GTA IV Car Named After Game Violence Researcher
GTA IV Car Named After Game Violence Researcher
July 21, 2008
Last September game-hatin' attorney Jack Thompson claimed in a federal court filing that a corrupt attorney marked for assassination in Grand Theft Auto IV was him. But then, Thompson says a lot of things...
What seems more clear is that a hybrid car (left) available for jacking in GTA IV is named after a well-known game violence researcher, Dr. Karen Dill of North Carolina's Lenoir-Rhyne College.
As reported by the Chronicle of Higher Education:
The "Karin Dilettante" is a sporty hybrid sedan that appears in Grand Theft Auto IV, the latest installment in the famously violent and sexualized series of video games. "Chicks love electronic gadgets" is the slogan in fake ads for the car.
Ms. Dill says she couldn't believe that Rockstar Games, the maker of Grand Theft Auto, had taken the trouble to name a car for her: "I was kind of like, whoa, they actually do care about video-game research."
Dill, who has testified on game violence issues before Congress, apparently took the parody good-naturedly. Reportedly, she was simply relieved to find that she was not portrayed as one of the game's hookers.
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Freyar: I prefer Mid-night snack.. Because I can eat in the middle of the night without feeling too stupid, or whatever.
Freyar: I prefer Mid-night snack.. Because I can eat in the middle of the night without feeling too stupid, or whatever.
Posted 09/06/08 at 05:35pm
TJLK: I like brunch, because you can have waffles but it isn't in the morning.
TJLK: I like brunch, because you can have waffles but it isn't in the morning.
Posted 09/06/08 at 02:07pm
Dark Sovereign: @GP: This list, number 30, for the librarian story: http://explorations.chasrmartin.com/2008/09/06/palin-rumors/
Dark Sovereign: @GP: This list, number 30, for the librarian story: http://explorations.chasrmartin.com/2008/09/06/palin-rumors/
Posted 09/06/08 at 12:55pm
gamepolitics: is there a better meal than breakfast? If so, I've not experienced it...
gamepolitics: is there a better meal than breakfast? If so, I've not experienced it...
Posted 09/06/08 at 12:30pm
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar: mmmm syrup *lick*
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar: mmmm syrup *lick*
Posted 09/06/08 at 12:21pm
Freyar: Buy Waffles, tasty waffles with lots of syrup.
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Posted 09/06/08 at 08:30am
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : @Waffles: WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIVIDE BY ZERO, DAMMIT!? NOW SHADOW IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VOID!!! -T.O.S.
Shadow Darkman Anti-Thesis of : @Waffles: WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DIVIDE BY ZERO, DAMMIT!? NOW SHADOW IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE VOID!!! -T.O.S.
Posted 09/06/08 at 05:32am
King of Fiji: @MaskedPixelante: Is it me or in a way dose he look like what the AVGN will look like in a few decades in that picture? xD
King of Fiji: @MaskedPixelante: Is it me or in a way dose he look like what the AVGN will look like in a few decades in that picture? xD
Posted 09/05/08 at 10:14pm
ZippyDSMlee: BlackIce: its funny it dose not mind zippy speak tho :P
ZippyDSMlee: BlackIce: its funny it dose not mind zippy speak tho :P
Posted 09/05/08 at 08:40pm
BlackIce: @Zippy: Yeah, it does. Fucking thing..
BlackIce: @Zippy: Yeah, it does. Fucking thing..
Posted 09/05/08 at 07:31pm
MaskedPixelante: This new Jack picture should be the official picture whenever there's an article about Jack.
MaskedPixelante: This new Jack picture should be the official picture whenever there's an article about Jack.
Posted 09/05/08 at 07:19pm
ZippyDSMlee: Tyler Baumbarger: Iuse <br/> withno troubl, it dose like catching links as spam tho.
ZippyDSMlee: Tyler Baumbarger: Iuse <br/> withno troubl, it dose like catching links as spam tho.
Posted 09/05/08 at 07:11pm
BunchaKneejerks: Couldn't sleep 'till I got this one last idea for a 'shop out my head.
BunchaKneejerks: Couldn't sleep 'till I got this one last idea for a 'shop out my head.
Posted 09/05/08 at 06:35pm
Tyler Baumbarger: Hmm, maybe I should take the <hr/> off of my sig. Keeps being flagged as spam.
