New York - Video game publisher Take-Two Interactive (NASD: TTWO) announced on Friday the settlement of all consumer class action lawsuits in the U.S. related to the "Hot Coffee" online download that could unlock sexually explicit content in its "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" game. Under the settlement, which still requires court approval, all claims against Take-Two will be dismissed without any admission of liability or wrongdoing by Take-Two or its Rockstar Games unit, which developed the game.

Those who were party to the lawsuits will be entitled to either a cash payment of up to $35, or a copy of the game with the offending code removed.

New York-based Take-Two said it has committed to spend at least $1 million on settlement benefits, and expects to spend no more than a total of $2.75 million on the settlement.

"If the case had continued, we believe the court would have agreed that Take-Two was not liable for consumers acting independently to modify their games with third-party hardware and software to access normally inaccessible content," said Take-Two CEO Ben Feder.

"Nonetheless, we believe it is in the best interest of the Company to avoid protracted and costly litigation to prove our case and to finally put this matter behind us."

Related Links:
http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/071108/20071108006371.html?.v=1

http://www.take2games.com