'Most Violent Game Ever' Causes Boy to Kill Friend (Here we go again)

[Munday's Chylde]

I'm someone who never plays games on my PC and occasionally borrows a console from a mate... but I still disagree with Mundays' point back there, people aren't overreacting here at all.

Even if a 17 year old clearly said "Yes, I played this game, and it made me want to hammer my mate's eyes out... so I did", then the answer is not to ban the game or similar games. These things are going to happen once every few years. That's a bit of a controversial view, I know, but what else are you going to do? Ban the game and games like it?

I wouldn't suggest that people are over-reacting. What I thought was a bit iffy was the attitude that first came out on this thread which was categorically stating that a computer game cannot be responsible and cannot cause harm when I was suggesting that the posibility exists that it can and it does. That's not to say that I believe they should be banned - that's a different matter altogether and besides such action should only be considered if we know that they're dangerous. We don't. We know neither way. As much as I don't like hearing people stating as fact that they aren't I don't particularly like people stating as fact that they are. It's just a useless argument. What would be more beneficial would be to investigate the effects. Studies used to be done on the effect of television and films on attitudes to violence, I believe some early studies have also been done on video games but games have moved on to such a degree these days that these studies need looking at again. Of course people are right to lambast the daily mail - that papers just as (if not more) guilty of wild assumptions and yes I too was miffed with the brian masters article because he's a professional who clearly wrote an article unsubstantiated by research (he'd clearly never even seen the game). The main thing I think I was saying was that I think it's perfectly reasonable to pick apart some of the medias reaction to the game and what happened but if you do so then do it with some credit and don't nullify your argument by drawing equally unproven conclusions yourself. Unfortunately there is such a strong 'anti-media' stance on this site, there are always has been, that a lot of us end up as biased and judgemental as the people we attack.

[theantileague]

I think the mass media still see computer and video games as somewhat of a mystery - their articles made up of half-truths, twisted logic and sly wordage - in an effort to make them sound knowledgable thus lending the articles some degree of validity.  Anyone remember a few years ago, when the Daily Mail published a 'disturbing' story of a toddler who played computer games and made him more aggressive and shout at the screen? It was on TV also. Turns out that tha game in question was Goldeneye. A game that no toddler could even begin to fathom out, let alone run voilent rampages through. The kid was still in nappies and sucking it's dummy for fucks sake! The Daily Mail published the article alongside a picture of a demonic looking child with a Playstation controller in hand. Hmm.

Not sure of that makes sense. I hope it does. I get frustrated with this type of scapegoat journalism. "Sooper Marilio killed my son!!!!!

I've got an article in my Sega Pro upstairs relating to game censorship and Nighttrap. Let's see if I can scan the bugger. Be back soon.

Is this story mentioned on the interweb Bollock Chops? Linky?

Yeah I remember that story. wasn't Goldeneye a 15 rating anyway? The parents just shouldn't have let the little kid play on it if he was too young before going to the bloody media about it. Certification IS there for a reason

[chand]

Unfortunately there is such a strong 'anti-media' stance on this site, there are always has been, that a lot of us end up as biased and judgemental as the people we attack.

Perhaps some of us do take it too far, but I will state that a million people don't buy my newspaper every day and take my views as a fact. The media has a job to do in reporting the facts, whereas I'm just an internet gobshite. :)

[Minty]

Not sure if anyone has seen this, but quel surprise...

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3918

I wonder if they'll apologise ?

[Elastic Spastic Shashlik]

Nice to see that most threads on this board are still descending into pointless arguments. It's been a while since I've been here. Now, with a new username 'cuz I forgot my password, I return to find it just as I'd left it!

Games don't *make* you do anything. They could influence you to kill only if you already have a screw loose. But should the rest of us have to suffer censorship just because there are nutters out there who can't differentiate between fantasy and reality? Fuck, no.

And what was a 15-year-old kid (who must have shown signs of being a bit tapped) doing with a Cert 18 game anyway?

[El Unicornio, mang]

And what was a 15-year-old kid (who must have shown signs of being a bit tapped) doing with a Cert 18 game anyway?

True, although I think most of us here had seen 18-cert films by the time we were 15.

[gazzyk1ns]

Nice to see that most threads on this board are still descending into pointless arguments.

...

