"The sale of this game to any minor will constitute a criminal act violative of… Florida’s 'Sexual Material Harmful to Minors Law'…"

I'm certain the mayor already knows this. And I'm not sure how taking down a sign a week before the release, long after the game has had time to get known, is going to do anything. In fact, all of Thompson's attention to it has probably increased its publicity.

I for one want to buy it more and more each time I hear about Thompson crying to the media or officials for help against it.

Well,it just isn't a high profile game release without our good buddy Jack trying to f*ck it up wit his signature"Video Games are responsible for all the violence in the world".Keep an eye out for when he'll try and mess up Gears Of War 2's release.Ya know,it's uber violent,and such.

@waffles & grizzam 512

contact me in a month and i will have a support group started for you 2 (and others) =p

Who didn't see this one coming?

First?

Anyway, should have seen this coming. GTA+JT=lawsuit.

Oh that jack! *sigh*



You know, he says a lot of things in that letter, and none of them are put across as his opinion, bu facts instead. Doesnt that make him legally liable for fraud/libel or some such thing. Especially if TT lose revenue for losing advertising.

I have a question. What was the ad before GTA? Was it an R rated movie? I'd put money down that there have been just as racy if not racier ads there over the past few years. If he's trying to "Protect the children" where was he then?

So ads of R rated movies with horrific images as ads are okay. But a picture of a guy just standing there doing nothing with the words "Grand Theft Auto IV" is an unacceptable tragedy?

How silly

If Alvarez caves into this, I will personally head down south to kick his ass for being such a dumbass.

alfrro.

He is the leading critic of video games

so far he has failed to do anything.

dennis.
so are buying gtaIV?

GP: Yep. Although I expect to receive a review copy, I've also pre-ordered the Xbox 360 version.

I know I always say the same, but, seriously: why are we still publishing what this lunatic says every time he opens his mouth or writes some stupid mail?

Woah, like this wasn't as predictable as pollen season in Florida.

Would someone disbar JT already? Seriously, he's going to get on his high horse again and trot it around here like he's some knight instead of being more like Don Quixote.

"The sale of this game to any minor will constitute a criminal act violative of… Florida’s “Sexual Material Harmful to Minors Law”…

Ah yes, the old game = porn/public buisance tactic. Remember how that succeeded for him in the past? Oh wait... it didn't. It led to his personal and unprofessional insulting of a judge when it was decided that a game isn't a public nuisance that in turn led to the sanctions against him.

Games are not harmful to people. Until there is concrete evidence to that fact (and i doubt that there ever will be), you cannot have games censored or banned for being harmful.

@Salen

That may be one of the greatest analogies for Thompson there is. A crazy old guy who things he's going out to save people from terrible monsters only to be taken out by some windmills.

@GP:

There's an interesting distinction to be drawn between ads on a bus stop shelter and ads on a bus. The two may not be afforded quiet the same protection because the latter involves the so-called "captive audience."

@AliasAlpha:

Perhaps, if he weren't as dull as a plastic butterknife. :P

Wow, I'm so surprised! I never expected Jack Thompson to do this of all things!

Jack, you should be with your wife.

"Hyperviolent"? Are you kidding me? "Ultraviolent" was inarticulate enough, but "hyperviolent" just sounds stupid.

@TextOnlySword and Wookiee

Oh I'm pretty sure he's been using it for awhile. Like when he threatened Bill Gates:

"The hyperviolent Microsoft Xbox 360 game Halo 3 is scheduled by your company for commercial release in September of this year. The Beta version that was released last week shows us all just how violent the game is and how inappropriate it is for play by anyone under 17, as the “Mature” rating it will surely receive indicates."

Yawn. Just another spasm from a washed-up lawyer in his deat throes. Looking forward to your long vacation once you get disbarred, Jack? Why, I bet once you're jobless you can picket Take-Two in New York all you want! I'll even supply you with the cardboard and laundry marker.

@GRIZZAM 512:

I thought he did? Or does 'pulled out of his ass' not count?

Now I am for the GTA4 bus ads and everything, but if Jack is telling the truth for once I must say that GTA4 ads near a children's hospital and park is in poor taste.

I already pre ordered my PS3 version. Im just a kid. My mom pre ordered it for me. My parents will let me play any game. Yes they do care about me. When people say parents who buy their kids M rated games are stupid thats not true. They know im mature enough to understand and handle this stuff. Im only 12. Ive been playing violent videogames since I was 3 or 4. When my dad found out that my grand theft auto san andreas had the hot coffee thing he actually told me to keep it. He said it will be valuable in the future. It will probably cost a lot of money in the future.

