/wave Jim, I'm in the far back bit I think ill still be able to smell the bullshit.

I predict a train wreck.

Debate starts at four? Damn, man, I'll already be eating hot dogs and setting off explosives by then. I'll have to just read the transcript after it's done.

I predict a nuclear explosion of bad.

Jack Thompson was interview by screw attack.. It actually went really well and it really made him look like a nice guy

@Funran
The great thing is that if Wardrox is with him, you can just navigate by the titanic piss streak in the middle of the crowd.

is someone filming this?

OH hohohohohohohooo.... what a prick.

He isn't even relevant anymore. I don't see why it's worth wasting time on the guy.

I hope someone is atlease making an mp3 out of this

This is amazing. I want to check this not only to see him getting crumbled, but also yo really dig inside his opinions in a formal debate.

"He says it would almost be better that there were no age ratings at all, because at least then parents would not be told the "lie" that systems are in place to protect kids."

That's a very, very interesting point of view.

All behold, Jack Thompson trying to make himself fucking matter. I'm god damn wasted, and I know this motherfucker was disbarred so why the fuck should ANYONE listen to him.

SOMEONE GIVE HIM A CANDY BAR

There are several cameras in here, I imagine that screwattack will post the video afterwards

" Mark Menthol Guy Who I Don't Know."

LMFAO!!!!

JT: "Apparently they aren't so easy. I think it's something people take seriously, as evidenced by you people being here today."

:)

"We are getting to the point where we will understand that adult-rated games are just as harmful as seeing two naked people have intercourse"

Wow! that screams controversy right there.

I don't think we need prophets. It's called education.

Is this the first time JT has been to a open forum like this? You know, instead of hiding behind media outlets spewing garbage?

JT isn't mentioning Rapelay? Forget GTAIV and mve to another game Jack!

@invader alex
That's only part of his malevolent plan , gaining acceptance of his enemies , then BANG! backstab/rapin/both time !

He may have some douchey opinions, but the guy is a real showman, and he is involved in a fight worth fighting for. I think he has what it takes to truly be an effective spokesman in the sales of videogames to minors, if he's assisted by people like Mark (missed his last name) up there, who are in the industry.

We know he's passionate about the subject, so he has the potential to be a great model for this! Just get rid of the "trained on doom" and "causation blah" stuff, and put more of an emphasis on the subject of the good and frankly bad parenting that is involved.

After these guys have shook hands I hope JT does go through and rethink his strategy here. Maybe ally with the gaming industry even, that would be interesting.

Still not impressed with JT, but he does seem a little less like a nutjob now. And lulz at "No making out :("

good live blog good debate

If JT composed himself like he did her all of the time, I'd have absolutely no beef with the man. Good Sport.

I didn't know there were no punishments in America for selling kids adult games. Over here not only does the shop get charged but also the employee that sells the game. I remember the training videos well from when I worked in a retail shop.
Still doesn't stop idiot parents buying them for the kids and then writing to the Daily Mail condemning games

Thanks for the live blog, Jim. It was a good read.

Hmm, excellent read. I didn't want a trainwreck, so I'm glad it all went well. Nothing much new, mostly stuff we've heard before, but nice to get it out from both sides. Still, I hate these kinds of things because they make me start debating with myself aloud.

that was one of the better reads I've had in a while. good show, JT and Mark and thanks a million for blogging it, Jim!

"He says how he'd sting Best Buy by sending his son in to buy M-rated games. Apparently his son was called "The Stinger.""

CONFIRMED: Jack Thomson supports child labour.

@The Young Scot

It just shows how calculating he is, pitching his message to his audience. If he'd been attending an antivideogame rally, we would be back onto 'vidjagames are the devil'.

I like it how school shootings are now 'videogame linked' (4:44). 97% of teenagers are playing games, but we can still tell its the videogames that are the culprits.

Dammit! I HATE it when Jack Thompson acts like a responsible and sensible human being!

I was expecting a trainwreck and poorly-made strawman arguments, but Jack Thompson really impressed me for once. Except for the tired line about the "Columbine times ten" that's sure to come that we've heard far too often, the entire debate was extremely rational, and I can't say I disagree with all of his points like in the past. If his future behavior is more like this and less knee-jerk and extremist, I think people on both sides would take him more seriously and learn a lot more about the issue at hand.

If the opportunity ever presents itself, I'd love to see what his thoughts are on the book Grand Theft Childhood.

If there's to be a videogame tax due to health concern then there damn well better be a tv, book and movie tax as well.

Hell throw in an internet tax as well.

How about a cake tax?

how can they be so fucking stupid?

JT impressed me with his professionalism. But, I noticed he said "but for" quite a few times. What's a "but for"? It's for pooping, silly.

I think if you're a parent, it's your damn job to teach your kids. Systems are in place on Xbox, ps3, whatever to block content rated for mature audiences. But like it or not, games, like movies, books, paintings, and music, are art. Art should never be banned or censored, ever. If you ban games, you have to ban all forms of art, because there are violent movies, violent books, paintings, and music. Saying games are the one and only problem is foolish. America is coming closer to 1984 everyday, and it's a sad thing to watch.

You know, JT was pretty good in all that. I think he was a bit teetering at time, but not all bad.

America!

FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!

I think that kids should be able to play "For all" games and rated T games, and that the Rated M should be divided into two subsections. Metal Gear violence isn't Gears of War violence nor is it Mad World violence. Different portrayals of violence deserves more specific ratings for certain age limitations. I mean, the usage of gore in Mad World obviously isn't meant to be offensive---it's meant to be a dark kind of humor---effectively humorous, but nonetheless gore. Here's my idea
12 and below: Everyone/"Young adult" (one of my new categories, which would include games with mild 'fantasy violence') games
13-15: "Teen" Games (another one of my new categories. These would include Halo, Metal Gear Solid 1 and 2 [not sure about 3 and 4 though])
16 and above: Mature games (GTA, Mad World, Gears of War)

My two cents.

Um... suprisingly impressive. What he lays out his arguements like that I kind of see where he's coming from. And let's face it, we don't want the insane rules they have in Germany spreading - he is right about that.

I've only thought about the debate in terms of freedom of expression, but now I wonder what I would think if I had a small kid and it wanted to play GTA. Course, I'm never gonna pop a sprog anyway but it does bear thinking about...

Surprisingly cordial...

If Jack Thompson wants to hold conferences or even set up an organization designed to teach parents about the effects of videogames (which I think are still being disputed), I'm all for that. It's simply that he wants government involvement that I cannot agree with.

I think he's kind of realised by now that he won't get anywhere with the drastic speeches he used to make in the past and declaring any and all arguments made by people who have touched video games invalid on the pure ground that they are gamers and ergo part of the problem. Oh well, now that he stripped himself of his most entertaining value I think he'll quietly start fading into the background now.