Well, what do you know: it seems that ever-popular anti-video game activist Jack Thompson is at it yet again, taking aim at the video game industry with yet another one of his attention-mongering stunts of insanity. But this time he's gone and done something that most people likely never thought he'd do:

He's proposed his own violent video game.

Yes, you read that right. Jack Thompson has actually proposed his own violent video game, and he has sent this proposition not only to various members of the press, but also apparently to Doug Lowenstein, the President of the Entertainment Software Association (ESA). Oh, but it gets better: Thompson has also stated that he will donate $10,000 to the favorite charity organization of Paul Eibeler (the Chairman of Take-Two Interactive, producer of the Grand Theft Auto series) if any video game company will actually "create, manufacture, distribute, and sell a video game in 2006" based on the scenario he's created.

Following is Thompson's proposal, unaltered and unedited. You have been warned: what follows this sentence is utter madness. But at least it's pretty friggin' funny. Read on...

(Note: The following italics are Thompson's, not ours.)

---

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." The Golden Rule

This writer has been saying for seven years that violent video games can be "murder simulators" that incite as well as train some obsessive teen players to be violent.

I've been on 60 Minutes and in Reader's Digest this year explaining how an Alabama teen, with no criminal record, shot two policemen and a dispatcher in their heads and fled in a police car--a scenario he rehearsed for hundreds of hours on Take-Two/Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto video games.

I have sat with boys in jail cells, their lives over because of murder convictions, after they, with no history of violence, have killed innocents while in a dreamlike state. Said one cop who investigated such a murder in Grand Rapids, Michigan: "The killing was like an extension of the game."

The video game industry, through its lawyers, its spokesmen, and its head lobbyist, Doug Lowenstein, the president of the Entertainment Software Association, all say it is utter nonsense to suggest that what is dumped into a kid's head hour after hour, day after day, year after year, could possibly have behavioral consequences. Cigarette ads can persuade kids to smoke, but interactive simulators in which these same kids punch, hack, bludgeon, and maim affect not a wit their attitudes and behaviors, notwithstanding the findings of the American Psychological Association, published in August 2005.

The video game industry says Sticks and stones can break my bones, but games can never hurt me. Fine. I have a modest proposal for the video game industry. I'll write a check for $10,000 to the favorite charity of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc's chairman, Paul Eibeler - a man Bernard Goldberg ranks as #43 in his book 100 People Who Are Screwing Up America - if any video game company will create, manufacture, distribute, and sell a video game in 2006 like the following:

Osaki Kim is the father of a high school boy beaten to death with a baseball bat by a 14-year-old gamer. The killer obsessively played a violent video game in which one of the favored ways of killing is with a bat. The opening scene, before the interactive game play begins, is the Los Angeles courtroom in which the killer is sentenced "only" to life in prison after the judge and the jury have heard experts explain the connection between the game and the murder.

Osaki Kim (O.K.) exits the courtroom swearing revenge upon the video game industry whom he is convinced contributed to his son's murder. "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" he says. And boy, is O.K. not kidding.

O.K. is provided in his virtual reality playpen a panoply of weapons: machetes, Uzis, revolvers, shotguns, sniper rifles, Molotov cocktails, you name it. Even baseball bats. Especially baseball bats.

O.K. first hops a plane from LAX to New York to reach the Long Island home of the CEO of the company (Take This) that made the murder simulator on which his son's killer trained. O.K. gets "justice" by taking out this female CEO, whose name is Paula Eibel, along with her husband and kids. "An eye for an eye," says O.K., as he urinates onto the severed brain stems of the Eibel family victims, just as you do on the decapitated cops in the real video game Postal2.

O.K. then works his way, methodically back to LA by car, but on his way makes a stop at the Philadelphia law firm of Blank, Stare and goes floor by floor to wipe out the lawyers who protect Take This in its wrongful death law suits. "So sue me" O.K. spits, with singer Jackson Brown's 1980's hit Lawyers in Love blaring.

With the FBI now after him, O.K. keeps moving westward, shooting up high-tech video arcades called GameWerks. "Game over," O.K. laughs.

Of course, O.K. makes the obligatory runs to virtual versions of brick and mortar retailers Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, and Wal-Mart to steal supplies and bludgeon store managers and cash register clerks. "You should have checked kids' IDs!"

O.K. pushes on to Los Angeles. He must get there by May 10, 2006. That is the beginning of "E3" -- the Electronic Entertainment Expo -- the Super Bowl of the video game industry. O.K. must get to E3 to massacre all the video game industry execs with one final, monstrously delicious rampage.

How about it, video game industry? I've got the check and you've got the tech. It's all a fantasy, right? No harm can come from such a game, right? Go ahead, video game moguls. Target yourselves as you target others. I dare you.

---

Though it's obviously very unlikely that any video game developer will actually take Thompson's proposal seriously (and not only because video game developers usually do not accept proposals from individuals), there will no doubt be some sort of industry reaction to Thompson's latest over-the-top antics. GAF will, of course, keep you updated on anything of the sort.

Source: GameCube Advanced

Hello Jack. My name is Richard Brownell, the owner of this site. It has come to my attention that you have threatened legal action against Ash, the author of this article. While I'm sure Ash is pleased as peach about this, you probably know as you are a lawyer that this is not the proper way to go about this. Ash is a freelance volunteer who does not work for GAF and is under no contract for his work here. As such, he really doesn't bear any legal responsibility for anything posted here. Plus, even if he was an employee, the appropriate action would still be against the sole proprietor, partner, or corporation before an individual employee.

Regardless though, I have set up an email account if you would like to send me any legal concerns you have regarding the below article at PissOnBrainStems@gamesarefun.com

I am not aware of the nature of your complaint to Ash because he left me a voicemail (he lives across the country) and hasn't forwarded me your email yet. From what I understand it is to do with something in the article below. If we have misquoted you, I would be happy to make any corrections. As for the rest of it, it is protected by our constitutional right to freedom of speech and freedom of press. We have not posted any libel here to the best of my legal knowledge. When we say words like "insanity" and "madness," it is based on our opinion. Note we did not call you insane or mad, just things you have done, and it is our free right to do so. I don't believe anything else in the article could possibly be perceived as libel, so I'll only hit on those.

You can call our journalistic integrity into question if you want and we encourage you to do so. We're always hoping to improve our coverage of video games, after all. But there is no law against being bad journalists or posting inflammatory content so long as it is not libel and is meant to incite readers to violence against a particular individual or group. I sincerely hope you will reconsider your choice to pursue legal action against us. If you truly have a cause you are interested in pursuing to better the world by fighting against crude and violent adult entertainment, then your time would be much better spent doing that than fighting a small fry website.

Again, if you wish to contact us, do so at PissOnBrainStems@gamesarefun.com. I have heard you tend to yell, insult people, and lower yourself to calling people names when you speak to them. I cannot speak to the validity of those stories, but I've given you ample respect with this post and I'd appreciate if you'd do the sane if you contact me. Thank you.

Rich here again. Alright, I finally got home and was able to see the actual email sent by Jack Thompson to Ash. My previous update was without having any more details than a voicemail to go on because Ash went to class. So, it was my mistake in assuming it was about the content of the article in some way. It was actually about the comments.

Basically, what Jack asked for was that any references to killing him be removed from the comments. I can see where he's coming from as a rational death-fearing human being. But from what I can tell, most of the comments refer to killing "Sack Momson" and similar pseudo-names, which are no worse than Jack's video game proposal. They aren't actually saying to "kill Jack Thompson." There is one comment that says "must kill...Jack Thompson" referring to himself committing the act and that's his right to say. This poster is clearly quite childish in his response, but I don't think he has done anything illegal, nor has GAF for keeping up. But I went ahead and edited his post just to have this legal matter over.

So, as far as I can tell, there is no longer anything even questionably illegal. Unlike actual GAF articles that the staff has written, I'm not willing to risk getting fired from my "real job" to take time out of work to fight Jack in court over somebody's comment about killing him. So do try to keep the killing comments to a minimum. Remember, you're proving Jack right by expressing a desire to kill him. Just express your distaste for him and move on.

