Computer games cause university shooting

[Daniel]

I wasn't going to put this in the real thread for the NIU shootings because it just shouldn't be in there. Jack Thompson is a moron who believes that violent computer games and in particular one called Counter Strike cause people to go on murderous rampages with guns. It goes without saying that this guy is a lawyer.

Link
http://www.dailytech.com/Videogames+Blamed+for+NIU+Shooting/article10734.htm

Videos of this halfwit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd0pbuhsQQE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XtWV-tIeVg&feature=related

When will people learn that the only person is responsible for someone's actions is themselves. I've played violent games for a good part of my life and never gone out and gunned someone down :mark: In fact I'd say that playing violent games has caused me to be a more calm person in real life :)

I'm all for things that keep kids occupied and stop them for getting bored.

I better shut up now before Jack Thompson sues me.

[BDunnell]

I agree absolutely with you. While the media can undoubtedly influence people's opinions, placing the blame for violence on things like this is just ridiculous.

[Daniel]

I agree absolutely with you. While the media can undoubtedly influence people's opinions, placing the blame for violence on things like this is just ridiculous.
I just thought of something weird. In all the Jack Thompson videos on the net I've never actually once seem him call for tighter gun control. Weird huh? Well I spose it's harder to sue Smith & Wesson than it is to sue Rockstar Games perhaps? Or am I just getting cynical in my old age? :)

Thankfully a lot of the media coverage towards Jack Thompson has been negative but I guess anytime they present him even in a negative light that's probably a good thing for him.

[MrJan]

Yeah but video games can influence people. I used to drive cars on Colin McRae Rally and now I drive cars in real life. Also I have been known to walk about on GTA and you'll never guess what I've done today, yup, I went for a walk. It's shocking what computer games can do to you.

Also films I saw Taxi and ended up listening to French rap music, JUST LIKE THEY DO IN THE FILM :s hock: ;)

[Dave B]

I used to play Manic Miner as a kid. Can't say it ever affected me, but my lawn's in a bloody mess :s

:p

[Daniel]

Yeah but video games can influence people. I used to drive cars on Colin McRae Rally and now I drive cars in real life. Also I have been known to walk about on GTA and you'll never guess what I've done today, yup, I went for a walk. It's shocking what computer games can do to you.

Also films I saw Taxi and ended up listening to French rap music, JUST LIKE THEY DO IN THE FILM :s hock: ;)

The man's a maniac!

I drove my 406 down a skislope the other day just because I saw it done in Taxi 3 :crazy:

[BDunnell]

Yeah but video games can influence people. I used to drive cars on Colin McRae Rally and now I drive cars in real life. Also I have been known to walk about on GTA and you'll never guess what I've done today, yup, I went for a walk. It's shocking what computer games can do to you.

Also films I saw Taxi and ended up listening to French rap music, JUST LIKE THEY DO IN THE FILM :s hock: ;)

:laugh:

What I've seen in films has influenced my life to such an extent that I now live it in black and white, speaking nothing but French.

[Breeze]

Big fan of Counter Strike Condition Zero. No muderous rampages here. I do like to goof a bit though. :D If any of you run up against a buzzsaw named maquis, you'll now know who slew you!

[Daniel]

Big fan of Counter Strike Condition Zero. No muderous rampages here. I do like to goof a bit though. :D If any of you run up against a buzzsaw named maquis, you'll now know who slew you!
I used to love the original CS :) But then I played online a few times and the average ages of the players was about 12 and that kind of stopped me playing :p

[Drew]

Also films I saw Taxi and ended up listening to French rap music, JUST LIKE THEY DO IN THE FILM :s hock: ;)

The taxi films are brilliant, a silent hit, I think.

And on the serious stuff, I don't really believe it. If you are just spending all your time on the internet and computer playing Counter strike and GTA and nothing else, there might be a problem. Otherwise for the rest of us it's not really dangerous.

[Breeze]

I used to love the original CS :) But then I played online a few times and the average ages of the players was about 12 and that kind of stopped me playing :p
There's still some too young players, and too many to my liking as well, but mostly adults. Gotta keep my kids away from it though, as there's too much cussing and vulgar handles. :mad:

[jso1985]

Videogames influence, rubbish!
I've played every version of the FIFA games since FIFA 99, why I can't play like Messi then? :( :p

[Mark]

It's hardly surprising, teenagers are subject to extreme emotion: it's all part of growing up, but when you have a society where guns are readily available the results are not surprising.

[pino]

A poor education from parents and bad company/friends, are the reasons for all this violence and criminality by young people...not the computer-games.

[Tomi]

I think it can be whatever reason, games as one reason well but not the only one, people react so differently to different things, something must have happen that made him feel that everything is meaningless.

