Jack Thompson Versus Gamers - What ensues when anti-games crusader Jack Thompson shifts his attention from video-game publishers to enthusiast websites like Penny Arcade? Unbelievable weirdness. Commentary by Chris Kohler. [Joystick]

Ah, Jack Thompson how I loathe thee. Utterly vile trash on the roadway of video gaming, one could say. And as much as he could be considered a gamer's bane, he's a lesser evil perhaps even the most acceptable form of opposition to our (gamers') happiness. So, 'who is this Jack Thompson?', you ask. He is a Miami, Florida lawyer who has take it upon himself to crusade against video games, citing them as 'murder and sexual simulators.' He believes that video games are aimed at removing all inhibitions to violence, sex, etc. in today's youth and that every act of violence committed by a child is the result of gaming. Now, while this might seem like a plausible stance for those against games and the gaming industry, it is in Jackie Boy's actions and not just his opinions, that he's proven himself to be nothing more than a garden variety lunatic. His claims are taken to the extremes and in discussions with industry insiders, professionals, and the average gamer, he makes rash accusations, uncivilized insults, and displays himself as a complete retard (not in the sense of those who are mentally handicapped, but in the sense of those who are incapable of intelligent thought or argument when faced with a one on one scenario.) Normally, one would be able to dismiss such idiocy...the only problem, he has easy media access. I will now submit for everyone's consideration proof of Jack Thompson's incompetence and its correlation as to why he is a lesser, possibly even acceptable evil.
Cracker Jack's stance on video games has led to many lawsuits towards entertainment and video game companies. In 1999, Jack filed a class action lawsuit against a number of companies including Time Warner Inc., Polygram Film Entertainment Distribution Inc., Palm Pictures, Island Pictures, New Line Cinema, Atari Corp., Nintendo, Sega, and Sony on behalf of parents of the victims of the 1997 Paducah schoolhouse shootings. Jack had claimed that the gunman had been influenced by the media they produced, but the courts dismissed the case. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals absolved the companies of one man's actions and the US Supreme Court refused to review the case based on it not having been dismissed on 1st Amendment grounds. Jack Thompson has also attempted to link video game use to the Columbine shootings and the Washington sniper. Specifically, first person shooter (FPS) games....and even more specifically, he attacks Rockstar Games' Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto. While these games may contain violence, Thompson doesn't just cite them as motivators for youth violence, but at training tools. As with the Washington sniper case, Thompson tried to emphasize Lee Boyd Malvo's extensive training using X-Box's Halo as grounds to sue Microsoft and hold them responsible. Stop me if I'm wrong, but isn't an X-Box controller, just tad bit different than a rifle? Sure, the original design was large enough to easily club people over the head with, but I fail to see the sight, barrel, trigger, etc. on an X-Box controller. I've played Halo, Counter Strike, and many other FPS games, but I have yet to be able to truly simulate holding a gun using a handheld controller. You can't justify suing a company over something such as that...but that didn't stop Jack Thompson from trying. The man seems unfazed by taking an obviously losing battle.
More recently, Jack's been after the latest iteration of the Grand Theft Auto line due to its "hot coffee" patch. Initially, normal players would not be able to access this sexual minigame, but through a third party hack, they were given full access. While that has since been dealt with in court by the game's rating being changed from "mature" to "adults only," Thompson has tried his hardest to find other cheats, mod patches, etc that could corrupt our youth. Sims 2 has been put on his "to hate" list, citing a cheat to remove the censorship fields from nude sims. He claims that it allows pedophiles to see the children nude, as well as blatantly displaying all body parts that would normally be covered. As fervent as he was in that claim, it's since been proven (through use of that cheat code,) that there have been no added details to the nude sim body, no genitals, nothing but the flat, skin-colored skin on top of the wire framed body. Even after it has been proven, he maintains his claims by expressing that because EA (the company that produces The Sims) does not protect its copyright by stopping the mod community from making adult-oriented changes to the game. He's grasping for straws here. People will do what they want with a game when it's in their possession, but he nor anyone has the right to keep someone from creating something for the game and finding a way to implement it in. Unlike the "hot coffee" mod, something like a complete nude patch with all the graphic details wasn't part of the game when it was made, but he can't stop someone from writing their own code. Doesn't keep Jacko from trying though.
