Topic: That wily Jack Thompson!

[lemurbouy]

I just finished the entire interview and I have to say that Mr. Thompson does not come off as a complete raving loon.  Now, his emails with Scott Ramsooair certainly don't help that image but that's something else.  He states his case, backs it up with research and shows where his priorities.  I don't agree with him about everything but I do think that he's doing a good job of making us think about this industry and what's good and bad about it.  As Gaming Steve said, gaming companies are out to make money and so we can't just instantly assume that they have the best motivations at heart.  How/If they should be restricted, I don't have any answers for but I think it's dangerously knee-jerkish to dismiss all critics of the videogame industry out of hand without understanding where they're coming from.  In every argument like this, there are good and thoughtful people on both sides as well as reckless yabbos that have no clue what they're talking about and either just want attention or are responding out of fear.  I think there's a lot of fear on both sides of this issue.  Those of us who have spent a lot of time and money in games are worried that the federal government is going to start telling us what games we can and can't play and the opposing side is worried that videogame industries don't care about and damage they might cause in pursuit of profit.  I've seen so much and anger and name callng on both sides and I think that we need to step back and try to figure out what we actually want.  Just my two-cents. -leeman

[James Shields]

The thing is whenever Jack backs up his claims with research people look into it and find he is making it up around 50% of the time.

[lemurbouy]

That's interesting to know but do we hold positive research to the same standards as negative?  I know when I saw the Economist's report I was gleeful but then I had to step back; I didn't conduct the research.  Heck, I barely read the article.  However, I liked what it said and as any good fortuneteller will tell you, half of the game is making people want to believe.  I think if we're going to be honest with ourselves, we need to be up to speed as much as we can on all sides.  The problem is that sifting through all the research and weighing it requires ridiculous amount of time and effort that the casual gamer doesn't have.  This is always the problem with any research-based argument.  Thompson's going to quote one source, we're going to quote another and we'll both find critics who "disprove" our opposing research.  It's a mess and we need to be open enough and thoughtful enough to take what we're told and run it through the wringer of common sense and critical thinking before making any quick judgements.  I really hate that I'm sounding condescending; I don't want to be.  I just know from my own personal experience how being quick to judge and choosing sides too quickly have made me ignorant and prejudiced, two things I think everyone here would agree should be avoided.  I mean, when I first heard about Jack Thompson and that he was a critic of videogames, my mind went straight to Jack Chick without taking the time to really think.  And that's a problem.  -leeman

[Gauphastus]

Don't sift through years of studies and find statistics just so you can believe you're educated on the subject. That's just a waste.
Jack clearly has a cause, but he won't convince me or any of my more sensible friends. This is not because my friends and I are gamers, but because Jack seems to be particularly aggressive in his approach, rabble rousing and such, tattling to politicians with time to kill... it's rot, and it's silly.
He's poking the animals with sticks.

I don't like him for his character, which I can tell from what I've read so far, is very condescending to gamers and game companies.
I certainly don't like how he picks on any old violent game and sways a bunch of bored people to get all riled about it. (I need not say again that violence and sex is natural, just avoided or hidden; we don't need someone on the rooftops screaming this at us.)

The only way anyone can make an educated decision on any issue like this is to go out and do your own studies, but few have the time, resources, or the will to do it.
It looks like people will just have to end up dealing with the Jacks and his blind opposition.

I honestly don't care. I just like to think I do because, hey, I get bored too.

[Bangles]

 LOL In Jacks latest trial, he failed to convince a judge that violence can be linked to videogames. His next move is hilarious. Read this article...

http://www.stopstopkill.com/thompson/gates.html

The idiot doesn't even realize that Bill Gates has no control over the release of Bully, only Rock* does. Worst of all, he has threatened the Man with the Money with an ultimatum signed by Hilary Clinton and Joseph Lieberman. The wording in it is highly threatening. All Bill Gates has to do is take the case to the Supreme Court and sue them for threatening him.

That will not get him anywhere...

[sgore]

This guy really knows close to nothing about gaming...which will come back to hurt him sooner then anyone expects if he keeps making accusations this fast.

[GameManic]

One big thing that bothers me about that interview with Jack Thompson and the chatterbox is he makes this huge thing about bully that it is a murder simulater with shooting up kids like in Columbine when he says is that all he knows about the game is that a kid is hitting anotehr student.  From that they make this big deal about how horrible this game is going to be and they don't even know what it is really about.  I went to the official website and all I found was three screenshots with the one with of the fighting students.  What is it that they know about this game that makes it worse then all the other games that they want it banned.

[762]

Purchase the "I hate Jack Thompson" shirt today!

[GameManic]

I wonder what the aeronautical engineers have against him. 

[762]

They engineered the planes that struck the World Trade Center. Mark my words, Jack Thompson will blame them for the incident.

[GameManic]

Well played B-ROD.

[Krakow Sam]

If games can teach people to be violent then the reverse must also be true, games teaching people to be good and kind and virtuous. How many aspiring smalltown mayors were inspired by simcity, how many benevolent dictators learned what they knew from Civ. Would a superhero game such as freedom force teach kids to fight crime, these are important questions that MUST be answered.

[Samog]

No, Freedom Force would influence kids to follow around old dudes in Spandex until they get shot.

Was that a spoiler?

[Legodragonxp]

If games can teach people to be violent then the reverse must also be true, games teaching people to be good and kind and virtuous. How many aspiring smalltown mayors were inspired by simcity, how many benevolent dictators learned what they knew from Civ. Would a superhero game such as freedom force teach kids to fight crime, these are important questions that MUST be answered.

That sounds like a queue for this thread...

http://gamingsteve.com/blab/index.php?topic=971.0

-Lego

[Deep Lee]

jackpeace@comcast.net

 is his email address.

I sent him an email telling him what I think about video games, how they help me (and everyone I know) relieve stress. I told him that most people who play video games aren't violent people, they are skinny nerds who have never been in a real fight. I didn't attack him, I just told him I think he doesn't know much about video games, and that they help me. And he should be attacking bad parents not games.

Yoiu all should write him an email and it will help you cement your opinion on the whole issue. and maybe he'll actually read some of them and have a change of heart. Just don't attack him too much, or he might dismiss everything else you wrote.