Jack-Thompson
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AP ignores Paris, who should we ignore?
Yesterday the Associated Press, the wire service depended upon by almost every news organization on the planet, admitted to experimenting with a weeklong blackout on the "celebutant" Paris Hilton. GameSetWatch took note of this and discussed how former head of the Electronic Software Association, Doug Lowenstein, condemned the gaming press for granting legitimacy to Jack Thompson by writing about him and thus feeding the beast. In essence, saying the gaming press should have put a blackout on Thompson ages ago.The thing is that if the gaming press ignores Jack Thompson, he doesn't just go away. By reporting on Thompson and his antics, which get ever more desperate over time, we chronicle the man. When mainstream media organizations Google search Thompson, they find the gaming press' work. It gives them a better understanding of Thompson and his work. So, other than Thompson, is there anyone or anything the gaming press should take a cue from the AP and ignore within the industry?
Salt Lake City mall shooter didn't own video games
Following Sulejman Talovic's murderous rampage through a Salt Lake City mall, killing five people and ending with Talovic's own death by police, the 21st century knee-jerk reaction of blame the video games emerged. After no games, consoles or PCs were seized from Talovic's home, it looked like the video game murderer angle may not emerge. Now Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank said they found no evidence that violent video games played a part in Talovic's actions. He did not even own a computer or a console according to police. Police also found no religious or political motivations either. Sorry Jackie-boy, no headlines for you.[Via GamePolitics]
Utah game bill halted for now
The Public Utilities and Technology Committee of Utah's House of Representatives placed Rep. Scott Wyatt's video game bill on hold. Wyatt's bill is another in a long list of "games-as-porn" bills, "protecting children from video game violence." The bill has been on shaky ground since Utah's Attorney General Mark Shurtleff said he had serious concerns about the constitutionality of the bill, which is similar to others that have been dismissed.Attorney Jack Thompson, who helped write the bill, is sure to send a press release out soon. Thompson and Attorney General Shurtleff have been butting heads for the last couple of weeks over the constitutionality of the proposed legislation. For those interested in listening to the committee hearing, there is an audio recording available at GamePolitics. Just to give a basic idea of what's in this bill, it's worth listening to the audio recording. For example, if a child is in the room when an M rated game is being shown it is a "third-degree felony," subject to a fine "of not less than $300" and "not less than 14 days" of incarceration. Yeah, that sounds like a constitutional law.
Jack Thompson and Utah AG have spat
Earlier this week, Utah's Jack Thompson-authored video game bill was pulled by Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff because he believed the bill would be found unconstitutional. This, of course, sent Thompson into a whirling tizzy and caused him to do the typical press release pimp-slap against Shurtleff.Thompson writes, "This is a constitutional bill. I ought to know. I drafted one nearly identical to it for Louisiana, and we got it passed unanimously... The federal judge declared it unconstitutional because, he said, 'there is no evidence that these games are harmful. The Attorney General has provided me no evidence.' And the judge was right, because the Louisiana AG took what we call 'a dive.' ... because he wanted the law to fail."Thompson is in Utah today giving a speech at the ultra-conservative Eagle Forum in Salt Lake City -- so we're sure some lovely barbs will be thrown at Shurtleff. AG Shurtleff probably wasn't too keen on having Utah suffer the same fate as Illinois, which was forced to pay back the gaming industry the half-million they spent fighting a similar bill that was deemed unconstitutional. Next stop on the Thompson anti-game express: Massachusetts. All aboard!
Friday Video: games destroyed the World Trade Center
We know the Moral Kombat trailer isn't terribly new, but the weekly video spotlight isn't about what's new or even what's good. It's a place for us to highlight a video that we think needs to be seen, for whatever reason, be it silly or a little weird or dripping with extra awesome sauce. This week's video is none of those things, but it's worth discussing. The actual film sounds potentially interesting and not so one-sided. Sadly, the trailer ... not so much. It's Jack Thompson and Joe Lieberman with holy light brigade and their vision of a gamer-centric apocalypse, complete with desperate, melodramatic music. And the continual invocation of Columbine and September 11 as a product of video games is just sick-making.There's not much we can say on this subject that can be repeated in any sort of polite society, anywhere, so we're just gonna direct you to the video after the jump.
