I know that many here are fans of Penny-Arcade and some of you no doubt know the on-going saga between Penny-Arcade and Jack Thompson. This morning it took a new turn with Jack Thompson filing charges against Penny Arcade, such as extortion.

This started when Jack offered to donate $10k to charity if someone made is game. Well someone did, jack didn't want to pony up so he called it 'satire'. Well shortly after hearing about it Penny Arcade decided to be the men that Jack wasn't and drew up the check.

Here are some of the highlights:

http://www.livejournal.com/users/gamepolitics/110152.html?page=2#comments

Mike and Jerry rock. Funny thing is, this is nowhere near the first time they've had lawsuits against them. They'll pull through, they always do.

Pathetic ****.

What I think is the greatest ever is the fact that its going to take a while before the police act on it... Thats simply because great Jack provided the wrong address to the website.

Wow, gotta love how he refers to us as "computer geeks", stupid tool.

And I'm sure he has never noticed that first ammendment, freedom of speech. That is a constitutional right to play games. And it's a cop killing murder scenario? Wow, if I remember correctly, there is a story line. The cops just get in the way. You could avoid shooting them the majority of the time *if* you really wanted to.

What I find amusing is how he's blatantly trying to push the PD's buttons to get them to act on it, by making GTA sound like a game aimed towards murdering police officers.

What a jackass. And a cheapskate.

Hahaha!

"I Hate Jack Thompson" shirts state an opinion. Tough **** if he doesn't like it. Furthermore, I doubt the cops can actually do anything just because some guy sent a letter to them.

That's okay. I've been spending the past 20 hours on my cop-killing simulator, so I can take on anyone.

This story just keeps getting better and better. I need one of those shirts.

Hehehehehhee. Jack Thompson couldn't dig himself a deeper pit, so he basically stole a shovel from PA. I like.

i wonder how many of those cops play the GTA games...

Dumb **** got the url wrong it's [url]www.penny-arcade.com[/url]

i must say... everything jack thompson does... proves that he belongs in the nuthouse

couldn't agree more...

Funny how he doesn't even say who exactly is harrasing him. Just that it's certain personnel employed by Penny Arcade.

Can any one read what it says at the bottom of the check?
I can't make out the last word. Perhaps "For Jack Thompson because Jack Thompson won't."

Thats exactly what it says. Jack underestimated the gaming community, and it's going to cost him his job and his image at least. He's completely screwed.

Seriously how long can this guy last, soon people will start ignoring him along with everything he does and he'll die away like many before him.

Look out Kirby! He might be coming after you next!

OH NOES!!

His image isn't already destroyed?

Too bad Jack Thompson's insanity will never get a spot on TV.

Because he's fighting against TV's major competitor.

Uh, what? Please explain more coherently.

Basically, Thompson sent out a letter to the video game community saying that if someone created a game he had thought up (which had the main character killing store clerks with a baseball bat, among other things), he would donate $10,000 to the developer's charity of choice. Well, when someone actually created the game, he refused to pay up, calling the letter "satire." So then the guys at Penny Arcade wrote out a check for the money, in Jack's name no less, and sent it to the ESA, which resulted in this.

Why does the top of the letter say John Thompson?

Jack is often used instead of John when shortening Johnathan.

Jack is a nickname for John. It doesn't make sense to me either; they're the same length.

Jack Kennedy = John Kennedy

Jack Madden = John Madden

It was obviously satire from the beginning. It's not like this guy ever intended to donate the money. He isn't "backing down" in surprise that someone took his deal. There's evidence in the original letter that it was satire, although it's poor satire.

Although anyone who has read "A Modest Proposal" could have guessed that Thompson chose that title to hint at the satire of his request, his letter was not nearly as well marked for irony as Jonathon Swift's classic. Most people don't offer $10,000 to charity as satire. If, instead, he offered $10,000 towards the vacation of the CEO of the company that makes the game, it'd be more obvious.

No one, however, should be surprised that it's satire. The idea that to solve the problem of violent video games by creating an ultra violent video game with enemies including the cashiers at a local Best Buy is absurd. Especially when it's titled after the most famous work of satire.

The industry can call him on it to take the moral high horse, but no one should act surprised that the "modest proposal" was satire.

I think people knew it was a satire but wanted to take a stab at the guy anyway. Turn the guy's words against him.

He basically called Penny Arcade cop killers. Wow

Wait, someone made this game? Is there a link to it, or some way to see pictures? I never found out what he requested...

So... he never sent the letter...

http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/gta4/news_6135979.html



Now he has something against midgets. And that a fictional cartoon character is after him.

I like how he claims he "dared" to go on 60 minutes. As if anybody is afraid to claim video games make kids violent.

I'm thinking they just let him get on 60 minutes to have a huge laugh at him.

Well, I think we can all agree that short people are pretty much despicable and useless tumors of society.

If he's been at this so long, perhaps he should finally put forth some effort towards learning how to properly use a fax machine and correctly type URL's...

Wow, I've never seen anyone being able to screw their reputation over as much as Jack Thompson manages.

Penny Arcade Street Cred ++++++

Nice work, Jack. Very nice.

Ohhh.... Where's kirbs?

[QUOTE=Jedi Legend]The idea that to solve the problem of violent video games by creating an ultra violent video game with enemies including the cashiers at a local Best Buy is absurd.[/QUOTE]
Except he never offered his proposal as a way to solve any problem; he was saying the video game industry was too affraid to target themselves.

Jack Thompson sucks at writing. His grammar is shoddy, just check out the second paragraph; it's one long run-on!