Sisyphus ain't got nothin' on Jack Thompson. The infamous anti-games lawyer, who former ESA head Doug Lowenstein said should be ignored by the gaming press, is suing Take-Two Interactive to prevent the sale of Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Thompson plans to file suit the week of March 19 and he is looking to "prevent the sale of two hyperviolent video games set to be released this year and sold to anyone under 17 years of age." Which reads like two objectives.
In the following paragraph, the clarification is that the games shouldn't be sold to anyone under 17 because both games will be rated "mature." According to the ESRB website, neither game has been rated at this time. Not to mention that even if they are rated M, they shouldn't be sold to anyone under 17 anyway. At this stage we know little to nothing about either game, Grand Theft Auto IV's trailer hasn't even been released yet. For all we know it could be sunshine and lollipops. This lawsuit is a bit premature and could simply be viewed as Thompson trying to get another advanced copy of a Rockstar game. Don't give in Take-Two, we expect him to wait for the game just like everyone else. Thompson says he is going forward with the lawsuit because he "still has his testicles, both literally and figuratively" despite Take-Two's efforts to have him disbarred.
Get the full Jack Thompson treatment with the release after the break.
Immediate News Release – March 10, 2007
Lawsuit to Be Filed to Stop Sale of Two Murder Simulation Games to Kids
Miami attorney and anti-violent video game activist, Jack Thompson, will file a lawsuit the week of March 19 to prevent the sale of two hyperviolent video games set to be released this year and sold to anyone under 17 years of age.
The two games are Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV. Both are made by Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Both games will be rated "Mature." This ESRB rating is an admission, both in the legal sense and in the common sense of the word, that neither game can or should be sold to anyone under the age of 17 years because of the harmful, mature content.
The United States Federal Trade Commission has recently found by its own stings on stores that despite the "Mature" rating on video games, they are still sold 42% of the time to kids under 17. Take-Two aggressively markets its "Mature" games to children, as it was caught this past year placing Grand Theft Auto ads on public transport in major US metropolitan areas despite promises by the industry to stop that practice after Columbine. Take-Two also runs ads for its "Mature" games in video game publications purchased by hundreds of thousands of kids under 17.
The United States, unlike countries such as Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Australia, Spain, Japan, Germany, and others, labels video games harmful to minors and yet allow sales of them to minors. Such sales are illegal in these other countries. The video game industry has fraudulently persuaded various courts in the US to strike down constitutional laws prohibiting the sale of adult games to children, lying to courts by saying that there is "no evidence that these games are harmful to minors." This is from an industry that places "Mature" labels on games. The American Psychological Association in August 2005 found a clear causal link between violent games and teen aggression. Law enforcement, since the school massacre at Columbine, has increasingly linked violent video game play to violence around the country. The US Supreme Court in Roper v. Simmons, in striking down the juvenile death penalty, cited brain scan studies which prove that minors process violent info
rmation in a different part of the brain than do adults. Brain scan studies (MRIs) at various institutions prove that violent video games are processed in the midbrains (amygdala) of teens, which leads to copycat violence.
Killings have been specifically linked to Take-Two's Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto games. Thompson is legal counsel for two sets of families suing Take-Two for video game copycat killings. Thompson has asked Take-Two and retailers to stop selling Take-Two's "Mature" murder simulation games to kids. They all refuse. They are about to be told by a court of law that they must adhere to the logic of their own "Mature" labels.
Jack Thompson drafted Louisiana's harmful to minors video game law last year. It was passed unanimously by both houses in the Louisiana legislature after Thompson's live testimony, and the bill was signed into law by Governor Blanco. The Attorney General of Louisiana then chose not to defend the law aggressively in the resulting court challenge after the video game industry threatened to pull video game companies out of the state.
Thompson will thus use, successfully, existing nuisance laws to stop the distribution of Manhunt 2 and Grand Theft Auto IV to anyone under 17. This comes at a very bad time for Take-Two, which is set for a corporate coup on April 23 when shareholders will take over control of the company, fire scofflaw CEO Paul Eibeler and flush the entire board. This upcoming coup and its details have been reported around the world this past week.
