Jack Thompson attacks Wendy’s Wii promo
In the latest chapter of his crusade against the world of violent videogames, the outspoken attorney Jack Thompson has attacked the fast food chain, Wendy’s, in regards to its current Kids’ Meal promotion, which the chain is running in partnership with Nintendo.
GameAlmighty.com reports that the meal in question is served with a variety of toys that include reference to Super Mario, Excite Truck, Wii Sports amd the Wii remote. However, it is the console’s association with the forthcoming Manhunt 2 that is troubling our favourite anti-videogames campaigner . Below is the letter that Mr Thompson sent to Wendy’s, warning the firm of the nature of Rockstar Games’ violent title and asking them politely to end the promotion at once:
Wendy’s and Nintendo - an evil partnership?
On July 10, an extremely violent video game will be released for “play” on Nintendo’s kid-friendly Wii game platform. It is called Manhunt 2. It will feature, according to video game news sites, beheadings with hatchets, bludgeonings with baseball bats, the jamming of syringes into eyeballs, cutting opponents’ testicles off, and “environtmental [sic] kills” in which common objects in the field of vision, such as electrical cords to strangle victims. I attach news reports in these regards.
What makes this Nintendo Wii game all the more troubling is the nature of Wii platform itself. Instead of holding in one’s hand the typical game controller, the player holds motion capture devices, so that by moving one’s hands and limbs one is actually acting out with one’s own body the violent behavior. The American Psychological Association in August 2005 found a direct causal link between the play of violent video games and increased adolescent and teen aggression. One pro-video game industry site is referring to Manhunt 2 as a “true murder simulator” when played on Wii.
A dear friend of mine worked for Wendy’s and with Dave Thomas closely for years. From that I know that Dave Thomas never would have tolerated the use of Wendy’s good name to promote Nintendo’s Wii, not with this game available on the Wii platform.
Please cancel the Wii Kids’ Meal promotion immediately.
Jack Thompson is well known within the industry for criticising games that he deems as inappropriate. Before today’s revelations, his most recent outburst was in the light of the Virginia Tech shootings, after which he spoke on American television as a “School Shootings Expert” to blame interactive entertainment as the cause for the tragic events. While those allegations were hardly based on any concrete evidence, today’s story - the relation between a set of children’s toys that make no reference at all to Manhunt 2 - seems to be scraping the barrel just a bit too much.
What are you guys’ thoughts?
I think Jack Thompson should also ask that Disney stop using the television to broadcast its children’s programs, because it’s possible that pornography and violent material can be obtained and played on it. OMG EVERYONE FREAK OUT! JACK THOMPSON IS NOT IN TOTAL CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE OH NOES! WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITHOUT HIM PLAYING THOUGHT POLICE ALL THE TIME?
Shut^, please. Ohh you simulate violent motions. Well thats great and all but the Wiimote is the frathest thing from a knife or a electrical cord. ITS A GAME. If you don’t want to see it don’t buy it. But don’t tell people how to think. And a little advice, take up a new cause 2 waste your time on.
I agree that Manuhunt 2 is in poor taste, but I will vote on that with my wallet, not with a lawsuit. I am also looking forward to getting a cool little Wii-Mote from Wendy’s. Does Jack know how the cows are butchered that are put in Wendy’s Hamburgers? Talk about violent…
This gets my vote for Best ad for the Manhunt 2 ever!
Bottom line, if my kid was playing it I would take it up with him, not the publisher. The logic is all wrong for this argument.
See! It worked. Now I want the game even more.
First off, I don’t remember Nintendo saying they were exclusively “kid-friendly.” Every gaming console is kid friendly in some regards. It is not against the law for Nintendo to release a game that is more geared towards the older gamers. I mean there are enough safegaurds in place, some stores don’t carry “M” rated games while every other place that I have seen ask for ID before purchasing. The bigger question to me is why Nintendo bothering with this title? My guess is that it really won’t sell well with their current consumer base. No big deal either way though.
Some bogus “professionals” like to chase ambulances, others do cheesy TV adds, while others surf the internet all day hoping to find a way to get their name in the headlines without actually doing anything. Narcissist come in all forms. Question, has Jack ever won a case? Question, what is with Jack’s theory on videogames causing violence? You would think such a smart man could come up with something better. Chances are he knows, he’s just hopping on the bandwagon in hopes of getting himself rich and famous. There are millions of people playing violent games out there yet less than .000001% do school shootings or murders (ok, that’s a guess). If you look at statistics, violent crimes by adolescents and teenagers has been declining for he past 10yrs.
Even before videogames there have been those unfortunate people raised in poor household/environments and/or have been picked on and resort to an emotional and desperate acts. Until we stop distracting ourselves with this garbage we will never fix the problem. In this way Jack Thompson is actually doing more harm than good.
The Wii has parental controls on it, so all the parent of a child owning a Wii has to do is to set them and the kid can’t play these so-called “Murder Simulators”.
Thompson is full of BS, I have played “violent” video games since I was about 7 or 8, and now 10 years later how many people have I killed? Zero, zilch, nil, nada, no one.
As for his Grand Theft Auto theory, how many kids own a video games console? And how many own Grand Theft Auto? If you got a list of all the gamers in the world, picked a name at random, and went to their home, chances are you would find at least 1 copy of a GTA game.
Jack thompson should be more concerned with the provocative name that Nintendo has gen to its console. I mean, I’d be upset too if I heard wendy’s was giving kids “a little wii to play with” too. Maybe it’s all a big misunderstanding.
As long as nintendo doesn’t give out electrical cords as a to I think it will be all right.
Hey, why don’t we ban church since more people have been killed by religion than anything in history? Hey Jack, don’t punish 99% of the population because 1% are bad apples. This is America. Not North Korea, where the thinking is done for us. I am so sick of these people who try to get everything banned. I am a responsible adult who can play a video game without hurting someone afterwards, go to a strip club without raping anyone and who can listen to heavy metal and not commit suicide. As a matter of fact, I partake in all of this stuff and I am a law abiding, contributing, successful, child raising, moral person. Why should the things I enjoy be taken away because either someone else doesn’t enjoy it or a few bad apples do it? TELL ME WHY!! I think Jack should be banned and jailed for as a traitor to the country. Land of the Free Jack, not Ban od the Free!
Sweet, I can’t wait to play that game, Jack made it sound so fun.
(Forgive my spellling; im dislexic)
What an idiot this man is. I am 14. I play a few semi-violent games, and have never EVER had a desire to kill or maim someone. I also consiter myself a christan, but this man is presueing a false crusade that he cant(and should not) win. He promosed to donate $10k to charity and then changed his mind. I almost want to buy that game in spite. THis man is a certified loon. Good news is that he is old and you cant fight video games with a crutch. He will probaly sue us for writing this and “harasing” him.
To read about what an iddiot this man is go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/w...k_Thompson_%28attorney%29
STOP IT. Your harasing me and promoting video games. A child could be looking up what a idiot i am and come to this site. You all want poronographic materals to be avalable. BLA BLA BLA. So what if i was wrong about BUlly and all the other stuff. DIE YOU VIOLENT, OBCINE, M**** F********* B******.
I think Jack crossed the line there i mean my cousin started playing a GTA game when he was 7… nothing happend to him. Im playing GoW right now. has anything happend to me? no. jack is a load of crap he just wants his name known so he can be “the one who killed the GTA series” i hope he dies soon