Take-Two warns Jack Thompson over Manhunt 2, settlement terms between parties under duress |
Take-Two Interactive and Jack Thompson have certainly had a storied past. While we all know about the uneasy settlement between Take-Two and Jack Thompson involving a particularly heated lawsuit last April, we've also caught wind of the many moves Jack has made against Take-Two, the most recent one being his lodging of a complaint against the televised ads of Bioshock.
The shaky relationship between the two is still not looking good. What started as an e-mail from Jack Thompson to Take-Two chairman Strauss Zelnick, CEO Ben Feder, the Federal Trade Commission, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, the legal counsel of Blank Rome and GamePolitics turned into an exchange between the Florida-based lawyer and Gena Feist, Take-Two's VP and Associate General Counsel.
Below is Jack Thompson's opening e-mail, unedited and presented as is:
From: Jack Thompson
Sent: Monday, August 27, 2007 4:55 PM
Subject: Letter to Take-TwoÂ’s Strauss Zelnick, Ben Feder Re Manhunt 2
Dear Mr. Zelnick and Mr. Feder:
Congratulations on receiving a “Mature” rating for Manhunt 2. You’ll live to regret it (trust me), so enjoy it while you can. I want to bring to your attention the fact that at www.rockstargames.com anyone of any age can order Manhunt 2 and receive it, with no age verification whatsoever.
Asking a 14-year-old if heÂ’s 17 is not age verification, now is it? You also know that the use of a bank card as an age verifier is a violation of all bank card agreements, right? Govern yourselves accordingly, if you can.
Regards, Jack Thompson
Strong words indeed, and it's to note that things go downhill from there on in, with the uneasy relationship between the florida-based lawyer and the publishing company straining. A few e-mails later, Gena Feist replied with an e-mail warning Jack that legal action will be taken if he doesn't stop harping about Manhunt 2 (PSP, Wii). Here's the part of the e-mail that states that, in its unedited form:
We entered into the settlement agreement because we did not want to engage in unnecessary litigation with you, but I assure you that we will enforce the terms of the agreement if necessary and that any suit will include a claim for our legal fees under paragraph 11.
The exchange ends right after Jack's rebuttal to the message above. You can check out the full exchange at the Via link below, and it's to note that there could be a few parts of it missing - as message timestamps of some of the message did not quite match up accordingly, and had to be re-arranged for contextual coherence. Still, it looks like a very interesting time indeed for both Take-Two and Jack.
Updates as we get them, and you can give us your two cents' worth on the matter by your comments below.
Buy: [Manhunt 2 (PSP)]
Buy: [Manhunt 2 (Wii)]
Via GamePolitics
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Comments [refresh]
My god, this Jack thompson has no arguments at all. He writes like a fanboy just believing his opinion is the absolute truth.
It is a good read, about 6 e-mails so go ahead and read the full corespondence. Lats words from J. T.
"Are you nuts?"
IM FINALLY FIRST I WIN FINALLY~!
GoD damn it. Your driving every gamer crazy jack stop this crap now!!!!!!
Jack is just acting like the 5 year old he is. He is just unhappy that hid dad didnt give him any love when he was a child and now he is taking it out of everyone else. He is clearly acting like a 5 year old by mindlessly arguing something which is false.
Quote Jack "As you should be aware, credit cards cannot be used to verify the age of buyers. Kids have credit cards, and they use parents%u2019 credit cards. You have then got to be kidding me."
If the kids are taking their parents credit card to pay for games which they are not allowed to purchase then IT IS THE PARENTS FAULT NOT TAKE2. No parent should EVER allow their child to use their credit card. Only a *****ed up idiot would do so and there are too many of those people around including Jack since I guess he lets his kids use his credit card.
One thing that questions me is that with any other rated M game in the market is that Jack only complains about the M games made by take-two or rockstar.
What he might not understand is that if Jack was to ever succeed. And if rockstar was to go bankrupt or stop creating games than many gamers would be pissed off and jack would face many other problems.
