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Games Entertainment

Thompson's (Mostly) Polite Interview 96

Posted by Zonk from the so-close dept.
Pluvius writes "For the past few weeks, gaming website Netjak has corresponded with infamous anti-video-game lawyer Jack Thompson in reference to his well-publicized proposal to donate money to a charity if someone created a violent game in which a grieving father murdered members of the video-game industry. This has culminated in an interview in which the unusually cordial attorney gives surprisingly viable reasons for not following through on his donation after such a game was created. Unfortunately, Thompson doesn't quite make it to the end of the interview without taking at least one cheap shot towards gamers: '[P]ut down the controller and get a life. Video gaming is an escapist activity and you're being exploited by these companies. It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would play Grand Theft Auto for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside.'"
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Thompson's (Mostly) Polite Interview More

Thompson's (Mostly) Polite Interview

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  • ...where they can be exposed the horrors in real life. The is Art imitating Life. There might not be a game that represents a grieving father killing his family, but in some parts of the real world it doesn't even qualify as news.
    • Isn't the whole "going outside" what caused all these problems in the first place? If the kids would have stayed inside they would have never done their crimes, thus "Jack" would have nothing to complain about
  • "I worry about someone who would play Grand Theft Auto for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside." So if I play nothing but GTA I'll grow hair on my palms and/or go blind?

  • Better (Score:5, Funny)

    by voice_of_all_reason ( 926702 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @10:50AM (#14463815)
    It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would play Grand Theft Auto for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside.'"

    It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would beleive in a magic sky-deity. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the bible and went outside.'"

    Fixed
    • Hah! Beautiful.

      Seriously, the only real problem I see with this Jack Thompson character is that he thinks it's his place to decide what's appropriate for other parents' children.

      It's not his place to decide what is appropriate for others. The only people whose place it is to decide what's appropriate for a child are that child's legal guardians. Jack should stop sticking his nose into other people's business and start minding his own.

      In fact, one could say that his desire to insert himself into other peo

      • Re:ewwww (Score:1, Funny)

        by Anonymous Coward
        re:"one could say that his desire to insert himself into other people's affairs is a masturbatory activity"

        That sounds pretty disgusting actually.

        I don't think the words "masturbatory" and "insert" should be used in reference to Jack Thompson in the same paragraph. At least, not when I just had lunch.

        Seriously - ew.

  • So what? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by the computer guy nex ( 916959 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @10:50AM (#14463816)
    "Video gaming is an escapist activity "

    Absolutely. Going out to the movies and reading books are also espacist activities. Life is work, and people need escapist activites to stay sane. No one wants to hear about the real world 24/7, because in reality the real world is harsh and cutthroat.

    Video games let the user enter another world for a healthy stress relief. This is no different than watching Lord of the Rings or reading the latest Tom Clancy novel.

    The question isn't if Video Games negatively affects the user in real life, but rather what would that person do in real life without video games? I'm guessing not everyone would be out gardening or street sweeping.
    • '[P]ut down the book and get a life. Reading is an escapist activity and you're being exploited by these publishers. It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would read for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the book and went outside.'

      '[P]ut down the and get a life. is an escapist activity and you're being exploited by these . It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be bette
    • "Video gaming is an escapist activity "

      Absolutely. Going out to the movies and reading books are also espacist activities.>
      Mr. Thompson would only want you to go see the good movies and read the good books.

  • So? (Score:2, Funny)

    by Daxster ( 854610 )
    It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside.

    But even if the teenagers/youth aren't playing the game, they're still masturbatory.

  • Yeah, cheap shot... (Score:5, Insightful)

    by millia ( 35740 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @10:54AM (#14463854) Homepage
    Yes, it's a cheap shot.
    Yes, he's a loathsome person, and his tactics are sleazy.
    Yes, he's almost always wrong.

    However, he's closer to right with that last comment. Balance is an important thing in life. I wouldn't refer to gaming as 'masturbatory' perhaps, at least if goals are possible, but having a sense of perspective about leisure pursuits is valuable.

    IMHO.

    Of course, this comment could be just being made to rationalize why the wife won't let me play PGR3 for 5 hours a night.
    • To an extent, any effort not directly devoted to getting yourself laid is masturbatory. The interesection of 'getting yourself laid' and 'gaming' is bound to be pretty small.
    • There's your mistake right there: Instead of something less forgiving like PGR3, try one of the Burnout games. My wife and I can easily spend a couple hours playing that together, laughing like little children at all the wanton destruction we've created.