Honestly, this whole incident has left a bad taste in my mouth. We will think twice from now on before even covering Jack's future rants.

Jack Thompson, well known anti-gamer extraordinaire, makes it into GAF's news again - but this time, he's not attacking a game or making ludicrous proposals or claims. No, it seems that Jack Thompson's crusade against the 'murder simulators' and the horde of violent gamers around the country has cast him in a bad light with the National Institute on Media & Family, a group which he frequently cites as sources for his claims. Thompson was recently faxed a letter by David Walsh from the National Institute on Media and Family. Walsh didn't seem very pleased that Jack Thompson was citing Walsh and the NIMF while employing tactics that the NIMF and Walsh himself disagreed with.

The letter was sent to many of the people Thompson has sent his rants to, including Senators Hillary Clinton, Joe Lieberman, Sam Brownback and Rick Santorum; the governor and attorney general of Minnesota, Bill Gates, the CEO's of Target and Best Buy, Pat Vance of the ESRB, Doug Lowenstein of the ESA, as well as several other Minnesota political figures.

The letter reads as follows:

"Dear Mr. Thompson,

I founded the National Institute on Media and the Family ten years ago to engage in research and education about the effects of media on children's health and development. Our original premise that "media are powerful" has been validated scientifically and socially many times over. Our work has been cited by organizations around the world and our credibility has been well established.

One of the areas of greatest concern is the issue of violent media's effect on children. I know that you share that common concern and I am well aware that you have frequently cited me and our organization as a source of scientific information. However, over the past few months, I and members of my board have a growing concern that your use of our name, without our permission, has had a negative influence as we try to educate the public on this important issue.

Your commentary has included extreme hyperbole and your tactics have included personally attacking individuals for whom I have a great deal of respect. I believe that respect is essential in all our dealings, including respect for those with whom we disagree. Some of the people that you have publicly criticized are not only people of integrity, but are people who have worked to improve the lives of children.

Even though we have no formal relationship your use of my name and your inclusion of my name in correspondence have created the impression that we condone these tactics. We do not. The result is that our position and reputation as a research based, non-partisan, solution-focused organization has been jeopardized. Consequently, I ask that you cease using the Institute's or my name in any way that would give the impression that we support your efforts. I also ask that you remove the link to our website that appears on your site.

Sincerely,

David Walsh, PH.D."

And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, Thompson's methods have alienated even those who are supposed to be his allies. The irony is thick with this one.

Never one to take a fatal wound to his career lying down, good old Jack Thompson has responded to David Walsh's letters, and true to his nature, they're none too flattering and merely serve to 'break the camel's back' as it were. The letters start off in a polite manner but quickly degenerate to frantic name calling, as shown below:

"Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 6:01 PM
Subject: Dave Walsh and Jack Thompson

Dave, I received your letter today. A couple of clarifications, if I'm allowed to do that.

I have never given the impression that you are anything other than a remarkably talented and insightful professional who has been sounding the alarm for many years about the dangers of adult entertainment when consumed by kids. I started doing that in 1987. Not sure as to the precise date you started, but it has been a long time.

I have never said to anyone that you and I are in league with one another. I did recommend that 60 Minutes and Reader's Digest talk to you about the Alabama wrongful death case. I think it is fair to say you would not have been on those programs if I had not recommended you. I was happen to do it. As you recall, I got you the video gamer to sit with in Tuscaloosa to show the violent content of GTA: Vice City. I was happy to do it.

You will also recall that it was I that urged you to go forward on the "Hot Coffee mod" scandal. You repeatedly called me for legal advice and I freely gave it. As you know, I prepped Senator Clinton, per her staff's request, before she had her splendid "Hot Coffee" news conference. As you will recall, you called me to let me know you were on your way to Washington to do that press conference with her. I was happy for you.

I certainly did, however, lose respect for Senator Clinton when she decided, after that, to attend a fundraiser thrown for her by the video game industry and by ESA's Doug Lowenstein. To me, that was a sell-out for campaign cash. It may be that because you raise money for your organization you understand the needs of fundraising, but to take money from the ESA is to take blood money. The parents I represented in Paducah would not understand, nor do I. I note you send Doug Lowenstein, your letter to me. That is quite odd, given the things you have said to me about him in the past.

