The final set of people to blame is the gamers themselves. We love to be entertained. We love the interactivity this industry provides. We love the creativity.
Yet, what are we doing?
Why are we yelling at those who oppose us when we know they won’t listen in the first place? Send all the angry e-mails you want to Jack Thompson. He doesn’t care, trust me. Stop whining on small message boards about how it’s the parent’s fault and politicians don’t understand. Quit sitting there arguing over which console it better when there’s never going to be an answer. We’ve all heard it, we’ve all said it, and no one cares anymore.
Shut. Up.
This is a situation where that pent up anger needs to be voiced directly at those responsible. This isn’t even about Manhunt 2 at this point, so even if you don’t plan on buying it or even playing it, this could still greatly effect you in the long term.
The game companies you support with your dollars are now controlling what you play, instead of supporting (or respecting) your consumer rights. Yell at Nintendo, scream at Sony, don’t renew your ECA membership, and stop supporting the ESRB until they’re willing to take one for the team to finally settle this ridiculous and long overdrawn media battle the only way it can be done: being heard.
Article comments
1 - Jack Thompson
No "personal attacks allowed" here? Are you kidding? I am attacked for "littering the mainstream media with falsehoods," above.
Really. What are they, pray tell?
That violent games consumed by kids can lead to behavioral consequences. The entire American Psychological Association agrees with that "falsehood." The AMA is set next week to identify video game addiction as an illness. Duh.
Take-Two got caught playing its thumb-our-nose-at-authority game. They finally lost. Trust me: there are high-fives being offered in other game developers' office suites all over the world, because this scofflaw company had painted a bullseye on the back of the entire industry, which it did not deserve.
You people need to grow up. There are limits to what society can and must tolerate. The First Amendment does not protect this stuff, and those of you who don't know that need to start reading Supreme Court rulings. Start with Rice v. Palladin.
2 - Matt Paprocki
Jack, to sit here and list the number of lies you've spread over the years would take months. It's not even worth debating it with you anymore.
Small list of BS spread by Jack: The Sims 2 nudity absurdity, Bully being a Columbine simulator, the Louisiana bill being constitutional, the V-Tech shooter video game link, and that's off the top of my head.
3 - Jason "Njiska" Westhaver
Oh and let's not forget my personal favourite, blatant expilict sex in Killer 7. Oh such glorious BS.
And for that matter, why is man hunt bad, but something incredibly violent like Killer 7 ok?
4 - Ken Edwards
Oh come now. Cell shading makes it OK, didn't you know that?
5 - Andrew Ogier
Jack Thompson, What I find amusing is that you seem hard wired on attempting to destroy the video game medium. Even when the shocking atrocity happened at Virginia Tech, you were on the phone talking about violent video games and making up lies about german laws on violent content, even though there was no indication of violent video games having anything to do with the murder.
If you're going to state your case, that's fine and I appreciate your rights to do that...but to state your case and basing it on pure lies and speculation is abominable.
As for this whole Manhunt issue, I'm quite frankly amazed and disgusted that there's a double standard with ratings. It's fine for a sick movie like Saw to be released, or a sex laden movie like 9 1/2 weeks, but absolutely unacceptable for Manhunt 2 to come out??? Madness.
6 - Ken Edwards
How interesting, MediaPost's Gaming Insider column has this headline this week: Abolish The AO Rating.
7 - Paul Levinson
Jack - you do litter the media with falsehoods and misunderstandings. Here's an example of the "debate" you and I had about a year ago on CNBC - about the connection between violent videogames and violence in the real world. I say "debate" because, between you and the anchor, I was lucky to get a word in edgewise about the crucial distinction between correlation and causation, and how the studies you site blur that difference. Face to Screen with Jack Thompson
I also made the point on our CNBC segment, by the way, that, contrary to what you say, the First Amendment indeed supports the rights of people to play and sell videogames....