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Recommended Reading: A look at what music does to your brain
The Surprising Science Behind What Music Does to Our Brains Belle Beth Cooper, Fast Company You probably enjoy listening to music while you're in the office, at the gym or to relax in the evening. But did you know just how much playing some tunes affects your brain? Fast Company dives into the science behind what music does for your creativity and overall mindset.
'Grand Theft Auto' drama from BBC may star Daniel Radcliffe
Yer a video game magnate, Harry. BBC Films is working on Grand Theft Auto, a drama about the real-life founder of Rockstar Games, Sam Houser, and his battles over the perception of video game violence with bombastic, disbarred attorney Jack Thompson in the early 2000s. Thompson's role hasn't yet been cast, but Daniel Radcliffe, the actor best known for playing Harry Potter in all eight of those films, is in negotiations to play Houser, THR reports. Owen Harris, a British director responsible for a few episodes of Misfits and the season two premiere of Black Mirror, is on board for Grand Theft Auto. The script was penned by TV writer James Wood, with producer Jim Spencer and executive producer Mark Hedgecoe. It's scheduled to begin shooting on April 20 (no word on if it will be in 60FPS).
Florida Supreme Court orders Jack Thompson not speak directly to them
The Florida Supreme Court has sent out an official STFU to controversial attorney Jack Thompson, who is not allowed to contact them directly ever again and will need to hire his own attorney to communicate with the Court on his behalf. This is an entirely separate matter from Thompson's Florida Bar trial we're currently awaiting a ruling on.GamePolitics has the Court's full ruling regaling the numerous abuses by Thompson like submitting pornographic materials, engaging in a "relentless and frivolous pursuit for vindication of his claim that he is being victimized by The Florida Bar," and "continued inability to maintain a minimum standard of decorum and respect for the judicial system to which all litigants, and especially attorneys, must adhere." That's not all, since the ruling Thompson has filed two new motions with the Court, which would technically put him in contempt at this very moment.[Thanks to all who sent this in]
Boston Herald editorial questions Mass. game bill
As Massachusetts legislators meet today to discuss HB1423, a bill that would restrict access of minors to video games deemed too violent by the state, the normally obtuse Boston Herald has weighed in on the issue with a shockingly sane editorial.The newspaper lays out that the bill is another example of Boston Mayor Menino, who drafted the bill with Jack Thompson, trying to throw a "big idea against the wall in the hope that it might stick." The paper points out that just yesterday a similar, constitutionally murky bill failed, and asks if "lawmakers sponsoring the bill [are] willing to find money in their budgets to fight the inevitable court challenge?" The Boston Herald piece concludes that the mayor needs to make better use of his time than going after "such low-hanging fruit." We don't know about low-hanging, but it's definitely rotten and is going to cause taxpayers financial pain later between court costs and inevitably paying back the ESA for wasting its time.[Via GamePolitics]
EA rejects 'impossible' collaboration with Jack Thompson
No thanks, we don't need Jack. So says publisher EA, having rejected Florida's attorney at lawl, Jack Thompson, and his recent offer to assist in the attempted buyout of Grand Theft Auto publisher, Take-Two. In an impassioned letter, the spirited lawyer and friend of Mass Effect threw his support behind EA's (thus far unsuccessful) maneuver, claiming he would be "delighted" to help "evict the [Strauss] Zelnick Trojan Horse from within Take-Two's corporate walls." Responding via e-mail (posted by GamesIndustry.biz), EA's Mariam Sughayer politely turns down the offer, saying, "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." Sughayer goes on to cite Thompson's past behavior towards gaming, "including false claims about content in [EA's] games," as a source of enmity, rendering any possible collaboration "impossible."
Jack Thompson offers to help EA with Take-Two takeover
Last week, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello revealed an offer put forward to Take-Two Interactive executive chairman Strauss Zelnick to buyout T2 for nearly $2 billion. Zelnick expediently and publicly shot down the offer, though this battle of the peculiar last names was far from over -- since then we've heard that other companies took interest in T2 after EA was shot down, though certain industry analysts believe EA will eventually win out. Yesterday brought news of a new player on the field that could tip the battle in EA's favor -- Enter: Jack Thompson!Yes, everyone's favorite Floridian moralist (and T2 shareholder) recently threw his support behind Electronic Arts in an impassioned letter, saying he would help "evict the Zelnick Trojan Horse from within Take-Two's corporate walls". We think that EA and J.T. would be strange bedfellows, given Thompson's denunciation of Sims 2 a few years back -- though his uncustomary defense of Mass Effect might have rebuilt that once-burnt bridge. How about it, EA? Is your raid on Take-Two LFM?
