Earlier this summer the UK’s Daily Star fabricated a story claiming that the next entry in Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series would be based on the July 2010 crime spree committed by ex-con Raoul Moat (pictured)across the NorthEast section of the UK and that the game would be named GTA Rothbury.
While the paper later apologized for the incident, and the piece’s author insulted gamers, calling them “grown (?!?) men who sit around all day playing computer games with one another,” the paper has been ordered to pay undisclosed damages to Rockstar and Take Two Interactive. According to the Guardian, Rockstar has accepted “substantial” libel damages as awarded by a High Court.
Rockstar’s Solicitor, Melanie Hart, stated, “The defendant now accepts that Rockstar Games never had any intention to create such a video game at any time. The story was entirely false.”
The Daily Mail’s parent company, Express Newspapers, was also ordered to pay Rockstar’s legal fees.
An Express Newspapers spokesperson said that the company “accepted that the allegations were untrue and apologised for the upset and damage caused.”
MCVUK still has a screenshot of the original Daily Star article available on its website.
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Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
October 4, 2010
Poll
Shout box
E. Zachary Knight: That is absolutely nuts there. As bad an experience XBox Indie Games was, the problems weren't with the self published side of things. Forcing a publisher onto independent studios is not going to help.05/22/2013 - 10:43am
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MaskedPixelante: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-05-22-microsoft-wont-let-indies-self-publish-on-xbox-one And the hits just keep on coming.05/22/2013 - 9:20am
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E. Zachary Knight: AE: You beat me to it. That's what I get for taking the night off.05/22/2013 - 7:40am
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E. Zachary Knight: To continue the confused and convoluted messaging system present in EA, They are making Wii U games: http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/192753/EA_is_working_on_Wii_U_games_after_all.php05/22/2013 - 7:33am
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Imautobot: I gotta admit, I seriously believed Microsoft was going to "Bring It" with this new console. But they failed, and I think that failure might be Epic.05/22/2013 - 7:27am
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Andrew Eisen: Well, the Xbox One reveal certainly had an interesting affect on the big 3's stock prices. https://twitter.com/AndrewEisen/status/33705126448977100805/21/2013 - 10:45pm
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PHX Corp: http://kotaku.com/so-the-xbox-one-reveal-screwed-up-a-lot-of-peoples-kin-509179256 So The Xbox One Reveal Screwed With Some People's Kinects05/21/2013 - 10:36pm
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Zen: On a funny side note...both of my boys have already voted NOT to get the Xbox One as soon as they found out Minecraft won't transfer lol. Some people have priorities damnit! ;)05/21/2013 - 9:27pm
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Andrew Eisen: Here's the full quote on EA making Wii U games according to Neogaf: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56112105/21/2013 - 8:19pm
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Andrew Eisen: Xbox One may not be always on but that doesn't mean you can use it without an internet connection. http://kotaku.com/xbox-one-does-require-internet-connection-cant-play-o-50916410905/21/2013 - 7:39pm
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Andrew Eisen: Polygon says EA's CFO says it is developing games for Wii U but doesn't provide that quote. http://www.polygon.com/2013/5/21/4351844/ea-developing-wii-u-games05/21/2013 - 7:11pm
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Andrew Eisen: Well, I was right. Both Sony and Microsoft's consoles will be out by the year's end and both will be significantly more powerful than the current gen.05/21/2013 - 5:06pm
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james_fudge: thnx05/21/2013 - 4:47pm
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Zen: Just to let ya know...you called it the "Xbox 260" in the backwards compatibility article lol.05/21/2013 - 4:26pm
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Zen: @PHX Awesome, I will hit those up after class tonight. Going back to college finally! :) My kids have had a blast telling ME to do my homework now lol.05/21/2013 - 4:19pm
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PHX Corp: @Zen I sent you a friend request on both PSN and XBL, just a heads up05/21/2013 - 4:16pm
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Zen: I noticed it with the football players when EA showed off Madden as well.05/21/2013 - 4:11pm
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Zen: Is it just me or is call of duty hitting the "uncanny valley" with their nicely modeled faces and dead looking eyes? I found it distracting and seemed actually "less" real to me lol.05/21/2013 - 4:10pm
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james_fudge: it sounds like if you have an HD reciever you'll be able to use it with a pass-through cable... not 100 percent sure yet05/21/2013 - 2:41pm
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james_fudge: happening now http://majornelson.com/2013/05/21/xbox-one-architecture-panel/05/21/2013 - 2:20pm
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Comments
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
It is good that the Daily Star has been effectively fined over this false story. They should check there facts. I personally would not like to see the original journalist handed the fine, as I do believe that the paper has to except responsibility as it decided to run with the story, but I do hope that his name is somewhat blackened.
