@Andrew Eisen

Oh that's right, I forgot. He can't sue them DIRECTLY, but he's found a loophole where he can get others to do it for him.

@ Monkeythumbs

I think you miss the point of the entire issue. Nobody is against M rated games being sold to kids. The debate is how this is to be done. The industry has plenty of efforts to do so, and will continue to improve as time goes on- as the statistics show.

The anti-games crowd, however, wants the government to regulate not only game sales, but also the very content. They consider games to be as dangerous as narcotics, tobacco, and firearms and believe gamers are sociopathic porn addicts ready to snap at any moment. The goals of these people is no different than if someone wanted the government to control the content of books and music. A game banning by the government is no different than a book banning.

This is similar to the moral panic decades ago that seriously hindered the advancement of the comic book as a creative medium. That is why american comic books are still relegated to mostly kid/adolecent themes and audiences. Only recently has the bulk of the medium begun to evolve expressively (note the term "graphic novel" being used more frequently)- the comics code is diminished and the people who fought comic books are dying off.

If the anti-games people have their way, the videogame medium will suffer the same creative slowdown comics saw. Interactive storytelling, characterization, and theme will all be watered down for decades to come.

To allow people like JT, Yee, the NIMF, and others to have their way would result in a creative medium being stifled so they can exert control over masses they consider to be their moral inferiors.

my standard response

if grand theft auto- San Andreas sold over 5 million copies, and GTA causes murders, how come there weren't over 5 million murders since it has come out?

that one usually shuts people down

i really hope he dies soon

@Canary Wundaboy: I like the sound of that ;)

I think the fact that he is defending Mass Effect makes him even more of a hypocrite than ever.

Annnnd.... Cue the legal and Political world ignoring Jack because he's incompetent.

I personnaly WANT Jack Thompson around as the main enemy of all gamers ; He's an awfully low, unknowledgeable, impulsive, uninformed, old, on the verge of forced retirement age, failed attorney. Aside from media attention, which gamers have successfully squashed concerning Mass Effect, Jack Thompson has nothing to help him.

Thus, by the very definition of his situation, we, gamers, have a perfect enemy.

Sounds like Khrushchev and his ultimatums over Berlin..

And so he returns in order to make a threat and gloat about an impossible victory. In other words back to business as usual.

Quad9damage,

It didn't go anywhere; it's still in effect. According to the terms of the settlement, Thompson can't sue or threaten to sue Take-Two to block the release of its games.

He can write all the state and federal officials he wants though. That's not against the settlement.


Andrew Eisen

This is how I read it:

"Thompson will be, in the days and weeks ahead...
...tilting at windmills, jousting with utter futility against a foe he can never overcome nor even slightly impede...

...Indeed Thompson has today...
...covered himself with his buckler, raised his lance and spurred his steed, and, striking his lance into the sail, was swung about with such fury, that his lance became shattered into slivers, and Thompson tumbled off into the field, in evil plight.

----
Here lies the noble fearless knight,
Whose valour rose to such a height;
When Death at last had struck him down,
His was the victory and renown.
He reck'd the world of little prize,
And was a bugbear in men's eyes;
But had the fortune in his age
To live a fool and die a sage.
--Don Quixote of La Mancha
--Miquel de Cervantes Saavedra

It is said that madness is doing the same thing multiple times and expecting a different result. What does that say about our funny friend Jack?

It didn't work with Halo 3, with Bully, with any other game he's threatened, and now he expects a man who has had to deal with his manner of bullshit to go to bat for him? It beggars belief.

John Bruce "Jack" Thompson,
Subject: I formally condemn you for your inaction.

WHERE WERE YOU?!
WHERE WERE YOU?!

FOX News knowingly and intentionally spreading misinformation, lies,
and deceit to individuals and Parents regarding the video game “Mass
Effect”.

Your reply to FOX News for LYING TO PARENTS?

Silence.

You condemn the Gaming industry.
You condemn the ESRB.
You stereotype those who play video games.
You state how “dangerous” video games are.

But when it comes to FOX News and a supposed “expert” (Cooper
Lawrence) making FALSE claims and LYING TO PARENTS, you say nothing.

Your lack of clear condemnation for THOSE acts makes your “morally
superior” attitudes in the GamePolitics article regarding GTA IV seem hypocritical and an advocation, by lack of response to FOX News and Cooper Lawrence, of lying and deceiving Parents and individuals.

You are now deemed without vaule, without honor, and without ethics.

