Infamous anti-game lawyer Jack Thompson has won a court action forcing publisher Take-Two Interactive to provide him with an advanced copy of the game Bully, so that he can judge whether it violates Florida public nuisance laws.
Thompson first made the demands in August (before the game had been previewed by most games media) of both Take-Two and retail chain Wal-Mart. Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Ronald Friedman issued the order yesterday, following Thompson’s description of the game as a “Columbine simulator”.
Thompson has long fixated on the controversial title, despite relatively little being known about its contents until recently. Nevertheless, the provocative name and Take-Two publishing label Rockstar’s reputation have led to calls for the game to be banned in both the U.S and the UK – where the game has been recently been renamed to Canis Canem Edit.
Thompson’s complaints have not been stopped by the revelation that the game has received a relatively mild “T” for Teen rating in the U.S. and a 15+ rating in the UK, in each case being evaluated by the official ratings board for the region.
Thompson claims that he and the judge now plan to watch the game played in its entirety, regardless of the length of time that may take. "My view is that the game potentially impinges on public safety," he said. "I'm pretty sure that the game is harmful to minors."