I kinda agree with jack thompson in this. I dont think that ad should be near a childrens hospital. But I would just put the ad someplace else. Also Jack Thompson ezaggerates in this.

All aboard the fail boat!

Seriously, Jack... just stop trying.

As an interesting aside, Miles Jay Gopman (Jack's buddy who famously high-tailed it outta Judge Tunis' courtroom) now has his own problems with the Florida Bar. Seems the Bar wants to have Mr. Gopman involuntarily placed on the inactive attorney list (a first cousin to disbarment). Case Nos. SC08-630 and SC08-634.

@jccalhoun:

I think he's talking about nothing specific. He's merely using the fact that Zelnick headed BMG from which to extrapolate the "making pornographic gagsta rap albums" nonsense. If truth be told, Strauss Zelnick couldn't find the "Record" button in a studio without somebody's assistance.

The only thing he saw when he saw that ad were dollar signs thinking of how much he could sue Take Two for this time.

You mean he didn't mention in his ranting that he is also about to lose his right to practice law because of his numorus outrageous claims. How...convenent.

And he considers GTA a "hyper" violent game? Don't let him near a truly violent game, he'd lose his mind..oh, wait.

One time when I was three I saw a picture of a mad looking guy. I was like "Damn dude, chill." SCARED ME FOR LIFE.

I don't think any self-respecting mayor will want to go near Jack Thompson. He is waaaay to hated by the public to risk being associated with.

So if something is hyperviolent, that means the level of violence is truly exceptional in scope or detail. So extending the same Hyper-Logic to jack, what would that make him?

Hyper-Desperate
Hyper-Attention-Whore
Hyper-Wanker?

Is this what he has been reduced to? Taking pictures of advertisements at bus stops? Hopefully he didn't miss his bus while trying to get the picture.

Get orf my lawn!

Heh, I was thinking the same thing to be honest, good advertising both for GTA IV and Jack Thompson. Oddly enough they both promote pretty much the same response from me, 'interesting to watch, but the theme is wearing thin'.

They should make new ads similar to these only without the word GTA IV make it look like an action movie with the tagline, non-stop carnage, then show them to Thompson and see what he does.

gotta say though the games industry has itself to blame.

you lie there and do nothing whilst the gnats keep biting, n eventually you have a full blown swarm on your tail and when you do get up to do something about it its too late.

*sigh* im sick of the industry leaving gamers to do all the hard work. we are supporting them so where are they now?

In comment though, as usual JTs comments are bizaare and full of complete opinion masquerading as 'fact'. how on earth a picture of a guy and some words are harmful to kids ill never know.

oh and ..hyperviolent? what... that really isnt in the dictionary JT so stop using it. Its like me calling you hyperignorant. its not like you can level up your words by adding hyper in front of it like an anime. but then again distinguishing between reality and fiction really isnt your strong point.

@Gene

To be honest, this is one of the very few remaining outlets for Jack's behaviour as far as computer games are concerned. Fox use him because he's eager to give his opinion on everything, and he's a lawyer (in that order), but the thing about the News industry is that, as they say, 'The Press is always Hungry', in other words, any News outlet that reports 'Today, not much happened' won't last long.

Even GP suffers from it, but it's not Dennis' fault in the slightest, the public don't care if nothing happens, reporters better darn-well go out and find something. If it isn't News then report it like it is and people will end up believing it is important.

It's that self-same 'Hungry Press' that Thompson relies on for attention, in truth he's an isolated, ineffectual, bitter man, what he does isn't News, it's Sensationalism, but these days, it's hard to tell the difference :)