    • I wouldn't refer to gaming as 'masturbatory' perhaps, at least if goals are possible, but having a sense of perspective about leisure pursuits is valuable.

      Why not refer to it as 'masturbatory'? Thompson is just showing his puritan roots. He thinks masturbation is dirty. I know Woody Allen isn't the guy to quote when we're talking about saving the children, but...

      Hey, don't knock masturbation. It's sex with someone I love.
      --Woody Allen

      Might not have the quote verbatim, but I'm quite close at

    • However, he's closer to right with that last comment. Balance is an important thing in life

      Yes, and that's why I spend 40 hours a week at work, not counting the 2 hours of travel-time that requires a 15-minute walk (going to and from work).

      Besides, an "average" person has weekends off, and there are not as many volunteer organizations that are open on those days. Likewise, there are some people who are on nights - on their days off, they don't have access to volunteer operations (as most places are clos

  • fanatics (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Tachikoma ( 878191 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @10:54AM (#14463855)
    Fanatics in general are disturbing. I feel, like the RIAA, his efforts are futile. I don't believe legislation is the solution to social problems.

  • Wow, Jack Thomson is right! (Score:4, Insightful)

    by MobyDisk ( 75490 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @10:54AM (#14463857) Homepage
    I worry about someone who would play Grand Theft Auto for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside.'"
    He's kinda right on this one. This isn't the case fo all video gamers, but it probably is for the ones who do play 10 hours a day. Especially now that video games <==> marketing. A certain amount of video gaming has become like mainstream reality TV. Boorish, unintelligent, and laden with ads. Jack's problem is that he can't distinguish those from the artistic intelligent games played by more moderate gamers.
    • He is not saying anything new nor original. We all know everything in excess is harmful.

      What's ironic is that his excessive, fanatic crusade is harmful for him too, and THAT he won't acknowledge.

    • Boorish, unintelligent, and laden with ads.

      If someone enjoys them, does it matter? Since when does entertainment have to be deep and intelligent?

      I play a variety of games, some of which would be described as "unintelligent", but there are times that mindless diversions are much more enjoyable. I play maybe, maybe, 10 or 15 hours a week- an hour a night during the week to unwind after work, more on the weekends (part of that is WoW), and I know that what I'm doing is just for entertainment. I would

    • I love how he calls gaming a "masturbatory activity." I mean... isn't doing ANYTHING you like a masturbatory activity? Watching your favourite movie for the 34th time could be considered masturbatory. Reading a great fiction book could be considered masturbatory.

      Hell, using his reason, whacking off at night (or, for the less nerdy-types, consensual sex) could be considered masturbatory.

      jack thompson has some valid points. I agree that some games shouldn't be marketed towards children. but at the same time,
    • It may very well be unhealthy. Where I take issue with such a statement is that he's making it his life's goal to make such a thing impossible, rather than just telling people that it's unhealthy. This is far past the line that he should not be crossing.

  • Color me shocked. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by MindStalker ( 22827 ) <mindstalker AT gmail DOT com> on Friday January 13, 2006 @10:55AM (#14463861) Journal
    Other than the last responce the rest of his interview was quite surprisingly well spoken and reasonable. One can only assume that recent disbarment hearings have had an effect on his brashness. I can definatly agree to him that Take-Two should not be marketing towards minors, but in all honestly I can't recall them doing so and would love to see examples of such.
    • Other than the last responce the rest of his interview was quite surprisingly well spoken and reasonable.
      Using "terrorist" in conjunction with Penny Arcade and assuming that any action taken by anybody familiar with the site must have been coordinated by Tycho and Gabe doesn't really strike me as reasonable.

      The tone is different than some of his other speech, but it's still full of scare words and low on actual content. At least this interview makes it easier to see what his perspective is (even if it do

    • I can definitely agree with him that Take-Two should not be marketing towards minors, but in all honestly I can't recall them doing so and would love to see examples of such.

      I believe he feels violent games are marketed to children in the same way that cigarettes aren't: by having ads for them on television. He'll push to ban televised game ads and restrict game advertising to adult print media.

