Jack Thompson Threatens to Sue Microsoft Over Halo 3

[Xero]

http://www.gamealmighty.com/story-individual/story/Jack_Thompson_Lays_His_Legal_Sites_on_Halo_3/

You know this already, but I'm going to reiterate: What a fucking moron.

[Kane Knight]

I don't feel like reading the article right this moment:

Why is he suing specifically? Or threatening.

[Xero]

Basically he's threating to sue if Microsoft doesn't take measures to make sure that anyone under 17 cannot be sold a copy.

Direct quote:

Here’s the deal, Mr. Gates: Either Microsoft undertakes dramatic, real steps, through its marketing, wholesale, and retail operations to assure that Halo 3 is not sold, via the Internet and in stores, directly to anyone under 17, or I shall proceed to make sure that Microsoft is held to that standard by appropriate legal means. I have done that before successfully as to Best Buy, and I shall do so again as to Microsoft and all retailers of Halo 3.

[Xero]

Isn't it up to the stores themselves, not the distributer to make sure the "laws" are kept in place anyway?

[Kane Knight]

So basically, "You guarantee that no stores will do anything bad, or you're at fault?"

[UmbrellaCorporation]

Microsoft will laugh this fucking idiot right out of the courtroom. I can see it now.

Judge Judy: Blahblahblahblahbla--


Bill Gates: You. Manlady. Shut up. Jack Loses.


Thompson: :(


And that's the end of that.


Seriously, where did THIS lawsuit come from? Can ANY human being be this fucking stupid?

[Silent]

It's not really that shocking to me anymore. When I first heard about the stuff he did it was unreal, but now it's just expected.

[Dorkchop]

Jack Thompson is a piece of shit.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

Does he not realize that it's not against the law to sell M rated games to a minor, only a recomendation by the ESRB?

[chrisat928]

Why hasn't a large group of gamers beat this man to death with a bunch of controls yet?

Blaming video games for violence is like blaming misspelled words on your pencil.

[Silent]

Why hasn't a large group of gamers beat this man to death with a bunch of controls yet?

It would make his point about video games making us violent a little more credible. :p

[Vietnamese Crippler]

Hmm, multi-billion dollar company vs. a jackass from Florida... :?:

[Dave Youell]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Microsoft are only going to be at risk because of the beta version on Halo 3.

Surely they can't be responsible for stores selling it to under age kids as they are only a supplier

it's like trying to take legal action again Smirnoff for providing liquor stores with the booze which a kid could buy if sold to them.

But then again, Jack Thompson is a fucking moron. By me typing this I expect a court case within the next few weeks

[Kalyx triaD]

Microsoft is going to d e s t r o y him. Capital D. He's playing big games now. You do not mess with the flagship title of a Luther-level company. This should be the end of capatian Jack.

[RP]

Who exactly is Jack Thompson?

[Kane Knight]

Does he not realize that it's not against the law to sell M rated games to a minor, only a recomendation by the ESRB?

I don't think that he cares about the law....

[RP]

I dont know who Jack Thompson is, but i'm fairly positive Bill Gates has enough money to keep him in court persuing this lawsuit until he dies. So he should just surrender and stfu.

[Kane Knight]

I finally got around to reading the letter.

Thompson sites the FTC's stats as a 42% "failure" to avoid marketing to kids under 17.

What Thompson failed to mention is that this number is down from 69% only a year before. And that this has been going down steadily since 2001 or so.

From around 2/3 to 2/5s in a year is pretty good. Clearly, while improvement is still needed, to use these numbers as an indication of failure is to ignore the real work being done.

[Xero]

Who exactly is Jack Thompson?
He's a moronic lawyer who sues over video game violence and sex. He's sued/threatened to sue Rockstar multiple times.

[Kane Knight]

This little article was inspired by Jack Thompson and his latest tirade. In a letter to Microsoft over the upcoming HALO 3, Jack Thompson points to an FTC statistic that 42% of the time, children can access M rated titles.

What he ignores is that this number was 69% a year before, and a year before that, it was in the high 70s. Clearly, the standards are getting better, but there is one important thing to remember.

It. Is. Not. Against. The. Law. To. Sell. M. Rated. Games. To. Minors.



By state, this might not be true, though to my knowledge, all bans have been overturned.

Most major chains, say Wal-Mart or Gamestop, have store policies preventing the sales of Mature titles to children under 17. While the store's employees could be punished or even fired for selling to minors, they are not breaking a law. And smaller chains, or even mom and pop shops, don't have the same policies.

It's not illegal, so they don't have to restrict it.

What this means is that two-fifths of the time, a child who attempts to pick up an M-Rated title will succeed (Statistically). While it's good the number has gone down, and it likely will continhue, parents must remember that there is no real imperitive to stop the sales.

