Jack Thompson names ESRB as defendant in Best Buy lawsuit |
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Earlier this week, controversial anti-video game attorney Jack Thompson announced that he will be filing a lawsuit against Best Buy on charges that the company sells M-rated games to minors through its website. Apparently, he's also named the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) in the lawsuit.Here's a quote from a press release issued by Thompson, courtesy of GamePolitics:
The ESRB has been sued by Thompson because it is well known that it a) is owned and operated by the video game industry, b) does not even play the games it rates to conclusion, c) routinely mislabels games as to age appropriateness, per testimony before the U.S. Congress, and is engaged in representations to American parents that the age label are accurate and are keeping "Mature" games out of the hands of kids...
According to GamePolitics, Thompson also took a shot at the National Institute for Media and the Family (NIMF), a media watchdog group headed by psychologist Dr. David Walsh, who publicly distanced himself from Thompson's brand of anti-game advocacy two years ago. Thompson claims that the lawsuit details the relationship between the NIMF and Best Buy, which are both located in Minneapolis.
Via GamePolitics
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Comments [refresh]
thanks for the lol you gave me with the pic.
Now, bring back the banner too!
Also, first.
QJ, I think you used some bad syntax. E.g. "HEY QJ, your CODE is showing!"
##START_COMMENT S_LINK## | Comments [1] ##END_COMMENTS_ LINK##
Either that, or my firefox is misinterpreting the codes.
Who the hell is gunna listen to that yellow toothed monkey face. No one likes him just looking at him. And he wants to take away what teens live for... hes a bad man. Bad juju on him *nods head*
Man, I would have got zero with that kind of proof in my exams, and I'm not talking at the university, but even when I was in high school, lol.
starting with that, no judges will read the rest, lol. poor him, I'm sad for his wife and kid... hey! HOW THE HELL did he get those? :|
someone shoot this ***** already.
no sh*t
his nickname is "dry bones". You jump on him, and he shuts up for a while. But just like Dry Bones, he'll come back.
We really don't. So I wish peace and happiness to Jack in that Utopian's dreamworld of his, or was that despotic dreamworld.
But that would only make things worse, because then he would be proven right and some new prick would pickup where he left off with even more ammunition. He needs to get ran over or have a horrible unexplained accident, wink wink . I can't stand this guy.
if parents cared about the games their kids played, maybe Jacks actions could be explained...
go home Jack, our culture doesn't want your help. their parents don't care
Yes, QJ, PLEEEESE bring back the Jack Thompson banner!!!!
a little variety is good, but some thing remain classics for a reason.
sign here if you want the JT banner back.
do not wish or inflict harm upon him .... seriously.
any harm upon him from these proceedings would only strengthen his voice.
Let him dig his hole, He appears to be killing his career just fine without us.
do not wish or inflict harm upon him .... seriously.
any harm upon him from these proceedings would only strengthen his voice.
Let him dig his hole, He appears to be killing his career just fine without us.
please, please, please!
if I had only one thing to say to all gamers about J. Thonpson... it would be this.
How can he claim the ESRB "routinely mislabels games as to age appropriateness ?" Is that up to him?
This is why I'm ashamed of being a lawyer. Using his influence to pursue something absolutely trivial.
Leave the age rating people out of your little campain moron.
I think he's finally going after the real weak link here. The problem in this whole mess is retailers not living up to their words that they are going to uphold and enforce the rating system. Most simply don't do it and they're lying to the public in saying that they do.
Perhaps this lawsuit will be a reality check that if they're going to tout how great the system is and how they're going to use it, then they need to back up their words with their actions.
The rating system is all well and good. I'm all for it. But in order for it to work, all the links in the chain must be working together.
The ESRB has to be diligent, consistent, and reasonably close in their ratings.
The retailers, if they claim to back the ESRB, have to do their part in enforcing their own policies. Even the best parents can't watch their kids every second of every day, so retailers doing their part is the first line of defense for those that actually care what their kids are doing.
Parents have to be monitoring what their kids are doing/playing. They need to be educated about the ratings and what they mean. Basically, they need to act like parents.
Just break his jaw and hands, that will end his reign of terror towards gamers.
you will only strengthen his side of the arguement
use your head .... you are capable of that, aren't you ?
do not wish or inflict harm upon him .... seriously.
any harm upon him from these proceedings would only strengthen his voice.
Let him dig his hole, He appears to be killing his career just fine without us.
For the purchase of items online from major retailers, you need a credit card. purchasing an item online with a credit card verifies that you are 18 years of age or have parental permission.
This self made "sting" is very close to entrapment
He gave his son permission to purchase the game."you are going to go onto best buy.com and order a game with my credit card. then you will go to the local store and pick it up."(the part he conveniently leaves out)
"where the retailer is under the impression that your parents bought it online and you picked it up."
you may think this will balance the system... but what needs to be done is retailers to fire employees who dont obied the game rating system
Jack Thompson is dumb. No retailers have to enforce the ratings. It's NOT against the law to sell an AO game to minors or M games for that matter as well. The only restriction that M and AO rated games have is the fact they have a couple of restrictions of advertising, and that's it. If you go to http://www.esrb.org/ratings/enforcement.jsp it clearly states it just rates games, they can't enforce retailers to sell M games to only adults. Jack, go be your parent to your own kid, not the whole country.
BRING BACK THE JACK BANNER!!!
This f u c k e r needs to die!
Not just that. Wasn't he a senator once? I think he had some kind of government job.
He needs to get ran over or have a horrible
unexplained accident, wink wink . I can't
stand this F U C K E R!
it's people like you who make him keep fighting.
shut up and keep those cynical comments to friends and in person.
