Headline :: Jack Thompson turns attention to Bill Gates and Halo 3

[Steven W]

The Florida lawyer just can't help himself. This time he's taking on Microsoft and Halo 3 in a bid to ensure that the game isn't sold to anyone under the age of 17.

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[vinnyT]

It's traditional to cheer on the little guy, in this case, I hope MS rolls right on over him, leaving a sticky, unpleasent stain on the road. If anyone deserves to be roadkill, it's JT.

[darrensen]

The Florida lawyer just can't help himself. This time he's taking on Microsoft and Halo 3 in a bid to ensure that the game isn't sold to anyone over the age of 17.

Check out the Headline

You mean Under age of 17...

[Veles]

lul wut?

This guy really is a retard, shops will sell it to people under the age of 17 no matter what MS says. Although it could be a good thing, no more whining kids online screaming noob.

[b0redom]

I don't get it, either it's subject to a rating or not, I'm sure the Microsoft lawyers will crush him in any case.

[Veles]

Theres no law to back him with this, he's just being a retard so he can get press.

[Spitfire01]

This would be like trying to force beer brewerys to make sure their alcohol isn't sold to anyone under 18.. it's down to the place it's sold not the company that makes it.

[MadduckUK]

and why halo? not cause its violent (because its not really.) its because its popular

[vinnyT]

and why halo? not cause its violent (because its not really.) its because its popular

He only seems to choose popular titles like the gta series and halo, is it cynical to believe he does this for his own self publishing, and not for the good of the people? No, he's doing it for himself, he's a tool (that's not official, by the way, I just think he is).

[Veles]

I second your statement that he is a tool, I think thats enough to make it official

But I dunno, he kind of has the right idea, I don't really see why America can't have a system like we do here, where BBFC ratings are the law, they have it for films, alcohol and sex, but they make a fuss about constitutional right when they try it for games.

I'm of two minds about it, while I'm against censorship in pretty much all shapes or forms, it seems that the majority of parents are so inept that we need laws to put them into shape. Parents don't usually buy their kids alcohol, but they do buy their kids M rated games without a second thought, then complain about it later when they see on the news what the game they bought their kid is actually about. The only difference there really, is the parent knows the kid isn't allowed to buy alcohol by law, so they have the mindset that kid + alcohol = bad parent. But because game sales aren't regulated at all, they don't really seem to give a **** what the game contains when they buy it.

[vinnyT]

I think the problem for parents is that they are buying a game, in most peoples minds, games are innocent interludes in realitry.

Many parents don't associate console/pc games with violence, etc. it's an easy present to buy for your kids/grandkids/nephews/etc. The vast majority of parents don't realise that they have just bought a game that is unsuitable for certain ages.

When I think (rarely) about it, there is very little difference between buying your kids a violent computer game and the latest horror story by Stephen King. Except the book goes into far more horrific detail than you can get from doom3.

i have to admit, I didn't know that the game classification carried no real weight in the USA.

[Vowo]

This would be like trying to force beer brewerys to make sure their alcohol isn't sold to anyone under 18.. it's down to the place it's sold not the company that makes it.

Agreed

Publicity seeking, nothing more.

Suprised he never mentioned Bill Ga.....ah wait he does

[Veles]

Many parents don't associate console/pc games with violence, etc. it's an easy present to buy for your kids/grandkids/nephews/etc. The vast majority of parents don't realise that they have just bought a game that is unsuitable for certain ages.

I could understand that, but the fact is, that violence in video games and parents getting pissed is nothing new at all. There was all kinds of trouble stirred up when we had the likes of Carmageddon and Postal. Even recently we've got titles like GTA and Manhunt. Why are parents getting so surprised by this?

If we have games that have recently come out like GTA, surely parents would be a bit more wary when purchasing games, it seems some are, but the majority of them still buy them without question. A few people who work at shops in the US posting on another forum were saying how the majority of parents who walked in and bought Saints Row had no idea what the game was about, and when the game was explained to them they went and put the box back on the shelf and left.

[vinnyT]

They have the same sort of problem with music too. Your teenage son says he wants cds by his fav (atm) rapper, as his b'day, xmas, etc. present. Very few of the parents asked would know wether or not this contains foul language, sexual refs, etc, as it's not (usually) the kind of music they would listen to, and would just buy the cd for them. I think it's the same with video games, many (alright there are exceptions such as myself, who play these games) parents don't play vgames and so often don't know the content of the games they are buying.

[GrahamGarside]

What you mean he doesn't want it banned and blamed for our xenophobic culture where no alien would dare make contact with us and share the secrets of eternal life and free clean energy because they think we'll shoot them?

[chuckskull]

I hope Microsoft destroy him.