I am wondering just who, David, these people are whom I have criticized "who have worked to improve the lives of children." Do you have in mind the folks at Best Buy, one of whom you copied with your letter? I know you get money from people connected with these folks, David, but you do know that Best Buy is presently pre-selling, to adults and to children, the Columbine simulator game, Bully? You do know that, right, David? Of course you do. I told you Best Buy was doing that. So is the Target Corporation, whose Chairman Bob Ulrich you copy with your letter. I am wondering, David, what these men have to do to get on your bad side? Do they actually have to do the physical bullying of kids, as selling a bullying rehearsal trainer to kids is okay?

Finally, Dave, I understand that your letter is more about protecting your funding sources than criticizing me, so I understand what you felt you had to do. But there is something else here. Your role in this fight is indispensable - or I should say has been, as you maybe have decided to go a different route now - and I applaud you for what you have done.

But the thing that makes you feel uncomfortable with me is no so much that I have gone too far but that you have not gone far enough. The time for hand-wringing and trying to "persuade" the bad guys to stop being bad was over quite sometime ago. Now I understand the mindset of the upper Midwest, especially in the Twin Cities. Everybody likes to get along, assume that everyone "means well," and things will all just work out for the best in the end.

I know, and you know, if you are being honest, that that is not how the world works. Evil people sometimes have to be stopped, or at least their evil has to be stopped. You can cite all the studies and all the findings and keep giving your video game report card to Congress, and it will not matter unless somebody gets into the trenches and stops these people. While you have been giving report cards on a bunch of sociopaths, the violent games have been getting more violent.

Senator Lieberman, bless his heart, wants with Senator Clinton to fund a study with taxpayer dollars to find out if violence in entertainment really makes kids violent. That was decided years ago. It is a dodge from having to do something about the violence. The entire ESRB rating system is a joke. It is a tool for marketing violence to kids. It does not stop the sale of violence to kids. You know that. It would be better if we had no system, and then parents would not have been fooled for more than a decade into thinking that the system was actually protecting their kids.

Liberals, like you, love to label things and then think that the labeling has accomplished something. If that had been the case, then Churchill's calling Hitler a Nazi would have ended the war. But no, people like me had to get into the trenches and stop the Nazis. And there were always those tut-tutting back home about what a nasty business it is to stop the bad people, and can't we all just "get along."

Actually, Dave, and this is the point: We can't just all get along. You want to criticize retailers like Best Buy, while at the same time taking their money. That is what prompts your letter to me decrying my tactics and my hyperbole and so forth.

I have been dismayed by your being on both sides of the fence, because it undercuts your credibility.

Dave, it is laughable, it is absurd, that you have copied your email to Bill Gates, of all people. This is a guy whose Halo trained Malvo to kill in D.C. This is a guy who now has put all the Grand Theft Auto games on his XBox. This is a man who is going to release Bully when the coast is clear in the spring.

Gates is a man who wants to be on both sides of a fence. Sound familiar?

Regards, Jack Thompson"

One would assume that would be all that needed to be said, but knowing Jack Thompson, that's only the beginning of a series of letters and comments to David Walsh. Thompson's second letter reads as such:

"Dear Dave:

It is interesting that you sent your useful letter (useful to us) to Doug Lowenstein immediately after you received my request for an affidavit in Strickland v. Sony.

If you shared this confidential affidavit with Doug Lowenstein, or with anybody else, as you shared your letter with the video game industry, then you have a problem.

Unfortunately, Dave, you have opened up the issue of your organization's funding. Bad move.

You liked your collaboration with me when I got you on 60 Minutes, but not when it inconvenienced your cozy relationship with Best Buy and the rest of the video game industry.

You got some pretty bad legal advice in this, Dave, but that does not surprise. You're talking to attorney Elliott Kaplan, who sits on the Best Buy board.

