Game politics and hot coffee news discussion

[Double_Blade]

Take 2 is in trouble now....

New York Post: T2 in Trouble & It's Not Just Hot Coffee

That whoosh you're hearing is the sound of Take-Two Interactive's stock price (NASDAQ: TTWO) in free fall.

Shares in the Grand Theft Auto publisher closed at 12.87 yesterday following news that a grand jury in New York had subpoenaed corporate records including those relating to last year's Hot Coffee scandal. 12.87 represents Take-Two's lowest stock price since early 2003. In after-hours trading prices dropped even more, to 10.30.

Bad news continues to pile up for T2. As reported by today's New York Post, the firm is in the crosshairs of D.A. Robert Morgenthau not just over Hot Coffee, but for the way it reported what the Post terms "key financial information."

The paper reported that the subpoenas served on T2 were "unusually wide-ranging" and demanded paperwork related to "acquisitions, partnerships and the recent dismissal of its longtime auditor, PricewaterhouseCoopers."

The Post also recapped T2's history of run-ins with regulatory agencies. Most notably, in June, 2005 the GTA publisher settled an SEC investigation by agreeing to a $7.5 million penalty for what the newspaper describes as "orchestrating a multi-year revenue scam."

As part of that deal CEO Ryan Bright was forced to step down and paid a $3.6 million fine. The Post also reports that "Despite the fines and shareholder losses, several people tied to the revenue scam are still employed by the company."

The Hot Coffee scandal, of course, is well-known to GP readers and the video game community. But also vexing Take-Two, according to the NY Post, is the resignation of board member Barbara Kaczynski in early 2006.

As reported at the time by GamePolitics, Kaczynski, who chaired the Take-Two board's audit committee, was highly critical of the publisher in her letter of resignation, citing an "increasingly unhealthy relationship between senior management and the board of directors ... characterized by a lack of cooperation and respect."

Shortly after leaving the company, Kaczynski hired a well-known securities defense lawyer, leading to speculation that the financial matters she left behind might be the subject of an investigation.

According to the Post, T2 is also in financial straits over the huge licensing fee it paid to Major League Baseball for exclusive rights (GP would call them "monopoly rights" but that's another rant for another time) to create MLB video games.

"They are selling a lot of MLB games," an unnamed stock trader told the Post, "but they aren't making a dime."

The New York Times has a little more on the T2 situation in Tuesday's edition.

The latest one here on Utah is,

Utah Attorney General Joins with ESRB in Ad Blitz

While some in Congress seem to favor using the ESRB as a punching bag, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has officially stepped into the ring on the side of the video game industry ratings board.

Yesterday Shurtleff and ESRB President Patricia Vance launched a series of public service announcements (PSA's) which will air on Utah television stations in coming weeks. During the press conference, Vance spoke about the need to raise parental awareness of the industry's rating system.

"Just like movies and TV shows, video games are created for a diverse audience of all ages," she said. "That is why it is so important that parents remember to check the rating when purchasing games for their children. We are very proud to have the support of Attorney General Shurtleff in reaching out to Utah's parents and educating them about the ratings."

For his part, Shurtleff complimented the ESRB. "As a father," the A.G. said, "I know about the tough decisions parents face over what video games they will allow into their homes. It's important for parents to look closely at the ESRB ratings before letting their kids play any game... As a fan of video games myself, I'm proud to be helping educate Utah's parents about this important tool."

More details about the Utah ESRB initiative are available on the Utah A.G.'s website.

CM: Shurtleff is a bit of a maverick on this issue, a political figure who admits to enjoying video games (well, as much as you can enjoy games dressed in business attire - see pic) despite having misgivings about the content in some titles.

GP readers may recall that as recently as September, 2005 Shurtleff participated in a video game protest. Back then Shurtleff asked game publisher Eidos to cancel the release of the controversial (and badly designed) GTA clone 25 to Life due to its portrayals of violence against police officers. Eidos eventually delayed releasing the game until after the holiday season. When 25 to Life finally launched in January, Shurtleff publicly announced that he hoped no one would buy it.

-Trying to figure out how to TiVo those Utah PSA commercials from Canada, GP Correspondent Colin "Jabrwock" McInnes

 

[99.vikram]

God bless Shurtleff! May he not be eaten by politically motivated clowns.

