It's been quite a year for gaming blog Kotaku. First, the site got blackballed by Sony after Kotaku adhered to journalistic principles and refused to cave to Sony's threats regarding the publishing of a PlayStation Home rumor that ultimately proved to be true. Now Kotaku has Jack Thompson on its tail. The Florida lawyer and anti-gaming activist has asked the FBI to investigate Kotaku.
Apparently, Thompson believes the gaming blog is "targeting" him and encouraging its readers to make threats on his life. The day of the Virginia Tech shooting, a Kotaku reader posted a comment on the site suggesting that Thompson "be shot for taking the opportunity to leech off a tragedy to push his own agenda." Ironically, Thompson contacted the FBI after he got owned by Kotaku editor Brian Crecente, who wrote a detailed article dissecting Thompson's claims of a connection between the Virginia Tech shootings and violent video games (as of this moment, there is no connection).
And here's the best part: Crecente, a former newspaper reporter who covered crime and police beats in Denver, contacted some folks he knows over at the local FBI office. Apparently, the FBI isn't ready to put Kotaku on its most wanted list; the agency told Crecente it probably won't even look into the situation. Rather than take the opportunity to bash Thompson for making their lives difficult, Kotaku took the high road and issued a note to readers asking them to refrain from making threats again Thompson. "If nothing else, that makes gamers look like a bunch of immature hotheads," Crecente wrote. And that is yet another reason why Kotaku is one of my favorite gaming sites.
In the case of the Sony flap involving the PlayStation Home report, Sony eventually made up with Kotaku (after the blog made the blackballing public and called out Sony). However, I don't advise anyone to hold their breath and wait for Thompson to make nice with Kotaku.
Comments (6)
Jack Thompson is such a joke. He's a complete attention whore and will do
anything to keep himself in the lime light. Maybe if we all just ignore him he
will go away.
Posted by Spikke | April 24, 2007 4:31 PM
Posted on April 24, 2007 16:31
Well Jack Thompson is at it again. He says he is crusading for children. But
rather than have the government legislate it would be better to educated the
parents and the public about video games. Rather than try to intimidate Florida
retailers and break the ethical laws that he is supposed to follow as a lawyer,
I think this guy should opt for more productive means his so called "Crusade."
I like the way Kotaku lists evidence to disprove all of what Jack Thompson has
stated. There was a website that I read up on where Jack Thompson put in the
subject "Sorry Junior I Don't Need Your Help."
The guy dissected Jack Thompson's statements and was as professional as he cold
be. In the end Jack Thompson seemed to state that this man was something along
the lines of a hot-headed ignorant fool. What I saw was very different from the
way Jack Thomspon perceived this man.
Posted by Jeffery Garrido | April 24, 2007 5:51 PM
Posted on April 24, 2007 17:51
i almost feel sorry for jack. i know he's a lying limelight hogging bastard, but
he's making himself look like a lunatic asshole. his rants are so pathetic at
this point... it's hard for me not to sympathize with him even though i disagree
with everything he says...
If you're going to throw the gaming industry under the bus to further your own
personal gain, at least do it well jack... now you just look stupid.
Posted by harrison schaerr | April 24, 2007 11:07 PM
Posted on April 24, 2007 23:07
If you ask your parents who he is they say, "who?" He's already a nobody.
Posted by matt | April 25, 2007 1:35 PM
Posted on April 25, 2007 13:35
Jack Thompson and his antics cost this country money, that could have been used
to put teachers in schools or cops on the street.
He is putting this country in harms way.
Posted by GZg | April 26, 2007 7:49 AM
Posted on April 26, 2007 07:49
Who the hell is Jack Thompson? I don't even remember him.
Posted by Bubba_Louie | April 26, 2007 12:42 PM
Posted on April 26, 2007 12:42