To me he needs to STFU, and worry about other client claims in florida. He must not git a lot of work for him to be able to fuss at corporate companys creating video games, etc. And the attempt to becoming famous is only making more people to want to beat the living **** out of him.
I wish QJ would stop posting anything that has anything to do with this lunatic.
Just ignore him and he'll go away.
nooooo. we need to post on good ol' JT. why? becuz he's the village idiot. without him, we would have no reminder about how truly smart we are.
JT does that for us.
Thank u JT. Your stupidity reminds me that I have common sense, rationale, and above all, sound moral (and legal) judgment.
now go ***k yourself.
We dont need to ignore this ass... who is he representing??? he was the first to scream the VT killings were due to video games...HA NOT.... we need to find out Jack's email and all of us gamers let him know how we feel... in the 5 year old manor he does... :) GAMERS UNITE AGAINST JACK THOMPSON
What is Jack Thompson trying to do? I mean, like if Rockstar cares if kids buy the game or if people go on a killing spree becasue they played their games. Rocstar must be laughing pretty hard at their offices whenever they receive an e-mail from Jackoff Thompson, and probably when a massacre influenced by videogames occur (or at least I think since remember when a former employee of rockstar, after leaving, confessed that the people behind Manhunt knew it was gonna be controversial and it may even cause killings yet they didn't care XD). Anyways this is dumb, Jack is noth going to accmomplish anything, he's a poor 60 year old, Rockstar can just buy the court and win any case, they can buy the ESRB, they probably can buy Stop-Violence Association of America if they needed to.
PS: Jack is a crazy fool with no reason. Did you all know that before he fought against the Music companies to stop sending out "profane" messages, that he tried to sue a radio station for thousands of dollars for mentioning his name many times in an "offensive manner", and that he actually ruined a women's career life by fighting for her to be kicked just because she was lesbian. This guy has a crazy history so it's not weird he's doing this *****...
he made a threat i say we should sue him
That jack thompson is almost like a batman villain to T2 and rockstar aint he
hey ya.. i was just wondering, will you be intrested in a ligit way of making money online??
listen i don't want to waste your time writing up a essay..
but if you are heres a link to site which will show you to one of my favourite programs... with proof of payment ofcourse..
i jus thought ill share this with everyone here..
here is the link to a site that will give info about my favourite program :
www.xrl.us/ccrate
want proof of payment?? ofcourse you do..
http://img362.imageshack.us/my.php?image+check6xl2.jpg
I hope you enjoy it as much as i did... xD
theyre EVIL!!!!
Someone please make a martyr out of this f.u.c.ker and get it over with. Blame it on GTA too ...the 360 version.
To those whom asked for his email:
jackpeace@comca st.net
Go crazy. :)
an attorney of Florida? ill be taking a trip to Florida next year, the bastards mine! *shotgun noises*
Honestly how hard is it to get run over by a SUV or something in Florida? people just aren't trying these days...
I LOVE YOU.
Will somebody please shoot this motha *****a already. He's had a good life, send him to the promise land. Somebody, anybody, where is ak-mod when you need him.
Dude Florida is full of crazies, they're used to this. Don't worry about getting prosecuted.
Jack is such a p***k and i cant stand the C*** does he really believe that what he says people will listen. what a f***ing nobhead.
Without reading the history between the two I have to say I didn't think Jack's opening email was "strong" in any sense of the word. Whiney possibly, but he clearly thrives on being a pillock, so everyone should ignore him - no coverage on sites like this, no news coverage, nothing. I really don't understand why he gets the attention that he does. Or why I'm wasting my time typing this - he's like the boogieman - if you ignore him, he'll go away.
I hate this guy. THOUGHTLESS KILLING ROCKS!!!!
Source for the following: http://gamepolitics.com/2007/08/31/take-two-warns-jack-thompson-over-manhunt-2/
From: Jack Thompson
To: Gena Feist (T2 NY)
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: Letter to Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick, Ben Feder Re Manhunt 2
As you should be aware, credit cards cannot be used to verify the age of buyers. Kids have credit cards, and they use parents’ credit cards. You have then got to be kidding me.
