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Killing 'incited by video game'

Yes. It's a new low in games.

The premise is a convict (you) is put to death in prison. Somehow, the convict (you) is revived by some bizarre shadowy (god-like? come on) figure called The Director. The convict (you) is then cast in a weird snuff film that is something akin to "The Running Man". Kill or be killed. Use anything handy.

While I find this game abhorrent, the game comes with a M-rating (in the US at least), so supposedly no one can purchase it if they aren't over 18. This would require a parent, and hopefully they would be involved enough to wonder just what the hell they are purchasing.

And if a 17 year old cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality, then the game cannot be solely to blame. Hopefully by the time you hit 17 years of age, you would know the difference between "right & wrong".
 
Blue Velvet said:
News here in the UK.

Within a few hours, some leading retailers announced they would no longer be stocking the game (apparently the only game banned in New Zealand)

Story here:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1271302,00.html

I've never seen this game, let alone played it... has anybody out there played it?
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My roommate had this game. It looked OK, no big deal. When you kill people in it, it changes to a movie type scene, you don't really control it. If anyone relaly thinks someone killed someone because of a video game, I think they are missing the obvious, that the person still has a choice in what they do. Seeing something and doing it are too different things. I really didn't think the game was that over the top from what I saw. As a game, it was grounded within a real story at least, as opposed to fighting games where the object is merely to fight for the sake of it. Those are the games that I think kids are more likely to immitate (I mean, I can remember as a kid trying WWF wrestling moves on my little brother and things like that).

Quote from the article: "I think that I heard some of Warren's friends say that he was obsessed with this game" Hmmm, thank that might be the problem and not the game itself. I think so. If this game never existed, do you really think someone so obivously psychiotic would not have killed someone. What kind of defense is "i saw a guy in a video game bludgeon someone to death, so I thought I'd try it" This wasn't a 7 year old either. This kid was old enough to know exactly what he was doing and the consequences of it. Maybe his parents should have been paying more attention to his interests.
 
When something like this happens in the UK...

... the tabloid press (locally more powerful than the US popular press) tend to jump on the bandwagon, and before you know it...

Questions in Parliament (it's happened about iPod batteries (?!)), moral outrage, kneejerk responses, hurried legislation, etc.
 
Blue Velvet said:
... the tabloid press (locally more powerful than the US popular press) tend to jump on the bandwagon, and before you know it...

Questions in Parliament (it's happened about iPod batteries (?!)), moral outrage, kneejerk responses, hurried legislation, etc.
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Exactly, our wonderful tabloids jump on anything going because they have nothing better to talk about.

No one kills someone because of a video game, end of.
 
Right, it's time to make it clear to the kneejerk chains that they will loose business over this attempt at censorship. If you live in the UK go into your local Dixons and ask for a copy of the game. When they tell you that they won't sell it register your disgust and walk out.

As notes this is really the fault of the parents of the killer. Why did they allow their 17 year old child access to a game that was certified for 18 year olds and above only. It would appear the Rockstar North have taken all responsible steps to ensure that this game is not sold to children. There is obviously a market demand for more adult games and they have filled it. Have we learnt nothing from the past. The same arguments were put forward over the so called "video nasties" in the past.
 
robbieduncan said:
...Why did they allow their 17 year old child access to a game that was certified for 18 year olds and above only.
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Do you think that if he'd been a year older this wouldn't have happened?
 
strider42 said:
Maybe his parents should have been paying more attention to his interests.
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Exactly... unfortunately we're developing a 'pass the buck' culture here in the UK where some parents seemingly don't recognise their social responsibilities as parents, with many being prepared to blame everything their children does on someone or something else ANYTHING other than themselves, whether it be videos, video games or boredom and the well worn "there's nothing for our little Johnny to do on our estate" after the sh*t bag has mugged, stolen or set fire to someone or someone elses property. :rolleyes: :mad:
 
Blue Velvet said:
Do you think that if he'd been a year older this wouldn't have happened?
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That's not the point... we should consider what else these so called parents have allowed him to do in the past to get to 17 years of age and not be able to decipher what is real, and what is a 'game'.
 
Blue Velvet said:
Do you think that if he'd been a year older this wouldn't have happened?
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I understand what you are saying. Unfortunately I would have to say that this guy seems to have been the sort of deranged maniac that would probably have done this sort of thing sooner or later. My point is that, as usual, the parents are trying to claim that someone else is responsible for the actions of their children and disclaim the responsibilities and obligations of parenthood.

I personally find the whole argument to be very suspect. There have been thousands (probably tens of thousands of copies) of this game sold in the UK. There has been exactly 1 murder. That looks like a statistical non-entity. If we were looking at this with out heads instead of our hearts we would say that there is no statistical link between this game and killing.

It's just like Marlyn Manson being blamed for the Columbine shootings.
 
Heyyy... I'm not blaming anything!

Thought it was an interesting piece and wanted to find out whether other Forum Members had played or seen this game...

It's a far too complex argument to air here.
(although Manhunt doesn't sound like my thing...)
 
