hahaha man, its not a good sign when your sources start backing out on you and saying "woah man, take a step back and relax".
It seems to me that the National Institute on Media and the Family wants to tone it down. Where Mr. Thompson wants to go all dictatorship on everybody and start demanding and controlling everything.
Can someone Sum up in a short bulleted list what is all the rage about this Jack Thompson guy? hehe.. I seriously dont even pay attention to this stuff.
Swampbug: Basically, he thinks the games industry is the living embodiment of Beelzebub, and that kids are rampantly murdering old women in the streets because of playing Grand Theft Auto.
He makes sensationalist claims and puts forward ridiculous lawsuits, and I'm fairly sure he's insane.
He's a trail lawyer that has is it out for the game industry and ESRB. He smells money and is willing to make up just about anything to take blame off of individuals and thier parents and place it on the makers of voilent games. He isn't going after any other media with volience in it, music, TV, movies, print, just games.
he is strongly partial to his own politics and morals and is intolerant of those who differ. he is a selfrighteous lawyer that has been bad mouthing the game industry for some time.
if you can bring yourself to watch it, wait a few mins until the old guy in the beginning is done with his boring and retarded introduction*. I still dont really know what its about after having watched bits of it, but its obvious that thompson is a hardcore christian.
soooo in the name of the lord, enjoy the movie.
*quote: [ QUOTE ]
"the gentleman (thompson) was driving his car in miami listening to the radio and then...and now get this, the dj of the radio station, the dj...actually...over the radio.. solicited young people, young kids, to come to the radio station to engage in homosexual................sex. Now HE COULD HARDLY BELIEVE IT. Did he... hear it correctly???? So he decided to get his recorder and record it. And yes, he heard correctly."
[ QUOTE ]
He smells money and is willing to make up just about anything to take blame off of individuals and thier parents and place it on the makers of voilent games.
[/ QUOTE ]
No. Hes not. Its a bit more complicated than that. His actions are not rational for someone trying to gather money. In short, I believe he may be need some psychriatric help.
He should be pittied, and given empathy. Not hounded, and made fun of.
Following the Flores case Thompson became prominently involved in First Amendment issues, particularly concerning the possible effects of sexually violent material. The Florida Supreme Court ordered that he undergo psychiatric testing during this campaign, which he successfully passed. He later quipped that this made him one of the few sane lawyers working in the state. What specific events or statements prompted the court to require testing, and on what grounds, is unknown.
i am going to make a very Pat Robertson move here and call for the assassanation of Jack Thompson. after we all get to but rape him with large black man sized dildos covered in fireants on national television..
actually arsh, it would be fun to make a game like that, donate all the profits to charity, and see if we can come up with more than 10 grand. Lets see the media bash a non profit, for-charity game
Yea, it doesnt list how thorough those tests were. His actions have been less than "smart" as far as getting those with money to support his cause.
The sound more like those from someone with a anxiety disorder almost coming to the point of being schizophrenic desperately trying to find something anything to be able to grasp.
BTW schizophrenia gets worse with age. So where he could have passed that test before...
I was directed to Jacky boy's http://www.stopkill.com/ a while ago, and my eyes nearly bled. I had to spend hours shotgunning cops in my "murder simulator" to get over it T_T
But yeah, that's what he's all about. I think it's time someone put a likeness of the man in a videogame frankly o_o
"You know what, Jack? We're going to be the men you're not. You said that your insulting, illusory ten thousand dollars would go to the charity of Paul Eibeler's choice. We've got a good guess that he'd direct your nonexistant largesse toward The Entertainment Software Association Foundation, a body that has raised over six point seven million dollars over the last eight years. We've just made the donation you never would, and never meant to. Ten thousand dollars' worth. And we made it in your name"
Now we know who the real heros are.. 1 skinny lanky dude, and one balding fat one.
The simmering controversy over anti-game crusader Jack Thompson's controverisal $10,000 donation offer took an ugly turn this morning. The Miami attorney has tried to enlist the efforts of the Seattle Police Department in a dust-up with gamer website Penny Arcade.