Your words no longer matter.

Andrew Rhodes
Wilmington, NC

Referenced FOX News story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKzF173GqTU

Use Google Advanced News Search and Google Advanced Blog Search for
"mass effect" over the last week to see many articles responding and
debunking the misinformation. Mass Effect may also be found on
wikipedia.org for further Factual details.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note to other readers, the above statement is a slightly altered version of the email sent to the PTC previously. This comment, however, was NOT emailed as I do not intend to be falsely accused of any act for which I did not commit. It's here. It's in the Public, my email address is known. If he wished to email me first, that's his choice. However, it WILL be pulicized, just as the exchange with the PTC has been so far.

I would send personalized emails to various senators and other politicians if I believed that they would read them. But most ignore comments from individuals who do not live in their states.

At any rate, the comment to him above stands. If he wants to laugh, cry, scream, threaten, or whatever, I don't care.

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

@BigCityGas Says:
"I personnaly WANT Jack Thompson around as the main enemy of all gamers ; He’s an awfully low, unknowledgeable, impulsive, uninformed, old, on the verge of forced retirement age, failed attorney."

As you know, grinding is a tactic in CRPGs where you try killing monsters within a given area for the sole purpose of gaining experience. While not as effective as choosing a more optimal loadout, it is good enough to gain a few more HP or damage/sec against the next powerful boss.

It is never effective to grind on low level opponents (or opponents that provide no benefit) when there's much more suitable targets.

Aside from media attention, which gamers have successfully squashed concerning Mass Effect, Jack Thompson has nothing to help him.

This is the case in point - the media is a much more suitable target than a single nut. We've (or at least the game manufacturer) managed to get one blogger and one news anchor to redact their statements, which means that the people who played games are a significant force. Whichever sources they got their information from will be treated as less credible since it made them look bad.

To quote Sarcastic Gamer's Hey Mr. Thompson, "Cause everytime you sue Rockstar and act so righteous and bizarre they sell a million copies of the game. And you're to blame."

Because we all know the Florida AG supported Jack and stepped up and had Bully, GTA III, GTA San Andreas, Mass Effect, The Sims, Rockstar Presents Table Tennis, God of War, God of War II, Gears of War, Halo 2, Halo 3, 25 To Life, and Manhunt 2 banned from sale in Florida...

Oh, wait...

Thompson... If it were a murder simulator, one would spend either 90% of the game in preparation and cover-up, or 99% of the game in court and prison. Running around wantonly performing acts of violence and theft in full view of dozens of witnesses, with the occasional need to hide from authorities for up to five minutes, is a caricature. It is a joke, and anyone unstable to mistake it for reality shouldn't be given the freedom enjoyed by those of sound mind.

The bigger worry is in glorified violence. Better targets for your outspoken disapproval would be war shooters like the Call of Duty series, or anything bearing Tom Clancy's name.

"Thompson will, in the days and weeks ahead, be contacting state and federal officials to stop the improper sales of Grand Theft Auto IV to anyone under seventeen years of age, as any such sales violate state and federal fraudulent and deceptive trade practices statutes. "

heh. Thompson thinks selling GTA to someone under 17 means a criminal offense under fraudulent and deceptive trade practices.

if the game is rated M, and the label clearly says M, that's not fraudulent at all. if a retailer puts a sticker or something over the rating, on both sides then it's the retailers fault.

beyond that farfetched idea, there's no other way to do it thompson. all about the fail boat, now departing.

And so emerges the Hooded Claw....




The man is little more than a joke these days.

lol so gta IV isnt out yet...


and potentially before release they can still change content..


so (in a wierd parallell universe) they could potentially release GTAIV with rainbows, candy and teddy bears where the aim is to spread joy an happiness wherever you go.


but its still ok for JT to move to ban it now.. before its even released...? befrore he even knows what content it contains?

wow you mean JT is judging something without actually playing it and doing any research.. im sorry i just cant believe that!

"any such sales violate state and federal fraudulent and deceptive trade practices statutes".

I just can't fathom how Thompson comes to this conclusion. Now I'm not a lawyer and I don't play one on tv but I don't see how selling GTAIV to teens (if it does happens) is illegal, deceptive or fraudulent. Immoral in a lot of people's mind perhaps but not illegal.

Thing is, Thompson probably doesn't want GTAIV banned. It goes against his new "tactic". He wants GTAIV sold to teens so he can push people into suing Take Two on fraudulent and deceptive trade pratices althought I can't see how it is deceptive or fraudulent. He probably imagines that the financial and social backlash of these lawsuits will be enough to put Take Two in the ground.