Jack Thompson rears head in response to GTA IV release date
It's been a while since we've heard anything from the infamous anti-gaming crusader, Miami attorney Jack Thompson -- then again, being faced with the possibility of being disbarred in your home state is enough to really tie a guy up. However, with last week's announcement of a late-April release date for Grand Theft Auto IV came Thompson's mandatory adverse response to the series, and negativity towards Take Two, the game's distributor.Contained within an email from Thompson were promises to keep this "murder simulator for violence against women, cops, and innocent bystanders" out of the hands of children by contacting "state and federal officials" to warn of the game's immediate danger. Though no immediate threats were made towards Take Two or Rockstar Games, we're sure the fireworks will really start going off by the time GTA IV drops April 29 -- which just happens to be around the same time the outcome of Thompson's Florida Bar trial will be decided.
Thompson says he'll debate at GDC, GDC says otherwise
Update (3:40 PM EST): We just received the following statement from GDC Executive Director Jamil Moledina: "The Game Developers Conference has not extended an invitation to Jack Thompson to speak at GDC 2008. We look forward to announcing the full speaker lineup closer to the show." So much for that.Original story: Fresh off his respectable performance at Philadelphia's VGXPO, activist lawyer Jack Thompson says that his public debating days are just beginning. In a legal brief unearthed by GamePolitics, Thompson says that a Game Developers Conference organizer asked him to "reprise the Philadelphia debate, this time in February in San Francisco in a 5000 seat arena, as the keynote event."Such a keynote would surely be a blockbuster part of the conference, but Thompson has been known to stretch the truth in the past. We've put in a call to the people behind GDC and we'll update as soon as we can confirm (See update, above).
Live at the Jack Thompson debate in Philadelphia
We're live at the Philadelphia Convention Center, waiting for the panel discussion between Jack Thompson and Oddworld's Lorne Lanning – and moderated by Newsweek's N'Gai Croal – to begin. After watching Spencer Halpin's Moral Kombat (more on that later), we returned to the same theater eager to hear the debate. 3:55pm - N'Gai lays out the rules (no cameras, sorry folks) and introduces himself and the participants. N'Gai asks Jack how he came to be involved with the film. Jack delivers what appears to be a sincere appreciation for the film and the opportunity to be involved with it. He commends both N'Gai and Lorne, as well as director Halpin, for being will-intentioned, and that's a major reason he was in the film and he's here tonight.4:00pm - How does Jack feel about Lorne's point in the film saying that it's easier for games to contain violence – canceling something out? Since Lorne's games aren't known for being the most violent on the market (Oddworld, Stranger's Wrath), how does he see himself in the debate? He wanted his games to be more "substantive" in their content, address socio-political issues he saw on the news, for example global warming. He points to the control over science regarding global warming, and how what used to be fact is now a grey area. Does what Lorne said resonate with Jack at all? "We've lost the idea of the public space, public square, whatever you want to call it." He argues for the common good, and encourages people to see things beyond money. He said a gamer thanked him for uniting gamers the world over (in opposition to him, obviously) and got a hearty laugh. He says the first time he saw the documentary, he wept. He's audibly choked up as he says that the film clearly shows both sides of this issue care about people.
