So now they'll be saying that Madden NFL is too violent and must be toned down?

suck it jack.

@Gameboy

That just means they need to tone down real football to two hand touch. and they must be wearing a suit that would protect them from a grizzly bear attack.

something tells me this kid was bi-polar. its just a real shame that the parents had to find out this way.

Proof that video games don't make people violent, sports make people violent... Nah just kidding, I don't know what to make of this. I am saddened because someone is still dead, but at the same time this IS a best case scenario because there will be no backlash at the vg industry or the sport in which the game was simulating. People might have to *cue audible gasp* take a step back a accept that little Timmy is actually messed up mentally (weather through fault of the parents or just bad genes) and he's not going to grow up to be a rich doctor or a great philosopher, at best he can hope for a degree in law in Miami, but that's about it...

WiNG, I have to admit I laughed at that. Which I guess makes me evil... ah well.

If it does turn out to be a sports game, I'm sure that part will be conveniently be omitted where necessary to ensure all games remain to be seen as bad.

@ Godkarmachine O Inary

Its good to see that you feel bad. Um... I don't mean that like it sounds. We all feel bad. The point I'm trying to make is that no video game critic ever seems to feel bad for the victims. They never express condolences towards the statistics they state. In this way, we are far more human than they can imagine.

@ Gameboy

True, you have a point there, it seems like whenever someone dies as a "result" of video game violence. You don't even hear about the person who died, just the evils of the game company, and how the poor killer was mentally abused and twisted by a sick game.

The game critics forget someone died, and move on to using a death as nothing more than ammo against games.

I know when JT comes along and tries to use something like this as a platform for his zealotry we all call him on it and tell him what a schmuck he is for doing so. Tho I wonder if we are just as bad when we cheer for the evidence being the opposite? It seems as if we're using the same tragedy to promote our stance as he is.

Something to ponder.

Ugh, you know the fact it was a sports game will be glossed over by most media. The first report just stated video games were involved in a fight that lead to a murder. Do you think most of the media outlets are going to give a follow-up report stating it was a sports game? Do you think people like Jack Thompson won't still use this as an example? He tends to speak to people who are ignorant when it comes to gaming culture, so when he makes a vague statement saying video games caused a murder no one in the crowd will ask "What type of game was it?". No, when most non-gamers hear the phrase "video games" they think of simulated violence. They don't think of Civilization or Katamari Damacy, they think of Doom and GTA.

@jdecamp

That's an interesting point, but in our case I think the feeling is closer to "relief" than "celebration" which makes all the difference. Thompson is in the business of hoping people are killed in incidents where video games can be associated. Though we may have our own selfish motives, we're conversely disappointed and angered when such an association is made. And truly, there is nothing positive to take out of what happened here. A person is dead which is the worst part, and more selfishly, sports game or not, other games in the home are still going to be evaluated and the news can only get worse from here.

Ideally we shouldn't have to sit here and talk about our own freedom being threatened when an unrelated tragedy occurs, but that's the time we live in right now and I accept that part of the culture for what it is.

I knew them sports games were evil :P

The problem is, the actual game they were playing at the moment won't phase the anti-game enthusiasts. If they had a single violent game in their collection, they will blame this violence on that. I can't think of any shooters that were playing a video game AT THE MOMENT that they fired the gun, and they had no moral problem trying to pin those events on video games.

sorry for double post, but when someones first reaction to a situation is to grab a knife and start stabbing with the intent to kill, it displays something far more than an anger management issue.

Dear Carbonatedgravy:

We're supposed to take seriously someone who uses that name?

Secondly, I'm in the business of trying to save lives lost at the hands of future minor gamers who are sold mature violent games. I get it. Doctors who treat lung cancer are actually thrilled when someone comes to them with the disease right? How pathetic, how self-righteously deluded you are.

@John Bruce "Massacre-chaser" Thompson


What proven extended effects? Your masturbation fantasies do not count. You may be able to fool soccer moms with a ten second sound bite on CNN and not have to back it up, but once again, don't expect us to buy into that shit. Back up what you say or don't bother to comment at all. No one here is buying what you are selling.