      Then expect a series of anti-gaming ads to come out similar to the anti-smoking ads. Rebuttal ads will either b
    • I would be interested to know if this was a write in interview format or a more spontaneous Q&A over the phone or something. Thompson was on local talk radio beating the drum against video games a few months ago. This was whe case that Judge Roy Moore revoked his right to practice in Alabama for that particular case.

      He spoke fairly well when he had a caller who denounced video games. When an opposing viewpoint or heathen gamer called in, Thompson launched into a screaming hissy-fit interrupting the
      • It was over the phone according to Rick Healey himself, who I Internet-know. The only thing he mentioned to me specifically about the unedited phone call was that it took Thompson forever to say the word "masturbatory."

        Rob
  • The man is right, you know. We all should put down those videogames and study law. Then when we grow up we can spend our time contructively by finding something other people like to do and rage a political war against it. A few generations of that and we'll have a society where no time is wasted and everyone is either working or sleeping. Just picture what a great world that would be.

  • This guy knows nothing of cause and effect (Score:3)

    by Irish_Samurai ( 224931 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @10:57AM (#14463888)
    However, Take-Two's stock has taken a serious hit over the past year. Now the damage is obvious, and the audience is more receptive.

    So, since I stirred up all of this trouble for you and now hold stock in your company, I would like to point out the error of your ways. This is ridiculous, this is a shakedown.
    • Exactly. Can you say Conflict of Interest, Johnny? Of course you can. But, buying stock in companies you despise so you can have meetings with their shareholders and hear yourself speak is a mastubatory activity. Those that engage in such should close their mouths and get a real life. Like the ones gamers have, preferably.
    • Take Two's stock taking a big hit wouldn't have anything to do with that fact that they _didn't_ release a new GTA title for the PS2 this year?

      Stuff all the arguments about the morality, but any company whose income level goes through the floor (because hardly anyone bought The Warriors in comparison to the millions of copies of San Andreas the previous year) should EXPECT their share price to fall.
      • You make a very interesting point. I thought the decision to make a game off the Warriors franchise was a mistake. It is completely irrelevant to most of the gamers today. These kids had never heard of the movie before the game was announced, and after they thought it was some lame ass concept.

        The target market was too small.

        But Jack fanning the flames didn't help either, and to take a position on the board to criticise a company for a problem you augmented is kind of idiotic.

  • So what (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Profcrab ( 903077 )
    His potshot at gamers is irrelevant to the entire scope of his assault on game makers. Regardless of what sort of activity gaming is, escapist, masterbatory or otherwise, it is the choice of gamers to do it. Making snide comments towards gamers just shows more of the cheap, petty, 6th grade personality of Jack Thompson. He will fail because he cant restrain himself from showing his true inner person. That inner person is mean spirited and pathetic.

  • Weaselling out (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday January 13, 2006 @11:04AM (#14463949)

    I stated that the game had to come out in 2006. I specifically said 2006 because I wanted to see a real game made, not an amateur one.

    And who decides what's "real" and what's "amateur"? If you can install and play it, it counts as real to me, but I think Jack Thompson is using his own private definition of "real" that doesn't coincide with the conventional definition.

    So basically, no matter what anybody does, he's going to move the goalposts so that whatever he defines as "real" is not met. It's already happened once; he made the claim, somebody took him up on it, and now he's claiming it's not "real" (for some value of real). If somebody releases a better game this year, he'll say that it hasn't had enough marketing to be a "real" game. If somebody markets it, he'll say that it didn't sell as many copies as GTA, so it's not a "real" game. Because he controls what counts as "real", he can continue moving the goalposts so that no matter what anybody does, his criteria will never be fulfilled.

    And what does the release date have to do with whether the game is "real" or not? It's a red herring designed to distract you from the main point.

    I also explicitly stated that it must be a company producing the game. I mean, anyone in a garage can throw together something vaguely game-like easily.

    A perfect example. If you can play it, it's a game. Not "something vaguely game-like" - an actual, real game.

    That's not what I want

    Tough, it's what you asked for. Now you're playing semantic games to try and make it sound like you asked for something else. It's not working.

    I find it very telling that, when asked what he thought about the $10,000 donation to charity, he couldn't bring himself to admit that it was a good thing, and instead chose to complain that it wasn't really made in his name. So much for his "Christian obligations".


    • So basically, no matter what anybody does, he's going to move the goalposts so that whatever he defines as "real" is not met.