Thompson threatens Microsoft over GTA4, ignores Sony
Everybody's favorite lawyer is at it again, this time sending a heads up letter to Microsoft chairman Bill Gates promising to "undertake various means to prohibit and stop the sale of [Grand Theft Auto 4] to minors." The letter, a copy of which was sent to Joystiq, warns Microsoft against "participating in any fashion, directly or indirectly, in such sales to minors." We can only guess than indirect participation would be simply allowing the game to be released on the Xbox 360, and we doubt that Microsoft will be willing to give up its day-and-date bombshell just because of a vague threat from Thompson. In the letter, Thompson cites an Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility report which shows game retailers like Target and Best Buy are actually "doing a better job of controlling sales of violent video games to children." Wouldn't a study that shows retailers doing a worse job have been a better choice? Also, wouldn't such a letter have been more effective going to a retailer than a console maker that has little to no control on point-of-purchase sales ratings enforcement? And why is Thompson targeting Microsoft while ignoring Sony, which is also planning to host GTA4 on its system later this year? Last year Sony was public enemy No. 1 for allowing GTA in Japan. Has the PS3's launch-time troubles made them a less attractive target?
Warm Tea: The Bully boy-on-boy kiss goes mainstream
Reuters reported on Bully's boy-on-boy kissing, brilliantly dubbed "Warm Tea," by Sex in Video Games author Brenda Brathwaite. It's only a matter of time now before the Associated Press picks up the story and news outlets across the country jump into the fray. Depending on where you live on the planet Earth, you're sure to get various versions of spin on the story. So, it's a good time to go over some developments, and clear up some issues, since our initial piece: Joystiq has been in contact with Eliot Mizrachi, spokesperson for the ESRB, and he reaffirms that they were aware of the kissing when they gave a "T" (Teen) rating to Bully. The rating description clearly states "sexual themes" on the box. Bully is not the first title to have playable same-sex interaction. The Sims, which also has a "T" rating stating "sexual themes" on the box, allows for a lot more than just kissing. There is even same-sex adoption. Brathwaite said to Reuters, "It's symbolic that the diversity that's appearing in broader media is making its way to games in a way that's not insulting or necessarily sensationalistic." Everyone's favorite anti-games lawyer Jack Thompson, sent a letter to ESRB President, Patricia Vance, "We just found gay sexual content in Bully, as Jimmy Hopkins makes out with another male student. Good luck with your 'Teen' rating now, Patty." Let's get something straight right off the bat -- Thompson found nothing. His letter wasn't sent until after Joystiq wrote about GayGamer's video, and we know Thompson reads this site. Thompson was already in possession of Bully, which he requested as part of his political Miami lawsuit to block Bully. Thompson had his chance to make the kissing part of his lawsuit. The blond student consistently showed is not the only boy Jimmy Hopkins can kiss. Apparently one boy from each clique is kissable. There is an African-American geek who can be kissed. So, not only is there gay kissing, but interracial gay kissing as well. (Please sense the sarcasm in that bullet point) Rockstar still hasn't made a public statement. Why should they? This is a win/win situation for them. They've done nothing wrong and the ESRB stated that they were aware of the content when rating the game. The controversy has done nothing but fuel sales. Bully was the third top-selling game in the U.S. last week according to UBS. The ESRB would be insane if they were bullied into giving an "M" (Mature 17+) rating to Bully, as this story continues to gain traction in the mainstream press. Not only is it politically damaging, they'd be instantly contacted by gay rights advocacy groups, propelling this controversy into a civil-rights issue asking, "Why is kissing a boy different than kissing a girl?" It would also force the ginormous Electronic Arts into the mix to defend the "T " rated Sims. We're willing to wager that Electronic Arts, which has a Human Rights Campaign corporate equality index score of 88 and had transsexual game designer Danielle Bunten Berry on staff, will put up a good fight if challenged. Rockstar played this brilliantly, they slid in a topic that is controversial, but perfectly defensible, and those that would attack "Warm Tea," won't have an easy time of it compared to "Hot Coffee."