@ Mr. John Bruce Thompson,
Then why don't you go out and inform the parents to not purchase such entertainment for their children?

@Jack Thompson

I'm not going to argue over whether violent video games have an effect on minors. That's a debate best settled by experts in child psychology. And I also am not going to argue that all aspects of this incident should be thoroughly investigated, including video games if need be. The only thing I object to is jumping to the conclusion that ALL youth violence is a result of violent video game play. It would be ludicrous to argue that ALL youth violence is a result of video game play since we've had violent young people as long as we've had violent adults.

Let us all not make assumptions as to what the cause of this incident may or may not be.

@Ace of Stevens and Citizen_Snips

Or it could be indicative of a different other mental disorder with the symptom of poor control of violent impulses. It could be depression, stress, hormones. It could be genetic or induced by something he was taking. You can diagnose a disorder from a handful of news stories?

The best can be done right now is to rule out what didn't cause it. Was the knife in the kitchen or near the tv? Did he feel threatened (rationally or irrationally) or was he just pissed off because he lost?

@Citizen_Snips

We don't even know if the intent was to kill. The chest is the biggest target and it may have been a matter of whichever body part was easiest to hurt.

Is there any better coverage out right now?

Exactly Miraba, anyone who thinks this biols down to a single influence or cause or inspiration is living in lala land, you could just as easily blame the Biblical story of Cain and Abel as his 'inspiration'.

The important part now is not deciding whether the Government should raise our children for us, or whether the Game Industry should be descriminated against because of the delusional fantasies of one laughable practitioner of law, it's finding why, every once in a while, this happens, and has happened over hundreds of years. To say a 13-year old wouldn't normally kill is only accurate for the last few hundred years, and only in Western countries for the main part. A 13-year old boy in Ancient Greece was considered a man and expected to fight in a war. Since that point, society has focussed on trying to remove that aggressive urge, but it can never be done completely, it's part of who we are, it's the prime method for survival.

Take a look at Thompson and how he wants to 'destroy' Rockstar, he doesn't just want to get them to tone down their games he wants to destroy them. How is that any less a violent impulse? Thompson is an incredibly violent person, and will always be so. Violence takes lots of different forms and is as old as humanity itself. It's that which we are up against, not some kind of digital bogeyman.

This isn't surprising at all. Sports fans are notorious for the level of violence they engage in when it comes to sports rivalries.

Yeah, I'm stereotyping, but come on, how many gamers do you know tip cars, trash stores, and riot through the night because they lost/won?

@Citizen_Snips

He probably does have some sort of mental imbalance, but I doubt it can be diagnosed through a news story.

You *have* had violent outbursts, yes? I've thrown a game controller at my brother's head (cause: killing me too many times in Goldeneye), punched someone across a kitchen table in the jaw (cause: making lewd jokes in my direction all evening), and taken a swing at my boyfriend (cause: he bit a hole in my t-shirt). Three shots to the head, and it was never "Oh, I'm going to kill you." It was always "I've told you to stop, you haven't stopped, and you still aren't stopping, so I'm going to hurt you until you do." I can easily imagine grabbing something nearby if I paused for a second. If I had a knife in my hand, I can imagine still taking a swing.

Am I psychotic? No. Bipolar? No. Clinically depressed? No. I'm what teachers refer to as "overly sensitive."

It doesn't excuse his actions, but I can easily see how it would happen because he wasn't thinking rationally.

@ Miraba

My only outbursts were during high school and mostly damaging to myself. I got pissed off I punched a locker until it wouldn't close some other inanimate object. I've only purposely injured other people who physically attacked me first. And I have never, ever injured someone other a video game, just because someone is better than you at a video game or uses cheap tactics to get a win is never a cause for physically harming them. PERIOD. it is just a game and thats all it is ever going to be.

@Citizen_Snips

Did I say that my responses were reasonable or rational? I'll be the first to admit that they weren't. However, I happen to be hardwired that way and those are my experiences.

@ Miraba

well if thats how you want to rationalized it fine. whatever, it doesn't change the fact that the kid killed his bother because the bother wouldn't give up the controller.

I'm pretty sure that doesn't fly in court, if it does then i have my excuse if I kill someone.

