[Heccubus]

Caution Call On Video Game Storm
Thursday, 29 July, 2004

Experts have warned against a knee-jerk reaction after the parents of a murdered teenager blamed his killer's obsession with a violent video game.

The parents of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, who was stabbed in Leicester, have called for the game Manhunt to be banned.

Giselle Pakeerah said her son's confessed killer, Warren Leblanc, 17, had mimicked behaviour in Manhunt.

Industry bodies have said it is wrong to blame the game - which has an 18 certificate - but retailer Dixons has already taken it off the shelves.

Teenage killers

It is not the first time "shoot-em-up" video games have been blamed for triggering a violent response.

Relatives of Columbine High School victims filed a lawsuit against game makers after it was claimed teenage killers Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were influenced by games including Doom.

And German teenager Robert Steinhaeuser, who shot dead 13 teachers and two fellow pupils before turning the gun on himself, was reportedly an avid fan of the game Counter-Strike.

http://news.bbc.co.u.../uk/3936237.stm

Here we go again...

[Emu]

Dude, there's definitely something else wrong there when people can't distinguish between the game and the reality, and you can't blame that on the game. Lots of people play violent video games, but they don't all go killing people.

[Jordan]

They are getting really violent. I remember Mortal Kombat, and all the shit that caused with parents. Now almost every game has blood and guts.


I remember hearing my firends kid brother comment on a Bond game once "it would be cooler if more blood splashed out after you shoot the guy". Fucking psychopath.


Even in my all time favorite game, Warcraft III, when some units die, they explode into 5 femur bones mixed with blood. Stupid stuff.

I'm not sure if it's responsible for killings, but I'm positive that it does not help at all.

[Chefelf]

You've got to love double dipping.

Also, I'm done with video games. I didn't know they could make you kill people!

[Ninja Duck]

How long until Maryln Manson gets blamed?

[Jordan]

After reading a few of your articles on LockerGnome, it's good to see you still hold true to the cocky undertone that lives in all your writings.

This post has been edited by Jordan: 02 August 2004 - 03:22 PM

[Heccubus]

Now almost every game has blood and guts.

You actually couldn't be further from the truth. The majority of games that are released seem to have a "T" rating or lower, which means they're rated as being suitable for anyone under the age of 17. In order to meet this rating, the game cannot have copious amounts of blood, or gore. The problem is that retailers do not properly enforce the ESRB system of rating, and sell "M" (17+) games to minors. There is an Electronics Boutique in Brantford that does card you if you go to buy an "M" rated title and don't look 18, but that's the only store that I know of that actually checks. It's a shame.

[Laura]

Most teenage boys of a certain age and economic class play video games.

Most of these boys also eat junk food, wear expensive designer sneakers and go to school.

So, when's the recall on Fritos, Nike and learning?

[Chefelf]

After reading a few of your articles on LockerGnome, it's good to see you still hold true to the cocky undertone that lives in all your writings.

I think I speak on behalf of Yahtzee, Heccubus and myself when I say, "Thank you."

So, when's the recall on Fritos, Nike and learning?

Exactly. Much like Michael Moore's argument in Bowling for Columbine where he asks why bowling wasn't to blame for their murder spree yet Marilyn Manson is.

[K1NGWARREN]

Ya know, I think there might be something to the argument that video games influence behavior because every time I play pac man I get real hungry.

For ghosts.

[barend]

a few points:
1. Hitler was a vegetarian...
I think we should force all people to meat to prevent WW3

2. Why don't bands endorsed by PEPSI ever get blamed? Korn, Limp Bizcut, Papa Roach, Staind, Linkin Park?

3. Why did the parents allow their kids to play these 18+ games?
THAT'S WHAT THE FUCKING WARNING'S FOR!!!!

4.

And German teenager Robert Steinhaeuser, who shot dead 13 teachers and two fellow pupils before turning the gun on himself, was reportedly an avid fan of the game Counter-Strike.

oh, yeah... I forgot about that last level of the game where you have to kill youself!

[Just your average movie goer]

Ah! So that's why I couldn't finish the damn thing! It's so obvious!

[J m HofMarN]

Ok. Here's my retort to the violent video game theory. Let's say that everyone who goes and shoots a bunch of people in school who probably tormented the fuck out of them has played violent video games. The question arrives when we consider the modus operandi of these attacks. Why use a gun? Is not a sword or dagger or perhaps a hammer or, maybe a chain saw not jsut as easy if not easier to procure? Do these weapons not do just as much damage? Are they not featured in more video games than guns? I have played FF1 (NO GUNS) FF7 (Guns, but mostly melee weapons) SUIKODEN (NO GUNS) KOTOR (NO modern guns) and Unreal Tournament (guns) in the past year. So by my guestimation there are more games without guns than there are games with guns and these games are just as violent. So why don't we have kids spiking their hair and slashing their detractors with oversized meat cleavers? Why don't we have a child who decides to pummel his classmates to death until a voice comes on to say "flawless victory" why don't we have kids who go out and try to dual wield flash lights with crystals stuffed in the front (or tie two flashlights end to end but that's stupid cuz you still take the same two handed penalty and you get fewer slots for crystals, come on I know it looks cool but you're dumb if you use a two hander )

We don't have this occuring because violent video games do not make kids kill people. I think the idea that fighting and agression is "macho" and "cool" that society and especially teenagers enforce is partly to blame. So is the fact that schools are more like gauntlets than learning institutions. Believe me, I've been through them. And then there's the fact that the parents obviously don't bother enough with their children to do silly things like tell them that it's not cool to massacre your school or even put their guns away. And of course the fact that our nation is almost constantly killing people in some part of the world might have something to do with it.

I havn't listened to Marilyn Manson's songs but I don't think that anyone who does is getting suicidal messages from them. If so there wouldn't be so many goths these days. This reminds me of when I heard that REM's "Everybody hurts" was being blamed for a suicide. Yeah, I can imagine that the same people who accused Michael Stipe of causing someone to kill themselves are involved in this campaign. I'm really interested to see how the German media reacted to the killings in their country. I really think what Manson said about Columbine was right on the mark, that people are shifting the blame to scary people like him and Duke Nukem because nice folks in suits like the NRA and the school board and the PTA shouldn't be bothered with stuff like this.

And yeah, the fact that they always kill themselves at the end of the massacre is somewhat telling that it has nothing to do with violent video games. If they were so deeply influenced by the video games than when they were done killing everyone they'd:

A: Check the bodies for health items or ammo or key items.
B: Do a little victory dance
C: Go to a locker and try to save their game before the cop level started.

[barend]

or shoot all the bins....


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Marylin Manson lyrics:
Album 1 'portrait of an american family' (general gist) sociopolitical commentary (very basic, but likeable)

Album 2 - onwards "I'm a rockstar look at me!!!"

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[Chyld]

Everyone plays games.
But not everyone takes said games so literally.
If everyone did, there'd be a case.

'Nuff said.