Jack Thompson shows how smart he is on Fox News
As if Fox News has been a beacon for intelligent discussion and sensible thinking throughout the years, it still manages to surprise us every now and then. Take the Cashin' In segment presented above, for example, which brings on "anti-violence activist" Jack Thompson to discuss the Manhunt 2 ban in Europe and the debate as to whether it should be banned here in the States. Jack claims that there are different acts of fraud going on with the game and the ESRB (o ... kay?) and that the game surely didn't have enough time to be altered from an "Adult's Only" to "Mature" rating. Last time we checked, Jack wasn't a game designer or programmer, so we're sure he has no clue when it comes to game development (or much else, for that matter).The rest of the video is pretty much your usual Fox News fair, with each side yelling at each other and no resolution to the conflict made, so if it's your thing, hit up the video above.[Via Go Nintendo]
Kill Jim Liebowitz mocks all sides of gaming politics
Both sides of the video game violence divide are mocked in the satirical Kill Jim Liebowitz. The video tells the tale of Jim Liebowitz, an anti-games Republican senator from Connecticut who is obviously a composite of Jack Thompson and Joe Lieberman, and how the video game Kill Jim Liebowitz messes with his life. Violent video game creators are also mocked as the developer of Kill Jim Liebowitz explains that any similarity to Liebowitz is coincidental and you don't have to kill Liebowitz in the game if you don't want to. Soon after there's a scene where a man in the background is using a Wiimote -- in a way we wish would actually be that satisfying -- to eviscerate the Liebowitz character to very dramatic sounds. The developer even makes a great causality argument equating video games to corn bread. Following an attack on Liebowitz blamed on the game the developer says, "These kids love cornbread. Should we ban cornbread? I love cornbread."So, what happens at the end? Watch the video and find out a potential fate for violent video games.[Via GamePolitics]
The Political Game: The Public Nuisance
Each week Dennis McCauley contributes The Political Game, a column on the collision of politics and video games:Once again, Miami attorney Jack Thompson is attempting to have a video game -- Halo 3 this time -- declared a public nuisance. He failed badly in such an attempt in 2006 with Rockstar's Bully. Under Florida law the term "public nuisance" is generally applied to the likes of brothels and illegal gambling operations, things which, as the law states: "...tend to annoy the community, injure the health of the citizens in general, or corrupt the public morals..." It's difficult to imagine anyone but Thompson trying to shoehorn a video game into that legal definition. But this isn't really about public nuisances, or even Halo 3. It's video game legislation -- through the backdoor.
Morning crazy pill: LaRouche PAC says Halo 3 'destroying US'
There's some good amounts of crazy going on this morning. For starters, Jack Thompson had his son buy the M-rated Halo 3 yesterday; just like he had his son buy the M-rated BioShock a couple weeks ago. But after the whole "sending gay porn into court" thing from yesterday, we just can't be bothered to write about Thompson's kid. What we can tell you is that another one of our favorites on the train o' Planters is stepping up this morning. The LaRouche PAC, who you may recall from the Virginia Tech massacre as working the "video games made Cho do it" angle even though no evidence was ever found, have written an article that should really be taken in pure "lawlz." The article is Halo 3: The 'Third Wave' of Destroying the U.S. -- and let us tell you, totally worth the read.Now before you go reading it, we highly recommend you not have any liquids in your mouth or they may come shooting out of your nose, and if you're a rager, just try to laugh a little. Oh, also, make sure to read it like Andrew Ryan from BioShock is reading it to you -- it makes a world of difference. For example, try out this line: "For all those individuals salivating about the new Halo 3 video game, ask yourself the question: what is the difference between man and beast?" The article continues later, "[With Second Life, or Halo 3] either way, the dehumanization process occurs in any instance, by the first-person shooter games' precision to kill another object, or by the adoption of an arbitrary set of anti-scientific, anti-principled rules, like that of Second Life ... The vicious attack on the human mind by this cybernetics cult has been one of the key tricks by the oligarchy, that has arrested the development of the youth, today, preventing any consistent intellectual and political motion to change the world." Fantastical amounts of crazy await those about to read the full article. Enjoy!Read: Halo 3: The 'Third Wave' of Destroying the U.S.Read: Thompson & Son at it again ... says junior bought Halo 3 at Target.[Via GamePolitics]
Jack Thompson submits gay porn to court -- judge not amused
Although not exactly linked to his continuing video game related litigation, Jack Thompson submitting gay porn in court documents could certainly impact his ability to practice law in Florida and continue those cases. GamePolitics really has all the details on what's going on here, the backstory gets really complex. The main gist is Thompson believes the Florida Bar, in their continued effort to have him disbarred, is collaborating against him with a gay activist attorney from Miami who owns NationalGayNews (NGN). In a move to discredit this other lawyer, Thompson submitted to the court graphic content from adult entertainment advertisers the NGN links to in an attempt to show that this other lawyer was in the business of distributing "hardcore porn to anyone of any age." Judge Adalberto Jordan of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida was not amused -- at all.Judge Jordan issued an order that Thompson show cause as to why he shouldn't face sanctions or contempt charges for the act. Obviously the judge didn't see the relevance of Thompson's evidence. See, the funny thing is because Thompson submitted these as court documents they are "made available for unlimited public viewing, on the court's docketing system." The images according to Judge Jordan include "several graphic images of oral and genital sex between adult males, [and were] filed electronically in the docket in this case, without prior permission from the court." Thompson now must justify his actions by Oct. 5 as to why he shouldn't be referred to the Florida court's review board. The bizarre thing about all of this -- beyond the porn if you can believe it -- is that Thompson upset the judge who'll decide the case of if the Florida Bar can stop him from practicing law.
