Thompson "threatened" by GTA

By Robert Purchese Published 19 September, 2007

Lawyer-killing mission targeted.

Jack Thompson has written to Take-Two demanding a section of Grand Theft Auto IV be deleted, GamesIndustry.biz reports.

Thompson, according to GamePolitics, claims the lawyer that you're asked kill in the first mission is based around him. The character spouts things like, "Guns don't kill people, videogames do", a statement widely and falsely attributed to the US attorney.

He believes the episode could "threaten [his] physical safety", and demands the content be removed from the game by 5pm this Friday.

Jack Thompson and Take-Two have come to blows in the past, although the pair did manage to reach a well publicised settlement in April this year.

GamesIndustry.biz reached a settlement with news long ago, agreeing that fact would always be at the heart of its words.

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 (65) Latest comment 5 years ago

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

  • bioreit #1 5 years ago

    This won't put thoughts in people's heads that didn't exist already...

  • souljacker2000 #2 5 years ago

    my thoughts exactly

  • praetorian #3 5 years ago

    They should just tell him to bugger off. After all, he's already signed an agreement preventing him from suing them or restricting sales.

  • smoison #4 5 years ago

    Wow, how the hell does he know what the first mission in GTA 4 will be??????

    I can't wait to do that mission, then start planning on google earth where Jack lives...

  • Squire #5 5 years ago

    I could almost believe he's employed by Take-Two to boost publicity.

  • Sebo #6 5 years ago

    My thoughts exactly...

    How the hell DOES he know that this is in the game???

    A conspiracy if ever there was one.

  • Artemis_Matsas #7 5 years ago

    Hmm... this guy have some serious issues. He thinks that everybody is after his ass. He really needs medical attention.

  • X201 #8 5 years ago

    He knows the mission from what was written in an American magazine. The full story is on Gamepolitics

    Edited by X201 at 19/09/07 @ 12:47

  • zuljin #9 5 years ago

    Game Informer had an hour long playtest of the game, and from there:

    *SMALL SPOILERS*

    "The showcasing play of the game to Game Informer revealed that the first killing mission of the “hero” of the game, Niko, is to kill a certain lawyer. When Niko comes into this lawyer’s office, having used subterfuge to do so, Niko pulls a gun on the lawyer who says, “that the firm supports the second amendment and that ‘Guns don’t kill people. Video games do.”"

  • Darren #10 5 years ago

    I heard that Thompson sent his 15 year old son to buy the 18-rated (Mature in the US) BioShock in order to prove that shops sell games illegally to minors. I mean how feckin' irresponsible is that?!? The guy should be locked up for being so thoughtless. ;)

    LOL

  • Mick #11 5 years ago

    pah, everyone knows guns dont kill people, rappers do.

  • Darren #12 5 years ago

    Guns don't kill people, it's the person that pulls the trigger that does!

  • Sebo #13 5 years ago

    Ahhhhhhh

    Still sounds like an all win situation though

  • Wyrm #14 5 years ago

    Guns don't kill people, people kill people, and monkeys do too (if they've got a gun)
    Edited by Wyrm at 19/09/07 @ 12:56

  • jonsaan #15 5 years ago

    Guns don't kill people....wrrappahs do!

  • Santino #16 5 years ago

    if everyone would stop reporting on this asshole he wouldn't get the attention he craves. screw jack thompson just dont report any of his insane doings please.

  • alpha-0ne #17 5 years ago

    How does that song go?

    "im a loser baby why dont you kill me"

    Hes a self obsession fool..
    Edited by alpha-0ne at 19/09/07 @ 13:00

  • thepiedpiper #18 5 years ago

    to be honest it's a bit of cheap shot though isn't it? it reeks of publicity to me.

  • themerlin13 #19 5 years ago

    Yes because GTA 4 is a murder simulator!! lol

    Why is this guy not locked in a padded room where no one can here is gibberish??

  • Avenger1324 #20 5 years ago

    It'll add replay value to GTA IV

  • cathalzx #21 5 years ago

    The guys at rockstar are not stupid - they know firsthand what flies and what doesn't. They would never let this kind of content out unless it's completely calculated. They obviously knew what would happen - they probably employ legions of lawyers at this stage - this has to be for publicity.

    On the GTA-front, with the rumours that ps3 delay is the reason we have to wait for the 360 version aswell - will Rockstar have a team still working on the 360 version now? Does that mean that the ps3 will effectively be getting the 360 October build, and the 360 will get the March build - ie, will the 360 version crap all over the ps3 version?
    Edited by cathalzx at 19/09/07 @ 13:10

  • Universal_Hamster #22 5 years ago

    Come on now folks, guns don't kill people, BULLETS do.