The court-ordered prohibition of the sale of these two Take-Two murder simulation games to anyone under 17 will adversely impact revenues to Take-Two. This should be of great concern to all Take-Two shareholders, especially those who are poised to take over the company.
A review of Manhunt 2 can be read at the following link:
http://www.gamesradar.com/gb/wii/game/news/article.jsp?releaseId=20070305142139517046&articleId=20070305142139517046§ionId=1006.
As any reader can see, the player can plunge a syringe into the eye of his foes and removes their testicles. A Houston boy was arrested and placed in jail by law enforcement there after he called Jack Thompson threatening to castrate Thompson and kill him. The teen's point in calling was to convince Thompson that Take-Two's games had not affected his attitudes. Pause.
Now Take-Two is set to sell to children a simulator showing them how to castrate their foes.
Contact Jack Thompson, who still has his testicles, both literally and figuratively, despite Take-Two's efforts to have him disbarred, for more information at ***-***-****.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
#2- I hope Manhunt fails to sell well at all. The first game was shockvalue trash, and the next one will be the same. I'm sad and in some ways upset that their tyring to put it on the Wii. Its a trashy game.
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Dumb ass why do we give Jackass the time of day anymore?
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There is nothing wrong with M rated games and children playing them. If a minor kills someone and blames a video game its because he or she doesn't know the true reason of the crime and since Games are the easiest target goes for them and everyone believes them without asking WHY all other millions of minor gamers who play M rated games not only are not maniac killing machines but in their adulthood they become good and mature members of the society.
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its like complaining that madden was nothing about football really. Sure its violent, but a lot of games are. Doesn't mean those of us who may like to play something like that shouldnt because ol' JT thinks minors cant hadle it (they shouldnt be playing it anyway, just like theys houldnt be looking at porn, or smoking, or the many other hazardous things kids shouldnt but do anyway)
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This should be invalid for their ratings already state that you have to be 17 or older to buy these games. If he can't see that, or doesn't know this, then Mr. Thompson just ignorant to this and all things in the gaming world.
Take-Two doesn't sell it, RETAILERs sell the games. The ignorant man just doesn't notice this. It's not Take-Two's fault that parents and grandparents (I've seen it at Wal-Mart) buy it for their kid. The retailer should ask who the person is buying it for.
In my own personal opinion, Manhunt is nothing to fret at. Look at Doom 3, Dead Rising, CRACKDOWN and CoD games. Just look at Sneak King. Just because The King sneaks up on people to give them foods, does this mean I will? NO!!! NOES! I won't. That's improper and rude.
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One more thing... I thought this guy was being disciplined by the Florida Bar Association. Did they wimp out again and let him off with a slap on the wrist? He's going to just walk all over them until they put their foot down.
JR
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PS: IN BEFORE DELETED!!
Full disclosure: I have a Pixelante t-shirt and wear it regularly.
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Take-Two has more to do than just publishing GTA. They have to market it, and that is what JT's going after, not the ACTUAL desigining of the games, but the MARKETING of them. Supposedly they are being targeted towards people that are not of the age that ESRB consents being eligible for buying an M-rated game (anyone under 17). He has a case if this is true.
I myself would rather like to know at how good are retailers at enforcing the ESRB's rules. I mean, are they carding their customers, or is it strictly the ESRB's fault again?
Then GTA:SA recieving an Ao-rating is bound to leave impact on a game that could only be darker and more realistically rendered.
I would go as far as to say that Jack is being opportunistic, but the opportunity shouldn't have been exposed in the first place.
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"There is nothing wrong with M rated games and children playing them."
As a parent of two, I can't even begin to tell you how bad that sounds to me. I'm all for freedom of speech, but there ain't no way in hell my 5-year old and 2-year old will see Manhunt anytime soon, or any other M-rated games. I'm not judging you, you show your kids whatever you want, just keep them away from mine until they're old enough to understand.
That said -- I'm with Non-biter, as I want my Manhunt 2, GTA IV, and Postal 3. :) Yeah, I can see where people think the games are wicked bad, but it'll just be our secret. Oh, and I hope they're bringing back Brian Cox as the Director somehow in Manhunt 2 (I never could finish the first one).
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In regards to the game, I can see the appeal to some for Manhunt. I personally didn't like it one bit.