I understand we have the right to free speech.
but that doesnt mean we cant pipe down for a year and let him bury himself.
he is doing a great job at making a bad name for himself (if not destroying his career one frivolous suite at a time)
we (the smart gamers) know that any kind of comments like "he needs to die... be hurt... bla bla bla... only makes his case stronger.
if you honestly call yourself a serious gamer.... you would refrain from those types of public nuances.
it is true there needs to be something done ... a law or a bill that makes the rating system mean something.... until then it is serving it's purpose ... as a parental guide to easily see the content's maturity level....... does this mean the parent is going to listen, read, or even acknowledge the system? honestly ... it doesnt.........
granted we live in a day and age where Playstation is a code word for automated child occupation control center or "babysitter" for those who dont get it.
He needs to find an alternate route ... something more tangible .... get a bill in motion to go in coordination of the ESRB or more realistically start a new alternate rating panel... converse between the 2 and reach logical middle ground.
as for the not selling of AO games..... does this mean we will have to go pick up some new porn and manhunt 2 at the same time ?
» Re: Wicked_Insider
it's people like you who make him keep fighting.
shut up and keep those cynical comments to friends and in person.
I understand we have the right to free speech.
but that doesnt mean we cant pipe down for a year and let him bury himself.
I think wicked insider was talking about me.
Also, here's the link: http://img.qj.net/uploads/articles_module/96865/JackThompson_qjpreviewth.jpg?589743
you will get the comment of the week for this. yes, the guy his doing a awful job, he is just burying himself
I know that my opinion is going to be unfavorable but hear me out.
Jack Thompson has been "fighting" video games for 5 years now right? If he wants to fight Best Buy for selling a video game to a minor then so be it. If he wins, the gaming industry will change. If he loses, the gaming industry will change.
I believe in his idea that minors should not be allowed access to M rated games, not because they are "ultra-violent" but because it's good to have variety for all ages of gamers. By forcing minors to not be able to buy "M" rated games it would force developers to stop following trends and make good games. What I mean by that is that now that there is a sudden increase of demand in M rated products by both adults and children so more developers are making M games because they are trend followers and not creators.
If you look at the "good" games coming out this year about 80% of them are M and the others are games that Nintendo is making... I'm by no means a Nintendo fanboy but if I was a content restricting Dad (I'm not), I would gladly buy a Nintendo system because it had more "good" games that weren't M rated than the other systems....
I think the problem with the gaming industry is that gaming is still considered "for the kids" and until it can break out of it's shell as a kids form of entertainment we will not be able to get gaming justice. Let's face it, Manhunt 2 and Bioshock were a little ahead of it's time in the fight to claim gaming for adults too and even though a majority of the players will be adults there will be a minority of players that will be minors and even I have an issue with Minors playing Manhunt 1 or 2....
Some kids can take it and understand consequences but it's the kids that don't have a grasp on reality (normally the mentally ill) that screw this up for them... So if you're under the age of 17 and you disagree with me fine, we can agree to disagree. ....
gaming for adults is unavoidable as with having to obied ESRB ratings. It is a matter of time.... but the hell bent quest to completely get rid of them is unwanted...
I honestly think if there was a system Jack would still be fighting for banning, severe action, or whatever if all this was to go his way ...
he would still need something to make money.... he has been on this fight almost 10 years and some progression has been made. this is all he knows now.
TV and Movies are just as bad for the content of questionable taste.... what does he have to say about that?
I am one of the few who sees how this is panning out... that is because I am first and foremost a realist.... I can not deny the inevitable.
do I think there should be a rating system and it be enforced... you're damn right I do. As a former gamestop employee I have had many minors vow vengeance upon me cause they got DENIED Vice City..... that was well over 5 years ago.
we all know out here in the states there are many people who dont care about their jobs... and those are more to blame than the stores.
Retailers need to instate action. like termination of employment to any employee who does not adhere to the guidelines set forth by the ESRB and sells a game to a minor or out of age group.
I could even be the attourney for Best Buy and win this court case! How delusional have you become, Jack?
Best Buy uses the exact same system that ALL websites use in checkout purchases... credit card verification. Now, Jack... if you GAVE your credit card to your child to use for purchasing something on the internet, you PERSONALLY are at fault and in need of being punished... not the business you allowed your kid to make the purchase at you nitwit!
You need to go see a psychiatrist and find some pills to calm you down and become rational. I hope you're wasting your personal money on this endevour because nobody out there is stupid enough to fund your little shenanigans any longer.
Oh Boy,
Jack, you write lawsuits like a six grader. You sound like a petulant little child.
The ESRB has no culpability for the ratings they provide. It is simply up to the parents to monitor what their children are playing. Does Best Buy card children under 17 when buying an R rated movie? I would say probably not. Movie ticket sales are enforced because it is outside the home. Things like HOME movies and HOME played videogames are the responsibility of the HOME owner.
You are wasting my TAX DOLLARS by these childish lawsuits. I think we should get a good lawyer and sew Jack for all these frivulous lawsuits that he ends up costing the state thousand upon thousands of dollars. If we go after his savings and personal property to completey bankrupt the guy, maybe he will f*cking grow up!
f*CK, SUE. I got to top spelling with my fingers and not my head.
After all the years that he has been digging into M games, you would think he would give up by now.
If we crush him, he will just come back stronger like before.
If he beats us, M games will become something you can't buy from stores, but he will never be able to defeat a Gaming Company.
People have tried it before, and they still came out with a Doom 3 and a Quake 4
but you used big words like culpability and frivolous (though you spelled that incorrectly :P), and tax. So you still get a +1 from me.
he is probably over 200 year old why dont he die allready ffs will make the whole world a happier place to live in