  • glaeken #23 5 years ago

    I am with those who think Jack Thompson is actually in league with Take-Two.

    If he is not working for Take-Two then they have got themselves one hell of a good deal out of this with all the free publicity he gives them.

  • Brogan #24 5 years ago

    Din't he once offer a sum of money to the 1st person to design a game where you kill the boss of a game studio that was a awful lot like rock*? Now his bitching that they returned the complement

  • chicknstu #25 5 years ago

    @Darren

    Yes, he did send his son in to buy Bioshock, and the girl sold it to him without IDing him. This actually works quite well as an example on how age restrictions don't work.

    However....

    He then went on to release a public statement giving the girl's name, a description, and where she worked.

    [link url=http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/13/jack-thompson-brings-son-into-the-family-business/
    ]http://gamepolitics.com/2007/09/13/jack-...[/link]

    THAT is a step way too far.

    Stu

  • Wayne #26 5 years ago

    LMAO! That is fucking brilliant! I hope it gets to stay in!

  • penhalion #27 5 years ago

    Rockstar really need to stop doing stuff like this. Eventually they are going to make Jack into a believable victim of harassment. This mission clearly is a dig at him and, as much as I dislike the man, shouldn't have been put in in the first place.

    This game will sell millions and I doubt any court would turn down a plea from Jact that this is a serious attack on his character given those sales figures. All he needs to do is prove that the lawyer is based on him.

    Take 2 and Rockstar need to grow up and act like responsible adults. Ignore him and he'll simply go away. Bate him and well....the consequences are of their own doing.

  • AbyssUK #28 5 years ago

    I demand Hot Coffee Jack Thompson styley

  • paulf #29 5 years ago

    the more i read about this, the more I think JT is on the payroll of taketwos pr agency, still funny though :)

  • AbyssUK #30 5 years ago

    Freedom of speech has a bit about Parody.. basically everybody has the right to take the p*** out of anybody else.

  • Genji #31 5 years ago

    Is there anything that Rockstar won't do for a bit of publicity? Christ, that's pretty tasteless.

  • DrKuK #32 5 years ago

    rockstar courting controversy, ooh whatever next

    Seriously tho that JT is clearly mentally unstable. He must have some kind of personality disorder where he just cant let things lie. He's obsessed with this notion of video games corrupting the youth, and is not beneath using his own son to stitch up some poor cashier in a video games shop. I remember the American law association ordered him to get a psychological assessment/therapy recently, i wonder what they made of him?

    As for rockstar no publicity ids bad publicity as they say, except if the game sucks.

  • RedPanda #33 5 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • Bigglesworth #34 5 years ago

    *points at Penhalion*

    Finally a voice of reason.

  • Kiigan #35 5 years ago

    Gotta agree with chicknstu on this one.

    It can be frustrating watching JT do his think - he often raises valid points that merit discussion and action (such as legislation to restrict the sale of adult-rated titles to minors) but the way he goes about getting his message across usually just undermines the whole effort.

    Furthermore, to see him get in a flap about his own safety is pretty laughable considering how he had no trouble at all jeopardizing the safety of a female game store employee just a few days ago.

  • TonyCocaCola #36 5 years ago

    Thompson's got a point though. Someone made a game about assasinating President kennedy and look what happened to him!

  • Carrybagma #37 5 years ago

    It's funny, but he really is best ignored.
    JT's worst enemy is actually JT, so it would be best to leave him hang himself.
    However, this will provide him with the 'just cause' he seeks, allowing him to demonstrate that video-game makers are irresponsible. If Take-Two remove the content, it'll 'prove' he was right. If they don't, it'll raise the stakes.

  • osbald #38 5 years ago

    Is that the limit of the similarly between the NPC and the laywer. That the NPC says a bunch of things that he never did? Is he the only possible lawyer real or imagined who might say those kinds of things? odds on they'll be the usual disclaimer about any similarities to anybody dead or alive.. in the fine print somewhere (psychos love the fine print).

    Or are there more similarities in physical appearance and/or the character name? perhaps John Thompson instead of Jack Thompson ;)
    Edited by osbald at 19/09/07 @ 14:33

  • Lov3 #39 5 years ago

    Isn't this kind of parody protected by free speech laws the world over? It's a totally appropriate, and actually quite witty move by rockstar if you ask me.

