Anyone remotely interested in the game industry most have heard the words Grand Theft Auto, Electronic Arts and Jack Thompson, mostly the first and last in the same senesce or context. Altou not always (never?) in a positive context, and the story’s usually revolves around the same subject, the violence in video games.
Grand Theft Auto, developed by Rock Star, a developer studio under the Take-Two publisher. A franchise which more than often get blamed and pointed at for its violence and sexual content. I’m not a particular fan of the series, mainly cause I don’t find it appealing, that not to say I don’t recognise its importance and success. But it’s sad that everytime a school shooting take place I automatically wait for media to blame video games for it, and I’m usually right, unfortunately…
Now, the last week’s rumours have stated that EA (Electronic Arts) want to buy Take-Two, to further spread its empire and take over the world! (The last I made up ) Many sites and gamers have speculated what’s the biggest reason, to get a hold of the GTA franchise or maybe to be the dominant one in the sports games category. If the deal becomes reality EA probably will get their hands on the GTA franchise. I’ve heard rumours that Rock Star have a special deal with Take-Two switch make them kind of independent, but I don’t know the whole story.
And now to the “fun” part of this story… all gamers no. 1 “friend” and saviour from all evil, Jack fucking Thompson. The Christian conservative who is apparently a stockholder in Take Two have joined the debate, again. He has now offered EA to help with the take over of Take Two, probably to squeeze Rock Star. He seems to have made it a kind of personal vendetta to take down Rock Star. I can’t recall were, but I’ve heard him say that his objective is to take down Rock Star, and building a picture that they are out to harm people with their games, like their spawns of the devil. Well their not, they are creators, artist that create games which people happened to like, and as any other business if you have a success you’ll continue. Other industry’s and companies work this way, why can’t Rock Star. One of the most interesting things about his war against violent videogames is how he tries to rely on study’s (some which don’t exists, if any?) and only play Rock Star games. So he only get one view of the whole game industry and miss all the good aspects and qualities playing games give.
I think Jack Thompons is a complete idiot, mostly cause his so ignorant that he won’t even put any time to really research what he fight against. His arguments are bullshit. How honourables it may seem to work towards keeping violent games from kids, his focus is all wrong. Does he have a wish to be hated by our generation. I would accept his “mission”, and I thing many others as well, if he hadn’t fought the whole industry and told that the game developers weren’t sociopaths.
Heres a qoute from the mail Thompson sent to EA:
Zelnick in fact is an ideologue whose weird views, wedded to a rapacious corporate raider greed, ill-serve us Take-Two shareholders. When Zelnick told the BBC that Manhunt 2 is “fine art” we all knew that we were dealing with an oddball.
I am delighted to work with Electronic Arts to evict the Zelnick Trojan Horse from within Take-Two’s corporate walls. In doing so, I can get the new Take-Two into the clear as to the trouble I and others can send its way.
The best part is the answer he got from EA:
Mr. Thompson,
We have received your letter to EA’s shareholder site. In response to your offer to assist in the proposed acquisition of Take-Two, we would strongly prefer that you not get involved in this matter. EA is a strong supporter of creative freedom for game developers. We feel that your past statements – including false claims about content in our games – make any collaboration with you impossible.
How in hells name does Thompson plan to accomplish anything then he point fingers at the whole industry, blaming them and black painting it for the rest of the world. Maybe it could be more okey what he does, if he just had to be a little smarter and smoother in his fight. If he knew anything about videogame and the industry he could have a better approach, but now its to late. I remember a comment I heard recently which was something like “if a person becomes crazy then he or she plays a violent videogame, it probably was something wrong before the game came in to the picture”. And what does he want, to ban the production of violent videogames? These games aren’t meant for kids!
Especially this quote angered me:
I proposed to Zelnick a simple, elegant means by which Take-Two can avoid all legal consequences for what has been its illegal marketing and sale of adult games like Manhunt 2 and GTA: IV to minors
Market and sell adult games to kids? Well I don’t have full incite into Take-Twos marketing plan. But Thompson, you conservative Christian! So Christianity havn’t marketed, or should I say forced your believes and mostly shit to kids, form the first second they are borned!? And in my opinion religion is the most dangerous thing in the world! I wonder how many people Christianity have killed vs videogames in history? Are you really that afraid of the world, and you think your gonna save it by fighting the one of the biggest medium with some of the worlds smartest and brightest people in it?
As long as people (idiots) like Thompsons trying to fight the game industry in such a stupid and ignorant way, the industry and its followers will strike back twice as hard! And never forget the parents responsibility.
Just view the scared Thompson in this clip:
