Collaboration with Jack Thompson "impossible", says EA

By Robert Purchese Published 6 March, 2008

Declines offer of help with Take-Two deal.

EA has turned down Jack Thompson's offer of help to "evict the Zelnick Trojan Horse from within Take-Two's corporate walls".

The game publisher responded in an email, claiming that Thompson's past campaigns had ruled any such partnership out.

"In response to your offer to assist in the proposed acquisition of Take-Two, we would strongly prefer that you not get involved in this matter," replied Mariam Sughayer, business bigwig at EA.

"EA is a strong supporter of creative freedom for game developers. We feel that your past statements - including false claims about content in our games - make any collaboration with you impossible."

Attorney Jack Thompson wrote to EA just days ago, exhibiting his deep-rooted adversity towards the Grand Theft Auto publisher as well as the man on top of it, Strauss Zelnick.

"I am delighted to work with Electronic Arts to evict the Zelnick Trojan Horse from within Take-Two's corporate walls," began Thompson's letter, rather presumptuously. "In doing so, I can get the new Take-Two into the clear as to the trouble I and others can send its way.

"Zelnick is the source of trouble headed Take-Two's way, not I. And EA can make the case, with my help, so that such trouble can be avoided."

Rather bullish, old boy, although he offered no explanation of how he will actually aid the acquisition.

EA surprised us all when it tried to buy-out Take-Two for USD 2 billion at the end of February. But the Grand Theft Auto publisher declined, outlining the move as "inadequate" and "opportunistic".

However, Take-Two will be willing to enter discussions following the release of Grand Theft Auto IV on 29th April.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds. @Clert on Twitter.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • mingster #1 4 years ago

    Good ol Jack always worth a giggle

  • bdc #2 4 years ago

    Nice one EA. Stick it to that old man.

  • Metalfish #3 4 years ago

    Jacklol

  • Lexx87 #4 4 years ago

    He really is becomming a rather large joke

  • erp #5 4 years ago

    What the hell? That Thompson is certifiable.

  • Riggers #6 4 years ago

    The more Jack Thompson talks, the more I become convinced he's some sort of Brass Eye parody funded by the games industry...

  • Nilsy #7 4 years ago

    What the?? is he serious?? this is comedy gold!

  • monkie_king #8 4 years ago

    So he's basically saying "write me a cheque and I won't attempt to cause a moral-panic media shitstorm when GTA4 drops". What a parasite.

  • kangarootoo #9 4 years ago

    "Rather bullish, old boy, although he offered no explanation of how he will actually aid the acquisition"

    I hear a bag of poo set on fire on their front step is a popular method of attack with JT.

    Seriously, I should set a macro with the next sentence ready for pasting, to save me time every time this subject comes up.

    JT is properly actually mentally ill. I don't mean that as an insult, and I don't mean he is an extreme case, but I have no doubt that proper consultation would result in treatment being prescribed. I know he was cleared of insanity a while ago, but that is a very binary description of the state. Everyone's mental state varies from time to time, and JT is simply perched on a slightly higher branch of the crazy tree than the rest of us.

    I pity him. I pity you Jack, and I wish you had got more hugs growing up. I really do.

  • wewillselfdestruct #10 4 years ago

    @Arbiter

    Yes!!! (I swear that gets longer every time Clay says it.)

  • Olemak #11 4 years ago

    Good old Jack is still good for a little PR stunt, though. GTA sold a million units on grounds of being a really ace game, and then it sold a billion units more on grounds of Jack, Tipper Gore and others causing a media shitstorm. In the case of badass games, bad publicity is most definately good publicity. Army of Two would most likely kill for that kind of publisity. A little Jack Thompson TLC would probably make games like The Club, Kane & Lynch or Burnout Paradise (why not=) sell by the truckload.

    His offer sounds a whole lot like blackmail, though. They should probably report him to the bar association, just for kicks. The "hire me or I'll continue to cause trouble" line must be illegal - at least it is unquestionably highly unethical.

  • dr_shambles #12 4 years ago

    Anyone know if Thompson has been disbarred yet?

    Last I saw on it was this:

    http://gamepolitics.com/2007/11/26/jack-...

  • kingdumpalot #13 4 years ago

    What the hell? that letter doesn't even make sense! Sounds like thompson's beef is more with Zelnick than GTA these days...

  • kangarootoo #14 4 years ago

    @dr_shambles

    That is an oldish article, though these things take ages to run their course, so its probably still on going.

  • Xerx3s #15 4 years ago

    Hilarious! I just don't know whether to laugh my arse off or be depressed by his saddness.

  • DFawkes #16 4 years ago

    Dear Jacky McMoron,

    We're a huge company, really, mind blowingly huge, and if anyone is going to buy Take-Two, we'll manage. We've got evil minded staff for such a purpose - something to do with us being a "business".

    Not only do we not need your help, but you've been slanderous to use, and every other company who shows any kind of innovation. You, sir, are a relic of an old age, trying to stop games before they're too big, but our immense size and money prove you're way too late.
    What you're proposing is we ally with someone who is:

    a- Entirely useless to us
    b- Has actively tried to shut down the whole games industy (we all know afer violent games you'll be after Pong)
    c- Join with someone who compulsively lies about us, like some kind of unstoppable idiot.
    d- Will cause us a huge amount of negative PR within gamer communities
    e- That'll whinge to high heaven whenever we show a nipple or sword attack of any kind
    f- Is so mind-shockingly ignorant he believes his zero research into the effect of violent games is more valid than the hours of mostly inconclusive research that fine men and women have already done
    g- Isn't as funny as the other Jack Thompson. You know, from Cold Feet. Beardy bloke, you know. And the Fast Show, the jazz guy that goes "Nice!". I never got that at first, but in reruns it's so funny. I don't even know why!
    h- You've not actually played a game. Ever.
    i- Being like you, expressing opinions about things you know nothing about, is a far, far worse thing to teach kids, yet you and other politicians do it on the news 24/7! Although to be fair that's you, the news, newspapers, and the media in general, who so fearful of the games industry eclipsing TV make stuff up on a regular basis.

    So, we at EA have a formal request. Please acquire a baseball bat, and a packet of razor blade. Combine these so the blades stick out from the bat, then cover in vinegar, and a little splash of lemon juice. Then insert it up your arse.
    We wish to assure you that this suggestion was in no way conceived by playing violent games, as the person who suggested had has, like you, never been within 100 miles of a controller - he just hated the fact you thought you'd actually be of use.

    Your
    EA Bigwigs

  • hyperkineticninja #17 4 years ago

    It is John Thompson who is in Cold Feet and The Fast Show

  • Ryze #18 4 years ago

    The guy wants committing. Fool.

  • Kyle #19 4 years ago

    Berk.

  • DFawkes #20 4 years ago

    Sorry hyperkineticninja, my rubbish memory broke my already pathetic attempt at a joke. Must be all that raping I do in games. I'm surprised Nintendo allowed you to do that in Animal Crossing. Now lets see if Jack quotes that last sentence :p