In short, even if Microsoft is Marketing HALO to kids, they're not, strictly speaking, doing anything wrong.

The bottom line is that this comes back to the home front: You cannot just assume that the stores will prevent your child from getting Mature titles. You must be aware that these titles are still legal to distribute to minors, and that in most cases only store policy stands in their way. And while stores appear to be getting stricter with their policies, it is no guarantee.

[Mr. Nerfect]

I would think the stores and distributors would be more responsible for who purchases Halo than Microsoft. And as stated, it's not even illegal to sell an M-rated game to minors. The rating is just a recommendation.

So what Thompson is telling Microsoft is essentially: Change the law, or I'm going to sue you.

What a fucking moron.

[Mr. Nerfect]

The games not even that violent, is it? I've played the Halo games briefly, but never in their entirety. It seems to me, however, that the violence in the game is very cartoonish. It's basically plasma weapons stunning aliens to death, and in the odd case you bust out something which fires bullets, the blood effects are pretty tame.

I mean, it's obvious that he was just going after Halo and Microsoft for attention right from the start, but why this douche is yet to get sued for something himself is beyond me.

[Xero]

I heard he was actually banned from suing Rockstar, which is awesome if true.

[Skippord]

Who exactly is Jack Thompson?
This Guy http://www.hcgamer.hu/gamer/images/cikkek/2007_01/jack_thompson.jpg

[Kalyx triaD]

Refreshers galore. (http://tpww.net/forums/showthread.php?t=46768)

[Kane Knight]

I heard he was actually banned from suing Rockstar, which is awesome if true.

As part of a settlement with Rockstar over their countersuit, he agreed not to go after them, their games, or their affiliates.

[BigDaddyCool]

Why do I care?

[Kane Knight]

You probably don't.

I like to laugh at him, that's the extent of my caring, and you're like ten times more apathetic.

[Mercury Bullet]

He is such a goon. Can't stand him.

He COULD go after retailers over this, but I don't think he could win a case with them either cause as already stated, it isn't ILLEGAL to sell the games to a minor. It is SUGGESTED based on the ratings system, and still, most RETAILERS DO PRACTICE THIS!!! So he needs to shut it.

[Kane Knight]

And most retailers, major ones at least, will PUNISH people for not following the guideline.

Say I work at a chain store. I sell you, who we're presuming is 12 for this argument only, the latest GTA game. Your mom, Xero, finds out and is pissed. And complains. I get fired, in all probability.

[Mercury Bullet]

And most retailers, major ones at least, will PUNISH people for not following the guideline.

Say I work at a chain store. I sell you, who we're presuming is 12 for this argument only, the latest GTA game. Your mom, Xero, finds out and is pissed. And complains. I get fired, in all probability.

I had a friend who worked at a Software Etc. (same as Babbages for those who dont know), he didn't get fired but he got suspended for two weeks and "written up" (whatever the hell that means) a parent complaining when he sold a teenager GTA San Andreas.

[Fryza]

This is why I love this dude. He's a total idiot.

It warms my heart to see an idiot.

[HeartBreakMan2k]

And most retailers, major ones at least, will PUNISH people for not following the guideline.

Say I work at a chain store. I sell you, who we're presuming is 12 for this argument only, the latest GTA game. Your mom, Xero, finds out and is pissed. And complains. I get fired, in all probability.

I'm a DM for Gamestop now, we turn associates forselling M rated games to minors. I don't agree with the policy but it's what we have in place. In addition, the manager of the store in which the associate sells the product will get a corrective action (this is of course, assuming that the manager is not the one who sold the game, at which point it's termination) - 3 corrective actions is termination for the manger, even if he himself did not ever sell the title and followed all polices.

[darkpower]

Thompson was also the fucktard that did THIS just an hour after knowing about the VT shootings:

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[Downunder]

LOL - he's a broken record.

[Jalapeño]

Jack Thompson is my hero.

:shifty:

[Jalapeño]

Wait, Super Columbine Massacre?

Isn't that the RPG game?

[Jalapeño]

I'm training to punch Horses in the asshole on Oblivion.

[Kane Knight]

I'm a DM for Gamestop now, we turn associates forselling M rated games to minors. I don't agree with the policy but it's what we have in place. In addition, the manager of the store in which the associate sells the product will get a corrective action (this is of course, assuming that the manager is not the one who sold the game, at which point it's termination) - 3 corrective actions is termination for the manger, even if he himself did not ever sell the title and followed all polices.

That seems a bit harsh, but it goes to show how seriously the policies are taken.

Zero Tolerance is probably too much, but it's the only way they'll keep stupid parents even remotely placated.