Take-Two gets a new shareholder: Jack Thompson - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

FngKestrel · 12-22-2005, 09:38 AM

From joystiq.com:
http://joystiq.com/2005/12/22/take-t...jack-thompson/
He's got a method to his madness. And we know how mad he is.

Quote:

Take-Two gets a new shareholder: Jack Thompson

Posted Dec 22nd 2005 7:45AM by Conrad Quilty-Harper
Filed under: Culture
Take-Two InteractiveNo, your eyes are not deceiving you. Jack Thompson has purchased shares in Take-Two interactive - otherwise known as the publisher behind the Grand Theft Auto series of games. So has JT suddenly become a financial supporter of the company he's long campaigned against? Not a chance. JT has purchased stock in the company in order that he might attend Take-Two's shareholder meetings and face up to the company's CEO, Paul Eibeler.

In advance of attending the shareholder's meeting, he sent a ranting letter to Eibeler, outlining his plan to attend the meeting and visit several issues that have been on our favorite lawyer's mind as of late. In the letter, JT questions Eibeler's handling of the "Hot Coffee" sex scandal (which won an award, by the way) and mentions a report by MarketWatch naming Eibeler as the "worst CEO of 2005". Up until this point, the letter raises legitimate concerns that any shareholder could have regarding the company's CEO.

But, as JT's letters always do, it degrades into a messy rant against the video game industry in general. At one point, JT refers to Microsoft's Flight Simulator as a training simulator for the 9/11 terrorists: "What's next, Paul, a game in which players can practice flying commercial jetliners into the World Trade Towers? Oh, I forgot. Microsoft already did that." We're not going to dignify that statement with a retort. As these kind of statements demonstrate: Jack Thompson is, and will forever remain, a childish attention seeker. We hope the organisers of the next Take-Two shareholder's meeting refuse to obey JT's request for a "cordless microphone at the shareholders meeting." That's all he needs: a voice.

Coppertop · 12-22-2005, 09:43 AM

Jack Thompson = asshat

And that's all I have to say about that.

Jinn · 12-22-2005, 10:01 AM

Seconded...

Cynthetiq · 12-22-2005, 11:32 AM

so little discussion happening here...

care to add why he's an asshat and seconded?

Coppertop · 12-22-2005, 11:45 AM

I thought it was obvious:

Quote:

But, as JT's letters always do, it degrades into a messy rant against the video game industry in general. At one point, JT refers to Microsoft's Flight Simulator as a training simulator for the 9/11 terrorists: "What's next, Paul, a game in which players can practice flying commercial jetliners into the World Trade Towers? Oh, I forgot. Microsoft already did that."

I'm surprised anyone who would visit Tilted Gaming wouldn't already know about Thompson's asshattedness. It has been discussed at length in multiple other threads here.

Cynthetiq · 12-22-2005, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coppertop

I thought it was obvious:

I'm surprised anyone who would visit Tilted Gaming wouldn't already know about Thompson's asshattedness. It has been discussed at length in multiple other threads here.

I never have seen his name before, but my statement was to provoke some sort of discussion. If you're saying that it's like saying the sky is blue then maybe this disucssion is better served being merged into another thread.

Wingless · 12-22-2005, 02:37 PM

Cyntehtiq: Sorry I don't have a link to the article, but Thompson refers to Japanese gaming reaching youths in America as a "Second Pearl Harbor".

I third the "Thompson is an Asshat" comment.

FngKestrel · 12-22-2005, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cynthetiq

I never have seen his name before, but my statement was to provoke some sort of discussion. If you're saying that it's like saying the sky is blue then maybe this disucssion is better served being merged into another thread.

I'd be up for a "Jack Thompson is an Asshat" thread myself.

To further discussion, I'd have to say that this is an ingenious way of getting in the face of your opponent, but that his arguments are so poorly formulated that it would only serve to polarize the very people that he would be talking to.

Jinn · 12-22-2005, 04:34 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_thompson

...to be fair, Cyn.. I think nearly every regular visitor to Gaming knows who Jack Thompson is. He's the asshat behind nearly every movement to 'prove' that violent video games are the downfall of society. Most of his arguments rely on rhetoric and misinformation, so the collective opinion of him in gaming circles is quite low.