Thompson sends own son on personal sting operation against Best Buy
We have just received an email from Attorney Jack Thompson stating that his 15-year-old son purchased the Mature-rated game BioShock from a local Best Buy. Thompson informs us that BioShock is created by "the notorious Take-Two interactive," you may remember them from publishing such ultra-violent games as Grand Theft Auto. Thompson says that in using his son in a sting operation, he's proven "that Take-Two's upcoming releases of hyperviolent and sex-themed Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV will be widely sold to kids of all ages, despite promises by Take-Two, the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), and major retailers." No word if Thompson will allow his son to play the copy of BioShock he purchased.Thompson goes on to say that retailers and the gaming industry are "engaged in a fraudulent and deceptive trade practice across the nation" by claiming to check IDs. This is exacerbated by his son purchasing the M-rated game from the same Best Buy store Thompson sent his son to buy Grand Theft Auto: Vice City at when he was 10-years-old. Thompson is demanding that Best Buy fire the store's manager and the girl with the "piercing through her right eyebrow" who sold his son the game. Thompson finishes by saying, "The entire video game age rating system is a fraud perpetrated upon American families from sea to shining sea." We should keep that in mind the next time we recruit our own child into a crusade and approve of him or her purchasing an M-rated game.
Take-Two warns Jack Thompson to back down ... again
And the Jack came back, the very next day. Yes, the Jack came back, they thought he was a goner, but the Jack came back -- he just couldn't stay away. In April, Jack Thompson entered into an agreement with Take-Two to essentially back down from his constant harassment of them, in exchange they would not continue their legal actions which could get him jailed or disbarred. In late June, the signs were already there that the agreement was starting to fall apart. Now GamePolitics has an exchange between Take-Two and Thompson, which Thompson made public, showing how the original agreement meant nothing.If you've never witnessed a Thompson email exchange, you should definitely head over to GP and soak in the madness and try to hold back saying aloud, "You must be kidding me?" The exchange is between Thompson and Gena Feist, Take-Two's VP and Associate General Counsel. Thompson says some inflammatory things, Feist responds -- eventually getting to the point where she knows she can't reason with him. Feist writes, "We entered into the settlement agreement because we did not want to engage in unnecessary litigation with you, but I assure you that we will enforce the terms of the agreement if necessary and that any suit will include a claim for our legal fees under paragraph 11." That's legal talk for "sit down and shut up." Maybe with all the BioShock money Take-Two is making they can afford to finally end this legal bout once and for all.Oh, and in case you have no idea where the image comes from, we've placed the video after the break. We find it appropriate.
Thompson mentally fit according to Dr. Wunderman
Following the Florida Bar's option of seeking psychological testing or face a 91-day suspension, GamePolitics has the details of Jack Thompson seeing a psychologist on his own dime who said he is allegedly free of mental health issues. The analysis was done by a Dr. Wunderman and Thompson filed the psych. report yesterday to go with a pair of lawsuits he has against the Florida Bar.According to Thompson's psychologist Dr. Wunderman, "Mr. Thompson appears to be a thoughtful, prosocial and erudite man whose life is anchored, fortified and enriched by his Evangelical Christianity. I find no evidence that his faith distorts, clouds or impairs his personal or professional judgment." Wunderman during his analysis focused on if Thompson suffers from mental illness, if he's obsessed with porn and obscenity and if he's obsessed with stopping the sale of violent games to minors. "Obsessed" being a clinical term here and not what we'd all clearly say is obsession. Thompson also says he will try to cut down on his use of hyperbole and sarcasm in his motions and says he knows he may have offended with his writings. It'll be interesting to see if the Florida Bar asks for Thompson to see their own psychologist.
