Addy 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsPackageArticl...72§ion=news LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's biggest electronics chain, Dixons, has pulled the graphically violent video game "Manhunt" from its shops after parents of a teenage murder victim blamed the game for the killing of their son. The game, in which the player takes on the role of a convicted murderer ordered by a demented film director to kill people in as gruesome a fashion as possible, has stirred controversy even among fans of violent videos. It awards extra points to players for carrying out murders in a particularly extreme and bloody way, while victims plead to be spared on behalf of their wives and children. The parents of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, called this week for "Manhunt" to be banned after a 17-year-old admitted inviting their son into a park and murdering him. Warren Le Blanc, a fan of the game, admitted he beat the younger teen to death with a claw hammer and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. He could face life in prison. "I didn't intend to kill him at first, but when I saw the blood I just let go and hit more times," he told police. Stefan's father Patrick, 41, said: "Stefan's murder compares to how the game is set out, using weapons like hammers and knives. If games like this influence kids, they should be taken off the shelves." The game is published by Rockstar Games, a division of New York's Take-Two Interactive Software known for its line-up of violent games like the hugely popular "Grand Theft Auto" series, which sees players run wild in high-speed crime sprees. No comment from the company was immediately available. A spokeswoman for Dixons said it was pulling the game from its shelves on Thursday with immediate effect as a result of the uproar. The game has an "18" rating, which means it should not be sold to minors. In a generally favourable review on the website totalvideogames.com, the reviewer wrote: "it has to be the most violent yet realistic videogame we've played" and described its "ability to unhinge the player and make you feel disturbed." Another Web site, Game Zone Online, gave it an 8 out of 10 score for "solid gameplay" but wrote: "kids under 17 should not be allowed anywhere around this game, and it contains some of the most disgusting killings that I have seen either in movies or in a game". Other stores such as PC World, Curries and GAME have also taken it off the shelves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Nice to see England is adopting our less admirable traits Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dubq 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Pfft, whatever. This coming from the country that practically invented 'reality tv' - fucking wankers. It awards extra points to players for carrying out murders in a particularly extreme and bloody way, while victims plead to be spared on behalf of their wives and children. I don't recall that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Exslade ZX 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Wonder if they realize there are a bunch of other games just like it and worse. And I still say that's stupid...they haven't completely banned TV yet have they? Or banned...well anything doing with death, like in school and such. But whatever. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Renegade 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Pacman promotes obesity. Ban it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Corey_Lazarus 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Nowhere do I see a mention of the murderer even PLAYING the game, or even saying he wanted to carry out the actions of the game. So, tell me...how does a game influence the murderer if said murderer didn't play it? That's like saying The Passion is the sole reason that there are anti-semitic groups. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dubq 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Nowhere do I see a mention of the murderer even PLAYING the game, or even saying he wanted to carry out the actions of the game. So, tell me...how does a game influence the murderer if said murderer didn't play it? That's like saying The Passion is the sole reason that there are anti-semitic groups. Warren Le Blanc, a fan of the game, admitted he beat the younger teen to death with a claw hammer and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. He could face life in prison. Saying that he's a fan of the game pretty much guarantees that he has played it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Fook Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Stefan's father Patrick, 41, said: "Stefan's murder compares to how the game is set out, using weapons like hammers and knives. If games like this influence kids, they should be taken off the shelves." Yeah, cause it's not like anyone would have ever thought to use a hammer or knife to kill someone before this game came out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Big_Jay101 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Why do videos have to be the scapegoat for demented minds. They act like people don't make decisions themselves anymore. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Stefan's father Patrick, 41, said: "Stefan's murder compares to how the game is set out, using weapons like hammers and knives. If games like this influence kids, they should be taken off the shelves." Yeah, cause it's not like anyone would have ever thought to use a hammer or knife to kill someone before this game came out. PacMan taught me to eat people Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewTS 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 End result--chock up another victory for good taste. Any time something bad happens to Rockstar I rejoice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest CronoT Report post Posted July 29, 2004 It's the fraudulent Columbine/Doom connection again. 1: A kid that age shouldn't even be playing that game. 2: Parents shouldn't be using TV and video games as surrogate babysitters. 3: If the parents of that kid bought him that game, they need to take responsibility for it. Wal-Mart, the company I work for, takes the ratings on games very seriously. If you're under 13, you can't buy a T rated game. If you're under 17, you can't buy an M rated game. It's the same guidelines as enforced, by law, for the sale and distribution of R rated movies. We need the people in the gov't to tell the truth, even though it might "hurt their re-election campaign." Parents need to take some damn responsibility for their own kids. Case in point: I help my sister with a Children's Choir at our church on Wednesday nights. Last night, one of the kids in the class told me he was watching something on TV with his dad, and he said it was kind of disgusting. He said people were rolling dice, and having to eat bugs and worms and stuff. So, that means a 7 year old kid was watching Fear Factor. I told him the next time it's on, he should tell his dad he doesn't like what's on, because he thinks it's gross and disgusting. He probably won't do it, but at least now he knows it's okay to not want to watch it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