      Exactly...what needs to be done is this:
      • A group of designers needs to form a corporation (it's easy, and it's one of Jack's requirements).
      • Said corporation needs to produce the game to jack's requirements (a standalone game, not an add-on or mod to an existing game) and release it by the end of 2006.
      • Said corporation also needs to charge for said game (this is important). It doesn't ma
      • Nice post, just want to say that I'd never buy "his" game. I refuse to play his petty little games, and so should all other gamers. To be honest I think it'd be great if websites just stopped reporting on him, maybe censor out his name too. I wonder how much "justice" he'd be dealing out if everyone just ignored him.

        • I wonder how much "justice" he'd be dealing out if everyone just ignored him.

          In a perfect world, everyone would be able to see through Jack's shenanigans and ignore him accordingly. The problem is: it's not a perfect world...not by a long shot.

          We've been trying the 'ignore the troll, and he'll eventually get bored and leave' strategy for a while now, and the fact is, Jack is still around. Ignoring him isn't going to do the trick, because there are enough fundies, misled individuals, and just plain idiots o
    • Has anyone actually played this game? Is it any good? I mean, if I asked for x to be made and it is really crappy...I wouldn't pay for it either. Maybe he will do what you say and just keep raising the bar...but I would be curious to see the game before I condemn him on this.
    • I think if a corporation made a game, spent money promoting it (like
      getting coverage in major gaming magazines and websites), got the
      product packaged and sold at $50 per box in brick and mortar gaming
      stores (at least in the US but really globally) then it would be very
      hard for this Thomson guy to claim it is not a real game. Anything short
      could legitimately be called an amateur attempt.
      Basically he calims that the gaming industry would not target itself, so
      it is reasonable for him to ask for a serious devel

  • Okay, that's actually coherent... (Score:4, Interesting)

    by david.given ( 6740 ) <dg@cowlark.com> on Friday January 13, 2006 @11:08AM (#14463995) Homepage Journal
    ...but what it really shows is that he's drastically misinformed. He doesn't know about games, he doesn't know about game technology, he doesn't know about game culture.

    For example, his comment about a game needing to be written 'by a company'. He says that anyone can knock something up in a garage. Well, Darwinia was one of the best games to come out last year and was knocked up in a garage; Counterstrike started life as a purely amateur project. By his logic, neither of these are real games.

    I think Thompson's fundamental issue is that when he looks at something, he sees what he expects to see, not what he actually looks at. From what little information I can find about Bully, it's the exact opposite of what he says it is --- it's all about standing up to the bullies and defeating them. But he wants it to be evil, so that's what he sees...

    Actually, I suspect he should see a psychiatrist, not because there's anything wrong now, but because this might blow up into something more serious later. He may also have borderline paranoid tendencies. The way he's being harrassed by PA and Slashdot weenies probably isn't helping, either.

    • What you said...

      From what little information I can find about Bully, it's the exact opposite of what he says it is --- it's all about standing up to the bullies and defeating them.

      And what Jack said...

      I'm also going to bring up Bully, which is a revenge fantasy and a murder simulator. The setting is Columbine.

      The two kids from Columbine weren't bullies. They were lashing out at the people who had picked on them. I don't think he's completely accurate, but he's certainly not the exact opposite.
    • There's no money in going after a group of teenagers who are accomplishing something on their own. There's too much sympathy for those teens if he goes after them. "Next on the news, Jack Thompson attempts to censor local teens!" just doesn't make him sound positive. "Next on the news, Jack Thompson goes after corrupt gaming company" works much better for his goal of self-promotion. So, yes, in his mind, games have to be made by companies. If they aren't then they aren't suitable for his needs.
    • It so happen's that my mother has a doctorate is psychology, and I would actually recommend that Jack Thompson and others with personal issues rather see a psychologist. A lot of people may not know the difference, but psychologists deal with your problems by talking about it while psychiatrists generally deal with your problems by prescribing drugs.

  • A True Endorsement (Score:5, Funny)

    by bateleur ( 814657 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @11:13AM (#14464039)
    It's a masturbatory activity

    I'm pretty much in favour of masturbation too, Jack. The only reason I don't do that for ten hours straight is...

    Oh, he hung up.
  • First, I don't agree that his reasons are viable, but that's actually beside the point.

