Jack Thompson Responds to Halo 3 Inquiry
By Jonathan on Friday, May 25th, 2007 at 12:28 PM PST In Game Related Laws
Awhile back, we reported about a letter Jack Thompson sent to Bill Gates voicing his concerns (with his usual amount of tact and disregard for reality) about the upcoming release of Halo 3. Well the folks over at Spong.com decided to do a little fact-checking to see when the illustrious lawyer actually played the Halo 3 Beta. His response: to not answer the question and instead make baseless accusations towards them. It kind of reminds you of a porcupine, curling up into a ball with it’s spines pointing out, doesn’t it? Instead of just not responding at all — which would’ve left his opponents with really nothing to shoot back at him — he decided to accuse Spong.com (falsely I might add) of encouraging children under 17 to purchase M-rated games.
Way to dodge the question with the classic “I’m right and you’re wrong” defense, Mr. Thompson. I haven’t seen such skilled lawyering like this since the McCarthy hearings. Have you no sense of decency sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?
Jack, you need your own reality tv show
I know facts might be inconvenient to gamers, but here’s a fact:
The Federal Trade Commission recently found that 42% of the time Mature-rated games, in the stings they conducted, are sold to underage kids.
Halo 3 will be rated “Mature,” and it will be marketed and sold to millions of kids under 17 unless Mr. Charity, Mr. “Ooh, Let’s Care about the Kids” Gates, tells his marketing and distribution people to warn retailers that the selling of Halo games to kids is OVER.
If he doesn’t do it, I’ll do it for him. Fact check that! Jack Thompson
Mr Thompson: Here is a little fact for you, when you are asked a direct question as you were about playing the Halo 3 beta, you dodged the question and turned it into an accusation that Spong.com encourages children under 17 to buy mature rated games.
If you like facts so much Mr. Thompson, then why don’t you answer the question. When have you played the Halo 3 beta?
the funny thing is that Jack Thompson is actually sparking interest with the kids when it comes to violent games. He’s basically a self serving, special interest hired gun who spins the facts whatever direction he wants to try and sensationalize any event he and his business partners can profit from. The press should really stop giving him the attention he does not deserve. He is in no way qualified to make the statements he does.
jack, get a life
Good lord, Jack. You have you reduced yourself to Googling stuff up with that happens to have your name in it?
Now, as for demanding something like this…bad idea. Now, let’s look at this objectively:
Psychopath right wing attorney calls video-game into question. Public at large is ignorant to subject of video-gaming and their minds are somewhat pliable to whatever hyperbole someone claiming to be an expert might say.
Okay. One point for you.
But we’ve got to take into consideration the fact Microsoft is a household name, and they have a product millions have bought.
Now, were this some game developer or the ESA…they’d have to acknowledge the fact that yes, mistakes have been made, and yes you’re a psychopath…
But they’re not. They’re Microsoft, and they’ve shrugged off they UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT.
BUT WAIT! YOU’VE GOT MOXY!
“Jack”, there’s a saying in videogame culture that goes like this; “Films, or it didn’t happen.” In context, it’s demanding proof of a claim that can be verified by any interested third party.
You cite a study by the FTC, but fail to name the study, or provide a link, or discuss the protocol of the study, or even provide detailed statistics. All you’ve given us is a scare-percentage, which may or may not reflect well on your claim. We can’t tell; there’s no context by which to judge it.
Which study was this? What were its criteria? Is the raw data available for analysis by an outside party? How was it established that minors were purchasing these games?
And, most importantly of all, how was it determined that the software developers creating the games are responsible for distributing the games to minors when developers sell their games to publishers, who distribute the game via wholesalers to retail chains? As to Mr. Gates telling marketers & distributors to warn retailers about selling “M”-rated games to minors, well, there is the ESRB rating on the package doing that already. A rating that is obtained, already, by developers voluntarily submitting their games for independant review by an outside party. Is this not clear enough evidence that developers are concerned about the issue and are addressing it already, without the the threat of litigation?
(I should also note that my local retailer, without fail, requires age verification before allowing the purchase of “M” rated games. Even from me, with my greying hair and business suit.)
If you have an issue with Mature games ending in the hands of minors, I think you would see more progress discussing this with retailers and parents. To do otherwise is as absurd as blaming Sherwin-Williams for selling paint to minors (via hardware stores) when the minors use it for grafiti.
— Steve
Jack,
I fact-check your mom last night. AYO
Jack,
I fact-check your mom last night. HOOAH
I hate my son. He is gay.
I love my son, in the wrong kind of way. Ye-Ha!
Of course, Jack Google’s his own name. And hourly so. It feeds his megalomania.
Fact: the FTC also found that more ‘R’ rated movies are being sold to children.
So what, this place has gone from reporting gaming news to taking pot shots at Jack Thompson? I mean can you guys at least pretend your real reporters and try not to sound too bias.
