Off to listen to it now. This is going to be amazing I'm sure.

If video games had a village Jack would be it's idiot.

1. Why do we keep giving Jack attention. If we don't take his phone calls and don't post news about him ::gasp:: he'll go away.

2.I am yet to understand how Take-Two markets and sells this game to minors. Even without a clean shave and clearly looking over 18, I was carded to buy this game at Best Buy. As most retailers do.

I'm so over Jack. Get a new song to sing because it's not even entertaining anymore.

I think J. Thompson has consumed his worth in media; they, too, realize that he's a pathetic man on an even more pathetic mission.

But instead of just dismissing everything people outside the industry says about how violence is depicted and used in our titles, we should take the debate ourselves. If we truly want to be a mature industry and medium, then we need to discuss it and realize that yes, everything we experience effects us and that includes video games violence.

That said, I love the Grand Theft Auto series and the sandbox violence in it, and cant wait to play GTAIV.

mentally molesting minors for money? Even Jesse Jackson would be floored by that one

I can't help but be entertained by JT's misguided antics.

Man this guy is such a donkey. So sad because there are so many worth while causes that would benefit from his unwavering resolve.

Nut.
End of story.

The answer will surprise me if it's "No" based on this:
[cache.kotaku.com]

Damn GTA, you would think violent movies, ongoing wars, clashing religions or bad parents were causing the world problems. Guess not...

I'm starting to think that Jack isn't really a lawyer so much as he is a very, VERY involved performance artist. Beyond even what Andy Kaufman could have dreamed...

Adam Seszler rocks

@LittleBigPlaneteer:
"Jack's proclamation of alliteration is the newest sensation in our nation! You thought he was on vacation, but he's still up to his old verbal masturbation! ... something something something... elation!"

It begins. Again.

@karasu is my homeboy: I'm gonna have to disagree. Ignoring him doesn't make him go away, he's not actually a nightmare. The only way to actually solve the Jack problem is to give him all the exposure he actually wants so everyone in the world can see what kind of madness they would align themselves with were they to blindly oppose something the way he does.

I would like to take a second to add that this is a great listen. It's really factual, completely unbiased and fair. They know what they're talking about and treat GTA with respect, calling it a fantasy, saying it has R rated content, etc. Really fresh to hear when you're so used to, "You kill people in NY! Your children might play this RUN!"

I didn't hear the segment, can anyone confirm if Jack Thompson looked like a big fool in front of the NPR crowd?

@Mansteak: I actually agree because it can be seen two ways. If we don't give him so much media attention, then we won't hear about when he does these things, and if it's not out there, it's not as powerful.

That's not to say he'll stop. But it'll certainly give him a huge drop in exposure, which strongly weakens his voice.

It's not like I mind people trying to make the world - or media - safer for kids. But know what you're talking about and trying to achieve. And be professional.

Hmmmm, Jack Thompson has a life, which is the reason why he hasn't played the game.

I don't understand how he can say that it's inappropriate for teens when the ESRB rating indicates that it's for "Mature" audiences.

But I don't understand a lot of the things Jacko says...

I actually don't agree with the concept of "if you ignore it, it goes away". That is not true for nearly everything in life - and Jack isn't going to stop because gamers stop reading about what he says.

All it does is mean that the gamers discontinue listening to him while the news continues to run rampant with him on the air making ridiculous claims.

Didn't he buy the game himself?

@karasu is my homeboy: The problem is not the attention we, gamers and game journalists, give him, but the airtime he gets on mainstream TV and radio. And that we have very little power over. What we can do is to meet his claims with sound arguments, by retorting on websites like Kotaku and like calling into that radio show like someone did.

"mentally molesting minors for money"? Lets take a look into it...

from Dictionary.com:
mo·lest [muh-lest]
-verb (used with object)
1. to bother, interfere with, or annoy.
2. to make indecent sexual advances to.
3. to assault sexually.
-Synonyms 1. harass, harry, trouble, plague, hector, torment. See "Attack"

Jack Thompson is the one fitting the bill, not Take-Two.

Jack Thompson sounds a lot like my old boss.

Neal: "Have you played the game?"
JT: "*indistinguishable stuttering* it just came out, and (blather blather blather)."

(My boss's stuttering sounded a lot like his, too).

Sessler was pretty prepared for this; he had intelligent responses for everything directed towards him. Overall, a good job on his part ^^

@Dennen: Absolutely! We need to pay attention to what he's saying. Otherwise, how will we know how to counter his claims? The man has resources after all. Shouldn't we defend our hobby while he lambasts us on fox news?

I heard this earlier on Talk of the Nation. I can't believe that NPR is being referenced on Kotaku. Two of my favourite things together. I just cremed myself.

Kotaku is to provoking a rabid outpour of anti-Jack Thompson comments as Moses is to parting the waters in The Ten Commandments.

I don't understand why so many gamers sound so depressed at media coverage, from everything I've heard from mainstream media they are really being fair and letting both pro and anti gamers speak on this issue, if anything, giving gamers plenty of time to express a positive view on this game and games in general.
This show is a case in point.

Cheer up gamers, we're winning this war. The future belongs to us.

I've said it once, I'll say it again, it's better it's Thompson than an actual person of power with competence that people take seriously.

So, JT hasn't played the game and says that there's GRAPHIC sex depicted in the game.

