March 5, 2008
GamePolitics readers will recall last week's report detailing Miami attorney Jack Thompson's generous offer to assist Electronic Arts in its bid to acquire Grand Theft Auto publisher Take Two Interactive.While we assumed EA would simply ignore Thompson, the game publisher has chosen to administer a public slap, instead. Apparently, EA has not forgotten Thompson's bizarre, 2005 attack on its beloved Sims franchise. Here's the text of EA's letter:
Mr. Thompson,
We have received your letter to EA’s shareholder site. In response to your offer to assist in the proposed acquisition of Take-Two, we would strongly prefer that you not get involved in this matter. EA is a strong supporter of creative freedom for game developers. We feel that your past statements – including false claims about content in our games – make any collaboration with you impossible.
Sincerely,
Mariam Sughayer
Sr. Manager Corporate Communications
Electronic Arts, Inc.
GP: Good call by EA. Trying to ignore Thompson in the hope that he will just go away has been a mistake the video game industry has repeated time and again.
UPDATE: GP has received a comment from Thompson:
I've just seen excerpts at Gamasutra. That's fine. Then I'll be involved at the Take-Two shareholders meeting. Oh, and EA's improper collaboration with modders of the Sims was and is absolutely correct.
Comments
I can see it now.......
EA: Jack Thompson! C'mere! Got a joke for ya!
Jack: Huh?
EA: What did the five fingers..... say to the face?
Jack: ?
EA : *SLAP*
Gamers are undivided in the fight against Jack Thompson and similar idiots who want to force the government into telling us adults what games we can and can not play, and so are game companies.
Glad to see EA will try to get Ea in a respectiful manner
I understand what you say, and for the same reason you say before, the Mass Effect affair points he earned were quickly expended.
Or are you going to sue them too, now?
...
Yeah, I've been playing a bit of Team Fortress 2...
Another cookie for EA, though... despite the whole maddenopoly thing, but I'm not a real hardcore sports game fan, so that's not my concern.
This must be an huge blow for Thompson's ego. Wonder how he took it.
"Dear Mr. Thompson,
Bite me, you friggin' douche.
Love, EA"
I may never say this again, so savor it... kudos EA on a job well done.
Man if I was EA I would a lot more fun. Maybe tell him he can help if were to public state he was wrong, or do something humiliating, then tell him no. But thats just me.
"Dear ass-faced, pedophilic, brain-dead, nerds and murderers at EA,
You've just dug your own grave. I'll see you in court for slander and libel. Govern yourselves accordingly. Hooah.
Jack Thompson"
Actually he's probably just gonna say that EA's rejection is EA playing right into his hands, and that the letter fits perfectly into JT's plans.
If there's one thing that has to be said about JT, it's sure hard to get him down. what an optimist.
(And apparently JT sowed a big ol' sack of pwnage seeds.)
No.
It counted, and then he went on suing people and bad-mouthing games which quickly wiped out any credit he had just earned.