It seems that New Zealand has its own game-hating Jack Thompson counterpart. Get a load of New Zealand Chief Censor Bill Hastings, who says parents who purchase violent video games for their children should be prosecuted. More in the full article.

Ironically, Jack Thompson seems to be making more substantial waves in the political arena now than before he was disbarred. In an overwhelming 70-2 vote, the Utah House just passed HB 353, which was crafted by Thompson, who says that this is "a huge victory for parents."

Details after the link.

Disbarment is no bar to Jack Thompson's call. The games-as-porn bill he drafted was approved by an overwhelming vote by the Business and Labor Committee of the Utah House of Representatives. The bill even extended to encompass the film industry. And while Thompson was not physically present, his influence certainly was.

Details after the link.

Can they just stop already? Le sigh. Another day, another video game bill proposed. Well, this bill is not exactly new already. This bill confirmed to be sponsored by a Republican state legislator is none other than the one originally crafted by the crafty Jack Thompson. You know, the "Games as Porn" bill. Am sure you're intrigued. Go on, head to the full article for the details.

This is by far the best argument I have heard on the whole "violent games" issue that the media decided to make a carnival of. A new study says that various groups - politicians, the media - promote the hysterical beliefs of video game violence because they present a simpler solution than the real problems.

Full story after the link.

It's the last day of the weekend, how depressing. Let's talk about something entertaining to pick up the mood. Here's some news on Jack Thompson.

You gotta give props to Jack Thompson. Even a disbarment won't shut him up. The former attorney once again makes headlines after he sent an email saying that he wants to lead a movement to oust Take-Two Interactive's chairman, Strauss Zelnick.

D-Dub Software, a video game studio specializing in adult-themed games that involve a lot of *ahem* explicit sex and nudity (i.e. BoneTown, a PC game which makes GTA's Hot Coffee mod look not-so-Hot-after-all), is waging war against the ESRB and the three major console manufacturers. Since D-Dub can't market their game out in the open, they're now on a mission to take the first step in what they hope to be an eventual "adult video game industry" of their own making.

Who needs Jack Thompson when you have entertainment like this? At a conference in Munich, the sister of an outspoken critic against video game violence called EA a "pig of a company." EA's PR guy says he's glad he wasn't able to go to the conference at all since it would obviously have been a waste of his time.

Pigs the world over unanimously agree that they don't care.

Jack Thompson may be disbarred, but he's not about to go off without the final word. Thompson has coughed up the US$ 42,525.27 he owes the court, complete with an email to make sure the Bar knew he already sent it.