VIDEO GAMES CAUSE PEOPLE TO KILL

[Open the Muggy Gate 0]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) - A lawsuit claims the video game ``Grand Theft Auto'' led a teenager to shoot two police officers and a dispatcher to death in 2003, mirroring violent acts depicted in the popular game.

 

The suit announced Tuesday seeks damages from the game's manufacturers and two stores that allegedly sold it to Devin Thompson, now 18.

 

An attorney for relatives of two of the victims said Thompson, who is charged with murder, had played the video game repeatedly.

 

Thompson is accused of killing the three men in June 2003 after being brought to the Fayette police station on suspicion of driving a stolen car. Thompson allegedly grabbed one of the officer's guns, shot him and the other two, then fled in a patrol car.

 

 

The suit alleges Thompson purchased ``Grand Theft Auto III'' at the Gamestop in Jasper and ``Grand Theft Auto: Vice City'' at the Jasper Wal-Mart when he was under 17. The games, which depict police killings and other acts of violence, are rated M, meaning they are appropriate for those 17 or older.

 

 

``What has happened in Alabama is that four companies participated in the training of Devin ... to kill three men,'' attorney Jack Thompson told The Tuscaloosa News, which reported the suit's filing.

 

 

Named in the suit are Wal-Mart Stores and Gamestop along with Take-Two Interactive Software, the manufacturer of the games, and Sony Computer Entertainment, the maker of the PlayStation 2.

 

 

Messages left for officials of three of the companies were not immediately returned. There was no answer at the listing for Gamestop in Grapevine, Texas.

 

 

At a December hearing, authorities said Devin Thompson, when he was apprehended, told officers, ''Life is a video game. You've got to die sometime.''

 

I wanna slap that attorney who thinks that Rockstar trained kids to kill people. The boy has some serious issues of he thinks life is a damn video game. Apparently, this case has been pending for a while and the suit just happened. I don't have a date on it though.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

Meh. Rockstar should have seen this coming when they made games where you could shoot cops.

[2GOLD 0]

The lawsuit will win because parents are officially stupid now. And god forbid they take responsiblity for not getting little Johnny come psycho to a shrink.

 

If anything, Rockstar should sue the Walmart.

I've never been to a Walmart that doesn't have that "IS THE CUSTOMER OVER 17" disclaimer pop up on the register.

 

Is it that hard to say, "I need to see some ID"?

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

I think there was a case in TN dealing with the same thing (we may have even talked about it here).

 

Wonder if it's the same douche lawyer?...

[Skywarp! 0]

The lawsuit will win because parents are officially stupid now. And god forbid they take responsiblity for not getting little Johnny come psycho to a shrink.

 

If anything, Rockstar should sue the Walmart.

I've never been to a Walmart that doesn't have that "IS THE CUSTOMER OVER 17" disclaimer pop up on the register.

 

Is it that hard to say, "I need to see some ID"?

The problem is that the parents are either not aware just how inappropriate the content of video games has gotten lately, or they just don't care and get their kids whatever they ask for. When "Vice City" was new, I saw a parent buying it with her 7-9 year old kid in tow. I thought "You got to be kidding".

 

When I was working at "The Wall", parents used to come up with their 10 year olds in tow, with "The Marshal Mathers LP" in their hand. I used to warn parents that it wasn't appropriate. They had no idea. When the album went back on the shelves, the 10 year olds used to give me nasty looks.

[razazteca 0]

This only means more governmental cencorship hearings in the future. I am looking forword to a more confusing rating system to be set by grumpy old men.

[Guest LooneyTune]

I must've been the only person "carded" when buying Vice City, and I looked like I was 27 (I was still over the age, but eh). If parents took responsibility for their little pieces of crap kids, none of this would happen.

 

Father: Son, what do you want for christmas?

7 Year old son: Um... I want Grand Teft Auto Daddy!

Father: Fine, as long as you don't bother me.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

When I was working at "The Wall", parents used to come up with their 10 year olds in tow, with "The Marshal Mathers LP" in their hand. I used to warn parents that it wasn't appropriate. They had no idea. When the album went back on the shelves, the 10 year olds used to give me nasty looks. smile.gif

 

If you tried to tell me what was or wasn't appropriate for my child, I'd likely tell you to fuck off.

 

Just sayin'

[AndrewTS 0]

When I was working at "The Wall", parents used to come up with their 10 year olds in tow, with "The Marshal Mathers LP" in their hand.  I used to warn parents that it wasn't appropriate.  They had no idea.  When the album went back on the shelves, the 10 year olds used to give me nasty looks. 

