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Jack Thompson predicts future, throws temper tantrum
11:30 PM on 03.12.2007, Chad Concelmo 49 comments

Jack Thompson predicts future, throws temper tantrum photo
     Manhunt

In the most unsurprising news of the year, Jack Thompson gets angry about some video games.

The games in question? Take-Two’s upcoming Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. “Cotton Top” Thompson is readying a lawsuit (yes, already) against said publisher that would ban the games from being sold.

Now, I am not saying that Grand Theft Auto IV is going to be all petting kittens and hugging grandmothers, but, come on Jack, how about waiting until March 29th like the rest of us before getting all up in arms?

According to Thompson:

[I want to] prevent the sale of two hyper violent video games set to be released this year and sold to anyone under 17 years of age.

That’s great. How about banning all R-rated movies and violent comic books as well? While you’re at it, how about just throwing all of the amendments out the window like you always so easily do with the 1st one? End rant. Sorry. He just really gets my goat.


Next page: More Jack Thompson stories




BluDesign's Avatar
BluDesign at 03/12/2007 23:34
So, does he not want the games sold period? Or not sold to persons under 17? If it's the latter, duh, that's what the rating is for J Thomp!
Auto Glocktopus's Avatar
Auto Glocktopus at 03/12/2007 23:35
i wonder what jack thompsons friend code is
piestuff's Avatar
piestuff at 03/12/2007 23:44
PWNAGE
HarassmentPanda's Avatar
HarassmentPanda at 03/12/2007 23:47
Thompson seems to want to ban the games from being sold at all, which is what pisses me off. If he just wanted to prevent the sale to minors, fine. I can support that; but don't do it like this.

This a matter that should be handled by legislation. Put together a lobby and get Congress to pass a bill preventing the sale of M-rated games to minors instead of just "recommending" it. Don't ban games entirely.
SuperDave's Avatar
SuperDave at 03/12/2007 23:55
Yeah, if you think you can get GTA IV completely banned Jack, know this: you're going to fail just like you always do because you're a lunatic that doesn't check his facts first. Also know that I will buy a copy of GTA IV when it comes out. I'm not even going to kill anybody even though it's a supposed "murder simulator". Imagine that. As a matter of fact, I played a whole lot of GTA III, Vice City and Liberty City Stories for that matter. I may not be a kid but I know one that knows more about GTA than I do and plays it more than me. He's perfectly normal (aside from being a brat but that's always been the case).

Huh, crazy...

Er...end rant. Sorry.
joeisremy's Avatar
joeisremy at 03/13/2007 00:05
This man need to be stopped
joeisremy's Avatar
joeisremy at 03/13/2007 00:06
This man need to be stopped
tehArtist's Avatar
tehArtist at 03/13/2007 00:13
I guess the days of parental discipline are gone. Let a no good extremist tell you and everyone else whats bad for their kids. Don't force a parent to take responsibility. That would just be blasphemous, no down right apocalyptic....
Mxyzptlk's Avatar
Mxyzptlk at 03/13/2007 00:17
Yeah, good luck with that Jack. It's worked so well every other time you've tried it.
Zaron's Avatar
Zaron at 03/13/2007 00:20
Fuck Jack Thompson
Crunshii's Avatar
Crunshii at 03/13/2007 00:22
this guy trying to make money by this crap again? otherwise someone give him a real PG13-rated slap.
bmdubya's Avatar
bmdubya at 03/13/2007 00:23
I hate Jack Thompson. He has no idea what he is talking about. It makes me mad that no says anything about movies. Has anyone seen 300? A pretty violent movie, kick ass movie, but realyl violent. Yet he wants to ban GTA when there is nothing worse in that then what you see in the news. He must of not been able to beat Mario when he was younger, and thats why he hates video games.
DannyBoy's Avatar
DannyBoy at 03/13/2007 00:24
He should really focus on not being disbarred before he worries about video games.

Oh, and HarassmentPanda, he's tried it before, but like just about every other attempt he's made to censor games, it fell flat on his face.
DannyBoy's Avatar
DannyBoy at 03/13/2007 00:24
^ Goddammit, "its face".
skAnarky's Avatar
skAnarky at 03/13/2007 01:24
I'm not worried, he is a silly fellow. These games will hit the streets, and we shall all rejoice as uaual.
Monte's Avatar
Monte at 03/13/2007 02:33
@HarassmentPanda
"This a matter that should be handled by legislation. Put together a lobby and get Congress to pass a bill preventing the sale of M-rated games to minors instead of just "recommending" it. Don't ban games entirely."