In a letter faxed to Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske (left), Thompson says, in part, "A Seattle business by the name of Penny Arcade... employs certain personnel who have decided to commence and orchestrate criminal harassment of me by various means... This company has done this because I dared to go on CBS's 60 Minutes in March and again in July to explain a wrongful death lawsuit I have brought on behalf of two police officers and a police dispatcher in Fayette, Alabama, who were shot in the head and killed by Devin Moore who obsessively trained on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to kill them."
"As you may know, this incredibly violent Rockstar Games product is actually a 'cop-killing' murder simulator. There are a bunch of computer geeks out there who think that the video game industry has a constitutional right to paint a bullseye on your back and on your officers' backs... That is what this criminal harassment of me by Penny Arcade is all about. They're even selling an 'I Hate Jack Thompson' t-shirt, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. These idiots have been so careless as to post on their www.pennyarcade.com web site what they are doing regarding the harassment of me."
"I look forward to working with your fine Police Department to shut this little extortion factory down and/or arrest some of its employees."
This latest controversy is part and parcel to a complicated dispute over Thompson's bizarre offer to donate $10K to charity provided that a developer create and distribute a violent game of Thompson's specification in which the victims were industry executives and their families.
GP is seeking comment from the folks at Penny Arcade, but given the East Coast-West Coast time differential, it's likely they haven't even rolled into Starbucks yet. We'll add anything we hear from them. We'll also add any comment we are able to get from SPD, although Thompson's complaint wouldn't seem likely to be high on their priority list. And anyway, their investigation will likely be hindered by the fact that Thompson's letter provides the wrong URL for Penny Arcade.
By the way, the Penny Arcade case is not the first time the volatile attorney has tried to sic the gendarmes on a game site.
I'm watching past interviews of this man, and reading his emails.
This man is a hypocritical holier than thou christian fundamentalist sack of shit. He's out to win no matter the cost, with the bible in his hand. So I doubt he'll shut his mouth anytime soon. Jesus didn't play video games, so you're all going to hell!
Let us all pray, that by the hands of god, Jackass Thompson dies.
(that last sentence is in reference to what he wishes on his opponents in past interviews)
[ QUOTE ]
Jack was on CNN tonight to talk about Midways new football game. Like I said in my news post above , this is why Jack is scary. Because he has no fucking clue what hes talking about yet they put him on CNN to talk as though he was an expert. This is a quote from him:
"The NFL wouldn't allow it's name to be used, so that tells you something."
He doesnt understand that EA purchased the rights to NFL games and that Midways new game is a direct response to that. Like I said before the time for ignoring this coot is over. He cant be allowed to pull this kind of shit anymore.
Yeah, I doubt that Gabe and Tycho are doing anything but chuckling to themselves over Thompson's police fax. Where in the heck is the criminal harrassment? Or does Thompson think that by speaking those 'magic lawyer words', cops will spring into action?
I'd think that your average local police give a little bit of discerning thought before sending out officers to arrest web comics creators on unspecified charges, based on, of all things, a fax from the other side of the country. Oh, wait -- he's a LAWYER. At least, I don't think most local cops want to get up and go through the bother -- and paperwork -- of arresting someone because someone alleges... uh... what did that fax say again?
My favorite three credibility strikes Thompson has against him:
1. He says that the DC area snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Malvo used Halo to train for sniping -- despite the fact that Muhammad was a Gulf War vet with an Expert rating on the M-16.
2. He was just on CNN saying that the NFL wanted nothing to do with Midway's "Blitz: The League", because of the violence and corruption depicted in the story and play style. When in fact, the reason the game was made that way was because of EA's exclusive NFL license.
3. He thinks he can call the cops across the country by fax and have people arrested when they say mean things about him.
Don't bother getting Jack a shovel, he's busy digging his own grave with his mouth. Whoopee!
Ah yes, "These idiots have been so careless as to post on their... web site what they are doing regarding the harrassment of me."
Upstaging him? "I think we can all agree that young kids should not play violent videogames. I think we can also agree that they should not watch violent movies or read pornographic magazines. Thats a job for parents not Jack Thompson." -- Mike K.
That stuff sells itself. Come on, Jack, it's lecture tour time! Penny Arcade vs. Jack Thompson Grudge Match Debate 2005! Get Vince McMahon on the damn phone already!
it's going to be a user based site with hopefully links to congress/senator links and articles to support the game industry. Possibly articles with game devs and industry leaders as well as any government officials willing to speak to us..
