Game blamed for murder.

[qckbeam]

Manhunt was a fun game for those moments when you just need a quick little breather from everyday life- the gaming equivalent of a half-hour television show, rather than a feature length film. It was full of violence, twisted characters, bad language, and all that jazz but lets be honest with ourselves, it's all make believe. Hell, some of the things I've seen on CNN beat it in the sheer violence factor. The fact of the matter is that humans are pretty violent by nature. We've found plenty of reasons to get down and dirty with brutality before; our history is soaked with blood which was drawn without the help of games, or music, or movies, or any media at all for that matter. Most people have violent persuasions and some, like this fellow, take them up. It has nothing to do with games and those that say it does are lying to themselves- lying because they are afraid that the true solution to the problem is much more complicated than calling for a simple ban. I think some people are afraid to admit that violence is a sort of seed in all humans, and that no matter what you do, it'll sprout inside some of us like a big, bloody Redwood.

 

[thehunter1320]

|: not again.. how stupid do people get

we're human in the 21st century... you think we'll get any smarter?

 

[Someone]

out of curiosity how many of you who have said they played Manhunt arent old enough to legally buy it?

36 here so I'm twice as old heh, but I was wondering that same thing.

 

[Dalamari]

It's the parents fault for not telling the kid "If you ever do anything illegal, your ass is sittin' in jail."

 

[JonTheCanuck]

this is as stupid as blaiming super soaker for a shooting or a water balloon company for someone throwing a hand grenade at u

 

[CptStern]

I played it, beat it, and liked it. I'm 15. The games death animations are extremely unrealistic, for instance you can "saw" off someones head through their neck with a wire in very little time (then you can through their head at walls and enemies to distract them). Anyone who would take it seriously is stupid. The game has great, suspensful stealth mechanics and very fun firefights. Some people are just too ignorant and immature to play games like this, and it can make an impression on them. But this guy was 17 years old, I doubt the game had anything to do with the killing. He acted completely on his own for his own reasons.

And as far as violence goes, the game doesn't hold a candle to movies like Kill Bill (great movie). Sure it's over the top and somewhat silly, but no game, except for maybe Postal, is even close to being as controversial as many movies.

how did you purchase the game? did a parent buy it for you? Wasn't Kill Bill rated R? I'm not singling you out I'm just trying to point out that censor groups are quick to point out that the current rating system isnt doing anything to deter young people from buying what they deem as inappropriate. So if they cant regulate the sale of questionable content to minors they'll push for censorship of content or outright banning. Which one do you think is the likely outcome?

 

[SubKamran]

how did you purchase the game? did a parent buy it for you? Wasn't Kill Bill rated R? I'm not singling you out I'm just trying to point out that censor groups are quick to point out that the current rating system isnt doing anything to deter young people from buying what they deem as inappropriate. So if they cant regulate the sale of questionable content to minors they'll push for censorship of content or outright banning. Which one do you think is the likely outcome?

Probably bought it off the net like I do

 

[CptStern]

Probably bought it off the net like I do

what about a credit card?

 

[Doppelgofer]

i'm 17 aswell.....just walked right into the store and bought it with no hastle

to be honest, the death scenes aren't nothing what people make them out to be...sure theyre pretty nasty but the graphics aren't amazingly brilliant enough for them to be taken seriously

thats all the media and parents ever do anyhow...the kid did something extremely violent...can't figure out why he'd do it...i think he used to play video games...yes ....yes lets blame it on that

whats for tea mother?

why have you got blood all over your t-shirt?

i pood my pants

let us eat cookies then

 

[MrWhite]

Okay okay, it's the kids fault and the game probablu triggered it. The game is violent and while playing it, urges of voilence do come.... only... they come in the game, not in reality.

It's the parent's fault.


However... playing Harvest Moon did make me want to farm really bad.

Is that a bad thing?

I've been playing violent games my whole life and there is no way I would ever kill someone unless the situation, such as, self defense called for it. Maybe if there were three psychopaths with knives trying to kill me I'd kill in self defense for the only reason of survival, not for enjoyment or otherwise (I can't possibly imagine someone getting pleasure out of ending another human being's life), but I'd never do anyhting like lure a kid into the woods and kill him with a hammer.

It's obvious if the kid was obsessed with the game and talked about it alot his parents should have gotten the hint that he had problems

 

[The Mullinator]

Okay okay, it's the kids fault and the game probablu triggered it. The game is violent and while playing it, urges of voilence do come.... only... they come in the game, not in reality.

It's the parent's fault.


However... playing Harvest Moon did make me want to farm really bad.