tried and failed, in about 9 different states i believe... everytime those laws pass the commitees they get challanged by the game industry in court and are shot down as unconstitutional, as violations of the 1st and often the 14th amendments... the state then winds up paying hefty 6 digit legal fees. Because they are unconstitutional laws, they are actually just a huge waste of tax payer money.
Farktoid's Avatar
Farktoid at 03/13/2007 02:36
Seems to me like this self-efficacious prick is just pissed off because he missed out on buying stock in video game companies before they started making billions of dollars. Either that, or he just likes to see his dumbass head on things. Can we finally dis-bar this guy for wasting millions of tax dollars? I bet I could have got a few bonus bucks on my tax returns if frivolous lawsuits like his were kicked to the curb the moment they came up.
reytawn's Avatar
reytawn at 03/13/2007 02:39
lol what a fuckin idiot. thats all i have to say.
Diomeneus's Avatar
Diomeneus at 03/13/2007 02:49
this is old news rearing its head again... when we already know the outcome thanks to learning from history its kind of hard to get up in arms and angry about the man... I mean ya he is trying to undo everything about gaming that we love, and I find all hardcore gamers are also hardcore for following hte ERSB ratings on games. Its terribly to find 13 year olds playing GTA.

Sorry jack... your old news. I bet the judge has already gone over all your old cases and is already preparing for your inevitable yet very publisized loss
wardrox's Avatar
wardrox at 03/13/2007 03:29
Not even his own mother likes Jack Thompson
some_dude's Avatar
some_dude at 03/13/2007 03:40
I think he knows he's not gonna win, he's just stirring the pot to get other crazies like himself (who have probably never played a video game) to picket and cry to the heavens about the "poor innocent children"! This guy always goes after Rockstar because he know the media will be watching them as well.

Let be be the first to say (in this thread) that JT is a noob that has been pwned by the legal system! 1st & 14th amendment FTW!!
bleep's Avatar
bleep at 03/13/2007 04:07
@dvddesign

Both!

Dr Hairy Dwarf's Avatar
Dr Hairy Dwarf at 03/13/2007 04:29
Hes on rockstars pay role, get some hyper cock
to drum up interest the release to a larger
audience. A mate of mine use to work for SEGA
New Zealand and when mortal kombat came out on
the megadrive (genesis) he called the censorship
board on himself, sales went through the roof.
Dr Hairy Dwarf's Avatar
Dr Hairy Dwarf at 03/13/2007 04:33
interest then release to a......sorry its late over here
Teamjesus's Avatar
Teamjesus at 03/13/2007 05:30
I so cant wait till I am 17, then I can just buy the games myself or for younger relatives.
Reafis's Avatar
Reafis at 03/13/2007 06:31
I used to agree that this was silly, but tbh some of the stuff nowadays is being made to shock and be offensives rather than being fun and a game.

Given how screwed up society is I am beginning to think games DO play a part now as they get more and more realistic.
Snaileb 's Avatar
Snaileb at 03/13/2007 07:41
Sorry to tell you, but all we have left as an american society IS the first ammendment. Thanx Pres. Bush.
BlindsideDork's Avatar
BlindsideDork at 03/13/2007 08:10
Don't forget all the news casts with violence...
HarassmentPanda's Avatar
HarassmentPanda at 03/13/2007 08:21
@Monte

While I'm sure state legislation that bans video game sales to minors would be unconstitutional, has this been tried on a federal level? It would seem that federal legislation could regulate game sales either through the Commerce Clause or Taxing and Spending Clause; maybe not.
crazywes's Avatar
crazywes at 03/13/2007 09:09
@HarassmentPanda

The fed gov't can't use a private ratings system. MPAA ratings don't even have the force of law backing them. If the theater wanted to let a 8 year old into an R rated movie with out mama then they have every legal right to do so. The 1st and 14th amendments also apply to the federal government no matter how much Dubyah wants to throw them out the window.
DannyBoy's Avatar
DannyBoy at 03/13/2007 09:11
@Harassment Panda:

It's been tried before, when Hillary Clinton supported a law that would ban the sale of all M-rated games to minors (to his credit, Thompson did criticize this bill as being too far in scope - bills written by Thompson try to incorporate the Supreme Court's own definition of obscene).

The federal government would have to deal with the same 1st Amendment obsacles as the states would, except it would be a lot more direct since the 14th Amendment doesn't apply restrictions on them. They may have an argument under the commerce clause, but not really the taxing clause or the spending clause (I'm not going to go into too much detail here about what those are). To my recollection, though, I've never come across a case where the commerce clause was used to allow the federal gov't. to pass a law that would violate the 1st Amendment when the states couldn't.
topcow's Avatar
topcow at 03/13/2007 09:44
Heaven forbid parents actually *gasp*

PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEIR FUCKING KIDS ARE PLAYING
Nick Chester's Avatar
Nick Chester at 03/13/2007 09:45
Jack who?

