Jack Thompson's attack on Halo 3

[maingon]

from gaming-age.com




Bill Gates
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond, Washington

Re: Halo 3
Dear Mr. Gates:

As you know, the Federal Trade Commission has repeatedly found that games rated “Mature” by the video game industry-captured Entertainment Software Rating Board are routinely sold to kids under the age of 17 despite the age rating. The most recent failure rate of the ratings on “Mature” games, according to the FTC, is 42%. The entire rating system is a fraud, and “broken,” the latter description aptly provided by Senator Hillary Clinton.

As you also know, Lee Boyd Malvo trained on Microsoft’s Halo to further enable him to become the remarkably efficient “DC Beltway Sniper.” That was reported by NBC News at the time and was noted in Malvo’s criminal trial.

You appeared on CBS’ 60 Minutes II and rather revealing and usefully noted that “the cool thing about these games is that they transport you to a world you think is real.” Precisely. Capcom has recently disclosed to investors that your video game industry’s violent games, sold to children, pose a real hazard to the health of the industry. Right on.

The hyperviolent Microsoft Xbox 360 game Halo 3 is scheduled by your company for commercial release in September of this year. The Beta version that was released last week shows us all just how violent the game is and how inappropriate it is for play by anyone under 17, as the “Mature” rating it will surely receive indicates.

Here’s the deal, Mr. Gates: Either Microsoft undertakes dramatic, real steps, through its marketing, wholesale, and retail operations to assure that Halo 3 is not sold, via the Internet and in stores, directly to anyone under 17, or I shall proceed to make sure that Microsoft is held to that standard by appropriate legal means. I have done that before successfully as to Best Buy, and I shall do so again as to Microsoft and all retailers of Halo 3.

Regards, Jack Thompson




this guy is nuts, saying the kids trained on Halo who did the Sniper shootings, come on

[DVD Josh]

How many bar rules does it violate to say that you plan to sue before you have any affected parties?

[wildcatlh]

How many bar rules does it violate to say that you plan to sue before you have any affected parties?

I'm sure he plans to create some affected parties. The Florida Bar doesn't like him much, either way. There are actually disbarment proceedings against him pending. Per wiki:

In February 2007, the Florida Bar filed disbarment proceedings against Thompson over allegations of professional misconduct. The action was the result of separate grievances filed by people claiming that Thompson made defamatory, false statements and attempted to humiliate, embarrass, harass or intimidate them.[114] According to the complaint, Thompson accused attorney Cardenas of "distribution of pornography to children," claimed that the Alabama judge presiding over the Devin Moore case "breaks the rules, even the Alabama State Bar Rules, because he thinks that the rules don't apply to him," and sent a letter to Blank Rome's managing partner, saying, "Your law firm has actively and knowingly facilitated by various means the criminal distribution of sexual material to minors." Thompson claims that the complaints violate state religious protections because his advocacy is motivated by his Christian faith.[115]

In the past he filed a lawsuit to have the Bar declared to be unconstitutional. Last year when I went to the Florida Bar annual meeting I thought about going up to one of the people in power to ask about him but never did. I've also thought about popping into Mr. Thompson's office (it's about 2 miles from mine), but figured that wouldn't be good for my legal career.

[taffer]

this guy is nuts, saying the kids trained on Halo who did the Sniper shootings, come on


Didn't you know that using an analog stick is excellent training on how to use a real gun? :sarcasm:

I don't see how Microsoft is to blame if retailers sell an M rated game to minors. It is the retail stores fault. They are the ones responsible for not carding kids.

I would like to see Thompson's source for that Capcom quote too. I call shenanigans on it. Capcom has plenty of their own violent games: Resident Evil, Dead Rising, Lost Planet, etc.

[fujishig]

I guess it's a good thing arcades aren't really around anymore, they'd be sued into oblivion for not locking down stuff like that sniper scope back in the day.

It's also not only the game stores. There are parents who will knowingly buy these games for their kids because they think they can handle it. Time to sue the parents... oh, wait, parents are no longer responsible for what their kids do, it's always someone else's fault. Never mind.

[Goldberg74]

I'll just sit back and wait for the Penny Arcade comic tomorrow... it's a shoo-in that they'll have something to say about this. ;)

[PixyJunket]

I've got to agree with him on the first paragraph at least.

[PopcornTreeCt]

Obligatory Penny Arcade sucks remark.

It's up to the stores to regulate this. Video games nowadays are incredibly realistic. After playing Rainbow Six Vegas I can definitely start buying into the video games have an effect on real life killers excuse.