He made up the story, but what was worse was that he was completely unrepentant over it, in journalism that is the worst thing you can do. The fact that he was so childish over the matter just showed what a hack he was. I hope all publications think twice before employing him or paying for his "stories".
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Well, now I want a copy of Red Dead Redemption even more.
As for the author, well, I doubt he's an author with them any more.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
First off, yes, congratulations to Rockstar for finally defending itself.
Though, "The defendant now accepts that Rockstar Games never had any intention to create such a video game at any time. The story was entirely false.” Just now? I think they should give them some credit, the Daily Star did write a redaction and apology within a week:
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/07/26/daily-star-apologizes-fabricating...
Overall I'm surprised at how well they've been dealing with this thing, other than publishing the thing in the first place. But that makes it all the more upsetting that the dumbass who actually wrote the story is seemingly getting off scot free. He should be fired and never be able to get a job in the industry again. This is disgraceful.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I don't know about the Daily Star, but I if did something stupid that cost my company libel losses plus legal fees, I'm pretty sure they wouldn't even bother with cardboard boxes. They'd just roll my desk with all my stuff out the nearest window. And I'm on the second floor.
This guy being fired after this (if he hasn't already been) is almost a given. Companies just don't usually announce HR decisions like that, for CYA. As far as never getting another job in the industry... Nobody who actually looks at his background as an applicant is ever going to hire him as a writer. After the screaming liability of "I caused my company to lose a ton of money in a lawsuit," he'll probably have problems finding jobs in other, completely unrelated industries.
But, then again, that's what happens when you're an idiot.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I think you overestimate the journalistic standards of the British press. If he's fired (and even that's not a given), he'll find some other rag which will scold him and tell him to be more vague the next time he wants to make up a story.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
About damn time there were some consequences for all the cheap shots taken at us.
Here's to the rag known as the Daily Mail going down the tubes.
EDIT: Sorry, that's Daily Star, not "Mail". Though they are the same thing, really.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I´m very glad they won. I hope this inspire many other companies that are being slandered by oportunistic pricks like the Daily Star.
I´m so buying a Rockstar game this week, lol (probably not).
------------------------------------------------------------ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
It's Jerry Lawton who should have to pay this totally out of pocket. Daily Star should have verified it, sure. But Lawton was the individual who made the false claims.
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Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
I don't know how the law goes in Britain, but in the US, that would qualify as a work of corporate authorship; Lawton may have technically written it, but for all legal purposes the publisher wrote it.
There could hypothetically be a clause in the contract saying the author has responsibility, but it would be simpler just to fire him.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Personally, I would rather see the jerk who wrote the article lose his job.
Now, if only the entire industry had half the stones R*/TT has, then perhaps they would be better suited to fight that California law.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
He cost the publication he works, or posibly worked for thousands, so he probably has lost his job.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
This kind of thing should be career/business ending. I hope the damages were REALLY high.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Moreover, even the Daily Star reproduced the press release published by The Guardian : http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/156810/Paper-sorry-for-Moat-game-c...
Meanwhile, Jerry Lawton tries and tries hard : http://www.dailystar.co.uk/posts/view/155632/Raoul-Moat-the-play-Lotto-f...
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Finally, FINALLY, some game makers who have enough balls to defend their creation against libels all by THEMSELVES.
But what happened to the paper author ? Has he been sued too ? Because he would be the first one to deserve it.
Re: Rockstar Wins "GTA Rothbury" Libel Case
Congrats on winning the case Rockstar!
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