Of course, while some are pleased to see Jack Thompson ride off slowly into the sunset; others believe that his even having had the opportunity to ride is due to the fault of the gaming press. One person, Doug Lowenstein, the former president of the ESA, pens a letter here blaming the gaming media for giving Thompson a soapbox to air his rants.

I strongly disagree with Lownstein on this point; I argue that if it were not for the gaming media debunking his claims, Thompson would have been allowed more leverage to state his opinions on gaming. If anything; I am wondering why Lowenstein refused to challenge Thompson when he had the chance.

Oh well, now Lowestein is now lobbying hedge fund companies. I sincerely hope that he shows more action there than in gaming; perhaps he should leave gaming to the people that can handle it.

Gaming sites left and right are reporting on this event, from Joystiq, to Kotaku and even G4. Destructoid also mentions that Thompson’s response to news of his disbarment was ‘go to hell.’

If perchance he should end up there, I am sure that no one in the gaming community would miss him.

Gamepolitics has legal analysis of Thompson’s defeat here, and G4 has a hilarious look at what would happen if his nightmares prove reality. It can be seen below:

All in all, it’s a great day to be a gamer!

However, while I and other gamers may applaud Wright’s direction, others are against his plans; this article highlights how people disagree with the game because it promotes evolution rather than creationism.

Personally, I think that Spore is just a game, and parents can actually use it to teach kids about the wonders of science. Sadly, it seems easier for people to locate problems in a new idea rather than use it for solutions.

Speaking of problems, I am very disappointed in the new game out that promotes the shooting of Muslims. In reading the main piece and Gamepolitics’s analysis of it, I have to say that for the first time, I am going to side with the game’s detractors. I simply fail to see the redeeming value of this product, and though there is some humor in it, there are too many individuals who will get the wrong idea, especially in this post 9/11 world.

On the subject of laws, I really hope that this video game law in California is proven unconstitutional. If only our elected leaders spent more time on worthwhile issues, like ending this war in Iraq.

Along with this piece of news, I would also like to recognize two individuals who dedicate their lives to improving American values in differnt ways. One solider who made the ultimate sacrifice, and a Congressman who is working to improve the public good. Interestingly, both of these people are gamers; in fact, the Congressman is a proud gamer. This is prove that not all gamers are insane ingrates.

Of course, Sarah didn’t earn her nickname ‘Barracuda’ for nothing, as she wasted no time in attacking Obama and the Democrats as being ‘part of the Washington elite.’

Interestingly, little has been figured out on Sarah’s positions on media issues; all that we know about her is that she is very socially conservative. Apparently, that extends to all media, including books, if this article is any indication.

The fact that Sarah even TRIED to ban books is scary; it almost reminds me of the book Farenheit 451, or to a lesser degree, the ten-cent plague, a book that I have read and reviewed earlier in my blog.

Interestingly, David Jaffe seems to agree with my distrust of Palin, as he has released a video that can be viewed here that mentions her opinion. Gamepolitics’s analysis can be read here. Jaffe is known to speak his mind, so he may say a few things that are a bit off the wall. I personally think that it’s funny.

Of course, Palin is not the only one against emergent media, the Thailand government has made it clear that they disliked the gaming medium, ever since that story broke about that young male who claims that he imitated Grand Theft Auto. The report can be found here; frankly, Thailand has bigger problems than dealing with games, but the fact that they choose to focus on them shows how out of touch they are with their country.

Speaking of Grand Theft Auto, it has actually found its way to make some positive news for a change. Destructoid has the report here; based on what is said, it shows that all games can have their good applications. I know that and you know it, now if only everyone else would see it.

In terms of gaming though, the DNC was both a success, and Gamepolitics has reports describing both in detail.

First of all, Microsoft’s online service, Xbox Live, has decided to participate in voting efforts along with Rock the Vote at both the Democratic and Republican conventions. A video of their efforts at the Democratic National Convention can be seen below:

Sadly though, the goodwill was negatively countered with an advocacy group called ‘No Child Left Inside’ blaming the inactivity of today’s youth on video games. Personally, I can’t wait until a gamer reaches a prominent position in government, maybe then these bullshit accusations will finally pass. The report is here.

Speaking of advocacy, an important question was discussed in Gamepolitics on whether or not gamer advocates need to actually be gamers themselves. The article is here; personally, I would answer this question by emphatically saying YES! After all, you can’t fight for something if you don’t know what you are fighting for.

While the actual reason is likely to elude many for a while, Gamepolitics has an interesting report here that explains the rationale behind why this line has been able to garner believeability.

After reading it, I believe more than ever that once gamers grow up to influence our society, this statement will be eradicated.

Speaking of politics, as everyone knows, a group of supporters remain bitter that Hillary Clinton failed to secure the nomination for president. While Obama has made inroads to appeasing them, he still has a long way to go in some respects.

Gamepolitics was able to delve into the mind of a game designer who shares these views here. In reading it, I have to say that I sincerely hope she recognizes Obama’s strengths and see that he and Clinton really are one in the same in various ways.

I hope this election and inauguration goes smoothly.

South Africa apparently thinks that this role is negative, as a watchdog group situated there is calling for a ban on not just video games with controversial content, but violent music as well. Gamepolitics has more on this report here.

In making this decision, the spokesman from the group, Errol Nadioo, cited two incidents; the first involving a United States teen who murdered his friend after listening to Slipknot, and the second being the Bangkok GTA incident.

What is disturbing about these actions is that he even admits that these actions may not achieve their desired result, but ‘thinks that they may bring peace of mind to families.’

My opinions on individuals, organizations and associations who blame video games for their society’s ills have already been voiced throughout this blog; I will simply say this instead: considering all the problems facing South Africa, should they really be focusing their energies on banning the one means of escape that these people have? There is a reason that games continue to provide a decent revenue for people despite our struggling economy.

Speaking of the economy, considering how bad it is, it should provide an easy electoral advantage for Democrats. However, Obama has run into some trouble as of late, with most of it coming from his questionable associations and the rest coming from exposed flaws in his policies. Others are not enthused about his choice of Joe Biden for VP.

Personally, I have always been skeptical of Biden; I believe that he has the tendency to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Turns out, I am not alone in this concern, if this article is to be believed.

Kind of sad, but oh well, he is better than Hillary Clinton.

To end this post on a humorous note, here is a video that shows how McCain likes to use his war experience as an excuse for EVERYTHING!! Thanks, Jared Rea!

Apparently, some players are willing to do anything to achieve success in it, even if it means sacrificing precious commodities such as sleep, as reported here by Yahoo News.

Sadly, this long journey ended up with players becoming fatigued and sick as a result of their efforts, the leaders of the guild wanted to stop the suffering before it became a big deal. Sadly, I don’t think that they succeeded in that regard.

In fact, I think that they may have given ammunition to the guy that wrote this book. Gamepolitics referenced the author’s interview with Canada.com here. Gamepolitics’s excerpt can be found here.

So as not to sound like a broken record, I have already given my thoughts on his book in this post, suffice to say it, I think that he blows a lot of hot air.