    What this man is doing is holding money hostage from charity. Had he simply given the money away alongside his "satirical" proposal, it might have been something admirable. What he's doing is saying that he has the money and will give it to the sick kids or educational software creaters or whomever, but not until his demands are met.

    Whether you agree with his justification for ponying up or not, that's fucking despicabl
  • Is there any hobby that is not an escapist activity? If you go with a loose definition, an escapist activity describes anything that lets you escape reality.
    • Running
    • Television
    • Books
    • Woodworking
    • Football
    • Video Games

    All of these let you get away and forget the evils of the world, why is it that Jack wars against just video games? The content of the medium is no worse than books, television, radio, or movies.

  • Go Outside? (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Karem Lore ( 649920 )
    Well we would go outside if:

    a) There was fun things to do.
    b) That didn't cost an arm and a leg (or at least costs more than I am prepared to pay for such entertainment)
    c) It was safe from muggers, rapists, paedophiles and generaly dangerous people.
    d) That I didn't risk getting run over when stepping out my front door.

    Going outside (bar the healthy excercise aspect) is just another class of comercial organisations getting money out of you: drinks, snacks, food, skateboards, bikes, transport etc. etc. It is
    • I would go out more if I didn't have to deal with religious assholes who think that an omnipotent and omniscient man in the clouds above our heads is telling them to tell me what I can and/or cannot do with my life.r
  • I have to debate the fact that the games in question are intentionally marketed to children. Publishers can advise the retailers all they want to not sell the game to minors, however, there will always be that one guy at EB, Rhino or elsewhere that thinks he'll be "cool" and let the kid buy it. Or the parents or grandparents will buy it for the child. Could the retailer advise the customer of the content? Yes. Will they? No. It's a sale, and the parent should be researching that aspect.

    • Re:For children? (Score:2, Informative)

      by tdsotf ( 316796 )
      I considered modding you up with my last mod point, but I disagree with your last statement about retailers.

      When I went to buy San Andreas at Target, I was informed it was a mature game and was even carded (mind you, I'm 31 and balding :). When I went to buy Liberty City Stories at Kiddie City, I was informed that it was definately not a game for kids and I pretty much had to reassure the guy behind the counter the game was indeed for me.

      If retailers had let kids buy mature rated games in the past, I don'
      • I believe there are some responsible retrailers (as I was when I worked in a store that sold video games, comics, etc.). However, I still believe that a few workers here and there may let it slide.
  • "I worry about someone who would play Grand Theft Auto for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity..."

    How the hell does Jack know that I masturbate while I play GTA for 10 hours!

  • Same old crap. (Score:3, Insightful)

    by sc0ttyb ( 833038 ) * on Friday January 13, 2006 @12:24PM (#14464749)
    Yes, put down the controller and get a life. Video gaming is an escapist activity and you're being exploited by these companies. It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would play Grand Theft Auto for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside.

    That statement RIGHT THERE tells me that he's not on some moral quest, he doesn't give a fuck about our well-being, and he thinks we're all losers. He hates games and gamers. Period. Is it impossible to enjoy games and not have a life? Of course not. Gaming, like any hobby, can be done in moderation or taken to extremes. You can take his response, replace "controller" and "play Grand Theft Auto" with other items from various hobbies, and viola -- there's your attack. "I don't understand your entertainment choices and their associated culture, so I'll insult them and you!"

    You know, some folks who play games have steady jobs, own houses, pay bills... Hell, they can even get married and be great parents, include games in their children's lives, and sometimes they even *gasp* PLAY THOSE GAMES WITH THEM!

    I wonder if he holds kids going hunting with their dads in the same light.

  • Kiss Running With Scissors Good-Bye (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    January 12, 2006

    His Excellency Yuri Ushakov

    Russian Federation Ambassador to the United States

    Embassy of the Russian Federation

    2650 Wisconsin Ave., NW

    Washington, D.C. Via email and fax to 202-298-5735

    Re: Knife Attack in Moscow Synagogue Allegedly Inspired by Violent American Video Game, Postal 2

    Dear Ambassador Ushakov:

    I am an expert, recognized as such in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, and elsewhere, as to the disturbing nexus between violent video game play and real-wo

  • "Video gaming is an escapist activity"

    "You will be the one escaping!"
  • This man is delusional. There is absolutely nothing coherent about this interview, and he's far from polite. He's toned it down, and he's not totally fucking flipping out at the interviewer, but he's still the same crackpot.