Ultimately I’m just asking for you guys to stop making me defend Jack Thompson, the guy’s doing a good enough job ruining his life.
Right, because it is clear and abundant that only kids play Halo. No self respecting adult would ever play a game with a well-crafted story, interesting characters, deepening plots, and great gameplay.
Yes, a lot of M-rated games are sold to kids. You claim that a lot, but what I have to say about that is….
So what?
I’ve met, seen, and talked to a lot of minors who play M-rated games and are perfectly normal human beings. I’m 15, I’ve played a ton of violent games, and most of my collection is M-rated. Yet I abhor real violence. Virtual violence within the realm of games is fine, as games are meant to be what can’t/shouldn’t be done in real life.
Yeah, stores will sell me M-rated games, but that is because my parents say it is okay. My parents don’t have a problem with that and check each game before I get it. If other parents don’t, don’t feed off negligence to empower your own faulty position.
Halo 3 will be bought by kids, yeah. Technically, the first Halo was originally rated Teen. Most of them probably will have parental consent, as the Halo series are rated M, but tame as far as they go. If tons of kids bought F.E.A.R, without permission it would be somewhat different.
Furthermore, the study doesn’t claim if it was with consent or not. 58%, the majority, is bought by adults. But claiming that 42% of M-rated games are bought by kids and not saying whether there were parents or not renders the study decidedly useless, as this is a PARENTING issue, not a GOVERNMENT issue.
And to all of you taking pot-shots at Jack, just stop. Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, everyone is entitled to be an idiot about it (who doesn’t enjoy the latter license?) but insults, “your mom” jokes, solve nothing, and are a waste of…everything. Our species may be carbon-based wastage, but we are above that.
Just check things first-hand before you criticize them – you criticizing Halo 3 despite playing the beta (which is rather tame, aside from a bit of blood – you can see more blood in a Bible story) is no different from people claiming that locking up the homeless is the answer yet these people have never been one of the vagabond destitutes they persecute.
-Brmarlin
You sir, are what people make fun of when they talk about lawyers.
Right, because it is clear and abundant that only kids play Halo. No self respecting adult would ever play a game with a well-crafted story, interesting characters, deepening plots, and great gameplay.
Yes, a lot of M-rated games are sold to kids. You claim that a lot, but what I have to say about that is….
So what?
I’ve met, seen, and talked to a lot of minors who play M-rated games and are perfectly normal human beings. I’m 15, I’ve played a ton of violent games, and most of my collection is M-rated. Yet I abhor real violence. Virtual violence within the realm of games is fine, as games are meant to be what can’t/shouldn’t be done in real life.
Yeah, stores will sell me M-rated games, but that is because my parents say it is okay. My parents don’t have a problem with that and check each game before I get it. If other parents don’t, don’t feed off negligence to empower your own faulty position.
Halo 3 will be bought by kids, yeah. Technically, the first Halo was originally rated Teen. Most of them probably will have parental consent, as the Halo series are rated M, but tame as far as they go. If tons of kids bought F.E.A.R, without permission it would be somewhat different.
Furthermore, the study doesn’t claim if it was with consent or not. 58%, the majority, is bought by adults. But claiming that 42% of M-rated games are bought by kids and not saying whether there were parents or not renders the study decidedly useless, as this is a PARENTING issue, not a GOVERNMENT issue.
And to all of you taking pot-shots at Jack, just stop. Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, everyone is entitled to be an idiot about it (who doesn’t enjoy the latter license?) but insults, “your mom” jokes, solve nothing, and are a waste of…everything. Our species may be carbon-based wastage, but we are above that.
Just check things first-hand before you criticize them – you criticizing Halo 3 despite not playing the beta (which is rather tame, aside from a bit of blood – you can see more blood in a Bible story) is no different from people claiming that locking up the homeless is the answer yet these people have never been one of the vagabond destitutes they persecute.
-Brmarlin
Whoops, didn’t mean to do that….
The point is, Mr. Thompson, that regardless of what happens, it will get into the hands of minors by means of parents buying it for them. How do most minors get these games in their possession? Parents. While the failure rate with the FTC was 42%, you also have to remember that they picked out these kids and sent them into the game stores WITHOUT the parent. The TRUTH is that most parent/guardians are there when a minor purchases a game. But they don’t tell you that when it comes to the FTC. Also, Mr. Thompson, the movie industry and music industry have a far bigger failure rates. Unrated and R-Rated DVDs aren’t meant to be sold to minors yet minors buy them 71% of the time anyway. The music industry is the absolute worst of them all. 76% of minors buy music with the parental advisory sticker on them. You’re jumping on video games when the biggest failure is not the games, but rather a different industry. When I read the FTC report, they claimed that the gaming industry could do better (and I agree) but also that it was doing the BEST to keep inappropriate content out of the hands of minors.