It will also include user submitted parody. User submitted info like:
Mario made me a better plumber.
Tetris made me a master truck loader.
BF2 made me a jet pilot.
Wing Commander taught me to fly spaceships.
Grand Theft Auto taught me the FBI really does care
GTA made me a better driver and you can steal any car but if you steal a taxi or an ambulance you have to drive really fast to make the fair
(and other things that games show with real world equivalents and the ignorance of the comparison.)
And I'll hopefully be draw some comics to correspond with them.
Updated articles from the gaming industry regarding these ludicrous allegations and the ingnorance of our elected officials and these lawyers that are insane.
Here's my previous article from gameadmins.com a few years back that I will need to be updating as well.
"I hate Jack Thompson" on a t-shirt is not defamation of character. It is an opinion, it is not claiming something false about his character. Asking someone if they will follow through on a charity pledge is not harassment. If calling someone stupid is harassment then "Jackie" is just as guilty. His tattle tail letter contains such harassment, if it is even harassment at all. Its like school kid running over the teacher another kid "fuck". Be smart choose your words carefully. I'm having a tough time telling which is smarter a bag full of hammers or Jack Thompson. We should all chip in and get Jack a;
Dictionary, so he can look up the meaning of words.
Thesaurus, so he can find other words that mean harassment, and punch up his letters.
2 rocks, so he can rub them together and hopefully get a spark of an idea and see he is destroying his own case by acting like a 2 year old.
For a lawyer, he sure doesn't know much about lawyering... I keep waiting for him to reply with "LOLZ ROFLMAOWHIMP STFU NUBLET!!!11one".
i'm waiting on robin williams to go on a killing spree because he played quake.
or dave chapelle to go kill some cows because he thinks they're the taurens from wow.
or those countless other people who are constantly under the media spotlight, play games and have yet to go on murderous rampages. you know they're going to, jack thompson said so.
JT is being investigated by the Florida Bar Association, he could lose his law license...w00t!
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051019-5458.html
excerpt The threats then escalated. Jack then faxed a letter to the Seattle Police Department claiming that Penny Arcade was "criminally harassing" him, and urging the arrest of "this little extortion factory".
At this point, the nerds swung into action. Penny Arcade forum members wrote, edited and sent letters and faxes to the Florida Bar Association detailing Thompson's activities and urging the review of his license to practice law. Jack Thompson has already received a reprimand by the FBA for his antics in 1998, and according to a spokesperson, the letters and faxes have been received and forwarded to the disciplinary committee.
Already, other activists against video game violence are starting to distance themselves from Jack Thompson. Earlier this month, the National Institute on Media and the Family wrote a letter to Jack, asking him to remove the link to their organization from his web site. While Mr. Thompson's fifteen minutes of fame may be waning, the issue of violence in video games remains a hot topic.
I guess being investigated by the FBA and knowing you will more than likely be disbarred or reprimanded again, forces you to rethink your time tables. "Lets see, try to squeeze out some cash now, or wait until I am disbarred and die a penniless wretch..." Tough call Jack, tough call. At least your in it for the kids I hear another ambulace coming, get ready to chase this one, you might catch it this time.
I really think you have something good with this site. I like the concept. You may want to offer up a community submital. Maybe post those seperate from you're own work.
Good luck with it though. I hope it not only entertains, but also creates some sort of change.
If anyone has any information on some multinational stuff, I'd be more then happy to add it to the site. It's still really bare at the moment. I'm hoping to add more content and hopefully some interviews with some industry folk.. possibly.
[ QUOTE ]
I really think you have something good with this site. I like the concept. You may want to offer up a community submital. Maybe post those seperate from you're own work.
Good luck with it though. I hope it not only entertains, but also creates some sort of change.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm working on that too; there's a submittal place in the forums, but still need a form of some kind would be easier, agreed.
[ QUOTE ]
If anyone has any information on some multinational stuff, I'd be more then happy to add it to the site. It's still really bare at the moment. I'm hoping to add more content and hopefully some interviews with some industry folk.. possibly.
[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe just put a head on that section:
What you can do
USA Readers
-Senator
-Congress
International Readers
-Details, or a Send me info! request.