    The shots he takes at PA are just ridiculous. He's attributing far more to "Gabe" and "Tycho" than they're even capable of. He's obviously extremely paranoid.

    Lord knows why people pay any attention to extremists of all sorts. Haven't we better things to do?

    • No, he's polite. You don't have to be rooted in reality or non-inflammatory to be polite.

      "Nice weather out, isn't it? I guess those arch-capitalist Jews have decided to give us some reprieve from their anti-poor hurricane creator, thank goodness."

      Rob
  • He suffers from the same view that makes me unable to put up with most conservatives and christians. Despite my typically liberal (democrat) views I think it is honestly going to keep me from voting for Hillary in the coming election (and dont act like she isnt going to run) to.

    He thinks that its ok to censor what other people do. As if by putting all of these restrictions on video games he can push ALL of the gamers into quiting this horrible habit and make them go outside and do "normal things. This
    • Actually he stated in this interview (Pretty much in a reversal of all his previous ranting) that all he wanted to do was stop these games getting into the hands of minors.

  • Playing with words are fun. (Score:3, Funny)

    by Rhinobird ( 151521 ) on Friday January 13, 2006 @01:26PM (#14465388) Homepage

    Here's a game of MadLibs:

    Start with:

    "Put down the controller and get a life. Video gaming is an escapist activity and you're being exploited by these companies. It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would play Grand Theft Auto for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside."


    and replace references to video games with television:
    "Put down the TV, and get a life. Watching TV is an escapist activity and you're being exploited by these companies. It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would watch TV for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the TV and went outside."


    or howabout we change them to literacy references?
    "Put down the book and get a life. Reading is an escapist activity and you're being exploited by these companies. It's not healthy; I worry about someone who would read for ten hours a day. It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the book and went outside."



    See? Isn't that fun?

  • Go outside? What the hell is this man smoking? It's 40 degrees outside and windy which means it's pretty damn cold. I'd sure as hell like him to tell me why he thinks it's so great outdoors and just what he plans to do once he starts freezing his own ass off out there.

    • Go outside? What the hell is this man smoking? It's 40 degrees outside and windy which means it's pretty damn cold. I'd sure as hell like him to tell me why he thinks it's so great outdoors and just what he plans to do once he starts freezing his own ass off out there.

      Actually, 40 degrees and windy is on the painfully hot side.

      Regardless of your choice of temperature scale, there is one extremely big hole in his argument - going outside is considered derelition of duty.

      FYI, the night shift is 12 hours lon

  • "Jack Thompson: Game Informer already has published screen shots of the game, and has done a brief write-up of what's going to be in the game. Nobody can claim that they haven't gone into the game's content; it's already out there. We don't need to play the game; it's irrelevant to the subject. It's going in there, and children shouldn't be playing it."

    Isn't this the same kind of logic that took us to Iraq? We don't need proof of WMDs; it's irrelevant to the subject. I don't mean this as a troll, I mean

  • I'll tell you what, there's more to life than GTA anyway, and he has a point about the extreme cases - though one is left with the impression that he tends to generalize toward the extreme. In any case, the quote above in the blurb isn't exactly what I'd call a cheap shot. There is indeed more to life than GTA and cathode rays. Let's all go out into the big room occasionally, 'k?
  • 'It's a masturbatory activity, and it would be better if people put down the controller and went outside.'

    Funny, that's where I do most of my masturbation.

  • So here it is:

    32_Footsteps: To begin, you stated in your email to me that nobody has met the conditions of the Modest Video Game Proposal. Where, in your opinion, did people go wrong?

    Jack Thompson: Well, first, I stated that the game had to come out in 2006. I specifically said 2006 because I wanted to see a real game made, not an amateur one. I wanted someone to spend the time to properly develop such a game, and then release it. So far, that has not been done.

    Please define "properly"

    I also

  • I read the article and saw numerous quotes that were ripe for refutation (at least in a /. post). At first, it made me think maybe nobody intelligent has truly engaged him before and that he seems reasonable enough to deserve to be challenged properly. Then I remembered that he's just a troll. He pretends that the only challenge he faces is from belligerent and fearful gamers and gaming press because they know he's right. He only pretends to take this high-ground because he is the same way towards reaso

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