Comments on: Remembering Michael Jackson's video game legacy

While he was best-known for his personal eccentricities, pet monkeys, and legal problems (and some music, too, we suppose), Michael Jackson has a small but important footnote in video game history as well.

[AtheistPeace]

Way to turn this tragedy into click-bait. I'll make sure to tell everyone I know about Digital City.

[fleurya]

If you think it's such a waste, why did you click, then comment, on it??I think the pedophilia comment was a little off since he just died, but the video game actually brought back some good old memories for me! I'm searching for the ROM right now!

[Dan_Ackerman]

Clearly you're not a game-obsessed child of the late '80s/early '90s, otherwise you'd understand the why this is the first thing that jumped into our minds...

[AdmiralJohn]

Yep, because Digital City sure doesn't have a huge article titled "Celebrity Death Rule of Threes: Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon" on their front page.

[What_Wrong_With_The_World]

An Email I sent to the man who forced me to create an account...

"You and I both know what I'm talking about.That article of Michael Jackson,(hours after his passing) had about as much substance as a Sarah Palin speech at a Cocktail Party. So lets just skip the diagnoses of your ill-informed, unintelligent, demonizing article that you unsympathetically SMACKED together and get to the part where you clean off your desk of Rogaine, hair plugs, and family photos of those who are to be embarrassed of any connection to you what-so-ever, (be it blood, sperm or sheer friend-of-the-moron) and turn in your resignation... Watch out for the MJ Fan barrage awaiting you near the exit sign of your building sir."

Idiot - A person of subnormal intelligence... Better put "Dan Ackerman"

[Fil0403]

I do agree the article doesn't have much substance or significance and the writer spends almost more time making pedophilia jokes than talking about the subject, but it's a rightful one, the game does exist and Michael Jackson has just passed away, it makes sense to remember this, even if it's not so meaningful or important to must people.

[nazzer1991]

RIP THE KING OF POP

[bigmikeATL]

Umm....not very funny ckurowic. Anyway, his legacy on so many different industries will be felt forever. May he rest in peace.

[Dan7637]

it was never proved that he fondled children and plus dont you have respect for the dead

[ace10134]

+1 to the comment reply!

[phpdood]

I remember playing this game as a kid...wow flashback.

[toumei64]

video game legacy? lol

[kaibelf]

The legacy was an artist appearing and licensing their original music in a game. He was one of the first big stars to do it.

[viper396]

Despite all his strange and ecccentric behaviour no one can deny that Michael Jackson was a very talented entertainer. He pretty much defined the 80's and has a guaranteed place in history. Whether you want to admit it or not, probable everyone has heard his music.

[sergioju]

Have a little more respect!!! He just died! Plus, not saying that he didn't do any of that stuff but he was never convicted...

[fat_seth]

Whatever, Just because he is dead does not mean you can erase those he touched, Emotionaly and Physicaly. Plus those games were absolute garbage.

[play7]

Off topic please try again.......


He was the best PERIOD

[kaibelf]

I agree. Let's not .... whitewash.... the truth. Play7 reminds me of that stupid woman releasing doves into the sky during the verdicts when he got off the hook for his kiddie-pumping trial.

[Button Boy]

I'm sure he is v/ v/ warm and anchored now.

[Mrgandi]

i had this game.
good times.

[Yaroof]

Bad news article on Cnet.com

[davviau]

Wow I had totally forgotten about the Moonwalker game. I never owned, only rented it from the local video store. It was fun for the time that I rented it.

[JUARIT0S]

I played this game all the time, I thought it was fun. Never thought Michael Jackson was the sanest person in the world, but as far as music goes he was far above the rest. I was one who thought he might have been guilty of some things, but I will always have my doubts, plus the people taking him to court for it were very shady, especially the mother of the kid. I don't know, I just think it was totally unnecessary to make fun of the guy on the same day he died.

This is absolutely terrible the man just died! He Has done so many things for music and dance... He over came so many things to get to where he was... My prayers and thoughts go out to his kids, siblings and mother... We will miss our King of Pop. Rest (finally) In Peace Micheal. You will never be forgotten.
I normally like Dan Ackerman as he was truly helpful in my search for a new laptop....

too soon Ackerman too soon

[epex2]

This article written by Dan Ackerman has an entirely inappropriate tone to it given that Michael Jackson died only hours before it was written. Thousands of people all over the world over are hurting because of Michael's death, and it was inappropriate to both minimize his remembrance to only the negative or strange parts of his life (1st paragraph) and to imply that children on the whole were harmed by him (3rd paragraph).

Further, the first statement is simply factually incorrect: while Michael may be known for what was mentioned, he was also as well known for his talent, and certainly better known for his talent than for his chimp. In addition, the second statement wrongly implies as fact that Michael harmed children (the truth of the matter is unknowable given current knowledge); It also belies the good that Michael did for many children around the world

I get that Dan was trying to be humorous and I understand the context, but when writing as the employee of a company, he has a responsibility not to publicly joke about someone who just died and who meant a great deal to many people. It's in bad taste and generates negative press for CNET.

Dan's comment in the comment section also demonstrates a basic lack of communication skills: just because something quickly jumps to one's mind, doesn't make it appropriate to say or write (again, especially in his capacity as an employee of CNET)

For the record, while I like and respect Michael Jackson, I'm not a "huge fan" or anything like that, so my feedback should not be viewed as the reactions of an overzealous fan. I'm simply a decent person who feels bad that someone has died.

It is my sincere hope that this article is quickly modified, and I will draw attention to it until it is.

[JUARIT0S]

Agree 100% percent.

[cp256]

I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but I strongly disagree with epex2. MJ was as strange of a flake as you're likely to see in a celebrity and that makes him fair game and anything goes. I don't care how big of a talent he was, he was waaaay waaaay out there. I was almost surprised that some alien ship didn't land on the roof of the hospital to claim the body.

[umbrae]

"I was almost surprised that some alien ship didn't land on the roof of the hospital to claim the body."

That is because MIB used their Neuralyzers to wipe the memory when they came in to claim Agent M.

[EbsanU]

Haha, I would've had a blast playing this

[Slappyjigg]

I've got to agree with other people who've posted on this article. I understand that going back and playing a lot of these games would be hilarious in their own right, and it's perfectly fine to poke fun at them, but to have this kind of rhetoric on a person who's impacted many people's lives in one way or another and on the same day this person dies was just out of taste. Cnet's journalists are normally very professional but still manage to poke fun at issues on the off-beat, but I couldn't help but feel like an immature high-school kid who gets a kick out of bullying people wrote this article. I feel it wasn't in good taste at all.

[Pencreus]

Wow what a joke. So not only does this site lag terribly behind (see Pioneer article above about iPod integration) but it employees careless writers, who lack any journalistic (if that what he calls himself) sympathy. I for one will never revisit this site, my bookmark has been deleted. If you want to read a better written blog about Michael Jackson's video game history visit Kotaku... as a matter of fact, if you want read up to date, more insightful blogs, go anywhere but here. Engadget and Gizmodo come to mind. 3 page symposiums about PMP aren't fun to read, and are more verbose than college textbooks. I would have expected this from the likes of Ebaums... but not CNET... see now you're relegated to the Jerry Springer status of websites (only with deeper pockets) to me and Im sure many others.

[jlopezcnet]

I only remember Space Channel 5. The first iteration was only a likeness of Michael. When they made Space Channel 5 Episode 2, it actually WAS Michael that shows up. That was exciting for me and a MUST have. I couldn't find that game anywhere because it was mostly sold in Japan on the Dreamcast.

Thankfully Sega republished it on PS2 and I have it! We will miss you Michael!