Tyler Baumbarger: Hmm, maybe I should take the <hr/> off of my sig. Keeps being flagged as spam.
Posted 09/05/08 at 06:12pm
Freyar: I do love Italian foods..
Freyar: I do love Italian foods..
Posted 09/05/08 at 06:10pm
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar: Then you must agree I iz not quit "humanz" either :P I dunno what worse thinking your "Garfield " or thinking your odie trying to be as smart as Garfield. =0-o= UHg I fail ! but then the joy of life is trying not to. ^_~
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar: Then you must agree I iz not quit "humanz" either :P I dunno what worse thinking your "Garfield " or thinking your odie trying to be as smart as Garfield. =0-o= UHg I fail ! but then the joy of life is trying not to. ^_~
Posted 09/05/08 at 06:05pm
Freyar: I recognized the Garfield joke. *grin*
Freyar: I recognized the Garfield joke. *grin*
Posted 09/05/08 at 06:04pm
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar: No but I could probably mail self to you in lil pieces :P last time I went brown box I wound up in Abudobie... (Garfield joke BTW). Sadly I am in the US =0_o=
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar: No but I could probably mail self to you in lil pieces :P last time I went brown box I wound up in Abudobie... (Garfield joke BTW). Sadly I am in the US =0_o=
Posted 09/05/08 at 05:56pm
Freyar: Are you British? Otherwise you won't have a hope in hell of queing me.
Freyar: Are you British? Otherwise you won't have a hope in hell of queing me.
Posted 09/05/08 at 05:51pm
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar:*chases you with my battered tung* I'll que uuuu!!!!! :P
ZippyDSMlee: Freyar:*chases you with my battered tung* I'll que uuuu!!!!! :P
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Comments
That's pretty cool of her. I know I was barely aware she existed until today.
Whoh, somebody in politics with a sense of humor? Whatever will the world come to? I suppose if we all played by Jack's rules, Kevin Bacon would be suing everybody for the whole "six degrees" thing; still it is nice to see a public figure not flip out at stuff like this.
"I was kind of like, whoa, they actually do care about video-game research"
Wow, you mean they're not evil neaderthals, but actual human beings?
Now if only we could get video game researchers to care about video game research.
lol. Well good for her taking it in good humour
They missed their chance by not doing this.
Missed their chance? They did do this, says so in the article. I'm mostly a bit annoyed with rockstar. It feels sort of like they were trying to antagonize this woman by putting her name in their game.
I'm all for freespeech but I have got to wonder what this was meant to add to the game for players? I mean seriously most of us apparently have barely heard of this woman.
It's basically an easter egg... Yes while some easter eggs are meant to hide something for the players, some easter eggs are placed in games just so the developers can get a few laughs. Sometimes they might hide a picture somewhere where no one can normally see it, or they might insert themselves into the game somehow... the same goes for movies too. They don't add anything for the players, the developers just like to have fun with what they make
Is there any confirmation that that is the origin of the name? I think it's a pretty big stretch without any confirmation from Rockstar. The article didn't say where they got the idea and just said that Rockstar had no comment.
It's not like Dill is well known, either. And the Dill research that I've read is terrible to boot.
They change one letter in the first name, and then extended the last name... really, i think it would be much more unlikely that it was just a coincidence. Seriously, what are the chances they would come up with a name so similar to her name without even thinking of her; and not just anyone, but a game violence researcher of all people? and if Rockstar just did this for "Lulz" then they probably wouldn't feel like commenting on what they think is a non-issue... only way they would feel the need to say something is if she was threatening to sue or something
Very cool that she can take this in stride. :)
I've never heard of this woman. Cool that she doesn't freak out though.
-Entertainment isn't the reason the world sucks. It's the reason we know the world sucks. For information on games and psychology, look up: Jonathan Freedman(2002)Block & Crain(2007)Grand Theft Childhood, by Harvard researchers Larry Kutner&Cheryl Olson
I bet if there would be even the slightest reference of Thompson´s name in the game, Jack would try to make some "legal action".
Good one for the doctor.
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
A sense of humor. It's a beautiful thing.
See, Jack? You could learn a lot from Dr. Dill.
(And I swear if anyone calls her Dr. Dildo I will f***ing Falcon Punch them into a version of the Multiverse where I am like Giygas. I do not like those kinds of jokes.)