Will Take 2 survive through all this?

 

[Double_Blade]

I think so. Anyway, although I do own San Andreas and there is absolutely NO WAY I am going to install hot coffee. Hot coffee ruins my taste, seriously.

If you want to destroy Hot coffee from your San Andreas, go to this site for the patch avaliable.

www.nomorehotcoffee.com

You need to reinstall the San Andreas to the clean version in order to install the patch, if you install the patch without reinstalling, it will crash. Don't say I didn't warn you though!

 

[CptStern]

I find it ironic that you support a program that wipes away hot coffee (which is not accesible unless you install the hot coffee mod) because it doesnt suit your "taste" ..meaning it offends you personally ..kinda like what Jack wants ..he doesnt care about the children being exposed to immorality in video games ..in his not too sane mind video games offend his sensibilities as a human/christian/conservative/nutcase/ankle-biter

 

[Double_Blade]

That's just my opinion... You can choose to disagree with it, fine with me.

And yes you are right, Hot Coffee mod is accessible when you download it but it is definetly NO WAY related to GTA:SA. But in the case of Jack, he thinks that it is related to GTA but it is not. The hot coffee is just a third-party mod. I think deep down inside Jack's mind, he is just a money grabbing lawyer by selling his trash book "Out of Harm's Way"

I hope Take Two is fine under pressure.

 

[Jintor]

Like I've said before, though: Hot Coffee was entirely programmed within Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, and then late in developement it was hidden away, but not removed. So then what this guy did, what Hot Coffee does, is simply change one value in the data files from "Censor on" to "Censor off".

See, Rockstar programmed the minigame in. But they also programmed it hidden. Not out. Hidden. But I don't blame them too much - with these maverick lawyers hanging around, waiting to ambush digital tits, it's no wonder Rockstar wants to hide sex away.

 

[Double_Blade]

Here's a new article,

Should Prisoners Be Allowed to Play Games? ...Read & Vote

Video games in jail - it's a question that comes up with increasing frequency.

Opinions on the issue seem to fall into two camps. Some tough-talking politicians and administrators say games are a luxury that don't belong in jails. Others hold that games relax inmates, making jails safer, and help to pass the time.

In the anti-game camp, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt (R) banned all games in his state's correctional facilities last year. At the time, Gov. Blunt said, "Video games are a luxury that inmates should not be allowed to enjoy... Our penitentiaries are punitive institutions where those who have committed crimes against society are sent to pay for their actions. They are not meant to be arcades."

The games-in-prison issue has surfaced again, this time in Florida at the privately-run Hernando County Jail. In April officials at the facility introduced two PlayStation 2 systems along with seven games for use by inmates. The video game systems were in part a reaction by administrators to suicides and other issues which plagued the facility in recent months.

Only prisoners who have earned certain privileges are allowed to use the PS2's. The limited selection of games includes sports and racing titles. As in the Missouri situation, both the PS2 systems and the games were purchased with profits from the inmate commissary, not with tax dollars.

Assistant Warden Russell Washburn believes the games have had a relaxing effect on inmates.

"This is rewarding positive behavior," he told the St. Petersburg Times. "I'd rather them be thinking about race cars than how I'm mad at someone... I don't want it portrayed that all they do is sit around and play PlayStation. I would agree that's not right if that's all you do. But this is just part of the rehabilitation. You can't throw them into a place and not give them anything to do and expect no problems. ... This is not a warehouse."

Not everyone in Florida would agree. The state's Department of Corrections does not permit inmates to have video games, nor do jails in several other Florida counties polled by the Times.

"We try to make sure people know that they're (in jail) for a period of confinement and it's not fun and games," said Maj. Robert Lucas, an administrator with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

"The Florida taxpayers do not want to provide PlayStations to inmates," claimed Department of Corrections spokesperson JoEllyn Rackleff. "There are plenty of taxpayers who can't afford them."

It seems that privately-run prisons may face less political resistance to offering the video game option to prisoners. Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), the company that operates the Hernando County facility, also offers game systems at jails in Colorado and Kentucky.

"It improves the quality of life for the offenders, and it also is a good management tool," said CAA official Steven Owen.

At least one local criminologist supported the use of games in prison.