Are there any legal experts out there? I'm curious if we can make any conclusions about the likely outcome based on how long it is taking the judge to decide this. Is this normal to take this long? Or is this a sign that the case is very tough? That it is one sided? That it isn't a high priority?
We can all speculate on what it might mean (It doesn't seem like a long time to get a verdict would be good for Jacko) but I'm curious as to the opinion of someone who knows.

Jack Thompson=has been lawyer with a pitiful legal reputation.

I bet Take-Two are shaking in their boots!

See the thing is-they have REAL lawyers.

LOL1!!!!!!

@zerodash

You overestimate how important the games issue is to most candidates.

The way I see it the only candidate who will mention the game is Hillary (who would still condemn it even if it was 2009 and she didn't win presidency).

i don't think Jacky even thinks his lawsuits have any chance. He knows he's throwing around empty threats, but he THINKS the threats will scare T2.

Just like his empty threats scared Bill Gates into not releasing Halo. . . . oh wait.

You know, I just can't Take Jt seriously anymore. While I still find it appalling that the game industry hasn't shut him down once and for all, I only feel mild pity when i see him puff himself up like this.

He's only headed for more failure.

Of course! The GTA series has been training me for murder! No wonder I've been burning cities, raping people and jamming shards of glass into peoples eyes!

...Wait, no I haven't. My games must be defective

To contact Florida AG Bill McCollum please head to http://myfloridalegal.com/contact.nsf/contact?Open&Section=Attorney_Gene...

Hah! Wonder what he was doing.

Still trying to paperwork your way out, Jack?

I'm not scared one bit for Rockstar (even though I'm no GTA fan). No matter what people Thompson call for help, he can't prove any if his claims. He CAN prove that M rated video games are sold to minors, but he CAN'T prove that Rockstar themselves are marketing the game to minors.

Thompson asking for help to the Florida Attorney General? He must be more than desperate.

Dennis, did Thompson REALLY had support from McCollum in the past, or did he made that up? Either way, it was a really bad move.

@zerodash

You mean nobody is FOR M rated games being sold to kids . . . Right?!

Hmm,funny, my copy of San Andreas must have been defective, it didn't smell like brimstone when I opened the case.

And JT better not brag about receiving exclusive screenshots. Why would a company he's trying ,and failing, t osue into the ground send him screenshots?

Thompson doesn't just burn bridges, her sets it ablaze, runs to the other end and sets it ablaze too.

No, wait, I'm wrong, he doesn't just burn bridges, he soaks them in gasoline.

Isn't this in violation of the gag order he received against Rockstar games? He may have found a loophole against it, but the judge on his disbarment trail is going to take this blatant disregard of his court order into account when he makes his ruling in the spring.

I-I just don't get it. He won't gain anything from pulling this crap. He just gives the game free advertising, drums up interest in the product by making it "controversial" as he continues to dig himself deeper and deeper into hole that'll bury his ability to practice law in Florida for the rest of his life. Doesn't he understand that the Florida Bars Association is MANDATORY if he wants to have any legal work in his home state?

What does he gain from this other than to alienate people away from his cause?

Oh well, maybe he can go back to harassing Janet Reno after the Florida Bar neuters him in the spring. Like she cares about what he thinks...

@Mark of Cain

"Odds are any legislation regarding video game sales and content would be constitutional."

9 (or is it 10 yet?) failed attempts at states passing such legislation disagree with you.

@Erik Due to limited or partial support. Get a large enough movement with enough actual experts, bipartisan support with a for the children mentality, combined America's rapidly increasing neophobia and xenophobia, and with organization and competent leaders and the odds are not in our favor. Judges have ruled that video games are not speech and with no one on the Supreme Court under the age of 50 what you think they are going to decide. And Justice Ginsberg has decided cases based on international law. All I am saying is it could go either way. The first amendment is rapidly becoming irrelevent, within a few decades it will either be gone or meaningless.

"The first amendment is rapidly becoming irrelevent, within a few decades it will either be gone or meaningless."

Thats why the second amendment was put in place.

@Erik Point taken

“So… what’s the problem with not wanting an M game being sold to under-17s?” –Monkeythumbs

There’s no problem with wanting that. You just can’t legislate it. For one, it’s patently unconstitutional. For two, it’s completely unnecessary.