Take-Two is welcome to use age verification software that is available for on-line alcohol, firearm and other purchases of adult material. Stop lying.
Thanks
Jack Thompson, Attorney
———————————–
From: “Gena Feist (T2 NY)”
To: “Jack Thompson”
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 5:30 PM
Subject: RE: Letter to Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick, Ben Feder Re Manhunt 2
Jack, give it a break. I am happy to answer your questions and correct any misapprehension s that you have but I will not engage in this type of discussion with you. I am not a liar, I didn’t threaten you, and I wont get roped into this type of dialogue. Don’t bother writing back because I will not answer any further communications along these lines.
————————————
From: Jack Thompson
To: Gena Feist
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 5:28 PM
Subject: Re: Letter to Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick, Ben Feder Re Manhunt 2
Surely you are not taking the position that I am not allowed to communicate with the government about Take-Two’s actions, are you? If you are, then please know that that position renders the agreement unenforceable as a matter of public policy, since the law is settled that no agreement that restricts a citizen’s petition rights to the government is enforceable.
Are you seriously suggesting that an agreement that does not restrict me in that fashion does restrict me? Becasue [sic] if you are, then I have a new civil rights claim agains [sic] Take-Two.
Jack Thompson
———————————–
From: Gena Feist
To: “Jack Thompson”
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 5:20 PM
Subject: Re: Letter to Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick, Ben Feder Re Manhunt 2
Jack,
I appreciate that you directed this message to me alone. In regards to your comments below, I understand that you disagree with the use of a credit card transaction as age verification but it is accepted by the FTC and the retail industry as verification of age.
You are on notice that we use two industry and government accepted forms of age verification. Please do not repeat your false claims publicly or make claims that I/the company are lying about this matter.
We entered into the settlement agreement because we did not want to engage in unnecessary litigation with you, but I assure you that we will enforce the terms of the agreement if necessary and that any suit will include a claim for our legal fees under paragraph 11.
Sincerely,
Gena
———————————-
From: “Jack Thompson”
To: “Gena Feist (T2 NY)”
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 6:17 PM
Subject: Re: Letter to Take-Two’s Strauss Zelnick, Ben Feder Re Manhunt 2
What is wrong with you? You threaten me with enforcement of the agreement, and I ask you how I have violated it. Are you nuts?
Jack Thompson, Attorney
Jack Thompson is just getting ready for the upcoming game season this winter. Realize that the move against violent video games is not going strong these days, so what does need to be done? GET PUBLIC ATTENTION.
If you ask me, Thompson's writing an email undisclosed between him and Take-Two is just enough reason to see that he just wants plain attention since he can not beat anything at all. The email exchange was nothing but a stupid waste of time -especially of Take Two's.
fail.
i cant wait till JT and doctor phil die.
You know what's funny about this guy? His grammar! Lol English is my secondary language and I know it more than him, hell I know my third language more than him (and my fourth language being portuguese is on par with his english XD). How could this guy be a lawyer with such horrible grammar and little knowledge about law?
PS: For those who are saying things like "hey QJ, why you keep posting all this about JT, that's what he wants you to do, give him attention", well, QJ isn't going to care because they make money by posting news (attracting people to visit on a daily basis to click the ads XD) and they obviously care more about money than the people who come here... Also, I think the Vtech massacre was caused by QJ because Cho Seng Hui got angry at life because all he saw was news about JT here when he wanted to look for news of new homebrew (QJ you bastards, you could have prevented this >:( ).
Got scared there for a minute. I'm from florida and I'm embarrassed to say i come from the same state as him. He's really from Cleavland oho.
What's this guy's problem? he;s looking for trouble, and i wouldn't be surprised if someone sends a hitman after his annoying ass.
I wish JT would just shut up and snap back to reality. He's an attention whore.
Jack Thompson likes buutsex!
