Someone imitates GTA

[psylent-pstalker]

I recently heard about a child that went into a police station, grabbed a gun and shot some officers along with a secretary and then stole a police car and drove off. The parents are suing RockStar Games, the makers of the Grand Theft Auto series, saying that the violence in the game caused their child to do what he did and the parents are also suing the store that sold the game to the boy because the game was rated M and the boy was not old enough to buy it.

I dont know if this topic has been done but I would like to know what everyone thinks about this. Should RockStar Games be sued for making the game even though the rating on it is cleary for ages 18 and up, or should the store be sued for selling it to a minor, or should both be sued? And of course should violent video games and television be blamed for violence in today's society or is it the parents fault for letting their kids play these games and watch these shows? Does the blame belong to someone else?

[BrickMurus]

Wow, just wow. That is very interesting, that kid must be messed up, because think about it, he is imitating a game, which would mean that he does not have a good grasp of reality. I mean, when we were younger, did we jump on people's heads and try to see if a coin would pop out of their ass. I do not think Rockstar should not be blamed at all, just as you can not blame Seymor Butts if your kid watches porn and then starts humping everything. There is a rating system, they applied it, their job is done. It would not be Rockstar's fault if a minor got hold of content that was not suited for them, the retailer would be at fault if they sold it to the kid, without his parents. Hell, I know I bought games when I was not old enough, but that is no reason to sue anyone.
Also, on what grounds are the sueing on, I do not think there is a legal precedent for this. Their kid did something wrong, so they are trying to shit the blame, I think it is as simple as that.

[Lambtaco]

I think the store is much more to blame than the company. The store sold the game to the kid even though the company told them not to.
In fact, I think the parents are more to blame than the company. If the kid was so obsessed with the game why didn't the parents ever catch him playing it? If the kid knew it was bad and played it in secret he would have known imitating was also bad. And if the parents did catch him playing it why didn't they make sure he knew what was going on in the game was wrong. I remember my parents would always explain to me not to imitate violence in the media, shouldn't his parents have done the same?
How old was this kid, anyway?

[psylent-pstalker]

I'm not sure how old he was, just not 18. He was also able to get the game from the store by himself and drive a cop car so I'm guessing he was somewhere around the age of 16. Sometimes parents are so "out of the loop" they hardly know anything about video games and weren't really aware that such violence went on in games. I know it is rare for parents to be so unknowing today, but there are some who don't understand video games whatsoever. I'm not neccessarily defending the parents, but they can't monitor their child 24/7/365. I do believe at some point the parents should have checked in with their child to see what he was doing. The child should have changed in behavior somehow before he did what did and the parents should have noticed, but they didn't and the store should have checked for I.D. as well, but they didn't. I've played the game before and it is entertaining.

The big question in reference to this is, Are we willing to give up this entertainment (i.e. violent video games, movies, television, media) to prevent violence and save lives?

To that question I'd also like to say that I don't neccessarily believe that violence comes from these sources. I believe that it depends on the type of person (i.e. age, mental status, etc.) I also believe this violent media desensitizes society to violence and when a violent act occurs, not as much is done to prevent it as if there would have been if society was more sensitive to violence.

I heard someone say that if violent games promote violence, shouldn't athletic games promote athleticism?

[Ted-Easton]

You're just as likely to become a violent person from violent games as you are to become an astronaut from sci-fi games.

My favorite saying/quote regarding this topic, if not strictly true. A person is only going to do something like this if they are violent and maladjusted in the first place. A video game, an outlet for such feelings, is not a persuasive arguer deceiving children into becoming mass murderers. Parents need to own up for the actions of their children. You let the child play the game, you raised the child, they are the product of your upbringing.
Unless they're satying the game is more influential to the child's upbringing than they were?

[Freakapotimus]

Ted's exactly right. There's got to be some sort of predisposition to violence and bad behavior, because playing video games is not going to do it alone.

Yeah, and D&D is going to make you a devil worshiper.

Do you have a link to an article about this story? I'd like more details.

