The games-cause-violence story sent the UK media into a frenzy last week. The Daily Mail lead the charge, running the headline "Murder by PlayStation" & starting a sensational campaign to ban violent games. Pooni stated that the police had already announced that the game was not involved in the murder, but that "some sections of the media chose to ignore it."

Would you like to know more? I've seen the mother on the news a few times questioning some industry folk. I'd really like to see her response to the fact her son had the game in his bedroom. How'd that happen ehh? Coming up, Charlton Heston bemoans gun ownership.

So the boy had a computer game. Big deal..... He probably had a penknife as well. And dirty magazines under his bed.

14 year old boys just get these things.

I know when your child is murdered, you look everywhere for answers. And police get desperate. But come on... I don't think a computer game is at the center of a conspiracy to kill a 14 year old kid. Surely...

Its MUCH more likely that this sort of thing is caused by some sort of sexual or physical abuse of some sort. We should be tackling the abuse of children that goes on in society, not what computer games they play, which they themselves know well to be not real.

Credit 14 year olds with SOME SENSE - they know what's real and what's not. Well, unless they are mentally ill. Which is probably what this 17 year old is. And if that's true. he was a danger to people no matter what anyway if he is that violent. I don't think the computer game made him so.

This is just the Daily Mail, they'll take the moral highroad on any issue, I HATE THAT PAPER

Anyone who wanted to do a violent act he saw on a video game, tv show, magazine, or whatever has some prior issues.

Even if people who say that game affected him because he owned it, it is not for sure. There are countless other things going on in society that may have contributed to that one deranged boy killing another boy. I am not sure if it is plausible to think that the murder's action can only be linked only to that game.

No, that's the thing. From the way this reads Manhunt was the victims game, the gun who killed who did so during a robbery - he didn't have the game. It's the media that are blaming the game when it wasn't even owned by the guy who killed him.

Yeah unfortunately their are weak minded people on this earth which should be purged from society.

So now we should blame videogames everytime a kid kills another kid. We should blame movies when an adult commits murder. Every car thief played too much GTA. I guess we should blame the porn industry for rape also. Easier to blame everyone NOT involded then yourself.

Playing violent video games makes you the victim- ultra revenge for dominating the frag fests.

And if we want to tear into today's youth.. What ever happened to the concept of parenting.. what, you don't want your kid surfing porn? How about watching him while they're on the net?? You don't have to be intrusive if you don't want to, and if you want to be involved you can too.

Same goes for TV, Music, etc. You can't control every aspect of their life. But you can paddle their butts when you catch them...

Oh wait, that gets parents arrested now..

I want my, I waaaannnnnnnnttttt my Half Life 3!!!!!!! </dire straits>

I'm an optimist.

Violent Games & the Media

What a wicked web this whole story is weaving!

I don't pretend to have read up much on it, as often I find news these day's to be wholely depressing and often one sided. It's just far too demanding in a capitalist society to check out the facts and do your research on every story that interests you, but then I guess that's a problem with the system and one which should be addressed in another post!

I'd be very interested to see a professional phsycologists take on this, and I'm not talking about one paid for by any media corperation. I'm talking about a point of view which takes in all the facts and looks at all the different points of view and tries to give a conclusive insight into why the heck a 17 year old is killing a 14 yr old inthe first place!

By law he should not be playing Manhunt, this is a descresion issue however, one which I dear say does lie with the parents. Maybe it's true aswell, that more and more children/teenagers are so culturally detaced from their parents that control of the siuation could be limited. I'm genrealising wildly but it warrents a look into the education of bringing up a child, of which there is little!

I'm digressing, But I do fear that, while the game itself cannot be held acountable for the death, (if it where have found to even have influenced the killer in any way) A serious social problem needs to be adressed;

I've played the game, it's intensley brutal, I'm in my early 20's and it made me gasp at how grusome and horrifying a game can be these day's, (in fairness I'm probably not the right temperament of person to ask, I found doom and quake nerve-wracking in my early teens!!!) Why is it exciting, and for a game generating excitement out of killing (like so many before it) why is it being defended so.

Here's the point where I may appear to become close-minded and Neo-conservatist about the subject, but don't get me wrong, if a consenting adult enjoy's the game for whatever reason and it doesn't inspire violent tendancies in them to mame another then sure, enjoy it and don't feel guilty for doing so! For it is a game!

But like someone said earlier, if you are going to blame video games, blame Movies and TV. Exactly, they should be under no less scrutiny! But they are often under more at present (not backed up with evidence I agree)!

My point is coming full circle, and a bigger picture is being drawn on society (I hope and culture here than the game itself. Banning the game and taking if off the shelves is another sign of the nanny state and I for sure am not suprised that it's caused a stir! All it achieves is (again unfounded) giving the game an almost untouchable quality, how many 11+ will be sneaking copies into schools, boasting "hey, play this it's that one which got pulled off the shelves, must be awesome" Again I'm speculating audatiously but there's something about human nature and contraband material!

This is why I think it would be interesting to get an independant review (if there is such a thing) of the situation so every day people have facts they can answer with. But I guess if that where the case we'd have no need for slanderous tabliods lending their truths, oh my I'm dreaming!

dhughes@aslanprojects.co.uk

imo, ban all children cartoons, not teh games, look at what it's doing to them ;(

Hrmm.. when was the last time you saw Smurfs, Fraggle Rock, Fat Albert, Bugs Bunny, Muppet Show, Schoolhouse Rock, Gummi Bears, He-Man, GI Joe, or anything else in the Saturday lineup??

Maybe that's our problem... I certainly was more peaceful when I could see my toons, and wish I still could.....

tbh, he probably played too much mario brothers

lol, talking animals and puppets. it's what's causing teh real violence out there