Also, Mr. Thompson, you seem to keep stepping over the fact that violent crime among the youth has gone down as violent video games have gotten more popular. If video games really cause so much more violence… why hasn’t the crime rate among young adults increased? The fact is that we’ve got no correlation. This doesn’t mean video games are responsible for the drop either. It just simply means that if we’re trying to use video games as an excuse for violence, one has to wonder why crime has gone down as violent games get more popular.
And why not attack the other things minors do or the other mediums? Such as sneaking into graphically violent movies or something? More teenagers go to the movies than play video games (it’s a myth that adults don’t play games, the average gamer is 30 years old, 70% of the gaming population is 18+), and you’re not at all concerned about the violent depictions in movies such as Hostel or Saw III? Or how about television? In the season finale of Heroes, for example, I watched a man pull someone’s brain out of someone else’s head. Where were you when that was happening? And then there are books, which have been full of violence for hundreds of years (read your Bible). Shakespeare wrote some pretty violent stuff and we TEACH that in schools. If you’re going to go on a crusade against gaming, you should be fair and at least take a look around. Video games aren’t the only thing full of violence. It may also make you comfortable to know that non-violent video games sell better. Part of the reason Grand Theft Auto made so many sales was because people like you decided to push the controversy. I didn’t even know what Grand Theft Auto III was until I heard about it on the news. I’d have never played the game if it hadn’t been for the controversy surrounding it (because some of us just have to say to ourselves: “What’s all the commotion about?”). In fact, I don’t think I’d even be interested in it had it not been for the controversy.
So far as I can tell, Halo 3 is being marketed to Mature gamers. I’ll believe it’s being marketed towards kids when I see ads for it start popping up on Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, etc. I’ve yet to see any M-Rated games get a commercial on a children’s network. You seem to be forgetting Mr. Thompson, that adults play video games as well.
Finally Mr. Thompson, the developers, publishers and distributors have no control over who plays the game. Retailers sell the game, not the developers. When the game shows up in stores, the developers, publishers and distributors have no control over who buys it and who gets it. They’ve already done their job, which is making the game and getting it out there. They aren’t responsible for who buys it. And most of the time, it really won’t be the minor who buys it but rather a parent or guardian.
Perhaps you should read this report:
http://www.pff.org/issues-pubs/pops/pop13.7videogames.pdf
And if anyone is curious to the FTC findings, you can check that here:
http://www.gamespot.com/news/6168969.html?q=FTC&tag=result;title;0
as well as here: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2006/03/videogameshop.shtm
And lastly, the esa for a couple of other facts.
http://www.theesa.com/facts/top_10_facts.php
The ESA is also a place that’s out to dispel a few myths concerning gamers. I urge gamers and non-gamers alike to check this out. I do agree that video games should not get into the hands of minors, but government regulation would probably run into the same problem as the ESRB has. However, I also believe that it is up to a parent to decide what is inappropriate for his or her child. People do grow differently. A 15 year old very well could be mature enough to play an M-Rated game despite not being 17. Maturity comes with age, but it also comes with attitude. Some people do mature faster than others, and that’s why it’s so hard to say what really is mature and what isn’t. Also bare in mind one last thing: What may be considered graphically violent to one person my not be graphically violent to another.
Oh, and a question for Mr. Thompson: Have you played any of these games? Or actually paid attention to some of the objectives? Not all violent games rewards gamers for doing thing such as killing the police. What I’m saying is, perhaps the critics need to stop sensationalizing the violence and perhaps pay attention to the content of the game as well. In other words they should play through it before jumping the gun on it. I think you’ll find that some games really do have positive benefits as well.
Mr. Thompson I understand that you believe that underage children are buy M rated games, while I also understand your concerns regarding this. The way you approach the situation is something else entirely.
I am a gamer I have a 9 to 5 job and a stable life. I have played both Halos and
am a huge fan of the series. This does not mean that I am prone to violence. I deplore real life violence.
Mr. Thompson the only thing that bothers me about the way that you conduct your business is that you seem to think that any and all problems can be fixed with a lawsuit. Instead of trying to come up with a viable solution to M games being sold to minors you’ve sued and litigated until you became the bane of all publishers existence. Instead of working with publishers and distributors of M rated games you’ve made yourself a little media circus that circles around your exploits. Mr. Thompson you in short are a man trying to hog the spotlight, you crave the media attention so much you ignore any other option that is presented to you.
Mr. Thompson if you actually care about M-rated games being sold to minors then stop working against publishers and distributors and the ESRB and start working with them to come up with a viable solution that in your mind actually works.
Thank you
Average Gamer
Get that man an Xbox 360 or a PS3. all the fuss over some games. Really? i think his time can be better spent. I bet a few rounds of Halo 3 or some Rainbow six vegas would be better spent. Like most people play for fun and not gonna go out and murder someone. and any good adult will control what they buy for their kids.
he’s just a moron.. it’s that simple. people like him do not separate reality from fiction.