Is that a bad thing?

I've been playing violent games my whole life and there is no way I would ever kill someone unless the situation, such as, self defense called for it. Maybe if there were three psychopaths with knives trying to kill me I'd kill in self defense for the only reason of survival, not for enjoyment or otherwise (I can't possibly imagine someone getting pleasure out of ending another human being's life), but I'd never do anyhting like lure a kid into the woods and kill him with a hammer.

It's obvious if the kid was obsessed with the game and talked about it alot his parents should have gotten the hint that he had problems

Saddly people are becomming acustomed to trying to place the blame on everyone but themselves. I'm not sure how this trend can be reversed though aside from ensuring that courts, law, and society in general doesn't make it so easy for people to place the blame on others.

OT: heh, I love Harvest Moon. Such an addicting game.

 

[yadalogo]

LOL, i remember when i was young and my mom took me to the mall and i bought a game called Army Men (u know those little plastic soldiers) my mom made me promise that i under stood what i saw in the game isnt real life and shouldnt be mimiced, haha

 

[Roland Deschain]

I just remind everybody that in the German version of Half-Life all of the soldiers were robots and when I leared that the actual version had human soldiers I felt like hurting that censor guy who thought that killing robots is a good way to play Half-Life.

 

[RakuraiTenjin]

Wow. New Zealand's heading into something frightening.. they actually BANNED it. What's next NZ, book burnings?

 

[smwScott]

how did you purchase the game? did a parent buy it for you? Wasn't Kill Bill rated R? I'm not singling you out I'm just trying to point out that censor groups are quick to point out that the current rating system isnt doing anything to deter young people from buying what they deem as inappropriate. So if they cant regulate the sale of questionable content to minors they'll push for censorship of content or outright banning. Which one do you think is the likely outcome?

I purchased the game and the movie (which yes, is definitely rated R, the final fight had to be put in black and white so it wouldn't be NC-17) from separate stores by myself. I often do this, but in all fairness I look a lot older than I am. In order to see Kill Bill in theatres me and my friends just bought tickets to something else and walked in, not a big deal. The thing is the government can't regulate whether or not games or movies are sold to minors. It all depends on the store policy and more importantly the clerk behind the desk.

But to say that people under 18 shouldn't be allowed to see such movies or play such games is pretty extreme. My favorite movies include Pulp Fiction, Scarface, and Resevoir Dogs. Where I live I don't know anyone who's parents regulate at all what they play or see. It isn't a big deal, and I do not believe media alone could provoke a murder. There are always many other motivating factors for killing a person. Anyone who would even entertain the idea of carrying on a GTA style rampage is at least somewhat insane to begin with, and would have probably blown up anyway.

 

[kirovman]

They should ban it, not because it instigated violence, but because it's a poor game.

 

[Raxxman]

yeah, while we're banning it, I feel that pink shirts make me want to kill. So lets ban them. And Britney Spears...

While we're at it, lets lock everyone away with a rabid badger dangling over their heads ready to pounce at a moments notice if they have a naughty thought.

I think its kinda funny cause a lot of the people who scream 'Ban video games' are also the people who scream 'You can't take away my rights'

 

[Venmoch]

The stores should also hold much more tests for age though. If your buying an 18 game and you look under 21 they should ask you for ID. Much like Pubs and Clubs do.

Problem comes from the kid going "Hey Mum I want to buy GTA 3!" The parent should look over the case to make sure what the content is. Or even look through the boxes he/she has while he/she is out just to make sure none have slipped through the net. The other problem is that Parents usually get irritated when a shop goes "I'm sorry your son/daughter is too young for this game" and then hold a sissy fit and buy it themselves.

And then blame the shop for selling their son violent games. I mean WTF?

 

[-TaNaKa-]

LoL , banning a game anyway is stupid to me. But yeah, that dude who did it must really be fu*cked up in his mind.

Anyway, its just a game and its fun to do things you would never do for real, you can say these games causes violance behaviour, but isnt it possible that games like this can decrease violance behaviour? I mean if you feel like killing someone, think twice, and play manhunt, and im sure your lust to kill will decrease. ( oh the poor english )

Im gonna rent Manhunt these weekend by the way. Im really interested at the moment, i hope its fun for a couple days

 

[el Chi]

Guns don't kill people; gamers do.

If something goes wrong and threatens something you love, often people will look for a scapegoat. Games are just too convenient.
Kage's comment on the first page sums it up. If these people are imbalanced already, for whatever reason, then perhaps gaming might tip them over the edge. However I don't think it can create killers.