  • Sko #40 5 years ago

    "if everyone would stop reporting on this asshole he wouldn't get the attention he craves. screw jack thompson just dont report any of his insane doings please."
    Nah, he'd still get publicity but just from those who support his skewed agenda and personally, I'm glad there's some sectors of the media holding Jack up to ridicule, evening it all out.

  • the_sas_man #41 5 years ago

    i say we prove the bastard right and kill him

  • L0cky #42 5 years ago

    'Yes because GTA 4 is a murder simulator!! lol'

    Well, technically...

  • TonyCocaCola #43 5 years ago

    Would anyone believe thompson if a gamer actually attacked him?

  • smirny #44 5 years ago

    "guns don't kill people... but they sure do help..."

  • Twincoil #45 5 years ago

    Thompson "threatened" by lack of sense of humour

  • Danjw #46 5 years ago

    Satire is the best weapon in the world. Maybe someone should tell JT what it means :D

  • Lukus #47 5 years ago

    Haha! Brilliant! Good to see the Rockstar team are keeping their sense of humour.

  • Dr.Mott #48 5 years ago

    Guns don't kill people, I DO!!!

  • Ryze #49 5 years ago

    Leave it in!

  • Crea #50 5 years ago

    Guns don't kill people, bullets do.

    Except in the case of a bad pistol whipping, of course.
    Edited by Crea at 19/09/07 @ 17:46

  • agparrot #51 5 years ago

    I don't remember George Bush getting all hot under the collar about the 'Alex Shrub' swipe in Vice City.

    Maybe it is a little beyond the poor fellow, though.

  • Raiftel #52 5 years ago

    It is kinda irresponsible for Rockstar to essentially simulate the murder of one of videogamings biggest detractors. If you're trying to convince people of the merits of videogaming as a whole, it's probably best to not have childish antics like that going on.

  • SeesThroughAll #53 5 years ago

    That's satire. I support this "threat".

  • smelly #54 5 years ago

    "It is kinda irresponsible for Rockstar to essentially simulate the murder of one of videogamings biggest detractors."

    To be fair, he's not anti video games, just anti violent video games.

  • lucky_jim #55 5 years ago

    Hold on, from what I've heard, the in-game lawyer is a reactionary spittle-flecked loon. Is JT actually likening himself to this character? By making this comparison, he's talking more sense than he's ever managed before.

  • Veldaban #56 5 years ago

    He's not LIKENING himself to the character, he's saying that Rockstar based the character on him; the "loon" part obviously being interpretation on their part. It's all irrelevant though, clearly Rockstar wants people to THINK it's about Jack Thompson, they cannot reasonably say that wasn't who they were imitating.

    And while they may technically get away with because it's "satire", it's very poor and self-indulgent satire. Rockstar really is starting to become the embarrassment of the games industry.

  • SeesThroughAll #57 5 years ago

    I doubt they can top Thompson's own childishness...

  • ResidentKnievel #58 5 years ago

    the lawyers got to be called Tom Jackson

  • beckyh #59 5 years ago

    I know about Jack Thomson and his antics but the irony for me is that had he not shouted about this, I would probably never have linked the game character with him when playing the game. I am sure many others would not have linked it either.

    By shouting about this he has actually caused himself to be in the spotlight and put the belief it is him into the minds of those who may not have even noticed. What a fool he is.

  • yagisencho #60 5 years ago

    Thompson on CBS News:
    "You just watch. There is going to be a Columbine-times-10 incident, and everyone will finally get it. Either that, or some video gamer is going to go Columbine at some video game exec's expense or at E3, and then the industry will begin to realize that there is no place to hide, that it has trained a nation of Manchurian Children."

    As evidenced by the late-80s spree of riots worldwide in which children, avid players of the 'Super Mario' games, invaded petshops and zoos, stomping every last turtle to death.

  • mingster #61 5 years ago

    but if someone now shoots jack what happens then?

  • ShiroBen #62 5 years ago

    I think the bigger threat to Thompson's safety is his continual public wankery.

  • Zuiyo #63 5 years ago

    "The guys at rockstar are not stupid - they know firsthand what flies and what doesn't. They would never let this kind of content out unless it's completely calculated."

    I kinda fancy a drink... hot coffee, anyone?

  • Lukus #64 5 years ago

    "...the embarrassment of the games industry."

    Nah.

  • Carrybagma #65 5 years ago

    i say we prove the bastard right and kill him

    :oD