What anti-game advocates are really after

by Vladimir Cole { Sep 30th 2005 at 7:00AM }

igda logo Matt Sakey writes a spot-on article for the IGDA on the topic of the politicians who would ban games that include violence and sex often found in popular movies and other entertainment media.

He writes that Leland Yee, Hillary Clinton and Jack Thompson aren't "trying to clean up the medium. The issue, for them, is never about childrens' exposure to violence and sex. The issue is about exposure for themselves."

Word. Of course, we'd be happy to read (and link to) their rebuttal to Sakey's article, if any of them want to tackle it.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Robert @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Welcome to the wonderful world of politics.

TCG @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

...what?

cletus @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Seriously...it's cuz those damn liberals have nothing better to say. It's just their way of trying to position themselves favorably towards the public since they can't handle any real pertinent issues.

kuroshi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

sorry cletus but some of those "liberals" are conservative republicans also. Lets no make this a partisan issue. It's politics and both parties suck. The violation of the 1st ammendment was originally a conservative ideal "family values" was the pillar of the republican party. It was successful and the liberal, who were supposed to stand for personal freedoms have jump on board. Now both parties want to be the party of family values. Anything to win I guess. Besides young people who play games are too stupid to vote anyway!

jack thompson @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

"Liberals have nothing to say?" Are you kidding? Liberals have too much to say. And, for anyone who has been paying attention, I'm not a liberal. I ran against Janet Reno, and I'm a conservative. A radical person of the Right, really.

As to the motivation of people who are opposed to violent games, it's fascinating how video game enthusiasts are all blessed with mental telepathy. They can all read minds so well that they know what the rest of us are thinking, and what our deepest motivations are.

In other words, this person's point that my motivation is simply to be seen is nonsense. I happen to be a born again Christian. I happen to adhere to Francis Schaeffer's view that Christians, as the Bible says, should be "salt and light" in the world. The Gospel, in my and other's view, can transform society. And a transformed society can point more God-ward. That is my motivation.

Do I know, however, that use of the media is a way to accomplish that end? Of course I do. Jesus preached to the multitudes. Was He just into "face time"? Or was there something else He was after? I think you all know the answer to that. I certainly do. I am trying to give my utmost for His highest. I am the chief of sinners, as Paul said. It is not about me. It is about Him. So please don't tell me, whoever you are, that you have read my heart and know what motivates me. People who say such things have absolutely nothing to say in the debate about games, so they shoot the messenger. Please go to Hell more quietly. Jack Thompson, Miami, Florida

tpp @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

That Jack Thompson post is the best troll I've EVER seen anywhere, and I've been an active Usenet participant from 1988 onwards.

Great stuff!

I'm Jack Thompson and so's my wife @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Will the real Jack Thompson please stand up. Or can Joystick at least confirm if it looks like a valid email he posted with :)

vc @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

That's him.

I'm Jack Thompson and so's my wife @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Funny, I would have thought if he ever read comments in half the techie blogs, he'd realise they are filled with fanboys who are idiots with nothing to say that someone with common sense would just ignore.

Hold on a minute...

BlackYoshi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

That post is way too sound of a rebuttal to be Jack Thompson. (Well except for the "GO TO HELL MORE QUIETLY" rhetoric at the end. You almost made a rebuttal without a pointless insult) This is a guy who often retorts back legitimate questions from people who play video games with putdowns about their intelligence and such. (By the way I would say game designers like Miyamato or Kojima are far smarter than you, if you even know who they are. Since you seem to think everyone who plays video games or who works in the industry are slobbering neanderthals, I just stated a few examples who have repeatedly shown their creativity and intelligence.)

Jayson @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Obviously this guy doesn't follow Clinton or Yee too closely as he would see this is just one of many issues they are working on. To say they are ignoring the big problems is a complete lie. Clinton has been fighting for affordable healthcare for a decade. Yee has been fighting for children's mental health services at least that long. One can visit either of their websites and see the many issues they are focused on: Economy, School Nutrition, Prescription Drugs, AIDS, Consumer Protection, and Civil Rights, among others.

So before saying they are ignoring real problems or only want face time on TV, one should at least consider their records.

Jayson @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Jago @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Hillary Clinton is putting on a front to "try" and make herself look good. She is as much of a hypocrite as her husband...I can see it now...we will go back to getting attacked multiple times by terrorists and having done about it.

just passing through @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Well, Mr. Thompson, it seems no one has to guess at your motivations anymore because you just revealed them: the make the world a safer place for christianity and jesus. All of the 'facts' you present are just a ruse to try to fool our legal system because, unfortunately, 'jesus doesn't like it' isn't grounds to ban anything in the country. That's our constitution, and that's real freedom.

BlueMage @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

Mr Thompson, if you really are who you claim to be, the mere fact that you consider yourself a born-again Christian removes any validity from any argument you may make. My experience with born-again Christians is that they genuinely believe what they say is correct, objectively correct, irrespective of whether there is any proof to back their beliefs. They have also never - in my experience - accepted proof that contradicts their beliefs.

All of this implies that you are an individual for whom logic, due process, rationality and objective reasoning hold no meaning. And thus, your arguments will be grounded in emotive contexts. I have followed your, well, for lack of a better word, adventures, for some time now, and you have never offered conclusive proof - verified proof, I might add, as anyone can ramble numbers and figures - to back your claims that videogames cause aggression in children. Actually, amend that: You have offered 'proof', but all that has been proved is that yes, like any other stimuli that creates a competitive environment, videogames do tend to stimulate aggressive responses from players. The problem is, without anything to directly compare with in terms of aggressive response, such 'proof' is meaningless.

Violent and sexually explict games certainly do need to be kept from children - we strip them of their childhood early enough as it is - but that is the role of the parents, not society, or a self-appointed religious vigillante. It's a shame that this otherwise-worthy cause is being driven by an individual characterised by childish insults, cruel insensitivity and self-admitted fundamentalism.

Good day.

James S. @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

I have been an avid gamer for 10 years out of my 15 year life span. Though I do not agree with Mr. Thompson's point of view, I am quite frankly appalled at the rude boldness of today's gaming community. He says that video games make us violent and unintelligent. While I certainly don't believe this, I must say that he is somewhat justified in his actions by the reaction of the gamers. Death threats? This forum itself is filled with insulting posts... If we want to prove our intelligence then we have to act as such.

Not Legit @ Dec 18th 2005 9:07PM

There are a couple of issues on both sides. I totally agree that the death threats and insults do not reflect highly on the gaming community, but I like my high-action games just as much as the next person.
But at the same time, Mr. Thompson, you by no means speak for all Christians on this matter. If you honestly think that there are no Christian gamers out there then you are sadly mistaken, and no decent Christian would tell someone to "Go to Hell more quietly." Our entire purpose is to CONVERT people and show them LOVE, not contempt. As you said, I can't read your heart, and I can't say for myself if your faith and salvation are real, but you sure don't make a very good witness for the world. And if Jesus ever sent the Roman legions to track down and prosecute a 12-year-old, that's something new to me. So don't use scripture in a hypocritical manner and don't profane the name of Christ by using it as an insult. I don't know what you believe, but Christ certainly didn't die for THAT!