[UncleGramps]

The rating system is not broken or a fraud, it's just not being properly enforced. I think the larger problem is parents ignoring the rating information or not taking the time to understand it.

But, beyond all of that, violent video games will not make an otherwise healthy person become a killer. Jack Thompson is a joke, and if he wasn't irrelevant to begin with, he is now. He's just an attention whore with a very loose grasp on how the legal system works, and the less attention we pay him, the better off we'll be.

[wildcatlh]

The rating system is not broken or a fraud, it's just not being properly enforced. I think the larger problem is parents ignoring the rating information or not taking the time to understand it.


I was chatting with a Electronics Boutique employee a couple of days after GTA: Vice City came out. He said that on the day it came out, a woman came in with her 8 year old kid. The 8 year old had said he wanted the game, so she was buying it. The guy tried more than once to explain to her that it was a violent, mature rated game, and certainly not for 8-year-olds, but the woman wouldn't listen, bought the game, and left.

[Jtnguyen12]

Jack Thompson. This guy is CRAZY & he look weirdo.

[Decker]

I've got to agree with him on the first paragraph at least.
So do I. I have no problem with what he wrote there. If he was asking MS to pull Halo 3, then he'd be crazy, but what he asks for is totally reasonable -- at least in theory (it may be hard to implement). I'm a physician and I'm really concerned about the exposure young children have to ultra-violent video games. I've posted here before that I thought it was disgusting that the initial 360 kiosks were running CoD2 for little kids to play with unsupervised. I'm a liberal at heart and I don't want to be restricted in my enjoyment of gaming, but if kids can be kept out of R rated films, they should be kept from purchasing and ideally from playing M-rated games.

I also feel all realistic FPS games should be rated M, blood or not since it still gives the experience of being the shooter and I don't think younger children should be exposed to that.

No, playing Halo 2 won't make you into a serial killer, but playing FPS will give you training in cover technique and improve your eye-hand coordination. More importantly, it really can desensitize young minds to violence.

I practice what I preach -- the only 360 games I'll play in front of my daughter are Viva Pinata and Lego Star Wars II. I'll still buy violent video games, but I don't want kids under 17 watching or playing them.

[fujishig]

Hmm... on second thought, if it'll keep all the 12 year olds (who are better than me anyway) off of Halo 3, I'll be happy.

The problem I have with this is, why is it Microsoft's fault? There's a rating system in place, it's not really their fault that it's not enforced, is it? If a child gets in to see a rated R movie, do we blame the company that made the film? Does he expect Microsoft to invest millions to plant spies all over the country, and penalize stores if they sell a copy to someone unsupervised under 17?

The kind of desensitization to violence people talk about has to come over time, right? And most of these kids play at home, where their parents live, usually online, which their parents pay for. So if your kid plays FPS's all day, who's in the best position to put a stop to that?

[Decker]

The kind of desensitization to violence people talk about has to come over time, right? And most of these kids play at home, where their parents live, usually online, which their parents pay for. So if your kid plays FPS's all day, who's in the best position to put a stop to that?
I totally agree with that. If I have a parent come in and their younger children start talking about playing Halo or GTA, I'll tell them that I don't think the game is appropriate for someone that age. Usually they won't do anything, but some are receptive. There are plenty of great age appropriate games (well, there are plenty of age appropriate games, few are actually great; most are licenced crap). If parents did a better job of policing what their kids watched and played, I think everyone would be better off, especially the kids.

[Michael Corvin]

So do I. I have no problem with what he wrote there. If he was asking MS to pull Halo 3, then he'd be crazy, but what he asks for is totally reasonable -- at least in theory (it may be hard to implement). I'm a physician and I'm really concerned about the exposure young children have to ultra-violent video games. I've posted here before that I thought it was disgusting that the initial 360 kiosks were running CoD2 for little kids to play with unsupervised. I'm a liberal at heart and I don't want to be restricted in my enjoyment of gaming, but if kids can be kept out of R rated films, they should be kept from purchasing and ideally from playing M-rated games.


-screwy- When was the last time you saw an R rated film?

I believe all the studies out there contradict everything Thompson stands for as well as what you have written above. I have no doubt in my mind that violent games affect SOME people. Problem is, that you have to be mentally unstable to begin with. For reference, I have two kids.

