Headlines - Videogames cited as possible trigger for Akihabara murder spree

[HEXUS]

Japanese suggest that murderer may have been influenced by video games. Killer used knife similar to that in Dragon Quest.

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[KingORoff]

I cannot but help feel angered by this - where yet again an unstable young person's actions are blamed because he/she plays too many computer games or views such stuff on the internet. Quite frankly, I think such a view is a load of bull; created by people who, quite obviously, have never played computer games for a significant amount of time in their life; and when they see such acts like this one mentioned they go for the easiest target, the Computer Games Industry.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that games have no influence at all (that would be foolhardy and wrong), but one should point out that the majority, nay, the overwhelming majority of people who play games realise that they are, above all, a work of fiction. A fake, with no real connections to the world. Now there are some who are obviously more impressionable than others, and indeed I imagine that young man is one of these people; but using him as an example to show that Computer Games induce violence and antisocial behaviour is biased and above all ignorant.

I may as well counter this anti-games lobby with something much more tangible and dangerous. Alcoholism - which, I might add, is far more damaging than Manhunt or Dragon Quest, will ever be. That being said I don't think I should bar people from drinking it, as the majority of people I'm sure are sensible around it (some less than others).

[rhangman]

If the people behind such legislation really believed in it, then shouldn't they be worried about the millions of angry manic gamers who will be gunning for them?

[Lucio]

They have it the wrong way around, people who are prone to sitting in their basement playing video games are also prone to psychotic episodes. The fact they play video games is a symptom, not a cause or trigger for their behaviour.

[dangel]

I've played violent games for years and years.

I'm going to stab you.

Obviously.

[awm]

They have it the wrong way around, people who are prone to sitting in their basement playing video games are also prone to psychotic episodes. The fact they play video games is a symptom, not a cause or trigger for their behaviour.

Exactly. Now the question becomes did becoming politicians make them stupid, or were they stupid beforehand.

[Steven W]

I've played violent games for years and years.

I'm going to stab you.

Obviously.

When people quit when there's a few minutes to go on FIFA or UEFA and I'm winning, that makes me mad. If those people were in front of me, I'd knock the living daylights out of them; and that's not even a violent game. Well actually, I probably wouldn't, I'd probably just ask them why they quit.

It's all to do with the person. Something will trigger their anger and 'evil' at some point. I think it's mockery of the whole case that they have even made the suggestion that his knife looked like the one in Dragon Quest. Absolutely ridiculous.

P.S I wonder what the knife does look like in Dragon Quest?

[CrazyMonkey]

It's all total rubbish. Think about it - How many people play Video Games and use the Internet? A huuuuuuge amount!

Now of course you will get a few nutters out there, regardless of video game and internet use. There has always been nutters and always will be.

If he was posting warnings on the internet about what he was going to do, surely the internet at an angle can help prevent things like this happening?

I'd probably just ask them why they quit.

I would probably point, laugh and call them a n00b ^^

[Oobie-]

Starting slightly off topic:

When I watched a video on Jack Thompson on youtube, there was quite a good analogy in the comments section.
It went something like:

"Oh wow, I play tony hawk all day, why haven't I learnt to skateboard like him"

It all boils down to:
Govt.s fail, they look for a scapegoat. Simple as that.

[DavidM]

There's enough unpleasant people around who've never touched a console or computer game in their life...