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I AM CONDEMNED TO HAUNT THE DREAMS OF JACK THOMPSON UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Oh hai, her name kinda looks like Dr. Dild-
FALCONNNNNNNN!!!!
Oh shi-, he wasn't kidding
No, I wasn't. Now knock it off.
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I AM CONDEMNED TO HAUNT THE DREAMS OF JACK THOMPSON UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
I'm calling her Dr. Dildo right now omglol
*rolls eyes*
Falcon... PUNCH!!!
*Anon is sent to Giygas World*
You FAIL.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
I think Rockstar would most likely make Jack Thompson one of the game's hookers before her.
Jack was only upset because the guy they modelled him after in GTA IV gets taken out by Niko.
He's hardly modeled after Jack. Let's go down the list of why.
The lawyer Niko whacks in GTA (man, what IS his name?) has a nice office, his name on the sign out front, a large (gun toting - that was a fun surprise) staff, a moderately competent and attractive receptionist, can make corrupt cops quake in their boots with the threat of a suit, and, most saliently, possesses a valid law license until the day he dies.
Can you really say Jack has any of these characteristics?
Wow, people have real low expectations after JT. Yes, most folk, even those who are irrational fear-mongers don't resort to the craziness of JT, but don't mistake that for objectivity or rationality.
Dill, although certainly not the worst offender, has been author or coauthor on some poor-quality research that has actively promoted public fear of video games. And she has made intemperate remarks that are anti-game that are not based on good scientific data. For instance her Anderson & Dill (2000) paper begins by implying that the Columbine High Massacre was caused (at least in part) by Doom.
It's just that she's not insane unlike others the video game community has dealth with.
How much you wanna bet Jack's already contacted her and tried to coerce her into suing the company?
A "dillettante" is defined as somebody who takes up an art or activity solely for purposes of amusement, as well as for the fact that, by taking up said art, they will become associated with the art "scene". I think that when they named this car, Rockstar was poking fun at the buyers of hybrid cars. The "Karin/Karen" thing is likely just a coincidence.
Probably.
Amusing that she is taking it in stride, if indeed Rockstar did name the Karin Dilettante after Ms. Karen Dill. (There's no official word out that Rockstar did.)
ooftygoofty, I wouldn't be in any way surprised if Jack tried to convince her otherwise (to sue). Jack will try anything he can before he gets the Banhammer of Death from the Judge and Bar.
Ah well, at least she (Ms. Dill) has a sense of humor, and isn't all bat-shit insane about it.
better a car than a whore, right?
Why couldn't they name a car out of ol' thomson?
the crappiest slowest car
Yeah, and if you try to drive it, it automatically rolls over and blows up.
-Entertainment isn't the reason the world sucks. It's the reason we know the world sucks. For information on games and psychology, look up: Jonathan Freedman(2002)Block & Crain(2007)Grand Theft Childhood, by Harvard researchers Larry Kutner&Cheryl Olson
ROFLCOPTER
And you get all the S.T.A.R.S. when you turn the ignition.
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I AM CONDEMNED TO HAUNT THE DREAMS OF JACK THOMPSON UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Would have loved to see Jacko in the game as a tranvestite hooker...or a homeless guy with a shopping cart and a sign proclaiming that the end of the world is nigh.
Y'know the crazy guy across the street from the S. Bronx safehouse? The one who always is ranting about something fascinating when you come out the door? Yeah. My girlfriend has named him "Jack." Interestingly, if you listen to his rants for a while you can actually piece them together as parts of a pro se complaint that makes sense in its own sort of way.
I would like to suggest that this is mostly coincidence.
A dilletante is (to quote Chambers) "someone who has an interest in a subject, especially art, literature or science, but does not study it very seriously or in depth." It is thus clearly nothing but a dig at people driving hybrids because they think they're helping save the planet. :)
Judging from the definition of "Dilletante," the car's name could be a double meaning, taking a poke at both hybrid drivers and Dr. Dill herself. You folks said it yourself that Dill isn't exactly a very keen researcher, and to some extent she herself could be a dilletante.
Regardless, it's nice that she was cool about it and didn't go batshit like some other people we know of. Of course, having played GTA IV, the car itself was otherwise nothing special (I'm more fond of the Ruiner, personally).
This is cute and all, but it's not nearly as funny as this video from G4: Jack Thomspon Was Right!
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