Regards, Jack Thompson"

Childish? Tactless? Yeah, I think so.

Source: Game Politics

Those cheeky GTA modders are at it again.

The fan-based mod community which unleashed Hot Coffee upon the world continues to tweak their favorite video game series. Their latest effort lampoons a rather well-known figure in gaming circles. Defamation of Character: A Jack Thompson Murder Simulator places a likeness of the controversial anti-game crusader into typical Grand Theft Auto action sequences.

As described by the mod team, which calls itself "The Fighting Hellfish," the mod "allows players to adopt the role of prominent anti-videogame attorney Jack Thompson as he lives through an insane weekend which changes his life... It turns out that all the time Jack spent studying violent video games has turned him into a Manchurian Candidate. Receiving calls at random that begin with the classic line, 'Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?' Jack immediately falls under a hypnotic spell, transforming into his criminal vigilante alterego Banman to commit violent acts in the name of Thompson's morality. While Thompson enjoys legal immunity as an attorney, Banman has both regenerating armor and bullet time to help him make his way."

The modders have obviously been paying close attention to gaming's current political and cultural landscape. In the DOC mod, for example, the Banman character undertakes a mission to destroy 18-wheelers before they can deliver Rockstar's Bully to retail stores. Meanwhile, the Jack character gathers news for a press conference by traveling to GTA locale San Fierro in order to catch ESA boss Doug Lowenstein and a hacker exchanging a disk full of naughty Sims character images.

According to an e-mail received from Hellfish, players can choose the Jack character's comments at the subsequent press conference, with 85% of his dialogue coming from real-life Thompson quotes. Before the mod ends, the Jack character will have the chance to take on both Lowenstein and former attorney general Janet Reno, both longtime targets of the real attorney's ire.

The Fighting Hellfish added, "We decided early on in doing this mod that we wanted it to be fun on its own, even if the player doesn't know who Thompson is, much less Reno or Lowenstein. That said, we also wanted to use it as political satire, and firmly convinced that Jack is already his own best parody, we simply went about adopting bits from these diatribes... "

"As Jack Thompson recently outlined his proposal for a violent video game, we have decided... to develop a version of Thompson's game for San Andreas, sticking as closely to his proposal as possible save one major change: instead of playing as O.K., players will resume the role of Jack Thompson..."

The mod is native to the PC version of GTA: San Andreas. However, Hellfish tells GP, "With a bit of technical know-how, it's possible to ftp DoC to a xbox and play that way." Videos and screen shots of action sequences from the mod can be found here.

Reached for comment, Jack Thompson e-mailed GP, "I'm not interested and won't be commenting on the mod. The satirical piece entitled 'A Modest Video Game Proposal' was intended to highlight the patent hypocrisy and recklessness exhibited by the video game industry's willingness to target cops, women, homosexuals, and other groups with some of their violent games. To be fair, though, you can't expect a bunch of gamers to understand the satire if they think that Jonathon Swift, the author of 'A Modest Proposal,' is the name of a new Nike running shoe...

...I will say this though, the 'video game community' (what's next, 'the necromancy community'?) surely seems exercised about someone who is a 'joke' and who is accomplishing nothing. You all seem rather bothered and worried about a nonentity. God is in this battle, and I am privileged to be a foot soldier. You all should be concerned, not about me, but about Him."

<a href="mailto:Anon1001@gmail.com">Anon1001</a>
sent us the latest developments in the ongoing saga between Miami
Attorney Jack Thompson and Penny-Arcade. So far the story goes that
Jack has filed a wrongful death suit against Rock Star, claiming that
GTA is a cop killing training simulator responsible for the murder of a
pair of cops. He also
offered $10k to charity if anyone who would develop some ridiculous
murder spree game. When someone did it, and he changed his mind and Penny-Arcade
donated the cash instead. All of this is being documented on the Penny
Arcade website, in phone calls, rants and comics, as well as an 'I Hate Jack Thompson' T-Shirt. (Note, Slashdot's parent company owns ThinkGeek).
He has now
called the cops claiming harassment. Update: 10/18 17:40 GMT by Z : It seems like this confrontation has been brewing all summer. The most <a href="//games.slashdot.org/games/05/10/17/1750203.shtml?tid=133">recent altercation</a> is just another link in the chain made by Thompson's <a href="//games.slashdot.org/games/05/07/15/1637247.shtml?tid=10">reaction to Hot Coffee</a> and <a href="//games.slashdot.org/games/05/07/22/2145216.shtml?tid=153">his crusade against the Sims 2</a>. Further, PA has put up the scan of the letter to the cops, and a photo of the check.