Look at all the incidents Thompson 'ambulence chases' around, all these kids that 'snap' either have had an unstable home life or are mercilessly hounded by peers. I know it is hardly a scientific argument, but you can't dismiss the fact that in a dozen years, HUNDREDS of MILLIONS of kids play these games daily that remain unaffected. We have had a half dozen incidents out of that pool of gamers in that dozen years, hardly numbers worthy of a cause like his.

Sure they are horrible, but everyone just wants an answer to 'why,' and Thompson goes for the easy angle, instead of looking at the kids life. He's nothing more than a media whore. How he is allowed to file false claims with zero proof is beyond me. Just reading the Halo rant is laughable. If MS was running ads during Saturday morning cartoons or on the Disney Channel he might actually have a stance, but as of now he has no leg to stand on. I guess since he settled with Take Two he needed a new whipping boy to keep his face in the news.

[Joe Molotov]

Kids are kept from seeing R-rated movies? You're kidding, right? :lol:

[Josh H]

Kids are kept from seeing R-rated movies? You're kidding, right? :lol:

Kids are usually at least kept from buying the tickets themselves. But of course it is easy for them to get around even if their parents won't buy them for them.

I'd like to see the game ratings at least enforced in this half assed manner with stores not selling M rated games directly to kids under 17. At least have the ratings serve some purpose beyond just informing parents who care enough to look before buying their kid a game.

[The Bus]

I fully support this man's plan to ban all under 17-year old players from participating in Halo 3.

[taffer]

After playing Rainbow Six Vegas I can definitely start buying into the video games have an effect on real life killers excuse.

I have no problem killing a bunch of polygons and pixels, but no way would I ever kill a real human being. If anyone is affected by violent games, it is because they already had a pre-existing mental disorder and can't separate the fictional game world from real life.

[fujishig]

I have no problem killing a bunch of polygons and pixels, but no way would I ever kill a real human being. If anyone is affected by violent games, it is because they already had a pre-existing mental disorder and can't separate the fictional game world from real life.

Maybe they can put a warning in the beginning of each videogame, similar to the one about motion sickness:

Warning: This game is not suitable for those with mental disorders or who can't separate the fictional game world from real life.

Because really, it's the psychos we don't want playing these games, and it's much easier for an adult psycho to grab some real weapons than an underage psycho...

[porieux]

I want to know what Thom Jackson thinks.

[dugan]

I shall proceed to make sure that Microsoft is held to that standard by appropriate legal means. I have done that before successfully as to Best Buy

What's the story here?

[Josh H]

What's the story here?

He's probably just referring to Best Buy starting a policy of not selling M rated games to minors--though I have no idea if he really had anything to do with it.

[markwe]

Yeah, as far as the can't buy movie tickets unless you are 18. Just use the electronic ticket machine that is next to the cashiers in 90% of the movie theaters.


You can even buy a child's ticket to a R rated movie in those....

[Josh H]

Yeah, as far as the can't buy movie tickets unless you are 18. Just use the electronic ticket machine that is next to the cashiers in 90% of the movie theaters.


If they have credit cards, which most kids don't. And those that do are probably in the 14-16 range.

[matome]

Hmm... on second thought, if it'll keep all the 12 year olds (who are better than me anyway) off of Halo 3, I'll be happy.


:lol:

[clckworang]

Kids are usually at least kept from buying the tickets themselves. But of course it is easy for them to get around even if their parents won't buy them for them.

I'd like to see the game ratings at least enforced in this half assed manner with stores not selling M rated games directly to kids under 17. At least have the ratings serve some purpose beyond just informing parents who care enough to look before buying their kid a game.

That may be partially true. They may not buy the tickets themselves because they're going to the movie WITH their parents. I remember seeing Kill Bill Vol. 1 in the theaters and there were quite a few kids in the audience, brought there with their parents. Granted, I know some theaters have absolutely no one under 17 in an R rated film rules, but most do not.

I wouldn't mind seeing great enforcement on M-rated games. My little cousin is now 12, but he has been gaming for quite a few years. And I've been shocked at some of the games his mom has let him buy. No big surprise that he started talking like the guys from Halo 2 shortly after he bought that game.

[porieux]

When I was a kid (long time ago...) I would just buy a ticket for a different movie that was PG or G and then just go into the theater with the movie I really wanted to see. Seems to me that would still work in any theater I have been in.

This is how I managed to see Monty Python's The Meaning of Life in the theater when it came out.

