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Maker of Postal Responds to Thompson
eToyChest is reporting on a response that Running With Scissors (the makers of the ultraviolent game Postal) has released in response to Jack Thompson's latest rantings. From the article: "There are no missions based on slaughtering innocent bystanders. You play in a detailed environment and are given simple tasks such as buying milk and cashing a paycheck. As in the real world, the player may find weapons in that environment if they seek them. And, just as in the real world, the choice of what to do with those weapons is yours. Misuse results in severe consequences, in Postal you're always held accountable. In our opinion that makes Postal 2 the most politically correct game ever made."
Why make a game that simulates real life?? What's the point?
Even in games like the Sims the appeal is doing something that you wouldn't normally do.
Where is the enjoyment in doing what you would very well be doing while not in front of the computer?
And that's what happened.
This is a refreshing change from the Hollensworth/id answer dressed in legalese. Why not address Thompson with the same level of ridiculous logic he uses himself.
"You play in a detailed environment and are given simple tasks such as buying milk and cashing a paycheck."
WTF? I thought I bought Postal, not the f'ing Sims! Why, I'm so mad i'll...
Vince Desi is absolutely correct. What made Postal 2 great was the simple fact that you were presented with everyday activities (get the mail, buy groceries, vote in an election) and could handle those activities in whatever way you chose. It wasn't easy to complete those objectives without resorting to violence, but it was absolutely possible. Postal 2 is a ridiculous caricature of a town where everyone has a chip on their shoulder. It's no exaggeration when Desi says this is the most politically correct game ever made - considering the disposition of rest of the population it's not hard to play as the biggest pacifist in town!
Why does Thompson decry simulated murder but not actual murder? It's like suing the creator of Monopoly for being responsible for Walmart. I can't wait until someone sues this ambulance chaser for belittling the death of a loved one by equating it with a game.
If every game was good clean christian fun, the majority of the base for these games would simply move onto another form of entertainment or make their own games.
Just as people sometimes like the bad guy in movies, they like to do the bad thing in an environment where the reprocussions aren't as awful. However, for most people this only lasts a few minutes before they realize that even in the game they can't run around slaughtering people because the game has reprocussions, and doing these things just for the fun of "seeing what happens" grows tiring quickly. Especially when you are being shot by cops every two seconds.
As far as Thompson goes, the guy is clearly a lunatic. The Sims does its best to be good clean family fun, forgoing alcohol and actual sex in its games pretty much altogether, but he even attacked that anyway. The guy has clearly just stuck to an issue where he seems to get an audience here.
Consenting adults should be able to avoid any type of entertainment they want in the privacy of their own home. If you want to ID kids that are buying these games, fine, but let's not get off the issue of free speech here and become ridiculous and encourage censorship.
This reminds me of the first years of "gangster rap." People who simply do not understand a type of entertainment get all irritated by people who understand and get enjoyment and meaning out of such entertainment. They seem to be even more irritated when the entertainment contains "potty mouth words" or god forbid sex and violence. Vote with your dollar folks.
Judges and senates have been bought for gold; Esteem and love were never to be sold.
The weapon that proves the video game connection beyond a doubt? Baseball bats, a Rockstar Games exclusive weapon!
You know, there is a small point there. With so many baseball bats around, there should at least be a baseball park where you can play a minigame. Nice, wholesome American sport, too, even if you are racing around the diamond in a stolen cement truck. And it might get them more penetration into the Japanese market.
"Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbon... Tommy Vercetti... Vercetti... Vercetti."
Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
As anyone who played the game knows, the game only rewards violent unsocial behavior (social behavior is allowed, simply not rewarded). This is absolutely fine, because that is what their customers want.
I just have a problem with a disingenuous developer pretending their software is something it isn't. I'm all for freedom of expression in any media, just be honest about what you're expressing.