Thompson balks at free game violence debate

We know it's been a Jack-Thompson-filled couple of weeks here on Joystiq, but we can't help it if the guy keeps doing newsworthy stuff (or can we?). Anyway, we were kind of surprised to hear today that the latest bit of hate-filled invective Thompson hurled at IGDA president Jason Della Rocca actually came close to developing into something more than name calling. Apparently, Della Rocca tried to accept Thompson's challenge "to one or more college debates, anywhere anytime, to discuss whether violent video games in any fashion caused school killings..."

A series of e-mails, reprinted on Della Rocca's blog, details the back and forth between the pair on the debate's location and particulars. When the subject of money comes up, Thompson reveals that they can "expect to net approximately $3000 or more per event" though he's quick to add that he's "not in this issue for the money." When Della Rocca balks at being paid to talk, Thompson puts it bluntly: "That isn't how it works and I can't justify leaving my family to go to Montreal on a freebie. Sorry. Have to pay the bills."

Now we can understand the need to make ends meet as much as anybody, but when you make a boast to publicly debate someone "anywhere anytime," the cost of a plane ticket shouldn't really be a deal breaker. That is, unless Thompson can't live up to his own taunt to "put your mouth where your money is." As Della Rocca puts it, it seems that sometimes "the critics of media violence are in fact the ones profiting most from real-world violence and fears of virtual violence."