 

[Kyorisu]

Guns don't kill people; gamers do.

If something goes wrong and threatens something you love, often people will look for a scapegoat. Games are just too convenient.
Kage's comment on the first page sums it up. If these people are imbalanced already, for whatever reason, then perhaps gaming might tip them over the edge. However I don't think it can create killers.

I concur, Games alone cannot be enough of a Catalyst to trigger a human to kill another.

 

[KagePrototype]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1145259,00.html

Argh. I hate it when this sort of thing happens.

 

[CptStern]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1145259,00.html

Argh. I hate it when this sort of thing happens.

So if they cant regulate the sale of questionable content to minors they'll push for censorship of content or outright banning.

10 character limit thingy, btw why are you highlighting this?

 

[Raxxman]

The prosecution said Leblanc had planned to rob his younger friend to help repay a drugs debt.

If he was obsessed by it, it could well be that the boundaries for him became quite hazy.

yeah hazy why? Oh right, drugs..

 

[IchI]

"Simply being in someone's possession does not and should not lead to the conclusion that a game is responsible for these tragic events."

Well said, Its the same as when Marilyn Manson was held responsable for the columbine shotting where 2 goths went around there school shotting everyone.

Its pathetic, Games don't kill people. People kill people.

 

[Dedatorv]

It could be a few things. Two of the main points being 1.) Parents. 2.)Crazy, Mentally disturbed.

The parents probably know that it is infact their fault. While on the other hand they do not want to admit that they screwed up in raising/teaching the kid, not spending enough time with him, not watching what he does or who he hangs out with, so what do you do? Blame it on something else. Columbine is another example of this, they tried to blame it on Marilyn Manson for the shootings, when in reality the parents should have paid attention to their kids and watch what they do, who they hang out with. Instead they decided to ignore their kids and let them play with guns.

Another possibility could be the kid was infact crazy or mentally disturbed. Anyone remember back some years ago when that 11 or 12 year old kid try to do wrestling moves on his little cousin? He ended up killing her by trying to do some of the stuff on TV. The kid ended up actually having some mental retardation and thats why he couldnt tell real from fake.

Only if gamestores actually enforced the game ratings this kind of stuff would not occur. It would be directly the parents fault.

 

[CptStern]

yes ...parent groups dont want that to happen ...why go after the parent when what they really want is censorship of material that they see is "inappropriate", they sure as hell dont want parenthood regulated. They tried to ban the Beatles, they tried to ban Elvis, they tried to ban Catcher in the Rye (book) ...they will never go away until there is nothing left to ban

 

[Kyorisu]

"There is some connection between the game and what he has done."

So if I go running around yelling Firaga and lighting people on Fire, and then trying to bring them back to life by yelling Life 2. Will they ban Final Fantasy?

However, most scientific studies have failed to show clear links between video games and violence.

So you have no proof what so ever?

 

[spookymooky]

Well, IVe never played this game. Im 15 (16 in October), and Im not allowed to play m-rated games, or even *gasp* watch pg-13 movies unless my mom okays them. Of course every chance I get I got behind her backm and play at friends' houses, and lie about what movie im going to, and stuff. I personally dont see what the big deal is, and my mom by banning them, is simply driving me away. I now dont feel the slightest bit of guilt lying to her and sneaking around behind her back.

 

[Kyorisu]

As said earlier the problem is deeper than just games. I've played Manhunt and I'm 15. I played maybe 3 levels before uninstalling it and never playing again. (Tis a really boring game. Run...Kill..***n...etc)

Quoted From the Simpsons

There was violence hundreds of years before cartoons where invented.

 

[Rocketman9mm]

he killed the kid with a hammer eh? why aren't bob Vila instructional tapes being blamed? they show him hitting things hard with a hammer!

my god, give me a break. there are a thousand ways to kill someone, all of which have been employed long before video games even existed. of course a claw hammer could kill someone, it doesn't take a game to point that out to a 17 year old person. That **** was just a cold blooded killer, who could have used any number of ways to do what he wanted.

why don't we ban something that REALLY DOES impair your own ability to control yourself like alcohol, that kills way more people then video games ever will. OH but wait, we can't do that, adults enjoy it too much, so lets find the easiest scapegoat to blame to make us feel better!

 

[Rocketman9mm]

Video games makign kids think killing is ok is crap. First, kids don't live in caves so they get lots more info about how society works from everything and one around them.

I'm 21 now, and have been playing violent video games and watching violent movies my whole life, and I still feel bad when I accidentally step on a snail. I'll dodge the snails walking up to my front porch then go in and start blowing the heads off enemies in day of defeat and cs.

