The manufacturer of a video game that has been harshly criticized for its portrayal of Haitians has agreed to remove dialogue that encouraged players to “kill all Haitians.”
Take-Two Interactive Software said Tuesday that it would remove the statements from new copies of “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City,” a game in which an ex-convict is hired to recover stolen drug money in the streets of Miami.
“We are aware of the hurt and anger in the Haitian community and have listened to the community’s objections to certain statements made in the game,” the company said in a statement. “Accordingly, we will remove the objectionable statements from future copies.”
Haitian Americans and elected officials, including Mayor Michael Bloomberg, have denounced the game, which the Haitian government called “an incitement to genocide.”
A Haitian-American civil rights group leader said the games still present dangers to the community and should be removed from store shelves.
“This game teaches hate and violence, and it has no place in our society,” said Jean-Robert Lafortune, chairman of the Miami-based Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition.
The game is published by Rockstar Games, a division of Take-Two Interactive Software.