Seriously, this is the same story over and over again. Thompson goes on a crusade, spouting the same lines about different games, none of which he's ever played (and sometimes never seen). Then in response, the communituy (that's us, guys) comes back with their stock responses about freedom of speech, how there are other violent forms of media, blah blah blah.

Enough already. I think the industry (include gamers, journalists, developer in that term) needs to decide, as a whole, to ignore this douche commander. He's failed before and he will fail again. His tantrums only effect the industry if we let it. He will fall in the courts, making an ass of himself in the process and that's what ultimately matters.

Unless Thompson calls my house, you're not likely to see me write an article on him. The guy DOESN'T MATTER -- he's a punchline to the gaming industry and even to those who would champion his cause (if he weren't so insane).

Just leave this alone already.
Monte's Avatar
Monte at 03/13/2007 10:59
@HarassmentPanda

wouldn't work... Video games are already protected as free speech, and thus, thanks to the 1st amendment, they can not be regulated in any form or way. The only way speech can be regulated is if the speech is unprotected speech, such as pornography. However, so far all attempts to prove that violence should be considered an unprotected form of speech has been shot down in the courts, the evidence that the law makers use tend to be either flawed or not actual proof of what they claim.

Furtharmore, another conflict is the use of the ESRB system as a method of regulation. The ESRB is independent from the gov't and because of that it can not be used as a method for regulation, a system completly independent of the gov't can not be given such power. The only way the gov't could regulate violence is by putting together their own system and system which has a solid defination of "what is TOO violent" (since that is what they are regualting)... however, unlike explicit sex, defining what kind of violence is exceptable and what is not has so far been a rather impossible task.
Kif 's Avatar
Kif at 03/13/2007 11:36
"[I want to] prevent the sale of two hyper violent video games set to be released this year and sold to anyone under 17 years of age."

Funny, I thought that was the games salesman's job?
Xabora's Avatar
Xabora at 03/13/2007 11:43
Surprised he hasn't tried to stop all 3 saw movies or even hostile...

Heck why not 'The Hills Have Eyes'.
arbitterm's Avatar
arbitterm at 03/13/2007 13:22


aborto thefetus's Avatar
aborto thefetus at 03/13/2007 13:25
Jack thompson is a communnazi!!!!

No seriously, this ambulance chaser needs to find something else to do. If he should be sueing anyone it should be the dumbfuck parents who bought the game in the first place. Come on parents! It doesn't take a damn genius to realize that games titled Manhunt and Killzone aren't okay for your 4 year old.
aborto thefetus's Avatar
aborto thefetus at 03/13/2007 13:29
"I hate Jack Thompson. He has no idea what he is talking about. It makes me mad that no says anything about movies."

Yeah! Not to mention rap and all the music that is circulating today.
CypherVR's Avatar
CypherVR at 03/13/2007 14:22
I bet every gamer over the age of 18, fucking HATES jack thompson.
CypherVR's Avatar
CypherVR at 03/13/2007 14:25
Jackoff since your against violent games how bout banning violent r-rated movies that should get more people to want to see your fucking head on a stick
plyr3005's Avatar
plyr3005 at 03/13/2007 14:34
aborto thefetus, a communazi is an oxymoron. like a tall midget.

Also, not ALL music circulating today us bad and violent, some can actually teach you stuff, like math. (well, more analysis, and morals)
gamehunter101's Avatar
gamehunter101 at 03/13/2007 15:05
i iwll jump for joy the day this guy is dead
Kex's Avatar
Kex at 03/13/2007 15:25
Maybe if their parents weren't so dimwitted to notice OH MY GOD THIS HAS A RATING OF M FOR MATURE! You know maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Stop blaming video games you arses. Violent movies have been around for all time and they don't blame them at alllll. Noooo. Couldn't be. They know it's just acting. Well if a kid can tell they're acting then why can't they think oh it's polygons. >_> Jesus people. Btw Jack Thompson lol
mikeohara's Avatar
mikeohara at 03/13/2007 16:36
anyone else besides me want Jack Thompson to go batshit crazy off the deep end and be put in prison for life?
GatsuTheBerserker's Avatar
GatsuTheBerserker at 03/14/2007 07:55
Oh hey guys, just thought you might be interested in this, lol.

http://jackthompsonsphone.ytmnd.com/

Not sure if it's real or not, but you guys can try it out :)
aborto thefetus's Avatar
aborto thefetus at 03/14/2007 09:39
plyr3005, thats true it is an oxymoron, but on the other hand jack thompson is an oxymoron. He's a violent man against violent videogames and in addition to that he's a lawyer with an actual stance on something.
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