Spector clarifies GTA comments

A few days ago, legendary game designer Warren Spector grabbed headlines when he gave his keynote address at the Montreal Games Summit – not for his speech, mind you, but for an aside about how he is "really angry at the Rockstar guys" for their excessive use of violence in all of their games.
The quote was picked up and spread around the Internet like
wildfire. GameSpot contacted Mr. Spector for a reply, and he offers a long and thorough (read: about 15 paragraphs worth) clarification of his comments and the media frenzy behind it.

Spector first apologizes for any damage he may have done to Rockstar, specifically in regards to his words being used against them at the Alabama GTA cop killer trial (then-prosecutor Jack Thompson had
alluded to ?buying him a plane ticket to Alabama? to testify in court). Spector says that Thompson?s press release in regards to the comments had quoted Spector from various sources – some of them far out of context.

Furthermore, Spector compliments Rockstar for their brilliant game design, though he dissents that one cannot use Grand Theft Auto as an example for what the games industry could do, since doing so will only cause media attention on the title?s violence. In his words,

Wouldn?t it be nice if people as talented as the folks who made GTA would devote those talents to something that
wasn?t so easily misinterpreted and so easily vilified by politicians, moralists and other cultural gatekeepers?

Spector further laments the over-use of violence for the sake of being violent. Again, to quote Spector?s letter,

I?m tired of urban crime, alien invasion, war stories and orc-killing. I?m tired of most every game having to be
the equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie. I?m tired of always having to solve game problems with a gun or a spear
or a fireball (and not having to deal with the consequences of such a solution). I don?t mind that we make games like
that?I mind that the mainstream of console and PC games (apologies to Will Wright and the entire Nintendo DS
line-up!) consists of almost nothing but that.

Now that we have heard Spector?s full analysis on his comments, how do you feel? Is violence an over-used cliche in the industry? Is the industry capable of more artful development, and willing to make a more conscientious effort?