[Indian-Wrestler]

Rockstar always gets the blame, there even a sight against GTA. They have tons of lawyers and there just saying bullshit. Its the kids fault that he went crazy, not GTA. I love GTA because of the sweet graphics and open enviroments. Its probaly my favorite series.

[Paperkut]

I think it depends of people. Some people are more easly corrupted by video games and are too stupid to make the difference between a GAME and REALITY. If your child is too dumb to see the difference, then is parents should not let him play at the first place. That is why I think that the parents should have at least disciplined their kid or tell im just once "You know it is a game right sonny?" Pisses me off when people say "This kid is violent and plays violent video games so its the company's fault!" No. Please be responsible and check the game rating, and if you think your kid is too much of an impressionable idiot, dont let him play. I have beeen playong violent video games all my life and never even tough "Hey lets carjack someone and go at the police station, grab a gun and kill lots of people just for FUN."

I think I made my point here.

[Xen-Tiberious]

People are hysterical. Especialy parents. When something goes wrong with little Billy they immediatly go looking for causes: videogames, TV, music, bullying. God Forbid that the problem lay with their inept parenting or the kid's psycotic behavior ("Oh, hes just a very imaginative child"). Nither Rockstar or the store is to blame- in my oppionion the parents should be counter-sued for contempt of court wasting time with their dumb-fuck problems.

[pr0de]

Why must everyone think that a video game is going to influence their actions, I'll play a skateboarding game, I don't grab a skateboard after that and go jump off a house. By anything, it could just be his relationship with his parents or something around that. Not some video game.

[1Shot-Paddy]

gta isnt even violent. Where i live its just as bad if not worse. CJ is a faggot and so is the italian guy.

[Miniman447]

Rockstar is not to blame, nor is the store. The parents are just horrible parents if they didn't notice that thier son has been playing GTA. So this proves that they never check up on him in his room or anything. So... if they never checked up on him, he couldve been doing drugs or watching somthing like i hate you myg0t and got the idea from that. Im not saying Newgrounds is to blame, i am saying anything could have caused him to do this. If the parents dont have time to check up on thier kid for 2 seconds, they are more to blaim than Rockstar and the store. How do they even know it was GTA? Maybe he has other games hidden too entitled: Life Sucks. Parents are just naieve. Whenever a school shooting happens it's certainly not caused by bad parenting, oh no. It caused by video games. Another possibility is this child hates his life. He probably had reasons he did it. He probably gets picked on at school, has an older brother who screws his life up after he gets home, his parents are mean to him like they scream shut the hell up at him whenver they dont like what he says. So... the way i see it Rockstar shouldn't be blamed when they have no clear evedence it was caused by Rockstar. k im done now.

[nukechicken]

Wow people like this who have to sue a video game company because they're morons really make me sick. I now refer to a qoute i read in my Johnny the homicidal maniac comic book.

"Any pile of stunted growth unaware that entertainment is just that and nothing more deserves to doom themselves to some dank cell, somewhere, for having been so stupid!! Movies, books, T.V., music - they're all just entertainment, not guidebooks for damning yourself!"

Now what most people don't realise is that entertainment is just that. It's not telling you to go out and kill people. The person who went put and killed the cop and whatever had full knowledge of what he was doing. His actions where in no way effected by some video game. And as such he gets every shred of disresoect he deserves and jail time.

[J3bus]

People whp do retarded stuff and then blame video games are retarded...Noone can do something because of a game...They had to make a consious decision to kill someone and steal something... You can't blame someone or something else...

[Elfer]

Once I decided to imitate GTA.

But all I did was drive around looking for packages wrapped in butcher's paper and brown ribbon.

[pr0de]

At 3/29/05 03:39 PM, Elfer wrote: Once I decided to imitate GTA.

But all I did was drive around looking for packages wrapped in butcher's paper and brown ribbon.

Packages of cocaine scattered around the city? That's crazy..

[Elfer]

At 3/29/05 03:41 PM, unowned wrote: Packages of cocaine scattered around the city? That's crazy..

Nah, just hidden packages in general.

They float, and the contents are a MYSTERY!@!@!!@@!11