“Odds are any legislation regarding video game sales and content would be constitutional. If comic books aren’t protected by the First Amendment what makes you think video are?” - Mark of Cain

Um, both comic books and video games are protected speech.


Andrew Eisen

Jack Thompson is like the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

@ Mechadon

when he's debarred, hell bite take two's legs off.

lol

Mark of Cain,

Not familiar with any such court cases. Can you cite them? All I know is that the Supreme Court ruled that comics are protected speech over 50 years ago. Any recent rulings to the contrary would very likely be overturned.


Andrew Eisen

Who cares.

I'll be playing the game the day it's due out for release. Again Gamers will win, and the big baby will lose.

@Chump

I would rather set up some air cannons to launch eggs and toilet paper to the tune of the 1812 Overture.

I'm betting the game will sell well and there's not a thing Thompson will do to stop that.

I'm not going to bother and say anything, it's all been said before.

If i may quote from Battlestar Galactica (the new one).

"All this has happened before, all this will happen again"

@Brandon

And comments like those are the crux of his argument.

Maybe Jack Thompson should come to Ohio because everywhere I go, I get carded if I try to buy an M game or an R movie. I'm 6'3" and 19 years old, though people say I look older than that.

I'm 34, 6'4" with some gray hairs and I still get carded from time to time.

So how'd his quest against the military go?

Who cares. He does this every time and he never succeeds. I don't even know why people still pay attention.

Jack claims that there is

@Hackangel

I see what you mean. Keeping controversial games alive seems to fuel his adrenaline, and if by miracle he succeeds in making Take Two and his other enemies bend to his will, his life will be pointless after that. Or at least until he can find another scapegoat. He's enjoying keeping his enemies alive, because if there's no conflict, what's the fun in that?

It's like in the episode of Reboot where Hexadecimal shuts down Mainframe and Bob goes "thanks to you, it's all peace and quiet". Then Hexadecimal realizes she has no purpose anymore.

well ok.

uhm, why are we worried about this jack guy these days? I mean, isn't he small peas? Let him be concerned, live and let live on him.

Quick Question: Does that restraining order still mean anything?

I thought Jack Thompson wasn't allowed anymore to bug Take Two.. because he signed some agreement some time ago, or does this newsbit not fall under the agreement?

JACK STFU u lost the anti gaming war. Gamers won u lost stop bashing GTA 4 and chase another f'n ambulance like the rest of your lawyer buddies pal. And leave our games alone.

[...] We haven’t heard the last from Jack Thompson and today’s news of an email from him indicates that it he probably has something up his sleeves. What is most bizarre about his email though is that it seems that he has some inside knowledge of the unreleased game. Take-Two shares have jumped approximately 12% today on this news.  What the market is not factoring in, however, is the downside risk coming Take-Two’s way with the sale of this “Mature” game to kids, which is a murder simulator for violence against women, cops, and innocent bystanders… [...]

"Wouldn’t it be fascinating if the decision came down on the same day that GTA IV released?"

You have no idea how happy millions of gamers would be. Honestly, I'd love to see the incompetent shmuck get his attorney status removed. It should have happened years ago...

@Oz

It's still undecided, it can take a while for a ruling in things like that.

Aw, come on...it's a RATING. It's not enforced by law. If i worked at a store and sold a M-rated game to a minor i would've done nothing wrong. I'm not saying one should, but it's like putting a sticker on a grenade saying "You should really throw this after pulling the pin". As has been said many times before, it's the parents' responsibility to look after their kids and see what they're playing. So if you don't listen to the advice given by the ratings, suit yourself.

(i'm speaking from Sweden here. i don't know if ratings are enforced by law in the USA or anywhere else, but i hope not)

So, he wants to get disbarred again?

I wonder who he's going to photoshop into gay porn this time...

Hey! It's the attorney that we all love to hate.

In a way, Jack Thompson is right.

Video games do kill. . .

. . They kill boredom

"Idle hands are the devil's plaything."

I say we all put a penny in a pot and send him a copy on release date through the post. :)

What more can be said about this? By the time news had reached us, in the first 15 comments or so, we have all the answers we need. It's a bit dull, honestly.

@Mark of Cain:
[quote]"Whether we believe the advent of violent video games adds anything of value to society is irrelevant; guided by the first amendment, we are obliged to recognize that they are as much entitled to the protection of free speech as the best of literature."[/quote]

Eighth Circuit court, IDSA v. St Lous County

@ Mark of Cain

Even though you didn't bother posting any links to articles, I looked up the case you mentioned. That's hardly a sign of impending doom for comics. The comic fight is considered done because it's not facing legislation on a weekly basis. That case is clearly the result of an uptight good ol' boy who knows somebody in the system and has an axe to grind.

