Take-Two fights back after GTA IV ads pulled

Rockstar’s recently released epic, Grand Theft Auto IV, has been on the receiving end of a great deal of controversy for quite a while but parent company Take-Two Interactive is finally fighting back.

Take-Two is suing the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) for pulling all GTA IV related ads from buses and transit displays throughout the city just days after they were put up on April 22. The ad campaign was supposed to last for six weeks.

Take-Two claims that by pulling the ads, the CTA is violating its free speech and contractual rights, and is suing both for $300, 000 (the price of the campaign), as well as for the ads to be put back up. The ads were pulled in response to a Fox News report which questioned their placement in the wake of a series of shootings in the city. CTA President Ron Huberman took action almost immediately after the report.

This is not the first time a GTA game has caused controversy in the Windy City. Ads for the previous GTA game, San Andreas were also pulled after Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich expressed his disapproval.

Read [Game Daily] Read [Reuters]