Perhaps the most well-versed individual on gaming controversy (by merit of instigating many of them), Jack Thompson has found a way to make the Mass Effect Fox News report more ridiculous by defending the game. Unfortunately, weather.com has not updated the current temperature in Hell, but we'll let you know when we find out.
Responding to the latest press release, Kotaku's Brian Crecente asked Thompson what he thought about the Mass Effect story. Thompson responded, "The guy who shot his mouth off about it had no idea what the Hell he was talking about." (We assume he meant conservative columnist Kevin McCullough and isn't confusing Fox News guest Cooper Lawrence's gender.) Thompson later added, "This contrived controversy is absolutely ridiculous."
To catch you up to speed: just after McCullough apologized for writing about Mass Effect's "virtual orgasmic rape," Fox News' Live Desk with Martha MacCollum ran a similar, ignorant segment on the "Sexbox" (so clever) title that pitted Geoff Keighley against a child care author who openly admitted she never played the game. Publisher Electronic Arts demanded a correction, Fox countered, and Lawrence apologized after gamers review-bombed her book on Amazon.
Reader Comments (90)
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:35PM hvnlysoldr said
You apparently did. (grumbles you got first post)
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:40PM ArtificeDrake formerly known as said
i think i summed it up quite well.
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:42PM R V said
Jacks not that bad. He just doesn't want violent games for kids, which is ok. The way he goes about it is irritating and annoying, but his idea is right.
Him saying this shows that he is not on a crusade against games, which changes my opinion of him a lot.
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Him saying this shows that he is not on a crusade against games, which changes my opinion of him a lot.
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 5:04PM Lone Starr said
Jack is being inconsistent. He went after "Hot Coffee" because it was a sex minigame (no nudity, wasn't normally accessible).
But Mass Effect has a sex subplot with nudity that rewards the player (Achievement Unlocked!), and he calls it "contrived?"
Don't be fooled. His credibility is falling. He's making small, inconsistent concessions now so that people won't totally ignore him when the big guns come out (pun intended).
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But Mass Effect has a sex subplot with nudity that rewards the player (Achievement Unlocked!), and he calls it "contrived?"
Don't be fooled. His credibility is falling. He's making small, inconsistent concessions now so that people won't totally ignore him when the big guns come out (pun intended).
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 7:13PM (Unverified) said
He's being rather consisteny imo. He just doesn't like competition.
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 7:47PM DWells55 said
Lone Starr, the difference is that this content is not hidden and is an acknowledged part of the game, and the game is rated accordingly. While I don't think there's a huge difference personally, these are cutscenes and content the ESRB was aware of when they issued the game's rating.
I really don't understand why Jack is defending Mass Effect though. Perhaps they ruined his chance to start stirring up controversy and draw attention to himself and he's jealous? Hell if I know.
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I really don't understand why Jack is defending Mass Effect though. Perhaps they ruined his chance to start stirring up controversy and draw attention to himself and he's jealous? Hell if I know.
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 9:40PM Lone Starr said
@ DWell55,
I think that's a great point. I still wouldn't discout his obvious (and long-fought) moral crusade. By calling the controversy "contrived" and ridiculous," he sidesteps the fact that it carries the content he supposedly hates.
And I think the main reason he's saying this stuff now is because his credibility has been fried, especially after he's linked violence irl to video games unjustly.
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I think that's a great point. I still wouldn't discout his obvious (and long-fought) moral crusade. By calling the controversy "contrived" and ridiculous," he sidesteps the fact that it carries the content he supposedly hates.
And I think the main reason he's saying this stuff now is because his credibility has been fried, especially after he's linked violence irl to video games unjustly.
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:34PM (Unverified) said
Well this certainly is different... Weather.com needs to get those updates up quick.
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 5:19PM copa said
Nothing different here:
1. Brian Crecente of Kotaku actively solicits Jack Thompson for public comment on a story about videogames and society.
2. Chris Grant's crew over at Joystiq breathlessly reprints his comments, conferring additional artificial legitimacy on Thompson.
3. Mainstream media sees that Jack Thompson's opinions have great significance in the enthusiast press, and invites him to participate in panel discussions when they need a 'videogames-are-bad' viewpoint.
4. Joystiq, Kotaku, and other blogs wring their hands and ask, "Why does CNN let this craaaaaaaazy mother-fucker say all this stuff on the air? CNN is making us gamers look bad!"
5. Go to Step 1.
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1. Brian Crecente of Kotaku actively solicits Jack Thompson for public comment on a story about videogames and society.
2. Chris Grant's crew over at Joystiq breathlessly reprints his comments, conferring additional artificial legitimacy on Thompson.
3. Mainstream media sees that Jack Thompson's opinions have great significance in the enthusiast press, and invites him to participate in panel discussions when they need a 'videogames-are-bad' viewpoint.
