Electronic Arts has declined Jack Thompson’s offer of assistance with its Take-Two buyout efforts, saying that working with him in any capacity would be “impossible.”
Thompson offered his assistance with EA’s attempted buyout of Take-Two earlier in the week, saying he would be “delighted to work with Electronic Arts to evict the Zelnick Trojan Horse” from Take-Two. According to a GamesIndustry report, however, EA rejected the idea via email.
“In response to your offer to assist in the proposed acquisition of Take-Two, we would strongly prefer that you not get involved in this matter,” wrote Mariam Sughayer, EA’s senior manager of corporate communications. “EA is a strong supporter of creative freedom for game developers. We feel that your past statements – including false claims about content in our games – make any collaboration with you impossible.”
In 2005, Thompson accused The Sims 2 of containing “full frontal nudity, including nipples, penises, labia and pubic hair,” and said EA “collaborates, in every sense of the word, with the modders to put this material into the hands of consumers, many of whom are children.” EA dismissed Thompson’s allegations as nonsense, saying the blur effect on naked Sims was in place for humorous effect, and that no anatomical detail was present in the game.
Thompson reacted to EA’s rejection in an email sent to GamePolitics, in which he wrote, “That’s fine. Then I’ll be involved at the Take-Two shareholders meeting. Oh, and EA’s improper collaboration with the modders of the Sims was and is absolutely correct.”