Umm... Is Jack Thompson saying anything about this? I mean, it has been over 24 hours since the story broke and there is nothing but crickets at his corner. I just feel that there is something missing here. Like there is an empty space in the world that was once filled with blatant lies and stupidity.

"the issue is whether they played any of the games at any time?"

Oh so you're telling me the games transmit a disease that wil eventuallyl make them kill people, even if they play it only once? Ok then why do we not have a huge epidemic of violence and murders? Why haven't the MAKERS of violent games gone out and kill people, I mean if you can blame virginia tech solely on games (never mind the fact that's he's insane and over 18) then you must be saying it can effect adults so therefore shouldn't the developers who are not only exposed to, but play and make the games on a daily basis be effected by this? Or maybe the answers aren't that simple.

sorry to threadjack, but is that moron posting as JT the real deal or is someone trying to have a little fun at our expense?

Unless GP makes a comment, there is no way to really know.

@Patrick

I haven't heard anything on whether he's the real deal or not, but my technique is the same. Ignore him.

probably mario tennis.

Does Jacky Boy know what a troll is? I'm not talking about the playable race on the World of Warcraft murder simulator either.

I can already see where this is going:

"Konami under legal fire for upcoming Pro-Evo Soccer 2008 launch - critics predict increased reports in home stabbings"

Also, in response to my youtube link.

We can only wish...

he spends a ton of money to cancel his IP so that he can get a new one, and come back to harass us.

@ Jack Thompson

Somewhat exciting being called out by the man himself. Though I can understand how you could misinterpret my comments to be blanketing your profession and indeed all professions that are indirectly associated with human suffering to some degree, I assure you my comments were personally directed towards you, Jack Thompson, and not everyone who takes issues with the violence in video games.

I have no doubt that some people are simply misinformed about the affects of video games and honestly have the best interests of society in mind when they combat such issues. Such people are well-meaning and exhibit genuine concern for children and indeed all of society. You are not one of these people. You have proven time and time again through your constant lies and hyperbole that truth is an inconvenience you can't afford when there is a profit to be made.

@ Jack "Jack-Off" Thompson

“We’re supposed to take seriously someone who uses that name?”

So says the person who, when this site was on LiveJournal, concocted over 50 screen names, many of which were verbal attacks to Dennis McCauley, Patricia Vance, Hal Halpin, etc.

(Did he create a screen name to badmouth Doug Lowenstein too? I don't remember...)

And that was because SOMEBODY couldn't -- and STILL can't -- take a hint from getting banned over and over again because of all the insults he'd tried to drown us in...

@MaskedPixelante

You sure of this? Dennis say anything about this?

I've been ingoring him but I want to know why Dennis hasn't banned him again yet. I'm sure Dennis won't do anything but if possable can't anything be done about him sence he's back to harras us? I really don't feel comfertable now that he's back.
Alot of people begged for Dennis to let him back...and now he's back and everyone's getting into a big fight with him again. Trying to agure your points with Jack is like talking to a wall......a waste of time.

I don't understand this at all.

It doesn't matter what game it was. It's totally irrelevant. The item of desire could have been a bicycle and nobody would have cared what brand name was on it. Stop diverting attention to stupid crap. Nobody cares. Trust me, you really don't.

Hey, leave Jack alone. He's only trying to find something to do during his 90 day suspension. (funny how he said he would not be suspended but hasn't exactly done much since...) Pity the most interesting thing he could find to do was troll a message board and make childish comments. The only difference between him and some immature fool calling everyone "fags" and "noobs" in CS is that his posts are spelled better (barely). Of course, another difference is that the CS fool will one day mature and realise how silly his behaviour was, whereas Jack is almost retirement age and still believes he is right and making a difference...

@kurisu7885

Plus the wall doesn't say anything at all. That means no lies, no insults, no "hooah", no "direct causal link", no "put down the controller and get a life", etc., etc., etc., etc.

@ kurisu7885

A jar of mayonnaise has a higher IQ than Jack Thompson, then again so does every inanimate object.

[...] We’ll keep you informed if any more information surfaces. Teen held in brother’s slaying [The Philadelphia Inquirer via Game Politics] [...]