There is a new twist in the raging feud between Miami attorney and self-described "anti-game crusader" Jack Thompson and gamer website Penny Arcade.

Thompson has forwarded to GamePolitics a copy of a letter that he faxed to John McKay (left), U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Washington, in relation to Penny Arcade. Law enforcement agencies such as the FBI are under McKay's direction. Thompson's letter reads, in part:

"I have testified twice before the Washington state legislature on behalf of video game bills authored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson, who understands the danger posed by these murder simulation games. Governor Locke signed the bill she got passed into law."

"Because of my prominence, for better or worse, on this public safety problem, a 'gamer' a few months ago decided to threaten to kill me via the Internet. I received thousands of e-mails from a kid who was able to blast e-mail me using a service in Ireland that made the death threats appear to come from the following e-mail address: georgewbush@whitehouse.gov."

"Because of the domain name, the Secret Service here in Miami got involved and shut that extortion down."

"Now there is new extortion, and it is coming from a Seattle company called Penny Arcade. I can provide the details to your investigators, but basically this company has been using, I believe I can show, their Internet site and various other means to encourage and solicit criminal harassment of me. This would appear to violate state and federal laws."

"I asked Penny Arcade's attorney to stop this targeting, and he said it was my fault. Maybe he's played too many video games and thinks that flesh and blood people are just pixilated pinatas."

"Please help me if you can... They claim the First Amendment, it seems, applies only to them."

In related news, Thompson told us that his earlier letter to Seattle P.D., a story broken here on GamePolitics, was indeed sent both by fax and snail mail. Previously, there had been some question raised as to whether the attorney's letter was actually forwarded to Seattle P.D. Note that we are not aware of any confirmation by the police department, and some GP readers have claimed that the offices of Penny Arcade are not within the jurisdiction of Seattle's finest.

Here's the sound bite: Crime down, games up...

Duke Ferris over at Game Revolution has already covered this topic so well that his piece remains the definitive word on the topic.

So GamePolitics will simply add a bit of information released by the FBI this week. The news is that the murder rate in the United States is at its lowest point since 1965. According to the Washington Post, there were 391 fewer murders nationwide in 2004 than the year before, a decline of 3.3 percent from 2003.

The paper also notes that four major violent crimes - murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults declined in 2004. That produced a 2.2% drop in the violent crime rate, making it the lowest since 1974.

In other news, Rockstar's The Warriors was released yesterday...

Jack seems to be intent on looking like a narrow-minded bigot in the eyes of all as he continues to dig a deeper and deeper proverbial grave for his own career. This time, his sights and forked tongue are set on attacking not an industry, but an entire country. When asked about his remarks on his previously released press release, where his declaring the video game industry as "Pearl Harbor II" wrought by Japanese hands, as being insensitive, he remarks, "Insensitive? What the Japanese are doing to our kids is insensitive and racist. The Japanese have for a very long time dumped pornography into this country in a fashion they would not tolerate in their own country. It is another version of Pearl Harbor." He has, as such, decided that Sony of Japan should also be blamed for Take-Two's games. Yes, you heard that right. The man has zero logic going for him now.

Shortly thereafter, the pestilent pettifogger decided to send a letter to Japanese Ambassador Ryoko Kato:

"Dear Mr. Ambassador:

As a United States citizen who has been active and visible in opposing Sony's distribution of hyperviolent and sexually explicit video games to children in this country, I would respectfully request that your nation's government assist me in making this harmful distribution stop.

