GTA: Vice City
No stranger to controversy, publisher/developer Rockstar was accused of racism for its depiction of Haitians in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, with particular scorn directed at an in-game instruction to "Kill all the Haitians." Despite the quote being taken out of context - it was referring to members of a rival gang - the Haitian community was outraged and a protest was staged outside New York's City Hall. A group was formed specifically to challenge the game, the Haitian-Americans for Human Rights (HAHR), whose objective was to "inform parents and the public, educate our youth, and prevent further dissemination of racist and potentially dangerous video games through all available legal means."
HAHR's lawyer also attacked the game, saying "Freedom of speech as outlined by the constitution does not protect the freedom to yell 'fire' in a crowded theatre... Likewise, video games with racist dialog like 'kill all the Haitians' should not be protected either." You can read more about the Haitian community's fight against Vice City here.
In a statement responding to the concerns, Rockstar said: "As its name implies, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a virtual crime world, in which characters are involved in criminal activities, including fictional gang warfare between rival groups. In creating the game, it was not our intention to target or offend any group or persons or to incite hatred or violence against such groups or persons." You can read the statement in its entiretyhere.
