@Kytiara - Aren't you? Or just all of them? (Only half serious, since I assume you are the same.)

Be fair here, people. Jack Thompson may be one to throw the baby out with the bath-water (in tending to ignore the artistic aspect of mature games due to the mature content), but let's not commit the crime of not getting rid of the bath-water at all. That baby needs to dry off. That is, you don't have to defend all video games just because you're a gamer. If no video game can do wrong by the gaming community, we're going to end up justifying anything. Take a step back and notice the trend of increasingly violent/sexual games and decide when too much is too much. There is such a thing as going too far, don't you think?

If his only goal actually is simply trying to keep mature games out of the hands of children, why are we trying to cut off his nads? (IF that is all he wants, as he says, since many other indirect sources say he wants to kill video games completely. But why would he misrepresent his own goals?)

This article really does shed some light on the real Jack Thompson; I'm not his biggest fan, to be sure, and he's definitely made some bad decisions and stupid mistakes (and I disagree with several of his claims), but I think we do need to be mature about the subject and actually attempt to process the facts instead of name calling and using his religious convictions as a launch-pad for attacks on him (Honestly, is he actually a religious "fanatic", or just religious?).

And for God's sake, what is with people sending this guy death threats and cussing him out and all this? Why would we give him the ammo? We all want games to be taken seriously and to be considered art by the general population, but then when it comes to representing the gaming community we act like children. Sorry rabbit, art is for adults.

And this guy is even willing to admit that there are games that can be considered art, that are beautiful and moving. Hello? This guy isn't the devil some want us to believe he is. We can at least give him that.

Funny you should mention that.

My man tried REPEATEDLY to get him to address Jack's claims in an interview with the guys from GamePolitics.com but they kept refusing. We were always gonna let the other side defend themselves but the guy from there didn't even wanna do that. We weren't gonna let Jack talk with those kinds of words without being fair and letting the accused party have their say.

Here's the last line in that JT story.

"Editor's Note:
In the interest of fairness, while interviewing Attorney Jack Thompson several statements were made toward GamePolitics.com political editor Dennis McCauley.  Attempts to contact Mr. McCauley were initially successful, and from this an interview regarding Mr. Thompson's allegations towards GamePolitics.com was agreed upon and sent to Mr. McCauley.  Upon receiving our questions, Mr. McCauley declined to continue with the interview."

http://www.popzart.com/index.php?page=view&topic=851&side=3

My man, Mr. Universal, doesn't understand why he refused to address Jack's claims. Popzart definitely made every attempt to be even-handed in all this and let every side speak their piece. Nobody was pitting anybody against anybody. It was simply a matter of fairness. Why let someone run you down without giving you a chance to speak your side?

John Lucas 

@johnlucas - I noted that as well, and unfortunately for GP it seems to jive with what Jack Thompson claimed about the quality of the journalism and the balls his media opponents seem to lack. Instead of really getting into the issue, he simply cherry-picks from the article from the comfort of his desk. Rather disappointing, Mr. McCauley.

McCauley's points are still valid nonetheless...

It would have been more satisfying to see them talk in an interview, but I have a feeling Jack would have danced around some answers anyway...

He attacks FPSs all the time, which annoys me.

I suppose when he starts attacking platformers like Mario, we'll know he's truly insane.

Still, it's just the fact that calls all gamers "idiot videogamers" and such...it's so ridiculous that he gets away with that stuff...

@BenKenobi - Haha, yeah if he goes after Mario his head shall be mine. That's the line.

And I also agree that any generalizations he makes about gamers are uninformed and ignorant at best, and that if he wants his message to be better received he should try his best not to put down gamers who might otherwise agree with the more reasonable aspects of his mission.

Ok, I still haven't read it yet (I will, just not quite yet), but I do have two more quick questions.

 Priceless.  You know you're repulsive as a human being when Janet Reno turns you down.

@stof - Wow. Did that actually happen? Hah, that is too funny. But I might be tempted to file a police report myself if that beast laid a hand on me. She identifies her prey by touch, you know. That's not just a hand on the shoulder; that's a promise to have you for dinner later.

(I'm reminded of Will Ferrell's impersonation of her on SNL.)

Janet Reno's Dance Party ftw.