And please don't site magazines and internet sites for review scores. They have their opinions just as much as the rest of us. Certain games get reviewed by biased reviewers, or PAID reviewers. It doesn't make them any more credible than the rest of us.
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Gotta love how people can twist anything to their benefit.
I prefer "Make a Name For Yourself" Simulator.
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you cant blame movies and video games for violence but let kids watch the discovery channel too
a lion ripping apart a gazzel is less disturbing than a guy getting stabbed?? how the hell is that
if a kid is so weak minded to be infulenced by games to the point where it affetcts his social/personal life he would be useless to society anyways
do you really think after playing man hunt, that if you went out side and watched some one be attacked brutaly with a knife it would be the same in mind set??
of course not!!, dont shelter your kids from this stuff, its the world and how the world has always worked, they will learn nothing positive or negative from these games and movies
i could rant for hours about this crap...but i digres....
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I stopped reading after that. Who wrote that press release, it was horribly biased.
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Seriously - Jack Thompson should be banned from every kind of media, and have a restraining order preventing him from purchasing, renting, viewing or having any contact whatsoever with anything game relayed.
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If he had launched this lawsuit and recieved ZERO coverage for it then he'd have failed.. but you guys are helping him succeed
Even he must know he has no chance of ever winning this case.. he's just after the pubicity.. which you guys seem eager to give him.
Maybe if he actually does something significant or important then you should report that (hopefully leaving his name out of it!), but when he is obviously just after pubicity you shouldn't play the part of his lapdog. Its humiliating...
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I hope to hell he doesn't pull this off, because in Oklahoma, AO games means porn, and the store I work at can't sell it. And that sucks, because GTA games are big sellers. Manhunt, not so much.
Also, as a game salesman, its been my experiance that parents know that the M rating is there, most of them just don't care.
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Many, many parents don't give a shit about the ratings. The same parents that think GTA is just spiffy for their little kids are thes ones who had toddlers disrupting The Departed in theaters. You can't legislate their stupidity.
Media doesn't affect everyone the same way. I can play a hyperviolent game for 5 hours and go to sleep and dream happy dreams and be fine. My son spends any time at all with a violent game or movie and he gets hyped up, out of control, acts totally bizarre. He also draws scenes from what he saw along with narration and dialog. You can't tell me it doesn't affect him, I can *see* it.
But as the parent of a kid who is so clearly negatively affected, I still don't think legislation is the answer. Parents have to take responsibility for what their children see. It's a bummer for me and other single parents like me that our exes don't have the same standards, but legislation isn't going to change that or improve it. I don't believe stomping on the right to free expression in the name of "protecting the children" is ever a good idea.
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Wow. Apparently, Jack Thompson can see into the future! Through the magic of his crystal ball, he has foreseen that he will win this case.
I guess your luck has to change SOMETIME after so many spectacular failures. He's bound to win a case sooner or later! Keep on truckin', Jack!
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I'm genuinely confused about why a guy whose success rate is 0% would keep trying this.
Geoff
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http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=6673
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OMG this obviousley proves that video games lead to the fact that kids dont commit crimes!! But unfortunatley you cant prove that because of all the other factors come into play, just like JT can't (and neither can the other of million dollar backed researches) prove a link between violent video games and teen-violence. Dont believe his "casual link", video game violence (just like rock music,DnD and tv shows before it) have never been linked in any concrete way to violence.
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Second, most retailers have an age based lockout in their registers. Toys R Us even has the policy of never stocking m-rated games on the lower shelves. Hell, most parents (from when I worked retail) never cared about the ESRB rating, or were offended when you pointed it out to them.
Third, John Carmack said it best, when he was dragged into court during a Doom trial.
Prosecutor: Well what do you say to the parents who have bought this game for their children?
John Carmack: I didn't make the game for your fucking children and I think it should be your parenting skills on trial here, not a game they should have never played. After all, do you buy beer and complain at Budweiser when your ten year old goes to school drunk?
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Having said that, Jack Thompson needs to retire and move into an old folks home already. He is so far behind the the times that it is sickening. To this day he is probably still against rock and roll.
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The bible also says that the personal sacrifice for "the kingdom of heaven" that Jesus talked about when he told his disciples, "He that is able to receive it, let him receive it" was to castrate oneself.