[Decker]

Kids can't buy tickets to R rated movies by themselves, or at least they shouldn't be able to. Sure, their parents can get them in. Just like their parents can buy a violent video game for them, and often do. It's just a question of parental judgement. Nothing will protect gamers from censorship better than a strictly enforced rating system. Anyone who has a problem with that (at least in theory) is a moron.

[The Bus]

When I was a kid (long time ago...) I would just buy a ticket for a different movie that was PG or G and then just go into the theater with the movie I really wanted to see. Seems to me that would still work in any theater I have been in.

This is how I managed to see Monty Python's The Meaning of Life in the theater when it came out.

So now you'll buy... Viva Piñata so you can play Halo 3?

:hscratch:

[lordzeppelin]

This is the same argument that pops up every once in a while regarding purchasing of (well, the last time i heard it, VHS) movies that are R-rated. Every time it happens one of the big box retailers (walmart, toysrus, best buy, circuit, meijer, etc) will put more titles into their POS systems that pop up with the "is the buyer 18 years of age?" question before it allows the cashier to proceed. The problem is the POS cashiers...most don't care, and most aren't trained on it. Thompson is completely barking up the wrong tree with this letter - it should be aimed at the retailers and not Microsoft. What, is MS going to tell BB that "you have to be sure they're 18" and wag their finger while selling them?

Thompson is an absolute douche, and IMO, is the shining example of what's wrong with society right now - pointing the finger at everyone else. The bottom line is that Parents need to parent their fucking kids, it's not Microsoft's responsibility. They pursued an ESRB rating, it's placed right on the front of the box, and that's all they should have to do.

[abrg923]

Ah, great. More blaming video games and less blaming shitty parents.

[Dragon Fly]

Like everyone else in the gaming community I'm sick of J.T.

It's not the publisher's fault that retailers don't police who they sell games to. That's up to the gov and an individual's responsibility (both of whom seemingly have none). It also falls onto the shoulders of parents who, for the most part, are completely inept when it comes to buying a game for their kids.

"Mommy, mommy! I want Blood Murder Death Kill 3.0!"
"Maybe Santa will bring it for Christmas!"

If retailers gave a damn (IE: Realistic fines for selling to those underage) I think the gaming community would be better off. I don't argue that. And frankly, considering I played Gears of War the other night with a 9 year old on my team it's fresh in my mind. Sure kids want to play the Mature games but do we Mature gamers want to play with the kids? Not particularly.....

As far as the desensitization to violence is concerned, I agree that violent games certainly contribute to that. BUT, no more than violent movies, TV shows, art, or songs. Violence has existed since the dawn of human history and we're going to be the source of our own destruction (unless the aliens get us first). You can open up a history book in school and read about plenty of horrific acts. It's really just all about how someone is raised and whether they are taught what is right and wrong. A parent who lets their child do whatever the hell they want shouldn't be surprised when the kid hits somebody with a brick at the school yard. It's all about discipline and proper parenting!

[Josh H]

Like everyone else in the gaming community I'm sick of J.T.

It's not the publisher's fault that retailers don't police who they sell games to. That's up to the gov and an individual's responsibility (both of whom seemingly have none). It also falls onto the shoulders of parents who, for the most part, are completely inept when it comes to buying a game for their kids.


Bingo.

If he really wants to make a difference he needs to stop going after publishers and go after retailers and parents.

1. As you say, get realistic fines in place for selling M-rated games to minors. Even if they aren't enforced all that often (just like the movie rules) it would be enough to spur most stores into putting policies in place and training their employees.

2. Put more effort into ads explaining the ratings to parents in places they'll see them--magazine mothers read, tv shows they watch etc.

[Xbox69]

The ESRB ratings are just that. Ratings! They are provided so that parents can have a guide about what games may be appropriate for their kids. There's nothing enforceable about it. Sure, stores can make policies about what they will sell to minors but ultimately it's left up to the parents or guardian whether they allow their kid access to the game. It's not like you can call the cops on Mrs. Consumer down the street who bought her 8 year old a copy of Halo 3 for Christmas. :rolleyes:

[Suprmallet]

A couple of thoughts:

First, an anecdote. I saw 28 Weeks Later today and some asshole brought in his fucking 4-year old kid. He was talking to someone in the theater, saying "If she were 6 and understood more of what she was seeing, I'd have a problem taking her to this. As it is, she just wants her popcorn." Yes, she did want her popcorn, and proceeded to cry about it all throughout the movie. The dad just kept shushing her, which did nothing. Then, right after the movie, I saw a kid outside the theater talking about how he needed to rebuy GTA because one of his friends stole it. I walked into my store (EB Games in case anyone here doesn't know by now) to talk to my employees off the clock. The same kid comes in with his mom. He's either got horrible ADD or is fed pure caffeine, because he couldn't stay still for two seconds. He gets the GTA trilogy box and asks his mom if she can get it for him. She looks at him and says, "These are the games we had all the trouble with!" And he says "I promise I won't do it again, I swear!" She brings the box up to the counter and all of my employees stress just how violent and inappropriate these games are for her kid. And she looked like she knew just how bad it was, but the kid kept needling her and she bought it for him anyway. I just find it funny that this thread pops up on the same day I see so much truly awful parenting.