"I can't see anything wrong with it," said University of South Florida professor William Blount. "To me, it's creative. If they were (gaming) on a computer, that would be even better because computer skills are useful."

GP readers, are video games in jail an outrageous luxury or a peaceful time management tool? Should prisoners be allowed to play games?

Vote on this important issue in our latest GamePolitics poll. If you're getting GP via RSS, you'll need to jump over to our home page. The poll is on the right.

 

[Jintor]

I don't see why not, as long as they're not getting extra money for it. Using existing money would be better, because any drain their putting on taxpayers has already happened.

 

[Double_Blade]

New articles here,

Clinton, Lieberman Frustrate Columnist

Mike Antonucci aka "Nooch" is a longtime journalist for the San Jose Mercury-News. Along with colleague Dean Takahashi, author of The Xbox 360 Uncloaked Mike is also one-half of the paper's Dean & Nooch gaming blog.

Writing earlier this week in the blog, Nooch complained that his requests for comment on video game issues were pointedly ignored by the offices of U.S. Senators Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Joe Lieberman (D-CT). Both are high-profile critics of games as well as co-sponsors of the Family Entertainment Protection Act, video game legislation currently before the Senate.

Nooch's frustration with being blown off is written in the style of a rant, but he makes his point rather well:

"Earlier this month, I made repeated phone calls to the press reps for Senators Joe Lieberman and Hillary Rodham Clinton, seeking comment on various video-game issues that have gotten them on their high horse..."

"No calls were returned... This is an example of why the public has so little respect for so many politicians. There's nothing more shameful than the one-way-street style exemplified by Lieberman and Clinton. They love -- LOVE -- using the press to grandstand about game and media issues, but they couldn't care less about responding to questions that are inconvenient..."

"Here's what you can count from these two on video-game issues: Lots of grandstanding and little accountability. They may sound credible at times, but people aren't credible when their follow-up style is duck-and-run."

Wow. Don't hold back, Nooch, just say what you really think.

Congress Turns Away From Games, Goes After Movies, Turns Back to Games

Congress just can't seem to tear itself away from video games these days. Even during a meeting ostensibly held to question movie ratings, the political talk turned back to games.

As reported by newsletter The Hill, a meeting earlier this week to discuss film ratings brought together many of the same members of Congress who flayed the video game industry - and especially the ESRB - a few weeks back.

According to The Hill, House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO) led a group of colleagues in criticism of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and its film-rating system at a meeting with MPAA officials in Blunt's Capitol Hill office.

The Congressional attention was sparked by the PG ("Parental Guidance - some material may not be suitable for children") rating assigned to the Christian-themed film Facing the Giants, which some religious conservative critics say received a PG instead of a G ("General Audiences - all ages admitted") because it "proselytizes Christianity." The elected officials expressed concern that the MPAA's rating standards are out of touch with the public view.

"It comes from where you set your worldview. Hollywood has one; Nashville, Tennessee has another one" said Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

A spokeswoman for Rep. Blunt said, "Congressman Blunt is still very concerned about this issue of ratings creep. There wasn't much he heard [Tuesday] that assuaged his concerns (that the MPAA has become more tolerant of graphic violence and sex but is wary of religious themes)."

Also attending the meeting were Reps. Jim Matheson (D-UT), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Joe Pitts (R-PA) and Mike Sodrel (R-IN).

Matheson has video game legislation before the House and appeared briefly at the June 14th beatdown of the ESRB by the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. Pitts is a member of that subcommittee. His ridiculous comments as to how Grand Theft Auto might not lead suburban kids to crime but could turn inner-city kids into violent criminals were hilariously spoofed by The Daily Show host Jon Stewart. Rep. Blackburn is also a member of that subcommittee.

Perhaps unavoidably, the meeting with the MPAA turned into a discussion of violent video games.

"That seemed to be on the minds of most of the members," said MPAA exec John Feehery, who probably didn't mind a bit the deflection of Congressional attention from his industry to that of the ESA and ESRB.

Included in the meeting was a discussion of a universal rating system for games and movies, with Rep. Blackburn remarking that the dust-up over "Facing the Giants" was "very unfortunate at a time when we are needing a unified rating system. Maybe it's time for us to do that."