"And anti-game, Anti-First Amendment (both Anti-Freedom of Speech and Anti-Freedom of Religions that aren't his own), Demon Worshipping (as no treu, honorable, ethical, God would advocate the use of lies and deceit as ways to treat others and therefore he must worship a Demon-Pretender-To-The-Throne-Of-Heaven), Pro Theocratic Dictatorship (as shown in various legal cases and rantings where he believes his personal religion should dictate how other individuals should live and raise their children), Homophobic (as seen in numerous legal cases and rantings against homosexuals, even labeling two boys (Bully) (but not two women (Mass Effect)) kissing as "gay sex", and the not jumping on the claim that video games were to blame (which isn't a bad thing but an inconsistant one) for the shooting of a homosexual teen at an Oxnard school), Pro-Child Abuse (as seen in the Cody Posey case where he downplays the verbal, mental, physical, and near sexual abuse of Cody in favor of blaming his playing a violent video game as the reason Cody killed his father and step-family), Anti-Parental Rights (as shown in his desire to dictate what is and what is not appropriate for other people's children, including his lawsuit regarding Bully where he clearly states that HE must make that decision for everyone else), Pro-Lies and Deceit (as shown in his continued misinformation on a number of subjects and his continued dealings with FOX News, an organization which won the legal right to lie to and deceive its audience), and a host of other dishonorable and unethical titles which he has earned over the years, Miami attorney Jack Thompson ..."

There. Exceptionally long but still fixed for accuracy. :)

Nightwng2000
NW2K Software

X-Kaliber,
Well, I don't HOPE for it, but it would be ironic.

Especially if a bus pins him against the ad with his mouth against the mouth of the guy in the ad.

Irony is just so... ironic. :D

Nightiwng2000
NW2K Software

So video game ads are bad even though they show no violence and/or sexual themes in them?

Where's the logic in that?

Somebody explain how, he has time to do this, but the bar trial is somehow mysteriously keeping him from his wife? (blink)

You know, the curious thing, to me, as I sit here and think. I can't remember the last time I saw a GTA4 ad. If ever. Are they just more prevalent in florida? Or is it simply possible that the only people who care are the critics? Oh well.

Not doing anything? The man is rolling up his sleeve -- everybody knows that's the universal signal for "I am going to punch a hooker in the face while shooting heroin." My boss is constantly telling me to "roll up my sleeves" at work. Forget videogames, I'd say the workplace is causing more violence.

As a matter of fact, Children's Hospital happens to be located in a multi-use (commercial, residential, recreational) area. It's unfair to say that an ad located close to the Hospital is intended to target or will only target the Hospital's patients. And the only Miami-Dade park in any close proximity to Children's Hospital is Coral Gables Wayside Park, which isn't a "children's park" by any stretch of the imagination. It's a park which, like all other Miami-Dade parks, is open to the public irrespective of age and, not surprisingly, is frequented by the very old, the very young, and everyone in between.

@nightwng2000:

Jack's house (not in the "I pay the mortgage" sense but in the "I live here" sense) isn't too far away from Children's. The ad's an easy spot as he tools around Gables on his way to pick Stinger up from school.

And once again, Thompson doesn't know the definition of the word 'sexual.' He just sees the 'sex' part of the word and thinks it's porn.

I guess that explains his submission of gay porn to the Florida docket.

Mr. Thompson, read my lips (or text, if you want to get technical about it):

Sexual Content = Suggestive content, and/or hintings to implied future sexual actions NOT VIEWED ON SCREEN. Not 'doing the nasty.'

Example: The end of 'Billy Madison.' Intimate embraces with a 'gifted' woman and blatently obvious innuendos. Insert a comedic scene and a 'driving into the distance' sequence, fade to black. Is this porn in your mind, Mr. Thompson?

(somebody give me a better example, my mind's running on empty today)

Bah! Harmless videogame posters! Raping your churches! Burning your women! Ah!

They should make an advertisement where all the characters of GTAIV are just standing around, pointing and laughing at a picture of Jack Thompson's head... crying... with PWNT written on his forehead... and he's holding a copy of his law license with a big red X across it... yeah.

I'm selling that idea to T2.

@Gene

Don't worry, no offence was taken at all :) I was more trying to make clear that it's a trend in most News Medias these days, and that many consumers are more to blame for it than they think they are ;)

Jack can rant and rave all he wants. Not only is no one afraid of him anymore, no one even cares.

GTA IV will come out. Not one ad will be taken down due to his demands.

GTA V will come out. Games will keep coming out.

And violent crime rates will continue to go down. That's right Jack, down.

But then the FBI and their crime rate graphs are part of the conspiracy to get you, aren't they Jack?

I love how Jack talks about how he's been on 60 Minutes like people care.

http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d=20031215

I swear, the guy on the right side of the bottom-left panel reminds me of JT.

In other news...

T.O.S.: J.T. IS A DOUCHE!!!

Shadow: BACK TO YOUR ROOM, DAMMIT!!!