...the rest of the post

Heh, don't be so quick to slag off "most threads" if you're going to post several things which have already been said in the same thread, multiple times, and in a lot more detail too... :frindly winky:

Who were you before then?

[chand]

Not sure if anyone has seen this, but quel surprise...

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?section_name=pub&aid=3918

I wonder if they'll apologise ?

Wow, that's interesting, can't find that story on any other sites though, just games ones.

Equally predictably, 'Manhunt' starts selling by the shitload.

[qki]

It's on the BBC as well now:

Police reject game link to murder

Look out for it tomorrow at the bottom of page 35 in the Daily Mail...

[Bollock Chops]

I wonder if he had Manhunt:

(CNN) -- Authorities in Deltona, Florida, have arrested and charged four people in the killings of six people in a rental home, Volusia County's sheriff said Sunday.

Sheriff Ben Johnson said the murder was organized by a man who was angry because he believed his Xbox video game system and some clothes had been stolen.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/South/08/08/bodies.found/index.html

[thisissi]

The police confirmed that the game Manhunt was found in the victim's bedroom, not the murderer's in the Guardian on Saturday.

Still, that's not what's important is it?

[chand]

That still hasn't been reported in the Mail, btw, who have maintained a stony silence since those 3 days of outrage. Makes me wonder what other outrageous stories had unreported post-scripts, how many accused murderers were found innocent but you were never told about it.

As I understand it, the killer's parents claim that he had lent the game to his victim. Either way, the statement by the police accompanying it, which also stated their firm belief that the game was not a factor and that the motive was robbery, might have been worth reporting. You'd think. To be fair though, they did need to leave space for such illuminating stories as 'FARIA: SVEN WAS A MASTER OF LOVE', which would have affected the amount of space they had left for printing, like, news and stuff.

[Purple Tentacle]

I got Manhunt on the PC last night.... in all fairness, it IS probably the most violent computer game I've ever played.... it made me feel quite sick until I got desensitised to it, and it gave me nightmares.

Good fun though, looking forward to playing it again after work.


Ms_Tentacle was playing Luigi's Mansion at the same time, and she tried to attack me with a hoover.

[TotalNightmare]

THE END??

Last Updated: Friday, 3 September, 2004, 13:14 GMT 14:14 UK  

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Teenage murderer gets life term


Leblanc armed himself with a claw hammer and a knife
A youth who stabbed and battered a boy of 14 to death has been jailed for life.
Warren Leblanc, 17, admitted the murder of Stefan Pakeerah in a Leicester park in February.

On Friday, Judge Michael Stokes at Leicester Crown Court said Leblanc should serve a minimum of 13 years.

Stefan's parents believed Leblanc was obsessed with a violent computer game called Manhunt, but police insisted the motive was robbery.


Leblanc lured his younger victim to an area known as The Dumps in Stokes Wood Park before attacking him, on 26 February.

 You and you alone were responsible for this prolonged, vicious and murderous attack

Judge Michael Stokes  
The victim was left with at least 50 separate injuries to his body caused by his attacker, the court was told.

Stefan's mother, Giselle, left court as the details of her son's murder were read out.

Roderick Price QC, defending, said Leblanc had been motivated by fear of a gang to whom he owed a small amount of money.

He said at first the 17-year-old had only intended to overpower the young boy and use the hammer to stun him.

Judge Stokes, sentencing Leblanc, said: "You have committed a truly appalling crime.

"You have taken the life of a 14-year-old boy in a most brutal fashion.

"I do not pretend to know or understand what prompted you to behave as you did.

"One thing is clear; you and you alone were responsible for this prolonged, vicious and murderous attack on someone who thought of you as a friend."

(at least the Judge doesnt jump on the Bandwagon at the end?)

[VegaLA]

Three juveniles have been charged as adults with first-degree intentional homicide in the brutal beating of a homeless man that one of the boys compared to the violent video game "Grand Theft Auto." Without going into graphic detail, the 3 kids beat a homeless man to death and will no doubt be using the "GTA made me do it" line in their defense. Of course, we'll see the politicians and do-gooders jump on the bandwagon and there will be a backlash (once again) against the gaming world.

Full story..... HERE...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/oct04/267967.asp

[Purple Tentacle]

Oh. no. This is the LAST thing Rockstar need just before the release of San Andreas.

How WILL they cope with all this publicity? I can't imagine.