Secondly, about Jack Thompson. He's no different than people who contended comic books were a moral threat, or rock and roll, or any other of a thousand forms of entertainment. They blow enough smoke that they can get a few token politicians on their side, and at the time they're on their soapboxes, people think they're a real threat. But then the entertainment in question becomes a part of everyday life, and people just accept it. I've already phased him out, he doesn't bother me anymore except as another figure spouting complete idiocy that gets heard because he's shouting loud enough. It's just sad.

Third, about enforcing ratings. At EB Games/Gamestop, we got a directive from our corporate office. If someone is caught knowingly selling or reserving M rated games to children, not only are they fired, but their store manager is fired. I don't know if anyone has actually been fired because of this policy, but they're at least doing lip service to the ESRB. There are loopholes, of course. If a game is not yet rated, we can reserve it to anyone, even if we know it will end up being M rated.

[Xbox69]

Hmm... on second thought, if it'll keep all the 12 year olds (who are better than me anyway) off of Halo 3, I'll be happy.

Just wait. These are the same 12 year olds first running to mommy when the real alien invasion happens. Am I right?!?! :p

[AGuyNamedMike]

I concur with the "bad parenting" crowd, and that most kids can be exposed to game, film, and TV violence and be fine with a little parental guidance. When I was little, we had these two totally amazing FPS games. They were completely immersive and the multiplayer action frequently got so intense and fierce that fists were thrown. Well, dirt clods. I'm talking about "cowboys & indians" and "army".

Some people are just bad. Certain things may or may not encourage them to act on their evil impulses. I think that the ratio of crazies to sanes is about the same it's always been, we just have more people total and more reporters to tell us about the whacktards.

[PixyJunket]

Hmm... on second thought, if it'll keep all the 12 year olds (who are better than me anyway) off of Halo 3, I'll be happy.:lol: That's pretty much why I refuse to play games online.

[Michael Corvin]

Just play late at night. 99 times out of 100 I have no problems.

[PixyJunket]

Just play late at night. 99 times out of 100 I have no problems.I have to be in bed (or winding down) by 10.

[Michael Corvin]

^ Sleep's overrated.

[KurrptSenate]

as if Microsoft has ANY bearing on how the employees at Wal-Mart choose to do.


At EB now, if they sell a game to any minor, the manager is automatically fired, regardless if he was working that day or not

[dugan]

If 12-year olds buy Halo 3, then this is what your online Halo 3 opponents to be like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gu8jV6PZgg

[stingermck]

I concur with the "bad parenting" crowd, and that most kids can be exposed to game, film, and TV violence and be fine with a little parental guidance. When I was little, we had these two totally amazing FPS games. They were completely immersive and the multiplayer action frequently got so intense and fierce that fists were thrown. Well, dirt clods. I'm talking about "cowboys & indians" and "army".

Which always lead to the "I shot you, no you didnt argument" Shit. Sounds like my current FPS abilites. Somethings never change :)

[Xander]

as if Microsoft has ANY bearing on how the employees at Wal-Mart choose to do.


At EB now, if they sell a game to any minor, the manager is automatically fired, regardless if he was working that day or not


Agreed. Onus should be on parents to know what their kids are playing/watching and on the stores themselves, not on fucking Microsoft.

When I worked at TRU, we had to ID people that bought M rated games. It even popped up on the register display. And yes, I had tons of parents/grandparents come up with Vice City to buy it for their 10-year-old and had to explain some of the content in it.

I don't think media has that much of an impact on healthy human minds, but I don't really think 10-year-olds need to be exposed to M/R rated content either.

[fujishig]

Kids can't buy tickets to R rated movies by themselves, or at least they shouldn't be able to. Sure, their parents can get them in. Just like their parents can buy a violent video game for them, and often do. It's just a question of parental judgement. Nothing will protect gamers from censorship better than a strictly enforced rating system. Anyone who has a problem with that (at least in theory) is a moron.