I feel so sorry for teens who still arent' allowed to view graphic material because their paranoid parents are afraid to (borrow from cartman) "traumatize their fragile little minds).

 

[CptStern]

Video games makign kids think killing is ok is crap. First, kids don't live in caves so they get lots more info about how society works from everything and one around them.

I'm 21 now, and have been playing violent video games and watching violent movies my whole life, and I still feel bad when I accidentally step on a snail. I'll dodge the snails walking up to my front porch then go in and start blowing the heads off enemies in day of defeat and cs.

I feel so sorry for teens who still arent' allowed to view graphic material because their paranoid parents are afraid to (borrow from cartman) "traumatize their fragile little minds).

is it ok for them to look at porn at the age of 12?

 

[DESSTROYER]

a few years ago. these 2 kids, which were friends killed some other kid and they were about 12 and 13 and they liked Doom so, the local news BLAMED DOOM FOR KILLING

man thats screwed up... come on you dont kill people in doom u kill FREAKING MONSTERS its so unrealistic...

my 11 year old brother watched saving private ryan, and he plays half life sometimes. and i cant tell a difference in him.

 

[KagePrototype]

is it ok for them to look at porn at the age of 12?

Well, every 12 year old does, so I don't see anything wrong with it.

 

[Rocketman9mm]

is it ok for them to look at porn at the age of 12?

I don't see why not. They're thinkin about women and sex by then anyway, at least I was. whats so traumatizing about it? They've already had at least one of those school classes about it so its not like they don't know how it works.

You know, not every country are as prudish as us regarding sexuality and nudity, and their culture isn't coming apart into chaos and mass fornication.
we probably are so sex crazed here because we ARE told NONONO so when we get the chance to see it w're like "ooh cool this is bad haha!" instead of "eh, its always been there so what?"

 

[CptStern]

I don't see why not. They're thinkin about women and sex by then anyway, at least I was. whats so traumatizing about it? They've already had at least one of those school classes about it so its not like they don't know how it works.

You know, not every country are as prudish as us regarding sexuality and nudity, and their culture isn't coming apart into chaos and mass fornication.
we probably are so sex crazed here because we ARE told NONONO so when we get the chance to see it w're like "ooh cool this is bad haha!" instead of "eh, its always been there so what?"

I'm agreeing btw. I think it's much worse to show a child a violent act than a sexual act. Oh and I'm not american; i'm canadian ...we're not as prudish

 

[Rocketman9mm]

thats true for REALLY young children for violence, but even by pre-teen adolescence they should all well know the difference between fiction and reality and know tv and games aren't real. these things are just one small imput the child receives. what gets through to them more is their interaction with other people and groups of people, that is what forms their perceptions. you're definately going to think things differently if you were the kid that got bullied vs if you were the bully as an example. you won't be emotionally scarred if you keep losing a video game vs. keep getting beat up.


lol and the whole janet jackson boob thing. "OH NO THE WORLD SHALL END, BOOBIE ON TV!" I don't think any kids who saw that half second flash ran in unadluterated terror. and I don't think all little boys became boob lovers (all though they might one day =])

 

[spinkitten]

Well i just watched the ITV evening news, it was the lead story; most striking of all was the atrocity of the media reporting. They're attempt at a balanced argument was a 'representative' from the gaming association - a two segment badly edited mainly showing that he wasn't going anywhere near Manhunt and the censor who approved the game, who said the law gets in the way of stopping these things getting banned. Nothing on how the family allowed the child access to an 18-cert game, or the mental condition of the person. Anyone who researches this subject in any detail knows the largest contributor to violence is family-related, a vicious cycle indeed. There is no certifiable proof that films, tv and gaming can lead a child's brain to cause such terrible atrocities. Shame on the media, just the typical fear-instilling reporting that seems to be acceptable today. :frown:

 

[Alig]

I think alot of sad people that dont play games because they cant afford a pc/console want games banned end of.

At the end of the day, we all have our own brain and whatever we do has nothing to do with the games we play, i mean WTF inspired Jack The Ripper? Or Texas Chainsaw Masacre? ****ing computer games , grrrr man the media pisses me off.

Anyway even so if this Manhunt obsessed this lad what does it matter? it still takes a ****ing psycho to kill someone on purpose who isnt all there to start with. The lads that killed that little lad on the train tracks inspired by Chucky was bullshit too (ive seen all the Chucky's and i aint put no one and tied them to a train track irl)...the film didnt make them kill the little lad, there ****ed up brains did they just copied a scene and took it one step further and made it reality (I know this was sad )