Ok, enough of his legal ineptitude (and there's plenty more, and much more to the point of how big of an idiot he is,) but let's get a little more personal. It's a little easier to pick out how big of a moron he is when we're dealing with his everyday dealings against video games. For a big shot lawyer, it seems that he has nothing better to do than roam around online and harass gamers wherever they might gather. Webcomics, more specifically the gaming comics, are a big draw to those who like play in virtual worlds, and many of the artists and writers for comics like Penny Arcade, Ctrl+Alt+Delete, 8-bit Theater, and VGCats are video game insiders who incorporate many elements of games, gaming life, and the gaming industry into their comics. Earlier this year, Jack Thompson took it upon himself to forward an e-mail (the whole exchange found here ) he'd sent to the ESRB (Entertainment Software Rating Board) to Scott Ramsoomair creator of VGCats most likely based on this comic. Scott was for the most part clueless as to why it was really forwarded to him, nor did he really care. After their first exchange, the bozo's only response to Scott is "get a name and a life." What professional attorney trying to make a point wouldn't continue to argue their point, but would instead resort to cheap insults? In further e-mails (as can be seen,) Jack calls Scott a twit and when Scott tried to remind the idiot that he was the one who initially started contact, as if in third grade was replied to with, "No, you emailed me. HOnestly, are all of you gamers on drugs, or what?" and concludes with threatening legal action. Yes...he is a smart one. And, if you'll note the addendum at the bottom of the page, Jack gives his reason for acting like a moron. I don't think we can blame Scott for his reaction...and here's hoping he keeps up the great work on VGCats.
Let's fast forward up to last month and Jackal's "Modest Proposal." On October 10th, he issued a challenge to video game companies to produce a violent video game with his exact specifications, which entailed as detailed here: having a father, whose son was killed due to video game related violence, go on a killing spree starting with the makers of the game, the company's legal representatives, distributors, and employees of any stores like Best Buy or Gamestop that might carry the game. If it was made, Joke Thompson claimed that he would donate $10,000 to Paul Eibler's, chairman of Take Two (of which Rockstar Games, the producers of Grand Theft Auto, is a subsidiary of,) favorite charity. He touted this as a true challenge one that would be taken seriously, and even stated as such in a comment on the above article about his proposition: "The offer of $10,000 is real. The real hypocrites here are the game companies, because they'll never make such a game. Paul Eibeler of Take-Two, for example, wouldn't want a game out there that targets him for death, despite his assertions, through Doug Lowenstein of the ESBA that 'no game ever caused anyone to do anything.'"
What was the end result? Alas, a video game was made including all of his specifications. What did Jackalope do? Claim his proposal as satire and refuse to donate the money to charity. Far be it for me to say what a man should and shouldn't do, but if he's going to issue a challenge like that, then he's better make good if he loses. He's lost a lot of credit since then, but probably the most crushing blow was when Tycho and Gabe of the foremost video game webcomic Penny Arcade gathered the money and donated it to the charity in his name . Written on the check: "For Jack Thompson, because Jack Thompson won't." And as a result of that, he tried to get Gabe and Tycho arrested and Penny Arcade shut down. Thompson cited their actions as harassment and extortion, of which neither was motivation...humiliation might have been a factor, though. They were just doing what he refused to make good on, and I commend them for it. And in the end, the Seattle P.D. dismissed the lawyer’s claims and turned it over to the special investigations division, which has yet to find any foul play.

The list of his idiosyncracies continues and grows, and while he may be a famed lawyer and crusader for a cause, Jack Thompson seems to have never really grown up. Which is why we gamers really don’t have to worry as much. No matter how many waves he makes, his idiocy is his downfall. He has done little to limit video game production and ratings, even the game described in his “modest proposal” was created. As it’s described on his Wikipedia page (where most of this information can be found): “Many gaming websites report articles regarding Thompson with mocking tones; he is rarely presented as a serious advocate for more sensible controls on game distribution, but more often as a sensationalist striving for fame and recognition or financial profit. Many gamers see him as a caricature of an out-of-touch generation whose knee jerk reaction is to ban something that which is new and unknown, in an analogous way to previous generations' attempts to ban rock and roll, violent films, and comic books.”
There have been complaints lodged against Jack Thompson, but as long as he’s around to crusade, it’s less likely that someone more competent will come along and take up the mantle. So, let us be lucky.

To end this tirade, I’d like to present a few attached webcomics that have also taken issue with Jack Thompson; two from Ctrl+Alt+Del and one from Penny Arcade. Enjoy.