4. Joystiq, Kotaku, and other blogs wring their hands and ask, "Why does CNN let this craaaaaaaazy mother-fucker say all this stuff on the air? CNN is making us gamers look bad!"
5. Go to Step 1.
Posted: Jan 29th 2008 2:31AM Varun said
Someone had their prescription refilled at long last? It's amazing what thorazine can do for YOU!
http://www.2spare.com/_media/imgs/articles/a147_a5.jpg
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http://www.2spare.com/_media/imgs/articles/a147_a5.jpg
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:34PM (Unverified) said
Brilliant on Mr. Thompson's part. He's got to build a little momentum going into the GTA 4 release.
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 10:24PM Korova Pamplona said
Yep. Just staking his position on the totem pole of game bashers. Hey, Cooper, that's Jack Thompson's butt on your head. [Picture Cooper Lawrence with crookedly open mouth.]
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:35PM hvnlysoldr said
Pigs fly.
Hell hath frozen over.
Kirk gets a wife who doesn't die.
Pot kettle black etc.
Cats and dogs living together.
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Hell hath frozen over.
Kirk gets a wife who doesn't die.
Pot kettle black etc.
Cats and dogs living together.
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 6:00PM (Unverified) said
That dead satellite in space that was just reported will now fall into the ocean and awake a giant beast that will destroy New York, thanks Jack you jerk.
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:36PM (Unverified) said
Though clearly misguided, it appears Mr. Thompson has a streak of honesty and consistency as he is apparently unwilling to believe in the "enemy of my enemy is my friend" adage.
While I still recognize him as the raving lunatic he is, I do have to concede that he has ethics - at least some.
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While I still recognize him as the raving lunatic he is, I do have to concede that he has ethics - at least some.
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:37PM ArtificeDrake formerly known as said
I knew jack thompson was going to do this as soon as the whole "mass hysteria" thing started!! he clearly isn't as stupid as these other pundits and as soon as he saw the uproar that was happening, he decides to side with gamers on this particular issue.
Now he can say whatever he wants about games like GTA and when we gamers role our eyes and say, "oh jack..." he can say "BUT I DEFENDED THAT OTHER GAME!! WHAT'S IT CALLED? 'MARS EFFECT'???"
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Now he can say whatever he wants about games like GTA and when we gamers role our eyes and say, "oh jack..." he can say "BUT I DEFENDED THAT OTHER GAME!! WHAT'S IT CALLED? 'MARS EFFECT'???"
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:38PM (Unverified) said
Nintendo's stock slips... Jack Thompson is okay with an M rated game... EA did something right...
The apocalypse is nigh.
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The apocalypse is nigh.
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 5:12PM (Unverified) said
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 9:16PM (Unverified) said
And no one is doing jokes about how much kotaku sucks,man this is bad but Wait! There is still hope remember the world can't end until Nuke Dukem Forever hits the shelves.
"Next in Joystiq:Nuke Dukem Forever gets a release date".
Oh shi-
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"Next in Joystiq:Nuke Dukem Forever gets a release date".
Oh shi-
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 9:16PM (Unverified) said
And no one is doing jokes about how much kotaku sucks,man this is bad but Wait! There is still hope remember the world can't end until Nuke Dukem Forever hits the shelves.
"Next in Joystiq:Nuke Dukem Forever gets a release date".
Oh shi-
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"Next in Joystiq:Nuke Dukem Forever gets a release date".
Oh shi-
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:39PM The Artist Formerly known as Jes said
Just for that he goes up a notch in my book
That puts him at notch #165
right behind Hanna Montana
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That puts him at notch #165
right behind Hanna Montana
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 5:39PM The Artist Formerly known as Jes said
just for that GoldenS1104
you go down 2 notches
that puts you at notch #124
behind Fernando
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you go down 2 notches
that puts you at notch #124
behind Fernando
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 10:29PM Korova Pamplona said
A genuine LOL for that, Tafka Jesus. Not loi, a real LOL.
Bravo!
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Bravo!
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:39PM Nick the Hero of Canton said
Some find that scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where the open the Ark, please.
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:48PM Ranko said
His vendetta is with GTA, not Mass Effect. But I suppose that his barring and some of the responses he's received over the years have finally gotten through to him; which is very important.
He's still a little crazy but I think the crazy has subsided a little.
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He's still a little crazy but I think the crazy has subsided a little.
Posted: Jan 28th 2008 4:49PM (Unverified) said
holy crap, hell has definitely frozen over! @_@
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 7:02PM (Unverified) said
It's like Jack Thompson has become the new Candlejack, just say his na-
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Posted: Jan 28th 2008 5:11PM (Unverified) said
Seems like a political move to me. Like he's trying to get on gamers good sides, at least somewhat (and it looks like it's working).
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