True, I don't think anyone's arguing that point. But anyone who thinks this is Microsoft's problem is a moron as well.

I'm just waiting for the day that some kids start some kind of dog fighting ring, or something, and then Pokemon will be an M rated game that will have to be enforced too.

[KurrptSenate]

well, there are already copious amounts of churches that believe Pokemon is the "debil"

:lol:

[Dean Kousoulas]

Third, about enforcing ratings. At EB Games/Gamestop, we got a directive from our corporate office. If someone is caught knowingly selling or reserving M rated games to children, not only are they fired, but their store manager is fired. I don't know if anyone has actually been fired because of this policy, but they're at least doing lip service to the ESRB. There are loopholes, of course. If a game is not yet rated, we can reserve it to anyone, even if we know it will end up being M rated.

I got a couple friends that work for EB/GS and they told me the same thing. In fact their DM was fired (!) for this very reason. Now doesn't it seem quite major? I mean just because some part timer making $7.50 an hour sells a kid a M rated game, the manager, who is pulling in probably close to $40k a year would be fired, regardless of prior history with the company? I would hate to still be working for that company...I piss off one of my employees and next week boom i'm fired on my day off. ;)

[KurrptSenate]

honestly, they could EASILY be sued for that

[Josh H]

I got a couple friends that work for EB/GS and they told me the same thing. In fact their DM was fired (!) for this very reason. Now doesn't it seem quite major? I mean just because some part timer making $7.50 an hour sells a kid a M rated game, the manager, who is pulling in probably close to $40k a year would be fired, regardless of prior history with the company? I would hate to still be working for that company...I piss off one of my employees and next week boom i'm fired on my day off. ;)

I agree, it's a poor policy. The employee should be fired. Managers should only be fired for repeat cases. Maybe 3 strikes and your out if you're employees keep selling M rated games to minors, as that would show that they are not training the employees hard enough to card people and not sale to those under 17.

[Randy Miller III]

I wish I could've trained on something as sophisticated as Halo.
During my shooting sprees as a young boy, my self-esteem was crushed by a laughing dog.

[UAIOE]

If 12-year olds buy Halo 3, then this is what your online Halo 3 opponents to be like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gu8jV6PZgg


Who sits that close to a TV.

this reply is classic:

let's wait until mommy's not home so i can scream "fuck" in the house!

:lol:

[taffer]

During my shooting sprees as a young boy, my self-esteem was crushed by a laughing dog.

Get your revenge here: Kill the Duck Hunt dog (http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/duckhunt/)

[taffer]

If 12-year olds buy Halo 3, then this is what your online Halo 3 opponents to be like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gu8jV6PZgg

So that's where The Angry Video Game Nerd gets his fanbase from.

[The Bus]

Just play late at night. 99 times out of 100 I have no problems.

But a bitch is one?

[shumway]

You guys remember the original Duck Hunt arcade game where there was a bonus stage or between levels bonus where you could shoot the hell out of the dog and he would then come in at the beginning of the next stage with crutches and his leg in a cast.

edit to add: at the bottom of here: http://nindb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/ac/vdh.shtml

the picture I'm talking about here: http://nindb.classicgaming.gamespy.com/ac/images/guide/vdh_r3-6.jpg

[Suprmallet]

I got a couple friends that work for EB/GS and they told me the same thing. In fact their DM was fired (!) for this very reason. Now doesn't it seem quite major? I mean just because some part timer making $7.50 an hour sells a kid a M rated game, the manager, who is pulling in probably close to $40k a year would be fired, regardless of prior history with the company? I would hate to still be working for that company...I piss off one of my employees and next week boom i'm fired on my day off. ;)

It's not a simple "M-rated game sold? FIRED!" Situation. They do look into it to make sure it's not a vengeful employee trying to get his boss in trouble. Although, with my current regional manager, I think he'd fire me just for looking at him funny, so who knows.

[lordzeppelin]

But a bitch is one?
5/5 rotfl

[Michael Corvin]

But a bitch is one?

:shrug: I must be missing something.

[DVD Josh]

:shrug: I must be missing something.

It's from Jay-Z's 99 problems.

[dugan]

And before that, Ice T's 99 problems.

[Michael Corvin]

:lol: That's why. Rap.

[KurrptSenate]

song sucks to be honest

[The Bus]

Well, let's talk rasslin' instead. Yee-haw!

[Rockmjd23]

:lol: That's why. Rap.
What it do.