The Tennessee Congresswoman suggested that the Energy and Commerce Committee, of which she is a member, might hold hearings on the issue. Both the ESA and MPAA have been resistant to the idea of unified ratings.

"Games and movies are apples and oranges," the MPAA's Feehery told The Hill. "Our ratings system has really stood the test of time."

For its part, the ESA refused to comment for The Hill's report.

 

[99.vikram]

I've seen raunchier condom ads on TV :x

 

[Double_Blade]

I've seen raunchier condom ads on TV :x

I never watched before. But how is it like?

Anyway, New articles coming right up here, the Louisiana game bill is being criticized by the judge, well, read on to find out more!!!

Judge Extends Louisiana Restraining Order ...Criticizes Video Game Law During Hearing

Is it back to the drawing board for Jack Thompson?

Based on a breaking news report in the Shreveport Times, a Federal judge today seemed quite critical of Louisiana's new law which seeks to declare video game violence as harmful to minors. Thompson, the Miami attorney and anti-game activist, authored the Louisiana bill while assisting its sponsor, Rep. Roy Burrell.

Judge James Brady extended the temporary restraining order he issued on June 16th while he rules on today's request by the video game industry for an injunction.

According to the Times, Assistant Attorney General Burton Guidry and East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Doug Moreau argued that Louisiana already bans sales of alcohol, tobacco and pornography as items deemed harmful to minors.

"That's not speech," Judge Brady said from the bench. Although he did allow that the violence in some games is "horrible, but it's protected... Where is violence not protected (in the First Amendment)?"

"This is more than speech," said Assistant A.G. Guidry, sounding almost as if he had been prepped by Jack Thompson. "This is truly training for violence. You assume the character of a mass murderer. You go out and kill people as violently as you can because you score more points... (video game publishers) cloak themselves in free speech but under that cloak is murder, simulated murder."

Attorney Paul Smith (seen at left), representing the ESA and EMA, argued, "There is no violence exception in the First Amendment. It doesn't even come close to justifying censorship. You can't censor speech because it's going to lead people to do bad things... Video games are played every day by millions of people (who) don't go out and commit crimes," Smith said.

According to the newspaper report, Judge Brady will rule next week on whether or not to grant a preliminary injunction. Significantly, the Judge said that he saw no difference between the Louisiana video game law and a half-dozen others that already stuck down around the country.

It's impossible to know how the judge will rule, of course, but today's comments from the bench do not bode well for Louisiana's violent video game law.

And as for ESA Doug Lowenstein news here, and this news is before the Judge's comments above here.

A.G. Confident as Injunction Hearing Looms on Jack Thompson Video Game Law

Today marks an important court date for the video game industry, the state of Louisiana and for Miami attorney and anti-game activist Jack Thompson.

Attorneys representing the ESA (game publishers) and EMA (game retailers and renters) will face off against the Louisiana Attorney General's office in Federal District Court in Baton Rouge. At the hearing, the game industry will seek a preliminary injunction to block the state's new video game law from taking effect.

GamePolitics readers will recall that Louisiana Rep. Roy Burrell's violent video game bill was largely drafted by game industry nemesis Thompson. Gov. Kathleen Babineux Blanco signed the legislation into law earlier this month, and the new statute was scheduled to take effect immediately. However, in response to the video game industry's lawsuit, Federal District Court Judge James Brady issued a temporary restraining order pending today's hearing.

In a brief filed with the Federal District Court on Tuesday, Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti (seen at left) expressed confidence that the state's new video game law would stand up to the industry's challenge. In particular the Attorney General touted the manner in which Thompson drafted the bill. Foti's response to the injunction request says in part:

"Plaintiffs (ESA & EMA) seem to assume that the Louisiana Legislature and the Governor of our state have passed this act in a vacuum, totally unaware of the statutes and case law that has been published prior to 2006."

"However, Louisiana's present enactment of (the video game law) was specifically crafted and enacted with the constitutional, statutory and case law in mind. It is the most narrowly drawn statute of its nature to date and incorporates specific preliminary steps which must be taken prior to its enforcement by any prosecutorial agency."

In a June 16th press release, ESA President Doug Lowenstein expressed a much different view of Louisiana's new law, saying, "Despite what the legislature has been told, the Louisiana video game restriction law is not unique - a very similar measure was passed in Michigan and promptly overturned in federal court. The Louisiana law suffers from the same constitutional defects... It will meet the same fate, and the taxpayers of Louisiana will end up having to pay for the legislature's reckless gamble."