Tragically, every year there are reported cases of Christian followers mutilating themselves because "the bible tells me so."
On the bright side, it looks like Jack isn't going to heaven.
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http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson
Also, to those who say we should ignore Jack, that's not going to solve the problem. He'll still be covered by the mainstream media. But if the video game media continues to cover him at least people will be able to see both sides of the story.
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Wouldn't it be easier to remove them with a knife? ;)
And BTW, only some Canadian provinces have laws restricting the sale of violent videogames, and they aren't exactly the centres of Canadian culture.
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REPORTING.
ON.
JACK.
THOMPSON.
Every time you post like this, he gains credibility he does not have. The man is no more a violent video-game activist than the hobos who sleep in my local park. He is a publicity-seeking, attention-starved jackass and should be treated as such.
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"I don't think banning sales of M-rated games to minors is a necessarily bad thing; after all, that's already the policy in a lot of major retailers."
Actually, 17-year-olds are classified as minors. Jack wants to equate M-rated games to AO, which won't happen until R-rated movies are equated to X and the Bible is equated to erotic literature.
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I'm not sure what your point is about 17-year-olds being minors. Perhaps the age at which people should be allowed to purchase M-rated should be a few years lower than that, but that's a subject for another discussion.
Here Jack is suggesting that M-rated games should not be sold to minors. However, that does not make them equivalent to AO-rated games, because games rated "AO" simply aren't stocked by major retailers at all.
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And there's the problem right there. Some people here think it's okay to just let the minors play M-rated games (probably because they are minors; probably even think "hey I've been playing violent games for years and I'm totally well adjusted") and yet will automatically lay blame on the parents and when something goes wrong.
I find it odd that many of the comments when concerning topics like this many people are always against any restrictions as to who retailers sell these games to (i.e. ID and such requirements) or the kind of contents developers make and then afterwards make accusations against parents for their supposed neglect. Isn't it interesting that the gamer will defend his hobby but ultimately doesn't want either restrictions nor liabilities for playing such games (i.e. whenever the government or the parent cry foul over something). Government says minors shouldn't play such games, gamers say NO; parents cry foul of such games being played by their children, gamer say it's parents fault for not paying attention. You can't have it both ways. You can't be allowed to play these little loopholes of parents buying games you want and then act like they're "suckers" for being uninitiated. Mind you I'm not saying their aren't terribly irresponsible or uninformed parents out there, I just think there's some double standard in some of the arguments people make here.
Anyway, I don't see why this is so hard. You're a minor, you don't get to buy or play such games, parents should be aware of this, retailers should enforce it. Short of big brother having a mature game and letting little brother borrow it, I don't see how much more we can ask for. As for Manhunt, I don't know what makes it stand out more than the rest of "mature" games, but I find it rather unsettling. I mean Jack Thompson hasn't gone after games like Resident Evil with such resolve so what is it about GTA and Manhunt? Well, perhaps it's the more torture-esque way the killing is done. This isn't just shooting opposing human soldiers, mutants, aliens, or zombies, the kills are more sadistic. Plastic paper bag over someone's head, gouging eyeballs, etc. are far more sadistic by my definition and far more upclose and personal (being a stealth game and all). GTA even has those sleeping with hookers and then killing them to get the money back. That's pretty sadistic too I think. Maybe I'm a hypocrite in a sense I guess. Some form of videogame violence (i.e. MGS, RE, etc.) are okay with me while other are just way out there, and I don't mean in a fantasy setting either, I mean more in a real world manner (let's just say guns are not as easy to access than some platic bag, and that's just more terrifying to me if that's the thing being shown to kids, or adults for that matter).
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How's that different than what we play today? How's it different from manhunt? Sure Manhunt looks better graphically and probably has a bit of story thrown in there soewhere... but it's essentially the same thing. and all us kids who played Splatterhouse turned out all right. I play Grand Theft Auto and I'm all right.
Jack thompson is probably one of the only people in the media today that I can truly say deserves to die, simply so that no one would have to put up with his crap anymore.
I really hope he chokes on some food item, or gets mauled by a bear or something. The guy needs to go.
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