[555-04Q2]

I wasn't going to put this in the real thread for the NIU shootings because it just shouldn't be in there. Jack Thompson is a moron who believes that violent computer games and in particular one called Counter Strike cause people to go on murderous rampages with guns. It goes without saying that this guy is a lawyer.

Link
http://www.dailytech.com/Videogames+Blamed+for+NIU+Shooting/article10734.htm

Videos of this halfwit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd0pbuhsQQE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XtWV-tIeVg&feature=related

When will people learn that the only person is responsible for someone's actions is themselves. I've played violent games for a good part of my life and never gone out and gunned someone down :mark: In fact I'd say that playing violent games has caused me to be a more calm person in real life :)

I'm all for things that keep kids occupied and stop them for getting bored.

I better shut up now before Jack Thompson sues me.

Its purely society blaming anything they can except themselves for their failures. We are a sick society today (everywhere in the world) and it will not change.

[Ranger]

Next it will be claimed that the killer's toothpaste of choice incites murderous rampages. :rolleyes:

[Azumanga Davo]

Is this on a similar reasoning that Pacman promotes pill misuse?

I thank you! Boomboom!

[Drew]

Next it will be claimed that the killer's toothpaste of choice incites murderous rampages. :rolleyes:

I blame Colgate for every hanging in Spain.

[maxu05]

People blame video games, movies, diet, peer pressure etc, etc. What ever happened to CRAZY :crazy: ?

[Donney]

If there were a direct relationship between what I do in my computer or PS games and real life, I'd be, among several things, multiple WR and F1 champion, in many cases in the same season. :D

[Hawkmoon]

Jack Thompson has an axe to grind and comes across as a bit of an idiot but the question he raises is worth discussion.

How much effect on people does violent media have? Not just games but movies as well. Thompson focuses on games because he doesn't like them but also because of their interactivity which he sees as being more harmful than the imagery itself.

Does he have a point? The violence in games is nothing compared to what you will see in crappy films like Saw or Hostel, but in a game the player has direct control over the life or death of the characters on screen. How much greater, if at all, is the effect of "doing" the killing as opposed to merely witnessing the killing?

I can't understand how anybody can enjoy the level of violence and human suffering portrayed in movies like Saw, Hostel or any number of crappy "horror" films. On the flip side, I can play a game like John Woo's Stranglehold and think it's cool that you can shoot a guy in the groin and watch as he staggers around holding his bloody nuts before dying. Maybe ol' Jack has a point.

Personally I find the link between games and real world violence tennuous at best. But I've been playing games since the days of the C64 in 1980's so perhaps I'm not in the best position to look at the issue objectively. However, I've never fired a real gun in my life and have no desire to change this state of affairs.

As a society we need to be aware of the way violence is portrayed. You have to admit that violence is seen as being "cool", certainly from the point of view of the entertainment industry. Is that a good thing? I think not.

[ioan]

Not all of it but a part of the violence we witness every day is due to people watching violent movies and playing violent video games.
Not everyone is influenced the same way because not everyones' brain works in the same way.
Because Daniel doesn't feel the urge to kill someone after playing CS it does not mean that someone else might get a different influence on his/her behavior.

People are way too fast to dismiss the influence of interactive media on children and young people. Do it, but be prepared to accept the consequences.
Scientific studies were not exactly conclusive but showed that there is a relation between movies and video games and some people's behavior.

[BDunnell]

Jack Thompson has an axe to grind and comes across as a bit of an idiot but the question he raises is worth discussion.

How much effect on people does violent media have? Not just games but movies as well. Thompson focuses on games because he doesn't like them but also because of their interactivity which he sees as being more harmful than the imagery itself.

Does he have a point? The violence in games is nothing compared to what you will see in crappy films like Saw or Hostel, but in a game the player has direct control over the life or death of the characters on screen. How much greater, if at all, is the effect of "doing" the killing as opposed to merely witnessing the killing?

I can't understand how anybody can enjoy the level of violence and human suffering portrayed in movies like Saw, Hostel or any number of crappy "horror" films. On the flip side, I can play a game like John Woo's Stranglehold and think it's cool that you can shoot a guy in the groin and watch as he staggers around holding his bloody nuts before dying. Maybe ol' Jack has a point.

Personally I find the link between games and real world violence tennuous at best. But I've been playing games since the days of the C64 in 1980's so perhaps I'm not in the best position to look at the issue objectively. However, I've never fired a real gun in my life and have no desire to change this state of affairs.

As a society we need to be aware of the way violence is portrayed. You have to admit that violence is seen as being "cool", certainly from the point of view of the entertainment industry. Is that a good thing? I think not.

Very fair points, as are ioan's above.