Today's hottest game video
Yes, we know, it's more Jack Thompson than you care to stomach. But it's also a hidden camera view inside the contempt of court hearings. If you can get past the terrible first three minutes of the video, which concern the cameraman being late to the hearing, and the godawful audio, then you'll finally be rewarded with a few shots of Thompson looking like he has an Xbox 360 power brick up his ass, a bailiff who looks like he could be taken out by a strong cough, and one of the squeakiest chairs in the world. Things finally get interesting around 9:20 when Thompson starts holding up his stupid sign (how long until someone Photoshops this?), and the judge gets very pissed off. Thompson does look like the surliest mofo on the planet, and the only game he's probably ever played must have been checkers. We have no doubt he was around when they invented it. On second thought, he probably decried it as the devil's tool, since it mixes colors, and he went on a campaign around his neighborhood on the back of a horseless carriage telling people to stop playing it.At 14:20, the genius cameraman (or the guy next him) has his cell phone goes off, and he has to bolt from the room. That's about as action packed as this video gets. Please, invest in a microphone so we don't all go deaf. Then again, that's about the last Thompson video we'll be watching unless he's a playable character in an upcoming fighting game.Video is after the jump, enjoy the new legal hotness.
Jack Thompson in new Mortal Kombat
In the early 90s the Mortal Kombat series set the bar for hidden characters. So when we caught wind of a Jack Thompson sighting in Armageddon we figured Midway was at it again. Alas, it was too good to be true, and the Thompson appearance was simply the result of some clever work in Armageddon's Kreate-A-Fighter mode.The good news is that you can easily recreate the Thompson clone with Gaming Target's detailed guide. But the fun doesn't stop there, there's instructions for molding an eclectic band of misfits that includes Evil Dead's Ash, Friday the 13th's Jason, Hulk Hogan, and Silent Bob. That squad's a good foundation for a solid fighter in and of itself. Toasty!
Coming to a college campus near you: Jack Thompson
Nothing gets kids fired up like a good old fashioned debate about violence in video games between ... Jack Thompson and Bob Guccione Jr. We're all for intelligent discussion, but Bob Guccione Jr. is representing our side? The guy publishes Spin and Discover magazines, hardly qualifiers for video game advocacy. Plus the guy used to date Ann Coulter, so it doesn't seem like he's going to be someone you want in your corner during a head-to-head against Thompson.Like Uwe Boll, Thompson is a bad rash on the gaming industry that won't be going away overnight, and unfortunately it doesn't seem like Guccione Jr. is going to be much of a match against him. Did they purposely book someone who is going to lob softballs to Thompson so he can come off the hero? It would be better if we could have an opponent actually from the game industry sounding off against him. At this point we'd settle for Reggie Fils-Aime or even CliffyB.The first debate will be at the California University of Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh, on January 30th, so you should rush and get tickets before this baby sells out.[Via GamePolitics]See also:Jack Thompson becomes boringFlorida court OKs Bully
Florida court OKs Bully
Destructoid has the scoop straight from the Florida courthouse where Judge Ronald Friedman has just declared that he will not honor Jack Thompson's request to restrict sales of Bully in advance of the game's shipment next Tuesday. The ruling comes after the judge viewed a demonstration of various parts of the game by a Take Two employee for two hours and determined "there's nothing in the game that you wouldn't see on TV every night." He added that he would not approve of the game for his children, but that fact alone "shouldn't mean that the game won't ship."While the case could still be appealed, Destructoid notes that Thompson expressed no interest in doing so because any appellate ruling would come after the game was already in stores. So while this doesn't necessarily mean that our favorite lawyer will "drop the whole thing," as he put it, it does mean that the path is clear for the game to reach stores.