Blue Velvet said:
Thought it was an interesting piece and wanted to find out whether other Forum Members had played or seen this game...
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I have... but I'm not actually a big fan of these kind of games, I prefer the driver ones. ;)

I'll ask my mum next time I speak to her to see what she thinks, she's a gamer, well versed in all these type of games. :eek: :p parents eh'! :p
 
krimson said:
Really? :eek:
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Yep... she bought a PlayStation 2 last year, after she became addicted to the original PlayStation I gave here a couple of years ago.

She's completed Driver, Driver 2, GTA 3, GTA Vice City, Starsky and Hutch, Max Payne, London Racer 2, The Getaway and Crazy Taxi, all without cheats as well, which is kind of freaky! She says she's going to get Driv3r soon, and I'll probably be buying GTA San Andreas for her Christmas pressie, if it's out by then.

She from the old school as well, having actually owned consoles since the late '70's (Binatone), through the Atari explosion (she still holds the out right Centipede record in our family) heheheh.
 
iGAV said:
Yep... she bought a PlayStation 2 last year, after she became addicted to the original PlayStation I gave here a couple of years ago.

She's completed Driver, Driver 2, GTA 3, GTA Vice City, Starsky and Hutch, Max Payne, London Racer 2, The Getaway and Crazy Taxi, all without cheats as well, which is kind of freaky! She says she's going to get Driv3r soon, and I'll probably be buying GTA San Andreas for her Christmas pressie, if it's out by then.

She from the old school as well, having actually owned consoles since the late '70's (Binatone), through the Atari explosion (she still holds the out right Centipede record in our family) heheheh.
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Pretty cool! I'm amazed she could manage to complete The Getaway. I hated that game. Rubbish controls, bad missions, missing roads and unskippable 30 minute cut scenes. To say it sucked doesn't even cover it!
 
Censorship isn't a good idea. What is needed is parent involvement. When I grew up my parents knew exactly what I was doing at all times.
 
rockstar makes great games. i love killing, robbing, stealing cars, blowing things up. but i dont do that in real life. come one people, for someone to take things in a game and apply it in real life, the game isnt the only problem in their life; maybe the game gave ideas of how to kill, but hey i watch the life style channel to get ideas how to decorate; media influences but its still a choice to act. if your 17 year old cant make a proper choice then im sorry you have failed as parents
 
This is just someone's idea of blaming somebody else for the mistakes they make.

It's typical in the US justice system for the criminal to instantly become a victim and blame somebody else in an effort to reduce the sentence.

Red Rum, Red Rum, the voices/game/tv/preacher/music/etc. made me do it. :rolleyes:
 
robbieduncan said:
Pretty cool! I'm amazed she could manage to complete The Getaway. I hated that game. Rubbish controls, bad missions, missing roads and unskippable 30 minute cut scenes. To say it sucked doesn't even cover it!
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You can skip the scenes... :confused: or that's maybe after you've completed it and play again??? hmmmm.... I shall have to ask her next time I speak to her. I found the cars frustratingly slow with unrealistic handling, but loved the concept all in all. So I understand The Getaway 2 is supposed to incorporate more GTA style stuff, should be tight!

She was a big fan of the original Driver series, and bought a PS2 because of 'The Getaway', her friend lent her a copy of her sons GTA Vice City and she's not looked back.
 
Now i have played that game, and it is preety brutal, and fun i might say, But For someone to go out and do something like that. People have to know its wrong, And besides, How did the kid get the game? and where were the parents? Game companies should not be liable for stuff like this, On the case, it says 18+. Time for the parents to step up to the ball plate
 
Sun Baked said:
This is just someone's idea of blaming somebody else for the mistakes they make.

It's typical in the US justice system for the criminal to instantly become a victim and blame somebody else in an effort to reduce the sentence.

Red Rum, Red Rum, the voices/game/tv/preacher/music/etc. made me do it. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I figure whoever brought up the video game is either planning a run for elected office or is getting a kickback from some plaintiff attorney weasel who wants to sue Rockstar
 
whoever does anything in real life because they did it in a computer game has something wrong with them. is crazy! but we can't refuse to sell games like this to unstable people because besides the odd nervous twitch you can't tell who is mental and who isnt! The only way around it is if we only played games like pong (not bashing it, its class!) where there isnt any level of realism.

WAIT!!! I'm being beaten by my brother! he has a giant plank of wood in his hand!!! PONG IS EVIL!!! IT MADE HIM DO IT!!!!

^see how ridiculous it is to blame computer games? its not like they have a how to kill someone guide in them is it?
 
What I loved was, when they interviewed the mother she said her son and the victim were addicted to the game and spent hours playing it everyday.

"Hhhhmmm, my son is locking himself in his room with a friend who's 3 years younger and they're playing a violent computer game for hours at a time. Yeah, that's pretty normal behaviour, I'm sure it won't have any effect on them."

Why on earth didn't she stop him from playing it if she thought it was wrong. She obvioulsy didn't care what her son was doing until it was too late. I blame the mother in this case, surely if this happened in the US then she would be charged as well. I'm not saying she should be charged but why blame and punish Rockstar when the mother should have realised their was a problem.
 
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