You should think of a good one for GTA just to counter Mr Thompson. Unfortunately I can't think of one right now that would be helpful towards your cause
I got some questions made up so far, poor grammer and spelling so far, going to clean that up before sending, just putting some ideas down before I send them to a few game dev folks..
[ QUOTE ]
1. Has the recent media attention given to the whole "Hot Coffee" incident in combination with the latest Jack Thompson ramblings, changed any of the procedures/policies within your organization.
2. The ESRB Ratings are on every game, do you feel that is enough? In my local area, I've noticed WalMart's and Best Buy's now checking ages prior to selling "M" rated games. Was this the solution, that we've been waiting for this whole time? Not the industry problem, but the point of sale solution to make sure the games, get to the intended audience as it were.
3. It seems 'shoot em ups' have taken the brunt of the attacks regarding youth acting out in violence and they happened to play brand X games. Do you feel it's just ignorance, that they don't look at the larger picture?? Playing a golf simulator doesn't make me a better golfer. Playing a skateboarding game, doesn't make me a better skater. There's still a vast difference in using your keyboard and mouse to shoot and pulling a trigger on a 8 pound shotgun.
4.Some games are being specifically targetted like GTA-San Andreas for the "Hot Coffee" code that was left on the CD, but other games that have highly detailed rendered breasts (God of War) and simulated (non-seen) sexual content and the older Leisure Suit Larry, with the uncensored Euro version don't come up in any of these media reports. Do you feel the media picks and chooses its sides and doesn't really investigate a story fully enough to understand the news before they report it?
5. Do you feel it's the parent's job to shelter their kids from these types of games?
[/ QUOTE ]
If you can think of any other questions, you'd like me to ask feel free to shoot em here.
It's US centric in places, with the ESRB, Walmart and Best Buys.
In the UK the BBFC rates games with ages if they are required (just 15 and 18 as far as I know), and PEGI gives iconic descriptions of the content.
From ELPSA:
In the UK, age ratings for computer and video games are determined by a two-tier system that works within voluntary European guidelines known as PEGI and the mandatory BBFC regulations as determined by the Video Recordings Act of 1984.
The voluntary PEGI system is one of the most robust in Europe and, in terms of rating criteria, is the strictest. It is supported by the entire value chain from software developer and hardware manufacturer through to publisher, distributor and retailer.
"Shoot'em up" is a genre that includes titles like R-Type and Ikaruga. You probably mean "shooter" which includes pretty much any game that involves shooting .
I'd add "Do you feel that the ESRB's system is confusing? The letter 'M' isn't associated with the age of 17 in the public mind, would you think that a numeric rating (writing 17+ instead of M) would be more effective?"
You could ask about to comparing KDRs suggestion of 17+ instead of M with the UK rating of 18 which uses the exact same logo as 18 films. This is already well known to the public.
Also, do the public in different countries have different perceptions to the content? No-one in Europe gave a damn about the sex in San Andreas, but the US was *PORTRAYED* as having a serious issue (like the Janet nipple thing).
Hrmm.. now the hard part I got no more contacts wit da hookup, like I had with Threewave and GameAdmins.com, it's been so long most my old contacts have moved on, should I just send the requests to those company's main email address and hope it gets to the right people?
Replies
It seems to me that the National Institute on Media and the Family wants to tone it down. Where Mr. Thompson wants to go all dictatorship on everybody and start demanding and controlling everything.
Funny stuff.
He makes sensationalist claims and puts forward ridiculous lawsuits, and I'm fairly sure he's insane.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_(attorney)
i first learned who he was when he got howard stern banned off the radio in a few states shortly after september 11th.
from what i gather, he has developed quite the taste for the public's attention; and from his recent antics i'd say an addiction for the limelight.
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/IBT1.htm
if you can bring yourself to watch it, wait a few mins until the old guy in the beginning is done with his boring and retarded introduction*. I still dont really know what its about after having watched bits of it, but its obvious that thompson is a hardcore christian.
soooo in the name of the lord, enjoy the movie.
*quote: [ QUOTE ]
"the gentleman (thompson) was driving his car in miami listening to the radio and then...and now get this, the dj of the radio station, the dj...actually...over the radio.. solicited young people, young kids, to come to the radio station to engage in homosexual................sex. Now HE COULD HARDLY BELIEVE IT. Did he... hear it correctly???? So he decided to get his recorder and record it. And yes, he heard correctly."