King Cucaracha 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 I feel sorry for the victim's mother and all, but she's picking blame with the wrong thing. The guy who commited the murder was obviously a nutcase, yet the blame for him being a nutcase is being put on the games because it's the easy thing to do. Games don't make normal people mad. The killer was obviously on the edge, but banning a game just so people like this don't snap is ridiculous. If it wasn't Manhunt, it would have been a movie or 'Marilyn Manson'. The killer's parents should be blamed for giving the kid the game in the first place, and obviously for not realising he was a nutjob. Then again, us Brits love a good reason to discuss things ad-nauseum so this'll no doubt run for months and probably screw up the new GTA game. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AndrewTS 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 "Then again, us Brits love a good reason to discuss things ad-nauseum so this'll no doubt run for months and probably screw up the new GTA game." Or, just to be assholes, the next R* game will feature you playing as Jack the Ripper. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dubq 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 "Then again, us Brits love a good reason to discuss things ad-nauseum so this'll no doubt run for months and probably screw up the new GTA game." Or, just to be assholes, the next R* game will feature you playing as Jack the Ripper. Dude that was so long ago, it's hardly taboo anymore. I mean, shit, Todd McFarlane makes a Jack the Ripper action figure for crying out loud. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eclipse 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Wow, uh, is it me, or the violent factor in this game is WAY OVEREXAGGERATED? I rented it last week to see how violent it is. At first, it is crazy, a demented director forcing you to kill, but after a while, the death isn't that crazy... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Fook Report post Posted July 29, 2004 Wow, uh, is it me, or the violent factor in this game is WAY OVEREXAGGERATED? I rented it last week to see how violent it is. At first, it is crazy, a demented director forcing you to kill, but after a while, the death isn't that crazy... See?! He's already desensitized to the extreme violence!!! [/stupid parents] Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Use Your Illusion 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2004 End result--chock up another victory for good taste. Any time something bad happens to Rockstar I rejoice. I'm with you on that one. However, the game isn't responsible for any kids dying. Manhunt is an adult video game not to be played by any minor. The parents can blame themselves. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Smell the ratings!!! Report post Posted July 30, 2004 aren't they like 6 months late on this game? I'm sure whatever impressionable young minds that have a thirst for blood already have it. Although I'm sure a campaign to ban it will scare up some more customers. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Scroby 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2004 Its the same bullcrap whenever something like this happens. They find something else to blame other than the parents or the kid being a nut. Its always the music/movies/ and videogames to blame. I sware I don't see anywhere on a cd/videogame case or a movie case/poster where it says "I make a good babysitter.". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zorin Industries 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2004 It was on the news last nite (but only on ITV, which pulls this stunt all the time with movies), and in the tabloids today, and funny enough they have got most of their facts wrong as usual. This is typical of the U.K., every 5 years or so there is a backlash against violent movies or games and its always the same news agency leading the charge. Hopefully it will blow over without too much fuss. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Damaramu 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2004 It was on the news last nite (but only on ITV, which pulls this stunt all the time with movies), and in the tabloids today, and funny enough they have got most of their facts wrong as usual. This is typical of the U.K., every 5 years or so there is a backlash against violent movies or games and its always the same news agency leading the charge. Hopefully it will blow over without too much fuss. What facts did they get wrong. This should be good. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slayer 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2004 What facts did they get wrong. That Manhunt was a popular game Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DerangedHermit 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2004 What facts did they get wrong. That Manhunt was a popular game And on a related note, they didn't pull Manhunt off the shelves for violence. They pulled it off because it sucks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BrokenTiger 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2004 Its the same bullcrap whenever something like this happens. They find something else to blame other than the parents or the kid being a nut. Its always the music/movies/ and videogames to blame. I sware I don't see anywhere on a cd/videogame case or a movie case/poster where it says "I make a good babysitter.". Over here in my country (Malaysia), wrestling's get the blame too. Hence the overly sanitized wrestling content on TV : no divas...no chairshots...hell for any TLC matches there's a lot of blurring going on. Wacky. As for Manhunt, I got it, completed it and not too impressed by it. It gets rather silly after a while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