Read Attorney General Foti's entire 13-page brief here.

 

[JNightshade]

Jesus Christ. We're going back to the stone age D:

 

[Double_Blade]

Another new article here,

Firing Squad Interviews ESRB Chief on "Commitment to Parents"

The ESRB's new Commitment to Parents initiative is certainly creating some buzz.

The response to the program, designed to make parents more aware of the industry's video game rating system, has been mostly positive. In fact Commitment to Parents enjoyed the support of U.S. Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA), George Allen (R-VA) and Mark Pryor (D-AR) during its rollout earlier this month.

Staff Writer John Callaham over at Firing Squad recently scored an interview with ESRB President Patricia Vance to discuss Commitment to Parents. Here's what the ESRB head had to say:

"(Ratings) enforcement is certainly not a new concept... ESRB has worked closely with retailers for a number of years now to encourage and support their store policies regarding the sale of M-rated games, post in-store signage and train store associates about the ratings. However, the Commitment to Parents program takes those partnerships to a whole new level."

"Clearly Senators Santorum, Allen and Pryor understand the issues, and realize that initiatives such as those being undertaken... are truly where the greatest success is to be had... these Senators are wise enough to recognize that effective self-regulation is a better alternative to government involvement in these areas."

"As far as satire goes, I think the Daily Show segment (on a Congressional video game hearing) was amusing, but more importantly, they bring up a good point: parents are undoubtedly in the best position to raise their children, and the ratings provide ample information for them to make educated and sensible choices."

For the complete Firing Squad interview with Patricia Vance, click here.

Links are avaliable on the site itself.

 

[MultiVaC]

Good to see that the judge has some brains and realizes that it IS free speech. And the guys calling the games murder simulators are dumb fucks. You don't get "points" for killing people, in fact games don't use "points" anymore. It's not even close to a simulation either, they are really unrealistic and don't "train" people for anything, except for maybe tactics to use in military combat. If you want to learn to kill, look no further than the NRA or the military.

 

[Double_Blade]

Good to see that the judge has some brains and realizes that it IS free speech. And the guys calling the games murder simulators are dumb fucks. You don't get "points" for killing people, in fact games don't use "points" anymore. It's not even close to a simulation either, they are really unrealistic and don't "train" people for anything, except for maybe tactics to use in military combat. If you want to learn to kill, look no further than the NRA or the military.

I agree with you there.

Anyways, here are the new articles,

Louisiana A.G. Vows to Take Jack Thompson Game Law to Supreme Court

The fallout continues from Friday's hearing on the video game industry's challenge to the Louisiana game law drafted by Jack Thompson.

As reported by GamePolitics on Friday, Federal District Court Judge James Brady expressed obvious criticism of the Louisiana law from the bench - a bad sign for the video game legislation sponsored by Rep. Roy Burrell (D) and written by Thompson.

Today's Shreveport Times has more, including Louisiana Attorney General Charles Foti's vow, expressed by Assistant Burton Gudiry that, "The office of the attorney general is going to defend this all the way to the (U.S) Supreme Court."

Some of Guidry's remarks at Friday's hearing seemed scripted by Jack Thompson, as when Guidry said that video games "teach a kid how to kill, how to rape, how to defile a person, how to kill an officer. Video (game industry) people hide behind the fact that it's a cartoon."

Guidry represented the state along with East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Doug Moreau. During the proceedings Judge Brady said he was searching for evidence of "a young person watching a video game immediately getting up and going out a committing a violent act."

Although Moreau said there was "plenty of circumstantial evidence," other comments reported by the Shreveport Times indicate that Moreau, a named co-defendant in the video game industry suit, is not impressed by the video game law. As reported by the newspaper:

"The district attorney said he does not like the way the law was constructed because it does not spell out how to enforce it. 'But nobody consulted me.'"

During the hearing, Assistant A.G. Guidry told Judge Brady that some video games feature language so coarse "that if I uttered it in this courtroom, you would have someone drag me out of here."

