Blame the video game

dotsman · 24-08-2013 10:08PM #1

So, while millions of people await the release of GTA V (no doubt a few of whom are on after hours), over in the states, we can expect a massive attack in the media against the game after an 8-year old takes the family gun and shoots his gran in the back of the head (after playing GTA IV).

Is not the fact that an 8-year old had access to a gun the big ****in' factor here?

Even if one was to say that playing the game encourage him to act out violently, is it not a case that the game is intended for adults and not 8 year olds?

Anybody who blames the game is an idiot. Clearly the parents are the first port of call when it comes to laying out blame - letting an 8 year old play an adult game (do they also let him watch porn, horror movies etc?) and leaving a gun in the house/caravan where a child can access it.

Hell, I'd imagine the fact that a kid is being raised in a town called "Slaughter" is more to blame than a video game...
http://news.sky.com/story/1132826/boy-8-kills-gran-after-playing-video-game

Courtesy Flush · 24-08-2013 10:11PM

Do guns have an age restriction ?
8 seems young for GTA/Guns
Call me old fashioned

Greenmachine · 24-08-2013 10:13PM

That's one ****ed up kid.

spank_inferno · 24-08-2013 10:15PM

I'm sure Senator Fidelma Healy Eames is giddy in anticipation to denounce GTA-5

Suryavarman · 24-08-2013 10:22PM

Parents/Guardian leave an 8 year old play a game intended for adults and leave the gun loaded and easily accessible by that 8 year old.

This has nothing to do with the video game or the gun and every thing to do with extremely woeful child minding.

Arawn · 24-08-2013 10:26PM

I personally can prove that video games were the cause of the crusades,inquisition, WW1,WW2 and vietnam, also all the school shootings

coolhull · 24-08-2013 10:29PM

When I was a kid we played Cowboys and Indians.
Never turned me into an Apache, though

meoklmrk91 · 24-08-2013 10:40PM

Ugh, this a horrible story. It wasn't GTA 4 that killed this kids grandmother though, where is the parental responsibility? Why would any parent allow a child to play a game like this, they are meant for adults, the rating says so, any parent who buys a game for their kid sould research it and preferably play it before handing it over.

Also it seems like every week there is a story out of America where a kid either shoots themselves or someone else, again parental responsibility? Why does the kid have access to a loaded gun? Why does the kid know how to turn of the safety and shoot the weapon. The people who are at fault are the parents or those who were caring for him full stop. It's funny how in Ireland we never have incidences of this despite GTA, COD being played by kids, might be something to do with the fact that we don't allow every idiot to own a gun.

wil · 24-08-2013 10:42PM

Arawn wrote: »

I personally can prove that video games were the cause of the crusades,inquisition, WW1,WW2 and vietnam, also all the school shootings

Photos or GTfA

coolhull wrote: »

When I was a kid we played Cowboys and Indians.

Never turned me into an Apache, though

Builder?

Firefox11 · 24-08-2013 10:42PM

coolhull wrote: »

When I was a kid we played Cowboys and Indians.
Never turned me into an Apache, though

I used to play Gunship! but it never turned me into an Apache either.:(:D

Fox_In_Socks · 24-08-2013 10:44PM

coolhull wrote: »

When I was a kid we played Cowboys and Indians.
Never turned me into an Apache, though

You are a cowboy now, though?

Drakares · 24-08-2013 10:52PM

BAN THE GAMES! The guns are grand though. 'Murica.

coolhull · 24-08-2013 11:22PM

No, just a banker. Same thing, though

Wacker The Attacker · 24-08-2013 11:37PM

spank_inferno wrote: »

I'm sure Senator Fidelma Healy Eames is giddy in anticipation to denounce GTA-5

I'd say she's been walking around with a raging wide on for weeks now

RedXIV · 24-08-2013 11:42PM

I'm gonna have to say it, but the 8yr old deserves just as much blame here as the parents. I have an 8yr old and he's a lovely kid. At 8, the kid knows the difference between right and wrong. That kid is not free from blame and should be carefully monitored.

Jester252 · 24-08-2013 11:53PM

RedXIV wrote: »

I'm gonna have to say it, but the 8yr old deserves just as much blame here as the parents. I have an 8yr old and he's a lovely kid. At 8, the kid knows the difference between right and wrong. That kid is not free from blame and should be carefully monitored.

Under law anyone under 10 year old can't be held responsible for his/her actions.
So the media can't blame the kid. They won't blame the parents as they are going through a tough time. Blaming guns leads to a fight between pro 2nd amendment and pro control with a lot of work for the media to air both sides.
Videos games are just an easy target.

Lorenzo the Magnificent · 24-08-2013 11:55PM

I decided to teach my little lad chess a few years ago. Primarily to get the blighter away from watching Barney.

