Take-Two Tired of Courts; Publisher Wants Settlement With GTA Mod Makers
Modders who have not bowed to Take-Two can count on an amicable resolution of the matter. Perhaps this sends a clear message to other mod developers that the publisher is only threatening the modders to „buy time.”.
The finale of the case concerning Take-Two's high-profile removal of mods for the original 3D GTA trilogy is approaching. All indications are that the dispute, which has lasted nearly a year and a half, will be resolved amicably in the next 30 days.
New threads in the case of banned mods
Information about the case was provided by whistleblower Ben videotech on Twitter (specializing in Rockstar Games and Take-Two). He brought up the tense situation from the second half of 2021 between Take-Two and a group of modders. At the time, the owner of Rockstar Games wanted to remove fan-made mods from the Internet (especially those improving graphics) for the 3D trilogy of GTA (GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas), because at that time, as it turned out, a remaster called GTA Trilogy - Definitive Edition was being prepared for debut. Most modders removed their works for fear of being sued by Take-Two, but some did not agree to Take-Two's terms - including the creators of the advanced mod re3 for GTA III and Vice City.
Ben videotech says that the battle between Take-Two and the developers of re3 will be concluded within the next 30 days, although the verdict may not be made public. Moreover, both sides want to end the case with a settlement - perhaps without swearing a verdict and imposing a financial penalty. The informant mentions that there is no justification to proceed with the case, because the modders had no bad intentions - they did not harm the sales GTA Trilogy - Definitive Edition and did not make money from the mod they designed.
Take-Two tired or doesn't feel threatened after all?
It's hard to say whether in the modification case Take-Two just wanted to "buy some time" for fear of GTA Trilogy - Definitive Edition sales being affected. After all, the remaster received very poor ratings - it was criticized for, among other things. technical problems, cut content and censorship. There was also criticism of the high price and the withdrawal of the original releases from digital stores. No wonder Take-Two might have feared competition in the form of free and often very good mods.
In the end, the trilogy sold very well, but gamers are still more likely to play the original installments of the series. Perhaps this is why Take-Two wants to finally bring things to a close. A year and a half after the release of GTA Trilogy - Definitive Edition, the visual mod re3 is no longer able to affect the remaster's sales.
It's also worth noting that a few months ago the giant began to remove mods to another installment of this great brand - Grand Theft Auto IV. Time will tell whether resolving the matter amicably will influence modders to be more adamant against Take-Two's decisions.