GP: That's an especially surprising - and pointless - comment from Mr. Guidry of the A.G.'s office. The Louisiana law deals with video game violence. Language, however, is obviously speech. Books, movies, music and even cable T.V. feature profanities that, if uttered in a court of law, would also get one held in contempt. So what's the relevance, counselor?

As far as the Attorney General's vow to take the case to the Supreme Court (pictured) if need be, that's probably a good thing in the long run. Of course, vowing to appeal and doing so are two different things. Gov. Rod Blagojevich promised an appeal of the failed 2005 Illinois video game law, but that never went very far.

A good news and review on Video games (Thankfully)

Editorial Roundup: If Games Are So Bad, Why Are Today's Kids So Good?

For today's editorial roundup we find Brian Slupski (left) of the Northwest Herald (Illinois) wondering why video games have become a cultural whipping boy.

Slupski writes:

"It has become fairly routine in this country to decry the state of this nation's youth... I thought about this again in the wake of recent congressional hearings... on video-game violence."

"In case you missed it, video games have surpassed rap music as the leading bogeyman out to suck the innocence out of America's youth. The theory goes that kids will play violent video games and become violent..."

"Surely, if violent video games are a dangerous influence... there should be some indications of that. Juvenile violent crimes, particularly homicide, should be getting worse..."

"From 1994 to 2003, violent crimes by juveniles dropped 32 percent... Murder committed by juveniles declined by 68 percent... the number of juvenile arrests in 2003 was the lowest since 1987. Even more good news, the number of juveniles murdered in 2003 was at its lowest since 1984. Hmm."

"Maybe juveniles are too busy playing video games to go outside and kill each other... the current generation of youth deserves praise. Instead, we hear about how today's youth are so easily manipulated that if they play a game, they somehow will be transformed into drooling sociopaths."

"We often tend to think that the times we live in are uniquely bad, while nostalgically thinking that yesteryear was uniquely good. Neither is true. As for today's youth... I applaud them. They seem like pretty good kids."

GP: We note that our pal Duke Ferris at Game Revolution offered a much more detailed version of the same argument in this well-regarded piece from July, 2005.

 

[Double_Blade]

Sorry for double posts, can't edit yesterday's posts or old ones. So sorry

Canadian Man Stops Playing Halo, Becomes A Terrorist

When he was enjoying Halo, Zakaria Amara was just a normal young adult male, according to a report in the Chronicle-Herald (Nova Scotia).

It was only after marrying a zealous Islamic woman that Amara stopped playing video games, denouncing them, in fact. He also stopped watching T.V. and going to the movies. Instead, according to Canadian authorities, Amara joined a homegrown terror cell and helped plot truck bombings. Fortunately, the group was arrested before any of their deadly plans came to fruition.

Some of Amara's thoughts on games, as documented by the Globe and Mail include:

"Why do you want to destroy yourself with useless things? Life is to short, if you don't act, work and behave now, then life will fly like an arrow."

GP suspects that if Amara was still gaming and detonated a truck bomb, certain quarters would be loudly claiming that Halo made him into a terrorist.

So is it okay for the pro-game crowd to say that playing Halo kept him from being a terrorist?

Or do video games simply have no effect on such things?

By the way, a GP shout-out to reader Jason Westhaver for the tip on this one...

 

[A True Canadian]

Sorry for double posts, can't edit yesterday's posts or old ones. So sorry

Canadian Man Stops Playing Halo, Becomes A Terrorist

When he was enjoying Halo, Zakaria Amara was just a normal young adult male, according to a report in the Chronicle-Herald (Nova Scotia).

It was only after marrying a zealous Islamic woman that Amara stopped playing video games, denouncing them, in fact. He also stopped watching T.V. and going to the movies. Instead, according to Canadian authorities, Amara joined a homegrown terror cell and helped plot truck bombings. Fortunately, the group was arrested before any of their deadly plans came to fruition.

Some of Amara's thoughts on games, as documented by the Globe and Mail include:

"Why do you want to destroy yourself with useless things? Life is to short, if you don't act, work and behave now, then life will fly like an arrow."

GP suspects that if Amara was still gaming and detonated a truck bomb, certain quarters would be loudly claiming that Halo made him into a terrorist.

So is it okay for the pro-game crowd to say that playing Halo kept him from being a terrorist?

Or do video games simply have no effect on such things?

