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Violent Games Make Violent Minds?
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| Fundamental |
One of Scotland's biggest hi-tech success stories is facing increasing pressure from campaigners against violent video games.
US lawyers are bringing actions against Edinburgh-based Rockstar North, the producers of Grand Theft Auto (GTA).
It follows claims by teenage boys in Tennessee that they were acting out the game when they shot at vehicles.
But games industry representatives say there is no established link between games and violent behaviour.
Last summer, a man was killed and a woman wounded after being shot in their cars near the Tennessee town of Newport.
William Buckner, 16, and his step-brother Joshua, 13, had taken two rifles from their home, hid in trees and started firing at passing vehicles on a busy highway.
The pair pleaded guilty at a juvenile court to reckless homicide.
They were sent to a detention centre, but in their defence they told investigators that they got the idea to shoot cars from GTA3.
Their parents also blamed the industry and are calling for the GTA series to be taken off the shelves.
Miami attorney Jack Thomson has tried to build a link between violent games and several killings carried out by teenagers.
Mr Thomson is representing the victims killed and wounded in the Tennessee shootings and is suing for £60m.
He told the BBC's Frontline Scotland programme: "We are suing the boys, their parents, WalMart who sold the game and the video games companies including Rockstar that are responsible for designing a game that they knew would result in these type of consequences."
No-one from Rockstar would comment on the action against them but the Washington-based Entertainment Software Association dismissed any possible link.
President Doug Lowenstein said: "The notion that they don't know right from wrong, that they don't know that picking up a weapon and shooting people is morally wrong and that somehow 'a video game made me do it' is just ridiculous."
He added: "I think it's a fair point of concern, but I don't think the science even remotely supports the proposition that playing a violent game turns you into a violent person."
The games are sold with an 18 certificate
The GTA series has been one of the world's most popular games, selling more than 30 million copies since its launch in 1997.
Speaking last year, Sam Houser, the president of Rockstar Games, said how people behaved in the game was their own choice.
Mr Houser said: "We try to put people in a world, let the world exist around them, and then let them make their own decisions.
"So if you want to go out there and use a gun and do bad things you can, but, at the same time, if you want to go round there, just cruise and get in a car, get on a motorbike or just meet people you can."
Another Miami lawyer, Barry Silver, represents several Haitian community groups upset over a mission in the GTA Vice City game where players have to hunt down a Haitian gang.
Mr Silver said: "When you find out what your kids are being exposed to you will shudder in horror.
"It's a training film for mass murderers and it has no place in anybody's home who cares anything about their kids."
Rockstar has agreed to remove the reference to Haitians, but Mr Silver wants existing copies withdrawn.
The case is waiting to be dealt with by the circuit court in Palm Beach County.
Any successful legal action could have a serious impact on the games industry in Scotland which employs about 500 people and has a multi-million pound turnover.
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Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3680481.stm
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Opinions? |
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| albertoR |
good thing i have my copies with the phrase haitians..
this is such bull though. Its never the kids fault when they shoot someone, its the video games fault. Havent they realized that if video games influence to commit killings half the world would probably be dead? parents need to face reality and get it in their heads that their sons killed/shot people because they grew them up not teaching them the difference between right or wrong, or to reason, or even decent morals. If parents want to blame someone for their kid's insanity, they should begin blaming themselves. |
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| nrjizer |
Funny how millions of people play these games, yet when two idiot kids who obviously had zero sense of right and wrong decide to act like dips, suddenly it's the video games fault. Never mind the fact that there are thousands of murderers in the world who would kill someone for looking at them funny. They must have been playing kingpin or something. Oh yeah. Couldn't just be that some people are just ed in the head.
I mean, for christs sake! Do people actually expect hardworking parents to actually take responsibility to teach our children right from wrong?!? Thats unreasonable! How is a parent supposed to raise a competent child when violent video games and rap music are tainting their minds! :rolleyes: |
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| TweeK |
| I play alot...and i mean alot of violent video games and i turn out OK....I guess:nervous: :nervous: |
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| dbl |
i say: DOWN WITH ALL GAMES THAT CAN HURT OUR CHILDREN...
that includes the SMB games caus you freaking jump on your enemies.. how would it look if you all of a sudden start to jump your friends to death????
offcourse pacman.. why?? becaus it's the reason we got cannibals in this world
lemmings, sim city, the sims and those kind of games.. why?? becaus you play god in them.. you decide what happens.. if you want one of the little lemmings to die.. you don't give him a parachute when he falls off a cliff.. you don't give the sims food or you just don't care if there's a fire in a house...
icehockey and fotball.. for god sake.. you run around and hurt the opponent just to get the ball/puck...
just imagine outside the candy store.. a kid see's another kid that come's out with candy.. and then he runs at him and tackle's him just to get the candy....
i demand that there will only be game's where you are friend with everyone else and where you only walk straight throu the game without being able to get hurt or hurt anyone else. |
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| dukes |
i dont understand logic. no computer game has ever tought me how to shoot a gun properly. films....yes films have. why do things like GTA postal and other games get abuse when there are films out there that will actualy show you exactly how to use a gun. and come on who did not see commando (arnie rules) when they were like 8?!?!? surely that is worse.
edit* oh apart from quake....it tought me how to use the shaft that i have hanging on my wall |
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| PHALPAX |
| hhmmmm I picked up some military jargon from video games....thats about it.. |
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| Thunder5 |
This is just bull..
First they were accusing that RPGs caused ppl to act weird, now they're blaiming computer games.
When they realise that it is mostly the societys fault that kids grow up with twisted minds... |
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| Lira |
| quote: | Originally posted by dbl
i say: DOWN WITH ALL GAMES THAT CAN HURT OUR CHILDREN...
that includes the SMB games caus you freaking jump on your enemies.. how would it look if you all of a sudden start to jump your friends to death????
offcourse pacman.. why?? becaus it's the reason we got cannibals in this world
lemmings, sim city, the sims and those kind of games.. why?? becaus you play god in them.. you decide what happens.. if you want one of the little lemmings to die.. you don't give him a parachute when he falls off a cliff.. you don't give the sims food or you just don't care if there's a fire in a house...
icehockey and fotball.. for god sake.. you run around and hurt the opponent just to get the ball/puck...
just imagine outside the candy store.. a kid see's another kid that come's out with candy.. and then he runs at him and tackle's him just to get the candy....
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:stongue: :stongue: :stongue: :stongue:
I agree, by the way :p |
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| Fundamental |
| quote: | Originally posted by dbl
offcourse pacman.. why?? becaus it's the reason we got cannibals in this world
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:haha:
And back to the topic - I have no idea how they are planning on suing Rockstar when this game has an 18 certificate and these kids are 16 and 13.
But it seems that's always the 'answer' to these problems in America - legal action. :rolleyes: |
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| Dj Dizzy |
| of course a story like this would come from Tennessee, they've inbredded themselves into complete retardation apparantly. That story is just ridiculous. :whip: |
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| Genesis Evolved |
| quote: | Originally posted by Dj Dizzy
of course a story like this would come from Tennessee, they've inbredded themselves into complete retardation apparantly. That story is just ridiculous. :whip: |
LOL, this comment made my day :D |
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