The worm has turned.....

[Apex]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08..._murder_claim/

intresting reading.

[Michael]

I still haven't seen what the fuss about this game is yet... Anyone know of any ingame recordings floating around?

[Howard]

Page doesn't load but I assume it's a story about the people who are blaming Manhunt for some lad killing some other lad?

[Apex]

"The video game was not found in Warren LeBlanc's room, it was found in Stefan Pakeerah's room," a police spokesperson said today. "Leicestershire Constabulary stands by its response that police investigations did not uncover any connections to the video game, the motive for the incident was robbery."

[malfunction]

Same as always - just a good story for the tabloids - it's a huge heap of cow poo as usual...

"COMPUTER GAME MADE ME KILL!"

(Says violent psychotic type)

I can accept the argument that violent stimulus MIGHT encourage someone who's already pre-disposed to such actions to act violently (though I'd also say it could be equally as cathartic (SP?) for such a person). But anyone who isn't a custard short of a pudding ought to be able to tell the difference between entertainment and reality...

(walks away muttering about the gutter press and the bloody idiots that believe everything they write in this bloody chav breeding country we live in)

[Apex]

What am trying to say is that thw first story said that the killer who was 17 had the game, but it now turns out it was the victim who had the game ! and hes 14 irrc.

[Rave]

The parents are sueing Sony for $50m apparently. I'm sorry their son was killed obviously, but what a pair of idiots.

You'd think lawyers would have learnt from the Judas Priest trial fiasco. For anyone who's not familiar with the story, some parents sued Priest claiming that if you played a certain part of one of their albums backwards it said 'do it', which apparently encouraged two kids to commit suicide. The case was thrown out when Rob Halford turned up to court and played another metal song backwards, which said 'I offered her a peppermint- I asked her to get me one'.

Rich :¬)

[Devilbod]

That cant be right, maybe they might be sueing Rockstar but sueing Sony would be like me sueing Honda for falling off my bike. They cant be held responsable for who makes what game for there system.

If it is Rockstar then they wont win Rockstar has been in and out of the courts since the original Gran Theft Auto came out, the only one I know thats been successful was to do with GTA 3 with the Hiations (not sure about the spelling) and all that happened then was the name was removed from within the game. Made me laugh because it had been out for almost two years before that happened.

It's probably some little layer who wants to make a name for himself.

[Devilbod]

Just had a look at Gamebiz for the full story :

Police involved in the Stefan Pakeerah murder case have revealed that the copy of Manhunt at the centre of a tabloid media frenzy last week was found in the possession of the victim, not the killer.

Newspapers and TV news channels gave significant coverage to the case last week, when the mother of the victim claimed that 17-year-old killer Warren LeBlanc had been "obsessed" with the ultra-violent Rockstar game.

However, according to a spokesperson for Leicestershire Constabulary, the police division which investigated the murder, the link is even more tenuous than was reported previously - with the game being found not in the room of the murderer, but of the victim.

"The video game was not found in Warren LeBlanc's room, it was found in Stefan Pakeerah's room," the spokesperson said today. "Leicestershire Constabulary stands by its response that police investigations did not uncover any connections to the video game, the motive for the incident was robbery."

While it's still entirely plausible that LeBlanc was obsessed with the game, as he and Pakeerah were friends, this new information does raise questions about how the 14-year-old Pakeerah was able to obtain a copy of the 18-rated game; and also about the conduct of the British media in reporting on the story.

The tabloid press, in particular the extremist right-wing Daily Mail newspaper, have already been heavily criticised for ignoring the police reports and prosecution statements which gave the motive for the murder as robbery, with LeBlanc killing his younger friend in order to pay back a drugs-related debt. Few tabloid stories made any mention of the drugs angle.

The news will also pour cold water on the intentions of American lawyer Jack Thompson, infamous for his chasing of cases relating to what he judges to be immoral media. Thompson apparently plans to bring a major lawsuit on behalf of the Pakeerah family against Rockstar; the revelation that the game belonged to their son, not to the killer, may well mean that this case is quietly dropped.

[Apex]

What am trying to say is that thw first story said that the killer who was 17 had the game, but it now turns out it was the victim who had the game ! and hes 14 irrc.

[Shogun]

Can't rockstar now sue the family for slander?

[Devilbod]

Not sure that would do there PR any good..

[Shogun]

When it's been printed that the game they made was a "manual for murder" then their PR can't get really any worse can it?

[killgORE]

Shogun

When it's been printed that the game they made was a "manual for murder" then their PR can't get really any worse can it?

But when the sentiment comes from an ill informed - the cops blamed the game before finding out it was drug related and not pwned by the psycho - AND very miffed/sad parent. U would have to be mad to listen.

The point is that whenever these stories arise there is a spike in game sales becasue of the hysteria - all PR is good.. except for michael jackson - but is there a proportional rise in the killings/violence ?

[SarG]

American lawyer Jack Thompson, infamous for his chasing of cases relating to what he judges to be immoral media.

Says it all really.

[nichomach]

But when the sentiment comes from an ill informed - the cops blamed the game before finding out it was drug related and not pwned by the psycho - AND very miffed/sad parent. U would have to be mad to listen.

FWIW, the police had always stated that they didn't see any link between the game and the killing.