That said, this seemed to be a news story about another one of his ridiculous exploits. I'm not surprised that he's trying to get into Take-Two meetings to rant, but I am more distracted by the delicious irony of buying stock in his 'satan.'

flamingdog · 12-22-2005, 06:14 PM

I'm with Cyn, what's the point in posting 'asshat' and nothing else? You're wasting power, making my monitor fire useless pixels. It hurts everyone.

I feel oddly conflicted about Thompson, because while I disagree with his methods, his bilious invective, and a lot of his opinions about specific games (the Flight Simulator/Twin Towers thing is not only bullshit, it's old hat bullshit), I do find myself agreeing that kids/teens should be protected from violent games. I don't for a second believe that playing violent games makes you into a killer, but there are degrees of anti-social behaviour. I just don't think kids (and some adults) have the maturity to deal with these things effectively.

Reference:
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=98407
http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=98323

And games with the tone of Postal 2, a particular bug-bear of Thompson's - I just don't see the need for at all. It's juvenile. Games like that actually make me embarrassed to call myself a gamer just in case some of the stink rubs off on me.

Lak · 12-22-2005, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingdog

... I do find myself agreeing that kids/teens should be protected from violent games...

As far as I'm concerned, kids are protected from violent video games - thats what the ratings are for. Kids (in theory) won't be sold these games. If parents are willing to ignore the ratings and buy games for thier kids anyway, they shoulder the responsibility. End.

flamingdog · 12-22-2005, 09:23 PM

But that's the end of the debate is it? The ratings evidently do not work.

MexicanOnABike · 12-22-2005, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flamingdog

But that's the end of the debate is it? The ratings evidently do not work.

it does where i live. i see the store owner at EB always asking to see ID for games that require a certain age.

it's the same fucking things with movies. would you show a R or XXX movie to a kid? no ? then what's the diff with a game? end of argument. fix the parent's thinking...

flamingdog · 12-22-2005, 11:23 PM

Well, fair comment there... that's not my perception of how it works. I'm given to understand that workers in game shops either don't bother to card, or if the parent is present, don't bother to explain that the content of RapeFest XP might not be suitable for little Johnny because the parents don't appreciate it, and get all up in their faces about it.

I suppose you're right... but how do you fix the parents' thinking, if they're content to let their children be brought up by a games console in the first place...?

tspikes51 · 12-23-2005, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mexicanonabike

it does where i live. i see the store owner at EB always asking to see ID for games that require a certain age.

it's the same fucking things with movies. would you show a R or XXX movie to a kid? no ? then what's the diff with a game? end of argument. fix the parent's thinking...

Yeah, I remember the cashier at Meijer making me get my mom to buy Duke Nukem 64 for me when I was about 12 or so... before there was any real big debate on this stuff. Good cashier I say!

flamingdog · 12-23-2005, 12:34 AM

No debate?!! Don't you remember Night Trap? Mortal Kombat?

RAGEAngel9 · 12-23-2005, 07:06 AM

Custer's Revenge FTW!

Yeah. It's pretty well know that Thompson is just insane. Penny-Arcade has been having lots of fun with this moron.

FngKestrel · 12-23-2005, 08:18 AM

If you're looking for a better or more coherent advocate than Jack Thompson, you can easily find it in Assemblyman Leland Yee. He formulated AB 1179, which prevents the sale of violent video games to minors. I have my own issues with that law, but you can hear about his position and the position of Mike Antonucci, a San Jose Mercury columnist who puts it very well when he says that he doesn't agree with the law, but he has issue with the industry running around without self-restraint.

hulk · 12-24-2005, 02:36 AM

Considering Walmart won't carry any AO-rated games, theere's plenty of reason to restrain from going too far over the top. The ESRB in the US has the power to stop a title from becoming hugely successful and it does so in a manner that is about as nuetral as one can get. Also considering that 92% of the time parents are present when the games are purchased or rented, one wonders why all the bother?