[/ QUOTE ]
He smells money and is willing to make up just about anything to take blame off of individuals and thier parents and place it on the makers of voilent games.
[/ QUOTE ]
No. Hes not. Its a bit more complicated than that. His actions are not rational for someone trying to gather money. In short, I believe he may be need some psychriatric help.
He should be pittied, and given empathy. Not hounded, and made fun of.
Following the Flores case Thompson became prominently involved in First Amendment issues, particularly concerning the possible effects of sexually violent material. The Florida Supreme Court ordered that he undergo psychiatric testing during this campaign, which he successfully passed. He later quipped that this made him one of the few sane lawyers working in the state. What specific events or statements prompted the court to require testing, and on what grounds, is unknown.
oh wait!! ijust got a great idea for a game!!
the kids will love it.
The sound more like those from someone with a anxiety disorder almost coming to the point of being schizophrenic desperately trying to find something anything to be able to grasp.
BTW schizophrenia gets worse with age. So where he could have passed that test before...
But yeah, that's what he's all about. I think it's time someone put a likeness of the man in a videogame frankly o_o
well, there we go. He passed his psychiatric test.
[/ QUOTE ]
Leon alias Michael Jackson : Which of us is really crazy?
Homer : NOT me, I've got this! [shows his NOT INSANE certificate].
/jzero
http://www.penny-arcade.com/news.php?date=2005-10-17
Now we know who the real heros are.. 1 skinny lanky dude, and one balding fat one.
The simmering controversy over anti-game crusader Jack Thompson's controverisal $10,000 donation offer took an ugly turn this morning. The Miami attorney has tried to enlist the efforts of the Seattle Police Department in a dust-up with gamer website Penny Arcade.
In a letter faxed to Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske (left), Thompson says, in part, "A Seattle business by the name of Penny Arcade... employs certain personnel who have decided to commence and orchestrate criminal harassment of me by various means... This company has done this because I dared to go on CBS's 60 Minutes in March and again in July to explain a wrongful death lawsuit I have brought on behalf of two police officers and a police dispatcher in Fayette, Alabama, who were shot in the head and killed by Devin Moore who obsessively trained on Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to kill them."
"As you may know, this incredibly violent Rockstar Games product is actually a 'cop-killing' murder simulator. There are a bunch of computer geeks out there who think that the video game industry has a constitutional right to paint a bullseye on your back and on your officers' backs... That is what this criminal harassment of me by Penny Arcade is all about. They're even selling an 'I Hate Jack Thompson' t-shirt, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. These idiots have been so careless as to post on their www.pennyarcade.com web site what they are doing regarding the harassment of me."
"I look forward to working with your fine Police Department to shut this little extortion factory down and/or arrest some of its employees."
This latest controversy is part and parcel to a complicated dispute over Thompson's bizarre offer to donate $10K to charity provided that a developer create and distribute a violent game of Thompson's specification in which the victims were industry executives and their families.
GP is seeking comment from the folks at Penny Arcade, but given the East Coast-West Coast time differential, it's likely they haven't even rolled into Starbucks yet. We'll add anything we hear from them. We'll also add any comment we are able to get from SPD, although Thompson's complaint wouldn't seem likely to be high on their priority list. And anyway, their investigation will likely be hindered by the fact that Thompson's letter provides the wrong URL for Penny Arcade.
By the way, the Penny Arcade case is not the first time the volatile attorney has tried to sic the gendarmes on a game site.
This man is a hypocritical holier than thou christian fundamentalist sack of shit. He's out to win no matter the cost, with the bible in his hand. So I doubt he'll shut his mouth anytime soon. Jesus didn't play video games, so you're all going to hell!
Let us all pray, that by the hands of god, Jackass Thompson dies.
(that last sentence is in reference to what he wishes on his opponents in past interviews)
[ QUOTE ]
Jack Thompson in an email to Gamespot
"The moral midgets like the computer geeks at Penny Arcade think that I am some sort of pixelated pi
Jack was on CNN tonight to talk about Midways new football game. Like I said in my news post above , this is why Jack is scary. Because he has no fucking clue what hes talking about yet they put him on CNN to talk as though he was an expert. This is a quote from him:
"The NFL wouldn't allow it's name to be used, so that tells you something."
