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Post by Head Mutant on Oct 18, 2005 12:45:29 GMT -5
Anyone else reading this unfolding saga of insanity? Jack Thompson, the utterly bonkers lawyer who is waging a quite unsuccessful war against most video games at large (including the ever-pornographic Sims 2), has gotten into a tussle with the creators of Penny Arcade. The full details can be read on their site, but the story goes like this: [warning: links can have some harsh language] If you're not in the know, Jack Thompson is a headlines-seeking lawyer who keeps pulling all sorts of stunts and wild legal tricks to stay in the spotlight and shut down any offensive video games out there. A little while ago, he sent out a challenge for video game makers to create a highly violent game to his specifications, in order to make some sort of stupid point. If this was done, Jack promised to donate $10,000 to a charity of their choice. Penny Arcade's Gabe sent Jack an e-mail (with his phone # in it) effectively saying that THEY had set up a charity, as gamers, to donate over $500,000 for sick kids in hospitals to have games (Child's Play). Jack called Gabe and basically yelled at him. Penny Arcade didn't back down, and made a comic strip of the conversation.Then some other group out there made a mod of GTA 3 to Jack's violent game specifications, which Jack Thompson denied met the specifications, said it was a satire, and refused to hand over the 10 grand. Penny Arcade went ahead and donated 10 grand to charity in the name of Jack. Jack once again threatened PA, and sent a letter to a local police station to take action against PA.How awesome is all this? |
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Post by pfrsue on Oct 18, 2005 13:27:01 GMT -5
Wow, Thompson's rabid froth practically flies off the text. Which, come to think of it, would make a pretty cool addition to a violent video game....
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Post by PoolMan on Oct 18, 2005 13:37:36 GMT -5
I HAVE been watching this situation with all kinds of glee. It is the stuff of legend. Sadly, the real problem here is that Jack Thompson's name is all over the place, and whether it's in a positive or negative light, he's still staying famous, which I hate. I really loved the fact that other anti-videogame-violence groups have sent Jack notices that he should stop insinuating any connection between them and him, because apparently he's even too crazy for THEM. I wish I had a link, but trust me, this was the case about two days ago. Just to expand on what Jack's request to the industry was, the game he wanted designed was a person basically going on a killing spree of all the purveyors of violent videogames, from the boardroom execs to the poor schlubs at EB to (if memory serves) the players. So we have a severely right wing nutjob who has not only decided violent videogames are bad, but that the best way to counter the "problem" is to create something just as violent, but without a driving narrative or point. The fact that he's tangled with Penny Arcade (and pretty much losing, from what I can tell of his public supporters starting to back away) really amuses me. If there's a crowd on the internet you REALLY don't want to piss off, it's the PA fans. These guys are like locusts. They come in ravenous hordes, mocking, destroying, and demeaning. In all honesty, Jack doesn't stand a chance, unless he runs the martyr route. All Jack's contact info has been made public, by the way. By way of the links Justin's posted above, you can certainly let him know what you think. By email, or by phone. I say do it! Let me know if he's as big a nutcase as Gabe leads us to believe! ETA: Ah, found it. Here's the National Institute on Media and the Family's response to our boy Jack. |
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Post by dajaymann on Oct 18, 2005 21:17:30 GMT -5
I've been paying rapt attention to this epic battle as it unfolds, and a co-worker and I started talking about it this afternoon.
True story: My two-year-old daughter is not allowed to listen to my radio station (that's the RADIO STATION I WORK AT ON THE AIR) very often anymore because we caught her walking around the house repeating the lyrics to a Missy Elliott song. "LET ME WORK IT, LET ME WORK IT!" It was cute, but not very appropriate for a very young child. You see, some things are okay for adults, but not for children. You know who's job it is to make this determination? If you answered "Why, that's YOU Jaymann!" you answered correctly.
I also think it's funny how this Thompson character thinks that GTA VC is a sim for murderers. Because the last time I played that game, the reality of that game was just astounding, from the ability for the player to survive multiple gunshot wounds, to being able to jack a car in seconds with no prior experience.
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Post by Head Mutant on Oct 18, 2005 22:15:37 GMT -5
Sam & Max Hit The Road was a sarcasm simulator for me.
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Post by Head Mutant on Oct 19, 2005 8:48:48 GMT -5
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Post by PoolMan on Oct 19, 2005 9:59:09 GMT -5
Ha... "Guadalamanja". Nice touch.
Dajaymann, I honestly, truly wish that more people thought like you did. Take responsibility for your kids, decide for yourself what is and isn't appropriate for them, and pay attention to what they're doing. I think so many people are so content to let TV, radio, movies, video games and whatever else do their parenting for them it's horrendous.
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Post by Spiderdancer on Oct 19, 2005 15:39:46 GMT -5
What bothers me is the huge uproar that happened with the hidden sex scenes in GTA, despite many of these same parents apparently having no problem with the other content of the game. "You can murder hookers all you want, just don't screw them!"
I hate it when right-wing nutballs like Thompson give right-wing nutballs like me a bad name.
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Post by TheLuckyOne on Oct 19, 2005 15:51:25 GMT -5
What gets me about the GTA "hot coffee" furor is that they're making it out to be something that any random impressionable school kid could have stumbled onto accidentally while playing the game. When in reality it's a specific patch you have to download and consciously use in the game. I'm not sure if people are aware of this, but if your little Johnny is bright enough to log onto the internet and do that, I guarantee you he can find as much material as he wants of a far, far more pornographic nature than a few sprites doin' the bad thing in a video game.
(I could also -- were I of such a mindset -- point out that by making such a fuss over it, they've infinitely increased the odds of little Johnny being interested enough to go to the trouble of doing exactly that, but hey, that's just not my style.)
-D
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Post by Spiderdancer on Oct 19, 2005 17:06:25 GMT -5
Exactly. Since my last post I've gone to Wikipedia and looked up this Thompson character, who apparently has never actually been to trial despite his law credentials. Oh, and check out his grammar. He has a degree in law, yet somehow he still thinks "everytime" is a word. Egh.
I'm not sure I think he merits all the attention the gaming community is giving him, though. This is one lone voice cussing in the night, and even people who might once have agreed with him on one or two specific issues (such as that games need a better rating system) are now disowning him. I say forget him and let's go back to talking about something important, like the Doom movie.
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Post by Head Mutant on Oct 19, 2005 22:08:20 GMT -5
DOOOM!
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Post by Head Mutant on Oct 20, 2005 22:53:10 GMT -5
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Post by pfrsue on Oct 21, 2005 5:37:14 GMT -5
Three things: 1. If anyone wants to donate $10,000 to a charity in my name, I promise not to scream harassment.  2. I love people who invoke their right to the first amendment while attacking others for their use of it. 3. If I was going to write a letter to the Governors of the Florida Bar, I'd take a much less casual approach with my syntax. |
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