This request comes in the aftermath of recent news reports that certain local/regional governments in Japan will not allow, for example, the grotesque Sony/Take-Two/Rockstar Grand Theft Auto games to be sold to children in your country but Sony is more than delighted to distribute these games to our children in our country.

This is hypocrisy, and it must be remedied. Japan cannot allow to be done to our children what it will not allow to be done to its own.

Regards, Jack Thompson"

Thompson's probably still seething and completely heart broken at the fact that he has zero allies left in the U.S., so he's looking for some from foreign countries. Too bad they won't do him any good. Piece of advice, Jack Thompson, if you want someone's support, you don't normally insult them before asking.

Speaking of Thompson, it appears he will be able to stay on the Alabama court case, though that'll probably be the only thing that goes his way. He claimed the defense had submitted a "300 page attack" on him, which probably just means they said his name a few times and he made up something to sound like the victim.

In any case, GAF will bring more news on the court proceedings as they develop.

Source: Game Politics

As described in GameDAILY Biz, noted designer Warren Spector (Deus Ex, Thief) broke industry ranks at the recent Montreal International Game Summit with highly critical comments concerning Rockstar and the GTA series.

"I'm really angry at the Rockstar guys," said Spector. "...they frustrate me because Grand Theft Auto III... was an amazing advance in game design... And it was wrapped in a context that completely for me undid all the good they did on the design side."

Spector went on at some length on the issue, as summarized in yesterday's GamePolitics report as well as reports in the Canadian press.

Culture-crusading attorney Jack Thompson, engaged in a bitter court fight with the video game industry in an Alabama lawsuit, wasted no time in seizing upon Spector's comments. In a motion to be filed with the Fayette County Court tomorrow, Thompson contends "...the words of respected video game developer Warren Spector... show that defendants' characterizations to this court of the Grand Theft Auto games are misleading... Mr. Spector even highlights the killing of 'cops' in the game as a disturbing element... He calls the Grand Theft Auto games 'mindless pathetic killfests' and 'the ultimate urban thuggery simulation.' The court will recall that Take-Two/Sony's counsel, Ms. Ward, assured the court that the Grand Theft Auto games are most assuredly not 'murder simulators.'

In a message posted yesterday on GamePolitics, Thompson wrote, "Warren Spector just got himself a free plane ticket to testify in the Fayette, Alabama video game murder lawsuit, for plaintiffs. Trust me."

EDITOR's NOTE: It is highly unlikely that Spector could be compelled to testify in Strickland vs. Sony against his wishes. And it is unfortunate that Spector can't speak frankly without being drawn into something he'd no doubt rather avoid. But that's the current state of politics in the video game arena...

Ironically:
Quote:
>>>>>Mr. Spector even highlights the killing of 'cops' in the game as a disturbing element...<<<<<

That's funny- I seem to recall shooting quite a few UNATCO types in Deus Ex, not to mention committing acts of theft and associating with crime bosses.

Quote:
Spector was the producer for the excellent "Crusader: No Remorse", a game that advertised the dozens of graphic ways you could kill your foes ( this of course, in the pre-3d accelerator days). He was also involved in the FPS "System Shock", another excellent but violent game that came out around the same time as "Doom". To cap it off, Spector worked on "Wing Commander: Privateer", a game that put you at odds with space faring fundamentalist fanatics!

He might not like the "thug" aspect of GTA, but Spector has demonstrated he is not affraid to work with blood and gore, and has been doing long before GTA was a glimmer in the eye of Rockstar. Of course, conflict to one degree or another is the basis for any good story. Some just prefer to paint it in wide strokes of red.


Both these guys are hypotrical biggots, I can't think of anything more apt to classify them as.

Lawyer accused of violating legal ethics and turning courtroom "into a circus"

Anti-videogame campaigner Jack Thompson has appeared in court to defend his right to practice law in Alabama, following accusations that he violated legal ethics ahead of a civil case against companies involved in creating and selling Grand Theft Auto.

Thompson is representing the families of two police officers and a dispatcher who were murdered by 18 year old Devin Moore in June 2003. In a lawsuit filed against Sony, Take-Two, Rockstar, Wal-Mart and GameStop, Thompson claims that Grand Theft Auto trained Moore to become a killer.

