The man who for years tried to ban Rockstar Games titles such as GTA, Manhunt, and more, came out with a slightly different point of view. Jack Thompson, a former lawyer, is infamous for his legal battles over violent video games.
During the late 90s to mid 2000s, he filed lawsuits trying to link various games such as Vice City, San Andreas, GTA IV, Manhunt, Bully and many more to murders. To some players, he was a video game villain.
One of his more unpopular actions was an attempt to block the sale of games like Manhunt 2 among other things. Rockstar Games’ parent company Take-Two Interactive hit back in 2007 with its own suit against him.
Games can be good
Last week, Mr. Thompson participated in an interview for the podcast My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin. A tweet from the podcast’s Twitter account shared a clip of the full episode. The host Simon Parkin asked if Thompson had “ever been interested in looking at the more positive side of games” to which Jack said yes he had.
Thompson gives some examples. He specifically calls out how he has seen games help children with disabilities and that technology is amazing. It really depends on who and the motive.
Video games are probably the greatest teaching tool ever invented. The interactive nature of video games is what makes them so incredibly powerful.
Jack Thompson
You can listen to the full interview here which we would recommend. Now retired after his layoff as a lawyer, Thompson spends his time golfing, not playing video games.
Thompson was portrayed by the late Bill Paxton in the TV drama based on Rockstar vs the lawyer by the BBC. “The Gamechangers” was met with criticism from Rockstar Games which Tweeted on the BBC during its first and only broadcast on UK television. Take-Two was also not happy that their trademarks were being used.
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