Da Munk · 12-24-2005, 03:48 AM

I'd have to agree with Jack Thompson being an asshat. He screams about the evils of a medium he doesn't understand, places blame where it doesn't belong, advocates our government playing babysitter to compensate for lazy and irresponsible parents, and responds to criticism with temper tantrums like a petulant child. Yup, definitely an asshat.

Carno · 12-24-2005, 08:30 AM

Hahahaha this guy cracks me up.. A second Pearl Harbor?? LOL

He is way out there man... Wayyyyyy out there.

FngKestrel · 12-24-2005, 09:41 AM

Hulk: The problem being isn't that Wal-mart can affect the revenue stream, it's the fact that the video game industry adopts a rather haughty position when someone insinuates that they should tone it down a bit.

hulk · 12-27-2005, 03:24 AM

FngKestrel - Games are nothing compared to the violent impact of many cult films. Granted, these movies aren't in the mainstream, but they exist, and the anti-film activists have yet to hit the big time, much less any presidential candidate using it as an election platform. Games are new, strange, and therefore must be to blame for everything, but the industry disagrees, because it's frankly not true.

FngKestrel · 12-27-2005, 11:38 AM

Hulk- Absolutely. I have no disagreement there. In fact, in the Ethics and Gaming discussion I attended a few weeks back, one of the panelists did repeatedly bring up the point that while video games are being targeted as the enemy du jour, mainstream entertainment such as TV and films should be examined in more detail because of their ubiquity.

The haughty attitude that I refer to is mainly the kneejerk reaction in the press reports of companies if there's ever the insinuation that they did something wrong.

japhyryder · 12-27-2005, 05:08 PM

He is just so sad. Maybe if he had games growning up we would be playing them and not complaining about them.

12-22-2005, 10:01 AM	#3 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	Seconded... __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

12-22-2005, 11:32 AM	#4 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	so little discussion happening here... care to add why he's an asshat and seconded? __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!

12-22-2005, 02:37 PM	#7 (permalink)
Wingless Psycho Location: Metro Detroit, Mich, USA	Cyntehtiq: Sorry I don't have a link to the article, but Thompson refers to Japanese gaming reaching youths in America as a "Second Pearl Harbor". I third the "Thompson is an Asshat" comment. __________________ Tommy Nibs is a funny word. So here I am, above palm trees, so straight and tall... You are, smaller getting smaller, but I still see... you. Jimmy Eat World - Goodbye Sky Harbor

12-22-2005, 04:34 PM	#9 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_thompson ...to be fair, Cyn.. I think nearly every regular visitor to Gaming knows who Jack Thompson is. He's the asshat behind nearly every movement to 'prove' that violent video games are the downfall of society. Most of his arguments rely on rhetoric and misinformation, so the collective opinion of him in gaming circles is quite low. That said, this seemed to be a news story about another one of his ridiculous exploits. I'm not surprised that he's trying to get into Take-Two meetings to rant, but I am more distracted by the delicious irony of buying stock in his 'satan.' __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

12-24-2005, 02:36 AM	#19 (permalink)
hulk C'mon, just blow it. Location: Perth, Australia	Considering Walmart won't carry any AO-rated games, theere's plenty of reason to restrain from going too far over the top. The ESRB in the US has the power to stop a title from becoming hugely successful and it does so in a manner that is about as nuetral as one can get. Also considering that 92% of the time parents are present when the games are purchased or rented, one wonders why all the bother? __________________ "'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex." -- From an IGN game review.

12-22-2005, 09:43 AM	#2 (permalink)
Coppertop Getting Medieval on your ass Location: 13th century Europe	Jack Thompson = asshat And that's all I have to say about that.

12-22-2005, 06:14 PM	#10 (permalink)
flamingdog Still fighting it.	I'm with Cyn, what's the point in posting 'asshat' and nothing else? You're wasting power, making my monitor fire useless pixels. It hurts everyone. I feel oddly conflicted about Thompson, because while I disagree with his methods, his bilious invective, and a lot of his opinions about specific games (the Flight Simulator/Twin Towers thing is not only bullshit, it's old hat bullshit), I do find myself agreeing that kids/teens should be protected from violent games. I don't for a second believe that playing violent games makes you into a killer, but there are degrees of anti-social behaviour. I just don't think kids (and some adults) have the maturity to deal with these things effectively. Reference: http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=98407 http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=98323 And games with the tone of Postal 2, a particular bug-bear of Thompson's - I just don't see the need for at all. It's juvenile. Games like that actually make me embarrassed to call myself a gamer just in case some of the stink rubs off on me.