I thought Wal-Mart only carried the heavily-edited versions of those albums? IOW, probably 30% of it is bleeped out/silence?

 

I've tried to warn parents about stuff like that whenever I see it, but usually Looney's scenario is what occurs when I've tried.

 

If you tried to tell me what was or wasn't appropriate for my child, I'd likely tell you to fuck off.

 

Just sayin'

 

If you would, you'd just validate somebody's belief that you're a lousy parent.

 

This only means more governmental cencorship hearings in the future. I am looking forword to a more confusing rating system to be set by grumpy old men.

 

What's confusing about the current system? It's a hell of a lot more reliable, understandable, and comprehensive than TV ratings or movie ratings.

[Guest Smues]

The lawsuit will win because parents are officially stupid now. And god forbid they take responsiblity for not getting little Johnny come psycho to a shrink.

 

If anything, Rockstar should sue the Walmart.

I've never been to a Walmart that doesn't have that "IS THE CUSTOMER OVER 17" disclaimer pop up on the register.

 

Is it that hard to say, "I need to see some ID"?

The walmart I go to usually cards for anything that does that. Hell they card my girlfriends 60 year old dad.

[Vyce 0]

In a somewhat related story, D.C. Councilman Adrian Fenty wants to ban games like Grand Theft Auto from the District of Columbia, because he believes it promotes criminal behavior and black-on-black crime.

 

And I mourn a little more over the death of personal responsibility.

[Skywarp! 0]

When I was working at "The Wall", parents used to come up with their 10 year olds in tow, with "The Marshal Mathers LP" in their hand.  I used to warn parents that it wasn't appropriate.  They had no idea.  When the album went back on the shelves, the 10 year olds used to give me nasty looks. 

I thought Wal-Mart only carried the heavily-edited versions of those albums? IOW, probably 30% of it is bleeped out/silence?

 

Sorry, I didn't mean I worked at Wal*Mart. There was a chain of music stores called The Wall, which were usually located in malls. Most of them have been changed over to FYEs now, I think.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

If you would, you'd just validate somebody's belief that you're a lousy parent.

 

It;s no ones business how I raise my child but mine and his mother. I don't need strangers "advice". Nor would I be stupid enough to let my child to play any of the GTA games. Not just because they aren't appropriate but because I don't play them either because I think they're a joke.

[Skywarp! 0]

When I was working at "The Wall", parents used to come up with their 10 year olds in tow, with "The Marshal Mathers LP" in their hand. I used to warn parents that it wasn't appropriate. They had no idea. When the album went back on the shelves, the 10 year olds used to give me nasty looks. smile.gif

 

If you tried to tell me what was or wasn't appropriate for my child, I'd likely tell you to fuck off.

 

Just sayin'

Actually, a lot of moms were taken aback when they realized it had naughty language.

 

Although I'm just pointing out the unobservant parent minority; the majority noticed the Parental Advisory sticker and said "no way" to the begging.

[DerangedHermit 0]

I should sue Sega because I'm jumping on robots now

[The Metal Maniac 0]

I don't need strangers "advice".

 

But many parents do, because they apparantly don't care about what their child sees/hears/plays.

 

It's not like anyone should be stopping you from buying whatever you please for your child, but I think that by telling all potential customers that certain things are not appropriate for children under a certain age, they should, at least, be absolved of any potential blame should the child turn out to be a psychopath.

 

Because really, playing video games doesn't make you kill people. It just gives you an excuse when you do.

[AndrewTS 0]

In a somewhat related story, D.C. Councilman Adrian Fenty wants to ban games like Grand Theft Auto from the District of Columbia, because he believes it promotes criminal behavior and black-on-black crime.

 

And I mourn a little more over the death of personal responsibility.

People in the D.C. area can afford PS2s and the GTA games?

[Hogan Made Wrestling 0]

Everyone seems to focus on where the teen bought the videogames and that he was "underage".

 

I'm wondering where in the fuck he got the gun.

[AndrewTS 0]

Realistically, I don't see how anyone should even remotely be considered responsible besides the store that actually sold him the game.

 

Sony? They made the system. So what? He's the jackass who put the game in the system.

 

Take-Two? They're just the publisher, Rockstar is the developer. The game is rated so it's not their responsibility.

 

So I assume Wal-Mart or Gamestop actually sold him the game--likely Gamestop, because Wal-Mart would probably be a lot stricter about that stuff. So, it's that Gamestop's fault if anyone.