He doesnt understand that EA purchased the rights to NFL games and that Midways new game is a direct response to that. Like I said before the time for ignoring this coot is over. He cant be allowed to pull this kind of shit anymore.
-Gabe out
[/ QUOTE ]www.penny-arcade.com
The Miracle continues...
I'd think that your average local police give a little bit of discerning thought before sending out officers to arrest web comics creators on unspecified charges, based on, of all things, a fax from the other side of the country. Oh, wait -- he's a LAWYER. At least, I don't think most local cops want to get up and go through the bother -- and paperwork -- of arresting someone because someone alleges... uh... what did that fax say again?
My favorite three credibility strikes Thompson has against him:
1. He says that the DC area snipers John Allen Muhammad and Lee Malvo used Halo to train for sniping -- despite the fact that Muhammad was a Gulf War vet with an Expert rating on the M-16.
2. He was just on CNN saying that the NFL wanted nothing to do with Midway's "Blitz: The League", because of the violence and corruption depicted in the story and play style. When in fact, the reason the game was made that way was because of EA's exclusive NFL license.
3. He thinks he can call the cops across the country by fax and have people arrested when they say mean things about him.
Don't bother getting Jack a shovel, he's busy digging his own grave with his mouth. Whoopee!
/jzero
I find it funny that he doesn't even seem to know Penny Arcade's web address.
Upstaging him? "I think we can all agree that young kids should not play violent videogames. I think we can also agree that they should not watch violent movies or read pornographic magazines. Thats a job for parents not Jack Thompson." -- Mike K.
That stuff sells itself. Come on, Jack, it's lecture tour time! Penny Arcade vs. Jack Thompson Grudge Match Debate 2005! Get Vince McMahon on the damn phone already!
/jzero
I'm going to create a new site, just registered it called
http://www.gamesmademe.com
it's going to be a user based site with hopefully links to congress/senator links and articles to support the game industry. Possibly articles with game devs and industry leaders as well as any government officials willing to speak to us..
It will also include user submitted parody. User submitted info like:
Mario made me a better plumber.
Tetris made me a master truck loader.
BF2 made me a jet pilot.
Wing Commander taught me to fly spaceships.
Grand Theft Auto taught me the FBI really does care
GTA made me a better driver and you can steal any car but if you steal a taxi or an ambulance you have to drive really fast to make the fair
(and other things that games show with real world equivalents and the ignorance of the comparison.)
And I'll hopefully be draw some comics to correspond with them.
Updated articles from the gaming industry regarding these ludicrous allegations and the ingnorance of our elected officials and these lawyers that are insane.
Here's my previous article from gameadmins.com a few years back that I will need to be updating as well.
http://www.gameadmins.co...;pa=showpage&pid=32
It was David Grossman then Lieberman, now Jack Thompson... any ideas and suggestions welcomed.
Dictionary, so he can look up the meaning of words.
Thesaurus, so he can find other words that mean harassment, and punch up his letters.
2 rocks, so he can rub them together and hopefully get a spark of an idea and see he is destroying his own case by acting like a 2 year old.
For a lawyer, he sure doesn't know much about lawyering... I keep waiting for him to reply with "LOLZ ROFLMAOWHIMP STFU NUBLET!!!11one".
ROFLMAOWHIMP = With-Hamters-In-My-Pants
or dave chapelle to go kill some cows because he thinks they're the taurens from wow.
or those countless other people who are constantly under the media spotlight, play games and have yet to go on murderous rampages. you know they're going to, jack thompson said so.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20051019-5458.html
excerpt
The threats then escalated. Jack then faxed a letter to the Seattle Police Department claiming that Penny Arcade was "criminally harassing" him, and urging the arrest of "this little extortion factory".
At this point, the nerds swung into action. Penny Arcade forum members wrote, edited and sent letters and faxes to the Florida Bar Association detailing Thompson's activities and urging the review of his license to practice law. Jack Thompson has already received a reprimand by the FBA for his antics in 1998, and according to a spokesperson, the letters and faxes have been received and forwarded to the disciplinary committee.
