[Erin] Games people play

What happens if you arrange a class action lawsuit, and nobody--or almost nobody--joins in? From the NY Times:

Lawyers who sued the makers of the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas profess to be shocked, simply shocked, that few people who bought the game were offended by sex scenes buried in its software.

Any buyer upset about hidden sex in the violent game could file a claim under a settlement the lawyers struck with the game's makers, Rockstar Games and its corporate parent, Take-Two Interactive. Of the millions of people who bought the San Andreas version after its release in 2004, exactly 2,676 filed claims.

"Am I disappointed? Sure," said Seth R. Lesser, lead lawyer for the plaintiffs. "We can't guess as to why now, several years later, people care or don't care. The merits of the case were clear."

Gosh. They can't figure out why consumers weren't offended by the racy content, which could only be accessed using third-party software?

Here's a hint: if the "extra content," when unlocked, had proved to be an avatar of a female character who followed the game player around during the game, complaining that "We never spend quality time together anymore!" and nagging the player to put down the game and go help fold the laundry, or clean the gutters like he'd been promising to do for weeks, then you might have seen a more enthusiastic response to the lawsuit.

But considering that the game is already pushing the envelope with its level of hardcore violence and its glamorization of criminal activities, it's just not that surprising that the game's purchasers aren't ready to sue over some free sex content.

Instead of asking why the lawsuit only garnered a handful of participants, I think it might be interesting to reflect on what sort of culture produces garbage like this as entertainment.