I think they went out of their way to make it anything but graphic in this game... the "strippers" all have clothing (of a type...) and the only time I've seen Niko have sex with anyone was from outside a closed curtain from the exterior of a house (i.e.: you don't see ANYTHING....) Furthermore, the characters dirty-talk about oratory skills and other topics.

Jack Thompson is slandering Take-Two without cause, imo.

... as if this were news.

are people getting soft? and being PC? Jack is joke. the rating system is there for a reason.

Why does the guy in the beginning talk like a robot? Huh?

@karasu is my homeboy: I think that maybe cooling off the Jack Coverage would help make him disappear. But, at the same time, we're all so used to hearing what he's got to say - like listening to what Archie Bunker has to say when he talks to George Jefferson - that he's sort of become this love-hate character in the soap opera that is our lives....

But, I do think that ignoring him unless he does something - like actually DOES something - might be useful.

@Mansteak: That, sir, made me laugh very much. Thank you!

@attila: Yeah, I see. I don't watch mainstream news, I read various social news websites and blogs and gamer blogs, so it's easy to forget about the mainstream stuff.

@Dennen: Don't you think, though, that he sort of feeds off the attention he gets here? He sent Brian Crecente an image of him holding the game.

On the other hand (flips over waffles on stove...) Kotaku is all about news involving video games.

I guess I just can't believe what a douche JT can be.

I picked up the game today at my Wal-Mart. I'm a 28 year old male 6'1, 200 lbs. I have side burns and a goatee.

I was carded for the game. Shut the hell up Jack.

@Haniko: I would hope, he should beat up some hookers first before criticizing the game.

good listen so far, slight spoiler for the psychomurderer subplot :P

Is it just me or did he call him John Thompson about 9 min in? I personally think Sessler (sp) conceded far too many points. "Yes, its probably being sold to minors." Not really, The guy in front of me to buy GTA was at least 50, gray hair and everything. Still carded him. Retailers are far, far too paranoid at being sued for this. If a kid does get it, it is because of an irresponsible parent, the type who are so devoted to a cause that they don't have time to think. I can't quite think of a good example of an obsessed parent... oh wait, Jack Thompson himself. Also, I'd love to hear the claim about his house being ransacked substantiated, the last I heard, gamers were sending him flowers. Sessler didn't do bad, but he could have done so much better.

The guy is clearly a raving lunatic. I really don't understand all the attention he gets in the media, and among gamers.

He isn't the fucking boogieman. Ignoring bullies didn't work in high-school, what you got was a bully who was pissed you weren't paying attention to him so he beats on you extra hard. Jack doesn't care if you care, he doesn't care if you listen.

He isn't trying to reach our ears, but those of our neighbors, those of our senators, those of the general public. He knows he can't sway us, but he can convince a mayor to pass legislation. He can convince a family to press charges. He can convince the chief of police you are dangerous.

You turn your back on him, and you will find he has planted the knife right between the second and third vertebrae.

So listen to him. Remember that people other than you and your friends are listening. Write to your senator when legislation is proposed. Show your outrage when the game-maker is charged. Vote for a different chief of police, because that one is kind of gullible.

And for gods sake don't laugh at him. It's not funny. Not funny at all. Even if he is disbarred, I guarantee you fox news will keep a seat open for him afterwards. I bet my 360 that if he is alive, he will be on there to argue about GTA 5, or the next shooting in which a videogame was somewhere in the neighborhood of the killer's house.

That NPR guy was kind of a douche. He was pretty heavy handed with attacking the supporters of the game and very much propping up arguments, especially about minors buying the game. It's almost as though he has the video game=toy mentality and believing therefore that the fact that children can get their hands on it means something should be done about it.

@BassForever:he did, big time

and Adam deserves some cake

Poor Jack. He's spiraling into his personal cage of insanity.

Ever since X-Play became more serious and G4 stopped dressing Adam up like a monkey and telling him to dance, I've been really gaining a lot of respect for him as of late and his appearance on NPR really helps. It's nice to have someone who is intelligent and is a REAL gamer who can speak for gamers. I just wish the host would have let Adam get his two cents in while Jack was on the line.

And as for Jack Thompson, he is basically powerless right now but apparently he doesn't realize it. Yeah he's working with various law enforcement agencies. Which ones Jack? Oh you won't tell us. Did you actually play the game? No? Do you have any proof that it was us "gamers" that vandalized your house? No again? Look, there is nothing as graphic in GTA 4 as there was shown in the "hot coffee" mod. And even when the "hot coffee" mod hit what happened? An AO rating and Rockstar lost some money. What do you think you can honestly accomplish here Jack? Give it up. Nothing will happen other than you getting disbarred for clogging up the legal system with your bullshit antics. Just knock it off!

Ok... I picked up the game but barely got passed the intro (lunch break).

For those who been that far (without spoilers) are there any 'graphic scenes' of sex?

To mean graphic, I mean blatant nudity of genitalia and full on sex. Not that side-boob nonsense from mass effect.

I don't recall Sessler saying that it was being SOLD to minors, but instead that minors were able to play it. There's a difference there. The host raises the point that things that are labeled "mature" are automatically more attractive to younger kids, which is a valid idea. However, that wasn't really the main thrust of the interview, just a way to admit that there likely are children playing it somewhere.