Miami judge orders Take-Two to bring Bully to him
Earlier today, attorneys representing Take-Two Interactive -- publisher of Rockstar Games' controversial video game Bully -- along with lawyers representing retailers Gamestop and Wal-Mart squared off with Miami attorney Jack Thompson in Florida's Third District Court of Appeal. Game blog Destructoid had someone in the courtroom, blogging the goings-on. They briefly recount the day's events culminating in Judge Ronald Friedman's ordering of Take-Two to produce Bully by 3PM tomorrow, so he can view the entirety of the game (played by a Take-Two representative, of course) and determine if Thompson's claims that the game is a "public nuisance" have any merit. Destructoid promises four more pages of notes, detailing all the nitty-gritty, so keep your eyes peeled. Meanwhile, GamePolitics blogger and Joystiq columnist Dennis McCauley received an email from Thompson, gloating, "This is a huge victory against the violent video game industry, regardless of the ultimate ruling on the injunction."Maybe, maybe not; that all depends on what the judge thinks of the game's content. If Bully isn't as violent or inappropriate as Jack Thompson would have us, and the court, believe, and is instead a "snarkily clever social commentary," then what? Then there's no restraining order preventing the sale of the game to minors and Thompson says he'll "drop the whole thing." If Judge Friedman does find a problem with the game, then ... eh, let's just think positive thoughts, okay?Read - GamePolitics.com's note from Jack ThompsonRead - Destructoid's man-on-the-scene report
Jack Thompson becomes boring
Thank whatever deity you may believe in for Jack Thompson who has filed a $600 million lawsuit on behalf of family members for three people killed by a 14-year-old, because it could be worse. More on that in a second.Jack's back and this time he's sued Sony of America, Take-Two and subsidiary, Rockstar Games of hatching a "civil conspiracy" in regards to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. Thompson says that the companies should have known the game "would spawn such copycat violence." Yes, because the logic train clearly runs along the track that video game makers see a clear benefit in creating murder simulators for kids to train on. Oh wait, the game is rated M, what's a 14-year-old doing with GTA in the first place -- where are the parents? Whatever to Jack Thompson. Once again, thank whatever deity -- or lack of one -- you may believe in for Jack Thompson. Given that we know what the man is really after, absolutely none of this is going to matter in the end. $600 million? Should have just gone for $6 billion, it's all just a wonderful publicity stunt, with the murder victims and their families merely pawns. Imagine if there was actually a sane Jack Thompson -- then the industry would really have something to worry about. See also a smattering of previous Jack tales: G4, Jack Thompson yell at each other Penny Arcade donates $10,000 in Jack's name to charity Flowers for Jack Jack Thompson: Sony committing "Pearl Harbor 2" [Thanks Daniel]
Bully gets a T rating. No, seriously
In a move predicted by more than a few comments at Joystiq, Rockstar's controversial title Bully has received a T for Teen rating from the ESRB. Questionable content includes Crude Humor, Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence. Go ahead, let that one sink in, we'll wait. What does the T rating mean, exactly? Most retail outlets follow one simple rule of thumb: don't sell Mature-rated games to minors. According to the ESRB's official ratings guide, "Titles rated T (Teen) have content that may be suitable for ages 13 and older." Come October, little Billy won't need to ask him mom or bribe a homeless man into buying the game, he can do it himself. Wal-mart, after pulling Bully pre-orders a few weeks back (for various, disputed reasons), is now taking pre-orders on its web site. With the political season in full swing, we imagine more than a few politicians will cite this case as an example of the ESRB's negligence, or how the ratings system is "out of touch with" or "destroying" American values. Keep in mind the game has no guns or knives, disproving the theory that this title is a "Columbine simulator" (as purported by anti-game activist Jack Thompson). Bully will be released October 16 for the PlayStation 2.
Bully no more! Call it "Canis Canem Edit" in Europe
Speaking to EuroGamer, Rockstar has announced that they have changed the name of their infamous schoolyard game from the controversy-attracting Bully to the tamer, more cultured Canis Canem Edit, or "Dog Eat Dog" in Latin. While not confirmed, we suspect one of the most prominent reasons is that it's much harder to write a clever protest chant with a six-syllabled Latin phrase.The name change will not affect the launch date; Canis Canem Edit is still planned for an October release for PlayStation 2. According to CVG, the title is only changed in Europe. Why they wouldn't bring the title overseas, where the controversy is even more pronounced, is currently beyond. We'll try to get a hold of Rockstar and find out.Continue reading for a recap of the story so far:
Wal-mart stops Bully pre-sales under pressure [Update 1]
[Update: John Simley from Walmart media relations contacted Joystiq to clear up the ciircumstances behind the Bully pre-order situation. Simley said that Wal-mart policy is to not carry any unrated or Rating Pending games for pre-order or sale, in-store or online. This decision was made recently, Simley said, but just reflected on the web site starting this week, hence the pulling of Bully pre-orders. The policy is in response to consumer's concerns, Simley said, and had nothing to do with any letters or lawsuits from Jack Thompson.]UK news site The Register is reporting that Wal-Mart has stopped taking pre-orders for the controversial game Bully after a lawsuit filed by Jack Thompson in Florida circuit court named the retailer as a defendant. Thompson targeted the big box store for "recklessly pre-selling Bully to children with no age rating having even been affixed to the game."Though Wal-mart wouldn't confirm to The Register that the halt was in response to the complaint, the timing is certainly suspect (we're still waiting for a response to a request for comment from Walmart). Thompson has also reportedly sent letters to Amazon and Toys R Us requesting they stop taking pre-orders for the game.Thompson's argued that pre-selling Bully to children is "akin to a pharmaceutical company selling a new and controversial drug without prior FDA approval." This seems a little ridiculous to us -- assuming the game is rated M before its release (a relatively safe assumption), any store that took pre-orders could simply refund the money and refuse to give the game to any unaccompanied child that comes to pick it up. Preventing the 83 percent of console game purchasers that are adults from reserving a game just because children may try to get it seems to us like too draconian a response.
