This man Jack Thompson does not stop his feuds with Rockstar and now that Rockstar's games have broaden and will be released on Nintendo consoles he is trying to convince Wendy's that the Wii promotion is supporting this game (Manhunt 2) if the promotion isn't cancelled with the reasons he has stated.

It's been another interesting day in the world which Jack Thompson lives. After burning through his fifteen minutes of fame regarding the VA Tech shooting, settling out of court with Take-Two, and with disciplinary actions pending at the Florida Bar, one would tend to think that maybe the game industry would be getting a reprieve from Thompson's attacks. Of course, this IS Jack Thompson we're talking about.

The latest target of Thompson's furor is none other than the Wendy's fast food restaurants, specifically the recent line of Wii-related toys the company will be giving away with its Kids' Meals. Why is Thompson venting about these toys? Because of Take-Two's upcoming Wii version of Manhunt 2. No, Wendy's isn't going to be dishing out garrotes or scalpels for kids to reenact scenes from Manhunt 2. The toys will instead feature classics like Mario, Excite Truck, Wii Sports, and the Wii remote. Thompson, though, believes that simply by associating itself with the Wii, Wendy's is directly supporting Manhunt 2.

Of course, you don't need us to try and explain Thompson's reasoning. He was kind enough to email Game Almighty a copy of the letter he sent to Wendy's CEO Kerri Anderson:

Dear Mrs. Anderson:

I should like to alert you to the inappropriateness of the above upcoming promotion at Wendy’s, in light of the below information.

On July 10, an extremely violent video game will be released for “play” on Nintendo’s kid-friendly Wii game platform. It is called Manhunt 2. It will feature, according to video game news sites, be headings with hatchets, bludgeoning with baseball bats, the jamming of syringes into eyeballs, cutting opponents’ testicles off, and “environmental [sic] kills” in which common objects in the field of vision, such as electrical cords to strangle victims. I attach news reports in these regards.

What makes this Nintendo Wii game all the more troubling is the nature of Wii platform itself. Instead of holding in one’s hand the typical game controller, the player holds motion capture devices, so that by moving one’s hands and limbs one is actually acting out with one’s own body the violent behavior. The American Psychological Association in August 2005 found a direct causal link between the play of violent video games and increased adolescent and teen aggression. One pro-video game industry site is referring to Manhunt 2 as a “true murder simulator” when played on Wii.

A dear friend of mine worked for Wendy’s and with Dave Thomas closely for years. From that I know that Dave Thomas never would have tolerated the use of Wendy’s good name to promote Nintendo’s Wii, not with this game available on the Wii platform.

Please cancel the Wii Kids’ Meal promotion immediately.

Regards, Jack Thompson

So far, there's been no word on Wendy's planning to cancel the upcoming Wii promotion. No word on whether or not Thompson plans to try and sue if the promotion goes forward, though the lawyer already seems to be skating dangerously close to violating the terms of his recent court settlement with Take-Two. As for Manhunt 2, it's still scheduled to ship to stores this July on the PS2, PSP, and yes … the Nintendo Wii. We'll keep following this story for any further developments.

ITANI via gamealmighty.com »