Jack Thompson files BioShock ad complaint with FTC
Attorney Jack Thompson has sent a complaint letter to the Federal Trade Commission for BioShock advertisements aired during Friday night's WWE Smackdown. GamePolitics has the full complaint from Thompson, a portion of it states: "Take-Two... is aggressively marketing its newest Mature-rated video game to kids under 17 years of age... On this Friday's night's 8 pm Eastern time airing of WWE's wrestling program "Smackdown," there were repeated ads for Take-Two/Rockstar Game's Mature-rated, incredibly violent BioShock ... This rampant fraudulent trade practice is precisely what 'Big Tobacco' did with its 'Joe Camel' and other teen-targeting ads, while at the same time lying to Congress that it was not marketing its adult product to kids."Hey, we had no idea Rockstar had anything to do with BioShock ... oh wait, that's right, they didn't. The FTC has already stated they think the industry is doing a relatively fine job handling itself; however, the FTC does say the movie and video game industry are both guilty of marketing R and M rated content during shows with inappropriate demographics. That's all good and fine of course, but we're just way too busy bathing in the irony of a FTC violence complaint being brought upon the airing of BioShock ads during an episode of WWE Smackdown.%Gallery-3725%
Thompson says Florida Bar requested he get psych test
The referee for Jack Thompson's Florida Bar issues, Sheila M. Tuma, has allegedly requested that Thompson seek psychological testing and accept a 91-day suspension of his law license. The e-mail explaining the situation was sent to GamePolitics by Thompson himself. The claim could not be verified as the Florida Bar did not respond to requests for comment. The recommendation comes following issues stemming from Thompson's Bully case last year where there were issues regarding his professional conduct.According to Thompson's email, "Ms. Tuma not only did not move off her [suspension] demand one iota, not one smidgeon, but she instead upped her demand by requiring that Thompson undergo a battery of psychological tests as part of the fabulous deal The Bar offered him ... Ms. Tuma [sic] last demand going into the mediation was a 91-day suspension, and she opened and ended with that and a shrink's couch." According to GP, this would not be the first time Thompson has been compelled to seek psychological testing by the Bar. In the '90s he also was sent, sadly in that situation he subsequently sued the Bar and settled for $20K according to his 2005 book, Out of Harm's Way. So Take Two is telling Thompson to back down and the Florida Bar wants to send him for psych testing. We'd totally watch Thompson on the couch if it were anything like Breaking Bonaduce.
Take-Two and Thompson truce torched already?
Take-Two is telling Jack Thompson to cool down his escalating GTA IV and Manhunt 2 maneuvers or else he may be in violation of the agreement that kept him from getting disbarred, along with a slew of other potential problems, a few months ago. GamePolitics reports that Thompson received a letter from Take-Two that he may be in breach of their earlier settlement. Ever tell a kid numerous times to not touch a hot stove and they still do it anyway? Yeah, that's what this is like. The violation revolves around Thompson sending a letter to the Governor and Attorney General of Florida "alerting" them to an "incredibly violent video game called Manhunt 2." Thompson says he agreed to stop filling suits invoking Florida's public nuisance law and contacting companies that Take-Two does business with; however, Thompson says in court filings, "Thompson DID NOT... agree not to contact government officials... no settlement agreement... that prohibits a citizen from contacting any government at any level about anything is enforceable because such a restriction on the First Amendment rights of citizens is contrary to public policy." Thompson also writes in the court documents that he's filed a complaint against Take-Two's attorneys with the Florida Bar over the June 7th letter telling him that he's in violation of the agreement. Well, maybe this helps explain a little bit what the secret meeting between Thompson and Take-Two's CEO was about.
