Jack Thompson plans Take 2 shareholder showdown – Full report
'Crusader' buys stock, prepares to... shout?
SPOnG kind of likes Jack Thompson. The man is clearly insane, though in a good way and let's face it – the games industry has a few issues. It's a fact that swarms of under 18s play every Grand Theft Auto game. This is bad. There's also no legal restriction on the sale of such games to children in the US – again a bad thing. You can read a lengthy interview conducted with Jack Thompson by SPOnG some weeks ago here.
Though of course, Thompson does go too far, often seeming to present little more than a parody of himself to the public. What few seem to notice is that he knows he does this and does it on purpose. Because we honestly believe he does all this, for want of a better phrase, for a laugh.
His latest plan does seem the most interesting to date however, as it emerges that Thompson has bought shares in Take 2. The reason? To gain entry to the company's shareholder meeting of course and then confront nemesis, company CEO Paul Eibeler.
And Mr Eibeler would do well to be a touch worried. Thompson is likely to start his 'address' at Take 2's shareholder meeting early next year, pointing out that recently the CEO was voted the worst of the year by a Market Watch analyst. And not just the worst in the games sector, or even the technology sector. He was voted the worst CEO of all companies in all sectors across the US. Quite an accolade.
As to what else Thompson will dig up in the meantime remains to be seen. Basic fear of lawyers prevents us from even hinting at some of the whisperings regarding what Take 2's inner circle has been up to in recent years. Though we imagine that Thompson will have heard similar and will be preparing something of a case against Eibeler, a man who's tenure at the helm of the Rockstar parent looks shaky to most industry watchers.
Thompson has already penned a showdown letter to the Take 2 boss, 'leaked' overnight to many publications including SPOnG. It reads:
Though of course, Thompson does go too far, often seeming to present little more than a parody of himself to the public. What few seem to notice is that he knows he does this and does it on purpose. Because we honestly believe he does all this, for want of a better phrase, for a laugh.
His latest plan does seem the most interesting to date however, as it emerges that Thompson has bought shares in Take 2. The reason? To gain entry to the company's shareholder meeting of course and then confront nemesis, company CEO Paul Eibeler.
And Mr Eibeler would do well to be a touch worried. Thompson is likely to start his 'address' at Take 2's shareholder meeting early next year, pointing out that recently the CEO was voted the worst of the year by a Market Watch analyst. And not just the worst in the games sector, or even the technology sector. He was voted the worst CEO of all companies in all sectors across the US. Quite an accolade.
As to what else Thompson will dig up in the meantime remains to be seen. Basic fear of lawyers prevents us from even hinting at some of the whisperings regarding what Take 2's inner circle has been up to in recent years. Though we imagine that Thompson will have heard similar and will be preparing something of a case against Eibeler, a man who's tenure at the helm of the Rockstar parent looks shaky to most industry watchers.
Thompson has already penned a showdown letter to the Take 2 boss, 'leaked' overnight to many publications including SPOnG. It reads:
As you know, MediaWatch declared you "America's Worst CEO in 2005." A public relations firm in San Francisco this month called your mishandling of the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas' Hot Coffee sex mod scandal one of the "Ten Worst P.R. Blunders of 2005."
You, Mr. Eibeler, managed, with your managment "skills," to gin up multiple federal investigations, including the ongoing Federal Trade Commission investigation backed by a Resolution of the US House of Representatives by a vote of 355-21. That came on the heels of Take-Two's payment to the SEC of $8 million for accounting fraud.
You were paid $3.3 million in calendar year 2004 for these management skills. What are you now worth? A better question would be: What will you owe shareholders after their derivative lawsuit arising out of your diminution of their share value?
Thompson goes on to deride the appointment of Philadelphia law firm Blank Rome to represent Take-Two in court and lobby congress.
We'll let you know if the dog gets his day in the coming weeks. Keep it locked.
You, Mr. Eibeler, managed, with your managment "skills," to gin up multiple federal investigations, including the ongoing Federal Trade Commission investigation backed by a Resolution of the US House of Representatives by a vote of 355-21. That came on the heels of Take-Two's payment to the SEC of $8 million for accounting fraud.
You were paid $3.3 million in calendar year 2004 for these management skills. What are you now worth? A better question would be: What will you owe shareholders after their derivative lawsuit arising out of your diminution of their share value?
Thompson goes on to deride the appointment of Philadelphia law firm Blank Rome to represent Take-Two in court and lobby congress.
...Now Blank Rome is being investigated for allegedly improperly securing DHS and DOD contracts for clients.
Blank Rome also, very importantly, managed to lose all motions to dismiss our wrongful death lawsuit in Alabama arising out of a teen's training on Grand Theft Auto. Blank Rome lost those motions to dismiss to a "mentally ill" and "paranoid" lawyer whom your www.rockstargames.com site branded a bisexual pedophile. That would be yours truly. Blank Rome also represented Wal-Mart at that hearing, despite what would appear to be a patent conflict of interest. Please ask your in-house lawyers to explain that to you.
Blank Rome thus managed to deliver to you and to all of us the first time in history that an entertainment copycat violence lawsuit has survived a motion to dismiss. We expect to try this case in 2006. We also expect to take at that trial every single penny Take-Two currently has.
With Blank Rome as the law firm you chose, Mr. Eibeler, that won't be as difficult as you once thought. Nice hire, Paul.
Blank Rome also, very importantly, managed to lose all motions to dismiss our wrongful death lawsuit in Alabama arising out of a teen's training on Grand Theft Auto. Blank Rome lost those motions to dismiss to a "mentally ill" and "paranoid" lawyer whom your www.rockstargames.com site branded a bisexual pedophile. That would be yours truly. Blank Rome also represented Wal-Mart at that hearing, despite what would appear to be a patent conflict of interest. Please ask your in-house lawyers to explain that to you.
Blank Rome thus managed to deliver to you and to all of us the first time in history that an entertainment copycat violence lawsuit has survived a motion to dismiss. We expect to try this case in 2006. We also expect to take at that trial every single penny Take-Two currently has.
With Blank Rome as the law firm you chose, Mr. Eibeler, that won't be as difficult as you once thought. Nice hire, Paul.
We'll let you know if the dog gets his day in the coming weeks. Keep it locked.
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Comments
Joji 26 Dec 2005 23:08
1/1
Should be interesting to see him in meetings. Perhaps this is a blessing in disguise though. It's been clear for ages that Mr Thompson does not understand the games industry or what sells in it.
Perhaps Mr Thompson can find out how The Bully plays before we do and talk to the minds behind it's conception. No matter what crap he might spout about games, he must learn that behind GTA etc are people who have bills to pay and kids to feed on their wages.
We can but hope that he will understand, even if it's a long shot.
Perhaps Mr Thompson can find out how The Bully plays before we do and talk to the minds behind it's conception. No matter what crap he might spout about games, he must learn that behind GTA etc are people who have bills to pay and kids to feed on their wages.
We can but hope that he will understand, even if it's a long shot.