Already, other activists against video game violence are starting to distance themselves from Jack Thompson. Earlier this month, the National Institute on Media and the Family wrote a letter to Jack, asking him to remove the link to their organization from his web site. While Mr. Thompson's fifteen minutes of fame may be waning, the issue of violence in video games remains a hot topic.
http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=27089
I guess being investigated by the FBA and knowing you will more than likely be disbarred or reprimanded again, forces you to rethink your time tables. "Lets see, try to squeeze out some cash now, or wait until I am disbarred and die a penniless wretch..." Tough call Jack, tough call. At least your in it for the kids I hear another ambulace coming, get ready to chase this one, you might catch it this time.
http://www.gamesmademe.com
Enjoy..
And you may like these:
http://gr.bolt.com/articles/violence/violence.htm
http://www.theesa.com/facts/games_youth_violence.php
Good luck with it though. I hope it not only entertains, but also creates some sort of change.
I really think you have something good with this site. I like the concept. You may want to offer up a community submital. Maybe post those seperate from you're own work.
Good luck with it though. I hope it not only entertains, but also creates some sort of change.
[/ QUOTE ]
I'm working on that too; there's a submittal place in the forums, but still need a form of some kind would be easier, agreed.
If anyone has any information on some multinational stuff, I'd be more then happy to add it to the site. It's still really bare at the moment. I'm hoping to add more content and hopefully some interviews with some industry folk.. possibly.
[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe just put a head on that section:
What you can do
USA Readers
-Senator
-Congress
International Readers
-Details, or a Send me info! request.
I ended up having a comic site and a blog site for all the article type stuff I'm hoping to add.. Let me know whatchoo all think.
Dek
You should think of a good one for GTA just to counter Mr Thompson. Unfortunately I can't think of one right now that would be helpful towards your cause
GTA taught me that prostitutes keep me healthy!
[ QUOTE ]
1. Has the recent media attention given to the whole "Hot Coffee" incident in combination with the latest Jack Thompson ramblings, changed any of the procedures/policies within your organization.
2. The ESRB Ratings are on every game, do you feel that is enough? In my local area, I've noticed WalMart's and Best Buy's now checking ages prior to selling "M" rated games. Was this the solution, that we've been waiting for this whole time? Not the industry problem, but the point of sale solution to make sure the games, get to the intended audience as it were.
3. It seems 'shoot em ups' have taken the brunt of the attacks regarding youth acting out in violence and they happened to play brand X games. Do you feel it's just ignorance, that they don't look at the larger picture?? Playing a golf simulator doesn't make me a better golfer. Playing a skateboarding game, doesn't make me a better skater. There's still a vast difference in using your keyboard and mouse to shoot and pulling a trigger on a 8 pound shotgun.
4.Some games are being specifically targetted like GTA-San Andreas for the "Hot Coffee" code that was left on the CD, but other games that have highly detailed rendered breasts (God of War) and simulated (non-seen) sexual content and the older Leisure Suit Larry, with the uncensored Euro version don't come up in any of these media reports. Do you feel the media picks and chooses its sides and doesn't really investigate a story fully enough to understand the news before they report it?
5. Do you feel it's the parent's job to shelter their kids from these types of games?
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If you can think of any other questions, you'd like me to ask feel free to shoot em here.
In the UK the BBFC rates games with ages if they are required (just 15 and 18 as far as I know), and PEGI gives iconic descriptions of the content.
From ELPSA:
In the UK, age ratings for computer and video games are determined by a two-tier system that works within voluntary European guidelines known as PEGI and the mandatory BBFC regulations as determined by the Video Recordings Act of 1984.
The voluntary PEGI system is one of the most robust in Europe and, in terms of rating criteria, is the strictest. It is supported by the entire value chain from software developer and hardware manufacturer through to publisher, distributor and retailer.
http://www.elspa.com/rating/
I'd add "Do you feel that the ESRB's system is confusing? The letter 'M' isn't associated with the age of 17 in the public mind, would you think that a numeric rating (writing 17+ instead of M) would be more effective?"
Also, do the public in different countries have different perceptions to the content? No-one in Europe gave a damn about the sex in San Andreas, but the US was *PORTRAYED* as having a serious issue (like the Janet nipple thing).
/shrug..