Here we go again...

[Pixie Pete]

Computer games being linked to violence in the news again. This time (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3104892.stm) it's the Grand Theft Auto series being questioned. Once again, the shootings have occured in America.

It does seem like the boys were influenced by the games, but I always see the problem with how a 16 and 14 year old could get hold of firearms in the first place. :)

Discuss - if anyone feels like it :P

[edit]

Just noticed this at the end of the article:


Last month, a 14-year-old boy in southern Ohio stabbed his aunt to death, possibly while sleepwalking. Just hours earlier, he had been playing a game called Diablo. It is "hugely significant," Mr Thompson said.

This example, I find the link slightly more tenuous. ;)

[Dash]

Being able to bully the game developers is easy.

Asking how somebody aged 14 managed to get a 18 rated game, and a weapon in the first place is the question.

The publishers clearly show that the games are not suitable for these ages. If they get hold of them and something like this happens then perhaps you should sue the parents for being useless, or the shop who sold it to them.

[Norphy]

It could be argued that you have to be pretty screwed up in the head not to be able to tell the difference between shooting someone in a virtual setting on a 21" television with a simulated weapon and getting hold of a real semi-automatic rifle and shooting up some cars and killing people for real.

Chances are, anyone this screwed in the head is going to do something bad with or without computer games.

[Seamus]

I think the publishers of the game have said that the people who commit thier crimes must be held accountable because they are in control over what they are doing.

This is just a blatent attempt to cast the blame elsewhere so they can tell their mates they got away with murder (no pun intended). :(

Seamus :afro:

[Custodian]

[1] it is all bollox. the only people who can be held in any way responsible for the actions of kids, apart from themselves, is the parents. like all bad parents they look for a scapegoat.

[2] it is all about money. the family, like all good americans, can see a way of getting lots of money out of this tragedy by taking someone to court. who better than a very rich games company

and they say the west is civilized

[Seamus]

Mr Thompson said he will file his petition in Tennessee soon, and that he hopes to have a result by this time next year. He said he hoped that punitive damages "in eight figures" would be ordered.

That's got to be a joke surely?

It goes to show that the Americans will look for a scapegoat as quickly as they can and make some money out of it. :angry:

Disgraceful. :mad:

[Blood_God]

Originally posted by Dash
Asking how somebody aged 14 managed to get a 18 rated game, and a weapon in the first place is the question.

Games in america don't get the same certifcation standards as over here, over there any one can go and buy GTA since its rated M for Mature but its a voluntary thing (similar to the ELSPA ratings you'll find on games over here).

The gun on the other hand, is where the real concern should lie... and why blame the games makers when the parents have clearly given them the opportunity to get hold of weapons.

[[COMIX]VaMpIrE]

For a long long time it was books (at one point if someone not of noble birth was caught with a book it was death)
Then rock music on to the beetles to heavy metal
(we played X record backwards and it said we must kill the pope!!!)
From there everyone moved there attention to films (remember natural born killers?)
Now we have games.

what ever the medium there will always be some arse there to use it as a get out of jail free card

[Joga]

Few months time:

After reading the wireplay forums my son killed his father with a spoon. I BLAME PIXIE_PETE.

you and your poking badgers with spoons :x

[Pixie Pete]

:laugh:

Well, I am a bad influence ;(

...

That last quote in mine though I find absolutely hilarious. How the hell can someone playing Diablo - where you kill zombies and other undead creatures be linked to stabbing your aunt while sleepwalking?

And the only link I can see they have there is that he had been playing it "hours earlier."

Laughable.

[Seamus]

:laugh:

I think we sent the criminals off to the wrong continent 300 years ago, I'm pretty damn sure they went to America instead. :E

[Blood_God]

Nah. The criminals went to Australia and developed skills in every sport that we could ever hope to invent so they could defeat us in it.

America was where all the nutters who didn't fit into society went.

[Seamus]

Ahh, no wonder George Michael fits in well then :O :laugh:

I could give you one sport Australians are crap at - snooker. :D

Heheh

[Blood_God]

Very true... and another one, darts (although they'll probably still give it a go since it involves drinking).