But now law firm Blank Rome has filed a motion to have Thompson taken off the case and to have his legal license revoked. The firm alleges that Thompson has attacked and threatened their lawyers in dozens of press releases which also accused Blank Rome of conspiracy.

"He can't proceed with the civility the rules require. All lawyers have to conduct themselves with honesty, integrity and civility. This isn't a street fight," said Blank Rome's Jim Smith.

"He's going to turn the courtroom into a circus and we can't have it."

In response, Thompson accused the law firm of attempting to run a smear campaign against him, telling Judge James Moore: "I didn't start this food fight. They started it and I have a right to respond because, believe it or not, I have a life outside of this case."

When Judge Moore asked Thompson to justify some of the statements made in his press releases, he replied: "I'm not pretending I'm not a nice guy. I'm not pretending I don't have a temper."

"Why did you do this?" Moore asked Thompson, pointing to a huge stack of press releases and letters submitted by Blank Rome as evidence of Thompson's legal violations.

"You said after the criminal trial to 'have at it'," Thompson said. The judge had imposed a gag order on lawyers until Devin Moore's trial was over.

"Your 'have at it' and my 'have at it' are not the same," the judge replied.

Judge Moore has taken the motion to revoke Thompson's license under advisement, and is also considering a motion to have the entire suit dismissed on the grounds that the First Amendment, which provides for freedom of speech, applies to videogames. The defendants' laywers also claim that Devin Moore's actions could not have been foreseen.

GamePolitics has confirmed a report that controversial Miami attorney Jack Thompson has withdrawn from the Fayette County Alabama lawsuit Strickland vs. Sony.

GP spoke with Thompson this evening. The self-described "anti-game" crusader said that he had taken himself off the Strickland case today.

"The other side wants to make me the issue," he told GP. "The important thing is that the clients be served."

Thompson denied that he received pressure from Alabama Circuit Court Judge James Moore to withdraw.

"It was my idea," Thompson said, expressing confidence that the case would continue without him.

"There are three other lawyers working on it," he told GP. In addition to Alabama attorney Patrick Gray, Thompson's longtime colleague Ray Reiser of Florida will carry the plaintiffs' side forward.

"I got him (Reiser) to the edge of the Promised Land," Thompson joked. "We'll see if he goes in."

Thompson's flamboyant profile, take-no-prisoners style of communication, and frequent press releases and media appearances were the subject of a defense motion on behalf of video game industry clients to revoke his Pro Hac Vice (visiting) admission to the Alabama bar. The motion to remove Thompson from the case occupied much of last Thursday's hearing before Judge Moore in Fayette County. By day's end the judge asked both sides to submit opinions on the Pro Hac Vice revocation motion as well as another defense motion to dismiss the case on a summary judgment for lack of merit.

"If we won one motion or the other, we wanted to win (the summary judgment) by a factor of a million to one, Thompson said. Although Judge Moore has not yet ruled on the summary judgment motion, a decision for the video game industry would end the case before it begins. Thompson further indicated that his withdrawal was probably inevitable since he would likely need to take the stand as a witness in the case at some point.

UPDATE / Tuesday, 6:18 A.M. The Tuscaloosa News has more on Thompson's withdrawal in their Tuesday morning edition.

According to a story at IGN,
Jack Thompson has been removed from the lawsuit filed by the families of two murdered police officers vs. Rockstar, Sony and game retailers. While previously he stated that <a href="//games.slashdot.org/games/05/11/08/2032203.shtml?tid=123">he had withdrawn</a>,
details have now come out that the judge actually pulled his temporary
license to practice law in Alabama. The reason for all this? Thompson's
behavior."</i> From the article: "The removal of Thompson from the
case does not necessarily represent the end of the trial as his
long-time associate Ray Reiser will assume the role of lead counsel for
the case's plaintiffs. Not one to take such things lying down, Thompson
fired back at Judge Moore by claiming the the judge has 'has
violated... The Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics by his unfortunate,
improper, and prejudicial acts in this case, at the expense of three
bereaved Alabama families.'