GTA murder link on Sky News

MonkeyWrench

From Sky News:

Copies of Grand Theft Auto are being removed from shelves in Thailand after a teenager, inspired by the violent computer game, killed a taxi driver.

The 18-year-old High School student is facing death by lethal injection after robbing and stabbing the cabbie to death.

Police said the youth, an obsessive player, confessed to committing the crime because of the game.

Chief investigator Veeravit Pipattanasak said: "He said he wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game."

It is reported he was also angry that his parents could not afford to but him a copy and spent his allowance on two knives.

The youth, described by his parents as polite and diligent, was arrested after being caught driving the cab in Bangkok with the critically-injured driver in the back seat.

He told police he did not mean to kill the 54-year-old - who he selected because of his age - but that he stabbed him to death when he fought back, newspapers reported.

A Thai computer game distributor has now halted sales of the game.

Sakchai Chotikachinda, sales and marketing director of New Era Interactive Media, said: "We are sending out requests today to outlets and shops to pull the games off their shelves and we will replace them with other games.

"We are also urging video game arcades to pull the games from service."

Grand Theft Auto, now available in its fourth edition, has been criticised for depicting violence including beatings, car-jackings, drive-by shootings, drunk-driving and prostitution.

A senior official at Thailand's Culture Ministry said the murder was a wake-up call for authorities to tackle the issue of violence in computer games.

And he urged parents to pay closer attention to what their children played.

Ladda Thangsupachai said: "This time-bomb has already exploded and the situation could get worse.

"Today it is a cab driver, but tomorrow it could be a video game shop owner."




I have to say this really annoys the hell outta me. This kind of news pops up in the tabloids, TV and radio every now and then and its just the same old blame computer games for my son killing such and such. When will people realise that its the way people are brought up, their environment and their mental state which leads to these acts, not some virtual reality game like GTA. Its just used as a scapegoat for society not realising these people early on before they commit such a crime..

ShawnRaven

MonkeyWrench wrote: »

I have to say this really annoys the hell outta me. This kind of news pops up in the tabloids, TV and radio every now and then and its just the same old blame computer games for my son killing such and such. When will people realise that its the way people are brought up, their environment and their mental state which leads to these acts, not some virtual reality game like GTA. Its just used as a scapegoat for society not realising these people early on before they commit such a crime..

To paraphrase a caller on Chatterbox FM in GTA III:
"Knives don't kill people, death kills people! Ask any doctor, it's a medical fact!"

Seriously, i too am getting a bit tired of this f*cking speech too. Nobody ever bans programs like CSI on the TV whenever a homicide or a murder happens. More rope for Jack Thompson, I guess.

VR!

Benzino

MonkeyWrench wrote: »

"Today it is a cab driver, but tomorrow it could be a video game shop owner."

I can't believe he said that, almost as if the shop owner is more important than the cab driver...idiot.

Nailz

Blame the game why don't ya's! It wasn't the games fault, it was his own fault. He is obviously stupid enough, IMO he's trying to use GTA as the scapegoat. And he picked the man because of his age? Why?? He's 54, he could have a wife and multible children, not a very good choice to be perfectly honest.

And anyway, if he didn't have the game in the first place, how could he possibly blame it for what he'd done?!? Why didn't buy the fùcking game with his allowence in stead of buying two knives? He obviously meant to commit the crime, and now he's looking for simpathy using GTA IV as a medium.

Because of his fùcking about, the game is now being shipped out and banned from Thailand. Muppet, and almost deserves a lethal injection.

robinph

How can it be the games fault when he had never even played it. He just got in a strop because his parents sensibly didn't get the game for him.

Mossy Monk

Benzino wrote: »

I can't believe he said that, almost as if the shop owner is more important than the cab driver...idiot.

I can't say I see it that way.

projectmayhem

Mossy Monk wrote: »

I can't say I see it that way.

that's how i read it actually. in the same vein as "today it's a knife, tomorrow it'll be a gun" kind of idea

Kavinsky

MonkeyWrench wrote: »

The youth, described by his parents as polite and diligent, was arrested after being caught driving the cab in Bangkok with the critically-injured driver in the back seat.

Pff.. can't even evade a 1-star chase.. he must have been sh1te at the game.

Nailz

Mmm, that's bad form.

S.M.B.

Kavinsky wrote: »

Pff.. can't even evade a 1-star chase.. he must have been sh1te at the game.

Gob****e!

Nailz

I hope you're talking aout the poster.

Edit: Yes! 2,200th post! Get in!

nix

This story doesnt even make sense..

He went on a weak rampage because his parents wouldn't buy the GTA game for him and yet somehow the games content got blammed for his actions?

An 18 year old on allowance? Seriously... get a job ya bum..

Or at the very least use the knifes you waisted your money on to mug somebody so you can afford the game, not murder someone and get caught resulting in never ever been able to play any game again

This kid failed at life, lethal injection... good enough for him !

Nailz

nix wrote: »

Or at the very least use the knifes you waisted your money on to mug somebody so you can afford the game!

No, don't bother getting the fùcking knives in the first place than use the allowance to buy the game, cleanest and most honest way to possibly do it! Any piece of scum that carries knives should be sentenced to death anyway!

S.M.B.

Nailz Of course I'm talking about the poster. It's a stupid comment to make.

Nix The gaming industry in Thailand is very much based around internet cafes and gaming shops so that's how he had access to the game without owning it.

Nailz

Well I'm glad you were.

peterk12

i dont think a game could make somebody do that

Nailz

peterk12 wrote: »

i dont think a game could make somebody do that

It didn't, did you read the thread?