12-22-2005, 09:23 PM	#12 (permalink)
flamingdog Still fighting it.	But that's the end of the debate is it? The ratings evidently do not work.

12-22-2005, 11:23 PM	#14 (permalink)
flamingdog Still fighting it.	Well, fair comment there... that's not my perception of how it works. I'm given to understand that workers in game shops either don't bother to card, or if the parent is present, don't bother to explain that the content of RapeFest XP might not be suitable for little Johnny because the parents don't appreciate it, and get all up in their faces about it. I suppose you're right... but how do you fix the parents' thinking, if they're content to let their children be brought up by a games console in the first place...?

12-23-2005, 12:34 AM	#16 (permalink)
flamingdog Still fighting it.	No debate?!! Don't you remember Night Trap? Mortal Kombat?

12-23-2005, 07:06 AM	#17 (permalink)
RAGEAngel9 Insane Location: Vermont	Custer's Revenge FTW! Yeah. It's pretty well know that Thompson is just insane. Penny-Arcade has been having lots of fun with this moron.

12-23-2005, 08:18 AM	#18 (permalink)
FngKestrel Junkie	If you're looking for a better or more coherent advocate than Jack Thompson, you can easily find it in Assemblyman Leland Yee. He formulated AB 1179, which prevents the sale of violent video games to minors. I have my own issues with that law, but you can hear about his position and the position of Mike Antonucci, a San Jose Mercury columnist who puts it very well when he says that he doesn't agree with the law, but he has issue with the industry running around without self-restraint.

12-24-2005, 03:48 AM	#20 (permalink)
Da Munk Crazy	I'd have to agree with Jack Thompson being an asshat. He screams about the evils of a medium he doesn't understand, places blame where it doesn't belong, advocates our government playing babysitter to compensate for lazy and irresponsible parents, and responds to criticism with temper tantrums like a petulant child. Yup, definitely an asshat.

12-24-2005, 08:30 AM	#21 (permalink)
Carno Junkie	Hahahaha this guy cracks me up.. A second Pearl Harbor?? LOL He is way out there man... Wayyyyyy out there. __________________ http://how-to-spell-ridiculous.com/

12-24-2005, 09:41 AM	#22 (permalink)
FngKestrel Junkie	Hulk: The problem being isn't that Wal-mart can affect the revenue stream, it's the fact that the video game industry adopts a rather haughty position when someone insinuates that they should tone it down a bit.

12-27-2005, 03:24 AM	#23 (permalink)
hulk C'mon, just blow it. Location: Perth, Australia	FngKestrel - Games are nothing compared to the violent impact of many cult films. Granted, these movies aren't in the mainstream, but they exist, and the anti-film activists have yet to hit the big time, much less any presidential candidate using it as an election platform. Games are new, strange, and therefore must be to blame for everything, but the industry disagrees, because it's frankly not true. __________________ "'There's a tendency among the press to attribute the creation of a game to a single person,' says Warren Spector, creator of Thief and Deus Ex." -- From an IGN game review.

12-27-2005, 11:38 AM	#24 (permalink)
FngKestrel Junkie	Hulk- Absolutely. I have no disagreement there. In fact, in the Ethics and Gaming discussion I attended a few weeks back, one of the panelists did repeatedly bring up the point that while video games are being targeted as the enemy du jour, mainstream entertainment such as TV and films should be examined in more detail because of their ubiquity. The haughty attitude that I refer to is mainly the kneejerk reaction in the press reports of companies if there's ever the insinuation that they did something wrong.

12-27-2005, 05:08 PM	#25 (permalink)
japhyryder no one special Location: Charlotte, NC	He is just so sad. Maybe if he had games growning up we would be playing them and not complaining about them. __________________ It's only entertainment, someone's sick idea of a joke.