 

(EDIT: Okay, it *conveniently* states that the "suit alleges" each store sold him one of the GTAs, which is convenient and unprovable)

 

This sounds like Attorney Joe Adler.

 

"We are going to sue...that sales clerk, Sony for manufacturing the console, Take Two for publishing the game, Wal-Mart for selling the console, and we are going to sue that Gamestop."

 

It's also quite funny that we didn't really see any of these suits around when Lethal Enforcers was big in arcades, because *anybody* could walk up and play it, and it actually was more likely to teach you how to *aim* and *shoot* a gun.

[The Amazing Rando 0]

The question is... did he run over the gun as it floated in a circle a few feet off the ground?

[Scroby 0]

You know I find it funny there that this guy is actually putting blame on both GTA 3 and Vice City. Its not the fact its one game, its two! Seriously is there anything that can't be blamed on videogames, tv, music, or movies? It can never be the fact he's a idiot or the fact his parents are idiots as well and didn't explain to this guy that "Hey you can't do this in real life."

[The Amazing Rando 0]

I blame BTTF cause I tried to get a Deloreon to go back in time at 88 MPH, but the cops pulled me over and found a shit load of cocaine instead.

 

 

 

That was heavy.

[Guest Vitamin X]

The lawsuit will win because parents are officially stupid now. And god forbid they take responsiblity for not getting little Johnny come psycho to a shrink.

 

If anything, Rockstar should sue the Walmart.

I've never been to a Walmart that doesn't have that "IS THE CUSTOMER OVER 17" disclaimer pop up on the register.

 

Is it that hard to say, "I need to see some ID"?

The problem is that the parents are either not aware just how inappropriate the content of video games has gotten lately, or they just don't care and get their kids whatever they ask for. When "Vice City" was new, I saw a parent buying it with her 7-9 year old kid in tow. I thought "You got to be kidding".

 

When I was working at "The Wall", parents used to come up with their 10 year olds in tow, with "The Marshal Mathers LP" in their hand. I used to warn parents that it wasn't appropriate. They had no idea. When the album went back on the shelves, the 10 year olds used to give me nasty looks.

Oh wow, we've got another crusader of morality here, folks!

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

(EDIT: Okay, it *conveniently* states that the "suit alleges" each store sold him one of the GTAs, which is convenient and unprovable)

 

um...it's called a reciept.

[Scroby 0]

QUOTE 

(EDIT: Okay, it *conveniently* states that the "suit alleges" each store sold him one of the GTAs, which is convenient and unprovable)

 

um...it's called a reciept.

 

I highly doubt he kept the reciepts for that long....if he did, the dudes insane.

[Guest cosbywasmurdered]

I have reciepts from 5 years ago all over the place. It's certainly possible.

[chirs3 0]

Attorney Jack Thompson? The same Jack Thompson who jumps all over every videogame-blamed crime in America?

 

If memory serves, he's won approximately none of these cases.

 

Edited February 17, 2005 by chirs3

[AndrewTS 0]

I have reciepts from 5 years ago all over the place. It's certainly possible.

Exactly--even if such a receipt were presented,

 

a) it would look very convenient and suspicious that he'd have it.

 

b) all it proves is that *somebody* purchased said items at said time. If it were on a cash basis, there's no way of proving it. Now, if the kid has a debit card or a credit card, it would list the last 4 numbers of his card on it, but that takes you to c.

 

c) Receipts can be faked. Wal-Mart has receipts with bar codes and transaction numbers, so depending on how good the records they keep for those are, those could be hard to "fake" (i.e. making a receipt for a transaction that never took place, setting a certain date, etc.) Gamestop? If you have the paper with the logo on the back, you could set up a cash register to make a perfect fake. People buy cash registers for the sole purpose of making fake receipts to send for rebates. My mother had a friend who had 10 post office boxes under ten different names who did just that.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

I never come in this folder, but saw this thread while scanning down the main page.

 

CAN WE PLEASE STOP WITH THESE THREADS~! I'm sick and tired of hearing people talk about stupid parents in these "Kids blame video games" threads. They're all the fucking same, just put one big thread together. You can have the guy that relays experiences about kids and lousy parents in stores, or the guy who goes off on stupid parents, the guy who says that he should be able to play any video game he wants and that these parents shouldn't be dictating his life, or the guy who presents pie charts on why video games are not responsible for killing.

 

WHO THE FUCK CARES WE ALL KNOW HOW YOU ALL FEEL GODDAMNIT ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111111oneone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Skywarp! 0]

He's gone, damnit. We need to medicate Paragon.