All I would say is that there is no problem about making a link between watching violence and committing it, especially in young people. ioan's point about different people being affected in different ways by what they see is also true. However, what I do have great difficulty with is the apportioning of blame, which seems to deny individual responsibility, and even more so the suggestion of banning such depictions of violence. By all means protect the most vulnerable people in society, such as those who may be susceptible to the notion that committing acts of violence is acceptable, but let's not shape our laws on this basis. Sadly, it is impossible to guard against every potential danger.

I should add that I personally don't play video games, violent or not, and that I don't enjoy overly-violent films.

[MrJan]

Let's be honest this whole discussion that keeps coming up is ridiculous. If I play a shoot 'em up it might make me feel violent but the effort to get a gun and go nuts takes proper input that can only come from a deranged nutter.

[Daniel]

I should add that I personally don't play video games, violent or not, and that I don't enjoy overly-violent films.

I don't enjoy overtly violent things either. I've never seen (nor intend to see) one of those pointless Saw films and I don't really go for pointless action movies although I do like Arnie movies because he's just cheesy. I always think that if there is gore or violence in a movie or game that it should be there for a reason and not pointlessly gratuitous. Violence should be part of things but not the point of things :)

[Erki]

I just thought of something weird. In all the Jack Thompson videos on the net I've never actually once seem him call for tighter gun control. Weird huh? Well I spose it's harder to sue Smith & Wesson than it is to sue Rockstar Games perhaps? Or am I just getting cynical in my old age? :)

The thing is, Rockstar Games leads to Smith & Wesson, not the other way around. If you get rid of Smith & Wesson, you have Husqvarna, Fiskers, etc all in queue, waiting to be banned. If people weren't violent, there wouldn't be need for so many Smith & Wessons.

And I don't support tightenings and controls and bans and such stuff anyway. I don't want to be controlled. (And I don't want Rockstar Games to be sued, either)

[jim mcglinchey]

[quote="Erki"]The, you have Husqvarna, Fiskers, etc all in queue, waiting to be banned.

Happiness is a warmed up Husky chainsaw!( to paraphrase John Lennon ).

[Daniel]

The, you have Husqvarna, Fiskers, etc all in queue, waiting to be banned.

Happiness is a warmed up Husky chainsaw!( to paraphrase John Lennon ).
I'll agree with you on that. I've never seen my dad happier than when he's got a chainsaw in his hands. You never forget a maniacal glint in someones eyes like that.....

[airshifter]

I think there is a point in what influences society, but it's much more than simply games. To some extent any media will influence most people in some way, otherwise it wouldn't exist.

All too often I think people and especially younger people can be "disconnected" from reality due to media overload. Without proper guidance they begin to substitute a false reality for what is real, and at such point those false realities begin to influence them much more.

The same is true to some extent with adults. If by chance a number of large contries joined in airing propoganda on the news that was nowhere close to the truth, the public would be influenced by it. I personally feel that various media slants already do this, and that if only proven facts were allowed to be reported that often less people would disagree on major world issues.



As a strange side note that applies, I recently found out that both kids with learning disorders and those with much greater skills and considered gifted are often more influenced by and more sensitive to global events, and media influence in general.

In the case of those with learning disorders and disabilities, they may often feel out of place for those reasons, and combined with the outside influences that could well be a very bad combination.

[thompp]

In fact I'd say that playing violent games has caused me to be a more calm person in real life :)

Probably true. Action-packed computer games are great was of relieving pent-up stress - except when you do badly and you get even more frustrated!

[Azumanga Davo]

I'll agree with you on that. I've never seen my dad happier than when he's got a chainsaw in his hands. You never forget a maniacal glint in someones eyes like that.....

And you've never missed a curfew since...

Hmmm, maybe we should make watching Mr Bean mandatory. That could have a fun effect on the world... ;)

[MrJan]

I'll agree with you on that. I've never seen my dad happier than when he's got a chainsaw in his hands. You never forget a maniacal glint in someones eyes like that.....

Just like the crazed grin that any man has when using power tools for the first time :D

[Daniel]

http://www.dailytech.com/Jack+Thompson+Served+With+Order+to+Show+Cause+by+S upreme+Court/article10819.htm

Jack gets served for serving numerous and frivolous cases in court.

[slinkster]

I think there will be a number of factors that influence people's behaviours but these will be cumulative and reach far and wide.

You can't attribute something like this to one particular hobby or interest and I would hope that any sane judge would agree.

[Daniel]

I've just realised that BREAD is the problem here.

http://www.geoffmetcalf.com/bread.html

Did you know that more than 90 percent of violent crimes are committed within 24 hours of eating bread.

Surely if we didn't have bread then these crimes wouldn't happen :up:

[jso1985]

and I bet 100% of them are commited after drinking water within 24 hours.
;)
Water is the most evil thing on earth! :p