By the way, a GP shout-out to reader Jason Westhaver for the tip on this one...

^^
Well there's your problem.

...What does the fact that he played Halo have to do with this??

 

[CptStern]

the article is misleading, he stopped playing video games as early as 2004

 

[Double_Blade]

Another Thompson news right here...

Louisiana Pols Lining Up to Voice Support for Jack Thompson Video Game Law

For a law that seems very likely to be enjoined by a Federal judge, perhaps as early as this week, Louisiana's new video game statute has some powerful - and vocal - supporters.

As recently reported by GamePolitics, Louisiana's Attorney General Charles Foti has vowed to appeal the state's video game law to the U.S. Supreme Court should it be overturned on constitutional grounds by Federal District Court Judge James Brady.

Now comes word that State Senator Mike Michot (R) wants to see another video game bill in next year's session should the current law be struck down.

Speaking to Louisiana's KATC-3, Michot said, "The last thing we need is some video game promoting violent and illegal behavior. I understand where they (the video game industry) are coming from. They feel like we are trying to stop the sale of these videos and in fact we are."

"Now if this is overturned," Michot continued, "I think you'll see the legislature address it again in the next session. We can't legislate morality but certainly we can stop these games from being sold in Louisiana, getting into the hands of our children. It's the least we could do."

 

[A True Canadian]

Under the law signed by the governor, anyone caught selling these games to minors could be fined between 100 and 2000 dollars or could face up to a year in jail.

http://www.katc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5112380

So would the money go to the parents (the so-called "victims")? If so, I could see parents passively purchasing these violent games, hearing about how bad they are in the news, claim that their child was victimized by the inept store clerks, and sue them for the $100-$2000. Since it won't say anywhere on the reciept that a child bought the game (the only indication that it was the parent would be if the purchase was through a high-end credit card), several hundred upset parents could stake their claim.

...unless I'm misreading this.

 

[Double_Blade]

I think the law could have been cancelled long ago, if you had any news on this, do not hesitate to put here.

Congressman Claims "The Daily Show" Gave Him a Raw Deal

A Pennsylvania congressman who said that Grand Theft Auto was more likely to be a bad influence on ghetto children than their suburban counterparts feels he has been mistreated by Jon Stewart and The Daily Show.

As reported by GamePolitics, Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA) was roasted by Stewart on the June 22nd episode of The Daily Show.

An article in today's Chester Daily Local reports that Pitts contends his remarks at the June 14th hearing of the House Subcomittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection were mis-portrayed by Stewart.

During the subcommittee's period of opening remarks on June 14th, Pitts said, "It's safe to say that a wealthy kid from the suburbs can play 'Grand Theft Auto' without turning to a life of crime, but a poor kid who lives in a neighborhood where people really do shoot cops and steal cars and deal drugs might not be so fortunate. There's almost certainly a child somewhere in the America who is going to be hurt by this game. Maybe his dad is in jail or his big brother is already down on the corner dealing drugs."

After Rep. Pitts' remarks were aired on The Daily Show, host Jon Stewart commented, "Seriously, the House of Representatives is filled with insane jackasses."

In a statement, Pitts responded, "I regret that Comedy Central's 'Daily Show' portrayed my words the way they did. I believe that gratuitously violent video games are inappropriate for all children. However hard it may be to prove their effect in any given instance, tragedies like the killings at Columbine High School and more recent events closer to home clearly show that children from every neighborhood and income level can and do get into trouble - sometimes quite seriously."

Democrat Lois Herr, who is running against Pitts in November, expressed her own concerns about video game violence, but, through an intermediary, called Pitts' subcommittee remarks "an embarrassment."

"Lois agrees that we need to be concerned about the effect of violent video games on our children," said her press director. "However, we must be careful not to stereotype people by their economic class or place of residence. She is, frankly, embarrassed for the 16th District that Rep. Pitts' statements at a public hearing seemed to do just that... he has apparently lost touch with his constituency."

GP: It's unfair for Rep. Joe Pitts to blame the host of The Daily Show for any embarrassment Pitts' own words caused himself - and his re-election campaign. Stewart certainly didn't misquote Pitts; the Comedy Central show host simply let the video tape roll.

Readers can view the Daily Show episode in question here.