Jack Thompson to unfortunately appear on AOTS
As if Jack Thompson wasn't already considered a total disgrace all around the planet, we now hear the man is going to appear on G4TV's Attack of the Show tomorrow night. We're going to assume Kevin Pereira himself will interview the pseudo-lawyer, and we'd like to think Kevin may do his best Bill O'Reilly impression while interviewing this attention hog.Most pressing question we'd like answered is: Mr. Thompson, would you please go away, forever?If the answer was yes, you just might find us jumping up and down for joy whilst naked in the streets. Guess we'll all just have to tune in tomorrow night to find out -- that is if your cable provider even gets the network.[Thanks, Zelda Master]
Rumor: Hillary Clinton preps for video game tax
Brian Crecente of the Rocky Mountain News and Kotaku* is claiming that a reliable source that Senator Hillary Clinton is getting ready to advocate a tax to video games, much like cigarettes have their own special tax. Furthermore, Clinton is seeking out concerned parents who feel passionately enough about violent games to come and speak at fundraising events press conferences. We are confident that both sides -- the pro-tax and anti-gamers -- will be represented.It would not be the first time that a game tax has been proposed (nor the first time that games have been compared to smoking), but Senator Clinton, likely a candidate for the 2008 presidential election, is gearing up to make this her punching bag for the next few years. Are you a registered voter?While not confirmed, Crecente is a respected blogger and we trust that he is not just pulling this one out of thin air. Game Politics has more discussion on the subject.* Kotaku was at war with Joystiq: Kotaku had always been at war with Joystiq.
Louisiana guv signs JT-penned bill into law
... and we dance ...Just a couple days ago, the governor of Oklahoma signed a bill restricting the sale or rental of violent video games to minors, effective November 1st. Today, Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco signed into law a bill written by outspoken anti-video game opportunist Jack Thompson that would essentially do the same thing. The only difference, the Louisiana bill is effective immediately. That means like, right now. Game Politics points out the new law borrows language from the Miller Test for obscenity (I know it when I see it) to classify whether or not the level of violence in it is appropriate for children. These are in accordance with "prevailing standards in the adult community" and "contemporary community standards." This is always the problem with these laws: whose standards. I can guarantee you my standards (and I imagine most Joystiq readers) are radically different than Uncle Jack's.GameDaily BIZ is reporting that the ESA has wasted no time in mounting a lawsuit against the bill. ESA chief Doug Lowenstein said, "Both parents and industry are working together to ensure that video games are purchased responsibly. The Federal Government has found that parents are involved in game purchases more than eight out of ten times. Retailers already have increasingly effective carding programs in place to prevent the sale of Mature or Adult Only games to minors. Legislators know full well that this bill is destined to meet the same fate as other failed efforts to ban video game sales."Let's review: St. Louis unconstitutional Indianapolis unconstitutional Washington State unconstitutional Illinois unconstitutional Michigan unconstitutional Maryland (doesn't really count, so we'll let 'em have it) California (currently under review by Federal District Court Judge Ronald Whyte) Minnesota (lawsuit has been filed) Oklahoma (lawsuit has been filed) ... and now ... Louisiana (lawsuit has been filed)
ESRB: Lie to us, pay up to $1 million in fines
ESRB President Patricia Vance on Wednesday testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection about informing parents about (and protecting children from) violent and explicit video games. In her testimony, Vance showed off the ESRB's war chest of available actions for penalizing publishers. The armaments include: Fines of up to $1 million for the "most egregious offenses" Suspension of publisher's access to the ratings system. Similar to the government ratings system in Australia, titles without rating usually do not get shelf space on retail stores. In addition, publishers can be forced to Pull advertising until the ratings information is corrected Correct the ratings with stickers placed on the package Recall the game To what extent the ESRB will use these tactics is uncertain. Vance's testimony (download the PDF here) was meant to soothe the government's concerns that kids being traumatized by a values-destroying games industry. When another publisher tries to swindle the ratings board, how harsh is the ESRB willing to punish the violator?See Also:Tepid Coffee: Take-Two gets foreboding slap on wrist by FTC
