I have a feeling like the practiced and censored himself a lot to make sure he didn't get booed off stage. His demeanor and concerns seem almost justified in this video and in Jim's live blogging from yesterday.

I still think that parents should be the ones that decide what their kids play and that employees should enforce ESRB ratings when selling their products. His views are just way too socially conservative and personally intrusive to be reasonable for public policy.

I think he was nice because he was scared shitless that the room was full of GTA trained killers who could snap at any moment.

But seriously, I'm surprised. That wasn't just tolerable, it was a good listen.

@ Cadtalfryn

Thompson also wants employees to enforce ESRB ratings. One of the main disputes is how well they're actually doing. Mark Menth-a-whatsits thought that they were doing great, while Thompson thought they were doing poorly and needed government encouragement in the form of laws. I think we're all on the same page that employees need to enforce the ratings, it's just that Thompson's reactions are normally over the top and offensively wrong, instead of just making a reasonable point like in yesterday's debate. If Thompson is right, then we would need to consider ways to get them to enforce ratings at retail (and online, a loophole in general) if we don't want to go with his option to make laws.

John Bruce already has a history of dishonorable, unethical, and bigotted attitudes towards a variety of groups. He's well known for using lies, deceit, and misinformation. Altering his attitude to cover up misinformation and further lies doesn't change his well established nature.

Let's face it, if Fred Phelps, Eric Rudolph, or Osama Bin Laudin started acting reasonable or rational but still lied, deceived, and made the same irrational claims, should people start accepting them more despite their well established histories?

"The crowd does seem kinda mellow, but c'mon...were there any outbursts either prior or posterior that had to be put down by security?"

Only people above the age of eighteen were allowed into the Q&A or debate, which certainly helped limit the possibility of stupidity. Also, people were warned that inappropriate behavior would result in their being escorted out of both the room and the entire convention. So it was a pretty decent atmosphere all round.

@Necros
I agree with him on that point, despite the fact its a tad annoying being 21 and getting carded for a 17+ game, not because I think that kids can't handle "mature" games but because I think their parents should decide if they think their children can.

Most people are -reasonably- well adjusted individuals. Playing things like Mortal Kombat and Goldeneye did not lead me to being a violent individual.

However, to my knowledge, my parents never did bat an eye at giving me a videogame I asked for. The issue was never if I was mature enough for it, but if I deserved the privilege of playing/owning it and we had enough disposable income at the time for relatively expensive "toys". Making sure the parent has at least a chance to be a control filter on what their kid is playing by purchasing it themselves is what should be done. If they turn around and complain about the games I think its their fault for not being their with their child to see what they are exposing themselves to. Legislating and becoming intrusive into people's lives will not only destroy personal liberties, but is also likely to create an even larger taboo and make more people want to do what they're told not to do and make the problem even worse.

If anyone is going to do something Columbine-esque that is inspired by videogames they probably were pretty unstable to begin with and the problem isn't the games but what is going on in their lives and minds to get them to that point.

mrplow8:

In my opinion, I think it's just another way in which certain groups of people avoid taking responsibility for anything. It's so much easier to not have to worry about your life or future if you think some man in the sky is going to sort it all out for you. Dodging personal accountability seems to be a life goal of a great many people and this kind of thinking certainly helps.

I'm not surprised that Jacko was on his best behavior. He always is at these things so that people think "Oh, he's not that bad" and think that the things people say online about him must be lies. However, Jacko is a pathological liar and when in public he constantly lies about not only the "evidence" and his career but also his agenda. He says that he only wants to prevent children from playing "adult" games -- never mind that AO games never get released -- but time and time again he has shown that he wants to ban the games such as in the case of the killer at Northern Illinois University who was over 18 when the first Counter-Strike beta was released and yet Jacko went after that relentlessly.

Damn, what's happening to the world?
Jack Thompson behaving nicely!?
Even though i disagree with his opinion about God i'm quite impressed with the debate yesterday, but we got to keep an eye open, we'll never know when he will stop the "save the children" attitude and come back to "video games are the devil spawn".

Jack can make himself seem decent sometimes, but I feel like it's an act. Whenever he's on a gaming show or gaming related he's looks like a huge game fans that just hate the rating system, and wants it enforced more. But when he appears on a news channel or when he throws a gaming developer/publisher in court, he looks like a douche.
Just wait till another school massacre happens, he'll blaming Counter Strike again.

The problem-- okay, one of the problems with Jack Thompson is that, while he can be quite civil and intelligent, once the TV cameras are put on him and once he has members of the media asking him questions, he generally devolves into ham-fisted, irrational mudslinging. He can be very hypocritical, and I'd like to see a little more consistency from him, especially as a self-proclaimed Christian.

I feel like a moron now for pre-judging this guy through internet chatter.

Shame on me

Moment "Christian" exits your mouth, all credibility goes out the window.

I'd agree with him if it wasn't for the fact that while kids are stupid and "pop-culture" may indeed be the cause for their ideas of mass murder, the fact is it's not really the media, be it movies, video games or music that is ultimately responsible for the grizzly murders, it's the shitty parenting and the breeding of rednecks.

And personally I'm all for +18 games under the ESRB/MPAA/RELIGIOUS MORAL INSTITUTION RULES AND GUIDELINES FOR A BETTER SOCIETY to be changed into E for Everyone, and having it as the only classification. I played and watched many scary, serious, bloody, psychotic movies or games since I was nine years old, and would not have it any other way, stagnating both my development and view of the world with all its colors, because you've got self-issues with God and the Christ Almighty, your perpetual imaginary friends.

Jim, please stop provoking sucking in the comments.

@Jarabowa

Even Hitler had his good days.

@Post

Actually there's biblical text that says you should judge others as you would judge yourself (Basically don't be a freaking hypocrite) which is why I hate christains who make the rest of us look bad by only following parts of the bible when it suits them. You can't watch a film or read a book and say there's no problem with the murder and violence then go home and try to blame games on all your problems.

Weird how people constantly forget that religion isn't the problem over the people who worship it. Someone once told me for every true worshipper of God there's 10 others looking for an easy way of life. Never got that till recently but now I totally see what he meant. If you're a homophobic, science hating "christain" or an elistist atheist jerk then you're all part of the problem.

"@Jim - Please allow people to hold their own religious beliefs without trying to rationalize them, thanks."

I am merely sharing my personal belief, as Jack has the right to share his.

I don't understand all the praise he's getting just for being polite. He should have been behaving like this from the start.

I love that people still hold this guy in their mind as some kind of a monster or super villain, and when he acts like a normal dude with an opinion, it's all part of his plan to deceive gamers into thinking he's just a normal old dude.......and it's working!

@Jim, MrPlow8, and Takeshi, I agree.
It's good to see Jack Thompson being more approachable and open to reasonable argument. I don't particularly agree with his policy of heavier government involvement and that the ESRB doesn't help, but its better to see him cooperate than just listen to his complains.

Well I was at the SGC and boy my perception has certainly changed about Jack Tompson. While I do not agree with everything he says, he does make a point. And really to those aholes who think he is some jerk don't go flailing you're mouth around. Me being a die hard gamer, I guess I can understand. And I certainly do not want a 9/11 on the video game industry. It would mean no more Halo, no more GTA, no more M rated games. So kudos to JT and to those who attended at the SGC!

Glauxspeed everybody!