

But that's America, eh?
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smelly #36 4 years ago

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I've learned from this:

Violence = good

fully clothed simulated sex which i have to go out of my way to view = bad and something i should be offended by.

My mind totally boggles...
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Feanor #37 4 years ago

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I love how everyone in this thread forgets that Rockstar purposefully left Hot Coffee in the game to get around the ESRB, and then lied about it.

Edited by 1 at 25/06/08 @ 18:36
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Miths #38 4 years ago

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"seriously, who wants to see pixels doing it?"

Anyone watching porn on the Internet? Or a TV for that matter. Last time I checked, a digital image is a collection of pixels, albeit in the case of photos and video, usually with people that look a bit more lifelike than characters built from scratch in a 3D application .
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Bill Gates is Evil #39 4 years ago

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sex with girls is so gay
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Repsode #40 4 years ago

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I love that Americans (generalising due to laziness) have no trouble with simulated acts resulting in death and injury, but get offended when you simulate the act that creates new life.

Curious.
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thepiedpiper #41 4 years ago

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"Anyone watching porn on the Internet? Or a TV for that matter. Last time I checked, a digital image is a collection of pixels, albeit in the case of photos and video, usually with people that look a bit more lifelike than characters built from scratch in a 3D application ."

So, wise guy huh?
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smelly #42 4 years ago

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"I love how everyone in this thread forgets that Rockstar purposefully left Hot Coffee in the game to get around the ESRB"

Erm..

um..

erm..

I take it back from the spore thread.. THIS is now the most stupidest thing i've ever read!
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stallion185 #43 4 years ago

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Yeah that is pretty retarded
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Bennicus #44 4 years ago

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Feanor says what
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the_dudefather #45 4 years ago

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@the_ring_of_fire
'High-larious - they probably sold ten times (at least) more copies due to the publicity anyway'

yeah its not like GTA was a big game or anything, people diddnt even know about san andreas before hot coffee
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patchbox360 #46 4 years ago

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http://ww w.gametrailers.com/player/userm...
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Feanor #47 4 years ago

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It's not stupid, it's just the truth. Go here, or a hundred other places to educate yourselves.

http://ww w.gamespot.com/news/2005/07/15/...

Edited by 1 at 26/06/08 @ 14:55
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callum9999 #48 4 years ago

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Most people probably did it for the free money, I would.
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