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Butt-sex
Ok Jack (off) Tompson can suck my big fat hairless ballz. Who is he to tell others that stuff is obscene when he takes it hard in the butt from miget crack whores with HUGE *****S, like his mama. He manualy masterbates donkeys into a cup and sells it on a street corner to his grandma who has a bigger ***** than his there I said it!!!
Does this idiot realize because of all the propaganda he is giving this game and all the games he is blabbering on about like a college freshman pulling at a pantycurdle is the REASON so many more people are going to buy the games.
This is how it goes with things. You peak curiosity into people and then they go after things. Because of all this bull***** 4 times as many kids with with blockhead parents are going to play this game as compared to if he hadn't done all this crap.
And seriously, Credit Card is not age verification but it is accepted as age verification in the US. Take-Two is taking this cheap legal defense and they are entitled to it.
In the end the blame falls over the PARENTS. IF YOU JUST PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR FREAKING KIDS ARE DOING IT WOULD SAVE LIVES.
Damn straight brother.
Send agent 47 fron Hitman.
It's BUUUUUUUUUTTTTT TTTSSSSSSEEEEEE XXXXXXX!! suck my ballz.
If he had other work im sure his clients would have taken their case found a capable lawyer by now. He is only ruining his own career soon nobody will take him seriously at all anymore. And isn't his letter a threat and thus an injunction could be filed against him for it?
Amen.
Actually thompson is what some people would like to call a fascist or perhaps even a terrorist.Trying to force everyone else to do what you want and believe in .But Then I read the e-mails and I want to add hypocrite to the name.Threatening Everyone basically but barking like the dog that he is when he feels some kind of threat.So there you go jack thompson , you hypocritical fascist (opinion).
all i can say about jack thompson is http://youtube.com/watch?v=_KmWbKJ8CyY
its a good day to be a gamer...
Jack Thompson -1, Gamers +1
Somebody just needs to email this guy a link to a porn site and pretend to be outraged that it shows sexually explicit material on the front page without any kind of verification.
Then watch as Jack does nothing.
After that, you may call him a hypocrite for trying to stop one form of free speech but not trying to take on another (in an industry that has already won its legal battles for existence).
You Sir, Jack Thomson, are an ASS-HOLE.
Somebody should do something about him.
He is messing up the gaming community, and needs to be stopped.
WHY ARE PEOPLE ACTUALLY LISTENING TO THIS IDIOT???
Dammit, there are too many things I wanna say about this **********. I really hate him.
you'd better join www.c
try out these sites:
http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d+20050808
http://www.ctrlaltdel-online.com/comic.php?d+20051012
http://www.c
(in the last site, replace the @ with an A)
where you see the + signs, replace them with "equals" signs. QJ automatically turns equals into plus signs for some reason.
I love how at the bottom of the article it says:
Buy: [Manhunt 2 (PSP)]
Buy: [Manhunt 2 (Wii)]
ROFLLL!!
I noticed that too
man some1 needs to shoot him
You people think that the 1st ammendment applies to video games and other media, don't you... Well, it doesn't. It only protects the opinion and thought of human beings, not content in media. You people may refer to me as a bobbling *****face or a greasey meat beater but, you'll be even more angry when your precious games are banned from the market. I have the right to help protect families and I have the right to beat off to midgets and race horse jockeys. Those funny hats they wear make me so horny that I'll try to get lovin' from a schoolboy. ***** you and good night.
LOL HE MUST HATE QJ FOR THAT
He should be in a film like Kill Jack Vol.1. Quentin Tarantino should make films of him getting brutally killed. I would watch them. OH YEAH!!!!!!. Jack is Nasty and is completely anti gaming fun. such a anti social bastard how deserves to die in a ultraviolent rampage. KILL HIM!!!!!!!!!!!! !!! MENTAL!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!
KISS MY ASS. YOU *****SUCKER. Next time piss me off!. I'll get Jet Li kick your nasty freaky ass whatever it *****ing came from like RetardVille. I'll Smash ur eyes, fat *****. boo!!!!!!!!