Jack Thompson Threatens Gabe Newell Over School Shooter Mod

[gNetkamiko]

Bad move, Jacko. Very bad move. If you want to blame someone, blame the people who made the mod to begin with. Otherwise, just take your money-grubbing ass back home, feed your fish (they require your attention more than this does, anyways), and leave the gaming industry the fuck alone.

You'd think that having him permanently disbarred by the Florida Supreme court as well as being publicly humiliated on an episode of Penn and Teller's "Bullshit" would've humbled him a bit.

 

[TheGuiggleMonster]

The only way we can get Jack Thompson to shut up is by completely ignoring him. Sadly, the USA allows him to continue misleading people because of freedom of speech but luckily we don't actually have to listen to him. I'm sure that he feeds on our attention, be it in favour or negative, but nevertheless the only way we can make him crawl into a hole and die quietly is by covering our ears and looking in the opposite direction and not turning around as he screams for attention.

This may be difficult due to the fact that Fox News seems to like him and Fox News is the most watched news program in the USA, but there is little we can do about this. IF we got enough people to complain to Fox News at once that we don't want to see his hideous face ever again, it MIGHT work but don't be surprised if we can't get enough people. He has many followers who are more willing than we are although it is almost certainly true that we outnumber them.

 

[Herr Wozzeck]

*headdesk*

Jesus Christ, people are still letting this nutjob run around doing this kind of thing? He's already been disbarred from my home state, and that still isn't stopping him.

He crazy. (Seriously, he's so crazy he's not worth dignifying with proper grammar.)

 

[Chased]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Thompson_(activist)#Mortal_Kombat

In October 2006, Thompson sent a letter to Midway Games, demanding they cease and desist selling the latest game in the Mortal Kombat series, Mortal Kombat: Armageddon, claiming that the game was illegally profiting on his likeness, because gamers could use the Create a Fighter option to make a character who looked like Jack Thompson. Midway did not respond to his letter.

that is absolutely fantastic. lollolol

 

[Evilproduct]

Really Jack? Really? Weren't you disbarred? I thought we were done with you. I mean, i don't agree with the School Shooter mod either but seriously Jack, why don't you just go home. Your 15 minutes ended LOOOOONG ago.

 

[bad rider]

Here we go again...

You'd think whitesnake wrote that song as Jack Thompson theme song.

Spoiler

 

[BoogieManFL]

LOL. Jack Thompson. A walking, breathing pile of sentient excrement.

I hope Valve got a good chuckle from his threats.

 

[artstsym]

Alright! Looks like it's time for another round of the JackAttack!

Was getting kinda boring around here, anyway.

 

[Wolfenbarg]

I hate to say it, but I agree with Jack this time around. That mod is so bad for the gaming community that it could potentially set us back years if the Supreme Court gets wind of it. The developers aren't even defending it in an artistic manner, their sole goal is make a game where you murder civilians in a hauntingly familiar fashion FUN. Even Uwe Boll made his killing spree film in an artistic manner that put us in the head of the shooter. Uwe fucking Boll.

 

[googleback]

What he's just done is accuse Gabe Newell of being responsible for those massacres. Shame on him. Some people are so blind!

 

[Daveman]

lol, what could he possibly do to them if they don't?

I mean come on... this is just silly. Surely this letter is a fake.

 

[Cap'n Moe]

Dear Mr. Newell,

Obviously you are a smart man, and even I have forgiven you for ignoring the PS3 for a long while, (I still prefer TF2, and other Valve-related goodies on my PC though). Please show your further intelligence by pointing out the flaws in the (dis)honorable Mr. Thompson's letter.

Terroristic threats, even vague ones, against your company is punishable under Federal Law. This is first and foremost the problem here.

Mr. Thompson's position of 'power' (snicker) has been removed, and has no right whatsoever to force you to shy away from what you are doing. Mr. Thompson needs to be reminded that the Source Graphical Engine is distributed, and a third party company may use for it what it chooses, but in the end, it is Valve that controls distribution on the Steam Network. Additionally, you may need to understand, that Mr. Thompson may NEVER win this battle. While I find the game lacking taste, morality, etc, etc, outright banning it after his letter was published will award him a false sense of victory over the industry you have shaken up, and contributed blood, sweat, and tears to ensure continued success.

For those victories, I thank you, and you will be happy to know, I have (purchased) contributed over $500 dollars of my money to continue owning games legally through Steam. I back you, and the industry that has entertained me since I was in diapers with whatever decision you make. But know this, if he assumes victory here, and other activists (extremists?) witness what looks like a victory for him...you can bet it will be a gateway for others to attempt as well.

Keep doing what you are doing Mr. Newell, even though this letter may never leave the pages of the Escapist, to forever be lost in the sea of OMGWTFBBQ!?! comments it shall receive.

Very respectfully,
Gamers everywhere

 

[Snotnarok]

My head hurts...This is not Valves responsibility, it's not their right to restrict people from using their engine. That would be like Adobe saying someone can't paint ...smily faces because it's offensive and then remove your use for it.

 

[TheTinyMan]

-sigh- if he wasn't making threats and otherwise being a dick, I'd have halfway agreed with the asshole. This school shooter mod is on Valve's turf, and since video games ARE art and ARE self-policing, if anyone has the right to say, "No, this is poor taste and the industry as a whole won't allow it," it's the guys whose technology and distribution platform they're using.

Not that I'm totally convinced that it should be stopped, but I'm at least halfway there.

 

[FinalHeart95]

"...your Half-Life murder simulator was obsessively played, and thus became a training aid, for a) teenaged Robert Steinhauser, who authored at Erfurt, Germany, the worst school shooting massacre in European history, and b) Seung-Hi Cho, who authored at Virginia Tech University the worst school shooting massacre in world history. As to the latter, the sources of this information are the Washington Post and the New York Times. Now some sociopaths have made reprises of Erfurt and Virginia Tech far more likely.

Given the fact that your company has the technological ability to stop the operation of School Shooter, you must undertake steps immediately to do so.

Speaking for myself alone (for now), you have until five o'clock pm Eastern standard time this Friday, March 18, 2011, to shut down this public safety hazard. I predicted years ago this school massacre game would arrive. I hate being right all the time."

Bolded parts are the ones that stand out to me as flat out TROLLING. Especially that last sentence.

 

[Rad Party God]

rise and shine Mr.Thompson... rise and, shine...

 

[Raziel Paragorne]

You have love how Tom's letter isn't even gramatically correct...let alone logically, legally or morally.

 

[Silent Biohazard Solid]

You know, I'm not crazy about the idea of a school shooter mod. But if history taught us anything is that if Jack Thompson wants to stop something, he should stay the hell away from it. Because fighting it is going to get him absolutely nowhere.