I do hope that it works out in the end though. That's some pretty blatant misconduct.

Speaking of JT and Mass Effect, Crecente had his socks blown off this morning:

http://kotaku.com/349423/jack-thompson-defends-mass-effect

Given this, I have hope that in 2008, terrorism will end, we will finally elect a caring, intelligent person to the White House, and no one will ever, EVER, badmouth a video game, or game platform, again.

i dunno what kind of america jack lives in, i got carded in new york, maryland, virginia, florida, texas and california everytime i would buy an M rated Game or an R Movie.

Then again im latino i get carded for buying milk. but thats a whole different story.

OMG!! JT defends a game. Surely it is a ploy to confuse us and to make him look reasonible to the unwashed masses. You know its true - JT is a crafty news Fox. =]

Of course Thompson supported Mass Effect, it was made by somebody who isn't Take-Two. That's the only company in gaming he cares about.

Here's what I really think of JT defending Mass Effect. He's trying to deflect some of the recent pressure that Kevin and Cooper has been receiving. He concerned that the netroots efforts that gamers are extruding is something that he can't handle. That and he might have a new agenda hes working on.

Remembered when Mitt Romney was attacking violent games after Virgina Tech and Jack posted his support for the Romney campaign. That support for Romney has wavered. He's now attacking the Romney campaign because of the advisiors in Romney's inner circle. Barbara Comstock is Mitt's senior advisor and worked for Blank Rome in the lawsuit that Jack filed in Alabama against Take-Two in 2005. Jack claimed in letters to Joseph Liberman and the Florida Bar about her use of opposition research on him in that trial. Hes also upset about another of his advisors that lobbyed for a porn company (he complianed about it in a comment section in a Fox News' campaign blog). To find all this info, go to Google and type in "Barbara Comstock" "Jack Thompson" .

@kurisu7885

Yes, but no. He is a man of habits, but he tries something different each time. But still, he tries the same things and expects a different result each time.

@nightwng2000

the world is ending he is on our side!(Le gasp!)

http://kotaku.com/349423/jack-thompson-defends-mass-effect

You know...guys, I seriously think we need to ease up on Jack.

I mean, I'm not saying I agree with him on everything, and I'm not saying that the GTA games should be banned, but, honestly, I don't think we need to be freaked out about people being concerned by stuff coming out of Rockstar, who, IMHO, poses a bigger threat than Mr. Thompson to the gaming industry.

So instead of making idle threats, he's telling people that don't have any knowledge about the game to ban it's sales too.... people it's already illegal to sell it to? Did I miss something?

'It's not fair!!! Take Two are making money and I'm not! I'm the good guy, I know because I said so, so why aren't I getting any moneeey!!!'

Keen observations, Black Manta. Particularly that it's never about "moral" anything with Jack (he's got no morals). It's simply about Jack. Always. And, yes, it's for him therefore always "personal."

*Whips out the popcorn* This otta be a good show! :D

http://fanboys-online.com/index.php?cid=6 found it :D

VIDEO GAMES DO NOT ENCOURAGE VIOLENCE. IF YOU DISAGREE IN ANY WAY CONTACT ME AT : figsnake12@googlemail.co.uk

Funny I thought GTA was a Crime drama told through the eyes of a criminal. It's just a video game where you play an anti-hero. It's good to let go every once in a while and play the bad guy.

I'm playing Mass effect right now and I'm working on doing everything in the game as a honest hero type, I plan however on playing it as as much of a bad guy as I can on my second play though.

It's all harmless fantasy.

[...] Todos sabemos que Grand Theft Auto IV traerá polémica, y de hecho el abogado Jack Thompson ya ha amenazado (una vez más) con emplear medidas legales contra Rockstar debido a dicho título. No es de extrañar. Grand Theft Auto (GTA) ha sido la serie de videojuegos más vilipendiada e incomprendida de todos los tiempos. Sus detractores critican el alto nivel de violencia y sexo que contiene, mientras que los aficionados la defienden como una franquicia revolucionaria que ha catapultado a los videojuegos a un nuevo nivel de libertad y jugabilidad. [...]

jack get over your self around 12 people care about what you think. i am sorry to say M rated games will be around for a long while.....