He's now eight and whipping the shít out of every kid in the county. Santa gave him a PS3 last Christmas (despite my protests) and he loves to play games. Simple stuff and all monitored by the parents. But we think that playing computer games has made him ultra-competitive in real life. His teachers have remarked upon it.

Not sure if letting flights of fantasy overly intrude on the imagination of a kid of that age is a good idea.

Smithwicks Man · 25-08-2013 01:32AM

It'd be funny if Messi or Ronaldo came out and said that Fifa99 made them into the player they are today :pac:

shruikan2553 · 25-08-2013 02:12AM

I remember my mums friend complaining about her 6-8 year old child playing call of duty and how violent it was. They have people making the work easier for you, just look at the corner and it has a number, if the childs age is less than that number then it is seen as not suitable for them but no, lets complain that 18+ rated games are bad for children under the age of 10.

MadsL · 25-08-2013 02:14AM

Screw GTA 5, I heard Half-life 3 was confirmed the other day.

MadsL · 25-08-2013 02:15AM

shruikan2553 wrote: »

I remember my mums friend complaining about her 6-8 year old child playing call of duty

Jaysus, 2 years is a long time to be playing in fairness.

frag420 · 25-08-2013 02:19AM

Can we not blame Marilyn Manson instead?

He lives of that shìt!!

frAg

Duggy747 · 25-08-2013 02:22AM

Every release of GTA brings a fresh batch of dire, unbalanced "debate" on video game violence with at least one person on the anti side blurting out the line "As a mother......" while every teenage crime is linked directly to GTA.....................until the whole circus dies down again a few weeks later.

Ah, I remember when Mortal Kombat was going to destroy the world or Rammstein were seen as Nazis.

DEFTLEFTHAND · 25-08-2013 02:25AM

The first thing I'm going to do is ride up to Mount Chiliad and take in the views, this map they're giving us is out of this world, forget about Just Cause 2. It's been 5 long years and I can't wait. Only 25 more days to go.

MadsL · 25-08-2013 02:27AM

frag420 wrote: »

Can we not blame Marilyn Manson instead?

He lives of that shìt!!

frAg

Eminem surely.

Look how he affects the wimmins.

Sunglasses Ron · 25-08-2013 02:40AM

Drakares wrote: »

BAN THE GAMES! The guns are grand though. 'Murica.

Where does this 'Murica / 'Merika thing come from?

CrazyRabbit · 25-08-2013 02:48AM

The boy also had Cheerios for breakfast. Obviously it was all the sugar that made him do it. Ban breakfast cereals!!!

Elbaston · 25-08-2013 02:50AM

Duggy747 wrote: »

Every release of GTA brings a fresh batch of dire, unbalanced "debate" on video game violence with at least one person on the anti side blurting out the line "As a mother......" while every teenage crime is linked directly to GTA.....................until the whole circus dies down again a few weeks later.

Ah, I remember when Mortal Kombat was going to destroy the world or Rammstein were seen as Nazis.

I dont really have a side on this debate, for certain parenting is to blame in these types of situations.
That said, the games have entered a new era, our generations' video game violence was cartoon-ish, flying kicks and pulling off heads, freezing the opponent and then smashing him to pieces for an end move.

This era of games though does rightly need to be questioned, ****ing and beating hookers with baseball bats to steal their money, and bullet camera views of headshots is pushing the violence out a bit. Where is the line drawn? a first person view of beating a hooker? a first person view rape? /or murder.

(gta pedo-town

- theres an example of where you might say ah hang on)

4 hours of playing something like that could push some adults into doing regrettable things. Is there a point where the xbox stops being a toy and becomes a crime training device.

Right or wrong, their business or mine, people get influenced by what they view. So where to stop it ?

Optimalprimerib · 25-08-2013 03:02AM

Lorenzo the Magnificent wrote: »

I decided to teach my little lad chess a few years ago. Primarily to get the blighter away from watching Barney.

He's now eight and whipping the shít out of every kid in the county. Santa gave him a PS3 last Christmas (despite my protests) and he loves to play games. Simple stuff and all monitored by the parents. But we think that playing computer games has made him ultra-competitive in real life. His teachers have remarked upon it.

Not sure if letting flights of fantasy overly intrude on the imagination of a kid of that age is a good idea.

But... you just said that you taught him chess which is a competitive game. Would that also be a factor or is my sarcasm detector off at this hour?

unkymo · 25-08-2013 03:19AM

Smithwicks Man wrote: »

It'd be funny if Messi or Ronaldo came out and said that Fifa99 made them into the player they are today :pac:

I presume many of you haven't heard about this fella;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucas_Ord%C3%B3%C3%B1ez

and there making a film about him soon;

http://www.destructoid.com/gran-turismo-film-follows-the-life-of-racer-lucas-ordonez-260505.phtml

So let your kids play video games....except COD!

artanevilla · 25-08-2013 03:31AM

I blame it on the boogie myself.

Blame the video game

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