News Jack takes his first swing at Bully

[Da Dego]

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2006/10...wing_at_Bully/

[DougEdey]

Wait, I agree with Jack, it should be rated M or AO, in the UK it would probably be rated as a 15 or 18.

Can't people see thats common bloody sense?

[themax]

The fact that he took it to Dade County in Florida he just might get it banned there at the least. Dade County takes this kind of stuff seriously. They managed to get the rapper Luke's CD banned in that county when they took him to court because of his lyrics. Those Judges are very sympathetic/sensitive to stuff involing forms of censorship.

[Jamie]

Area there no independent ratings organistations in America?

[quack]

Although Jack Thompson is a complete idiot, there is a small bit of sense in comes out of his mouth. He's been trying to get a proper rating system introduced in the US like the UK has, which specifically bans the sale of certain games to minors.

The Teen, Mature, Adult Only scheme is only a recommendation and not a legal framework. Any attempt thus far to bring the US into line with the UK's type of rating system has ended up crashing into the constitution and the freedom of speech. This is very unfortunate. Considering how protective the authorities are over what goes out on the airwaves (no freedom in showing boobs on broadcast tv?) it's strange that they'd be willing to let kids of 10 be able to get their hands on games such as Grand Theft Auto.

But as I said... Jack Thompson is an idiot.

[_DTM2000_]

I just wish they'd put as much effort into researching why some poeple emulate what they see in games and movies etc. It's only a small percentage of the population that get seriously effected by violent content. Most of us can play GTA all day without even slightly feeling like running around happy slapping pensioners.

It should be the parents that buy adult media for their kids appearing in court, not the game developers.

[infered101]

OF course the guy has to do it in florida. Now the game is baned(for the time being) here. GO TO ANOTHER STATE JACK, something like alabama noone knows how to play games there anyways(wee joke).

THe system trully does stop people from getting adult games here its just there is no legal ramification if you do sell to a minor. If a game is mature its not suppose to be sold to minors but then business lose money by not selling it to the kids. Then you have parents who buy the games for the kids not paying attention. Those dont seem like problems with the ESRB, its seems like problems by parents and store clerks.

Anyways Bully should be mature(and i though it was, guess not). I just dont know what take two was thinking when they made this game. Hmmm lets make a game about every nerds worst nightmare, something that is a problem in the school system and should not be portraid in any way. Im sorry they were asking for people to attack them on this one.

[DougEdey]

It should be legally enforceable, I.e. the minors legal guardians should be held responsible, the american populus should stop trying to blame game manufacturers and sort it out.

For most of the news where we say WTF over here its because people do not one to take responsibility.

I could state lots of profanities, but even though I support certain aspects of Jack Thomspons arguements, I think he's a crap lawyer and should get a proper one.

[M4RTIN]

imo it looks crap anyway, but thats beside the point.

something these people just dont seem to grasp is that any attempt to get a game banned or with a higher rating actually helps sales. kids want to play controversial games, not another disney game with a u rating

[sam.g.taylor]

Originally Posted by M4RTIN

imo it looks crap anyway, but thats beside the point.

something these people just dont seem to grasp is that any attempt to get a game banned or with a higher rating actually helps sales. kids want to play controversial games, not another disney game with a u rating

Come on, there is a middle ground here.

Anyway, that courtroom sounded worse than our practices for high school mock trial last year - reminded me of the objection we had in dress rehearsal:

Defense:"Your Honor, may I slap my witness upside the head?"
His Honor:"You may."
...
Prosecution:"Objection, Your Honor - strangling of the witness."
His Honor:"I'll allow it."

[DarkReaper]

Originally Posted by sam.g.taylor

Defense:"Your Honor, may I slap my witness upside the head?"
His Honor:"You may."
...
Prosecution:"Objection, Your Honor - strangling of the witness."
His Honor:"I'll allow it."

[Veles]

What does it matter what rating it's got anyway? It's not law, a 3 year old can go into a shop and buy an AO legally, over here it's against the law to sell a 15 or 18 rated game to an underage person. Should be the same thing over in the states but that apparently is an attack on the freedom of law abiding citizens of the US. Funny how they forget you can't drive without a silly licence or buy alchohol underage.

Although I think Jack Thompson is an idiot and it's a disgrace that he shares a name with me, from the sounds of it Take Two were complete idiots, like the wanted to lose the trial. I think they could've so easily got the case thrown out of court.

[DougEdey]

I think what Jack wants is a legally enforced system, however rather then getting the government to do it (they probably wouldn't anyway) he wants the games companies to be held responsible.

Which, in my view, they should do, it'll save them a lot of flak in the long run.

[Kipman725]

there is no evidence that whatching violent matirial makes you more violent. Infact despite increasing violence in films and video games the violent crime rate is DECREASING. I see no reason for this pointless victimisation of the young who are unable to defend there right to purchase these games.

[DXR_13KE]

i have so much s*it in my head and so much curse words in my mouth that are not enough to define what this SOB is.

he is fighting a lost war. period.

[themax]

What Jack wants is not an enforced system. He wants these types of games to go away period. The guy blames everything on these games. Even if there was legally enforced system he would find away to bring justice to the parents of these oh so trouble kids that were corrupted by the mere sight of the game. Everytime a crime happenes involving a child he goes on the hunt to bring down these evil video game makers.

I'm not condoning Take Two's behavoir in court, but hell if Jack Thompson took me to court for a game that's been given a suggested rating and put onto shelves in stores where parents buy the game without even looking at said rating I wouldn't take the case serious either. It's not Take Two's fault the child got ahold of the game through an Adult that obviously didn't care.

[Havok154]

So Jack is taking them to court to ban Bully and then gives a whole bunch of evidence from a completely different game, stating that because this company made a very violent game, this game must also be the same way. I didn't see any evidence presented that actually pertained to Bully, most likely because he doesn't have any.

[DougEdey]

@themax:

Originally Posted by TFA

arguing that Bully needs to either be re-rated by the ESRB as "M" (or even "AO") or banned.

If you feel that video games don't make people violent you may be right, however they glorify violence and without proper parenting (which I'm afraid is getting far too common) the children will not know right from wrong, they won't understand that you don't copy what you see.

Now Jack should NOT have gone to sue Take Two, he should have tried to communicate with the ESRB first, then gone through the court system, tried to implement a new bill and so on.

Yes, Jack Thompson is acting like a knob, Yes Jack Thompson is going about this completely the wrong way.

However, is Jack Thompson trying to do the right thing? At least partially, yes.

[Bladestorm]

Jack's agenda starts out sounding very reasonable and something many could agree to, but when pushed even a tiny bit he gets heated and starts spewing all sorts that makes it clear his agenda goes far further. One particular inteview I listened to early on had me thinking "This guys not so bad, whats all the fuss about ?" but before it had finished he had managed to make quite clear he didn't know what he was talking about, had it in for games and anyone who plays or develops them and .. just for icing, for no apparent reason, threw in a random insult about europe as a whole .. to be honest I was just waiting for him to start screaming about fire, brimstone, various pits of hell and sinners .. (He didn't though)

[DougEdey]

What someone needs todo is to take on what Jack wants todo but do it differently, I am amazed that no-one else in the states appears to think that a legally enforceable system is good.

Literally AMAZED, Shocked and apalled.