Court Orders Take-Two to Provide an Advanced copy of Bully for ‘Judicial Review’ :)

Text of Thompson’s Complaint [.doc]
Jack Thompson has convinced Judge Ronald Friedman, a Miami-Dade County Circuit Court judge, to order Take-Two Interactive to provide an advanced copy of the “T”een rated video game Bully for review in chambers by the court. Contrary to some early reports, the judge did not order that the video game be provided to Jack Thompson for his review. Rather, the judge has ordered that along with the game, Take-Two provide someone to play the game in front of the judge so the judge can review it. Thompson had called this game a “Columbine Simulator” without ever having seen the game.

Dale’s Comment: After months of controversy and fears that this video game would celebrate and promote bullies, all the reviews I have read and listened to make the point that, to the contrary, being a bully is not celebrated. The main character is not a bully at all, but, rather, has to defend himself against school-yard bullies and form alliances with other schoolyard mates. This critically acclaimed game is more akin to a high-school simulator letting players relive in a very realistic way, what it was like to be in high school and deal with the trials and tribulations of growing up.

While I was somewhat pleased that the order was limited to handing over the game for review by the court and not by Thompson (goodness knows what kind of a precedent that would have been), I still find it disconcerting that a court interposed itself into the process to decide for himself whether the game is suitable for sales to minors. Who appointed him the emperor?

Sources: Gamasutra | Play | ars technica | The Register | OUT-LAW.com | GameSpot | GamePolitics.com 1 | GamePolitics.com 2 | Miami Herald | Washington Post Destructoid | BBC

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